This was a surprising year for platformers. Usually they tend to be indie games with maybe one large budget title or long running series returning. I’m so happy that this genre is making a big return outside of Mario. It’s one of the first genres ever invented for games and it’s sad that it’s just not as popular. There were so many great platformers this year that weren’t just okay, but absolutely fantastic. Giving us rich stories, amazing controls, fun gameplay, extraordinary level design, and beautiful visuals.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the perfect sequel. It adds enough stuff to the original to not bog it down or over complicate it in any way. It feels like a true sequel rather than an expansion or a few steps back. With another heartfelt story, a atypical use of light vs dark, and amazing controls. Wisps is a fantastic platformer that must be experience by everyone and just beat out its competition which is saying a lot.
Runner-Ups
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
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Sackboy: A Big Adventure
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Ghostrunner
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Spelunky 2
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