This year’s gaming cycle was pretty interesting, the industry had its incredible highs and depressing lows. However, at least some of the platform games on this list will give you a good time! You’ll find that the picks for this year will make your head spin as they have pushed the limits of the platforming genre. A lot of games trying to take the precious title of Best Platformer of 2021. Hopefully, 2021 will bring the same thrills in the platforming world that will keep users hooked to their consoles and, of course, PCs.
Also in Technovanguard’s Best Games of 2021 lists: Fighting
Psychonauts 2 (9.5)
After making a triumphant return from the year 2005, Psychonauts 2 brings Raz back with a lot of great additions that make for a fantastic game sequel. The game brings psychic abilities that can be easy to learn and, as such, will open some room for experimentation and learning. These skills can very easily be used in combat situations and are also used to solve puzzles.
Needless to say, Psychonauts 2 lives up to its grandiose fanfare and is a game that tons of platform games fans will jive with.
Psychonauts 2 is a comedy game at its heart. It doesn’t take itself or the genre too seriously, which lets it do some incredible things. The platforming is top-notch, the story is witty, silly, and fascinating, and an adventure as bizarre as the name suggests. Since its release, there has been a cult surrounding the first Psychonauts, and it deserved that praise.
The sequel builds on it, making it as fun as fans expected and as strange as newcomers hoped for. Psychonauts 2 delivers on an impossible promise with unfalteringly high quality and inspirational weirdness throughout.
The Artful Escape (7)
Rock music has a lot of history behind it. Not just in terms of how culturally deep it can go, but in terms of the weird backstories behind the artists themselves. In this game, we learn the history and vision of Johnny Galvatron as he pays tribute to the legends of his time while reimagining the coming of age story through dazzling visuals and smooth platforming.
While this title might take on a more narrative side than other platform games on this list, The Artful Escape still has a lot of platforming sequences in which keeping the flow going while rockin´ out is important. The Artful Escape is recommended for those who need their artistic fix.
I feel like The Artful Escape is one of those games that will find its place in the hearts of certain niche gamers. This is a very unique game that will only cater to those fans, pretty much like any other narrative experience. Of course, not everything has to be shooty-shooty, bang-bang action all the time, and compared to other narrative experiences, this one is a breath of fresh air.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (9.1)
It wouldn’t be a best platform games list without a Super Mario game, given that Nintendo’s series is by far the one most associated with the genre.
As you would expect from the title, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury features an enhanced port of the Wii U game alongside a brand new campaign, Bowser’s Fury, which takes place in a free roaming area similar to Super Mario Odyssey. The result is a killer combination of two highly different but equally enticing halves.
Super Mario 3D World shows why Mario is an ageless franchise, with the seven-year-old game providing fresh fun and a delightful experience. Bowser’s Fury is the exact opposite, showing just how exciting and experimental the series can be.
It Takes Two (8)
Josef Fares might be a bit of a controversial figure but he also is an ambitious one. It Takes Two proves this very fact by bringing a platformer that constantly bounces between different ideas and genres within each chapter, rarely sticking with one mode of play for more than a few minutes. The game’s unpredictable nature and fun gameplay made it earn the gold in The Game Awards, after all.
While some might argue that the game’s overall challenge is inconsistent or that it’s a bit too relaxed for its own good, It Takes Two has enough variety to keep platform games fans entertained while constantly experimenting with Cody and May’s abilities. If you’re looking for a game to play alongside a friend, this game might be the perfect fit for you.
It Takes Two is one of the most varied, inventive games ever made, serving up dozens upon dozens of different styles of gameplay in a remarkably polished, approachable package. An inconsistent level of challenge and lack of editing may strain your relationship with the game at times, but It Takes Two is good enough to justify working through the rough patches.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (9.5)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has basically set itself as one of the best reasons to get a PlayStation 5. The game is an overall enjoyable experience that is filled with a great level of detail and fun activities to do. Of course, there’s also a lot of combat sections where the capabilities of the DualSense controller are pushed to bring new alternate firing options.
Additionally, the game also has a lot of dimension-hopping shenanigans in its story with enough variety to keep platform games fans entertained.
Variety and fun gameplay, a thoroughly enjoyable story, and engaging characters, there’s little Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart doesn’t offer. Even visually, I can’t do anything but praise the game, with it looking absolutely fantastic.
The detail of the characters, the incredibly fluid animations, and the use of light and reflections, and other effects, both in gameplay and cutscenes, makes this one of the best looking games around. What does this most of all is the timeless style of Ratchet & Clank. Bright, eye-catching designs and colours are fun to see, fun to play, and age well.
Honorable Mentions
- Oddworld: Soulstorm
- The Gunk
- Little Nightmares 2
- Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Vote your favorite among Technovanguard’s Best Platform Games of 2021 list Best Platform Game of 2021
- Psychonauts 2
- The Artful Escape
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
- It Takes Two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
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