10 Video Games That Were WAY Ahead Of Their Time

10. Quick Time Events + Real-Time Weather - Shenmue

Just because a game is ahead of its time doesn't necessarily mean it's guaranteed for success. Shenmue may have been touted as Dreamcast's gamechanger, but Sega's open-world title barely sold a million copies.

Despite the fact Yu Suzuki's work could've fallen into obscurity, it quickly developed a cult-following. When you break Shenmue down, it's easy to see why.

Instead of taking place in a set world, the algorithmically generated weather and day-and-night system created a constantly changing environment, making your surroundings appear more authentic. Instead of populating each terrain with dawdling NPCs, each character is programmed with daily schedules, which made all interactions feel genuine.

Although quick-time events have been around since the Dragon Lair series, Shenmue reinvigorated this form of gameplay. Rather than using them as a gimmick, Shenmue proved QTEs could make combat and the story more immersive.

By no means is Shenmue perfect. The controls aren't stellar, the pacing is slow, and the voice-acting is pretty much what you'd expected from a 1990s game. But when you give Shenmue a look with fresh eyes, there's no mistake Sega's underrated title pioneered many key mechanics in the gaming world of today.