Every once in a while, a video game brings radical changes that influence the industry. Without proper execution or polish, however, a video game can be an utter disaster. We’ve seen it time and time again that a AAA game fails to appeal to gamers.
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The following video games are outliers that stood out for being ahead of their time. In some cases, video game consoles are also ahead of their time. We saw this with the SegaDreamcast,which released several revolutionary games. Although groundbreaking at release, these games may have missed the mark. These are ten'90s retro video gamesway ahead of their time.
10Shenmue
As the most expensive game to develop at its time of release,Shenmuecost approximately $70 million. It featured one of the first 3D open-worlds, and the amount of detail was astounding for its time. It also contained advanced gameplay mechanics like day and night shifts.
Not only wasShenmueahead of its time, but its platform the Sega Dreamcast was as well. Sega’s 128-bit video game console was poorly marketed, and withSony’s PlayStation 2 approaching,there was little room forShenmuein a flooded video game market.
9Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss
Look closely and you might see a resemblance toThe Elder Scrollsseries. This game released in 1992 and is the first 3D role-playing game to play in the first-person. Naturally, this game is non-linear and is an excellent dungeon simulator.
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To this day,Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyssserves as an influence for developers like Bethesda Softworks. The game sold 500,000 units, yet few people still talk about this game’s groundbreaking achievements. Suffice to say,Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abysswas way ahead of its time.
8Final Fantasy VII
This is a game that harnessed the originalPlayStation’spower, bringing graphics leagues ahead of concurrent games.Final Fantasy VIImade leaps for therole-playing genrewith an intriguing dystopian story. It’s one of those games that plays seamlessly, unlike any previous role-playing game.
Final Fantasy VIIbrings enough to the table to be considered ahead of its time. Not everyone played the original, but the remake has restored popularity forFinal Fantasy VII’s enormous map, soaring soundtrack, side quests, and dynamic characters.
7System Shock II
Despite being a game with lackluster sales numbers,System Shock IIwas later deemed to be a highly influential first-person shooter. WhySystem Shock IIwas a commercial failure is attributed to the game’s progressive design; it was way ahead of its time.System Shock IIinfluenced games likeBioShockandDeux Ex.BioShockwas also created by Irrational Gamesand is considered a spiritual successor.
6Trespasser
Trespasseris a hidden gem meant to be a sequel to 1997’sThe Lost World: Jurassic Parkfilm, which occurred beforeJurassic Park IIIreleased. Despite being lambasted by critics, it was an ambitious game.
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Trespasserwas expected to be revolutionary. The physics of the game needed polish, but the dinosaurs looked great. Also, it had top-notch textures making it an immersive game. It’s hard to ignoreTrespasser’s technical achievements, even though it was overhyped.
5Virtua Fighter
The originalVirtua Fighterwas released for the arcade but was later ported to consoles likeSega Saturn,Sega 32X, and PC. This was the first fighting game to contain 3D polygon graphics. The amount of depth provided inVirtua Fighterwas a leap for the genre. The game had high sales for arcade and Sega Saturn, even though it is considered ahead of other fighting games, and it’s time.
4F-Zero
This is a video game series that continually releases games ahead of their time. Arcade racing was previously the prevalent racing platform untilF-Zeroflipped the script with its competitive races. This surreal futuristic game set a new standard for racing games. In retrospect, it should have had a multiplayer mode, yet the game is still considered a racing phenomenon.
3Super Mario 64
When Mario made the jump to 3D, it was an innovative achievement for the franchise and gaming.Super Mario 64was a commercial successconsidered ahead of its time.It was one of the first games to shift a series from 2D to 3D. Free-flow motions were combined with a treasure trove of stages to give the game long-lasting appeal. Numerous games took influence fromSuper Mario 64, despite criticism for its wonky camera angles.
2StarCraft
WhileStarCraft II: Wings of Libertytook the best ofStarcraftand refined it into a masterpiece, the originalStarcraft was a blank slate.Starcraftis anRTS (real-time strategy)game that made the genre more competitive than seen before. The series is still widely recognized for being a mainstay of Esports.
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Starcraftwas remastered and re-released in 2017. The remaster contains the Brood War expansion with gameplay that still holds ups.
1Sonic Adventure
Sega’sSonic Adventureis yet another item on Sega Dreamcast’s long list of games ahead of their time. This was the first time thatSonic the Hedgehogmade the jump to 3D. It is considered a technical achievement, despite being a game with performance issues like frame rate. Had this game been as refined asSonic Adventure2, the Sega Dreamcast may have sold more systems. People still regard this as agreatSonicgame,but unfortunately, it was ahead of its time.
