In today’s gaming world, it can feel like there isn’t much room for innovation. We’ve been playing games since the 1980s; how much space is there for something new to come? A lot, as it turns out.
Sometimes, it’s because a mod breaks into the mainstream and brings a new way to play our favorite games. MMORPGs weren’t new when World of Warcraft came out, for example, but they forever changed the way we play them. Sometimes, it’s a simple game to add a mechanic or tweak that forever changes the way we play our favorite games.
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The sixth generation led many changes to the game.
These are modern games that prove that it is still possible to give birth to a new genre or change forever the way it is thought of.
We define the modern era of gaming with the start of the 7th generation of consoles, namely the Xbox 360/PS3/Nintendo Wii. This is where HD gaming started, online gaming took over, and it feels like a very natural start to the modern era.
10
Living Evil 7: Biohazard
Back to its roots
With the recent release of Resident Evil Requiem, this feels like a natural place to start.
After the release of Resident Evil 4, the franchise was stuck in an awkward place. The previous two games, Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, were nowhere near as exciting. The spin-offs were fun, but Capcom was still chasing the pinnacle that was RE4.
With Resident Evil 7’s major gameplay overhaul, especially the change to the first-person perspective, Capcom has found a way to redefine survival horror. Bringing the franchise back to its roots while bringing in a more modern way of playing the games gives the franchise a much needed breath of fresh air.
9
Gears of War
Active reload
The killer Xbox 360 app helped usher in a generation of cover-based shooter clones that would dominate the 2010s.
For the most part, none of them matched Gears of War in terms of quality, although there were exceptions.
Mass Effect, for example, borrowed a cover-based shooter and shoved it straight into one of the best sci-fi RPGs ever made.
However the controls never felt as smooth or precise as they did in Gears of War. It may not have been the first cover-based shooter to see the light of day, but it was the one that helped make the genre popular. Its latest anniversary proves once again that the gameplay formula still works well today.
8
BioShock
Would You Kindly?
If the shooters of the 7th generation are not based on Gears of War, there is a good chance that they will take inspiration from BioShock.
It’s surprising that BioShock itself draws inspiration from System Shock 2, yet the 2007 FPS offers a much more polished, accessible, and familiar gameplay experience.
Say what you will about how shallow the game ultimately is compared to what we were promised. There is no denying, however, the impact it has had on the genre. BioShock is smarter and smarter, placing more emphasis on its story and player agency than most shooters of its era.
7
Day Z
Mod Eye Changed Shooters Forever
Originally a mod for Arma 2, DayZ is a post-apocalyptic zombie survival game. Players are tasked with doing whatever they can to survive not only the zombie attack but also other players.
If this sounds familiar, it is; there were a number of similar games released in the 2010s with similar goals. Even today, you can see the DNA of DayZ present in the release shooters. There are even connections to the Battle Royale genre; Brandon Greene (aka PlayerUnknown) developed both games and released PUB for DayZ’s Battle Royale mode.
While DayZ isn’t the first game to break out of the core game and become its own thing, it’s still an important part of modern gaming history.
6
League of Legends
‘MOBA members?
As a long time Heroes of Newerth and Dota 2 player, I can’t believe I give League of Legends its props.
Despite the huge dislike of the game and the changes it made to the Dota formula, there is no denying the impact it had not only on the industry but also on the birth of the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) genre.
Riot Games’ focus on delivering a more accessible experience, not only in terms of its free-to-play model but also its gaming mechanics, has helped capture an audience that many games can only dream of.
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5
Overwatch
Remember When Overwatch Won Game of the Year?
I remember when Overwatch was first announced and it was best described as a combination of Team Fortress 2 and League of Legends.
The concept of a superhero shooter was not new; also, Team Fortress 2 existed and was incredibly popular. Those heroes (I use the term loosely), however, had no personality or distinct flavor outside of their assigned roles.
Overwatch ups the ante by giving its heroes defined skills and abilities that are incredibly familiar to anyone who has played a MOBA. It’s the Blizzard formula to a T: pick a set type, craft and cool it, and make a profit.
4
The Hollow Knight
It’s Just Like Dark Souls!
On the surface, Hollow Knight is just a Dark Souls-inspired Metroidvania. Of course, that alone is enough to change the Metroidvania genre, which admittedly has been feeling out of date over the years.
In fact, however, Hollow Knight does so much to breathe life into both Metroidvanias and Soulslike that it has become its own thing. Granted, you could argue that Dark Souls itself is a Metroidvania, but when it comes to Hollow Knight, there’s a lot at stake.
The combination of a 2D side-scrolling experience, challenging combat, and a unique art style help it stand out from the competition. It’s irresistibly charming, drawing you in before it overwhelms you with its deep, complex, and engaging gameplay.
3
Dark Souls
Prepare for Death
Well, I might as well bring up Dark Souls now, right?
Dark Souls, along with other games described as Soulslike, are essentially 3D Metroidvanias that use difficulty as an artificial way to keep players away from certain areas. And it’s not the first time we’ve seen a video game embrace difficulty as a mechanic.
Before Dark Souls, however, no game did this well. Some say Demon’s Souls did it first, but I’d argue that FruitorySoftware took things too slow there. Dark Souls struck a balance of difficulty and accessibility; nothing seems overly wrong or frustrating, you just need to “get gud.”
2
Vampire Survivors
Forever Fighting the Undead
I’m a millennial, so you better believe I love old school twin stick shooters. There is something very satisfying about the chaos and intrigue that goes into it. Geometry Wars is one of my favorite Xbox 360 games, after all.
That being said, seeing Vampire Survivors revitalize the genre while bringing something new and fresh warms my heart. Instead of using the traditional style of twin-stick shooters, Vampire Survivors is an auto-shooter; your character ignites automatically.
This means there’s plenty of time to not only focus on navigating through hordes of enemies, but also on optimizing your build, as the game also includes rogue elements.
1
Flee to Tarkov
Technically, the takedown shooter started with some elements from Tom Clancy’s The Division. That wasn’t the point of The Division, however, and with Escape from Tarkov, that’s the whole name of the game.
The goal here is simple: team up with friends, enter the map, complete the objectives, and get out alive with your good fortune. However, the catch is that when you die, you lose everything. That’s all well and good, but there’s a PVP twist here, too; other human players can help you or betray you and actually steal your loot.
Without Tarkov, there would be no ARC raiders. We would be missing out on one of the best natural gaming experiences we’ve ever had.
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