As a seasoned gamer who’s been around since the mid-90s, I can attest to the evolution of gaming and how some games paved the way for others. Let me take you on a journey through time, starting with the enchanting world of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, a game that harkens back to the glory days of Suikoden. While the story might not have struck a chord like its predecessor, the overall experience is far superior, thanks to modern advancements and the passion of the team behind it. The combat has been expanded, quality of life improvements abound, and you can truly feel the heart that defined these classic JRPGs. It’s a breath of fresh air in a sea of generic games, and I believe it’s just the beginning of something great.
Showing admiration by copying someone else’s work is often seen as the most sincere form of compliment. This principle has been consistently observed throughout various phases of artistic evolution. Whether we’re talking about visual arts like paintings, auditory arts such as music, or even cinematic and digital arts like movies and video games, emulating masters within a specific genre has typically proven beneficial, as long as it’s executed skillfully.
In the realm of video games, it’s sometimes challenging to distinguish between imitation and innovation, as blatant copies may be overlooked, but unique concepts, born from creative minds, tend to make a significant impact and differentiate themselves from others.
We’re going to check out some games that created something even better than their inspirations did.
10 Sleeping Dogs
True Crime: Streets of LA
The game titled “Sleeping Dogs” is among the top-notch ones in its category, and it’s an undeniable truth. In many ways, it can be seen as a reincarnation of the overlooked True Crime series. What sets it apart is its raw, innovative approach, offering some of the most impressive hand-to-hand combat scenes ever featured in a game.
In this game, you assume the role of a covert police officer with a dual objective: dismantling a powerful Triad organization while simultaneously earning their trust. The bulk of the action involves completing tasks assigned by your superiors in the police force and the very gang you’re trying to infiltrate.
This unique back and forth brings to mind stories from films like The Departed and its executed masterfully here, with a great main character in Wei Shen to carry along the proceedings.
Combat is a mix of melee and gun fighting, but the melee is definitely the main event.
In Sleeping Dogs, they’ve upgraded the combat system from Arkham games, and what makes it even more exciting is that you can perform deadly attacks not just in hand-to-hand combat, but also by utilizing your surroundings for lethal takedowns as well.
In this game, there’s a multitude of actions to discover and gruesome finishes to execute, each one carrying an intense, realistic feel.
Sleeping Dogs boasts a fantastic Asian cast featuring notable personalities such as Lucy Liu, which added a fresh and uncommon touch to the game’s characters, given that such representation was scarce in the industry back then.
The updated edition boasts enhanced graphics and quality-of-life improvements, making it an ideal moment for you to dive in!
9 Lost Odyssey
Final Fantasy
| Release Date: | February 12th, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Developer: | Mistwalker |
The Lost Odyssey” is an enduring JRPG released in 2007, marking a period when the JRPG genre was gradually descending from its peak popularity during the mid to late 1990s.
The game was developed by Mistwalker, a studio that brought on several former Final Fantasy team members to craft what they hoped would become the next legendary Japanese Role-Playing Game (JRPG), all the while ensuring they steered clear of any copyright issues during production.
The result is a far more faithful game to the Final Fantasy game than Final Fantasy 13 ever was.
It operates on a turn-by-turn basis, shares a captivating magical system, and boasts colorful, engaging characters – with the exception of the kids, who lack appeal.
The story itself is very solid as well, involving immortals who have lost their memory and their interactions with humans throughout the ages.
The game featured common elements like random encounters, dungeons, and large final bosses, which wasn’t the standard back then. However, given its unique retro charm, it served as an enjoyable throwback to those times.
One delightful aspect of “Lost Odyssey” remains its enduring appeal, making it a classic JRPG worth experiencing for any enthusiast of the role-playing game genre today.
8 Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenogears/Xenosaga
Xenoblade Chronicles serves as a spiritual sequel to the Xenogears and Xenosaga series, surpassing them in nearly all aspects.
Despite the fact that I hold Xenogears close to my heart, it didn’t garner the same level of widespread popularity as its spiritual successor, Xenoblade Chronicles.
To start with, it’s a completed game offering an expansive open world for exploration, which was significantly larger than any other JRPG at its initial release and could be considered immense.
In this adventure, you journey alongside Shulk and a few comrades as you traverse the realms of Bionis and Mechonis on a quest to defeat the enigmatic Mechon. This tale is brimming with unexpected events, captivating twists, and moments that have left their mark in the annals of JRPG lore.
In this new installment, the gameplay deviates significantly from past Xeno series, featuring a real-time battle system similar to MMOs, rather than the traditional turn-based role-playing games (RPGs).
As a consequence, the game earned several Game of the Year accolades and gave rise to a three-part series, each of which followed was a critically acclaimed and highly successful title in its own league.
As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but draw parallels between the narrative of Xenoblade Chronicles and the foundational themes of Xenogears from 1998. Remarkably, it continues to uphold that rich legacy, ensuring its enduring relevance in the evolving world of gaming.
7 Bioshock
System Shock
In essence, Bioshock can be seen as a spiritual follow-up to System Shock, and it surpassed its forerunner in almost every aspect.
A whole ten years following the initial release of the System Shock series, Bioshock emerged, building upon the concepts presented in System Shock and refining them within a submerged dystopian city named Rapture.
In essence, the ideas and motifs found in Bioshock draw partially from its precursor series, but System Shock did not achieve the same level of popularity as Bioshock. It’s quite common to find Bioshock listed among the greatest games ever made, and this recognition is well-deserved.
The unique mix of special abilities, brutal combat and fascinating exploration is the perfect medley of gameplay, and the world of Rapture is one of gaming’s most fascinating places to visit.
6 Unicorn Overlord
Ogre Battle
Out of the blue, Unicorn Overlord emerged as one of the highest-rated games of 2024, achieving this feat by drawing inspiration from classic games of yesteryears.
In simpler terms, the gameplay pattern of Unicorn Overlord resembles a spiritual sequel to Ogre Battle, both sharing a method where players issue orders to their units during battle and observe the action unfold on the screen.
Unicorn Overlord takes that system to a whole other level. The beautiful graphics fuel the experience, but there’s so much more.
As a dedicated gamer, I find immense satisfaction in a sophisticated control mechanism that grants me the power to finely tune my characters’ responses to any conceivable situation on the battlefield. This intricate system offers an immersive experience reminiscent of the comprehensive evolution of ideas first introduced in Ogre Battle during the mid-nineties, leaving me feeling like I’m part of a truly dynamic and complex strategy game.
Back in ’93, I stumbled upon a game that felt like it came straight from the future – Ogre Battle. It was truly revolutionary, and soon enough, other games started to follow in its mighty footsteps.
The game Unicorn Overlord draws inspiration from other titles, yet manages to carve out its own identity with original concepts and a distinctive visual style that sets it apart.
This franchise is among the top-notch newcomers in the JRPG/Strategy RPG genre, and we’re eagerly anticipating its future developments.
5 Dark Souls
Demon’s Souls
Dark Souls, undeniably one of the most significant games in contemporary gaming, can trace its roots back to Demon’s Souls. This title, though not as widely recognized as its successor, was a challenging yet engaging masterpiece created by FromSoftware in 2009. However, it didn’t achieve the same level of popularity as its sequel did.
Dark Souls built upon the concepts and overall visual style of Demon’s Souls, making it more accessible for a broader audience by adjusting its complexity level slightly.
The difficulty was still a culture shock, but Dark Souls had a pull that improved upon what Demon’s Souls built.
In a different yet similar vein when it comes to narrative structure, the game Dark Souls employs a cryptic storytelling method that is increasingly popular in top-tier games of today. Moreover, the combat style reminiscent of Dark Souls, with its measured and thoughtful approach, has solidified itself as a recurring element in gaming experiences.
In some respects, “Demon’s Souls” was exceptional; however, “Dark Souls” truly excelled and ignited a passion for gaming among countless players worldwide.
4 Lies of P
Bloodborne
Despite Bloodborne‘s status as one of FromSoftware’s most notable accomplishments, requests for a follow-up have gone unanswered. However, undeterred by this silence, gifted game developers worldwide have been busy adapting their creative energies.
The result is Lies of P, a haunting rendition of the story of Pinocchio that screams Bloodborne everywhere you look. The decrepit city you begin the game in feels like Yarnham to start.
Additionally, you’ll encounter a rather eerie, mechanically-toned female character assisting you in your progression, and peculiar, unsettling events unfold throughout the environment, reminiscent of the strange occurrences found in the game “Bloodborne“.
It’s not surprising that their game was influenced significantly by FromSoftware’s great work. Yet, it seems they underestimated the quality their own game would ultimately achieve.
In numerous aspects, “Lies of P” stands out as a more exceptional game. It excels in combat diversity, which is truly remarkable. Additionally, its narrative and plot twists are fortunately clear and engaging.
The overall product is tighter, with the same highs and fewer lows, and we may be seeing the new king of the souls-like in the form of the amazing talents at Neowiz.
3 Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Suikoden
As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve been eagerly waiting for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, mainly because of its stellar pedigree. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint!
In the vein of being a spiritual successor to Suikoden, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes aimed to revive the classic JRPG atmosphere in a fresh narrative, populated by numerous characters. Although the main story may not have resonated as strongly, the overall gameplay experience is significantly improved.
In recent updates, there are now more choices for battle strategies, and various user-friendly enhancements have been added – things that simply couldn’t be achieved during the heyday of Suikoden in the mid-90s.
The genuine emotion that permeates throughout the game “Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes” is a testament to its inspiration.
As you play, it’s clear that the game is drawing inspiration from the Suikoden series, a fact that was deliberate since team members who worked on this project had previously contributed to that franchise.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes may have some flaws, yet it manages to build upon its foundation and appears poised to establish a remarkable series on its own merit.
2 Assassin’s Creed
Prince of Persia
The Assassin’s Creed series has been a long-lasting phenomenon in the gaming world, but it wasn’t the initial game to be set in the past with a captivating character skilled in parkour and combat. In fact, the Prince of Persia was the trailblazer who excelled at this concept beforehand.
The Prince of Persia series received high praise, filling a unique gap in gaming that wasn’t addressed again until Assassin’s Creed stepped in to carry on the concept.
In the sequels of Assassin’s Creed, they raised the bar significantly, offering us breathtaking expanses to discover, enhanced fight mechanics for a more immersive experience, and captivating, film-quality narratives.
Ubisoft oversees not just one but two popular franchises: Prince of Persia and Assassin’s Creed. While the former has taken a back seat for the most part, the latter, Assassin’s Creed, remains successful even to this day.
1 Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Revolver
In the armory of Rockstar Games, Red Dead Redemption was hailed as the next blockbuster sensation. Many believed that it represented an entirely new series when it first appeared on the scene.
In essence, it should be noted that what we have here is effectively a spiritual follow-up to the less celebrated _Red Dead Revolver_, a third-person shooter that boasted some stylish slow-motion aspects in its combat, but didn’t share much of the grandeur that Rockstar’s iconic western opus is renowned for.
As a diehard fan, I must say that Red Dead Redemption II surpasses its spiritual forebearer in virtually every aspect. The narrative, combat mechanics, and character development are all significantly enhanced in this reimagining. The only element carried over from the original seems to be the slow-motion time control for sharpshooting, with the addition of a target marking system.
Reflecting on my past gaming experiences, revisiting the original Red Dead Revolver feels like stepping into a time machine. Compared to the legendary Red Dead Redemption series, it’s not quite up to par, but still, it serves as an engaging snapshot in video game history. I find myself enjoying the nostalgic trip down memory lane.
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2024-11-01 19:39