10 Genius Gameplay Tricks That Made Video Games WAY Better
Dead Space was a masterclass in game design.
The vast majority of video games don't do much to innovative or change-up the genre formula because, let's be honest, if it ain't broke why fix it?
But every so often a game comes along that remixes and reinvents existing mechanics in extraordinarily clever and inspired ways, enough that it massively elevates the entire experience.
A creative refinement of gameplay tropes can resonate deeply with players if it enhances the emotion of the story and their immersion in the game world, such that in the case of these 10 games, it was all anyone was really talking about when they were released.
From masterful control schemes to brilliantly satisfying mini-games, ground-breaking physics systems, and much-appreciated quality-of-life features, these games all did themselves and players a huge solid with these fantastic gameplay tricks and features.
This isn't to say these games would be bad without these mechanics, but they were absolutely responsible for taking them to the next level and ensuring that players couldn't easily pull themselves away.
It's just surprising that some of these tricks haven't been ripped off and used in more games, honestly...
10. Destructible Environments - Red Faction
It's tough to know what might've happened to Red Faction were it not for its famous "Geo-Mod" tech. A solidly enjoyable Total Recall-inspired first-person shooter, the game was elevated to the next level by its literally ground-breaking destructible environments.
Geo-Mod (geometry modification) allowed players to use their arsenal of weaponry to blast the ever-loving hell out of the environment, whether just for fun or to fashion a shortcut, as was enormously well-received by both players and critics alike.
The mechanic re-appeared in future games in the series, namely the impressively comprehensive Red Faction: Guerrilla, though without the wow factor of the original game, the franchise surely wouldn't exist.
That's not to say that Red Faction doesn't feel a bit like an impressive tech demo at times - it's very short, for one - but the extent to which you were able to tear up the environment felt like a fascinating step forward for the FPS genre.
Yet due to the technical challenges of implementing destructible scenery, it still remains a rarity today.