Honey Bunny
Member
I'd say it's more relevant today than it was at release.
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Games that were ahead of their time.
- Thread starter FireBeaver
- Start date
I'd say it's more relevant today than it was at release.
almostjuliuscaesar
Member
it had to be the big influence of the first battlefield bad company, imo. i know it was made by Criterion, but right after black in 2006, battlefield changed to a SP focus with fully destructible environments.
tareqsalah1
Member
Shadow of the collossus
Which is why the remake makes soooo much sense.
Also kingdom hearts 1 and 2
After playing the 2.8 aqua story i want kingdom hearts 1 and 2 to be remade using tbe same assets
Which is why the remake makes soooo much sense.
Also kingdom hearts 1 and 2
After playing the 2.8 aqua story i want kingdom hearts 1 and 2 to be remade using tbe same assets
Alpha Waves
It was doing 3d platforming in 1990 (albiet in a simplistic way- each room was a box with floating platforms and you were always jumping) but also its whole theming of being inside a mind with the soundtrack corresponding to binaural beats to ellicit specific emotions to correspond where you were in the games "brain" and pastel palletes feel very evocative of something youd see a modern indie title on itch.io explore.
It was doing 3d platforming in 1990 (albiet in a simplistic way- each room was a box with floating platforms and you were always jumping) but also its whole theming of being inside a mind with the soundtrack corresponding to binaural beats to ellicit specific emotions to correspond where you were in the games "brain" and pastel palletes feel very evocative of something youd see a modern indie title on itch.io explore.
Kill Switch 2003 - first 3rd person shooter with a cover system.
Breakdown 2004 - introduced melee combat into FPS
Zarch 1988 - The game was groundbreaking for the time, featuring a three-dimensional mouse-controlled craft (the "lander") flying over a tile-rendered landscape.
Breakdown 2004 - introduced melee combat into FPS
Zarch 1988 - The game was groundbreaking for the time, featuring a three-dimensional mouse-controlled craft (the "lander") flying over a tile-rendered landscape.
DiipuSurotu
Banned
When I hear "ahead of its time" I like to think that it only qualifies titles that failed to be appreciated in their time because they contained groundbreaking features that were unfortunately limited in execution either thanks to its contemporary technical limitations, plain development hell holding back the polish needed, or a mixture of both.
I kind of like to think of Sim Copter as the first modern 3D open world sandbox game (that isn't an RPG). That game came out in 1996, before even the first top-down GTA was out, and it featured fully fleshed out cities populated with traffic and NPCs which you could explore and interact with, and you could exit your helicopter to traverse on foot. There had been other kinds of more primitive open 3D games before that may have featured a few stray buildings and enemy vehicles and the likes, but nothing that really delivered a "full package" like this.
Hell, it even featured selectable faux radio stations much like you'd expect from any GTA-style game. The game received a rather lukewarm reception on release, mainly due to its high jankiness from being rushed out by Maxis. But at the time, the sheer novelty of the game concept alone was enough for me and others to be really fascinated by it and just enjoy its freeform open ended gameplay. Had to wait for GTA3 in 2001 to experience something of the same type of scope again.
Great post. Pretty much the best answer in this thread.
neurosisxeno
Member
The world needs more Sports games with RPG elements.
nextgeneration
Member
F.E.A.R. 1
Doom (the original on pc)
Crysis
Resident Evil 4
Phantasy Star 1
Dead Space 1
Doom (the original on pc)
Crysis
Resident Evil 4
Phantasy Star 1
Dead Space 1
Jerm411
Member
I still play it from time to time and still amazed at what it did at the time it was out.
ClayKavalier
Banned
The shrines in BotW are very similar to the puzzles in older games, they're basically just single-room dungeons. There's bigger ones, but the puzzles definitely feel like Zelda puzzles. It's not somehow borrowing from Star Fox more than other Zeldas just because they both happen to use the word "shrine."
Nydius
Member
I'll probably catch some flak for this but my immediate thought was:
Shadowrun, the 2008 remake.
Make no mistake, that game was lackluster and annoyed long time Shadowrun fans but Microsoft made an always online, class-based twitch arena shooter when most shooters - at least not ones named Team Fortress - were moving away from that concept. Everyone trashed it for being online only - no offline mode or campaign, how dare they? - but fast forward to today and we have a bunch of games that use the same online only twitch arena shooter model and are doing well.
It almost makes me wish Microsoft had let the concept cook for a few more years and offered more resources for more maps and modes rather than the paltry few we got at launch. Not that it would have ever overcome the outrage by Shadowrun (Genesis/SNES/Pen & Paper) players.
Shadowrun, the 2008 remake.
Make no mistake, that game was lackluster and annoyed long time Shadowrun fans but Microsoft made an always online, class-based twitch arena shooter when most shooters - at least not ones named Team Fortress - were moving away from that concept. Everyone trashed it for being online only - no offline mode or campaign, how dare they? - but fast forward to today and we have a bunch of games that use the same online only twitch arena shooter model and are doing well.
It almost makes me wish Microsoft had let the concept cook for a few more years and offered more resources for more maps and modes rather than the paltry few we got at launch. Not that it would have ever overcome the outrage by Shadowrun (Genesis/SNES/Pen & Paper) players.
This was my first thought.
The idea that NPC's had a schedule and the day/night system. Having a "job", entering random buildings around the various zones, just the scope of everything.
Other games had done bits and pieces of this stuff but I felt Shenmue was the first to really put it all together in a way that made you feel like you were living in the world.
Five pages and no Psi-Ops mentions?
The game threw a ton of interesting mechanics at you. Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, remote viewing, mind control... There really has been a game since to even come close to that level of freedom when it comes to psychic powers. The mechanics and level design created a playground for fun and experimentation.
It's a third person shooter from the age before today's standard two stick controls, but little else would need to be done to modernize it.
The game threw a ton of interesting mechanics at you. Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, remote viewing, mind control... There really has been a game since to even come close to that level of freedom when it comes to psychic powers. The mechanics and level design created a playground for fun and experimentation.
It's a third person shooter from the age before today's standard two stick controls, but little else would need to be done to modernize it.
neurosisxeno
Member
I probably put hundreds of hours into it. It was one of my Top 3 NES games easily. My uncle and I used to play it and would make a team and rename all the players after Yankees players at the time and play through a season. It was a great game.
Bruh...
ByWatterson
Member
Ico. Essentially created the arthouse game space.
Dr.brain64
Member
Halo 1 no contest. Just imagine the world without this game. Cannot compute.
ByWatterson
Member
Also Madden. It's a year early - every year!
SirCrush
Member
It's definitely on the short list.
Cave Johnson
Member
It forgoes traditional level design and instead went straight for the narrative. That's why the environment feels cohesive.
Metroid Prime Hunters.
It was a multiplayer focused hero shooter, before the genre even had a name yet. I'm sure Metroid Prime 4 will have a single player campaign, and that'll be welcomed, but it'll be a missed opportunity if there isn't an online multiplayer option where you can play as different bounty hunters, each with their own signature abilities and forms. I've been craving that as a contemporary experience lately.
It was a multiplayer focused hero shooter, before the genre even had a name yet. I'm sure Metroid Prime 4 will have a single player campaign, and that'll be welcomed, but it'll be a missed opportunity if there isn't an online multiplayer option where you can play as different bounty hunters, each with their own signature abilities and forms. I've been craving that as a contemporary experience lately.
Stiler
Member
Severance (aka Blade of Darkness) was one of the first games to use real time shadows (before doom 3).
It also had an amazing melee combat system that imo is even better then Dark Souls/Bloodborne, which is the closest game to it these days.
A shame, cause I'd say if they released it today (or a new one) it'd probably do a LOT better these days.
It also had an amazing melee combat system that imo is even better then Dark Souls/Bloodborne, which is the closest game to it these days.
A shame, cause I'd say if they released it today (or a new one) it'd probably do a LOT better these days.
You don't agree on Zelda64?
In the moment I remember being blown away by a dozen things about that game.
You Pay This Much
Member
Normally seen as mediocre I believe, but ahead of its time none the less.
Hey you pikachu!
Hey you pikachu!
Cracklox
Member
Thanks for this.
Count me as someone who played it and forgot about it. Ie part of the problem. My memories are hazy, but I remember alot of the stuff you mention, and some pretty sweet driving sequences in, I think his tricked out Aston. I don't think I beat it, but got a good ways in. Looking back now, it was definitely ahead of its time in a lot of ways.
I just don't think I realized it at the time
polyh3dron
Banned
Fade To Black.
Harrison Bergeron
Member
For me it was Starsiege Tribes. It was 3d multiplayer combat with all sorts of twists. Bases and base defense, vehicles, widely varied mechanics (jet packs, disc launcher gun, sniper laser, buildable turrents and shields) and big maps with seamless indoor outdoor environments with varied geography to play on.
It was crazy, you would have these huge battles across distances with vehicles and players jet packing around, and then you'd also have these brutal close quarter combats situation when attacking a base and trying to get the flag. I'd never experienced anything like that up to that point, and it was a damn impressive piece of technology to boot.
It was crazy, you would have these huge battles across distances with vehicles and players jet packing around, and then you'd also have these brutal close quarter combats situation when attacking a base and trying to get the flag. I'd never experienced anything like that up to that point, and it was a damn impressive piece of technology to boot.
Grindlefly
Member
Ah man. I loved that game
NinjaBoiX
Member
I remember being floored by its technical prowess.
I don't get it.
"This game was so ahead of its time when it released on day 1 that it needed a patch when it released on day 1."
It doesn't make sense.
Cracklox
Member
I remember being floored by its technical prowess.
Oh this too. It was amazing at the time, but far too short. Some friends around that time would come over way more frequently then usual, just to play that. It was quite the showcase game.
Shooting stuff in a game never felt as good till probably Max Payne 3 for me
KnightimeX_Legacy
Banned
Killer Instinct Arcade
It was jaw dropping for many years.
It was jaw dropping for many years.
This. It was one of the first games I played on PC and spoiled me. Didn't know that not everything will be like this.
And for a long time I was amazed that no one seemed to talk about it.
daTRUballin
Member
This thread is shockingly devoid of any mentions of Goldeneye 007. Unless I missed any posts mentioning it.
That game revolutionized first person shooters and started the whole multiplayer FPS craze on consoles. Later on, Halo and COD took everything to new heights with the power of online multiplayer, but it all started with Goldeneye. The game also introduced many things to the genre in its campaign especially. Perfect Dark has been mentioned multiple times in this thread, and yes, it was ahead of its time as well, but it wouldn't have existed without Goldeneye and it built off of many things Goldeneye had started.
That game revolutionized first person shooters and started the whole multiplayer FPS craze on consoles. Later on, Halo and COD took everything to new heights with the power of online multiplayer, but it all started with Goldeneye. The game also introduced many things to the genre in its campaign especially. Perfect Dark has been mentioned multiple times in this thread, and yes, it was ahead of its time as well, but it wouldn't have existed without Goldeneye and it built off of many things Goldeneye had started.
DiamondDog74
Banned
My nomination...
For its time, this game was a technological marvel. It was one of the original PlayStation's first fully 3D platform games where all of the levels were accessible from a main hub, akin to Super Mario 64. The thing is, the PSOne had half the power of the 64 (if you go by bits), and yet the technical wizards at Crystal Dynamics managed to squeeze out every last bit of power and produced one of the PSOne's most fun and spirited games. It gave way to a sequel, Deep Cover Gecko, but that was nowhere near as good IMHO.
![36950-Gex_-_Enter_the_Gecko_[NTSC-U]-5.jpg](https://r.mprd.se/media/images/36950-Gex_-_Enter_the_Gecko_[NTSC-U]-5.jpg)
The game struggled in so many ways. It had a lot of loading screens, the frame rate was all over the place in open areas or when there was a lot happening on-screen, and its visuals were very primitive by today's standards. And yet, it was fun. It was funny. And to this day, remains one of my favorite PSOne classics.
It's a shame we'll never see an HD remaster, because I would buy it in a heartbeat!
Thank you for the gex love. No one usually talks about it past VO. I remember 2 being better than 3.
Shenmue
On a technical scale , its easily one of the most obvious picks. DF retro has an amazing breakdown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0blSBgpRUg
On a technical scale , its easily one of the most obvious picks. DF retro has an amazing breakdown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0blSBgpRUg
daTRUballin
Member
I believe EoN actually came out in 2004. Which was still technically before RE4, right? So maybe your point still stands. I don't exactly remember when RE4 came out. 2005?
And while this game did have a significant number of Bond actors lending their voices and likeness to the game, there were already Bond games that had voice acting from actual Bond actors before EoN. Namely The World Is Not Enough and Agent Under Fire. TWINE only had John Cleese as R in it, but AUF had both Judi Dench and John Cleese in it, I believe. To this day, I'm still surprised they couldn't get Pierce Brosnan to voice Bond in a game until EoN.
Fun fact: EoN was actually Pierce Brosnan's last time playing Bond, not Die Another Day. While DAD was his last movie, EoN was technically the last time he ever played Bond in anything.
BLAUcopter
Gold Member
Test Drive Unlimited.
Absolutely loved this game on the 360. Have so many fond memories of cruising around Hawaii with my mates, so much so that I made the trip there to do it in real life! Knowing what turns and landmarks were coming up from memory blew my finance's mind lol.
Absolutely loved this game on the 360. Have so many fond memories of cruising around Hawaii with my mates, so much so that I made the trip there to do it in real life! Knowing what turns and landmarks were coming up from memory blew my finance's mind lol.