In their PlayStation 5 reveal event, alongside the console itself, Sony showed off quite a few different exciting platformers within its slew of release slate games. Super Mario Odyssey is one of the highest-rated exclusive games available in this current generation, and with a slew of other stellar Mario titles available on Switch hardware (with more rumoured to be appearing in the coming months), it’s safe to say that Mario still holds the platforming crown even years later. However, Sony appears to be fighting back in some way, and looking to turn the heads of some of that audience.
Are you a fan of platforming games, and are looking to pick up the PlayStation 5 upon release? Here are a few different upcoming titles to get excited about, from American and European game studios, that could quite possibly challenge Mario for his crown.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
In a clever move by PlayStation that capitalises on the popularity of the family-friendly Sackboy mascot from the PlayStation 3 era, developer Sumo Digital is taking the LittleBigPlanet star and giving him his own game exclusive to the PS5, focusing in on the platforming specifically rather than the wider creative aspect of that game series.
Much like Super Mario 3D World on Wii U, Sackboy: A Big Adventure will feature 3D platforming, and up to four-player simultaneous co-op. With the PS4’s standout games being perhaps more adult-orientated experiences such as first-person shooters or 3D action-adventures such as The Last of Us Part II, it’s nice to know that the PS5 will cover all bases right out of the gate and provide something that the whole family can enjoy on the couch together.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
While Crash Bandicoot himself is no longer a PlayStation exclusive mascot, and is now a multi-platform franchise through Activision, it is still fitting to mention the marsupial in a PlayStation list, as he owes a lot to his original birthplace and many still regard him as a PlayStation character.
Further still, much like with Spyro: Reignited Trilogy from developer Toys for Bob, which only came to a Switch console sometime later after launching, there has been no Switch version of the long-awaited Crash sequel announced, making the PS4 (or 5) all the more of an enticing choice. When the N. Sane Trilogy finally came to the Nintendo Switch after timed exclusivity on PS4, many were picking it up for the second time.
In terms of the game itself, It’s About Time, the first original Crash Bandicoot game to be released in years at this point, is aptly named as number 4 due to its focus on being a spiritual successor to the Naughty Dog trilogy on Playstation One (despite 2001’s The Wrath of Cortex being the fourth main instalment in the series). This means that you’ll be getting that signature crate smashing, challenging platforming, and linear level design that we’ve come to know and love from the orange bandicoot.
Xbox players will also be able to enjoy Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time when it launches across PS4 and Xbox One on October 2nd.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Another game in the works from the now PlayStation-owned Insomniac Games (alongside Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which launches this holiday season), Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the next entry in the massively popular third-person shooter/platforming series, and it’s one to watch on PS5 going forward.
One thing in particular that this game has going for it is its impressive visuals and world-shifting in real-time performance, as displayed by the gameplay demonstration we got during the PlayStation showcase. It’s the perfect game to show off the power of the PS5, and it’s doubtful that Nintendo could match anything similar visually on their current hardware, with the Switch’s handheld form factor focusing on convenience and unique functionality rather than pure power.
Similar to 2016’s movie-based Ratched & Clank but a fully-fledged title rather than a smaller retail release, Rift Apart will pit you as Ratchet and also an unnamed female Lombax character (shown in the trailers), traversing through varied lands and defeating enemies with a range of different weapons at your disposal. ‘Rift tether’ – an ability shown in the demo that allows you to quickly warp between environments – will leverage the PlayStation’s processing power, while ray traced reflections will result in again visuals that just simply weren’t possible on previous consoles from years prior. We have yet to find out a release date for this one, but it will likely be in 2021, and so expect to hear more information perhaps after the PS5 launch this fall.