For a long time I've wondered what 2.5D even is, especially after playing... a specific game series that I happen to like a little bit. Today I watched a video on 2.5D, and one look into the comment section made me realize that I need to find out what the fuck this genre, subgenre, category, whatever the hell it is. To elaborate, I mean people can't decide what the fuck 2.5D even is. Is it a 2D game that has flat 3D visuals (New Super Mario Bros)? Is it a 2D game that has very dynamic 3D visuals (that game I like)? Is it a 3D game with a fixed camera (Super Mario 3D Land)? Is it a 2D game that allows for deeper movement (Battletoads)? Well, I will now embark on a personal journey, that being to write up a bunch of 2.5D game types on a dumb video game website that three people will read. Oh well.
The first type seems to be the most simple, which is a sidescroller that has 3D objects, which could be characters, objects, items, or any combination of these. Think... New Super Mario Bros. Basically just that. The second type is a game with 2D game with much more involved use of 3D from a visual perspective, with dynamic camera movements and more detailed environments and maybe some minor interaction that with 3D space. Examples are Yoshi's Crafted World and that game. I grouped these together because there isn't really a clear cutting-off point for when a game becomes one or the other. Good example for something that is right in the middle is Tropical Freeze, as it often switches off between involved camera angles and flat angles.
The third type is a game that plays in full 3D with 3D visuals but have fixed camera angles and either digital or digital inspired movement. Examples are Super Mario 3D Land and Crash Bandicoot. To be honest, I really don't see how any examples of this I've heard of aren't full 3D. Yes, control usually isn't full 360 degrees, but that has never been a requirement for full 3D games.
The fourth type is a game that has 2D visuals, but allow the player to move down and up in a 3D-like space. This is very common in 8 and 16-bit beat-em-ups. Eye-symmetric games hold a very similar place as well, so I'll group them together. Nothing to say here for now.
So, what is really the definition of 2.5D? ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Yes
The first type seems to be the most simple, which is a sidescroller that has 3D objects, which could be characters, objects, items, or any combination of these. Think... New Super Mario Bros. Basically just that. The second type is a game with 2D game with much more involved use of 3D from a visual perspective, with dynamic camera movements and more detailed environments and maybe some minor interaction that with 3D space. Examples are Yoshi's Crafted World and that game. I grouped these together because there isn't really a clear cutting-off point for when a game becomes one or the other. Good example for something that is right in the middle is Tropical Freeze, as it often switches off between involved camera angles and flat angles.
The third type is a game that plays in full 3D with 3D visuals but have fixed camera angles and either digital or digital inspired movement. Examples are Super Mario 3D Land and Crash Bandicoot. To be honest, I really don't see how any examples of this I've heard of aren't full 3D. Yes, control usually isn't full 360 degrees, but that has never been a requirement for full 3D games.
The fourth type is a game that has 2D visuals, but allow the player to move down and up in a 3D-like space. This is very common in 8 and 16-bit beat-em-ups. Eye-symmetric games hold a very similar place as well, so I'll group them together. Nothing to say here for now.
So, what is really the definition of 2.5D? ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Yes
