Backhand of Justice

 The most unusual characteristic of Planescape: Torment is that its brilliance doesn’t stem from its gameplay. Its disciples aren’t inspired by incredible graphics or innovative sequences. Torment is not even the best Role Playing Game because of its ability to make you feel like you inhabit the protagonist. read more

Sometimes copies are a bad thing: The Rock is a cheap Arnold Schwarzenegger rip-off, 2009 Bon Jovi is a poor man’s 1989 Bon Jovi, and nothing can ever replace Hammer Pants. Copies aren’t always bad, though, as long as they’re well executed.

Dead Space takes the best elements from System Shock 2, Resident Evil and Event Horizon and blends them into a compelling new experience. Add in innovative combat and enemies, interesting environments and an inspired UI, and you have one of the best and most underappreciated games of 2008. read more

World of Warcraft has been such a phenomenal success that people forget how important the Warcraft genre was even before the MMO’s launch. Both Orcs & Humans and Tides of Darkness were a big part of the RTS genre’s rise to prominence, and Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos was the most anticipated RTS since Starcraft.

Many see the precursors to World of Warcraft as immature efforts that ultimately culminated in the juggernaut of an MMO that we’re familiar with today, but Warcraft III was so much more than that. It not only created a new genre, it also refocused RTS games on smaller conflicts, a complete 180 from where they were trending at the time.

Most importantly, it introduced the character of Arthas, and forever changed the lore of Warcraft.  read more

System Shock 2 was the first truly frightening game experience. This wasn’t limited to cheap ‘bats bursting through the windows’ surprise scares that Resident Evil or Alone in the Dark had; these were truly creepy and disturbing scares that would stick with you after you turned off the computer.
 
System Shock 2 isn’t just a survival horror shooter, however. This isn’t a cash-in from the popularity of Resident Evil. It is the first truly compelling first person RPG, and it laid the groundwork not just for Bioshock but also for games like Borderlands, Fallout 3 and even Oblivion.
 
System Shock 2 is a perfect blend of story, action and atmosphere, one which is yet to be matched.

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Over a decade after its release, Counter-Strike remains one of the most popular online shooters. CS added more genre defining tropes to the FPS genre as we know it today than nearly any other game. Outside of Modern Warfare’s progression system that has become genre standard, CS did it all.

Whether referring to unforgiving damage, weapon selection, objective based gameplay, differentiated teams or timed respawns, CS represented a huge leap forward in game design. It was such an improvement that despite huge imbalances and buggy gameplay on release, early adopters universally saw its potential.

Think of it this way: how many of you know de_dust better than you know your own neighborhood? Probably more than you might think. read more

Videogame conventions are well established, but periodically a game is released that adds a new mechanic that reinvigorates a genre, which is then refined for years to come. When Half-Life 2 added physics to the FPS genre, subsequent games ran with that idea. When Mario 64 made the jump to 3D platforming, the next-gen platforming floodgates opened up. But first is rarely best.

When Relic Entertainment revealed Homeworld would add full 3D space to the RTS genre, many expected a rough framework for an idea with potential. That they not only invented but perfected the mechanic is evidenced by the only competitor being their own sequel. Why play a game like Homeworld, when you can play Homeworld?

Homeworld added 3D space and so much more, and it deserves its position in the pantheon of RTS greats alongside the Warcrafts, Starcrafts and C&Cs of the world. Also, lasers. The game has lots of lasers. read more

Second look will be a new feature highlighting games that deserve (you guessed it) a second look. Whether they are underappreciated classics, landmarks in innovation or simply the most refined example of a genre or mechanic, these games have a strong influence on today’s industry landscape.

While many of the games are well known, with the rapid expansion of the gaming demographic, many groundbreaking games from the past are forgotten. Ideas explored by these games have been copied and perfected, but it’s useful to know whose shoulders we’re standing on.

When Peter Molyneux chose his top five most influential games,  he selected Halo for popularizing the FPS genre on consoles. I’m going to assume he misspoke, and meant Goldeneye 007. It doesn’t get the credit that DOOM or Half-Life do in evolving the genre, but arguably did more than either in shaping today’s FPS experience. read more