At its best, combat in the 3D platformer genre of gaming can be both spatially complex and dynamic. In turn, it often requires precise movement and strategic timing from players.

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Fans get to enjoy fast-paced battles that require both melee and ranged offense along the way. Environmental elements such as platforms and obstacles are often used to bring depth to the proceedings, providing chances for evasion and tactical advantage. The 3D environment allows for multi-directional combat, creating an immersive, unpredictable experience for players as they get the hang of this often hectic approach to gaming action.

5 Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

Metascore: 85

Despite the 4 in the title, It's About Time is the eighth primary chapter in the long-running series. The game sees the titular hero seek out the dangerous Quantum Masks before the dastardly Doctors Nefarious Tropy and Neo Cortex can get their hands on them.

The game holds true to the 3D platform format, as players run, jump, slide, and spin their way through a variety of colorful maps and missions. When it comes to combat, the agility of both Crash and his sister continues to be a key factor, as players can launch a variety of fast-paced attacks at enemies. Despite its eight-generation quality, the game is full of homages to the action of earlier games and even provides some side-scrolling levels for good measure. The result is a gaming experience both modern and retro, with combat sequences that manage to be both innovative and nostalgic all at once, making for a rewarding playing experience for Crash Bandicoot fans that encompasses the series' many advancements over the years.

4 Psychonauts 2

Metascore: 87

The long-awaited sequel to the 2005 classic certainly did not disappoint on the action front. Players return to the role of the acrobatic Raz, who is still mastering the psychic arts of the titular Psychonauts.

The game offers players stellar combat thanks to its impressive blend of platforming mechanics and psychic powers. The imaginative range of psychic abilities on offer, including pyrokinesis and telekinesis, encourages players to employ diverse combat tactics. On top of the wild powers, Raz is also an acrobat, ensuring his movements and jumps add both grace and visual appeal to the action. The fluid acrobatic movements allow for energetic engagement with enemies, helping to further enhance the often wild combative moments littered throughout the game. Along with its creative enemy designs and boss battles, Psychonauts 2 more than lived up to its predecessor on the combat front.

3 Ratchet & Clank

Metascore: 88

The seminal, original entry in the beloved Ratchet & Clank franchise set a high standard for the rest of the series to meet. Players take on the role of Ratchet as he teams up with Clank to take down the nefarious Chairman Drek.

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The combat of Ratchet & Clank gets a colorful boost off the back of the numerous eccentric weapons and gadgets that can be found throughout the game. Exploring a variety of colorful, unpredictable terrains, Ratchet's battles are further enhanced by Clank's knack for providing a jetpack boost for the character. Fast-paced and explosive, the all-guns blazing style of the game's action was a breath of fresh air at the time. Most platformers were relying heavily on melee combat back then, allowing Ratchet & Clank to shine as something brand new in the genre at the time of its release.

2 Jak And Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Metascore: 90

This seminal PlayStation 2 exclusive featured both exceptional action and one of the craziest plots in PS2 history. Naughty Dog’s maddened masterpiece also arguably set a new standard for gaming graphics at the time of its release.

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Players assume the role of the titular Jak, as he must work with his pal Daxter, who has been transformed into a hybrid creature known as an outsell. Together, the pair must save the world from villainous figures out to flood the world with deadly Dark Eco. High-concept and imaginative, the game is bolstered by its energetic approach to combat, with a variety of moves, jumps, and techniques on offer as the game progresses. Fast-paced and hectic, the boss battles also add greatly to the overall gaming experience in this influential, bar-setting classic.

1 Super Mario Odyssey

Metacritic: 97

This universally praised entry in the long-running series introduced several curious tweaks to the formula. The first of those is a new, living, breathing hat named Cappy, who helps Mario in both puzzles and combat.

When it comes to combat, Cappy provides players with a new capture power. With it, Mario can take full control of some of the enemies he encounters. On top of the new powers on offer, the game also provides colorful opposition, with creatures such as the formidable Broodals causing chaos. The seamless integration of action-packed combat within the diverse, vibrant worlds of the game succeeds in both challenging and entertaining players, adding further to this ambitious chapter in Mario’s long line of adventures.

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