Terrible Lizards, available now on XBOX Series X|S and Game Pass, is a first-person platforming game about escaping runaway dinosaur animatronics in an abandoned roadside attraction. That perspective was something we landed on pretty deliberately, through a process of both considering this particular game’s needs, as well as reviewing what we’ve loved about movement in other games.

When I think about the platforming games I’ve always enjoyed most, a lot of it comes down to rhythm. I like being able to move quickly, react to what’s coming, and string things together without constantly stopping to line everything up.

You can see that reactive flow really clearly in older 2D platformers like Donkey Kong Country or the early Mario games. With a limited screen in front of you, you don’t always have much time to plan. You’re reacting, trusting the mechanics, and finding a rhythm as you move through the level. That’s what I wanted to bring into Terrible Lizards, and the first-person perspective is a big part of bringing that satisfying, rhythmic, reactive gameplay to a 3D platformer.

Games like Mirror’s Edge and Dying Light are the obvious first-person platforming reference points, but we actually wanted Terrible Lizards to feel a little different moment to moment. We were chasing the tighter, more immediate game feel you get from games like Titanfall , Call of Duty , and Overwatch , where simply moving, jumping, and changing direction feels responsive and satisfying. You do see that kind of feel in first-person platforming games like Neon White , and that was closer to the balance we wanted: strong platforming mechanics built on top of controls that already feel good before you even start chaining moves together.

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