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15 Video Games That Overdelivered and Then Some

Stuart Glover — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 18:31:58 +0000

Sometimes, video games are criticised before they’ve even launched. Perhaps a gameplay demo underwhelms, or maybe there’s too drastic a tonal shift, and expectant gamers or critics alike voice their concerns leading to games which possess an element of under-promise. Well, the 15 games on this rundown didn’t have the most sparkling start in life, but they’ve gone on to prove their doubters wrong.

Demon’s Souls

We’re talking the 2009 original not the 2020 remake. Demon’s Souls suffered through troubled development due to unfocused vision before meeting lukewarm reception following its demo reveal, with the most seething criticism decrying a game with unreasonably difficult gameplay and outdated world design. Well, how wrong was that?! Combat and world-building ended up being the very things Demon’s Souls drew acclaim for, establishing the FromSoft blueprint for Dark Souls and beyond.

15 Single Player Games From the 2000s That Have Aged Really Well

Stuart Glover — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 16:51:22 +0000

In a time when single player campaigns weren’t shaped or undermined by their online counterparts, the games released from 2000 to 2009 exhibited innovativeness in terms of gameplay and story (and sometimes both), with the fifteen featured here all standing the test of time.

Grand Theft Auto IV

With the hype surrounding GTA VI plus GTA: The Trilogy’s semi-recent release, GTA IV’s foray through Liberty City’s grimy suburbs has become an outcast. Granted, most of you have completed Niko Bellic’s rise through LC’s criminal underworld already but take a moment to remember it’s surprisingly emotional story, of Bellic desperately outrunning his past in pursuit of a better life for him and his family. If you’ll allow us to describe it as such, its arguably the most relatable narrative in GTA’s canon.

15 Best First-Person Single Player Games You Need to Play

Smangaliso Simelane — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 12:39:02 +0000

Dozens of new games hit shelves every year and it is hard to keep up with every release. Sometimes, a great game comes along and there’s simply no time to play it. This is the fate of quite a few first-person single-player games that deserve more attention than they’ve received. If you’re looking for unique first-person games to play on your own, this list has got you covered.

What Remains of Edith Finch

There are quite a few games disparagingly labeled “walking simulator” due to the lack of action present. What Remains of Edith Finch proves that “walking simulators” don’t have to be boring and they can present some of the best examples of video game storytelling.

What Remains of Edith Finch tells the tale of the titular Edith Finch who visits her ancestral home and uncovers the terrible events that led to their deaths. It’s a game that packs an emotional punch, and there’s a lot of tragedy to process. For a unique gaming experience, this is a title not to be missed.

15 Amazing Games That Were Ahead of Their Time

Stuart Glover — Fri, 10 May 2024 17:32:56 +0000

There’s no way the 15 games included in this feature can be exhaustive. Video games as a medium, as an artform, is typified by boundary pushing. The 15 here are noteworthy for pushing things along, for genuinely innovating, and – in some cases – for being brave in how they told their story or the subject matter they tackled.

Max Payne

Max Payne raised the bar for cinematic action in video games, appropriating the style of John Woo’s gun fu movies. Of course, we can’t talk about Max Payne’s innovativeness without referencing its bullet time mechanic – an ability to transform shootouts into slomo bloodshed. Max Payne’s bullet time was clearly indebted to The Matrix, and whilst it wasn’t the first video game to feature bullet time it was the first to do it with such effortless swagger.

System Shock

The ways in which System Shock was ahead of the curve are numerous: it’s exploration of prescient themes centring on artificial intelligence, transhumanism, ascension, and the human soul is still grimly thought-provoking; its physics engine revolutionised how objects act in 3D spaces; its morally grey antagonist grounded its fantastical setting; it’s emphasis on player choice and options to avoid combat via ground-breaking hacking abilities. System Shock is an all-time classic, inspiring Prey, Dishonored, Portal, to name a few.

Outcast

A fully explorable open world appearing two years before Grand Theft Auto III isn’t why Outcast is ahead of its time. No, this 1999 sci-fi cult classic delivered immersion by the bucketload, far above anything that had come before. NPC conversation was integral to the narrative, but each had daily routines to follow, opinions on each other, and opinions on you the player. An early example of a reputation system, NPCs will help or hinder you based on how well you’ve treated them. Enemy soldiers are progressively weakened by lack of food or resources too, the result of activities you complete for the leaders of each region.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Much like Outcast some two decades prior, Red Dead Redemption 2 set new precedents for immersive open world story telling. It’s gorgeous grassland plains, swamps, and misty mountaintops encouraged horseback exploration; fast travel was not the optimal way to get around. Rockstar deliberately culled the pace of Red Dead’s sequel, stuffing the open world with a smorgasbord of side activities and random encounters. Open world games released today are struggling to reach the levels of freedom Red Dead Redemption 2 presented.

Mirror’s Edge

Flowstate is a remarkable thing when it happens in games. The sense of body and mind working in tandem, fluidly, uninterrupted. Games had toyed with parkour before Mirror’s Edge but none elicited the serene flowstate Mirror’s Edge did. This is in large part to its first-person perspective, it’s almost texture-less clean lines and minimal, distraction free colour palette switching between bright white and bold primary colours. Dying Light comes close, but the innovativeness of Mirror’s Edge is tough to beat.

Metal Gear Solid

An absolute genre-defining masterpiece, Metal Gear Solid changed perceptions of what video games could be via its unashamedly cinematic approach to storytelling, it’s ground-breaking stealth gameplay, and ingenious fourth wall breaking shenanigans. Never had a video game toyed with the player as much as Metal Gear Solid; etching Meryl’s codec frequency into the game’s physical CD case, or – most famously – the Psycho Mantis battle requiring players’ switch controller ports to evade his mind-reading ability.

Shadow of the Colossus

Originally released in 2005 at a time when video game contingent was still debating if the medium could be considered art. Contemplative, bleak, beautiful, befuddling Shadow of the Colossus put that contest to rest via minimal storytelling told ostensibly through environmental puzzles masquerading as boss battles. There really was nothing like it at the time. A wholly unique experience with an ending, like some of the world’s greatest art, wide open to interpretation.

Red Faction

Remarkably ground-breaking for its Geo-Mod technology was Red Faction. It’s incredible how much destruction developer Volition managed to build into its gameplay, and whilst there was a multiplayer component to the game the single player campaign was treated to this bar-raising destruction tech too. Players could reshape the world around them with unparalleled freedom. See a locked door? Blast a hole in the surrounding rock. Want to infiltrate a guarded building? Fashion underground tunnels with rocket launchers. Prior games included scripted destruction, but Red Faction was the first to grant players pure unscripted world-altering capabilities.

Shenmue

Sure, Shenmue’s stately slice of Japanese life divides fans and critics to this day, but the developer’s ambition for what they hoped would become a sprawling series was certainly ahead of its time. Introducing the concept of open world game design to mass audiences (well, Dreamcast players at least), Shenmue heightened immersion through its day and night cycles, NPCs with jobs and routines, and dynamic weather. The interactivity inherent in its detailed world cemented Shenmue as a trailblazer too, ranging from mundanely examining the objects of a kitchen drawer to hitting the arcades for some vintage game time.

Prototype

Prototype’s Alex Mercer is the perfect anti-hero. It’s as simple as that. So many powers and abilities are stuffed into his skillset that there was no more powerful a feeling possible in games than raising utter carnage in downtown Manhattan and barely feeling a scratch from an army desperate to stop you. In blending shapeshifting, superhero-esque aerial acrobatics, offensive and defensive body augmentations, thermal vision, guns, tanks, and helicopters, Radical Entertainment risked Prototype being a sludge of mechanics. Instead, Prototype is a blast; combining so many combat mechanics seamlessly truly was an achievement ahead of its time.

Battlezone

Never had a game merged first-person action, real-time strategy, base building, and tank simulation as cohesively as 1998’s Battlezone. Whilst the similar-in-scope Uprising: Join or Die released a year earlier it didn’t have the same sense of finesse that Activision’s effort exuded. Battlezone dripped in atmosphere, featured dynamic missions inside an engaging dual-perspective campaign, and – crucially given its melding of disparate genres – a sleek interface innovative for its simplicity.

RAGE

You can debate until you’re blue in the face on the memorability of RAGE. It brought legendary developer id Software back from the brink of mediocrity, but it’s shooting, premise, enemies, story – all middle-of-the-road at least. A solid 7/10. RAGE though had an ace up its sleeve: megatexturing. This tech wasn’t new at the time, but thanks to game engine id Tech 5 RAGE’s environment artists were able to build in an endless stream of unique textures. Dynamic scaling based on PC capability kept the game running at 60fps too; another feature prevalent nowadays but none-too-common back in 2011.

Syndicate

1993’s Syndicate put you in command of four trenchcoated, mirror-shaded cyborgs undertaking a corporation’s nefarious dealings via the trigger of a minigun. Gameplaywise, you’d take to the streets – early examples of living cities – to assassinate, coerce, rescue, or destroy, depending on your objective and whims. There was intelligence beneath the bloodshed too, a satirical mirror exposing the tunnel vision of rampant consumerism. Grand Theft Auto took these themes and ran with it, but Syndicate was the first to do it.

Far Cry 2

If Far Cry 2 were released today, it might be criticised for an overly minimalist approach to open world game design that’s become much more commonplace than it was back in 2008 when it originally released. Thing is, it’s Far Cry 2 that arguably started this trend. A true pinnacle of emergent gameplay, zones aren’t acquired like a shopping list and NPCs don’t tend to function as quest givers. Instead, it’s up to you to head into the bush a cause your own trouble, but beware as guns often malfunction, exploded vehicles cause rampant bushfires, healing is strictly limited. Far Cry 2 had the confidence here to blend FPS with survival mechanics, with Metal Gear Solid V, Fallout 4, and The Forest to name a few taking many leaves out of its book.

Silent Hill 2

Dealing with mature, taboo, brushed under the carpet subject matter in such visceral ways; intrinsically linking a character’s innermost desires and torment to gameplay, to monsters encountered; in crafting an atmosphere so noxious it chokes you – these are all reasons why Silent Hill 2 is an ahead of its time masterpiece, and stands the test of time some 22 years later. In a way, Silent Hill 2 is experimental; for one, its story is told extremely subtly. A very hands-off approach which many developers, plus Konami themselves, haven’t learned from.

15 Single Player Games We Would Like to See on the PS5

Usaid — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:04:14 +0000

The games industry is in a pretty interesting position right now, with plenty of great hits releasing left right and center. There are also many great-looking games and sequels from known IPs confirmed to be hitting the market in the near future, but we can’t help but wonder about the games that don’t have much in the name of solid evidence of existence – but belong to some of our favorite franchises. With this feature, we will be talking about 15 such games that we would love to see on the PS5.

inFamous 4

The inFamous series is famous for providing a power fantasy like no other, and Sucker Punch did an amazing job of meshing those designs with a well-crafted morality system that has the capability to affect not only the story but also the gameplay. It continues to be fresh even after all these years, and no game has really come close to matching the essence of inFamous. An inFamous 4 could make use of the PS5’s power to render some amazing visuals and explore new gameplay concepts, but with Sucker Punch most likely occupied with Ghost of Tsushima – there’s a pretty slim chance that such a project might see the light of day.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, Mirror’s Edge, and More Will Lose Online Services

Ravi Sinha — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 10:58:12 +0000

Codemasters’ Onrush isn’t the only title publisher Electronic Arts is shutting down online services for. It confirmed a litany of titles that would stop receiving online support in the coming months. It starts with Army of Two: The 40th Day and Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel on October 20th.

This is followed by Mercenaries 2 (PS3, Xbox 360), Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 (PS3, Xbox 360), Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, and Command and Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath (Xbox 360) on November 9th. Onrush’s servers shut down on November 30th, while Mirror’s Edge, NBA Jam On Fire Edition, Gatling Gears, and Shank 2 will lose their online services on January 19th, 2023.

The publisher stated, “The decisions to withdraw particular features or modes of certain EA games, or to retire online services relating to older EA games are never easy. The development teams and operational staff pour their hearts into our games, their features and modes almost as much as the players, and it is hard to see one retired.

“As games are replaced with newer titles, the number of players still enjoying the games that have been live for some time dwindles to a level – typically fewer than one percent of all peak online players across all EA titles – where it’s no longer feasible to continue the behind-the-scenes work involved with keeping the online services for these games up and running. We are also committed to constantly updating and improving the features and modes to keep in our games to ensure they remain exciting to play for as long as possible. That commitment to great gameplay sometimes means that we need to remove outdated features and modes.”

Some games are still playable offline, and features like “players’ inventory of virtual currency, and/or in-game items may continue to be used,” even if the in-game store has been disabled. As such, removing online support for older titles and DLC isn’t too surprising. Ubisoft announced in July that several titles would lose online functionality before backtracking on the same after extensive backlash.

Given the relative age and popularity of many of Electronic Arts’ titles, it’s unlikely the decision will be reverted. Nevertheless, stay tuned for updates on the same.

15 Underrated Action Games You Need To Play

Ravi Sinha — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 09:24:30 +0000

It’s not easy making an action game. Retaining a player’s interest over the hours is tough enough, forget making an experience that will appeal to as many people as possible. Because of this, a number of titles in the genre tend to fall by the wayside. Let’s take a look at 15 under-appreciated action games throughout the years and what made them so special.

Gravity Rush 2

There’s some insane creativity at SIE Japan Studio, and that’s no more apparent than in Gravity Rush 2. Developed by the Team Gravity division, the world is larger, livelier and more destructible than its predecessor. But it’s the sheer imagination, in gravity-defying encounters to exploring Kat’s mysterious backstory, that lent the game its own unique charm. Despite good reviews and the developer’s pedigree, Gravity Rush 2 averaged roughly 103,000 copies in Japan during its launch month. Its online service was subsequently discontinued in July 2018.

15 Intricate Hand Animations in Games

Ravi Sinha — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 09:42:25 +0000

Everyone notices the facial and body animations in video games. From the most natural movements like walking and running to simply emoting during key scenes, it’s crazy how far the industry. Of course, when playing a first person title where you spend most of the time seeing hands, the attention given animations is simply astonishing. Let’s take a look at 15 of the best hand animations in video games.

Rainbow Six Siege

Ubisoft’s tactical first person shooter may have had a rough launch but its hand animations were fairly good and have only improved. Watching Operators set up barricades, manage different weapons and bashing through obstacles is still enthralling after all these years. The animations behind abilities have become more imaginative as well – just watch Iana activate her Gemini Replicator, which manifests a holographic version of herself to control, or Oryx who busts through walls without a care.

15 Amazing Single-Player Games You Probably Missed

Ravi Sinha — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 12:35:29 +0000

Defining an underrated title can be tough, as some games review well without lighting sales charts on fire while others are underappreciated in the critical sense. There are also titles which remain under the radar due to the lack of marketing budgets but survive thanks to word of mouth. Let’s take a look at 15 of these games in the single-player space and what makes them special.

Nex Machina

Housemarque, better known for the arcade shooter Resogun, released an arguably superior follow-up in Nex Machina. The latter is more of a top-down shooter akin to Robotron and Smash TV, and had Eugene Jarvis – who designed both – as a consultant. The result was an intense, action-packed arcade title with heaps of particle effects, great bosses and excellent areas. Unfortunately, Nex Machina and Housemarque’s other arcade title Matterfall reaped so little success that the developer proclaimed the arcade genre dead and focused on more mainstream genres.

15 Annoying Things About Video Game Endings That Only Players Will Understand

Ravi Sinha — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 07:53:10 +0000

It’s easy to underestimate just how important an ending can be for a game. The overall experience could be fantastic but have an underwhelming ending, thus tainting an overall great game. Bad endings in video games are nothing new but there are other ways to mess up a conclusion. Let’s take a look at 15 annoying things about endings that more than a few players will have dealt with.

DLC Required

Remember how Frank West valiantly sacrificed himself at the end of Dead Rising 4 so that Vicky and Brad could escape? Yeah, that’s not the “true” ending. Purchasing the Frank Rising DLC reveals that West actually became a zombie, got better and then maybe escaped (or not, depending on your choices). Unfortunately this wouldn’t be the first time that a game’s “true” ending would be gated behind DLC – see Asura’s Wrath, also conveniently published by Capcom.