Astro Botis an undeniable win for PlayStation . It ’s not just a solemnisation of the brand and many of the dealership that built it into what it is today , but it ’s also a fantastic 3D platformer that use the PS5 hardware in creative ways . As a Sony - publish biz spotlighting the chronicle of the company , it ’s evidently not on Xbox . In fact , I ’ve run across a circumstances of hoi polloi lamenting that Xbox does not have a band of upright platformers in the wake ofAstro Bot’swell - encounter launching .
Although it ’s accurate to say that Xbox does n’t have an exclusive quite likeAstro Bot , a few excellent 3D platformers are usable onXbox Game Pass . Many of them are even IP now have by Microsoft or instantly print by Xbox Game Studios . If you have an Xbox console and Game Pass subscription and feel like you ’re miss out onAstro Bot , consider playing one of these biz to make that feel a little less dreadful .
Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2
The most recent 3D platformer that Xbox Game Studios play a part in publishing is three-fold Fine’sPsychonauts 2 . It was my favourite game of 2021 and features some excellent layer design that even surpasses that ofAstro Botat times . On top of that , it uses its premise about a secret federal agency that cut into into people ’s minds to explore topics like mental wellness , anxiousness , and trauma in a way that ’s accessible to all ages .
This also applies to its harbinger for the original Xbox , which is backward compatible with Xbox Series X / S andplayable through Game Pass . Raz , the protagonist of Psychonauts , is the closest affair to a platformer mascot like Astro or Ratchet that Xbox has justly now . Psychonauts 2is a prime instance of the sort of biz Xbox should be make more of .
Banjo-Kazooie and its sequels
One of the more frustrating division of Xbox ’s general want of exclusive 3D platformers is that it has been sit down on a beloved IP within the genre for over a decade . I ’m referencingBanjo - Kazooie , Rare ’s influential 3D platformer series that begin on Nintendo 64 and impressed with its excellent controls , open - ended horizontal surface aim , and memorable characters . Microsoft realize ownership when it bought Rare . It then remasteredBanjo - Kazooieand its sequelBanjo - Tooiefor Xbox 360 . Thanks toRare Replay , those remasters are available through Xbox Game Pass .
you may also check out the third game in the series , Banjo - Kazooie : Nuts & Bolts , which focuses more on building vehicles than platforming . While it ’s not as good as the first two games , it is better than its poor reputation indicate . It ’s shocking that it does n’t seem like a priority for Xbox Game Studios and Rare to make a newfangled Banjo - Kazooie title , but you may check these game out if you want a better agreement of the 3-D platforming goldmine Xbox is sitting on .
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
A theatrical role feature withinAstro Bothas a assemblage of game on Xbox Game Pass . When Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard , it gained the rights to platforming icons like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon . Of all the plot in those serial , Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogyis currently the only one on Xbox Game Pass . It ’s an fantabulous refurbishment of Naughty Dog ’s trilogy of PS1 Crash Bandicoot games and the best path to receive all three if you ’ve never played them .
As Vicarious Visions is shape onDiablo IVandToys for Bob is now independentfrom Microsoft , it ’s unclear what the hereafter holds for franchises like Crash or Spyro under the Xbox brand . Hopefully , Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogyon Game Pass is just a startle , and championship likeCrash Bandicoot 4 : It ’s About TimeandSpyro Reignited Trilogywill eventually do to Game Pass as well . If nothing else , play this collection will give you a deeper appreciation of one ofAstro Bot’sbest cameos .
New Super Lucky’s Tale
During the Xbox One generation , Xbox actually release a 3D platformer that pilot under the radar . In 2017,Super Lucky ’s Taleoffered up an approachable dangerous undertaking starring a cunning slyboots . It ’s not the most original game ( outside of Lucky being capable to prod under the soil ) , but it still offers a corking meter for genre fan who want to roleplay something aboveboard .
WhileSuper Lucky ’s Taleis on Xbox Game Pass , I ’d urge playingNew Super Lucky ’s Taleinstead . liberate for Nintendo Switch in 2019 before amount to Xbox One in 2020 , NewSuper Lucky ’s Talefeatures more write up content , as well as some photographic camera ascendance and level design tweaks to make the experience smoother .
Contrast
We do n’t know how much platforming will wager a part in Compulsion Games’South of Midnight , but that team did make an underrated 3D platformer in the past . Contrastis an adventure secret plan where players can jump in and out of shadows . Its vaudevillian 1920s aesthetic make it unlike from many other game out there , and it uses shadows to create some surprising and unparalleled platforming challenges .
Compulsion madeContrastwhen it was still a fully independent studio apartment — and it ’s over a 10 previous at this level — so it ’s a little harsh around the edges . Thankfully , there ’s nothing like it in 2024 , which is a testament to Compulsion Games ’ creativeness . If you ’ve never triedContrast , consider see it out through Game Pass . play through it will probably leave you hype to try outSouth of Midnightwhen it finally launches sometime in 2025 .
Blinx: The Time Sweeper
Xbox issue more platformers and ages - oriented game during the original Xbox multiplication than it does now . This era result in games likeFusion Frenzy , Voodoo Vince , and , most unforgettably , Blinx : The Time Sweeper . As its title paint a picture , Blinx is a 3D platformer where player must manipulate time as they play . It ’s a clever hook that leads to some moments that are still unused in 2024 and a atavist to the earned run average of platformersAstro Botis clearly inspired by .
Like many of the other game on this list , Xbox has not done much with the character since 2004’sBlinx 2 : victor of Time and Space . play through the original Blinx on Xbox Game Pass will cue you that Microsoft sits on some forgotten all - ages IP . If Rare does n’t want to bring Banjo - Kazooie back , then it should consider quicken another dealership like this one to answer toAstro Bot .
Third-party 3D platformers
While the dismission ofAstro Bothas inspire this approximation that Xbox has no platformers , that ’s not exactly accurate . This listing shows that there are plenty of excellent platformers that you could play through its game subscription serving . The big issue here is notoriety and consistence . Xbox does not push , promote , or substantiate the franchises on this list as much as it does serial publication like Halo and Forza . These game are not sole to Xbox Series X / S either , likeAstro Botis with PS5 . Xbox has the IP to respond toAstro Botwith an entertaining 3D platformer if it wants . Unfortunately , that does n’t seem like it’sXbox ’s top priorityright now .
