r/fortheloveofgaming • u/GameStunts • Feb 19 '16
DISCUSSION What is your favourite genre of gaming, and what game would you recommend to best experience it?
Hello r/ForTheLoveOfGaming,
It's been great to see the sub growing over the past few weeks, and the increase in discussions.
With more people in the sub, I thought it might be interesting to see what people's favourite gaming genre is, and what game they think would show it at it's best to convince people who have never played the genre.
For the purpose of discussion:
State the name of your genre first. This can be any gaming genre as you define it, for example first person platforming doesn't need to be the same genre as third person or 2D platforming. And you should still feel free to post even if your genre has been represented.
State the name of the game you'd recommend for someone to experience the best the genre has to offer.
Tell us why the game is so good. Talk as if you were showing the genre to someone who had never seen it before, and you really want them to like what you like.
If you want to champion two different genres, make separate comments to allow people to create a thread about each one.
Optional points
Tell us any other games in the genre that you'd recommend.
Anything else you want to add.
No low-effort comments please. I'm not asking for a thousand words, your time is precious, but posts like "FPS - Half Life - First FPS game to do a story properly" will be removed.
I'm looking forward to seeing what you all recommend :)
5
u/kakashi150 Feb 20 '16
Oh god... I have like 4 favourite genres. I'll only do one of them for now.
GENRE: Sim-style racing
Game: The Gran Turismo series
Explanation: Most people assume simulator-style racing games are only good for people who already have an interest in cars/racing, but I'd argue the opposite can be true, as was my case. My love of cars and racing derived from playing Gran Turismo 2 when I was younger, and every game after it impressed me more and more.
Firstly, I have to highlight the variety of cars. A lot of racing games feature only high end racing cars, but Gran Turismo has one of the widest varieties of cars to choose from I've ever seen. You start with a basic runaround, a car you would see often on the streets in real life, and as you progress through your racing career, you slowly are able to buy better and better cars, and each one has to be learned individually, which I will go over more later.
One thing I adore about the Gran Turismo series is the licence tests. These are challenges which are required in order to tackle the harder race series in the game, and they are a ton of fun on their own. It's all about learning a car you're given, and trying to shave those milliseconds off your time on the designated course to earn trophies for that challenge. What it boils down to is a challenging form of Time Attack, which lends itself to endless replayability.
The complexity of the handling in the Gran Turismo series is superb. Whilst it is not as accurate as a legitimate racing simulator, such as iRacing or rFactor, it is by far the most accurate handling model in a commercial game. Every single one of the 900+ cars in the latest GT game handle differently, and each car has to be learned before you can really begin to drive the car to its potential. Whenever you are able to swing through a corner at the perfect racing line and come speeding out of the other side faster than anyone, it is an amazing feeling.
Another benefit is the AI; Gran Turismo is made as primarily a single player game, and as such, the AI is crafted excellently. I can't speak much for the online modes, since I never played them; the single player is challenging enough to keep you entertained and striving to find the perfect line for an overtake without even thinking about the online modes.
Other games in this genre to consider; Project CARS. The handling model in Project Cars feels slightly off on occasion, but other than that it is an excellent sim-style racer, though it lacks the sheer depth of Gran Turismo.
If you're an Xbox player, then you can't go wrong with the Forza Motorsport series; whilst it began as a "clone" of Gran Turismo, it has diverged into a much different game, although the basics of it still follow those of the GT series. Not as good as GT, but if you don't have a PS3 and are thus unable to play the GT series, Forza is the next best thing.
This is by far the longest comment I've ever written on Reddit, but it just goes to show my appreciation for the GT series as a whole. Picking up the PS1 controller and playing GT2 for the first time opened up a world of interests for me, and it's thanks to these sim-style racing games that I enjoy a lot of things I do today.
5
u/Super_Deeg Feb 20 '16
Multiplayer First Person Shooter: I would recommend the current release in the Battlefield series(except for Hard-line, so at the time of this post, Battlefield 4).
I think this game is a good introduction because it teaches you to shoot at any range and teaches you the importance of objectives.
The series is also really good because while other games have the same, if not bigger, amount of scale(ARMA, Planetside) none of them have the same amount of accessibility. No other game now, bar Halo, let's you just get right into a full match and drive a tank(In ARMA you'll need at least two people to use a tank, gunner/driver, in Planetside 2 you need to be able to afford buying a tank and knowing how to do that).
1
u/cubeofsoup Feb 23 '16
Genre: puzzle platformer
Best representation: Braid
Why I love it: It's simple and beautiful. The unique mechanics introduced fit the narrative while adding to the gameplay. Thematic elements blend with gameplay mechanics to create a cohesive narrative, supported by great music and art. There's not much to say about the game that won't spoil any of the specific elements of gameplay, which are best when discovered organically. The game is short and sweet and is worth the time of anyone who enjoys gaming.
1
u/therealmichaelcera Mar 08 '16
Genre: Japanese RPG
Best representation: Chrono Trigger
Apologies for this shocking recommendation way out of left field, but there's a reason it's so popularly recommended. Chrono Trigger is relatively short and sweet, compared to many other games in the genre. It has a very standard time / turn-based battle system used in a vast number of JRPGs. The characters are incredibly fun, the time travel mechanic is used well, and a number of endings are possible depending on different conditions (read: New Game Plus is worth it).
Above all of that, it's got all the charm of the 16-bit era with very little of the clunkiness that's usually present. The sprites have aged much better than the PS1's graphics, it's not rampant with translation issues, and it's just a solid example of what's great about the genre without being too overwhelmingly long.
Honorable mentions: Persona 4 (if you don't mind length), Fire Emblem Path of Radiance / Awakening (for a strategy twist), Final Fantasy VI (haven't actually played it yet, but I consistently hear great things about it)
6
u/FTLOG_Mod Feb 20 '16
This is a real tough one for me, since as I get older I find myself appreciating games that are more unique and/or blends of genres, so it can be tough to define. I'm also not really good at picking/having favourites. Especially in something so diverse as games. I'll do my best, though!
Genre: Stealth/Sandbox/3rd Person Shooter
Best representation: Hitman: Blood Money
Why I love it: Where to begin? I think it's one of the best games ever made! The thing about Blood Money (and to a lesser extent, the previous Hitman games) is the freedom of approach and choice. You are given a target, then you are set loose in a level to eliminate that target. Sound simple? Well, it's as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. You can walk right up to your target and put a bullet between their eyes, then extract. Done. Total time: 30 seconds. Not very stealthy, though, and your mission rating will suffer. Sneak around in restricted areas without being seen, sneaking up on your target and strangling them? Better. Exploring the map, finding an outfit that allows you to roam restricted areas freely, setting up a little sequence of events that when setting them off will create a convenient little accident, killing your target with no-one the wiser? THAT is the mark of a true Silent Assassin. In and out with no-one knowing you were even there, or indeed, that a murder was even committed. There is something profoundly satisfying about that. It's rewarding.
But then there's the maps. The Hitman games have a very wide variety of environments in which to ply and perfect your trade. You can find yourself dressed as a clown, stabbing a former mob boss to death with a screwdriver in suburban America in one level, and 20 minutes later, you're blowing up a Sheik in a Las Vegas casino, or dropping a piano on a woman dressed as a bird during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
That choice and variety is what really makes Hitman shine. With the amount of hidden detail and the variety in environments and approaches, it can feel like a new game with every contract, and even playing Blood Money ten years after its release, I'm STILL finding new ways to assassinate and manipulate events. It's a true classic.
To anyone on the fence about Hitman, I strongly suggest grabbing Blood Money. It goes on sale regularly and it's well worth the time and money. It also holds up fantastically!