15 Genius Gameplay Mechanics That Defined the 2000s

ACTIVE RELOAD (GEARS OF WAR)

Gears of War released in 2006, and spawned an entire sub-genre of third person shooters, and while we could sit here and talk abt any number of revolutionary things that it introduced, such as its stop-and-pop cover mechanics or even its chainsaw duels, the one thing that the series introduced that sticks out in memory even today is active reloads. It’s such a simple mechanic, but genius in its simplicity, making even the simple act of reloading an active part of the combat to make sure you’re always engaged. Active reloads haven’t changed much since they were introduced over a decade ago- but then again, they don’t have to. Their simplicity makes them timeless.