Much like Hollywood, the gaming industry loves to trot out some classics in a repackaged HD service, for a whole new generation of gamers to experience. And don’t get us wrong, because we like totally do love to see generic games from yesteryear resurrected! But seeing as how we’re so massively influential in the industry, we’ve got some suggestions here games that deserve a second chance.
Plus, we’ve got hostages. So get get cracking already, gaming industry.
Omikron: The Nomad Soul
Featuring a wowie-bowie soundtrack, awkward sex scenes and an unusual method of combat, this was the open-world game to own on the cusp of a new millennium. A massive city (for its time), a mind-bending story and a unique reincarnation system that made death a liability instead of a actual game-ending problem, resulted in one trippy title.
But it’s the merger of genres that really made O:TNS stand out. Primarily an adventure game, there were DNA strands of combat, puzzle and first-person shooting presenting, creating one complete, if sometimes wobbly, package.
Now imagine that idea, but with all the advances of sandbox games that have arrived in the last decade since it’s release, and the power that developer Quantic Dreams have dabbled with in recent years, and you’d have one solid reboot or sequel on the table.
Shadowman
If there’s one genre that has proven to have savagely loyal fans recently, it’s got to be the field of Horror games. Dead Space has proven that frights and chills can be a marketable experience, and what could be scarier than some Voodoo action mixed in with tight action and dimension-crossing thrills?
The Deadside is just waiting to be revisited, an ample playground of shock and awe that is crawling with the worst that the underworld has to offer. And with a great story behind it, such as the original tragic tale of Michael LeRoi from the 1999 game, this take on stopping the unstoppable could help salvage the horror genre, but expertly blending accessible action with genuine scares.
Outcast
Set in the distant future, in the year 2007, in a parallel dimension in which one lone and plucky US Marine with the manliest of names, Cutter Slade, had to travel into, in order to stop the earth from being destroyed by an expanding black hole, with,er, sciencey stuff. Did Michael Bay write the script for this game?
Moving on, at the time that it was released, Outcast was pretty much ahead of its time in all fields. Voxalicious texture-mapping gameplay engine with a touch of ray-casting thrown in? Oh yeah, that was there. Enemy AI that didn’t rely on gambling to see whether you would run out of ammo before they ran out of disposable agents? Check and check!
And did I mention that Outcast had an orchestral soundtrack to go with it? Those were only reserved for the big guns in gaming y’know. And seeing how the gaming industry just loves to throw some scratch at big games with even bigger ideas, this could be the title that would finally require a raid on Scrooge McDucks massive vault.
Sadly, a sequel was in development, but was scuppered when developer Appeal went bust, leaving the fate of the game in the hands of a fan collective and some Crysis engine modding. I’ve got faith in them to make something worthwhile, but with a project this big, you need all the resources available.
Freelancer
I’m a huge fan of Space flight and exploration games, and back in the day, Freelancer scratched that itch for me, like a diamond-coated back-scratcher. Since then, space sim and flight games have been non-existent, with EVE Online dominating the strategy side of that genre by creating an environment that suits chartered accountants.
But man, how awesome would it be to once again set forth in a wide open galaxy, to explore the unknown, to boldly go where no man has gone since the year 2000? That’s one game that I’d love to take part in, that’s for sure.
With social networking being huge these days, the potential to create a game that made full use of such aspects, along with a massive galaxy to explore on your lonesome, or with friends, would be huge indeed.
Imagine entering uncharted space that was home to hostile forces from the other side of the globe, a free for all nebula perhaps, combined with safe zones in which players can trade and do business, while upgrading their ships, or perhaps even gaining access to massive cruisers that would take more than one player to pilot.
Hot damn, I need this kind of game now!
Monster Truck Madness
Because monster trucks, screw you and VROOOOOOOOOOOM! VRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! I SAY!
Last Updated: July 2, 2012
