So..when will we see some unique and innovative games this gen?

If you haven't been "wow'ed" yet by some of the recently released Next-Gen games (Crysis, Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, BioShock, The Orange Box, etc.), then you probably never will be, but here are some upcoming games that could bring the innovation, or at the very least, some much needed originality:

Dead Space

Borderlands

Portal is already out.foxhound_fox

Aye. Or has someone played a game like Portal before?

Somegames have wow'd mebut not in the way games from the last gen did. This gen so far it has been"wow look at the graphics" instead of "wow I have never seen something like that".

Portal is already out.foxhound_fox

Portal is the exception :)

If you haven't been "wow'ed" yet by some of the recently released Next-Gen games (Crysis, Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, BioShock, The Orange Box, etc.), then you probably never will be, but here are some upcoming games that could bring the innovation, or at the very least, some much needed originality:

m3ss

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]Portal is already out.NexusMako

Portal is the exception :)

You asked for unique and innovative...

But you're right if you ignore the unique and innovative game, you're not going to find any.

[QUOTE="m3ss"]

If you haven't been "wow'ed" yet by some of the recently released Next-Gen games (Crysis, Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, BioShock, The Orange Box, etc.), then you probably never will be, but here are some upcoming games that could bring the innovation, or at the very least, some much needed originality:

foxhound_fox

Looks like somebody didn't play Gears of War...

Say what you want, but it was an original IP with some new, interesting, and awesome game mechanics. Probably the best game to come out last year, and still nothing like it.

i was thinking the exact same thing, re5 is re4 with a punch instead of a kick it seems. and mgs4 is basically splinter cell now with a cardnoard box. although i will defend bioshock as innnovative game. bioshock took atmosphere and design into new heights.feel_freetwo

Fallout 3 is just a dumbed down version of the previous two games in first person.foxhound_fox

oh cool so you played it already? what's it like?

Hello, isn't anyone going to bring up Spore as this game looks AWESOME.

And really you can't say this is not different.

Or can you?

What do you think.

Goodbye.

I like cardboard boxes because if you get cold you can go and sit in one.

Hello, isn't anyone going to bring up Spore as this game looks AWESOME.Dalek200

I mentioned it already. :P

Well, I think games on the Wii and DS like Zack and Wiki, Trauma Center, Professor Layton, Hotel Dusk, Ace Attorney 4, and non-games like Nintendogs, New York Times Crosswords, and Brain Training have all been unique/creative.

Also, Puzzle Quest, Portal, and Rock Band also fit into this mold.

[QUOTE="Dalek200"]Hello, isn't anyone going to bring up Spore as this game looks AWESOME.m3ss

I mentioned it already. :P

Sorry. Missed that.

Well, I think games on the Wii and DS like Zack and Wiki, Trauma Center, Professor Layton, Hotel Dusk, Ace Attorney 4, and non-games like Nintendogs, New York Times Crosswords, and Brain Training have all been unique/creative.

Also, Puzzle Quest, Portal, and Rock Band also fit into this mold.

ASK_Story

QFT. With the Wii and DS, there are more unique and innovative games. The Wii and DS are definitely innovative gaming platforms. Hopefully devs would be able to utilise their features well for more creative, innovative games.

I take it you missed Dead Rising then?SemiMaster

?

[QUOTE="m3ss"]

If you haven't been "wow'ed" yet by some of the recently released Next-Gen games (Crysis, Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, BioShock, The Orange Box, etc.), then you probably never will be, but here are some upcoming games that could bring the innovation, or at the very least, some much needed originality:

foxhound_fox

oh cool so you played it already? what's it like?smerlus

[QUOTE="smerlus"]oh cool so you played it already? what's it like?foxhound_fox

You know what they say about making assumptions? It makes an ass of u and me.

thats fair for you to call out the industry, but the saying goes "if it aint broke, dont fix it". the game industry is still selling like hotcakes so the industry doesnt need to call for an overhaul.

with that said, i personally am not bothered by it as long as i still enjoy the games. its different experiences and twists to the same formula,which is still enjoyable. the revolutionary games will come, just be patient

thats fair for you to call out the industry, but the saying goes "if it aint broke, dont fix it". the game industry is still selling like hotcakes so the industry doesnt need to call for an overhaul.

with that said, i personally am not bothered by it as long as i still enjoy the games. its different experiences and twists to the same formula,which is still enjoyable. the revolutionary games will come, just be patient

jsmoke03

Assassin's Creed is both unique and innovative, especially the controls, which IMO are perfect. As for the future, I expect Little Big Planet to be all it is cracked up to be, Echochrome looks great, and I fully expect GTA4 to be mind blowing, and to completely raise the bar for sandbox games specifically, and gaming in general. I will admit that this gen has yet to have a defining moment such as GTA3, or RE4, but that moment is coming I think. Let's not forget that we don't even know what Team Ico is working on as well. Besides any of that, if none of the games that have come out over the past few months have blown you away, you might want to give up playing games.rragnaar

Dude, Gears of War was that moment. It was awesome and different from every other game out there and redefined what it means to be a shooter.

Dude, Gears of War was that moment. It was awesome and different from every other game out there and redefined what it means to be a shooter.AtomicTangerine

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"][QUOTE="m3ss"]

If you haven't been "wow'ed" yet by some of the recently released Next-Gen games (Crysis, Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, BioShock, The Orange Box, etc.), then you probably never will be, but here are some upcoming games that could bring the innovation, or at the very least, some much needed originality:

ShenlongBo

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]Portal is already out.RK-Mara

Aye. Or has someone played a game like Portal before?

Well, actually, if you listen to developer commentary in Portal, you'd learn that Portal was inspired by a student project called Narbacular Drop. You'd also learn about level design andhow rendering when viewing through a portal works among other things that'll interest you and help you if you want to design your own games some day.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/narbaculardrop/index.html?tag=result;title;0

I myself haven't played it yet, so I can't tell you if Portal made any improvements from Narbacular Drop.

Edit: And as for the topic question, we saw Super Mario Galaxy not so long ago. :D

[QUOTE="AtomicTangerine"]Dude, Gears of War was that moment. It was awesome and different from every other game out there and redefined what it means to be a shooter.foxhound_fox

Yep, it did borrow a lot. The major difference is that it took those basic mechanics and then made a game that was actually good around them. That's like saying Pitfall was the game that really created the platformer we know today, not Super Mario Bros.

Also, the active reloading was actually pretty cool and made reloading a gun more fun than in any other game ever.

[QUOTE="smerlus"]oh cool so you played it already? what's it like?foxhound_fox

then since you know what bethesda offers and what the fallout franchise has done.. i wouldn't call a dev that can improve on the immersion factor, the way the combat works, the AI, and overall fix bugs "dumbing down" a game especially making that claim a year before it comes out

HELLO, YOU WANT INNOVATION?! HALO 3'S ALREADY OUT!!!

Seriously though, I've really been wow'd by some games this generation. Company of Heroes and World in Conflict as far as RTSs go. CoH for its action-packed gameplay, awesome commander trees, exciting units, and unique factions. WiC for it's easy accessibility, grand scale, beautiful graphics, and really great story.

For shooters, I was impressed by the Crysis demo. Call of Duty is also great fun, but not exactly revolutionary.

Oh and Wii Sports. I was really impressed by how fun that is.

[QUOTE="AtomicTangerine"]Dude, Gears of War was that moment. It was awesome and different from every other game out there and redefined what it means to be a shooter.foxhound_fox

I can't believe people still play the KillSwitch card in comparison to Gears of War. KillSwitch sucked and shares, at best, some very rudimentary similarities.

Honestly, saying KillSwitch feels a lot like Gears is the equivalent of claiming Super Mario Galaxyfeels a lot like Crash Bandicot.

[QUOTE="SemiMaster"]I take it you missed Dead Rising then?Dalek200

?

Dead Rising is an incredibly innovative game as it took the zombie/survival horrorsubgenre and used improved technology to create scenariosinvolving literally hundreds of zombies and allowed an amazing level of interactivity with the environment. It also featured a controversial save system that forces you as the gamer to make difficult choices.

I can't believe people still play the KillSwitch card in comparison to Gears of War. KillSwitch sucked and shares, at best, some very rudimentary similarities.

Honestly, saying KillSwitch feels a lot like Gears is the equivalent of claiming Super Mario Galaxyfeels a lot like Crash Bandicot.

Grammaton-Cleric

[QUOTE="Dalek200"]

[QUOTE="SemiMaster"]I take it you missed Dead Rising then?Grammaton-Cleric

?

Dead Rising is an incredibly innovative game as it took the zombie/survival horrorsubgenre and used improved technology to create scenariosinvolving literally hundreds of zombies and allowed an amazing level of interactivity with the environment. It also featured a controversial save system that forces you as the gamer to make difficult choices.

Thanks, just got back and didn't have time to fill it in.

Just because it's made by Capcom and filled with Zombies doesn't mean it's Resident Evil. The game is epic, the game is refreshing and most of all, fun.

I guess the best way to say it is like this.

Take State of Emergency, remove all the suck, add a bit of Resident Evil for Zombie flavor, some Grand Theft Auto for free roaming and a bit of Dynasty Warriors thrown in for massive scale combat and zombie deaths by the thousands. That's a recipie for this game.

[QUOTE="Grammaton-Cleric"]I can't believe people still play the KillSwitch card in comparison to Gears of War. KillSwitch sucked and shares, at best, some very rudimentary similarities.

Honestly, saying KillSwitch feels a lot like Gears is the equivalent of claiming Super Mario Galaxyfeels a lot like Crash Bandicot.

foxhound_fox

Actually, the two are not as mutually exclusive as you seem to think. I do think Gears was more an example of evolution than innovation but I think the cover system was innovative if not entirely revolutionary.

And Gears didn't refine anything found in KillSwitch. KillSwitch is bascially an arcade shooter with blindfire which is why I don't really see the comparisons between the two. There have been other games before KillSwitch that allowed blindfire and, truth be told, blindfire isn't really the focal point of Gears gameplay.

If anything, I'd say Gears borrows more from RE4 than KillSwitch.

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"][QUOTE="Grammaton-Cleric"]I can't believe people still play the KillSwitch card in comparison to Gears of War. KillSwitch sucked and shares, at best, some very rudimentary similarities.

Honestly, saying KillSwitch feels a lot like Gears is the equivalent of claiming Super Mario Galaxyfeels a lot like Crash Bandicot.

Grammaton-Cleric

Actually, the two are not as mutually exclusive as you seem to think. I do think Gears was more an example of evolution than innovation but I think the cover system was innovative if not entirely revolutionary.

And Gears didn't refine anything found in KillSwitch. KillSwitch is bascially an arcade shooter with blindfire which is why I don't really see the comparisons between the two. There have been other games before KillSwitch that allowed blindfire and, truth be told, blindfire isn't really the focal point of Gears gameplay.

If anything, I'd say Gears borrows more from RE4 than KillSwitch.

I honestly don't know why you even bother. Apparently these jaded critics have been around the block so many times that nothing's impressive anymore unless it's completely, totally, and utterly new in every conceivable way. Whatever, I'm off to play some Virtua Fighter FIVE,and I'm going to love it. Somehow...

ShenlongBo

Ironically, when true innovation does hit many of these people ignore it, or so the sales data would suggest.

Seriously, how many people actually bought Okami last year? How many people completely ignored God Hand? How many gamers haven't even played Shadow of the Colossus? How many of our forum members bought Beyond Good and Evil in the bargain bin instead of supporting the game by nabbing it at full retail price when it was initially released? How many praised the first Prince of Persia: Sands of Time even as it languished at retail?

Despite the verbose clamor for innovation, I see a large portion of gamers clinging to certain established paradigms and ignoring or downplaying innovation as it comes their way. I think for a segment of the gaming populace, innovation is part of the vernacular but hardly a viable ideology for gauging quality or basing their purchases on.