All art is derivative, and for video games, this saying couldn’t be any truer. One developer has a thought — that thought inspires a video game, which in turn inspires hundreds more like it. As the chain continues, new features are added on top, and we get a ton of wholly unique games.
Videos by ComicBook.com
For example, both God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man represent the action-adventure genre. But when you add in Norse mythology and web swinging, they become distinct. Other studios take inspiration, and the cycle continues. This list dives deeper into the workings of the video game world. In this article, we’ll highlight popular games that inspired other popular video games and how.
When Atlus announced Metaphor: ReFantazio, longtime fans became worried. Worried about whether Metaphor would be on par with the studio’s other works, Persona and Shin Megami Tensei. Since these two iconic franchises pushed JRPGs to new heights, anything less than a masterpiece wouldn’t have sufficed.
Metaphor: ReFantazio ended up being exactly that and then some. Everything from the soundtrack, story, and combat structure hit the nail on the head. The visuals were better than the Persona games and the combat was more responsive and intricate than Megami Tensei’s. Of course, with Metaphor being another Atlus game, they took inspiration from their works. But in doing so, they also made sure to reinvigorate the JRPG genre as they have always done.
Dishonored Is A Fresh New Take On The Thief Series
Dishonored is an example of how you take something that already works and make it better. You can find a huge influence of the Thief series on Dishonored. The stealth, lighting, and incentivization of sneaking past your enemies are all elements taken from the classic Thief formula. But then Arkane adds its unique art style and new level design to make Dishonored stand out.
The Thief games had a long hiatus after 2003’s Thief: Deadly Shadows. When the series returned in 2014 with a revival, it just wasn’t able to find its footing. Instead, some people even said it played too much like Dishonored, which was ironic. Arkane’s Dishonored was the next step in the evolution of stealth games. While Thief’s 2014 return was highly anticipated, Dishonored was so revolutionary that Thief just paled in comparison, despite having inspired it in the first place.
Returnal Takes Inspiration From Hades, Control, And Lots More
The roguelike third-person shooter Returnal made headlines in 2021. Some called it the toughest game ever, while others praised the narrative. It was popular, and people couldn’t help but draw comparisons. Enemies confront you in interconnected rooms, and when you reach the end, you fight a boss before moving to the next terrain, where the process repeats. That’s exactly how Hades plays, making it a clear source of inspiration for Returnal.
Additionally, the narrative’s death and looping back to life angle felt eerily similar to Death Stranding’s repatriation. Returnal’s spooky art style and claustrophobic terrains seemed right out of Remedy’s Control. But it had an extraterrestrial twist that differentiated it. These were just some of the comparisons players drew. And would you believe it, Housemarque agreed to the claims. When interviewed by TheGamer, Housemarque’s team nodded when the interviewer asked whether players were right to draw these comparisons. So, if any of your favorite games were mentioned just now, then Returnal is a must-play.
Lies of P Is Straight Out of Yharnam
With those gloomy streets, unnerving carriages, and haunting night lights, Lies of P bears an eerie resemblance to Bloodborne. The steampunk setting would confuse some into thinking it’s Bloodborne, but years in the future. Then, you beat up enemies and find out that the combat works like an amalgamation of Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
While Lies of P is a completely separate thing from either, it’s clear as day that they inspired it. Arguably, Lies of P is a tad bit better. It learned from those games and then did more. Overall, it has more weapon variety, offensive options, rewards both parrying and dodging, and has a much cleaner presentation. It’s simply a prime example of what a Soulslike should be. One that takes inspiration from FromSoftware’s works and innovates the formula by adding original mechanics that stand out.
Darksiders Feels Like The God of War Greek Saga
Darksiders’ cartoony visuals and fast-paced hack-and-slash combat made it a famously fun game. However, it also felt like a reiteration of the God of War series. Specifically, the Greek saga of the franchise.
The initial God of War games popularized the hack-and-slash combat system. Over the years, many games followed suit, and Darksiders clearly happens to be one of them. That said, Darksiders shakes things up by adding a puzzle-driven level design. But when you look at the stellar voice acting and unforgiving boss fights, God of War’s influence shows.
Apex Legends Was Supposed To Be Titanfall 3
PUBG had the world locked in a chokehold when it came out. Everyone became addicted to its battle royale mode. That unbelievable success brought the attention of other studios as well. As a result, the Titanfall series developer, Respawn Entertainment, got stuck in a tricky situation.
As confirmed by an ex-developer at Respawn Entertainment, the studio had been working on Titanfall 3 for ten months when the PUBG pandemic hit. The battle royale fever was so high that the entire studio was made to pivot into creating a similar battle royale game. Titanfall 3’s resources were reiterated and implemented in a new game, Apex Legends. So, you could say the famous battle royale game Apex Legends was inspired by PUBG and is also literally Titanfall 3.
V Rising Is Diablo But With Construction Work
V: Rising is Diablo meets Castlevania meets Rust. You’re a badass vampire who has just awoken from slumber. Now, you must raid territories, defeat bosses, and enslave workers. And you can build a triple-story castle while you’re at it. Add in the online co-op and PvP functionality, you get a masterpiece that is V: Rising.
The inspiration from Diablo is uncanny, especially in the interconnected world of design and art. But then you have also got a Soulslike combat system that rivals FromSoftware’s best works. Combine all of it, and what you get in turn is a snappy and fast-paced action RPG. One that is far greater than the sum of the parts that inspired it.
Don’t Starve Is Minecraft Made By Tim Burton
Don’t Starve is a 2D open-world survival game. It features different seasons, crafting mechanics, enemy variety, and base-building, among other things. One of the major inspirations for its development was Minecraft. The way Minecraft allowed players freedom in exploration and creation inspired the developers of Don’t Starve to do the same thing.
But Klei Entertainment also wanted a twist. What if they added the gothic horror of famous film director Tim Burton? As a result, Don’t Starve was born. A spooky yet highly entertaining open-world survival game. A game where there are near-unlimited events, tons of free-roam, and dozens of hours worth of crafting mechanics. Funnily enough, Don’t Starve became so popular that it also inspired a new generation of survival games.
Cult of the Lamb Is An Action-Packed Version of Don’t Starve
As for that new generation of survival games inspired by Don’t Starve, Cult of the Lamb is one of the biggest examples. It features a similar 2D art style with clean textures and a punchy color palette. There are some survival mechanics, too, that involve managing your cult by keeping track of their hunger, health, and other needs. Don’t Starve players will feel right at home on that front.
However, Cult of the Lamb isn’t just a clone. It’s also much different than Don’t Starve. Where Don’t Starve is laid-back, Cult of the Lamb has a fast-paced roguelike combat system. You have to battle your way through a gauntlet of rooms and earn rewards in the process to upgrade your cult. While Cult of the Lamb is inspired by Don’t Starve, it isn’t a copy, and it does a lot of never-seen-before things.
The Batman Arkham Series Inspired Marvel’s Spider-Man
Anyone who has ever touched the Batman: Arkham games in their life knows how good the combat is. They also likely know how many other games it has inspired, including the Marvel’s Spider-Man games. Side by side, the combat in Marvel’s Spider-Man feels like a one-to-one copy of the signature free-flow combat from the Batman Arkham series.
Sure, there is the swinging, and Spidey’s gadgets are included too, but at its core, it’s pretty similar to the combat from Batman. The counterattacks, dodging, and special takedowns are all plucked right out of the Batman: Arkham games. However, given how much later the Spider-Man games were made, of course, they added more. They have their unique style and different feedback loops. But every time you fight crime as Spidey, you can’t help but reminisce about those Gotham City nights.
发表回复