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Post your favorite gameplay mechanics

Dead Rising time limit. Gives the game a real sense of tension and forces the player to plan routes and manage time+resources, which makes for a very unique experience that's much more interesting than just being a sandbox with zombies and a mall. Removing it is the single worst thing about Dead Rising 3, and the primary reason why it'll be total crap compared to the first two.

FIGHT ME!
 
YES. I love the cover system in TLoU. What's remarkable about it is I never even thought of it as a cover system. It doesn't glue you in place or lock you to a wall. You just sort of... cling to surfaces. And when you move away from them, you move away from them. It never gets all herky-jerky like every other game with cover. And the animation blending is so good, how you can slide through an open window and automatically resume crouch-walking and sidle onto the nearest bit of cover. It allows you to constantly creep, constantly be on the move. :)

I always hated 'automatic' cover systems until TLOU, which is a testament to how good it is. Mass effect 1 being the worst offender, I was so glad when 2 had a snap to cover button.

Dead Rising time limit. Gives the game a real sense of tension and forces the player to plan routes and manage time+resources, which makes for a very unique experience that's much more interesting than just being a sandbox with zombies and a mall. Removing it is the single worst thing about Dead Rising 3, and the primary reason why it'll be total crap compared to the first two.

FIGHT ME!

doesn't 3 have a mode with time limits? Hopefully not implemented in a half-assed way of course.

and no I won't fight you I agree with you 100% absolutely. Zombies aren't a threat, the whole point is that they just slow you down since the timer is the real enemy. If you want a sandbox just ignore time limits and go nuts, you can carry your levels over next time.
 
In addition to my previous contributions of the cover system in TLoU, Unite Guts and Dodge Offset in TW101, the slide/kick/grapple combo in Bulletstorm, and blocking/parrying in Metal Gear Rising:

The hand-to-hand combat in the Arkham games, and the grapple "slingshot" into free flight in Arkham City.

The slow-mo leap-out-of-cover-and-shoot-everything bits in Sleeping Dogs.

Also in Sleeping Dogs, the slow-mo mid-air carjackings.

Speaking of carjackings, leaping straight through windshields in Saints Row 3 (and SR4, I presume).

Also in Saints Row 3, the takedown where you skateboard on someone's back.

Simply running and hopping around stages while all liquored up in Catherine.

Striking the prize orb in Wind Waker and being showered with prizes.

Also in TWW, the Hurricane Spin tearing through multiple enemies and exploding them into smoke.

Grinding around corners in Captain Falcon's Twister Race (Nintendo Land).

Forward, backward and side "smash shots" in Kid Icarus Uprising.

A meteor smash in Smash Bros., already mentioned in this thread.

The rolling mid-air jump in Donkey Kong Country Returns.

The running spin and drop attack in Rayman Legends.

Aerial strikes via the skylines in BioShock Infinite.

Absolutely everything in Hotline Miami.

Everything in RE6 once you know what you're doing.

Peeking around corners in Amnesia.
 
Dead Rising time limit. Gives the game a real sense of tension and forces the player to plan routes and manage time+resources, which makes for a very unique experience that's much more interesting than just being a sandbox with zombies and a mall. Removing it is the single worst thing about Dead Rising 3, and the primary reason why it'll be total crap compared to the first two.

FIGHT ME!

The fuck, I did not know this

How shitty. I'm playing through DR2 right now and loving it(huge fan of the original too), what a damn shame.
 
I love RE6's quick-shot and coup-de-grâce as well, the whole game is delicious mechanically, it's hard to choose one.
 
doesn't 3 have a mode with time limits? Hopefully not implemented in a half-assed way of course.

I'm guessing it'll be about as well implemented as BioShock Infinite's 1999 Mode. The time limits were pretty deeply ingrained in mission and world design of Dead Rising 1 and 2, so you can't just slap on a ticking clock onto Saints-Row-with-zombies and expect everything to work.
 
Tetris. Favorite game of all time, Tetris The Grand Master 3 Terror-Instinct in particular.

Max Payne (3, but Bullet time is the shit in any of them)

The way you take out other vehicles in F-Zero. The Death Race in F-Zero X was like crack to me.
 
The dodge stick in GodHand is just so incredibly awesome.

Also, the "natural" elements of pokemon that most games, RPG and other, don't really seem to even approach. For instance, just looking at the rain weather condition. Some very obvious and expected things happen. Water moves are powered, fire moves are weakened, moves relying on the sun are weakened, thunder has increased accuracy.

Or sunshine which weakens water moves, increases fire, allows sun based moves to happen instantly or have increased effectiveness, prevents freezing. Just a wealth of really subtle but strategic changes to battles
 
Panther form in Bayonetta. Two quick pumps of the dodge trigger, ROWR IM A FUCKIN' PANTHER, and it just controls like sex, just the absolute perfect amount of speed and analog control of your direction. Crossing gaps in panther form with a big double jump and landing is just...sogood.gif
 
Counterattacking by blocking at the very last second



ever played Infinite Space? Its ship customization is the most addictive inventory tetris I've ever seen
It's one of those games that I just missed and I never seem to find it for cheap while casually browsing stores.
 
I post this .gif a lot, but fuck it. DMC4 baby

ib2d0p4VDinfuX.gif
 
I'm guessing it'll be about as well implemented as BioShock Infinite's 1999 Mode. The time limits were pretty deeply ingrained in mission and world design of Dead Rising 1 and 2, so you can't just slap on a ticking clock onto Saints-Row-with-zombies and expect everything to work.

Yeah, I really hate this kind of thing, like, "Hey guys, I know you don't like your dumbed down mechanics, but you can just not press the button and still complete the game!!". I mean, really? I'm not even sure anymore if those guys are just saying PR bs to move copies or if they really don't know about their own game's balance.
 
~Job system in FF5
~Grabbing mechanic in SotC and to a lesser extent Ico
~Motion spraypainting in Jet Grind Radio
~Parry system in 3rd Strike
~Air-brake system in F-Zero (specifically GX) and WipEout series
~Spikes and meteor smashes in Smash Bros series. (64, Melee, Project M)
~Boost mechanic in Mario Kart: Super Circuit (as well as the feel of drifting)
~The freeform control offered in Psi-Ops' telekinesis
~Movement in Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (and Prototype) - started the whole "hold trigger to do open running subset of moves" that Assassin's Creed borrowed.
~Alien movement and general gameplay in AvP (yes, the reboot)
~Turok (reboot) and the bow as well as the persistent lead you had to put on all weapons online (consistent lag lol)
~Special moves in Twisted Metal (freeze, jump, mine, shield)
~Way of the Samurai series, in the vein of Groundhog Day
~Elder Scrolls skill improvement and general levelling. You get better even before you level up - by doing actions that make sense in the skill.
~Most games with a grapple hook, such as the Bionic Commando (reboot [only played MP demo but it was amazing]) or the swinging in Spiderman 2 or Tenchu series
~Just Cause 2: Grapple, parachute, the movement while on cars, jumping from side to hood, etc., general interaction with items and people (they just need to liven the world up more).
~Real-time feature in Animal Crossing series
~Breeding in Dragon Warrior Monster (1+2)
~Pokemon's RPG elements not focused on people but the creatures you battle. Made for a revlolutionary RPG where instead of classes of traditional RPG characters you're training monsters to fight how you want - basically 151 different classes with varying overlap.
~Platinum are masters at general mechanic implementation
 
Panther form in Bayonetta. Two quick pumps of the dodge trigger, ROWR IM A FUCKIN' PANTHER, and it just controls like sex, just the absolute perfect amount of speed and analog control of your direction. Crossing gaps in panther form with a big double jump and landing is just...sogood.gif

THIS, SO GOOD
 
Panther form in Bayonetta. Two quick pumps of the dodge trigger, ROWR IM A FUCKIN' PANTHER, and it just controls like sex, just the absolute perfect amount of speed and analog control of your direction. Crossing gaps in panther form with a big double jump and landing is just...sogood.gif

NznGD.gif


I post this .gif a lot, but fuck it. DMC4 baby

ib2d0p4VDinfuX.gif

The .gif talk reminded me of Crysis' suit power switching. SO GOOD

iN8T6qypAcLbS.gif
 
Back when Spider Man 2 came out I really dug just swinging around the city. I would just sit back and chill to that game. Flying around new york. So much fun.
 
Fast-falling. Either the way implemented in Smash Bros. Melee or the way Dustforce implements it. Falling faster just feels so good.
 
Not necessarily my favorite since I've never owned the game, but Spider Man 2's web-slinging is easily in a class of its own when it comes to such movement. It really can't be mentioned enough. I'm still kind of blown away just thinking about how Spider Man will run along the side of a building if you swing close enough to it.

I'm also a huge fan of Batman: Arkham City's dive-bomb attack. Piledriving criminals into the ground at high speed seems to encapsulate the essence of Batman; terrifying, borderline murderous and insane.
 
Great ones listed already.

Warcraft 3 heroes and the light RPG elements it brought to the franchise. Really fit perfectly and made the campaing that much more entertaining. Of course this pretty much helped spawn DotA+LOL+HoN

Resident Evil 4 headshot->melee. Sogood.gif

Kingdom Hearts 2 Drive Forms, Kingdom Hearts BBS Command Melding+Command Deck
 
I urge more people to try and scrounge up a copy of Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. So many great gameplay mechanics that have found their way in a lot of games since then.

I post this .gif a lot, but fuck it. DMC4 baby

ib2d0p4VDinfuX.gif

I hate seeing how little damage it does to the boss though.
 
I urge more people to try and scrounge up a copy of Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. So many great gameplay mechanics that have found their way in a lot of games since then.

Sadly, "making fists out of cars" seems to be a really rarity

Along with giant elbow drops after running up the side of a building
 
Oh specifically in games with wall jumps, when you can climb a single wall with jumps. Maybe it's more that I dislike it when wall jumps are limited to two walls facing each other but it's always satisfying to find out that the game allows for single wall jumps.
 
Landing a tip with Marth's sword, a falcon punch or a jigglypuff's rest in Smash Bros.

Putting a line piece resulting in a tetris.

Breaking off a Monster's piece in Monster Hunter.
 
The shmup bomb: which allows sucky players like me to beat bullet hells.

Chaining as a score mechanic

Ikaruga's polarity switching: used to great effect in the platformer Outlander and should be used in more games.

Wipeout's L+R airbrakes

Shinobi PS2 dash attack

Esp Galuda 1 & 2's slow down mechanic
 
Dead Rising time limit. Gives the game a real sense of tension and forces the player to plan routes and manage time+resources, which makes for a very unique experience that's much more interesting than just being a sandbox with zombies and a mall. Removing it is the single worst thing about Dead Rising 3, and the primary reason why it'll be total crap compared to the first two.

FIGHT ME!

DR is hilarious in that its main mechanic (killing zombies) is detrimental to "winning" the game. they're so much fun to bash around with the weapons but the thing is the game is designed, especially around the early levels, such that you're supposed to run past them. of course once you hit the lvl cap and unlocked/did most things you can sandbox it up without negative consequences.

i don't think there are many other games like that where the core game is a distraction and detrimental to winning and progressing in the traditional sense
 
Sadly, "making fists out of cars" seems to be a really rarity

Along with giant elbow drops after running up the side of a building

More abstractly the whole "hold this trigger" and then a new slew of moves and mobility options open up. Ass Creed copied it and Prototype used it as well. It made sense with the hulk and running and barrelling through cars never got old. The fact that the Hulk would animate and throw some of them to the side made it even better.

Interactions with stuff like making boxing gloves after picking up a car, using a light pole as a baseball bat, etc.

The whole "hold this button to charge a move" is also something that was brilliantly executed and improved mobility as well as making moves feel more powerful.

Prototype had a shitty ability that let you skate on a person for a brief second, but Hulk let you surf on a bus for as long as you fucking wanted.

Being able to turn low gravity on and have the hulk literally flick a civilian over the horizon was an awe-inspiring moment.

The execution of challenges spread across the map was so much better than any other open world had implemented it.

I haven't played the game in a few years, but there's definitely more.
 
-Parries in Third Strike
-Unblockable protection and the Infinite Prevention System in Skullgirls
-Percent damage and platform stages in Smash Brothers
-Sticky grenades in Halo
-Fast reload in Gears of War
-Classic RE limited saves
-Shooting weapons out of the air in RE4
-EVERYTHING in F-Zero GX
 
More abstractly the whole "hold this trigger" and then a new slew of moves and mobility options open up. Ass Creed copied it and Prototype used it as well. It made sense with the hulk and running and barrelling through cars never got old. The fact that the Hulk would animate and throw some of them to the side made it even better.

Interactions with stuff like making boxing gloves after picking up a car, using a light pole as a baseball bat, etc.

The whole "hold this button to charge a move" is also something that was brilliantly executed and improved mobility as well as making moves feel more powerful.

Prototype had a shitty ability that let you skate on a person for a brief second, but Hulk let you surf on a bus for as long as you fucking wanted.

Being able to turn low gravity on and have the hulk literally flick a civilian over the horizon was an awe-inspiring moment.

The execution of challenges spread across the map was so much better than any other open world had implemented it.

I haven't played the game in a few years, but there's definitely more.
Whaaa? I've never even heard of this title. All of this is in a Hulk game??
 
What the heck? No Z-targeting? NO ONE?

The 3-day system in Majora's Mask and the way the entire game is built around it.

Platinum are a creative bunch too.
I love the active reload in the Gears of War games.
I never finished Gears of War. This is the one thing I really liked though and I can't understand why it hasn't been copied by every 3rd person shooter release since. So strangely addicting.
 
Whaaa? I've never even heard of this title. All of this is in a Hulk game??

I didn't believe it either and didn't play it until about 2 years after the xbox 360 came out. It's probably the main reason I don't understand why everyone loves Crackdown. This game came out before it and was so much better.
 
Whaaa? I've never even heard of this title. All of this is in a Hulk game??

Please tell me you didn't miss out on the awesomeness that was the Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction back in 2005...

You could fucking air dash into a mech, jump off of one, then suplex another right out of the air
 
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