Developed by Clockwork Games and published by Psygnosis in 1995, 3D Lemmings is an alternative take on the Lemmings gameplay formula – this time, as the title suggests, in a 3D environment. And it doesn’t work too badly…

The interface is messy – in particular the icons superimposed over the play window. Legibility isn’t the problem – it’s more a case of ‘clutter’ getting in the way of the 3D view. You can turn the icons on and off though, which most players will do once they’ve learned the hotkeys.

The success of a 3D game like this is almost entirely down to the camera controls, and they’re pretty good overall in 3D Lemmings. It’s still possible to get very confused, though, as you try to work out the geometry of the landscape; where the entrance and exit is; and how to lead your Lemmings to safety.

3D Lemmings is not a bad game – it’s just not a great one either. It’s a gaming experiment that has some entertainment value, but has scruffy presentation and limited appeal. 2D Lemmings works much better in my opinion.

Also came out on the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn.

More: 3D Lemmings on Wikipedia