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[Nottle]

I've wanted them to do this in another Zelda game, the new one looks like it totally could do it too with its weird sort of futuristic weapons. I want to be Link in fantasy Hyrule then learn I'm actually in a cyberpunk city or for there to be a big time skip or something. Top Ocarinas twist!

 

[Silver-tongued]

First thing that came to my mind.

Plotwise, Final Fantasy Tactics, although the game stays true to its genre all thru, the story shifts from "medieval political intrigue" to by the number "Stop ancient evil from destroying the world" near the end of the game.

I think the OP was asking for examples of genre/tonal shifts that were deliberate rather than the result of incompetent writing.

 

[More_Badass]

There's actually a recent game that did this perfectly. Marketing the game as one thing, even the trailer was completely misleading.

I'll put the name in spoiler tag:

Spoiler

Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist

 

[poodaddy]

I've wanted them to do this in another Zelda game, the new one looks like it totally could do it too with its weird sort of futuristic weapons. I want to be Link in fantasy Hyrule then learn I'm actually in a cyberpunk city or for there to be a big time skip or something. Top Ocarinas twist!

That....is a sound concept in general but would be utterly terrible for Zelda.

On topic: I'd love to see more games that delve into this type of thing if it's mechanically and literally coherent, but I wonder if that would inflate development time and cause budgetary concerns.

 

[playXray]

Just remembered Infiltrator, an oldie with a pretty obvious change of genres, divided in two distinct parts.

The first part puts you in the cockpit of a chopper:

The second is the infiltration mission on the ground, divided into the outside grounds, where you try to detect/avoid landmines and find a way into the base:

And the base interior, where you search the compound while avoiding guards, showing false papers to buy you some time, knock out guards or change uniform (Hitman style) to blend in better:

I mean there's a shit ton of these multi-genre old games, from computers to consoles and arcades, and they pretty much fit the topic, but they were kind of their own thing. Since those games were much simpler most of the time, you could basically pull off doing multiple games into one, and a lot of them were done pretty badly. Still, some of my most beloved oldies are multi-genre games.

Wow there's a blast from the past! I used to love this game when I was a kid.

Back to topic, I can only really think of examples that were advertised with the shift in genre, i.e. Fable 3 that turns into a King simulator at the end.

 

[Lord of Castamere]

Assuming it every releasing and doesn't get trapped in development hell because its becoming clearer by the day that deep sliver is ass, I hope saints row 5 does this to a greater degree. Like 4 already qualifies, it starts as a Gta clone and switched to pretty much Infamous. A huge departure, but it doesn't draw it out. I really want 5 to be marketed as the reboot people want then BAM superhero powers again and a huge twist in the story.

All in all, I would love for a game to attempt this in general.

 

[Odrion]

Does The Beginner's Guide count?

 

[petran79]

Savage comes to mind as well

First part is an action hack and slash platformer

second part is a 3D rail shooter

third part is a platform shooter/shmup where you control a flying hawk

 

[Auto-Reply]

If a movie does this I can enjoy it, they usually don't turn a comedy into a drama or slasher movie. That I would have serious problems with.

In games I can't stand it, but it's impossible to keep a secret in this day and age. Mentioning that a game changes radically halfway through in it's mechanics/genre is not a spoiler so it#s something I get to know before playing the game myself.

That said, I have yet to play Brutal Legend and I think this problem was overblown in Fable 3, or I hadn't too much of a problem with it there.

 

[Mdk7]

Yeah i would welcome something like that... But i think the marketing campaign to support the game would probably spoil the surprise using it as a selling point.

 

[Lagamorph]

No it doesn't, gameplay stayed the same no matter how dumb the story became.

OP wants games that start off as one genre and then change into something else.

Fahrenheit started as a murder mystery game then turned into a DBZ/Terminator crossover brawler.
How much more of a tonal shift can you get?

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Fahrenheit started as a murder mystery game then turned into a DBZ/Terminator crossover brawler.
How much more of a tonal shift can you get?

Gameplay was the same since it was all QTEs anyway.

 

[Deceitful-Fox]

I thought the movie was garbage so I dunno how I'd feel about a game pulling the same thing... A lot of games do sporadic genre swapping fairly well though.

 

[Dangansona]

A lot of people in this thread mistaking what OP is looking for with plot twists. Still, great post OP. I would be very interested to see something like this if the shift in genre matched a change in story.

 

[Plague Doctor]

There runs the risk of bait and switch with this type of story telling. With "From Dusk til Dawn", the marketing and even the cover art does let the viewer know the specific genre they are going for. With that said, the first half almost makes you forget its a horror movie at its core and that helps with the impact of the film. I absolutely love that the script doesn't reference or even really foreshadow the vampires until they show up, helping to drive home the point how unbelievable and left field this is to the main characters.

But, I can tell you if I pay money to see a horror film and it turns out to be a romantic love comedy, I'd be pissed. I am not saying its badwrongfun, but I am saying that it has to be handled with care and it needs to take into consideration why people are paying the price of admission.

 

[Acinixys]

A lot of people in this thread mistaking what OP is looking for with plot twists. Still, great post OP. I would be very interested to see something like this if the shift in genre matched a change in story.

I agree

FPS becomes tactical 3rd person RPG

Sounds like it could be fun

 

[Replicant]

Most Uncharted are like that.

 

[Roussow]

I've thought of one that kinda fits the bill, I don't know how to spoiler tag this, I'll just tag the game title and elaboration desperately. Game title:

Spoiler

Until Dawn

Spoiler filled elaboration:

Spoiler

I mean the games two initial threats are the serial killer (who's actually Josh), and the Flame Thrower Guy. Although the story eventually reveals that the real antagonists are the Wendigos, it's foreshadowed and heavily hinted at, but they're very purposely obscured until the back half of the game, it's a pretty great supernatural twist. It's still within the horror genre, but it's sold as a slasher film, and while it still mostly is, there's more to it than you were sold initially.

 

[Vlaphor]

I know it's not really related to video games, but it's kind of related to the topic, so...posted.

 

[shaowebb]

Didn't work out too well for Brutal Legend when the demo made folks think it was mainly gonna be action/platformer with exploration and it turned out to have a huge amount of Real Time Strategy stuff instead.

 

[MMaRsu]

So brutal legend but not ass

But brutal legend wasnt ass

 

[Spieler Eins]

The first Assassines Creed when no one knew about the future stuff?

 

[MMaRsu]

The first Assassines Creed when no one knew about the future stuff?

Everybody always knew about the future stuff tho

 

[watdaeff4]

Spoiler

Bloodborne

did it.

Not quite as drastically, but still. It was something no one saw coming, and it was received very well.

Came to post this

 

[Catalix]

I didn't say it did. I used Raiden as an example of something that is not a good example of what I'm talking about.

Yeah, a more appropriate example would be if MGS2 suddenly went full-on Metal Gear Rising. Which would include stuff like blade mode, cheesy butt rock (with vocals), and suplexing an army of Rays with QTEs.

 

[Hello? This is Hailun!]

Any one mention Actraiser?

 

[FoxSpirit]

Okay, okay, I hereby declare this thread: suggest me good multigenre titles that are not ancient. GO GO GO!!!
And man, I loved Actraiser.