3D platform/adventure indie games?

[Dock]

I was wondering - where are all the 3D platform/adventure style 3D games?

This genre seems to be incredibly uncommon in the indie sector, even though it's commonplace elsewhere. I remember seeing a couple of 3D RPG/adventure games in progress, but nothing much since then. I realise it's harder to make the assets (I'm a pro 3D games artist ^_^) but it's also a great style of game.

Even simple implementations, like JJSoft's Mage Bros game work really nicely, but they're very uncommon.

Does anyone know of any good 3D indie platform, adventure or RPG games?

[James C. Smith]

Can you give an example of a good 3D platform game for the PC? (non-indie)

[Fry Crayola]

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time?

[Didier]

Rayman editions?

Didier

[tentons]

Beyond Good and Evil?

One reason there aren't a lot of indie games like this, I think, is because they require gobs of art and sound which means bigger budgets.

[Fry Crayola]

Can we think of a non-Ubisoft title?

I guess that a 3D platformer exclusive to the PC wouldn't sell very well. Those that do make it on to the machine are usually ports of console games where the audience for such a game is much larger.

[digriz]

Can you give an example of a good 3D platform game for the PC? (non-indie)

TombRaider!

[James C. Smith]

TombRaider!
I thought that was a playstation game (that was also available on PC). I guess that proves it can work on a PC. It’s not like a gamepad is required. But it may not be financially viable to make a game that complex for PC only. Those games usually make most of their money on the consoles and the port to the PC makes enough money to pay for the port, bot probably not the whole project.

[James C. Smith]

But I think the bigger issue is not the platform (PC vs Console) but just the scope of the project and the competition from the big game indistry players. It is hard for an Indie to make a game that competes in a genre dominated by huge publishers and PC ports funded by console sales.

[Dock]

I see what people mean about the lack of a market for PC platformers. However, surely games like 'Best Friends' have proved that there's both market, and that games can be made with fairly minimal assets. Of course it's not a large and complex console-esque platform game, but neither does it necessarily need to be.

Considering the complexity (or lack thereof) for most indie games, I wasn't expecting something viciously intricate, but rather a platform or adventure equivelent of the sort of titles we see from indies today. I can't help but feel some fairly novel things could be done, even if they were more puzzle-focused platform games, by using 3D graphics.

Coming away from platform games, it's also true that 3D graphics are uncommon elsewhere. Considering that low-tech 3D graphics are still very acceptable and popular in titles such as Animal Crossing, it's surprising that indie games haven't capitalised on this market for charming and simple 3D adventure or life-sim gaming.

[ninjasamurai]

Well my game is going to be sort of a first person shooter indiestyle, so it's 3D.

[Leper]

PSYCHONAUTS!! A fun 3d platform game!

DemonStone!! Another fun 3d platform game!

ALSO!!

TITO: The bouncing Alien (http://darkbasic.thegamecreators.com/?m=showcase_view&i=154) - An Indie-Game made with DarkBasic PRO