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[Shifty1897]

Frog Fractions and Pony Island are the first two that come to mind. Both those games are mind expanding in the weirdest way. Saying anything more would ruin it.

 

[intbal]

(copy/pasted from mobygames.com so I don't have to write it all out)

• Fighting in the arena (third person).
• Competing at the archery range (first person).
• Exploring buildings or mazes (top-down).
• Riding a horse outside Hillsfar while avoiding obstacles (third person/side-scrolling).
• Locking picking doors and chests (first person).

 

[Shivvy24]

Jak & Daxter > Jak 2 comes to mind

 

[pramod]

Didn't read the whole thread but Ninja Gaiden has switched at least twice. From beat em up -> platformer -> 3D action game.

 

[St0pThatGuy]

haven't played it yet, but nier automata switches between 3d action, 2d action, twin stick shooter and shoot em up.

Metal gear

I know there have been games that have pretty big surprises in them, but has game ever truly switched genres?
Not just playstyles or different minigames, more the entire thing. Something that would get people talking.

For example, imagine playing Truck Simulator but after an hour or so, your truck breaks down and you have to walk to the nearest town. You shortcut through some woods and find yourself at an old mansion, where the game turns into Resident Evil.

I'm almost positive nothing that extreme has been done, but what's the closest it's come?

--

Edit (repeated later down as well).

Just to clarify I'm not exactly talking about different styles of gameplay. GTA does that. But a completely different feel and expectation. Breaking the forth wall.
Imagine thinking you're getting one type of game only for it to become another -- or a game that when you start is just a button mashing hack and slash but by the end it's managed to teach you chess.

Platinum games switch genres all the time, in quite extreme ways, but you always know that is going to happen going in. It's expected because of the presentation and style of the game.
Having said that I may need to look into Neir again as I gave up halfway through.
Kojima's games are pretty extreme. Also No More Hero's with it's ultra fun waggle combat vs the stilted tank controls of the 'main game'. I always found that funny and daring.

The question might be unanswerable as there are so many different opinions as to what makes a game, gameplay or experience etc. But I'm wondering what the hardest 'genre switch' is.
I'm not talking about this happening as a series evolves, but in a single game. Something that has the potential to anger as many people as it delight

I know there have been games that have pretty big surprises in them, but has game ever truly switched genres?
Not just playstyles or different minigames, more the entire thing. Something that would get people talking.

For example, imagine playing Truck Simulator but after an hour or so, your truck breaks down and you have to walk to the nearest town. You shortcut through some woods and find yourself at an old mansion, where the game turns into Resident Evil.

I'm almost positive nothing that extreme has been done, but what's the closest it's come?

--

Edit (repeated later down as well).

Just to clarify I'm not exactly talking about different styles of gameplay. GTA does that. But a completely different feel and expectation. Breaking the forth wall.
Imagine thinking you're getting one type of game only for it to become another -- or a game that when you start is just a button mashing hack and slash but by the end it's managed to teach you chess.

Platinum games switch genres all the time, in quite extreme ways, but you always know that is going to happen going in. It's expected because of the presentation and style of the game.
Having said that I may need to look into Neir again as I gave up halfway through.
Kojima's games are pretty extreme. Also No More Hero's with it's ultra fun waggle combat vs the stilted tank controls of the 'main game'. I always found that funny and daring.

The question might be unanswerable as there are so many different opinions as to what makes a game, gameplay or experience etc. But I'm wondering what the hardest 'genre switch' is.
I'm not talking about this happening as a series evolves, but in a single game. Something that has the potential to anger as many people as it delights.

This might not be exactly what you're talking about but metal gear solid 3 had a section during snake's dream that was a hack n slash with monsters, that actually is pretty fun and polished, but then you wake up and it's back to the game proper.

 

[Moonjt9]

Few Messenger call outs but that game doesn’t change genres, just visual presentation.

I gotta disagree here. I’d consider metroidvania a distinctly different genre to a side scrolling platformer like ninja gaiden or megaman. The front and back half of the messenger play completely differently.

 

[Warablo]

Does GTA count?

 

[intbal]

Does GTA count?

Sure. Some of them, anyway.
Sometimes they're racing games. Sometimes they're fetch-quest RPGs. Sometimes they're third person shooters. Sometimes they're... "pilot a device remotely" games.

 

[TheKratos]

How the fuck can people prefer turn-based Yakuza over old school Yakuza. Hell in the beginnjng I didn't mind but it became ass later on when enemies had huge health. Not to mention the limited cool moves.

 

[Kuramu]

Guardian Legend. Space shooter / Zelda like adventure
Oh hey, Blaster Master: Jump Shoot Metroidvania / overhead Alien Syndrome game

 

[Ikutachi]

 

[Cravis]

Dynasty Warrior?

Yep. This right here. First game is a one on one fighter....



Then from two on it’s a third person hack and slash.

 

[T8SC]

Tomb Raider changed entire franchises nevermind genres.

 

[kiphalfton]

OP that literally sounds like the beginning of FFXV. It's a "push your car to the nearest gas station" simulator, and then becomes an even crappier game after that.

 

[Dad_Of_Chicken]

Rainbow Six: Vegas => very boring and bland FPS during the first hour of the game; then transforms into a great tactical-shooter.

 

[assurdum]

Death Stranding. You pass all the time to deliver packages but when boss fight happens, it becomes a TPS because, you know..."reasons". Kojima lose completely his mind when has too much freedom, screwing everything it's good, if I can say.

 

[ethomaz]

Death Stranding. You pass all the time to deliver packages but when boss fight happens, it becomes a TPS because, you know..."reasons". Kojima lose completely his mind when has too much freedom, screwing everything it's good, if I can say.

It is a TPS game when you are delivering too... it doesn’t change anything... you can ignore the boss and continue you delivery too.

The boss is a well explained some where you need to cross to reach your destination... the TPS gameplay is the same with or without it.

 

[MrA]

Rainbow Six: Vegas => very boring and bland FPS during the first hour of the game; then transforms into a great tactical-shooter.

you mean getting shot in the face simulator for the first ~10 hours then transformers into a great tactical shooter

shining force transformed for awesome srpgs to crummy arpgs designed to sell waifu merchandise

panzer dragoon from sweet on rail shooter to one of the best rpgs ever

.... anyone remember guilty gear 2?

 

[Rat Rage]

Cyberpunk was RPG and became action adventure, all that before the release.

That's impossible, because Cyberpunk was never a RPG or an Action Adventure. It started as a First Person Shooter with RGB elements and that's what it is still today.

 

[BlackTron]

It was cool and unexpected when Super Mario Land had the sub and airplane sections that changed the game from a platformer to a shmup.

But, I think OP is asking for something a bit esoteric, where it is not only a change in gameplay style AND unexpected, but also somehow a journey to discover. For example, the way WandaVision presents itself as a 50's show, and turns into something else in a fuck with your head/breaking the 4th wall type way, that makes you question everything about it and wonder what kind of wacky unexpected surprise is next.

This is a VERY specific question, and I doubt there are that many examples of it. Though if you are looking just for an unexpected change in the gameplay style, I'm sure there are many examples like Mario Land above.

It's staggering how few people read the OP before replying though lol.

 

[assurdum]

It is a TPS game when you are delivering too... it doesn’t change anything... you can ignore the boss and continue you delivery too.

The boss is a well explained some where you need to cross to reach your destination... the TPS gameplay is the same with or without it.

Kojima has clear said that game shouldn't be about shoting. He tricks the players with the packaging system but later we discover the main story it's more tied to the TPS mechanics than the whole structure presented for the entire game. It's literally absurd. People dislikes it not because it's not enough tps, as Kojima said, but because it seems totally incapable to deliver genuine fun without to be bonded to such mechanics. And the stranded souls encounters, the stealth sessions with them, sadly prove it. There is nothing of more frustrating, boring and annoying of such thing than anything I ever tried in any other game. Even the random encounters in the older FF were more entertaining. And I said everything. It's literally hard to defend what is it good about DS when presents such issues in the gameplay pace.