5 of the best modern platformers you can play now on consoles

Modern platformers are the talk of the town right now, all thanks to the recent launch of Team Asobi’s Astro Bot. Critically and commercially beloved, Astro Bot has inspired players (including myself) to reflect on the current state of platformers on consoles. The genre has been a bit of a sleeper this generation, superseded by battle royales, roguelikes, and third-person action games.

The reality is that there are quite a few notable contemporary platformers available to play on consoles. Many of these are readily available on several platforms, including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. If Astro Bot has inspired you to re-explore the genre or if you’re looking for an alternative to the recent PlayStation 5 darling, look no further as we have you covered.

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2 Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

An old school face returns for a new generation

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Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

Systems

Released

October 2, 2020

Developer(s)

Toys for Bob

Publisher(s)

Activision

The final game developer Toys for Bob created while under Activision’s umbrella is Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. The eighth core installment in the Crash Bandicoot series follows Crash along with his sister Coco as they race to collect Quantum Masks to stop Doctor Neo Cortex and Doctor Nefarious from reigning over the multiverse. The game features 10 “dimensions” to explore, all the while offering the ability to swap between Crash and Coco. There are also two main play styles available in the game, including the Modern mode, where players revert to a checkpoint if they die. Alternatively, players can select the Retro playstyle for a more challenging experience in which they’re given a set amount of lives.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time has been met with a lot of positive reception since launch. Maintaining that authentic DNA from the series, Toys for Bob crafted a modernized take on the classic Crash Bandicoot formula. This game has it all, third-person platforming, side scrolling sections, collectibles, and an art style that screams, “Play me now!”

3 Sackboy: A Big Adventure

LittleBig Planet just got bigger for its adorable little mascot

PlayStation

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Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Systems

Released

November 12, 2020

Developer(s)

Sumo Digital

Publisher(s)

Sony

Upon the launch of the PlayStation 5, Sumo Digital released Sackboy: A Big Adventure. As a standalone experience and spinoff from LittleBigPlanet, Sackboy finally gets his due as a proper platformer mascot. Rather than continue to utilize the 2.5D perspective of LittleBigPlanet, Sackboy: A Big Adventure opted to work in the 3D space and it paid off. The game felt like a fullyfleshed out experience, with levels curated by the development team instead of community-based experiences. Much like any platformer, you’ll navigate a wide variety of levels, collecting Dreamer Orbs that can be used to progress.

One of the major aspects that really stood out to me was the use of music in Sackboy: A Big Adventure. In the game, you can play through five “Musical levels”, where the on-screen platforming and cadence are all set to the rhythm of well-known licensed songs.The moment this game captured my heart was going through the Uptown Funk-inspired level. Every detail was masterfully curated to coincide with Mark Ronson’s song, featuring Bruno Mars.

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4 It Takes Two

The perfect platformer if you’ve got someone to play couch co-op with

Great modern platformers are a bit of a rarity these days. Great cooperative platformers are even more uncommon. However, for Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios, this is their bread and butter. It Takes Two follows in the footsteps of A Way Out. Only It Takes Two is wrapped around a couple who are in the midst of getting a divorce. After their daughter is told the news, she retreats with two hand-made dolls, which subsequently have her parents trapped inside. In an attempt to repair their marriage, the daughter plays pretend. With the players navigating levels based around the home, the two are guided by an anthropomorphic form of a relationship therapy book.

It Takes Two is a touching experience that only gets better by playing with a loved one. The game often relies on the two players cooperatively helping one another by using unique powers. One player can freeze time while the other can replicate themselves. The game was praised so much, it ended up winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021.

5 Psychonauts 2

The long awaited sequel impressed with jaw-dropping visuals and an impressive narrative

Double Fine

The long-awited sequel to Double Fine’s Psychonauts saw the continuation of Raz’s story as he trains to become a bonafide Psychonaut. Without missing a beat, the wacky and psychedelic world of Psychonauts was fully realized on modern consoles. Psychonauts 2 emphasized its story across mental illness and wellness with players exploring various levels all inspired by a character’s psychological state.

Psychonauts was often seen as an underappreciated piece of work within Double Fine’s catalog. The Burton-esque art style and concepts weren’t commercially as welcomed as they were when Psychonauts 2 launched on modern consoles. The game went on to be nominated for many awards and did win ‘Best Narrative’ at the 22nd Game Developers Choice awards.

6 Astro’s Playroom

The title that spurned PlayStation’s most recent hit

Frankly, we can’t discuss the best modern platforms without Astro’s Playroom, the pseudo-tech demo that propelled the creation of this year’s Astro Bot. Packaged in with every PlayStation 5 console, Astro’s Playroom was designed to showcase and highlight everything the PlayStation 5 and accompanying DualSense controller could do. However, it was an authentically great, albeit short, platformer. The levels were well-designed, and the music was exceptional. It also gave players a chance to get a sense of whether Astro Bot has any right becoming a PlayStation mascot.

Astro’s Playroom has such a great gameplay loop, Team Asobi decided to expand and elevate the gameplay mechanics it created for Astro Bot. Astro’s Playroom is still regarded as one of the best experiences available on PlayStation 5 because of how innovative it was. In the lead up to Astro Bot, Team Asobi continued to add additional bots to rescue in Astro’s Playroom and had an in-game countdown drumming up excitement among fans.

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