10 Insanely Cool Video Game Mechanics You Forgot About
X-Men Origins: Wolverine was IT.
Video games allow us to do a wide variety of incredible things. From exploring vast reaches of space, becoming embroiled in epic quests with magic and monsters, or fighting for survival against terrifying creatures, there's no limit to what developers can create.
The best games are those which push the boundaries of what video games are capable of, enabling us to interact with them in new and interesting ways with revolutionary mechanics.
While the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2's insanely detailed world, God Of War's brutally satisfying combat, and Dead Space's nerve-shredding dismemberment system tend to be spoken about the most, there are a dizzying amount of equally outstanding features that rarely get mentioned.
In fact, it's likely that most have forgotten all about them over the years.
These insanely cool but tragically forgotten video game mechanics have ranged from an amazing attention to detail that was years ahead of its time, genius twists on conventional design tropes, and fantastic features that have yet to be replicated as well in other games.
Even if the respective game wasn't as good as its star mechanic, these additions are nevertheless worth talking about.
10. The Godfather (2006) - Extorting Businesses
Based on one of the most acclaimed films ever made, The Godfather game saw players take on the role of Aldo, a fresh-faced recruit to the Corleone family who'd find himself become involved within key parts of the classic film. By earning respect throughout the course of the game, players would rise through the family's ranks, moving from Outsider all the way to Don of NYC.
To become the ruler of the city, rival families needed to be eliminated, which required taking extorting their businesses.
To give players the full mobster experience, taking over rival businesses meant intimidating the owner until they agreed to pay. This could be achieved by roughing them up or smashing their establishment to fill their intimidation meter. Put enough pressure on them and they’ll agree to pay the Corleones, adding to Aldo’s weekly salary. Find their weak point and the bar will fill faster and give players an added monetary reward.
What made this mechanic more engaging was its risk-reward factor. Each owner had their limit to how much violence they could withstand. Push them too far and they'd refuse to pay and start to retaliate.
This was just one of the many mechanics which made this game spectacular.