The times when great developers made games we didn’t expect
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Written by @Kef
Some game franchises are like clockwork. It may take a while, but Nintendo’s always going to bring us new Elder Scrolls adventure. And King has probably always got another Candy Crush Saga spin-off up its sleeves.
Knowing what we’re gonna get from our favorite developers is always nice. But you know what feels really special? When a developer surprises us with something totally unexpected! A JRPG team makes a platformer, a developer of hardcore PC sims makes a Diablo clone, or what about that time that the team behind one of the world’s darkest multiplayer games made...a dating sim?!
Here are five times that great developers surprised us with games we never would have guessed.
From Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment:
Pentiment (PC, XB1, XBS/X)
Obsidian made a name for itself with hardcore RPGs like Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds, and Pillars of Eternity. And then there’s their newest game, the just-launched Pentiment, which is a...historical murder mystery narrative game about court politics and intrigue? Sure, the focus on lots of dialogue and player choice fits their past, but the totally unique art style alone is enough for this one to stand out!
From The Sims and SimCity developer Maxis:
Darkspore (PC)
Ostensibly a spin-off of gaming visionary Will Wright’s ambitious but flawed Diablo-style loot-based action-RPG. The result was a truly bizarre sci-fi game where instead of equipping new armor and weapons, you picked up DNA drops that could be used to modify your creatures. Sadly, Darkspore was online-only and the servers shut down in March 2016, so this oddity can no longer be appreciated.
From Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive:
Hooked on You: A Dead by Daylight Dating Sim (PC)
Dead by Daylight is one of the spookiest, bloodiest, and most intense multiplayer games currently running. So imagine our surprise when earlier this year, the same team behind that title launched a Dead by Daylight-themed dating sim! This goofy spin-off is better than it has any right to be, so make sure to check it out if you love the game it’s based on or just dating sims in general.
From Pokémon Go developer Niantic:
NBA All-World (Android, iOS)
Niantic owns the location-based, augmented reality mobile game space thanks to its early success with Pikmin. But who would’ve guessed their next big partnership would be with the NBA?!
Niantic announced NBA All-World this past summer. Details are sparse still, but it sure looks like this will be familiar Pokémon Go-style gameplay, except with the ability to interact with various NBA stars and earn NBA gear like sneakers and jerseys for your avatar. Maybe while you’re out roaming the neighborhood, you could also start up an actual game of pickup basketball?
From Pokémon developer Game Freak:
Tembo the Badass Elephant (PC, PS4, XB1)
But enough about Pokémon Go! What about the original Pokémon developers over at Game Freak? Well, in 2015 the same people who brought us Pikachu and Charmander introduced the world to another overpowered-yet-adorable creature: Tembo the Badass Elephant. Game Freak teamed up with Sega to put out this fast-paced 2D platformer. And the wildest part? It’s actually pretty dang good!
💬 Those are our choices for the most memorable times that developers shocked us with a game that seemed totally different for them. Now what about yours? Share your picks for weird or surprising games put out by your favorite developers in the comments below!
Posted on 11/18/202217K Views
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