What was the last game that was ahead of it's time?

What was the last game in your opinion that was ahead of it's time?

For me this is a hard one kinda of. I really can't think of anything recent RDR2 looked beautiful but I really don't feel that it was ahead of it's time in anything. I guess I'm going to have to go with the generic answer and say Crysis in terms of the graphics of course the first game to ever use SSAO it pushed hardware like no other game I can really think of .

This takes me back.

Demon's Souls.

Some may say king's field but I disagree cause there is boatloads of those type of game on PC.

Probably God of war on PS5.

Shenmue maybe, do not really believe in the idea ahead of time.

I'm going to throw something controversial into the mix: Genesis: Alpha One.

Space exploration, looting, pillaging and whatnot is pretty well-covered...but what about being in a living, breathing level editor?

The real-time ship construction is kind of mindblowing despite its simplicity.

While it's nowhere near as complex as building new levels for a game where you have to consider sector width/height to allow for an entity to be able to use the space(s) that you create, you are forced to consider how people and things are going to move, while also building to limit the spread of threats; so, ergonomics and defense, and it's entirely in first-person.

"Last one" phrasing is difficult because graphics alone are, meh. Not really a defining feature to me. Suppose Tearaway tried taking features similar to what Nintendo did on the Wii and expanded it to a new level. And I personally think Media Molecule did an amazing job doing something very different.

But when I think of games "ahead of its time" it's

OG Monster Hunter_

What Capcom achieved in 2004 many would take, copy, and be inspired by. Without MH regardless if one likes the franchise or not, gaming may have been a little different; namely in the ARPG space. Offering coop and single player content without alienating one or the other, and yes the original also have event quests, so in turn downloadable content.

While MMOs came before MH I hope many do not get confused, MH is not an MMO. While coop is certainly the driving force and intended experience for a lot of the games content. MH is an ARPG and can be as multiplayer as one wants to make it. And still is.

And sure sequels kept getting better and more refined, yet cannot be ignored they all are held on the pillars of the original.

I thought Metal Gear Solid 4 was ahead of its time in terms of its story. The depth of it was decently ahead of most games at that time. The cut scenes in that game make it worth it imo.

We talking tech or gameplay? Or both?

I want to say Hardspace: Shipbreaker. On the surface it is pretty simple, you're just a space salvager welding and cutting and salvaging spaceships, but it is so much more than that. It's a reverse puzzle game. You start with the whole puzzle already made, and then you take it apart. Simple, right? But in your quest to take apart this puzzle, you have to be wary of active fuel lines...there's explosive decompression to worry about. You have to remove the reactor as it's the most expensive piece, but once you do it goes active and will explode unless you salvage it immediately. There's components that are smelted and components that are recycled and you have to separate them out.

Even the score component is unique, as you're not actively trying to accrue wealth, but instead trying to erase debt; and because you work for a ruthless corp, they keep finding ways to keep you a debt slave; it's a depressing but satirical and funny look at the future and yeah I know the score mechanic is a gimmick but it's fun nonetheless.

There is literally no game like it that I have played. I think that makes it inherently ahead of its time as it is a pioneer.

Oohoo, this is a surprise suggestion. I like. I honestly felt like I was the only person to play this game.

I do think it is pretty ahead of the curve as far as gameplay goes, it's like a first-person Dungeon Keeper in space kind of.