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What's your favorite un-apologetically unique game?

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BRSxIgnition

Member
Every once in a while, there comes a game that tries to break down established formulas, and some do that very well.

But a lot of the time, the more unique, experimental games get swept under the blanket of more well-known shooters, RPGs and the like.

Knowing that, I figured it's as good a time as any to give some special mention to games that tried something new, especially those that did it right.
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Personally, I'm a big fan of games that either have unique gameplay, a unique style, or a mix of the two, and I can't think of any title more deserving of mention than the Gravity Rush series.

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Click to expand...

It manages to blend its Franco-Belgian comic style with traditional manga/anime sensibilities, and throws in some of the most unique gameplay I've seen in a long time.

It doesn't hurt that Gravity Rush 2 is looking amazing.

English TGS 2016 Trailer
TGS 2016 Gameplay
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So what are your favorite unique games? What did you like most about them? What did you dislike?
 
Kentucky Route Zero.

what we've seen before: Point and click adventure
what is unique: it's all about you directing a script, and you choose the dialogue of the actors even before they have been introduced to you, hence you define who the characters are by what they are saying to your character. Recommend it to screenwriters believing they will have a lot of fun with its approach.
 
Seaman.

Not sure how it's held up, but as a kid my mind was blown that I could talk and it would listen and react. Also a completely bizarre affair from beginning to end.
 
This thread reminds me I need to sit down and finish Killer 7 one day.

I guess my answer would be Killer 7, even though I've never completed it. A lot of my friend's hated it, but I loved the style and I thought the gameplay was interesting. The on-rails "push A to move forward" never bothered me either.
 
21368_front.jpg


Animal main character that isn't anthropomorphized
puzzle-based 360 degree "platformer"
heavy atmosphere
unique sci-fi twist

Terrifically bold game. The sequel is even better, IMO.
 
Recently, Tokyo Mirage Sessions. Not only did it completely subvert everything anyone was expecting out of a SMT/FE mashup. It's just a pedal to the metal over the top saccharine portrayal of kids trying to make it in the entertainment industry that takes every cliche about J-Pop culture and somehow makes it work. All while fighting demons, of course. But the end result is far more succinct, unique, interesting and fun than Persona ever was.
 
Krejlooc said:
http://img.gamefaqs.net/box/3/6/8/21368_front.jpg[img]

Animal main character that isn't anthropomorphized
puzzle-based 360 degree "platformer"
heavy atmosphere
unique sci-fi twist

Terrifically bold game. The sequel is even better, IMO.[/QUOTE]
gotta agree with this
Click to expand...
 
Pikmin, probably. I don't even know what genre it could be described as.
 
I'm not sure any game is "un-apologetic" but PS2 had a few really quirky titles I loved (and I'm considered an Xbox guy)
Mr. Mosquito
Yanya Caballista
R.A.D.
Metropolismania

These were all really good titles with some weird quirky focus. On PSP it HAS to be Patapon but after 3 of them... it's hard to say it wasn't successful enough.
 
5984_front.jpg


One of the single most enjoyable games I've ever played, and very much unlike any other RPG I've played. The closest comparison would be Parasite Eve, another radically different (and wonderful) RPG.
 
For me I'd say Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!, Katamari Damacy, and The World Ends With You are standouts for games that seemed really distinctive in visual style and in the way they played. Osu pretty much singlehandedly justified the purchase of a DS for me in the early days, when I hadn't been completely sold on a second touchscreen on a device. Valkyria Chronicles was also an amazing cocktail of stuff that felt fresh.

More recently, I thought Her Story was really cool.
 
Ouendan 1 and 2 were never localized because they were too Japanese.

The game we got instead managed to be even weirder.

Elite_Beat_Agents.jpg


Whether it's shrinking down to help a white blood cell (shaped like a nurse) fight an athlete's infection (shaped like a devil) in time for a big race, having a manic/meek taxi driver race a pregnant woman to the hospital to Sk8er Boi, or having a weather woman team up with gorillas to fight nature itself and ensure a sunny picnic for her son, EBA never, ever stops being a wild ride.

To this day, still my personal favourite game ever.
 
Odama.jpg


Odama was such a fun game that got way too much flack. It's unapologetic in its style and delivery, and tried a lot of unique things. It was also one of those games that helped me dig deeper into the medium and to try new experiences.
 
"Maestro ! Jump in Music"
an awesome mix of auto runner, rythm game and platformer

"Bit Generations Dotstream"/"Art Style Lighttrax"
Awesome minimalistic take on racing games
 
Cubivore. An animal life sim. With blocky, N64 style graphics. With a bizarre story. With sex. And pooping.

Such a bizarre, unique take on simulation games. Never played anything quite like it--except maybe Tokyo Jungle, which was a much more boring version of Cubivore.
 
Probably SPLATOON

That game just oozes style and somehow managed to practically reinvent(subvert?) the essence of the modern shooter genre
 
First one to come to mind is:

brutal_logos_r7_wht1ahsvz.png


All the parts just combined perfectly for me. Driving, ground-combat, music, story, RTS-combat, the whole deal.
 
I'm going to copy/paste mt LTTP on Soul Bubbles. Devs are the same guys making the Wonder Boy remake. 😁

http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=902798

LTTP Soul Bubbles | adjust for inflation

(Psst: why not listen to a track from the game's lush OST while reading this thread?)

NTR-P-YLEE-COVERUS.jpg


In browsing older DS game recommendation threads on GAF (yes, I have too much time on my hands), one game I kept coming across was Soul Bubbles. I wasn't sure if it was my kind of thing, and--I wasn't really sure what exactly the game was. I knew it was some kind of bubble-based platform (?) puzzler, but I wasn't sure how arcade-y it was or if it was more level-based, and how much content it had to offer. I knew it was supposed to be good, though, and I knew it had this unusual and charming disclaimer:

NTR-P-YLEE-010.jpg


The game was published by Eidos and made by developer Mekensleep, who I believe has not yet released any other games. Soul Bubbles came out in 2008 but call me an optimist, because I'd love to see more games from this developer, and I still hope we will.

NTR-P-YLEE-013.jpg


This game is just terrifically designed, and elegantly simple. You play as a little spirit dude, and he's got some souls to herd. This is where the titular soul bubbles come in. You can create, split, and pop bubbles. If you're going for 100%, you want to bring all seven souls in each level to their destination. You'll want to grab every bit of stardust (think coins in a Mario game) and track down each hidden calabash (similar to a puzzle piece in a DKC game). There are dozens of levels, each of which takes a solid 6 to 30 minutes to fully complete. Average level is maybe 9 minutes or so, which means this is a great game to just pull out and play for a bit when you want a relaxing break.

NTR-P-YLEE-047.jpg


Like the Mario games we all laud, what's great about this game is the sheer volume of ideas it throws at you without each new concept never overstaying its welcome. The game gradually throws new and more complex mechanics at you: wind to struggle against (you have a limited amount of breath to blow before losing steam for a moment), icy environs to limit your bubbles' gravity, gaseous emissions to sink and fall when encircled in a bubble, and much more.

NTR-P-YLEE-060.jpg


One thing I absolutely loved about this game is the plethora of unusual settings you're taken to. Each has its own subtle spiritual tie, whether it be to Aboriginal lands or Tibetan mountaintops. These are new and different kinds of places for games to visit, and the relaxing OST and pitch-perfect touchscreen controls make you feel like a conductor with your stylus, harmonizing a metaphysical orchestra.

NTR-P-YLEE-045.jpg


This is a relaxing game, but not a painfully easy one by any stretch. Completing the game in its entirety will require some thoughtful playing. I was tempted to consult a guide several times (I did end up checking one at the very end of the game for one particularly tricky calabash). It's not a stressful game by any means, so when you're faced with some of its more brutal challenges they feel suitably ultra hard, more than they might otherwise. On the whole, though, it's a breezy and whimsical escapist kind of game, the kind some kid will come across in a retro game store one day and think, oh hey, Soul Bubbles. This looks neat. Maybe I'll give it a shot. And if he does, he'll be playing one of the best games on the DS. So I recommend you give a shout to your own inner child, and pick up this game sometime for a jaunt into the spiritual world of Soul Bubbles.

P.S. the game is dirt cheap:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00161K9X0/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.gamestop.com/ds/games/soul-bubbles/77337
 
The Witch and the Hundred Knight

It's not really a good game, but boy, I never saw a game that tries so hard to be different.
It's on my favorites list just for that
 
Let's see...

Meteos
Splatoon
Knights in the Knightmare
MadWorld
The Wonderful 101

There's also a bunch of unapologetically weird games on PS2, but I wouldn't call them my "favorites".

Just to name a few.
 
Duskers

8Ofo3e8.gif


Through its detached perspective and command line interface, it created a methodical tactical take on sci-fi horror. A few sites place it besides Alien: Isolation as one of the games that best captures the isolation and tension of the first Alien movie
 
Rock of Ages from the Zeno Clash folks is definitely up there as one of the more unique games I've played (and enjoyed). Rock racing, tower defense and art history is how they describe it? With Monty Python-eque style and humor. Lots of odd elements coming together to make something fresh and fun.

header.jpg
 
NinjaCoachZ said:
Ouendan 1 and 2 were never localized because they were too Japanese.

The game we got instead managed to be even weirder.

Elite_Beat_Agents.jpg


Whether it's shrinking down to help a white blood cell (shaped like a nurse) fight an athlete's infection (shaped like a devil) in time for a big race, having a manic/meek taxi driver race a pregnant woman to the hospital to Sk8er Boi, or having a weather woman team up with gorillas to fight nature itself and ensure a sunny picnic for her son, EBA never, ever stops being a wild ride.

To this day, still my personal favourite game ever.
Click to expand...

Um. Wat. Sounds amazing. How hard is it if I suck at rhythm games?
 
I loved Riviera on GBA. My first Atlus game, a weird harem RPG with weird mechanics that encouraged endless practice battles. It was also kind of an adventure game? Super unique, a lot of fun, and I would love a rerelease on VC!
 
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