Video game technology has gotten advanced enough in the past few years that just about any scenario can be simulated on current-generation platforms. Unfortunately, as games have become more impressive and immersive the business surrounding them has become more restricted. Development budgets for top-tier games are bigger than most feature films and publishers are less willing to pursue innovative concepts for fear that they won't deliver on the market. This doesn't mean there aren't genuinely fun, inventive games out there today, just that it's harder for a game to go from the drawing board to the console. Here are a few games I'd like to see amid the many sure thing titles currently on the shelves.
I think it's safe to say that far too many World War II shooters have been made in the past decade. Between the Battlefield series and the twin terrors of Call of Duty and Medal of Honor (not to mention their many, many imitators), virtual representations of Normandy have been invaded more times than bullets were fired during the actual battle. That doesn't mean every subsequent First-Person Shooter ought to be set in some generic future or even during the modern day. It seems that certain time periods, like the 19th century, have been more or less neglected save for the occasional Wild West game. That's why I'd love to see a period-accurate shooter set in Victorian England. The guns are more advanced than the single-shot muskets of the 18th century but are still unusual enough to be fresh compared to the standard pistol/machinegun/shotgun/rocket setup that has been a part of FPS games since Wolfenstein 3D. That combined with fire lighting effects and classic architecture could make for a very interesting game.
There are other genres that have been attempted several times throughout the history of gaming but were never really perfected. Take the concept of the regular guy turned monster hunter. That role has been explored in games starting with the original 8-bit Castlevania and continued through to modern action titles. Still, none of those games ever really focused on the inherent excitement of torching a nest of vampires or stalking a vicious werewolf with a gun full of silver bullets. At best, most of those games were just generic action titles with a Halloween aesthetic. So, how fun would it be to have an action/strategy game based around the exploits of a clever but very mortal monster hunter? With the right level design, unique mechanics and spooky sound effects, a game like that would be mighty impressive.
Of course, not everyone likes violent video games. Some people are more interested in a civilized adventure or a tough puzzle. Though the classic point-and-click adventure game has mostly gone the way of the dinosaur, there's no reason we couldn't have a deep, engrossing adventure game using more complex, modern mechanics. I'd hate to waste such an idea on a forgettable fantasy setting. I'd rather see a funny adventure game set in modern-day Las Vegas. It'd be a blast to roll onto the strip in a virtual convertible and spend a few in-game days bouncing around to colorful casinos, seedy bars and bizarre attractions without having to risk the financial strain and wicked hangovers of a real-life trip to Sin City.
These are just a few of the games I'd like to see. Feel free to share your own gaming fantasies in our comments section.
