When you play any video game, you will probably recognize things you’ve seen in other titles. For instance, plenty of games involve things like fast travel, waypoints, side quests, and all sorts of other mechanics. So, in most cases, the quality of a title depends on how well they implement already-used ideas.
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This is not to say this developer strategy should be criticized, as there is nothing wrong with using general ideas that others have created. And there are always ways to make something your own. Yet, it is still nice to see games do things no other title has ever done before. This is increasingly difficult because of how many games now exist, but the following titles managed to do it.
Open-world games generally include plenty of NPCs that are roaming the world, going about their business. They essentially serve as set dressing, as they’re only there to make the world feel like a living, breathing place.
Yet, there is more to them inRed Dead Redemption 2because the game allows you to speak with these no-named people. And it isn’t just a select few you can converse with. The game allows you to greet or antagonize any person you find, and they respond to what you say. Therefore, you can have short chats with them.
7The Medium - Dual Reality Split-Screen
The first thing that stands out aboutThe Mediumis its single-player split-screen. The screen splits in two so you can see into and interact with two different realities simultaneously. Whatever you’re doing in one also happens in another. For instance, if you were to shimmy across a ledge in one reality, it would also be happening in the other one.
It isn’t the only game to enable you tosee into separate dimensions, but others don’t allow you to do it at the same time. In fact, nobody is legally allowed to do dual reality split-screen like The Medium becausethe developers patented the feature.
6Ghost Of Tsushima - Guiding Wind
In any open world, you’re likely to see an objective marker or some sort of waypoint to show you where to go. These are seen as pretty essential in these types of games, as it would be almost impossible to know what direction you need to head without them.
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The downside, however, is that the big obtrusive markers can harm the beauty of a well-designed world.Ghost Of Tsushimaprovides a unique alternative method of showing you where to go. It uses the wind as a guide. Whenever you’re lost, you can initiate a strong gust of wind that points you in the right direction.
5Super Mario Odyssey - Cap Possession
The ability to possess different people and creatures has existed for a long time in gaming. Yet, it’s usually accomplished through magic spells or robotic hacking. No other game besidesSuper Mario Odysseyhas allowed you to simply throw your hat on somebody and take them over.
Another rarity about this form of possession is the fact you can take over more than just creatures. Mario is capable of possessing inanimate objects, such as pylons and statues, and making them move. It makes for a very versatile power for a versatile hero.
4Splatoon - Ink Reloading
There are someunique forms of reloading in gaming, but there isn’t any like what you see inSplatoon. In this child-friendly shooter, you don’t fire bullets - you shoot ink.
To relinquish your supply of the deadly stuff, you may change into your squid-like form and swim through the ink already splattered on the map. Doing so quickly refills your weapon to get you ready for more fighting. No game outside the Splatoon series has this mechanic, nor are they likely to, as it wouldn’t make sense in most other games.
3Death Stranding - Social Strand System
Death Strandingis one of the most original and unusual games the industry has ever seen.Hideo Kojima even claimed that his game invented a new genre. One specific unique thing the game does is the Social Strand System. This is a form of multiplayer in what is a single-player experience.
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How it works is that someone can leave things or build structures in their game that other people in their own game can use. For example, a player can create a bridge over a deadly area that someone else can walk across. There have been other single-player games that have allowed people to interact with each other through gifts or messages. But none of them have worked quite in the same way as the Social Strand System from Death Stranding. It’s a fresh concept.
2Shadow Of Mordor - Nemesis System
WhileShadow Of Mordoris a great game overall, its standout feature is certainly the Nemesis system. This works as an enemy hierarchy. The strongest ones are at the top, while the lowly grunts are at the bottom. Your goal is to work your way up to the truly dangerous enemies.
Yet, what’s really interesting is how the system impacts your adversaries. If one of the people at the bottom takes you out, they get promoted to a higher level and are given a combat boost in the process. And the next time you see them, they will remember defeating you and brag about it. It adds a level of personality to your enemies and adds extra importance to random fights against them.
1Watch Dogs: Legion - Recruit And Play As Anyone
Unlike the first two entries in the series,Watch Dogs Legiondoesn’t have a lead protagonist. Instead of playing as one person, you play as the collective group known as DedSec, and you control one member at a time. That’s unusual for an open-world action-adventure game, but it isn’t the only unique thing about the title.
The truly original aspect of Watch Dogs: Legion is the fact that you can recruit anybody off the street to be in DedSec. So, any of the NPCs you see walking around can potentially be playable characters. Not only can you control them during missions and while roaming the open world, but they even appear in cutscenes where they have voices. So, afterselecting your starting operator, you can assemble a team of random everyday people to take on the evil groups you face during the main story.
