We all like to bicker about the lack of anything new in our media. Whether that is movies, music, or in our case, video games. In time, every idea becomes boring, old game mechanics stop bringing joy, and we begin thinking there is just nothing that can surprise us. It’s not like game developers don’t know this, – they try something new almost with every game they make – but not everything works.
While subtle changes in the mechanics, or tweaking the balance may improve on the overall feel of the game, they become boring half an hour in. Introducing new characters, locations, or story elements may help too, but when the gameplay is lacking novelty, it doesn’t matter either. When small things don’t work anymore, it’s time to sit down and create something special.
There are times when game developers fail miserably, introducing something so outrageous it only alienates the players (looking at you, pee mushrooms from Death Stranding). However, sometimes they outdo themselves and come up with something truly unique, not only improving on the old formula but actually creating a new one that affects generations of games after.
It’s these special games which we call ‘revolutionary’.
