So recently I was thinking how games with pixel art graphics are popular nowadays, and I was wondering if there are new games being made with other kinds of “retro” graphics, for example, games that look like the PS1 or PS2 eras.
Any recommendations?
There’s been a recent boom in retro-style 3D platformers, so there’s no shortage of good options to choose from:
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Lunistice
Pseudoregalia
Toree 3D and the rest of the Toree series
Frogun
Corn Kidz 64
Cavern of DreamsUpcoming:
Toree Saturn
The Big Catch
DoubleShake (technically 2.5d)There are more, but these are the ones I can think of.
Well, Lunistice, Paeudoregalia, Corn Kidz 64, and Cavern of Dreams are now all on my list because the screenshots make them look like fun games to play.
Pseudoregalia is a 3D platformer/Metroidvania with a low poly art style a la PS1.
BeenySuper Kiwi 64 is a 3D platformer where you play as a kiwi, reminiscent of N64 era RARE games.Edit: I meant Super Kiwi 64. Beeny is by the same dev but more like an SNES game such as Donkey Kong Country.
If you mean low poly & texture sized 3D games, then I would say BallisticNG, which is directly inspired by Wipeout from the original PSX. Also, while not quite the same, Valheim has a similar pixelated texture style with low poly models (for today’s standards at least).
Maybe look at what’s on Itch.io , I know there are some people there releasing games made with some PSX engine. Someone remade Bloodborne
Also Bloodborne Kart releases at the end of the month.
I’ve been enjoying Signalis. It’s a survival horror game with a top down 2.5d perspective and a late ps1-early ps2 graphics style. It’s very reminiscent of the older Resident Evil games where ammo is scarce(more or less is available based on difficulty), inventory space is limited(adjustable limits are available in settings), and there are specific rooms with a storage container where you can store items and save your game (there is no autosave or checkpoint system; you have to manually save your game), but it very much feels like it’s own thing.
I picked it up on a whim when looking for games with female protagonists to play on a new-to-me hand-me-down Steam Deck, and it happens to run perfectly on it.
Lunacid might be worth checking out. It’s an homage to the older Kings Field (Fromsofts flagship series before the Souls games) games from the PSX era and really well done. It had it’s full 1.0 release a few weeks back. I had a lot of fun playing through it
If you like retro styles and don’t mind some technical tinkering and manual configuration of games you can checkout the “demake” scene. These people recreate modern games to look and play as if with the limitations of the PS1/N64 (or earlier) era. The most popular and polished I know of is the demake of Bloodborne that recreates the first third of the game entirely as a PS1 game.
Came here to post this, love the Bloodborne demake
Someone remade parts of Bloodborne in a PS1 style. The controls are fairly clunky but it’s as legit as they come.
Thanks everyone!! This is more than I expected. Lots of promising stuff! I will look into each and every one of your suggestions.
(Since it’s a bit silly to reply to every single comment the same thing, I’m just putting this one here)
https://youtu.be/ZNn-tNe0s2A?si=ZTeSMnMIo7BiOsWk
So not exactly a full game or released just yet, but Bloodborne Kart has that retro look and is based on a modern series. Seems like a cool and funny concept and wanted people to know about it.
Do we have a !RemindMe bot yet?
Take a look at Haunted PS1, the games they published or that are in their compilations are usually close to that era of visuals.
For individual games you have stuff like, Anodyne 2, Cavern of Dreams, Zortch, Worlds, Lunistice, Hypnagogia, and many more. Like someone else said, there are plenty of indie games imitating or taking inspiration from the graphics of the late 90s and early 2000s.
The display settings actually let you make it MORE pixelated if you want.
Lost In Vivo is a pretty solid first person survival horror ish title, looks straight off of PS1 pretty much
Prodeus looks like an early 3D FPS like Doom but there are obviously modern day techniques such as lighting etc too give it a modern twist and make it now palatable.