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[Men_in_Boxes]

Innovation in gaming used to matter.

To some of us...it still does.

What game, released in the last 5 years, do you think holds the mantle as "most innovative". My vote goes to...

 

[intbal]

High on Life.

A wide range of creative world traversal techniques that you must learn and use to get around, and none of them is parkour.

 

[Vandole]

The Outer Wilds actually came out more than 5 years ago.

 

[Antwix]

I know it's probably like 6 or 7 years by now but probably PUBG. Last 5 years....? Uhhh... nothing really comes to mind. Maybe Vampire Survivors.

 

[T4keD0wN]

This will turn into a Starfield joke thread...

Spoiler

Its HL Alyx or Vampire Survivors btw

 

[Sunkrest]

I really can't think of anything. It's all stale to the bone. Even indies.

 

[Sgt. Pinback]

The only choice for real men:

 

[xanaum]

Five Hearts Under One Roof

 

[Grizzled Ghost]

Tough question.

Hi-Fi Rush, maybe?

Before Your Eyes?

 

[StreetsofBeige]

 

[DoubleClutch]

Death Stranding was very innovative. Innovation doesn’t have to mean very good though.

 

[pnutboy]

Death Stranding

 

[Effigenius]

Has to be Skull and Bones. Still the only quadruple A game we’ve had.

 

[Larxia]

Innovative... I'm not sure.
I think the most impressive game in the last 5 years is Baldur's Gate 3, but it's not really "innovative", unless you count making something of this quality and amount of content innovative (which kind of is these days... lol). Otherwise it's mostly things that existed before but all packed together and pushed to a high level.

 

[Fbh]

Damn I thought it would be one of your usual threads praising GAAS, not only was I wrong but Outer Wilds would also be my vote.

To me it was a top 5 game from last gen

 

[TropicanaTwista]

Maybe Returnal? I get it's not a new concept but brought rougelike into an AAA space. Even the fast twitch movement in a tps and the way shooting works with the triggers, half way for regular shoot and all the way down for special.

Idk, nothing really comes to mind but I feel like that's the closest I've played that felt unique from what else is out there

 

[HRK69]

Dreams

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Balatro or Vampire Survivors.

 

[Roberts]

Grounded

 

[Robb]

Half-Life: Alyx comes to mind for me.

More recently, Balatro.

 

[NeverYouMind]

Control is my pick. It does stuff that blew my lid like when I first tried Dead Rising on Xbox 360 and could pick up any object and use it.

 

[Rocinante618]

AAA? Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom combined & Alyx (although this game is severely inaccessible to most gamers). Deathloop had nicely weaved roguelike into the narrative supported by cool gameplay. Elden Ring pretty much perfected the souls formula.

Several indies were really innovative, Vampire Survivors, Neon White, Among Us, Teardown, Rollerdrome, Sifu, Animal Well, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes.

 

[FoxMcChief]

The only choice for real men:

Might have to agree here.

 

[od-chan]

Noita

but that’s like 5 years and 5 months

 

[Bonfires Down]

Finland Simulator My Summer Car

 

[Cakeboxer]

Twelve Minutes
Vampire Survivors

 

[LectureMaster]

In terms of innovation, this one has to be mentioned.

And thanks to COVID, the game was scalped over $100 for months.

 

[hemo memo]

Innovative? Hmm. That's a hard one. Chicory: A Colorful Tale, I guess?

 

[pudel]

Most innovation happened on the monetization front imho.

games wise....yep, that must have been "battle royal" concept....but thats longer than five years ago. To come up with something completely new and which blows everyone out of their minds becomes harder and harder over time....i can understand that.

 

[existensmaximum]

I guess Tears of the Kingdom.. I don't think it's mind-blowing though, it's a good game with some big flaws. And I don't think the building-stuff added much to the game but it sure was innovative even if it made the game feel like a tech demo or something.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Dreams

I'm going with this as well.

Too bad Sony didn't know how to market it and creations were pretty much locked to the game on Playstation (outside of audio/music, digital art and video animations).

 

[cormack12]

Returnal
Hades
Battlefield 2042
Dark and Darker
Stardew Valley
Sea of Stars
TotK


Didn't check dates on all and not all delivered but tried to name some diff ones

 

[CartesianMan]

TotK achieved something amazing by making the world feel like your playground, but I still prefer Breath of the Wild. The package was clearer and more focused.

 

[midasmulligan]

Half Life Alyx

 

[Salmonboy]

 

[Warablo]

Baldurs Gate 3 for making tactical turn rpg popular again.

 

[Achelexus]

How is it innovative? There are 10 indie roguelike deck-builder games being released each week in these past few years. This one isn't even featuring an original concept, since Poker is extremely old.

 

[Sooner]

Sea of Stars

I'm trying to think of a game that's less revolutionary.

Its entire premise is "it's just like those games you loved from 30 years ago". And it's just the latest in a huge line of those.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Death Stranding, Disco Elysium, Kingdom's Come

 

[RaduN]

Death Stranding

/thread

 

[fart town usa]

Rise of the Ronin. At its core, it's a new type of JRPG.

Clearly there are more innovative games that I'm not aware of, but the brilliance of ROTR was lost on 99% of gamers due to lazy Souls comparisons and horse animations.

 

[HogIsland]

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

 

[PurePlatinum]

Death Stranding is a really good pick. Kojima went from making a game about standing still, fun, to making a game about walking slowly across barren landscapes fun.

 

[ReBurn]

Concord. It was so innovative Sony had to take it back until humanity is ready.

 

[TintoConCasera]

I'd say it's Half-Life: Alyx, really felt like being inside the game.

 

[Soapbox Killer]

SuperHot Vr

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

I'd say it's Half-Life: Alyx, really felt like being inside the game.

I never got a chance to play this but that level of interactivity is wild. This has to be a Mario 64 moment to play.

 

[Bond007]

Well, Death Stranding is on my mind since i'm wrapping that up now for the first time.
Its different and sits in its own genre. Cant think of much in recent years that is this new at this scale.

Ive enjoyed it alot

 

[Magic Carpet]

Quest 3
Pancake lenses, inside out tracking, no cables, 2 hours of battery.
And all the games that were able to squish down to fit on such low powered hardware.

 

[Topher]

Hardspace: Shipbreaker. You have to breakdown space crafts of different types using cutting and grav tools while in zero g. Lots of systems to be aware of such a reactors, compressed compartments, power generators, fuel tanks. Have to manage your oxygen supply, tool repairs, thruster fuel, etc. There is a lot going on in this game.