View Full Version : Most original game of the last 3 years?
Since there's loads of talk about the gaming industry being in a "creative coma" ie. producing
nothing more than sequels and FPS's and rally games, I thought I'd ask what do you people
consider to be the most original/innovative game of the past three years?
What about the last 10 years?
I'd have to say that in the last 3 years the most original and interesting game , when thought of quickly, is probably Max Payne (good story, strong new gameplay element) ... Then there's Shenmue, awesome game overall.
From the last ten years... Fallout. No doubt about it.
last 3 Years? hmm.. no recent game i've played was really original... mostly just "Take a good idea from Game x" and include a clock ;) or something like this.
or maybe i'm getting to old for the crappy games ;)
past 10 Years... thats difficult. i really liked the LucasArts & Revolution software Adventures. Civilisation was also one of the most original games i've ever played (but i think its older than 10 years or?)
Well I had to put some time frame on it.. But you went around it anyways :) So doesn't make any difference.. Name the most original game.. EVER. :)
And Pong does not apply :D
most original/creative in the past 3 years or so, I'd probably say Black & White, isn't really another game quite like it..
Max Payne was ok I guess... but it's really still just a 1st person shooter, with a 3rd person+bullet-time gimick... the story and plot were nice, but nothing in the game really stuck in my mind as being outside of the box..
Tough question, while there was a number of good or even great games over the recent years, only very few could be considered highly original IMHO. The best games were those who took existing formulas and did everything right, or those who introduced fresh new features into a certain type of game. I agree with hughJ that B&W could probably be considered one of the few original titles, its kind of unique and has great AI (too many titles lack good AI), on the other hand it wasn't exactly the most fun game to play (still good though).
A game that did a lot of things right that have never been mixed succesfully before IMHO was Gothic as an RPG. Deep storyline yet a lot of freedom, interactivity with a living and breathing world, arcade-style (tough) action combat system, good enemy AI, excellent replay value. The only real downside are the controls and bugs before the patches...
As for introducing new ideas to a genre, Max Payne introduced bullet-time to shooters, Imperium Galactica introduced a clever "career" to 4X games, Warcraft 3 has added a few RPG elements and Homeworld a true third dimension to RTS games ... hardly original games but at least clever ideas.
I'm pretty sure this doesn't fit the 3 year timeline constraint. But you did say what about the last 10 years. In which case, I'd say that Battlezone is awesome. FPS and strategy have never been married that well before. Not to mention the story line and the back story it was built upon was very creative.
alexsok
17-Nov-2002, 15:35
Well... Black & White certainly deserves to be mentioned as it's truly is an original game in many aspects. Max Payne is nice as well, with the bullet time gimmick being fairly innovative in it's own right (many games since then tried to "copy" the effect, but none of them seem to reach the same level of Max Payne). I would name the Shenmue series as the most innovative games released in the last couple of years...
While I still haven't had the chance to try out Metroid Prime, from the various reviews I've read about it on the net, it seems to be a very nice game with some fairly innovative things going around there...
GTAIII and GTA:VICE CITY also fit in the category of the most innovative and original games to ever be released...
within 3 years:
Definately INSANE!
though it's now almost 2 years old, it's still absolutely best Off Road gaming experience since the legendary Big Red Racing. when taking account of 1NSANE!'s excelent network / LAN capability, it surpasses BRR.
cars physic & damage model is best known on any car pc games up to date. No Viper Racing, No Grand Prix Legends can compete. Still, it's a arcade racer with simulation physics engine with more than 7 different game modes and lots of cars (or should I say vehicles?) and all this available on network play makes a mixture that I play even today on LAN. :)
shortly: Try it, Buy it, get hooked. :)
within 10 years:
Transport Tycoon and Transport Tycoon Deluxe. Absolute all time greatest PC game ever done! :)
within 20 years:
Star Software's Spy vs. Spy -series. :)
"...In which case, I'd say that Battlezone is awesome..."
was just speaking about that game to a friend the other day.. it was perhaps a bit complex for me then (was just a budding RTS/strategy player at the time), but I could really see the potential in it...
I believe I got it in the software package of my cool new Monster 3d II, heh... remember being absolutely blown away by the graphics.. nothing quite like coasting along the surface of the moon seeing a reasonably high-res Earth on the horizon...
pretty amazing that they managed to successfully combine MechWarrior, FPS and RTS all in the same package..
Tagrineth
18-Nov-2002, 00:08
GTAIII and GTA:VICE CITY also fit in the category of the most innovative and original games to ever be released...
GTA2? GTA?
I don't see how the third game in a series can be so incredibly innovative when it really just takes what GTA and GTA2 already did... and expands it severely.
Most innovative game in last three years?
I agree, Black & White gets this award hands-down.
In last ten years?
Hmm, that's a tough one... I'm tempted to list a lot of games which improved heavily on existing formulae, but obviously that isn't innovation as much as renovation.
Wolfenstein 3D? Wait, that's outside the working time frame isn't it... meh... I'm at a loss. Well, now that I think about it, Black & White falls within the last ten years :P
Reverend
18-Nov-2002, 01:43
I can't speak about those I didn''t play (even though I may have read up on them). But for me Half-Life changed my expectations of a game of its "genre". It's not "original" in the sense that it is not the first of its "type" (FPS) but its gameplay was original enough to me.
Half-life was released november 1st 1998.
Yes it is that old (Counter-Strike is still the game I spend most time on).
Cheers
Gubbi
BoddoZerg
18-Nov-2002, 13:32
"Computer games are both original and good. Unfortunately, the ones that are original are not good, and the ones that are good are not original."
Most of the truly original computer games really aren't as good as rehashed sequels. When you think about it, it really makes sense. It can take two or three games for a developer to turn a brand-new idea into a polished work with high gameplay value. Take, for example, the Grand Theft Auto series. The first one was original; no one had ever thought of the idea before. However, it wasn't too good gameplay-wise. It took all the way until GTA3 for the gameplay to become good, but by then it was no longer original. (the 3rd game in a series can hardly be called original) Same with the Tony Hawk series... it was innovative as the first skateboarder, but the games weren't actually good until the 2nd or maybe 3rd game. Or, take System Shock. It was an earth-shakingly innovative game with virtually no players. System Shock 2 suffered the same fate. It took until Deus Ex for the RPG/FPS/Adventure game to advance to a state where most people could enjoy it.
Similarly, the best in the field of RTS and FPS are hardly original... Starcraft was the 3rd game in the 'Craft series, with precious little to differentiate it from Warcraft II. The best FPS games ever are DOOM (Wolf3d with better levels and monsters), Half-Life (DOOM with a more interactive storyline), and Halo (Marathon IV). In contrast, innovative games like "Max Payne" and "Total Annihilation", however beloved, are nowhere near as well-regarded as the likes of Starcraft and Half-Life. The FPS/RTS mix Battlezone, although innovative, really wasnt that good in terms of gameplay. (and the several Battlezone ripoffs that came out soon after BZ were utter crapfests - i cant remember the name of that Microsoft one, but it really sucked)
The most innovative game of the past few years was the Daikatana-scale disappointment of Black&White. Oh yeah, and Daikatana itself was supposed to be a revolutionarily innovative FPS back when it was released.
My list of the most innovative games in the past ten years would be Thief, System Shock, Black&White, Grand Theft Auto, Dungeon Keeper, Battlezone, Die By The Sword, Allegiance, and maybe Super Smash Bros. (A pure "party game" that doesnt suck? Innovative enough for me.)
Probably the only one of the innovative games that was really a great game was Thief. When Thief was released, its gameplay style was unheard of; no one had yet made a FPS game with any objective other than blasting hordes of baddies. Yet, unlike many innovative games with mediocre gameplay, Thief was a wonderfully playable and fun experience, and unlike a LOT of innovative games which have much too slow-paced gameplay, the pacing of Thief was perfect for a sneaker.
On the other hand, it seems that innovative games have been getting worse and worse, as well as fewer and further between, in recent years. Back in the old days, a "System Shock", "Dungeon Keeper", or "Thief the Dark Project" could come out with good gameplay and okay replayability, and still be totally innovative. These days most of the innovative games (Black and White) are one-trick ponies with very little replayability value. Perhaps it is simply that the standards for a good game have increased to the point where it is impossible to sufficiently polish a new idea into a good game. Or perhaps it's simply that many game developers have learned to slowly introduce innovation into games, without disturbing their underlying gameplay. Warcraft III introduces mild RPG elements into the RTS genre, but at its core it is still a 'Craft game. Halo successfully made vehicles an integral part of a great FPS. Max Payne was only innovative in terms of Bullet-Time. Why throw away a tried-and-true gameplay formula when you could innovate in the form of mild mutations?
On the other hand, it seems that innovative games have been getting worse and worse, as well as fewer and further between, in recent years.
Yep, one word: Blinx
Innovative idea, executed rather poorly. Although the game isn't quite as bad as some reviews put it IMHO, it still ruins the promise its time control idea had. Bought it with my girlfriend and we both enjoy it, controls and some enemy designs are shoddy though... maybe the sequel will make thigs better, like you said, it often takes a sequel or two to make a new idea into a good game.
Two games that would belong into my "most innovative games of the past 10 years" list (although they might both miss that timeframe by a year or so, not sure) would be the original Ultima Underworld, which did 3D earlier, better and prettier than any id game (yet they get the credit, pfff) and Ultima 7 for the way it simulated a huge, consistent and interactive world to live in (Gothic was the first game since U7 to ever come close to this again which is why I named it above).
Tagrineth
18-Nov-2002, 15:30
Same with the Tony Hawk series... it was innovative as the first skateboarder, but the games weren't actually good until the 2nd or maybe 3rd game.
Disagree, I like 1 more than 2 and 3, partly due to soundtrack reasons, but also I just generally enjoy the first the most.
Uuu... Whoa.. Reading this makes me happy :) People appreciate good games..
Thief, BattleZone, Total Annihilation, System Shock.. All of these have enjoyed loads of time on my computer.. I was this close to naming System Shock 2 as my game of choice for the last 3 years, but it was released 1998, just out of the timeframe :/ (had to check that from the box too)
Black & White was innovative, but it wasn't fun.. Atleast if you're a freak like me and followed it upclose until it's release.. I guess I had too high expectations.. Let's see if the "idea gets polished for the sequel" myth holds true this time. :) Hopefully it will...
You have made me happy :) Be happy.
BoddoZerg
18-Nov-2002, 19:30
Black & White was innovative, but it wasn't fun..
Black and White was fun for 30 minutes and no more. I still cant believe that it got such good reviews at a lot of sites despite obviously sucking and being horrendously buggy.
Rodéric
18-Nov-2002, 19:34
In here the main game magazine told B&W was an experiment, but not a game at all.
Colourless
18-Nov-2002, 19:55
My SS2 box, which I bought on the day it was released clearly states 1999.
On the back it even has this quote:
"One of the best PC Games ever is back!" - PC Gamer April 1999
System Shock 2 is from 1999, not 1998. So it could be included in a list of games in the last 3 years... just.
-Colourless
The topic is original games, if it were favourite games I would have to add a whole load of titles, but originality is a rare commodity to be found in games over the past years. System Shock 2 was an excellent title, I greatly enjoyed it, but was it original? IMHO not very much, most of the innovation was done a cople years before with the original game...
DVFtaxman
21-Nov-2002, 23:46
Same with the Tony Hawk series... it was innovative as the first skateboarder, but the games weren't actually good until the 2nd or maybe 3rd game.
.....maybe I'm the only one old enough to remember, but Tony Hawks has always seemed a rip off of the old ATARI Skate 720o, which I still consider to be an all time classic.
My list of real innovative games would have to include the following;
Zarch, Sentinel, Carrier Command, Marble Madness, Robocop 3, Lemmings, Pacman, Kick Off, Skool Daze, Virtua Racing, Populus, Mario3, Tempest, Head over Heals, Spy v Spy and Tomb Raider.
Thinking of games in the last couple of years is a lot tougher, but I'd have to say REZ, Shenmue and Black n White would be in there.
deviantchild
22-Nov-2002, 01:19
Same with the Tony Hawk series... it was innovative as the first skateboarder, but the games weren't actually good until the 2nd or maybe 3rd game.
.....maybe I'm the only one old enough to remember, but Tony Hawks has always seemed a rip off of the old ATARI Skate 720o, which I still consider to be an all time classic.
My list of real innovative games would have to include the following;
Zarch, Sentinel, Carrier Command, Marble Madness, Robocop 3, Lemmings, Pacman, Kick Off, Skool Daze, Virtua Racing, Populus, Mario3, Tempest, Head over Heals, Spy v Spy and Tomb Raider.
Thinking of games in the last couple of years is a lot tougher, but I'd have to say REZ, Shenmue and Black n White would be in there.
surely Head Over Heels owes to KnightLore - Alien8 was actually written first though
i'd add 3d Ant Attack as the first awesome isometric game
RoboCop3: isn't that just a side-scroller a'la Contra?
good list tho'
i just played a demo of The Incredible Machine: More Contraptions - i'll cast a spur-of-the-moment mini-vote for that
although not original (and a little rough round the edges) Gothic is getting pretty close to the dreams i had for games about 15yrs ago
i would like to think that future gaming advancements would be along the lines of dynamic sentence construction for ai game characters - possibly with vocal synthesis [instead of a cast of thousands] and other stuff gaming & graphics fans don't always consider
DVFtaxman
23-Nov-2002, 01:38
I put head over heals in there as i liked to way that you needed to combine the skills of both head and heals in order to complete it.
btw Robocop3 was the 1st person shooter that if my memory serves me correctly either came out before or round the same time as Wolfenstein on the PC. I added it in there as it was done on the relatively underpowered AMIGA and was in fact a 10year old "anti-GTA" in that you'd also drive between missions and chase bad guys in your 'ickle police car in a freespace environment. I don't think many actually bought it though as it was notoriously buggy, but when it ran properly it was a pretty amazing experience or it's time!
Clashman
23-Nov-2002, 16:09
From the last 3 years:
Thief
Giants
Grand Theft Auto (The original. This may be older than 3 years)
Battlezone
MDK
Die By the Sword
Black and White
Quake Capture the Flag and Team Fortress (Do mods count?)
A couple of crappy on-line only games
Independence War
Conker's Bad Fur Day (Actually haven't played it, but it seems to be very different from anything done previously).
The Sims (wouldn't touch this one with a 10 foot pole, but I'll give it points for originality)
Pokemon? (Once again, never played it)
Crazi Taxi
Past 10 or 15:
Star Control 2
Dune 2
Dune (My personal favorite of the two)
Under a Killing Moon
Alone In the Dark
Mechwarrior
Civilization
Tomb Raider?
Destruction Derby? (Introduced the idea of the smashem-up racer, although I suppose you could count driving around backwards on Indycar as the same thing).
4d Boxing
Wolfenstein 3d
Ultima Underworld
7th Guest (Say what you will about FMV)
Myst (If you can manage to sell 25 million copies of your game while managing to have no actual gameplay you must be doing something innovative. This model was later copied by the makers of Deer Hunter).
Sim City
Privateer
System Shock
Super Mario 64
I'm sure more will come to me as time goes by, but this is what I have right now.
Clashman
23-Nov-2002, 16:10
I forgot the Incredible Machine and Worms.
Tagrineth
25-Nov-2002, 15:22
Conker's Bad Fur Day (Actually haven't played it, but it seems to be very different from anything done previously).
It's just a 3D platformer, hun. Just with a very screwed-up plot, and a lot of bad language on N64. Oh and some of the best N64 graphics I've ever seen.
Clashman
25-Nov-2002, 15:43
I think plot and story line innovations are just as important as gameplay innovation, and so I think Conker should still be there. In fact, I'd also like to add Alice to my list, (which is perhaps getting a little too long).
Hmmm, just played some Jet Set Radio Future... And realized how innovative Jet Set (Grind) Radio was on the DreamCast.. A really good and original game.
Sega is king :D
Last three years? NOLF commedy and great AI was very unique for me plus all the neat toys or gagets you got to play with. To me that was very original and a great playing game. My choice in this matter.
Yea sega is great with the games
For me the most original i've ever played
Ultima
Ultima underworld
ultima online
civ (it was perfect from the start , only graphics have changed and some tweaks to keep it diffrent.)
Wing commander
shenmue
Supermonkey ball
zanny golf
jet grind radio
powerstone
phantsy star
final fansty 1 (all the ones after that were mearly clones of the first)
Oh and I really don't see anything original and or good about gta 3. Its a crappy game that gets boring after 20 mins of play. And imo should have a rating worse than mature for what goes on in that game.
Neutrality
19-Dec-2002, 23:34
Deus Ex!
Surprised no one has mentioned this great game yet.
-Neutrality-
Perhaps because it's a System Shock ripoff :) With more powerful hardware to back it up..
Neutrality
20-Dec-2002, 16:47
Perhaps because it's a System Shock ripoff :) With more powerful hardware to back it up..
Sure it might have borrowed a few things from System Shock but then again its impossible to make a game that doesnt contain atleast a few elements used in other games.
-Neutrality-
darkblu
24-Dec-2002, 09:21
past 3 years: messiah.
this game took adventure to levels tomb raider could only dream of. it just had the right blend of adventure factors - a very interesting (industrial si-fi)setup and high degree of non-linearity (aside from city areas accessibility): you figure out the objectives and it's up to you how to achieve those (and in what body). and due to that 'possesion' technique the game had an RPG element too. unfortunately, messiah's technological requirements were too high for its time (which imposed that city areas accessibility restriction, i believe). still, the engine was very scalable, which allowed the game to be playable on very modest hw of that day, and display scenes of particular complexity (for its timeframe). a true jewel by shiny.
past 10 years: star control 2
no comment really needed.
Windfire
15-Jan-2003, 03:47
[quote] would be the original Ultima Underworld, which did 3D earlier, better and prettier than any id game (yet they get the credit, pfff) and Ultima 7 for the way it simulated a huge, consistent and interactive world to live in
While outside of the "last 3 years"...
I completely agree. Ultima Underworld was defininately ground-breaking when it came out. Not only were the graphics stuningly beyond anything else, the game itself was a blast--I can still remember some of the dramatic moments!
Ultima 7 was also great, for the reasons you mention--and the last truly cool above-ground Ultima games.
I liked Ultima IX, but I also had a pretty powerful PC to run it. If they could make a new Ultima with the Unreal 2 engine I could get excited.
Another game series I really liked was Warlords I and II. Great turn-based strategy.
Windfire> yeah Warlords II was a blast to play, especially hotseat with a number of friends, we spent many a night on that one. ;)
BTW if you're looking for a modern day Ultima-like game look no further than Gothic / Gothic 2, I'm probably repeating myself here for the x-th time but to me they truly are a continuation of what made Ultima great and pretty much raise the bar for what a modern Ultima should be like (or in case of IX should have been).
darkblu> Star Control 2 is a very good choice! :)
GraveLayer
15-Jan-2003, 17:24
1942
Murakami
15-Jan-2003, 18:04
System Shock 2, even for the cooperative multiplayer mode.
Syphon Filter on PSX...MaxPayne/Hitman etc borrowed heavily from it.....and can I forget METAL GEAR SOLID...one of its kind!
Crusher
02-Feb-2003, 21:09
I never played the full game, but I just remembered Outcast. The demo was pretty impressive at the time IIRC. Voxel engine with anti-aliasing built in.
John Reynolds
02-Feb-2003, 21:29
Though slightly beyond the 3-year limit, my nod also goes to System Shock 2. Part shooter, part RPG, part horror/adventure, SS2 has yet to be touched.
I thought Myth The Fallen Lords was really awesome, and I had not played an RTS, that actually involved RTS up until that point. But I am sure I am missing important games :). The thing is I think we should look for the funnest games, b/c if someone made a game where you get shocked every time you blink it might be original, but not very fun.
Though slightly beyond the 3-year limit, my nod also goes to System Shock 2. Part shooter, part RPG, part horror/adventure, SS2 has yet to be touched.
I'm apparently with odds of everybody here, but Fabio sums my feelings about SS2 up pretty good here (http://www.caltrops.com/review0010.html)
Cheers
Gubbi
John Reynolds
17-Feb-2003, 15:03
I'm apparently with odds of everybody here, but Fabio sums my feelings about SS2 up pretty good here (http://www.caltrops.com/review0010.html)
Cheers
Gubbi
Heh, never read that review before. The author does make some strong points, though overall he's a bit too harsh. I completely agree about the respawn rate and weapon degradation rate. . .both were very annoying.
The original Myth was a great game. I must've played through its campaign 4-5 times. The voice acting for the mission narratives was excellent.
Edit: Just read Caltrops' review of BG2 ("Black Isle Studios (BIS) fucked up plenty in making this game."). Why do I get the impression this site just wanted to buck the trend of prevailing opinions? We already have one Old Man Murray.
I'm apparently with odds of everybody here, but Fabio sums my feelings about SS2 up pretty good here (http://www.caltrops.com/review0010.html)
Cheers
Gubbi
Heh, never read that review before. The author does make some strong points, though overall he's a bit too harsh. I completely agree about the respawn rate and weapon degradation rate. . .both were very annoying.
<snip>
Edit: Just read Caltrops' review of BG2 ("Black Isle Studios (BIS) fucked up plenty in making this game."). Why do I get the impression this site just wanted to buck the trend of prevailing opinions? We already have one Old Man Murray.
OMM is now defunct. Caltrops is actually started by the people that hung around on the OMM forums, which were easily one of the most hostile places. They are not a merry bunch, but fairly coherent (and consistent) in their game reviews. With heavy focus on the negative (which I like, afterall I got ripped off, when I bought the horrendous Timesplitters 2 after it got 8.7 on Gamespot).
BTW. The guy who wrote the BG2 review loves it, otherwise he wouldn't know it at the level he does (ie. replaying it again and again with different characters).
Cheers
Gubbi
John Reynolds
17-Feb-2003, 18:33
OMM is now defunct. Caltrops is actually started by the people that hung around on the OMM forums, which were easily one of the most hostile places.
Cheers
Gubbi
Heh, I thought the tones were similar.
Tagrineth
17-Feb-2003, 20:28
afterall I got ripped off, when I bought the horrendous Timesplitters 2 after it got 8.7 on Gamespot
:roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::r oll::roll:
UltraMario
18-Feb-2003, 08:25
Splinter Cell!!!! :D :) :D :D :)
afterall I got ripped off, when I bought the horrendous Timesplitters 2 after it got 8.7 on Gamespot
:roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::r oll::roll:
Dont roll your eyes. Ok, so maybe not horrendous, but definately not any better than a 5.5.
Etch a scetch level design, next to no enemy AI, bland textures and PITA controls all detract. Certainly not worth the €70 I paid for it (nor my time).
Cheers
Gubbi
Tagrineth
18-Feb-2003, 15:11
Etch a scetch level design,
:roll:
next to no enemy AI,
Actually the AI has a very bad crash flaw in user-designed maps... so I have to agree with that. However, innate five-star bots are far from stupid.
bland textures
/me thinks for a moment
There were textures? ;) Game mostly used high polycounts + goraud, probably to ensure 60fps on PS2. The few textures used look fine though.
and PITA controls all detract.
The controls are 100% customisable. I repeat. You can modify the controls however you want. If you have a problem with any of the controls, change the offending setting to something more comfortable.
epicstruggle
24-Feb-2003, 11:12
Splinter Cell!!!! :D :) :D :D :)
I think SC is awesome too. :)
Demonio
03-Mar-2003, 20:50
I can't think of one in the past 3 years I would have to go further back to pick an original game................
I was thinking the same thing!!!
Here's my picks from my personal collection of games over the years.
From the last 10 years:
1) Betrayal at Krondor (RPG) - I think this came out in 1993 and so qualifies for the 10 year category. This game was great and unlike all of the other RPGs of its time in many ways. The turn-based 3d combat system, the combat spells, the moredhel puzzle chests, the 3d world, the STORY, it was all terrific and unlike anything I had played before.
2) Myth the Fallen Lords (RTS) - This game is probably 4-5 years old now, and (to me) it is the most original RTS of all time. I loved the lack of any unit creation, it felt so much more like a pure strategy game than a test of micromanagement skills. And no other game made use of terrain and unit formations like this game did. It was a delight to play both the single player and multi player components of this game.
And I have nothing worthwhile to say about the last 3 years of games.... I do not find any recent game to be as good as the best ones released 5-10 years ago.
Toasty is myth really that old? Crap the years are just going who knows where.
BTW Myth3 lol I had to buy it cause I loved myth and it was like $7.00, but the cut scenes were so bad it made me laugh especially compared to how flawless Bungie did them earlier, errr, maybe not flawless, but polished at least.
John Reynolds
07-Apr-2003, 15:40
Toasty is myth really that old? Crap the years are just going who knows where.
BTW Myth3 lol I had to buy it cause I loved myth and it was like $7.00, but the cut scenes were so bad it made me laugh especially compared to how flawless Bungie did them earlier, errr, maybe not flawless, but polished at least.
I got through Myth 3's first mission. . . .
Mariner
07-Apr-2003, 15:58
Surely console games like Pikmin and Super Monkey Ball are pretty original?
I must admit that I've never played Pikmin, but I had to read the reviews closely to work out how the hell you play it in the first place!
ohhh wait how about thief .... that was great .
RussSchultz
07-Apr-2003, 16:55
Toasty is myth really that old? Crap the years are just going who knows where.
BTW Myth3 lol I had to buy it cause I loved myth and it was like $7.00, but the cut scenes were so bad it made me laugh especially compared to how flawless Bungie did them earlier, errr, maybe not flawless, but polished at least.
I got through Myth 3's first mission. . . .
I couldn't. Or couldn't keep myself interested enough to get ahold of their UI to tell the units what to do.
I did enjoy the first game, though.
I still love Dark Omen, though. As for most original...maybe not.
ozzfreak
23-Apr-2003, 21:33
Gotta say Ico for PS2. Was amazed at that little sleeper title.
deviantchild
23-Apr-2003, 23:35
Gotta say Ico for PS2. Was amazed at that little sleeper title.
saw that one on tv, the environments looked amazing
Lefungus
03-May-2003, 15:11
Outcast was a really great Adventure Game.
You really were immersing in a new planet, a new culture. Even the 3d engine was an ovni.
The plot was great, graphics too.
[edited: Typos :)]
IMHO Originals (roughly 10 years) that I've played
XCOM/UFO Enemy Unknown (but I'm a bit biased and not really that original but it was a sequel of really original titles)
Shenmue (hated but it was kind of original)
Silent Hill (again I'm a bit biased)
Pikmin (kind of original)
Creatures (not that original as LCP predates it but...)
Gridrunner++ (arse not at all original but deserves some credit for being different (and therefore original in today's context) )
Laser Squad Nemesis (play be email turn based strategy is kind of original but again some bias from me)
Civilisation (very very good but even its originality is questionable, it is a copy of a board game after all)
Frontier Elite 2 (sequel to an original title)
A Dogs Tale (first game you play a dog?, the peeing puzzle is 'original')
Cannon Fodder (I'm pushing the 10 year thing, and I'm again biased)
Wizball (best side scrolling shooter ever, very original but over 10 years and again some bias)
Super Monkey ball
ICO (didn't like it but very original)
Originality is a very rare beast in the last decade.... Even original titles owe alot to past games.
demalion
15-May-2003, 14:18
Dungeon Master: the innovation was in the interaction with the 3D environment and the new aspects system of game mechanics it allowed. Think Morrowind in a Dungeon with "lockstep" graphics, and you'll sort of get what it pioneered. Immediate children: Eye of the Beholder, and that Amiga game that I have a vague recollection some developer I saw recently talking was involved in...
Sentinel: brief exposure, still impressed me greatly. The lost art of (good) complex but abstract gameplay.
Cauldron II/Wizball: Don't know which was first. They each have unique and original elements related to a similar set of mechanics, but Cauldron II I like more for greater similarity to the next two...
Exile/Below the Root: Wow...the world exploration in these two is just amazing. Completely different focuses than the above two, but has the similarity with Cauldron of there being a thrill to the exploration, not just the action, Below the Root far moreso. There was an Alice in Wonderland game (BTR seems to be associated on a piece of literature I haven't read) done by the same people that might have been similar, and I don't know which of them was first, so I listed the one I played. :)
Elite: Extremely original...opened the horizons of 3D gaming to a degree only matched by its direct sequels so far (AFAIK). I think it is missing in some lists because some silly people think time restrictions matter more than its greatness. :( What a sad notion. :P
Infocom games: Almost universally each as original as books, really...the medium was words instead of graphics, so I think cases can be made for several variations within that despite the greater limitations imposed.
Mercenary: I'm not sure it was the first 3D "man who can get in vehicles and explore everywhere"...plenty of sequels, I think by the same company. I think The Colony might have been similar, but maybe I misremember.
Thief: stealth was the original implementation. Might have been done earlier, but I don't recall it at the moment, and it was a good game anyways. :)
Omega: I wish someone would make a game that offered the strengths I found in this game. There are some games that are similar, but none seemed to pull it off for me.
Ultima IV: a new dimension of social interaction...I consider it a watershed in RPGs. It didn't have the detail of V, but the dimension of "non-empty" moral definition was an original and significant first step in the direction creating a social RPG.
Populous: real time god game concept...I'm pretty sure it was the first to do this, and it has many many derivatives.
Settlers 1: the easily accessible micro economy in real time was unique. Simcity was a bit too abstract to express as much originality, IMO, but without a clear recollection of publishing dates, it might deserve this instead.
Black & White: I think it is a unique twist of many of the above game ideas, but the dgree of self-determination was the defining characteristic, I think.
Racing Destruction Set: building your own tracks, customizing your own vehicles...ahh... There was also Mail Order Monsters, Pinbal Construction Set, and some others of a similar nature, but this is the one that brought that concept alive for me.
I hesitate to say Lemmings, because I'm pretty sure there was similar game mechanics a bit before I hesitate with Worms (1) because it was really more like completing the concept begun with games like Scorched Earth. I hesitate to say Quake 1, because the scripting and customization is more of a technical originality, and I think the focus is more on gameplay.
RussSchultz
15-May-2003, 14:32
Did anybody say Ultima Underworld? It certainly was the progenitor of FPS RPGs.
I tried to keep within the time limit last time but now Demalion has gone back further....
Elite - say no more what a game. I actually got to meet David Braben for the first time last week, its nice to know I still get the 'buzz' when I meet a childhood hero.
Super Mario - Still amazing, doesn't really matter which 2D one they all rock.
Infocom & Melbourne House & CRL text adventure - Even though Infocom deserve the prize, I personally played Hobbit & Bored of the Rings before playing Zork and HHGTG. All managed to create a immersive world.
Manic Mansion and the early SCUMM adventures - Point and click and interesting visual puzzles.
Rebel Star - The original tactical squad game.
F-Zero - For showing that games could be so fast to produce an adrenline rush.
Wolfenstein 3D - Action oriented FPS
Alien Breed - Pure Atmosphere, the red flashing lights, the countdown till explosion....
RussSchultz
16-May-2003, 00:52
Elite - say no more what a game. I actually got to meet David Braben for the first time last week, its nice to know I still get the 'buzz' when I meet a childhood hero.
I loved the game too, but I do remember it sort of fizzled after a while. I guess I didn't catch the plot hints, or something. (Or my ship got so worn down I couldn't continue)
John Reynolds
16-May-2003, 01:16
Terra Nova. The most unappreciated, unplayed title in the history of PC gaming.
DemoCoder
16-May-2003, 04:32
Yes, Terra Nova is the ONLY tactical combat shooter I have played with good teammate AI and the real feel you are playing with a team. (Space Hulk gets honorable mention)
Here's my list (goes back further), not necessarily "most fun", but most unique at time introduction
Modem Wars (C64)
Lemmings
Hacker
Wolfenstein3D
Original Elite
Rescue on Fractalus
Dragons Lair
Original Spyhunter
Civilization
The Sims (or Little Computer People)
Dune
Defenders of the Crown
Zelda
Psi5 Trading Company
M.U.L.E.
Alone in the Dark (or Friday the 13th on C64 :) )
Basically, I view as "most innovative" genre-defining games, not "polished" games that are clones of other people's gameplay. Games which truly introduce us to new styles of gameplay we haven't see before.
Most of the innovations happened when the industry was young. Nothing will replace for me my first experience of playing Ultima or Bards Tales. Lionhead, for example, may not make games which are neccessarily fun, but atleast they are experimenting with new spins on old genres.
I guess I am sick of yet-another-racer-shooter-fighter-platformer clone.
Tell the truth, I still have lots of run playing dance dance revolution with my wife. Such a simple game of simon-says, but with a slight twist == hours and hours and months of gameplay (plus weight loss to boot)
Crusher
16-May-2003, 07:12
So what was the first ASCII RPG... NetHack? Angband? something more primitive?
demalion
17-May-2003, 01:17
Anyone mention Spy vs. Spy?
Little Computer People was a good conceptual innovation catch, same with Hacker, and of course M.U.L.E.... but stop doing that! If I keep kicking myself, I might need medical attention. :-?
Doh! Rescue on Fractalus made me remember Captain Blood! (*double kick*) Which then makes me think of Starflight, then Echelon! (*triple kick*) (if you can't follow my thinking there, don't worry :P).
Limps off to dial 911
Crusher,
You didn't list Rogue...but there was another game I think was an even earlier C64 game...like Tel-something...Telurian? Angband is pretty new in that genre, after Omega and some other interesting ones. The original is probably some mainframe game of whose name I have no idea...though I thought Hack was earlier than NetHack and might be pretty early too.
Heh, I played Spy Vs Spy, followed the Mad comics for a while too, fun stuff.
RussSchultz
17-May-2003, 13:56
Telengard was the C64 game you're thinking about. I remember playing that one loading it off a tape drive.
demalion
17-May-2003, 15:55
Ah! Saved me from a headache today, Russ. :D
RussSchultz
17-May-2003, 16:05
Temple of Aphshai was another (pretty similar) as was Asgaard(I think). Apshai was definately a step up from Telengard, though.
http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/telengard/game.htm
Ahhh, those were the days. :)
demalion
17-May-2003, 17:15
I only didn't mention Temple of Apshai because I have a very clear idea that it was after others. I think it was done by Epyx, and I'm pretty sure they did the C64 Rogue and/or Telengard before the first Temple of Apshai. The Temple trilogy was a good deal when released together. *sigh*
Hey, maybe I need to dig out a C64 emulator (too lazy to set up my 128D).
EDIT: fixed spelling cuz Russ had it right (well, his 1 out of 2 is better than 0 out of 2 :P).
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