Summary
Among the many things that video games and movies have in common is that genres tend to boom and bust over time.Just as the Westerndominated the 50s before dying off in the late 60s, some video game genres have come and gone, seeing their popularity fluctuate over the years. Sometimes it’s due to changing market conditions, and other times it’s due to overexposure.
Whatever the case may be, it’s time for some of these genres to shine again. Whether it’s the beautiful animation of cinematic platformers that games likeAnother Worldperfected or the silly brilliance of FMV games likePhantasmagoria, these genres have been quiet for too long and need a resurrection of sorts.
1FMV Games
Impressive Mix Of Live-Action Actors And Gameplay Needs A Comeback
Full-motion videogames dominated the 1990s, thanks in large part to titles likePhantasmagoriaandThe 7th Guest, but issues with the price of technology and hardware limitations caused them to dwindle in popularity. While games likeHarvester, a sinister exploration of the dark side of humanity, and the absurdMTV’s Club Deadshowcased the sillier side of this outrageous genre.
These days, true-to-form FMV games of the era are a rarity. It’s a style of game that would do well today, as the underpowered hardware of the 90s doesn’t factor in and the types of stories this unique genre could explore today would be outstanding to see. The mix of live actors and interactive gameplay is a compelling mash-up, and it could be a blast seeing some of the industry’s most charismatic stars in a surge of FMV games.
2Puzzle Platformers
Compelling Blend Of Puzzles And Platform Mechanics Could Return
While 2D platformers in the style ofMarioandSonicare alive and well, the puzzle platformer hasn’t been so lucky. It’s a shame, as older titles likeLode RunnerandThe Lost Vikingsproved just how innovative this unique mix of puzzles and platforming can be. It’s a genre that uses succinct game mechanics that influence movement and player progression, as evidenced by games likePopeyefrom 1982 andBurger Timethe same year.
It had a brief moment in the sun after the success ofFezandBraidin the 2010s, but games in this style haven’t been heard from in a long time. The prospect of placing a player in a 2D environment, thentasking them with solving puzzles, and giving them unique traversal mechanics to do so is fascinating, as it all tends to be isolated to a single screen instead of a scrolling level. Recently, games likeCaptain Toad: Treasure Trackerhave brought elements of the puzzle platformer into the modern era, but it’s well past time for a more triumphant return.
3Six Degrees Of Freedom Shooters
Satisfying Flight Systems Have Powered Some Fantastic Games
The six degrees of freedom shooter, colloquially known as 6DOF, saw some landmark releases in the form ofDescentandForsakenin the late 1990s. While most games of the era limited control to three degrees, the ability to move forward, backward, up, and down, 6DOF games are arguably more immersive. It’s a spectacular control scheme for a game, as granting access to the entirety of movement within any 3D environment is a blast to experience.
These days, 6DOF shooters are a rarity, save for a remaster ofForsakenand an original title calledOverloadin 2018, whilegames like 2019’sOuter Wildsincorporate the control scheme into its design. It’s a perfect fit for contemporary times, as its potential for VR headsets feels unmatched. This free-flowing style of ship combat is deeply missed today, as it would be a perfect fit for not only original IPs but aStar WarsorStar Trekgame as well.
4Text-Based Adventure Games
Minimalist Genre Could Spark The Imaginations Of Players Again
Beginning in earnest in the 1960s and 70s, with one of the earliest examples beingColossal Cave Adventure,the text-based gametruly started to find its voice with titles likeZorkandStarcrossfrom developers Infocom. Later titles, likeSpider and Web, as well asPhotopia, solidified the genre even further, but it was unable to challenge the advent of visuals and was a difficult style of game to market to mass audiences.
It has seen some honest attempts at a revival recently, with standout titles likeA Dark Room, a text-based web browser game about survival in a harsh world.80 Days, a 2014 adventure game developed by Inkle, also attempted to do its part by spicing up the visual component, but this niche genre is still in need of massive success to convince more developers to try their hand at it. As it stands, the text-adventure game remains one of the industry’s long-lost missed opportunities.
5Rail Shooters
Thrilling Shooters From The Past Could Influence New Generation Of Rail Shooters
Born from the thrilling spectacle of Yu Suzuki’sSpace Harrier, the rail shooter mostly existed on the bleeding edge of the technology that powered it at any given time. Titles likeStar Fox 64andPanzer Dragoonutilized 3D technology in amazing ways by creating worlds that looked so unlike anything else in the industry. As time went on, the popularity of the rail shooter sharply declined, while incredible games likeSin & Punishment: Star SuccessorandResident Evil: The Darkside Chroniclescame and went.
Recently,the rail shooter well hasrun dry and tends to show up occasionally on the indie scene as games like Ex-Zodiac, which draws strong influence from the originalStar Fox. It’s a genre that has been largely forgotten, with the last major release being 2013’sCrimson Dragon. It’s long overdue for a revival, as new technology would make this already spectacular style of game even more exciting.
6First-Person Dungeon Crawler
Classic Genre From Gaming’s History Is Overdue For Return
A lot of today’s most popular games, includingFromSoftware’s unique breed ofaction RPGs andShin Megami Tenseifrom Atlus, have roots in the first-person dungeon crawler. Both of them started in these confines, as games likeKing’s FieldandArx Fatalisfrom Arkane were among some of the best that the genre had to offer.
It got a slight boost thanks to 2012’sLegend of Grimrock, as well as its sequel in 2014. But in terms of being a widespread, mainstream genre, the dungeon crawler has been relegated to the cavernous hallways that its players explore. More recently, titles likeLunacidandMonomythhave done their part to bring this unique style of RPG back to the forefront and it’s time for a big-budget, AAA attempt at this classic genre.
7Cinematic Platformers
Realistic Take On Platformers Could Be The Industry’s Next Big Thing
While the platform genretends to focus on more traditional fiction settings, such as horror and fantasy, the cinematic platformer is built around realistic animation and more lifelike physics. It was codified by some of the industry’s greatest games, including the sci-fi epicAnother Worldand the seminalPrince of Persiafrom 1989. In recent times, the promise of more cinematic platformers seems to happen more than actual releases, as the troubled development of games likeThe Last Nighthas shown.
Like so many of the industry’s more forgotten genres, the cinematic platformer would benefit greatly from the advancements in hardware and technology. It’s built on smooth, realistic animations and how those react to the stringent physics in place, something that modern games aspire to in many ways. Reviving this long-dormant genre is something that would do the industry a bit of good, as seeing more titles in the style of classics likeHeart of DarknessandBlackthornewould be a treat.
