00:08Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we're taking a look at the 10 different reasons why modern 3D
00:14platformers can't ever seem to capture the magic. None of the games we'll be talking about or
00:19showing are necessarily bad, however there is something to be said about why many of these
00:24games don't resonate with as many players as, say, Mario, Spyro, Crash, and the like.
00:35Before we begin, we publish new videos all week long, so be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays
00:39and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
00:43Lacking proper balance
00:52For some strange reason, a lot of modern 3D platformers cannot find the perfect balance
00:58and difficulty. The majority of them hone in on just being cozy games, like the multitude
01:03of farming sims which result in them being so easy that it kind of becomes boring.
01:13As for the few that try to be harder than the rest, they go too hard on the paint, pardon
01:18the pun, to the point where it becomes more aggravating to play than it probably needs
01:22to be. Is there simply no understanding in difficulty scaling, or are these developers
01:28maybe focusing too much on letting players relive their youth? It's tough to say either
01:36way. Excessive genre blending and minigames.
01:49Not every modern 3D platformer is guilty of doing this, but this is an issue we've seen
01:54here and there. Some games will have a few segments where the game completely deviates
01:58from the core part of 3D platforming. So much so that you're forced to play basically a completely
02:04different game.
02:12These moments are often delegated to stealth mechanics or even shooting. Eventually, you're
02:18crossing a threshold where you're not exactly inspired by Banjo-Kazooie, but Banjo-Tooie
02:24instead, which is a game where people felt like the moments that deviated from the core
02:29gameplay were a major detriment. Those being the minigames.
02:38Staying too cute.
02:40We'll make sure your kids can swim safely.
02:44Oh, thank you, thank you.
02:46One could say that complaining about a 3D platformer being cute is like complaining that a JRPG has
02:51an anime art style. A fair point, sure, but even JRPGs can distinguish themselves with unique
02:58nuances, combat mechanics, and UI to make themselves stand out.
03:03Oh, yeah, I saw Doris eating one the other day. It has this huge stone inside it. It'll
03:08never catch on. Talk about choking.
03:10For 3D platformers, almost every one that we've seen released so far goes for a seemingly cute
03:16art style in one form or another. They may look different from each other, yeah, but the
03:22vibes feel the same across every single one, which ultimately makes them feel stale. The
03:28genre doesn't need to be gritty and realistic all of a sudden, mind you. However, there is
03:34a point where the genre almost justifies the people that were saying Nintendo games are for
03:38babies back in the Call of Duty hype days.
03:48When new feels old.
03:57This issue may vary from player to player, but one of the problems with 3D platformers,
04:01as well as a plethora of other games, is the want to overdesign characters. With access to
04:07all kinds of technology today, it's easy for developers to get lost in tiny details that
04:12players won't notice or even care about.
04:24By adding detail like way more texture and way more colors, you risk making your characters
04:29less memorable and less satisfying to look at. Part of what made Banjo, Crash, and Spyro
04:35was that they were characters with basic color schemes and shapes. Nowadays, you have some
04:40solid 3D platformers, but characters with too much going on in their visual design.
04:50Camera problems persist.
04:59Camera issues have been a recurring problem with 3D platformers, going all the way back
05:04to the early days of Super Mario 64 and Jumping Flash.
05:15Regardless of whether you're in first person or third person, just about every 3D platformer
05:21ever made has suffered from bad camera placement and controls. These moments can make certain
05:26parts of the game incredibly frustrating as not every angle gives the player a good amount
05:30of depth perception. Some 3D platformers have tried to alleviate this by adding solidified
05:35drop shadows beneath characters like we saw in Crash 4 It's About Time and the Pac-Man World
05:41remakes. Unfortunately, these are mere Band-Aid solutions for something that needs to be desperately
05:47addressed.
05:55Catering to speedrunning.
06:03Now, this problem hasn't been as common as camera issues or overly designing characters. Still, it's
06:10something we've seen in the marketing for some 3D platformers on occasion. Whether it's the fault of
06:15marketing or the streamers and YouTubers who get early access, there are some 3D platformers who cater
06:21way too much to the speedrunning side of the community.
06:32That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does make your game intimidating enough for people to jump into.
06:38Do I really need to pull off crazy maneuvers like this just to progress in the game?
06:42It's like how some FPS streamers play every game like it's some hyperactive version of Unreal or Counter-Strike.
06:48And it can turn a good chunk of 3D platforming players off.
07:00No style in music.
07:14Obviously, this can also be entirely subjective, but it's worth mentioning here because of how
07:19drastically different the old and new eras of 3D platforming are when it comes to music.
07:33Go listen to the OSTs of Super Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie, or any of the Spyro and Crash games.
07:40The reason the music is so memorable in those games is because each song carries a certain beat to them.
07:46Not like a drum beat, but a cadence that matches their respective worlds in tone and simplicity.
07:51Stewart Copeland gave a groove to Spyro, while Grant Kirkhope matched the whimsy in Banjo Kazooie.
07:58Many modern 3D platformers simply go for large orchestral scores or basic chiptunes,
08:05but neither of those hold the same kind of flavor as a song composed of three or four instruments.
08:20The DK64 issue.
08:29To some, this is going to sound like a silly problem to have with 3D platformers at all,
08:34but many modern 3D platformers fall under the same problem as Donkey Kong 64.
08:40While many remember the game fondly, the few who have dared to fully complete the game
08:44know about how tedious and boring it was collecting every single item in the game.
08:57Granted, collectibles are a key part of 3D platformers, but DK64 was egregious as many collectibles required extensive backtracking
09:06just to swap characters and unlock other areas just to backtrack and go into that area as a different character.
09:13Yooka-Laylee and Crash Bandicoot 4 It's About Time are perhaps the biggest offenders of this in recent years,
09:19as the former required you to collect every pagey, quill, extender, tonic, and play token.
09:25The latter was just excessive in locking collectibles behind perfect platforming performance.
09:30Why can't we just keep it to one or two types of collectibles, guys?
09:33Keep it simple.
09:40Inspired by or wearing faces?
09:51This is a common flaw we see across several different 3D platformers on the indie side of the market.
09:57Our game is inspired by Major Game A and Major Game B.
10:01Not only does this give off the impression that the game isn't original,
10:04but it also indicates that the game is merely a facelift of the game it's inspired by.
10:20Whether it's in visuals, music, or gameplay mechanics,
10:23there are too many 3D platformers trying way too hard to replicate the look, feel, and success of the games
10:30they're inspired by.
10:31They toe the line so close that it becomes a matter of,
10:34why would they play your game then if they can go play the game you're pulling all the plays from?
10:38It's a marketing tactic that is just too unreliable and can potentially kill interest.
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11:04reimagining Persian melodies as modern rock, metal, and pop songs.
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11:23Which brings us to our final point.
11:27Little innovation.
11:36By sticking to formulas that worked before,
11:39the modern 3D platforming scene has become about as stale as the AAA gaming market many of us fans heavily
11:45criticize.
11:46To be fair, innovation is hard to come by and is often completely accidental.
11:51And in the genre's defense, 3D platforming is just running, jumping, and collecting things.
12:06There's not much room for anything else to be added in before the game becomes something that's, you know, not
12:12a 3D platformer.
12:13We've been stuck in this endeavor to be nostalgic for a genre that was quickly becoming stale back in the
12:1890s and early 2000s.
12:20So, will we ever figure out how to move this genre forward?
12:24Or are we going to keep doing the same exact thing for another 3 or 4 decades and resting on
12:29laurels?
12:40Are we totally off base about the 3D platforming scene today?
12:44Or are we right on the money?
12:45Let us know down in the comments!
12:47And don't forget to subscribe to MojoPlays!
12:49MojoPlays!
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