10 Criminally Overlooked Gameplay Mechanics

Enemies in video games are usually tailor-made by the developers. This often works great, as well-crafted, memorable villains leave nothing for players to complain about. But what if there was a system where every gamer got to forge their own path with unique rivals and recurring characters? Oh, wait, there is!

Shadow of Mordor (and its sequel Shadow of War) drummed up considerable buzz for its dark take on J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings mythos and for its incredible "Nemesis System." This unique gameplay mechanic allowed you to run into procedurally generated Orcs and Uruks whose position in Sauron's army would change depending on your interactions. This led to plenty of unique characters as your choices, failings, and wins would make considerable marks on the enemies you faced. Sadly, the "Nemesis System" has gone nowhere.

There should be a whole boatload of Triple-A projects using this fascinating mechanic, yet you won't even use up all your fingers when counting them on your hand. This isn't even a matter of missed opportunity by creators, as the finger of blame can be pointed firmly at WB Interactive Entertainment. The company has patented the system until 2035, meaning no other studio can use it for over a decade. What a waste of potential!