what kind of games can be called platformers?
A 3D platformer is a type of game where you have a camera and the main objective is going from point A to B.
checkpoints: every level is filled with checkpoints, platforming is a matter of executing a sequence of actions (inputs), errors are common, and the outcome is usually game over. Checkpoints alleviates the most common pain point of platformers...starting from scratch.
speedruns: platformers are the most common games to speed run, because they require precision in every step, they are similar to playing a musical instrument, where if you fail to execute the correct combinations, the outcome is unpleasant.
maps and addons: there is a wide variety of maps as maps are the main content of the game, communities are also fostered to build and experiment with different maps layouts and types of obstacles within them.
multiplayer and competition: competition is both present in the form of leaderboards and PvP race style matches. However, because of the higher skill ceiling, and the common risk of failure within execution, leaderboards are the main gateway for competition.
Platformers can be divided based upon what kind of physics they use to excert movement:
Surfers: gliding, drifting, ramps and slopes control the direction of the PG, which is usually in constant movement from start to finish, fast paced.
Grapplers: utilize projectiles, angular momentum and climbing to move across platforms, maps are usually made of binary checkpointed steps, where every step is a sequence of actions; because of this, the movement of the PG is slow paced with frequent interrupts. It is common to find puzzles within grapplers.
Parkour: double-jumps, bunny-hopping, air-control, rocket-jumps are common abilities given to PGs in these kind of platformers. It is generally common to mix FPS elements with parkour elements with the objective of exploiting weapons to overcome obstacles.
