The PS5 is home to many mature-rated first-person shooters, RPGs and action titles, but it’s also a source of many fantastic 3D platformers. Kids (and kids at heart) can enjoy all manner of platforming adventures, such asAstro Botand the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, to get a blast from the past or enjoy genuinely well-designed levels.
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Today we’ll dive into what makes a wonderful 3D platformer for the PS5, including art style, graphics, game design, storyline and characters. Of course, we’ll also talk about the collectibles you can find. Here are the best 3D platformers on the PS5.
9Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
This launch title for the PS5 is brimming with personality and charm.Sackboy: A Big Adventureis a four-player co-op 3D platformer that takes you through a bunch of entertaining levels that hold all manner of costumes and collectibles to find along the way. Developed by Sumo Digital, Sackboy: A Big Adventure has our plucky little hero save his friends from the evil Vex, who has forced them to build the Topsy Turver, which turns the dream-like environment into a nightmare.
The game is a delight on the eyes with vibrant scenery and artistic flair. If you have a family, this would be the perfect game to play with them. you may also download free costumes based on PlayStation characters like Ratchet and Kratos.
If you like 2D platformers, it’s also worth checking out Rayman Legends if you have the time.
8Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
A classic PS2 game Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy can be played on the PS5 with rewind functionality, trophies and an improved resolution, and you should take the time to check out this title if you’re a 3D platforming fan if you haven’t already. The game has aged gracefully, with fluid controls, a charming storyline and varied gameplay that has you riding bikes and swinging on poles to get to a higher platform. Finding all the collectibles like the Precursor Orbs is also satisfying as heck, even if they’re hidden a little too well.
7Psychonauts 2
Psychonauts 2
Double Fine released a stellar 3D platformer called Psychonauts 2 in 2021 and it was eventually nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards that year. The game follows Raz, a Psychonaut and a prior acrobat, who can enter the minds of people and fix whatever is wrong with them. The result is that you’ll find all manner of wacky environments to explore like a psychedelic ’70s-inspired concert venue and a labyrinth of teeth.
If you’re tired of seeing the same locales like a fire level and an ice level, this is the game for you. The psychic powers are also a treat, letting you slow down objects and roll around on a ball. You may get invested in the quirky storyline too.
6It Takes Two
It Takes Two
It Takes Two is hailed as one of the best 3D platformers of this generation and requires two people to play the game. Thankfully, a family member or friend can join your game for free with a pass. You play as a couple who are getting into arguments and about to break up. Their daughter wishes for them to fix their issues and they, as a result, turn into plush toys.
As a result, they need to face many dangers around the house, including their garden and a kid’s bedroom inspired by space. The co-op gameplay in It Takes Two is inventive and constantly surprises you with the situations that the two protagonists get into. The graphics are also stellar, making this 3D platformer stand out from the rest.
5Sonic x Shadow Generations
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Sonic x Shadow Generations brings everything you love about SEGA’s series and turns it into gold. Originally as a 20-year celebration of the Blue Blur, this game compiles the best levels from his past and brings them together into one adventure. Both Classic and Modern Sonic levels are represented with remixed versions of classic levels like Green Hill Zone and Rooftop Run in 2D and 3D perspectives. The music is also stellar with new remixes of classic tunes. Sonic x Shadow Generations is a remaster of the PS3 and Xbox 360 game, but it also includes content for Shadow, which have been received well by fans and critics alike.
“Shadow Generations hits the sweet spot when it comes to nailing action-packed and dynamic gameplay,” saidour reviewof the 2024 remaster.
4Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
From one mascot to another, Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a beautiful set of remasters that features the confident little purple dragon. Originally developed by Ratchet & Clank studio Insomniac Games, and remastered by Toys for Bob, these adventures have the dragon soar through the sky to reach new areas, charge at his enemies with his horns and blow fire to take out mighty foes. This 3D platformer delights with its personality, various theming in its levels, and platforming challenges that can throw you and Spyro off. The bosses are also well-designed, and the music by The Police’s Stewart Copeland brings a flair to the mix. The trilogy is available onXbox Game Passif you have an Xbox Series X|S or PC, by the way.
3Crash Bandicoot: N’Sane Trilogy
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Crash Bandicoot’s classic adventures are still beloved today by those who played them during the PS1 era. The levels are challenging, but fair, as Crash jumps across wooden bridges, dangerous rivers and electrical currents to thwart Dr. Neo Cortex’s plans. The original developer of the PS1 trilogy, Naughty Dog, added twists to the 3D platforming genre, having Crash outrun a boulder facing towards you and taking on an alleyway approach to the formula. The result is a stellar gameplay experience that has you breaking boxes, jumping on enemies and having a grand old time.
2Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apartis a graphical tour de force on the PS5 and shows what can be done with a 3D platformer in our current age of gaming. Playing as Ratchet or Rivet is a thrilling experience as you scour each of these sci-fi worlds, blast foes with creative guns and find all manner of collectibles across each open area by jumping into secret areas. The rifts are also a neat mechanic as they shift the lombax from one place to another in an instant, thanks to the PS5’s SSD. The storyline is also effective for long-time fans of the series as Ratchet gets one step closer to reuniting with his Lombax kind. We also find out more about a new playable character Rivet, who comes from an alternate dimension. Hopefully, we get a new game as Rivet as the protagonist one day.
1Astro Bot
Astro Bot surprised many and won Game of the Year in 2024 from many outlets, includingThe Game Awards. It’s a love letter to PlayStation fans as you save heroes and villains from the history of the platform. The levels themselves, however, are the main event. You’re given different gadgets to explore each well-crafted level, such as the Time Stopper, which slows down fast-moving objects in the air and lets you use them as platforms. One particular level that stands out is when Astro Bot has to turn into the size of a mouse and explore the level’s smaller sections; it really has a sense of scale. You never know what’s coming next in Astro Bot and it’s a triumph from beginning to end. It also features pretty visuals and utilizes all of the DualSense’s functionality, adding to the experience.
