2.5D : We need more of this [2D Gameplay, 3D Graphics]

[Crazycarl]

Over the weekend I booted up my PS3 and decided to play Bionic Commando: Rearmed. This sat for a while, but once i started, I just could not put this game down. I love the fact that I got my old school challenge (the "one more time" syndrome) back, with the nice new controls and graphics. So I was wondering what games people would want brought back in this new "2.5D" style? I'll start it off by putting Mega Man X in the hat.

[IronBuddha]

Castlevania.

[Ed Oscuro]

2.5D actually refers to psuedo-3D, like DOOM or Duke Nukem 3D.

But since you lured me in, I dunno. We're getting to the point where PC systems can do good enough looking 3D to compete with hand-drawn stuff (and much more cheaply too), but the cinematic feel and looks of the strict 2D medium are a large reason why anybody still bothers with it, so best not to screw it up with DOOM III slime map rendering or whatever. It's not that the side view (or top view, or 3/4 view, or below-the-belt view, et c.) precludes using 3D...it's just that I like it not to look lousy AND (even more important) play lousy. The good 2D games make positioning count, and "sort of accurate" FPS hitboxes and collision don't pass muster in side view games.

Trine looks pretty okay, although not "prettiest ever."

Castlevania.

What's there left to do in 2D? It's been wanting to be an action flick for years, and the Lords of Shadow type game looks set to finally deliver on that promise (been waiting for a truly cinematic Castlevania since at least 99, haven't we?) in 3D. SotN was pretty and stuff but set a standard that was never again met (actually I would put Rondo in its place, considering how I don't give two craps about SotN's gameplay, although I'm sure Konami is starting to feel wistfully about the quaint small production costs of SotN now).

[j_factor]

2.5D actually refers to psuedo-3D, like DOOM or Duke Nukem 3D.

2.5D also refers to games with 3D graphics but entirely 2D gameplay, like Clockwork Knight, Pandemonium, Wild 9, etc.

2.5D is fine, but I don't think it's really "necessary" over just 2D.

[Nirvana]

Street Fighter IV and King of Fighters XII take this route. I love the look for fighting games.

[BetaWolf47]

Street Fighter IV and King of Fighters XII take this route. I love the look for fighting games.

I thought KoF XII was completely 2D?

Grr, I hate 2.5D. You can either have highly detailed 2D graphics or semi-decent 3D graphics for a sidescrolling game. I'll take 2D anyday.

[djbeatmongrel]

Street Fighter IV and King of Fighters XII take this route. I love the look for fighting games.

KoF Xii is 2d. you may be thinking KoF Maximum Impact and Maximum impact 2 (kof 2006 in the states).

[jb143]

2.5D actually refers to psuedo-3D, like DOOM or Duke Nukem 3D.

If wikipedia has any merit, it looks like 2.5D is a pretty broad term and does includes 3D platforming games the OP is talking about. It also includes isometric view 2D games and parallax scrolling. I'm not too convenced that Doom should be included, while the bsp tree is 2D, it's mainly just used to tell what order to draw the walls in 3D space. When I hear 2.5D though, I generally think of games like Wolfenstein 3D.

[PapaStu]

Don't forget Tomba! and Tomba! 2 and the Klonoa series.

[Ed Oscuro]

If wikipedia has any merit

Wiki defines 2.5D as fake 3D (at least it did when I checked it out). I really wanted to leave this one alone, but what some people here are calling 2.5D I just call 3D sidescrollers. A game like trine is actually no-foolin' full-3D; you just don't have any pitch, roll, or yaw control of the camera (you just indirectly track it along a 2D plane). Nothing 2.5D about fully polygonal graphics, unless some joker wants to call non-stereoscopic, or non-holographic games 2.5D (which I'm sure will happen someday and which will give cause for the people who are saying 3D sidescrollers 2.5D to RUE THE DAY )

I'm not too convenced that Doom should be included, while the bsp tree is 2D, it's mainly just used to tell what order to draw the walls in 3D space.

DOOM's "3D" engine doesn't have the ability to transform polygons through 3D space. Not even Build does (unless you count Voxels as seen in Blood).

[ScourDX]

New Super Mario Bros is 2.5D. It looks good even for DS.

[jb143]

I think the terms are just a little vaguely defined. One of these days people may say that 3D games today aren't really 3D because they're shown on a 2D screen instead of projected into real 3D space.

[kupomogli]

I think of 2.5d as 3d graphics and 2d gameplay. Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles was mentioned, as was Mega Man X, but I'll also throw in Prinny Can I Really Be the Hero, Mega Man Powered Up, and Viewtiful Joe. For fighter's I'll throw in the Smash Bros series since that's a fighter that hasn't been messaged that's 2.5d.

Other than good RPGs, games like Castlevania, Metroid, Mega Man, Astyanax, etc, are my favorite types of games. Pretty much anything that's a side scrolling platformer that has atleast some decent gameplay at the same time.

There is this game for the 360 by Epic that I can't remember the name, but it's kindof like Metroid and the new style Castlevania games except done in 3d.

Full 3d games are good as well. Mirror's Edge, Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden, etc, but being a fan of old school style games, I pick up pretty much any 2.5d platformer that is released.

[roushimsx]

I personally think that this newly expanded definition of 2.5d to include 2d sidescrollers with 3d graphics kind of blows. I mean, it blows as hard as calling a fantasy action adventure with no RPG elements as an RPG while shunning a modern day sandbox game with numerous major RPG elements simply because of its setting.

Also, I think we very much do need more games like Doom and Duke Nukem 3D. Someone needs to get Atari on the horn and get Blood on XBLA. I'm sure Sunstorm and Apogee would like to pull in the money from getting Duke Caribbean and Duke it Out in DC as well (especially since Duke Nukem 3D apparently did pretty well). Hell, given how much fun Wolfenstein 3D still is, it'd be nice to get Spear of Destiny on XBLA/PSN. What about Doom II w/ online co op? Sign me the fuck up.

New games built on improved versions of the Doom and Duke Nukem 3D engines would be great, too. There's a near endless stream of high quality Doom TCs that show how much can be done with fairly limited technology and it's a design style that I personally really enjoy (much like sidescrollers, fully 3d FPS or isometric action adventures).

Oh, and can we please get an XBLA port of Blake Stone and Planet Strike? Will pay 1600points each if they control as well as Wolfenstein 3D on 360 does.

[NayusDante]

Don't forget Kirby 64.

[j_factor]

I personally think that this newly expanded definition of 2.5d to include 2d sidescrollers with 3d graphics kind of blows.

Newly expanded? That's the definition of 2.5D as I've understood it, for many years. In fact I heard that definition before I heard it applied to first-person shooters.

[Nirvana]

Oops. Damn, I don't know why I thought KoF XII was 2.5d. I watched a ton of videos on it weeks ago and watching them again I realized that they are in fact just 2D.

[Sonicwolf]

Is there any set-in-stone defintion of 2.5d? Is it like... Paper Mario?

[Solertia]

I've always seen 2.5D as (as others have said) 3D graphics with 2D gameplay.

[Buns34]

Shadow Complex!!!