I’m replaying SUPERHOT (again) and it’s got such a great core mechanic that I can’t believe we’ve not seen more developers use it, or build around it.
What game mechanics seemed like they’d be the next big thing but …didn’t?
I thought about it for a bit, but everything I can think off can be easily explained: They were patented. Namely the nemesis system and loading screen minigames. I would love for a proper (turn-based) RPG using the nemesis system.
Titanfall 2 with the time travel mechanic. It shows up on a single goddamn level and it was the single greatest level in the game. They could’ve built the entire game around that, it was so fucking awesome. Granted, there’s been other games that used something similar-ish, like Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Legacy of Kain: Soulreaver, so it’s not new, but the way they pulled it off in an FPS in Titanfall 2 was just so beautiful. Leaping back and forth to avoid enemies in both timelines? Fuck, I need more of that.
Integrity of power dynamics not being interfered with by sales models. Turns out that cost-benefit analysis means we can’t have nice things. People are too willing to pay money to pretend they’re better than others.
Morrowind tier of spell brokenness is actually super fun IMO. I’ve never understood the people who complain about how exploitable it is. Like. Don’t exploit it if that’s not your style. Why does the game gotta keep you contained?
Why aren’t there loads of 6DOF spaceship games? Descent is goddamn sick and there’s been depressingly few games like it since PS1.
Defrag movement style arena shooters is absolutely baller! Why you gotta have a load out when you can master the map and spawn timing instead?
Games are fucked because players want dopamine progression systems, status symbols, and to feel dominant without actually mastering mechanics.
Morrowind tier of spell brokenness is actually super fun IMO. I’ve never understood the people who complain about how exploitable it is. Like. Don’t exploit it if that’s not your style. Why does the game gotta keep you contained?
I feel like that’s mostly a matter of expectations. Most video games encourage min-maxxing, so when players first experience Morrowind, they’ll often start looting all the houses and buy the most powerful equipment and spells, which ruins their own fun.
In a way, I definitely see it at the core of a gamedev’s job to prevent players from ruining their own fun. That happens much more often than one would think.
But in a way, you can’t win 'em all and Morrowind not preventing that, gives it lots of freedoms and playstyle choices which you don’t get in other games.
I feel like SUPERHOT’s concept had one problem: That the original game basically perfected it.
Like, how do you improve on that? It’s got melee and gun play. It’s extremely tight in timing and the puzzle aspect. It needs to be as minimalistic to be readable and not overload the player with options.
I guess, maybe I am also just saying that I feel the game concept isn’t as extensible, if one game can do it all.
Games that feel like tool-assisted speedruns have a lot more potential than Superhot’s last-scene-in-The-Matrix simulator. It should be a general compromise between turn-based and real-time combat. Like VATS without the menu. Looking is a free action. You don’t have to dodge bullets to make tactical combat more visceral and vice-versa.
I have yet to find a game that expresses power fantasy through movement like Warframe.
Warframe movement is super smooth, very fast-paced, and yet extremely controllable and complementary of game mechanics.
Bullter jumping across levels, bouncing on walls to turn around and unleash a burst of fire, super-jumping 30 feet high to get perfect view of enemies, it does everything perfectly. You absolutely feel like you’re a specter of death reaving though the battlefield.
And every time I play a gamme, I feel glued to the ground and wished it has Warframe’s movement.
ULTRAKILL may just be the game for you.
Titanfall boiii!
It’s not quite Warframe, but it’s damn good.
You left out the actual mechanic for those who haven’t played the game :)
