Weekend Question: What game would you like to see tackle a different genre?

[PCG Jody]

I ask the PCG staff a regular Weekend Question and post the answers on the site. If you'd like to throw in an answer here, I'll squeeze the best into the finished article!

Gears of War, it turns out against the odds, makes a fine basis for a turn-based tactics game. Pong is apparently an RPG now. What game or series would you like to see try out something radically different in terms of genre?

 

[Pifanjr]

I think Mass Effect would be perfect as a turn-based tactics game or cRPG as well. The squad based combat with complementary abilities would be great in a Dragon Age like game for example.

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

StarCraft's universe is rich enough to make an FPS/TPP action game viable. Oh wait....

 

[Frindis]

I would not mind seeing the game DuckTales transformed into an RPG. Perhaps the location could be Duckberg and you could play as Scrooge McDuck trying to build up his economy.

 

[Rensje]

I wouldn't mind seeing an official entry in the Diablo franchise done in a Souls-like style. Imagine the iconic gothic imagery and the timeless tale of good versus evil playing out in an over-the-shoulder perspective as your avatar treks across the world of Sanctuary, hitting up such iconic locations as the Monastery, Tristram, Lut Gholein, Travincal, Pandemonium Fortress and Hell itself. Imagine taking the fight to hellish fiends and epic bosses in very deliberate, difficult combat encounters. The entire setting of the Diablo franchise lends itself PERFECTLY to the Souls-like genre.

There could be room for some elements from the action RPG genre, too. Dark Souls has very deliberately placed loot (and that loot often tells a story through its item descriptions), but an element of randomness could be introduced without too much issue. There could also be a mix between handcrafted and procedurally generated dungeons. Bloodborne has proven with its Chalice dungeons that randomisation can work in a Souls game and I'm sure that system could be improved upon further.

The more I think about it, the more I feel like it should work. Diablo could do with a spinoff that really shakes up the formula and I can't think of a better genre to marry it off to.

 

[StoneGreninja]

Battlefield but it's a versus RTS game

 

[Pifanjr]

Battlefield but it's a versus RTS game

You're thinking of Company of Heroes.

 

[Zloth]

A Pinball RPG has been done, too: https://store.steampowered.com/app/262470/Rollers_of_the_Realm/

Kerbal Space Program - the 4X game would be fun. Also, while I personally wouldn't be too interested in it, how do we not have a Bioshock city builder game yet??

 

[Borovier]

Smash Bros. in a semi open world adventure, in a souls-like enviorenment, combat similar to For Honor, Absolver and souls-like, depending on the character you selected, swordsmen, brawler or magicians respectively. With lots of dialogues between characters, their relations, and how they interact with eachother depending on the world they come from, like in those fan comics, would be really cool to see Samus, Mario, Link, etc, having a conversation.

 

[XoRn]

I think the brutal, militaristic universe of Warhammer 40k possesses all the necessary qualities to create a relationship destroying go-cart racer. A grinning Tyranid Hive Tyrant unleashes a ripper brood swarm on the first place racer. A single macrostub shot vaprizes Monty Mole into a pink mist. Tires sequelch cross a pool of blood as you round the corner. The finishline is in sight. You think you're going to win! But then you hear it... "WAAAGH!"

Honestly I cannot think of a more appropriate conduit of the Grimdark.

 

[Sarafan]

The Elder Scrolls as a strategy game with some online features. Imagine leading Imperial or Aldmeri troops in the war between Tamrielic Empire and Aldmeri Dominion. Or the game could be less lore dependent and forge a new path. For example you would have access to different fractions defined by Tamriel provinces. Your ultimate goal would be to conquer all of them using a chosen side of conflict. The game would resemble Total War and Europa Universalis series with historic events based on the TES rich timeline.

 

[Pifanjr]

I think the brutal, militaristic universe of Warhammer 40k possesses all the necessary qualities to create a relationship destroying go-cart racer. A grinning Tyranid Hive Tyrant unleashes a ripper brood swarm on the first place racer. A single macrostub shot vaprizes Monty Mole into a pink mist. You're almost to the finishline but then you hear it... "WAAAGH!"

Honestly I cannot think of a more appropriate conduit of the Grimdark.

I love this idea.

 

[Krud]

I was going to say "Pac-Man : The Text Adventure" but apparently that's already a thing.

Pac-Txt: Pac-Man meets Zork

 

[Probably_Human]

I want to see an Open World Starcraft Game similar to Division 2 \ Ghost Reacon.

Imagine a 4 player Coop where Terran Troops have land on procedurally generated worlds and have to do various mission objectives Against Zerg and Protoss ( Retelling of Starcraft 1 )

But instead of a Straight Shooter - like Doom. You are far weaker and have to employ hit and run and evasion tactics. Avoiding large powerful groups by taking alternate paths and dealing with horde rushes in arena areas.

I think it would be a pretty awesome experience if done right.

 

[Alm]

A cross between splinter cell and rainbow 6 siege would be interesting. Have a side protecting a building or computer network and a team of agents trying to stealth their way in and hack the system.

 

[Pifanjr]

A cross between splinter cell and rainbow 6 siege would be interesting. Have a side protecting a building or computer network and a team of agents trying to stealth their way in and hack the system.

While that sounds really cool, I don't think there's any way to make such a game work. Stealth levels are designed very carefully so that it's possible to get by undetected. I'm not sure how you could get the same gameplay if the guards are played by humans who know the layout of each level perfectly.

Not to mention that if you match with random people, there's a 99% chance that at least one player isn't going to be playing seriously.

 

[XoRn]

While that sounds really cool, I don't think there's any way to make such a game work. Stealth levels are designed very carefully so that it's possible to get by undetected. I'm not sure how you could get the same gameplay if the guards are played by humans who know the layout of each level perfectly.

Not to mention that if you match with random people, there's a 99% chance that at least one player isn't going to be playing seriously.

Funnily enough, a couple of the older Splinter Cell games already had that game mode. It was called Spys vs Mercs and was quite a bit of fun in a lan party setting.

There's also Intruder which has been in development forever. It's an asynchronous multiplayer game which quite a few goofy and unique systems in place. PCGamer wrote about it a scant seven years ago. So I don't know if it will ever be finished, but what's there looks like fun. Think Splinter Cell meets the three stooges and you'll have some idea of the slapstick shenanigans that the game can produce.

 

[Pifanjr]

Funnily enough, a couple of the older Splinter Cell games already had that game mode. It was called Spys vs Mercs and was quite a bit of fun in a lan party setting.

There's also Intruder which has been in development forever. It's an asynchronous multiplayer game which quite a few goofy and unique systems in place. PCGamer wrote about it a scant seven years ago. So I don't know if it will ever be finished, but what's there looks like fun. Think Splinter Cell meets the three stooges and you'll have some idea of the slapstick shenanigans that the game can produce.

Interesting. I read up a bit about it and it seems pretty well thought out. But definitely something you should probably play with friends and not just random people.

 

[Limiteds]

Can't tell

 

[Berious]

Not enough Grand Strategy games in the world. Could be adapted for most properties I think. Shadow of Mordor/War grand strategy anyone?

 

[Pifanjr]

Not enough Grand Strategy games in the world. Could be adapted for most properties I think. Shadow of Mordor/War grand strategy anyone?

There's a mod for that in development for Crusader Kings 2 and Europa Universalis IV.

 

[Rood]

The Sims undertaken as a psychological horror more in-keeping with Bioshock or We Happy Few. What could be more thrilling than watching your neighbour creep over to peep in through the window at your sleeping sim. Or for them to discover that a romantic partner turned out to have been dead - the - whole - time!

 

[Berious]

There's a mod for that in development for Crusader Kings 2 and Europa Universalis IV.

Awesome! Thanks for the info, I'll check this out

 

[imposter]

World of Tanks, as a Tower Defence game

 

[Maxipaddleboat]

I'd like to see Gears of War fully embrace an open world. I thought what they did with 5 has a lot of potential to unlocked.