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Platformer/3rd Person Shooter Hybrids
So I want to discuss about platformer shooter hybrids, and the questions I have about it.
Why aren’t there more of these?
Ratchet & Clank is the quintessential Platformer/Shooter hybrid (as well as the Jak and Daxter/Jak games after the first one), but how come there aren’t more games like it?
Here are a few guesses:
RAC wasn’t always the most popular thing outside of the States, they couldn’t surpass the sales of Mario, the charm of sonic, nor the popularity of Crash. They never peaked until they outlived their neighbors: Jak, and Sly, or now with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
It’s hard to fuse 2 genres with conflicting themes associated with them: One with colorful characters and cheerful worlds, and another with gritty characters and serious stories. The result would likely result in an “Edge platformer” the likes of Shadow the Hedgehog.
Aside from the big names, platformers were dying in the 6th gen, they were becoming less and less common, making a new platformer IP would definitely be something companies would not really want, on top of that shooters are becoming increasingly multiplayer based, with platformers being a predominantly singleplayer genre.
Here are some other 3rd person Platformer/Shooter Hybrids I know of (other than R&C / J&D):
• MDK and its sequel predated Ratchet & added platforming elements to a 3rd person shooter
• Blasto and Jet Force Gemini mix shooter elements into Mascot-style games
• Later Sly games added gunplay, but not much shooter elements.
• There were a few games that tried to cash-in on R&C, some good, like Metal Arms and others not so much like Ruff Trigger.
• Sunset Overdrive is developed by Insomniac, however is more action-adventure than platforming, like Recore.
• There are also some indie titles like Cloudbuilt and Onirism. I’m looking for more of these.
I have tried every single of these games, and even some others barely scooting into the category like Rayman, Automaton Lung, Splatoon, or Returnal, and mostly unsatisfied (though the two 3D Raymans are good).
Looking for more 3rd person shooter/3D platformer hybrids!
It was a long time ago I played it, so I’m not sure how well it has aged.
But I recommend Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. It’s a platformer where boomerangs are your weapon. Over time you unlock different kinds of boomerangs with different perks (like fire boomerangs or exploding boomerangs). I remember it being quite fun at the time.
It’s aged pretty well, especially with the HD remasters available on steam. My favorite is Ty 2.