Platformers are an iconic genre in the video game world. Getting good and playing at a high level in a platformer just has a different feel and level of challenge that is hard to find anywhere else. All three console brands have some of the best platformers, from Nintendo with Mario to PlayStation with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Ratchet & Clank, and the Xbox is no exception.
Rare and Double Fine are now a part of Xbox Game Studios, and both have a long history of stellar platform games. With the addition of backward compatibility along with some games having exclusive Xbox enhancements, an Xbox Series X|S is a great place if you're a platform game lover.
Updated on August 10, 2023, by Dominic Allen: Xbox has a truckload of great platformers, which can't be said about every genre. Some, like rhythm games, are present but in noticeably short supply in comparison to most others. Now, platformers are abundant on every platform, including PC, but you can play a lot of forgotten gems conveniently on Xbox. This is what makes the Xbox platform special compared to the PS5, and it's so cool to play these forgotten titles.
12 𝔉 Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 🧜
One of the most underrated Capcom series has to be Bionic Commando. Swinging around in 2D feels amazing, and the two Rearmed entries are especially good. Rearmed 2 actually received mixed reviews when it came out, and a large reason was the new ability to jump. This seemed like blasphemy to die-hard fans, but it's not a big deal.
It's more of a small hop that you can use as a get-out-of-jail-free card in situations. Rearmed 2 features 28 levels, much more than the first game, and the boss fights are also an improvement. The music by Simon Viklund steals the show, as usual, offering one of the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:most bumpin' Capcom soundtracks ever. It's a shame the first Rearmed isn't backward compatible, but at least the second game is.
11 Portal 2
Valve's final single-player first-person game for nine years was Portal 2. Until 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Half-Life Alyx released in 2020, many thought of Portal 2 as an end of an era, and it still is. The game's great in virtually every aspect. The narrative is solid, with it being a good sequel following and expanding on the first game.
Puzzles remain excellent, especially in co-op, where they get more creative. Portal 2 is arguably still the blueprint for how🐬 co-op puzzle games sho🧸uld be done, similar to what Valve did for Left 4 Dead. With it running at 4K on Xbox Series X, that system is the best way to play Portal 2 on a console.
10 ꧑ 🌼 Banjo-Kazooie
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Banjo-Kazooie is one of the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:best platformers of all time, let alone the best on Xbox. Coming after 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Super Mario 64, Rare put its own spin on the then-nascent platform-collecting genre. The art style is fantastic and still looks vibrant today, especially with HDR enabled. Personality with the cast of characters is abundant, and the level design is so good you'll rarely, if ever, get lost.
With one exception, you can collect everything upon first entertaining a world, which keeps the pacing solid. It's like 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Resident Evil 4 in how you start playing for the first time in years one moment, and suddenly, you've already beaten the game again. The whole Banjo trilogy is excellent, but the original can't be topped.
9 🐼 Psychonauts 2
A notable Game of the Year contender for 2021 was 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Psychonauts 2, the long✃-awaited sequel to the 2005 cult classic. First crowdfunded at the end of 2015, Psychonauts 2 still took nearly six years to release, but it was well worth the wait. ⭕The excellent platforming gameplay remains intact from its predecessor, and the collect-a-thon aspect feels much better in this polished first-party Microsoft game.
The first Psychonauts had a lot of collectibles in the environment that were far off the beaten track, which could get tiresome. Thankfully the collectibles are less out of reach in the sequel, and the game's checkpointing is much more forgiving. The boss fights are a low point, but bosses tend to be an aspect that many of the best platformers on Xbox struggle with anyway. In terms of recent Xbox Game Studios releases, Psychonauts 2 is one of the company's best.
8 🍃 Yooka-Laylee And The Impossible Lair ꦯ
The first 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Yooka-Laylee was an extremely successful Kickstarter game that sadly didn't live up to the standards of the Banjo-Kazooie titles, which shared many of the same devs. However, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is one of the most surprisingly good sequels in recent memory. Instead of a 3D collect-a-thon, the title is now a standard 2D platformer, and it feels much better to play. Not only is the game fun and offers solid-level design, but it has a neat gimmick.
The Impossible Lair is the last level but can be accessed anytime. Completing each normal level gives you a Beetalion that serves as an extra hit point in the Lair. You'll probably finish all the levels, so you can have the maximum amount of hit points, but if you're daring, you can beat the final level early.
7 Celeste
One of the most widely acclaimed indie games ever made, Celeste is a platformer easy to learn but hard to master. Finishing the game to the end of chapter eight is a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:challenging and satisfying experience. It's one of those games where you'll be completely focused on it during challenging play, to the point that hours will fly past before you know it.
The story itself is really well told and can connect deeply with members of the LGBTQ+ community. However, if you don't care for the story, the platforming alone will be enough to satiate you. Celeste's pacing and music are fantastic as well. This title is a must-buy for not only 168澳洲幸🥂运5开奖网:platform game lovers but anyone who loves games.
6 ꧒ Alice: Madness Return🏅s
Alice in Wonderland is one of the more popular public domain stories that gets adapted and reworked in media. American McGee's Alice is an early 2000s PC game that doesn't hold up now. In the first level, you can even get easily stuck and soft-locked if you jump to a place from the wrong angle. The sequel, released in 2011, is a whole different story.
The visuals in Madness Returns hold up much better today compared to its predecessor and shows an interesting twisted take on the popular story. Platforming and combat sequences are fun and engaging, and the pacing is quite good, with the story never dragging. While the first game is playable within Madness Returns, it's tough to go back to. The second game will allow you to get up to speed with the story, so don't worry about missing key plot points.
5 🅷 Trials Fusion
RedLynx and Ubisoft's Trials series is one of the best platforming series ever, but Trials Fusion is the most packed with content. It's another title that seems simple, but the gameplay has a lot of depth. Even when you get very good at the game, you can always get better and can always go a little bit faster than the next person on the leaderboard.
The complete package has eight extra events to play. While you'll aim to get a gold or platinum medal for each track, there are also three challenges to complete. These challenges are excellent and ask you to do a bunch of oddball things, like play tennis with a penguin. Since Trials is a Ubisoft series, this game tends to go on sale rather often and is a must-buy.
4 ෴ Clustertruck 🦄
Sometimes the best platformers on Xbox are the simplest, and Clustertruck is a perfect example. In this game, you simply get to the goal as quickly as possible while jumping on trucks. If you fall, you must start over. Despite its simplicity, this game is easy to get hooked on, and you'll most likely be determined to finish it.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The last few sections of the game are quite hard, but Clustertruck has that Super Meat Boy quickness, where you can get right back into it when you fail. Unfortunately, only the Steam version has online leaderboards, so you'll likely finish the game and move on to something else. Still, Clustertruck is a great time while it lasts.
3 Limbo
Limbo or Playdead's follow-up title, Inside, are often both hailed as two of the best indie games ever. While Inside is great, Limbo is mo🍒re of a platformer. The setpiece moments are much more memorable in Limbo, and the puzzles and challenges are fairer.
Inside could be quite frustrating at points, with dying being far more common. The puzzles were also much more confusing and complex than in Playdead's previous game. Limbo is the most well-rounded of the two titles, but both are worth checking out if you love the style.