6 Games That Were Ahead of Their Time When They Were Released

It's easier in hindsight to appreciate games that were ahead of their time, as it's not always easy to recognize when a game is doing something groundbreaking the first time you play it after it's been released. With other games, you can tell right away when you first play it that it's doing something revolutionary for the industry.

Looking back over the last decades of game releases, there are some titles that stick out as being ahead of their time, whether it's because of the mechanics used for gameplay or the way the story is told. Discussing these trailblazing games is a great reminder regarding how taking risks when developing a game can result in a great payoff.

6 System Shock

Redefining What Horror Can Be

In the early years of gaming, you didn't see nearly as many horror games. Part of this stems from the narrative limitations of early hardware, especially when horror tends to be a genre that relies on atmosphere to keep you on edge. System Shock showed that video games can deliver a truly frightening experience.

While the sequel gets a lot of attention as one of the best horror games, the original System Shock paved the way for it. Now, System Shock acts as a good reminder that the high-quality graphics you see in modern horror games like Resident Evil Requiem aren't the only way to create an intense atmosphere, and all parts of the game's design play a role in building that horror.

5 Mass Effect

Making NPC Romance More Interactive

Before Baldur's Gate 3 and its somewhat controversial romance scene involving Halsin in his bear form, there was Mass Effect and its decision to include nudity in its romance scenes. Of course, this wasn't true for every romance scene, but it was something that wasn't exactly done in games regularly at the time.

The romance scenes in the first Mass Effect don't seem particularly scandalous now, but enough time has passed that RPGs including romance options and scenes are seen as rather normal now. The trilogy continued building on the romance options, and it’s a part of the game that keeps players returning for another run.

A Step Forward for Narratives

At the time of its release, Metal Gear Solid's cinematic approach to its narrative was something that wasn't seen often in gaming. Now, cinematic narratives have become commonplace in gaming, which is an overall positive not just for the Metal Gear games, but for gaming in general. MGS helped show how in-depth and beautiful games can be as a story-telling medium.

While some entries in the MGS franchise have recently received some remastering, the original games still hold up fairly well despite their age. If you love action and narratives, then both versions are worth taking the time to check out.

3 Shenmue

A Shockingly Immersive World

Not every part of Shenmue was revolutionary, namely the voice acting, but it was a shockingly immersive world that you could find countless side activities in. If you're a fan of the Yakuza series, then you'll find that Shenmue actually feels like an early version of those games, and it wouldn't be a stretch to believe that Yakuza might've been inspired by the way Shenmue immersed players in its world.

Now, it's more common for games to include elements that make Shenmue feel so immersive, and that has given players games that have worlds that feel like they're actually lived in. When a game's world feels like it's alive, the game tends to be more interesting to explore.

2 F.E.A.R.

Creating Horror Through Elements Working Together

F.E.A.R. fools you into believing its enemy AI is more advanced than it actually is, and that adds a layer of horror because the enemies will actually call out your location. While this felt ahead of its time, AI has since come a long way, so this feature from F.E.A.R. is not anywhere near as impressive as it used to be.

Compared to similar games, F.E.A.R. feels like it's often forgotten, but it managed to be creative in the way its map design and enemy programming worked together to scare you through having the enemies identify where you're hiding. Now, the game just needs to be remade with modern enemy AI, which could take it to a new level of horror.

1 World of Warcraft

A Massive World With Minimal Loading Screens

Now, World of Warcraft feels like one of countless MMOs that have flooded the market, even if it's managed to stay relevant much longer than most of its competitors. However, when it was first released two decades ago, WoW was mind-blowing to experience. You had this massive world filled with other players, and there were barely any loading screens that you had to go through between areas.

It can still be a shock at how MMOs can exist in the gaming world, with how massive they are, how they tend to have fewer loading screens than you'd think, and how you can interact with other players in real time as you all experience the same virtual world together. It's not a surprise that this style of game can be dangerously addicting, but WoW can also be a social lifeline for other players that doesn't look like it'll go away anytime soon.

There's always a game that does a feature first, even if other games pull off the same or a similar feature better later on. Without games that are willing to take risks, you wouldn't see as much progress and innovation in the gaming industry, just like any other industry. As a result, the best path for the future of gaming is for games to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible with today's technology and the power of human creativity.