The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
When I first heard about Dark Summit, I laughed... I thought THQ's Developer Scouting team were either drunk, or mentally unstable, yet the outcome, according to US critics, is that the game, which combines elements of strategy, adventure, action, snowboarding and stealth seems to have most PS2 and X-Box owners on the edge of their seat!
I don't know much about that game, and I doubt I’ll read up on it, and what I actually want to talk about is putting elements of different genres into games that don't seem right having them... I mean if someone said to you a year ago that they were thinking of a stealth/adventure snowboarding game, you'd think of Snake Solid or Lara Croft on a snowboard - which is exactly what we have, except for the character licenses!
I think that the looming 'stale-period' of gaming that would hit us in the summer of 2002 could be deleted by some of these games. Look at Pirates or Skull cove... it's not just an adventure game... like Skies of Arcadia it combines Strategy elements with other bits from the RPG and Adventure scene.
Maybe it's not mixing genres with other genres, but adding special something’s to games... this 'Nintendo Magic' might not be so exclusive to Nintendo after all, I mean look at Burnout... not exactly my ideal game, but the 'boosting' and the cinematic camera crashes made the game a pleasure to play... in general.
But still, I think that developers are realising that genres don't have to be separated like most Hollywood couples, and that mixing them can indeed prove to be a great asset to the gameplay! Dark Summit, GTA3 and a couple of other games seem to be starting a tend of multi-genre games... Agent Under Fire is another, as is SpyHunter. It’s not so surprising that the big publishers are plugging this... Even THQ have 'Roaming Mode' in Smackdown JBI, which isn't actually that bad! The more I think of how much genre-mixing would benefit some franchises, the more games I think of that actually have this feature! AUF and SpyHunter came to me in the blink of an eye!
Okay, so I don’t think Final Fantasy Racing would quite make it… but as with Jak and Daxter, Mini-Games and Mini-Missions can bring all sorts of features to a game, especially adventures and RPG’s! The Horse Race in Zelda, Koopa the Quick Race in Mario 64… there’s loads of ideas in the Banjo and Conker games!
Many people dream of the perfect game, and I bet out of all those dreams, there wasn’t one that stuck to just one genre! People go on about who’ll save the Future of Gaming, at the moment it doesn’t need saving… but I guarantee, that if it does… games like Agent Under Fire and Dark Summit will be the ones to do it!
Think about it…
Game
I don't know much about that game, and I doubt I’ll read up on it, and what I actually want to talk about is putting elements of different genres into games that don't seem right having them... I mean if someone said to you a year ago that they were thinking of a stealth/adventure snowboarding game, you'd think of Snake Solid or Lara Croft on a snowboard - which is exactly what we have, except for the character licenses!
I think that the looming 'stale-period' of gaming that would hit us in the summer of 2002 could be deleted by some of these games. Look at Pirates or Skull cove... it's not just an adventure game... like Skies of Arcadia it combines Strategy elements with other bits from the RPG and Adventure scene.
Maybe it's not mixing genres with other genres, but adding special something’s to games... this 'Nintendo Magic' might not be so exclusive to Nintendo after all, I mean look at Burnout... not exactly my ideal game, but the 'boosting' and the cinematic camera crashes made the game a pleasure to play... in general.
But still, I think that developers are realising that genres don't have to be separated like most Hollywood couples, and that mixing them can indeed prove to be a great asset to the gameplay! Dark Summit, GTA3 and a couple of other games seem to be starting a tend of multi-genre games... Agent Under Fire is another, as is SpyHunter. It’s not so surprising that the big publishers are plugging this... Even THQ have 'Roaming Mode' in Smackdown JBI, which isn't actually that bad! The more I think of how much genre-mixing would benefit some franchises, the more games I think of that actually have this feature! AUF and SpyHunter came to me in the blink of an eye!
Okay, so I don’t think Final Fantasy Racing would quite make it… but as with Jak and Daxter, Mini-Games and Mini-Missions can bring all sorts of features to a game, especially adventures and RPG’s! The Horse Race in Zelda, Koopa the Quick Race in Mario 64… there’s loads of ideas in the Banjo and Conker games!
Many people dream of the perfect game, and I bet out of all those dreams, there wasn’t one that stuck to just one genre! People go on about who’ll save the Future of Gaming, at the moment it doesn’t need saving… but I guarantee, that if it does… games like Agent Under Fire and Dark Summit will be the ones to do it!
Think about it…
Game
Your Honour wrote:
Genre mixing has been going on for a while, look at
> Deus Ex (a year or so old - mixing FPS and RPG to an extent).
Although, to be fair... thats only one success... classically muti-genre titles do flop...
Strategy-Action games are often seen as either too dependant on action to control events for strategy fans... and too complex for action fans to bother with...
Often the game buying public doesnt want to risk their hard-earned on a game that may very well be quite pants... ir maybe that they just dont like?
? There are so many individual genres that the
> current level of technology will allow us to have, so mixing them together seems
> the best idea.
I think your wrong man... the only limitation of gaming genres is that of our imaginations... and what distributers are willing to invest in...
Genre mixing has been going on for a while, look at
> Deus Ex (a year or so old - mixing FPS and RPG to an extent).
Although, to be fair... thats only one success... classically muti-genre titles do flop...
Strategy-Action games are often seen as either too dependant on action to control events for strategy fans... and too complex for action fans to bother with...
Often the game buying public doesnt want to risk their hard-earned on a game that may very well be quite pants... ir maybe that they just dont like?
? There are so many individual genres that the
> current level of technology will allow us to have, so mixing them together seems
> the best idea.
I think your wrong man... the only limitation of gaming genres is that of our imaginations... and what distributers are willing to invest in...
You make some good points, but one correction:
SPyHunter was an arcade game from years ago, so it's hardly a new idea...
Anyway, apart from that, it seems pretty spot on.
Genre mixing has been going on for a while, look at Deus Ex (a year or so old - mixing FPS and RPG to an extent).
I think that genre mixing is the way to g. There are so many individual genres that the current level of technology will allow us to have, so mixing them together seems the best idea.
Look at music for an idea of how it could work:
You mix rock and rap, you get nu-metal.
You mix rap and dance, you get Garage.
You mix dance and inde, you get the Happy Mondays (yes, I did watch that programme on Channel 4 last night, and damn interesting it was to!).
Anyway, I digress. Mixing genres is good, it is the only way to keep the industry from growing stale.
More of it, if you please!
SPyHunter was an arcade game from years ago, so it's hardly a new idea...
Anyway, apart from that, it seems pretty spot on.
Genre mixing has been going on for a while, look at Deus Ex (a year or so old - mixing FPS and RPG to an extent).
I think that genre mixing is the way to g. There are so many individual genres that the current level of technology will allow us to have, so mixing them together seems the best idea.
Look at music for an idea of how it could work:
You mix rock and rap, you get nu-metal.
You mix rap and dance, you get Garage.
You mix dance and inde, you get the Happy Mondays (yes, I did watch that programme on Channel 4 last night, and damn interesting it was to!).
Anyway, I digress. Mixing genres is good, it is the only way to keep the industry from growing stale.
More of it, if you please!
Genre mixing has worked to make a great GBA game aswell. It doesn't have 32bit graphics but it's good enough for me. Wario Land 4 is an RPG / Platformer game and has worked very well.
Another great RPG / Platformer for the good old SNES was Actraiser, anyone remember that?
Another great RPG / Platformer for the good old SNES was Actraiser, anyone remember that?
I think we are approaching the time when genre mixing is actually starting to work. Adventure games will be especially improved by a greater variety of gameplay. We are seeing glimpses of this already.
:D
I agree completely... good post... it SHOULD get quite a good response! :D
When I first heard about Dark Summit, I laughed... I thought THQ's Developer Scouting team were either drunk, or mentally unstable, yet the outcome, according to US critics, is that the game, which combines elements of strategy, adventure, action, snowboarding and stealth seems to have most PS2 and X-Box owners on the edge of their seat!
I don't know much about that game, and I doubt I’ll read up on it, and what I actually want to talk about is putting elements of different genres into games that don't seem right having them... I mean if someone said to you a year ago that they were thinking of a stealth/adventure snowboarding game, you'd think of Snake Solid or Lara Croft on a snowboard - which is exactly what we have, except for the character licenses!
I think that the looming 'stale-period' of gaming that would hit us in the summer of 2002 could be deleted by some of these games. Look at Pirates or Skull cove... it's not just an adventure game... like Skies of Arcadia it combines Strategy elements with other bits from the RPG and Adventure scene.
Maybe it's not mixing genres with other genres, but adding special something’s to games... this 'Nintendo Magic' might not be so exclusive to Nintendo after all, I mean look at Burnout... not exactly my ideal game, but the 'boosting' and the cinematic camera crashes made the game a pleasure to play... in general.
But still, I think that developers are realising that genres don't have to be separated like most Hollywood couples, and that mixing them can indeed prove to be a great asset to the gameplay! Dark Summit, GTA3 and a couple of other games seem to be starting a tend of multi-genre games... Agent Under Fire is another, as is SpyHunter. It’s not so surprising that the big publishers are plugging this... Even THQ have 'Roaming Mode' in Smackdown JBI, which isn't actually that bad! The more I think of how much genre-mixing would benefit some franchises, the more games I think of that actually have this feature! AUF and SpyHunter came to me in the blink of an eye!
Okay, so I don’t think Final Fantasy Racing would quite make it… but as with Jak and Daxter, Mini-Games and Mini-Missions can bring all sorts of features to a game, especially adventures and RPG’s! The Horse Race in Zelda, Koopa the Quick Race in Mario 64… there’s loads of ideas in the Banjo and Conker games!
Many people dream of the perfect game, and I bet out of all those dreams, there wasn’t one that stuck to just one genre! People go on about who’ll save the Future of Gaming, at the moment it doesn’t need saving… but I guarantee, that if it does… games like Agent Under Fire and Dark Summit will be the ones to do it!
Think about it…
Game
I don't know much about that game, and I doubt I’ll read up on it, and what I actually want to talk about is putting elements of different genres into games that don't seem right having them... I mean if someone said to you a year ago that they were thinking of a stealth/adventure snowboarding game, you'd think of Snake Solid or Lara Croft on a snowboard - which is exactly what we have, except for the character licenses!
I think that the looming 'stale-period' of gaming that would hit us in the summer of 2002 could be deleted by some of these games. Look at Pirates or Skull cove... it's not just an adventure game... like Skies of Arcadia it combines Strategy elements with other bits from the RPG and Adventure scene.
Maybe it's not mixing genres with other genres, but adding special something’s to games... this 'Nintendo Magic' might not be so exclusive to Nintendo after all, I mean look at Burnout... not exactly my ideal game, but the 'boosting' and the cinematic camera crashes made the game a pleasure to play... in general.
But still, I think that developers are realising that genres don't have to be separated like most Hollywood couples, and that mixing them can indeed prove to be a great asset to the gameplay! Dark Summit, GTA3 and a couple of other games seem to be starting a tend of multi-genre games... Agent Under Fire is another, as is SpyHunter. It’s not so surprising that the big publishers are plugging this... Even THQ have 'Roaming Mode' in Smackdown JBI, which isn't actually that bad! The more I think of how much genre-mixing would benefit some franchises, the more games I think of that actually have this feature! AUF and SpyHunter came to me in the blink of an eye!
Okay, so I don’t think Final Fantasy Racing would quite make it… but as with Jak and Daxter, Mini-Games and Mini-Missions can bring all sorts of features to a game, especially adventures and RPG’s! The Horse Race in Zelda, Koopa the Quick Race in Mario 64… there’s loads of ideas in the Banjo and Conker games!
Many people dream of the perfect game, and I bet out of all those dreams, there wasn’t one that stuck to just one genre! People go on about who’ll save the Future of Gaming, at the moment it doesn’t need saving… but I guarantee, that if it does… games like Agent Under Fire and Dark Summit will be the ones to do it!
Think about it…
Game