From the humble text adventure to the immersive sim, gaming has taken several approaches over the years to present their experiences. Among these experiments, a few have managed to become standard. First-person shooters, side-scrolling run-and-guns, or top-down RTS have all become expected in the industry.
Some have tried something more bold. Either playing with what’s anticipated or bringing forward an entirely fresh perspective, these are games that have taken pride in playing with gamer’s expectations.
9Siren
Sony’s PlayStation 2 has always been known to possess a suite of diverse titles, a theme embodied by Project Siren’s flagship title, Siren. From the acclaimed writer of the originalSilent Hill, Siren is a horror experience centered around a Japanese town haunted by creatures known as shibito. Siren’s most unique mechanic is called Sighjacking, which gives you the ability to see through the eyes of the enemies hunting you.
Second-person gameplay isn’t something often seen in any title, but it works excellently in building tension. The split-screen view between the protagonist and a bloodthirsty monster excels in creating terror that few other games can claim to replicate.
8Do Not Feed The Monkeys
It’s not uncommon for people to place tape or other coverings over their computer’s camera, a habit that Do Not Feed The Monkeys makes a strong case for. After becoming a member of an illusive club, you are tasked with spying on various characters and collecting data for this mysterious organization.
Told directly not to interact with these hapless subjects of observation, it’s up to you how involved you would like to get. Perspective-wise, everything takes place through the PC of the main character, allowing for an eerily immersive experience. Even with the game’s tongue-in-cheek tone, it never once loses that creepy feeling that comes with such voyeuristic activities.
7FEZ
2012’s Fez is a puzzle platformer and certified indie darling. Possessing a 2D perspective, the game has a 3D world leading to engaging puzzles that truly one-of-a-kind puzzle experience. The lighthearted presentation and cutesy designs of the characters serve to heighten the experience, creating something that’s as cozy as it is mind-bending.
Fez has a long-lasting legacy, with a development cycle recorded in documentaries like Indie Game: The Movie, and has been cited as an inspiration for indie games to this very day. A simple idea on paper, Fez showcased that all it takes is a single special concept to make something truly spectacular.
6Silica
From the developers behind PC classics like Arma and Dayz, Silica expands upon the military simulation roots of Bohemia Interactive’s previous works in more ways than one. Taking players onto an alien planet to battle for its resources, the gameplay presented is a mixture of the expected FPS elements along with an RTS.
you’re able to choose to fight on the ground as infantry or take command from up above as a commander. This significantly changes how both roles are played. Handing out orders to real players adds a dynamic layer to the typical strategy gaming experience, while the battles themselves can be experienced hands-on rather than from a bird’s eye view.
5Carrion
A self-proclaimed “reverse horror game,” Carrion places players in the shoes of a ravenous flesh monster as it gradually begins to overtake a laboratory. While it grows in both size and power, the remaining survivors essentially go through the beats of a horror plot, trying in vain to suppress the encroaching threat.
Carrion’s mechanics encourage a stealthy approach, mirroring the actions of classic horror movie villains. Rather than being stalked by a monster, it is a refreshingly empowering experience to be the creature striking from the shadows.
413 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Mech combat games can take many forms. First-person shooters like Titanfall, third-person action as seen in the Armored Core franchise, or top-down shooters like Brigador. 13 Sentinels goes for something different than its contemporaries, though, mixing in adventure game elements with strategy to create an experience all its own.
While half of the 13 sentinels is spent exploring an engaging story, the combative portion takes place from a bird’s eye view of the city. Enemies and the mechs are represented through sleek holographic images, allowing for the full power of these mechs to be displayed, as each attack can destroy thousands of enemies. The difference scale is truly impressive as 13 sentinels manage to balance smaller human stories with large-scale battles that make the mech genre appeal to so many.
3SOMA
From the acclaimed studio that delivered horror classics like Amnesia and Penumbra, SOMA is a first-person horror game developed by Frictional Games. Placing you into an underwater research base, SOMA is full of deeply disturbing themes that make it a horror game unlike any other.
Along with the monsters and general unnerving sensation that comes with being trapped at the bottom of the ocean, SOMA has one mechanic that adds a whole new level of terror. At a few points in the game, you are tasked with transferring your conscience from one vessel to another. From your perspective, this is no more than a basic transition, but in context, the repercussions are felt throughout the game. These moments not only succeed from a fear-inducing angle but also toy with how we perceive our characters in games.
2Screencheat
For as long as split-screen games have been around, there has been a sacred rule: Never look at the screen of the other player lest you be accused of being a no-good cheater. This is the case for all games, with the noticeable exception of Screencheat, a multiplayer shooter that embraces the trickster inside all of us.
Screencheat plays like a standard multiplayer FPS, invoking nostalgia for titles like Goldeneye, Call of Duty, and Halo, except unlike these titles, every player is invisible. The only way to see where your opponents are is to look at their screens and try to source their location while trying to hunt you.
1We Were Here
Cooperative puzzle games can already be a tough nut to crack. With two minds working instead of one, developers are free to up the ante in terms of how difficult they design their challenges. However, We Were Here creates an all-new level of adversity, with one player in a library equipped with all kinds of knowledge while the other is trapped in a dangerous abandoned castle.
Armed with only walkie-talkies, the players of We Were Here have to coordinate strictly by speaking with one another. The player in the dangerous trials explains the puzzles being presented while their companion deciphers their words.
