Possible game evolution: mid-game shifts in gameplay

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

With how homogeneous games have become from the Ubisoft open world game to Batman Arkham's combat being used in so many games (Uncharted 3, Shadow of Mordor, Sleeping Dogs, etc.), I think it would be fine time for some games to majorly change their gameplay during the game. I feel we've gotten to the point where several gameplay mechanics have been so fine-tuned it doesn't take near the entirety of development to say fine tune 1st/3rd-person shooting for example like it did before. With big publishers like Ubisoft that can really just pull assets and mechanics (like their cover swap mechanic from Splinter Cell to Ghost Recon to The Division) from 1 game to another game, wouldn't developing a game with basically 2 different core gameplay styles be extremely doable?

With so many games feeling so similar, I'm honestly not very excited for many games anymore. For example, the combat in Arkham Knight felt rather stale due to so many other games using it, and it's not Arkham Knight's fault really. I think watching the following Super BunnyHop video perfectly put it all into perspective for me:

A couple ideas that popped into my head for games that could've basically switched up gameplay mid-game would be Wolfenstein The New Order and basically any Batman Arkham game. With The New Order, I remember it was rather disappointing to find that power suit in the middle of the game and basically give it away. The 2nd half of the game could've basically changed into 1st-person Vanquish. With regards to a Batman game, wouldn't it be interesting for Batman to get weaker over the course of the game (as the games take place over a single night) with the game turning into more of a survival game and requiring Batman to outsmart enemies through planning and preparation (perhaps some Batman themed gameplay from the Deception series). And, Batman just being too slow and hurt to be able to beat up 20 goons with his patented combat system. Batman getting weaker would also fit the premise of the Arkham Knight villain as well since he knows everything thing about Batman; therefore, he could've basically took out his Batcave(s) and probably communications as well thereby not being able to get more gadgets along with even running out of things like batarangs.

I'm not saying every game should be something like that but I think it's definitely something that should be tried and experimented with. I think gaming has evolved to the point where something like this could be very possible with so many gameplay mechanics being fine-tuned by so many developers along with devs of big publishers having access to the assets of other in-house games.

 

[Fox12]

That would be interesting. I remember that being one of the key reasons I enjoyed The Last of Us, actually. Ellie felt like a different person. The listening mechanic stopped being useful, because enemy silhouettes showed up as white in the middle of a snowstorm. You felt truly blind for the first time. Stealth kills were harder to pull of, and melee required more strategy to work. You only had one gun with limited bullets, and they gave away your position. Every shot had to truly count. It was still a stealth game, but the shift in mechanics made you sympathize with the characters plight more.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Power suit in the new order, like Vanquish? I only remember a slow, clunky mech in the new order. Didn't Vanquish have some super speedy power slide suit or something? I really hope I haven't missed an opportunity like that in wolfenstein. It was a long time ago.

Anyhow, there is a neat little side scrolling space shooter roguelike called Galak-z- that changes gameplay in a pretty cool way about a third (could be less, the game gets difficult) through that makes everything you spent previously learning to survive suddenly far less important. Am not sure if describing it would be a spoiler, but the surprise was quite a joyous surprise for me, and I wouldn't want to take that away from anybody else.

 

[Saelune]

I'd argue that Shadow of Mordor does this, since you dont get the ability to command Orcs until half-way through the game, and yet that ability is the big focus of it.

I am not against the idea, but it has to be carefully implemented, lest people feel cheated or mislead.

 

[Fox12]

I'd argue that Shadow of Mordor does this, since you dont get the ability to command Orcs until half-way through the game, and yet that ability is the big focus of it.

I am not against the idea, but it has to be carefully implemented, lest people feel cheated or mislead.

Brutal Legend did the same. It presented itself as an open world beat-em-up and racing game. Then it steadily grew into a RTS and Tower Defense game. A bit of a weird match up, but I liked it.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

That would be interesting. I remember that being one of the key reasons I enjoyed The Last of Us, actually. Ellie felt like a different person. The listening mechanic stopped being useful, because enemy silhouettes showed up as white in the middle of a snowstorm. You felt truly blind for the first time. Stealth kills were harder to pull of, and melee required more strategy to work. You only had one gun with limited bullets, and they gave away your position. Every shot had to truly count. It was still a stealth game, but the shift in mechanics made you sympathize with the characters plight more.

Ellie did feel pretty different plus being completely alone with a weaker character made it that much more different. Although Ellie had a much better melee IMO, she had basically unlimited shanks. I'd say the best part of the 1st Uncharted was right after the twist as well.

Power suit in the new order, like Vanquish? I only remember a slow, clunky mech in the new order. Didn't Vanquish have some super speedy power slide suit or something? I really hope I haven't missed an opportunity like that in wolfenstein. It was a long time ago.

I imagine the power suit being speedy in Wolfenstein as well.

Here it is:
https://youtu.be/cuV5iTSLvp0?t=170

I'd argue that Shadow of Mordor does this, since you dont get the ability to command Orcs until half-way through the game, and yet that ability is the big focus of it.

I am not against the idea, but it has to be carefully implemented, lest people feel cheated or mislead.

I agree for the most part to Shadow of Mordor but that combat was just literally Batman's system with even many of the exact same skills. I remember looking at all the skills and being like "I'm going to need that, that, and that" because they were so awesome in Batman. It didn't help literally everywhere you went you were fighting unless you ran away. I spent too much time in the 1st half of the game and I was sorta already worn out from the game that I just plowed through the 2nd half even though it was far better than the 1st half. Possibly being more like Shadow of the Colossus in the sense that you mainly fight against the Captians vs constantly fighting basic orcs around every corner.

I definitely agree about the potential of people feeling cheated or mislead. I think if it fits the theme, it should work. I think Batman getting beat-up over the course of the night and having to rely much more heavily on preparation vs physical strength fits with the Arkham tagline of "Be The Batman".

 

[Saelune]

That would be interesting. I remember that being one of the key reasons I enjoyed The Last of Us, actually. Ellie felt like a different person. The listening mechanic stopped being useful, because enemy silhouettes showed up as white in the middle of a snowstorm. You felt truly blind for the first time. Stealth kills were harder to pull of, and melee required more strategy to work. You only had one gun with limited bullets, and they gave away your position. Every shot had to truly count. It was still a stealth game, but the shift in mechanics made you sympathize with the characters plight more.

Ellie did feel pretty different plus being completely alone with a weaker character made it that much more different. Although Ellie had a much better melee IMO, she had basically unlimited shanks. I'd say the best part of the 1st Uncharted was right after the twist as well.

Power suit in the new order, like Vanquish? I only remember a slow, clunky mech in the new order. Didn't Vanquish have some super speedy power slide suit or something? I really hope I haven't missed an opportunity like that in wolfenstein. It was a long time ago.

I imagine the power suit being speedy in Wolfenstein as well.

Here it is:
https://youtu.be/cuV5iTSLvp0?t=170

I'd argue that Shadow of Mordor does this, since you dont get the ability to command Orcs until half-way through the game, and yet that ability is the big focus of it.

I am not against the idea, but it has to be carefully implemented, lest people feel cheated or mislead.

I agree for the most part to Shadow of Mordor but that combat was just literally Batman's system with even many of the exact same skills. I remember looking at all the skills and being like "I'm going to need that, that, and that" because they were so awesome in Batman. It didn't help literally everywhere you went you were fighting unless you ran away. I spent too much time in the 1st half of the game and I was sorta already worn out from the game that I just plowed through the 2nd half even though it was far better than the 1st half. Possibly being more like Shadow of the Colossus in the sense that you mainly fight against the Captians vs constantly fighting basic orcs around every corner.

I definitely agree about the potential of people feeling cheated or mislead. I think if it fits the theme, it should work. I think Batman getting beat-up over the course of the night and having to rely much more heavily on preparation vs physical strength fits with the Arkham tagline of "Be The Batman".

The Batman style works. I think people need to get over it. What Shadow of Mordor does well for the Batman style that many games in general dont, is making everything viable. How many skills or attacks or abilities have you gotten in a game that are utterly useless? I actually use virtually everything in my arsenal in SoM, and I usually can remember most of it too. Fuck if I remember even a third of what I can do in Arkham City.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

The Batman style works. I think people need to get over it. What Shadow of Mordor does well for the Batman style that many games in general dont, is making everything viable. How many skills or attacks or abilities have you gotten in a game that are utterly useless? I actually use virtually everything in my arsenal in SoM, and I usually can remember most of it too. Fuck if I remember even a third of what I can do in Arkham City.

The fact that it does work is part of the point (as so many games have copied it). Every time you use the "Arkham" combat system it becomes less and less enjoyable, law of diminishing returns. I'm personally just straight burned out by it. Shadow of Mordor has quite a lot of skills copied directly from Batman. It has the obvious abilities that reduce the amount of consecutive hits to do a special along with well-timed attacks count as 2 hits for your combo. It has a beatdown move straight from Arkham City and after. Of course, you want that special move that takes out all stunned/downed enemies just like Batman that makes combat go so much faster. To play SoM the most effectively, you play it just like a Batman game; get skills to reduce the combo it takes to do special moves, then basically just use the beatdown mechanic to build combos fast that enable you to use specials (that one-hit kill) as much as possible. The first time I looked at the skill tree in SoM, I already knew what skills to beeline to, that's how same-y the combat is.