Fresh Perspective
HIGH Retaining the ‘git gud’ mentality. Added replayability.
LOW Minimal variety in each world.
WTF Why can’t I move the camera!?
The Super Meat Boy franchise is, for many, the Dark Souls of 2D platformers — a mix of tough obstacle courses that require a high level of skill, while framed with lots of blood and dark humor. Though the series had its ups and downs during its 16-year run, the IP has managed to retain much of its fanbase. Now with the latest installment in the series, many ask whether the move to 3D is the correct next step for this meaty protagonist?
Unlike the previous installment which had an on-rails approach to gameplay that upset many fans, Super Meat Boy 3D follows the classic third-person 3D platforming approach. Meat Boy can sprint, jump, dash, and wall-run through challenging environments to reach Bandage Girl to save her from Dr. Fetus.
The 3D setting adds room for creativity when it comes to level design, felt throughout the adventure as players often need to not only run and jump, but also chain moves together to successfully get to the end of each level. With time and skill, players gradually learn to find shortcuts through each level by skipping some platforms via dashing mid-air, or finding ways to jump further.
Super Meat Boy 3D features 75 main stages across 5 different worlds, each world concluding with a boss fight. Additionally, players can unlock 75 “Dark World” stages after finishing any level with an A+ score, which are more difficult versions of the base levels. While each level has the usual environmental hazards to deal with, they also contain hidden bandages to collect, which, in turn, allow the player to unlock new playable characters. Each unlocked character has a special ability, such as running faster or constantly jumping instead of running. These options add variety to gameplay, and make them more than just
cosmetic skins.
The five worlds on offer each have a unique look and range from flourishing forests to gritty industrial complexes, but this uniqueness is only skin deep. When it comes to gameplay, the changes from one world to the other are minimal — pitfalls are replaced with acid pools, and swinging log traps are replaced with spinning saws. On the other hand, the boss fights have plenty of creativity and variety in their attacks and level design. However, the most relevant issue to discuss in Super Meat Boy 3D is the camera perspective.
There’s been quite a lot of discussion about whether Super Meat Boy 3D needs to be in 3D or not, but I believe this question is irrelevant. When it comes to creative decisions, the vision of the devs should be respected. On the other hand, a more relevant aspect to this issue is whether the creative vision is executed properly. In this instance, it boils down to whether the camera and perspective is implemented correctly? My feeling is… not quite?
Though adding all three dimensions adds literal depth to gameplay, it also causes issues. Since the camera angle is fixed and Meat Boy moves around quite quickly, it’s often difficult to correctly estimate the distance of the objects and platforms in order to land jumps and perform dashes at the right angle. Accuracy in estimating distances and heights has always been core to Meat Boy‘s masochistic precision platformer identity, so difficulty in gauging depth here is an annoying issue.
Despite the camera’s inability to deliver the same high level of accuracy that longtime fans crave, Super Meat Boy 3D is ultimately a well-made 3D platformer that stays true to its roots while trying to set the stage for the future of the franchise. Though the team may have struggled a bit with these 3D environments, I do want to recognize that Team Meat and Sluggerfly took a daring swing that compensates with great replayability, and that this effort was ultimately worthwhile.
Score: 8 out of 10
Disclosures: This game is published by by Headup/GCORES Publishing and developed by Team Meat/Sluggerfly. It is available on PC, PS5, XBO/X/S and Switch 2. This copy was obtained via publisher and was reviewed on Switch 2. Approximately 3 hours were spent in campaign, there are no multiplayer mode and the game was not completed.
Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T for Blood and Gore and Fantasy Violence. The site reads: This is a 3D platformer game in which players help a cube of meat named Meat Boy rescue his kidnapped girlfriend. Players run, jump, and slide across levels while avoiding hazards (e.g., spinning blades, grinders, weapon-wielding robots). As Meat Boy traverses platforms, he emits blood that stains the environment. Touching hazards will cause Meat Boy to break apart amid sprays of blood. One close-up sequence depicts a brain-like creature exploding into pieces.
Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are present in the options menu.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Gamers: There are subtitles for tutorials but the game does not have any dialogue. There were no audio cues of note. This game is fully accessible.
Remappable Controls: The controls cannot be remapped.
Born and raised in the port city of Bandar Anzali in Iran, Ali is a guy from the Atari 2600 era. He’s player who loves gaming on every platform, but never stops talking about PC! He claims that he’s not a fan of any franchise and that he only respects quality and logic, but he can never explain why he completed Prince of Persia: Warrior Within more than 27 times or why he can recall the entire Matrix screenplay by heart! While he’s got a master of sciences in Paleontology and a deep love for dinosaurs, he started as a videogame journalist with Iranian gaming media, and GameCritics is where he started to reach a more international audience. Although it seems that the man really needs to get a life, Ali’s been married since 2014. His wife is not a gamer, but plays co-op with him in a special video series called “Me & Wifey†– oh, the sacrifices she has to make for love! Ali says the world of videogames has always been a land of wonderful magic for him and he dreams of becoming a gaming YouTuber one day, no matter how long it takes! Find more from Ali on Rotten Tomatoes, at his YT channel ArkaniGaming, and his Instagram page i_love_gaming2.
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