With us as members of the video game industry's media, we tend to look superficially at the games which are making the biggest waves now. Sometimes, we will also look a little bit deeper at franchises that were once great and now are reduced to the $5.00 bins. With that said, we forget far too often the games that pushed our industry forward. This is a list of games or franchises that not only need a revival – but games that deserve our thanks and applause as well.
10. Ground Control
Ground control was one of the hallmark games of the RTS genre. Set in a ‘warring worlds’ type environment, the game puts you in the shoes of various soldiers all partaking in battle for dominance over Krig-7. Krig-7 is one of the last remaining planets that can sustain life after the Third World War, which came to be known as The Sixteen Minute War. Nuclear weapons ravaged the face of Earth, forcing the residents to look to the stars.
The game is frequently referred to as an unsung innovator due to its contributions to the RTS genre. Many developers have taken to adding features that this came introduced – even the makers of the fantastic Total War series. Perhaps one of the largest additions to the genre was that of the free-floating camera. This allowed players to get up-close and personal with theirs and their opponents respective armies.
9. MechWarrior
As the name of the game implies, MechWarrior places you in the role of a mech-pilot. This was before Gundam or Robotech came to consoles, and the first game to ever allow you the chance of even being a mech-pilot. The game's story revolves around a stolen chalice that proves the main character's right to the throne, and while this chalice is stolen, you are exiled and forced to retrieve it.
The franchise released a few more entries, but the last iteration of the series graced the market in 2000 with the release of MechWarrior 4: Vengeance. The game received accolades from many media outlets and even attained the Best Simulation Award from the E3 staff at E3 2000.
8. Dungeon Keeper
While a Dungeon Keeper Online has been announced in 2008 by NetDragonWebsoft Inc., the purported MMO only promises to loosely base itself upon classic Dungeon Keeper lore. Furthermore, after four years of hearing naught about it…It's possible the project is lost in oblivion. With all that said, Dungeon Keeper was a true gem. The first installment of the series was headed by Peter Molyneux.
The series works much like an RTS in the fact that you create a team of working imps and proceed from there. These imps then work to collect resources while you as the player build the basic infrastructure for your base. The game revolutionized the genre and the reception from both player and press was astoundingly positive.
7. Syndicate
Released back in 1993, Syndicate was one of the first games to offer you a moral question – not in terms of gameplay like the Infamous series – but in a general sense of the notion. The game was considered by many to be ruthless, and the fact that you are playing as genetically enhanced killer cyborgs being controlled by syndicates probably didn’t help the matter.
The real-time tactical game did not bring much in terms of innovation, however it did strive for excellence and raise the bar for new games being released in the genre. In this sense, it is without a doubt that because of syndicates various credentials, that it deserves a spot on this list.
6. Magic Carpet
1994 took us on another wild ride with Molyneux as PC players across the world boarded their magic carpets. You take on the role of an anonymous wizard flying over water, mountains, and various terrains while devastating monsters – and rival wizards.
Magic Carpet was given resoundingly positive reviews from nearly every big media outlet in the industry, but because id Software’s Doom was released in close proximity to Magic Carpet’s own release, sales were not as fruitful as they could have been. This effectively put the franchise on the chopping block, and we have not heard of any renaissance for the series even now – nearly seventeen years later.
5. Theme Hospital
Theme Hospital’s success and popularity was directly attributed to 1998’s lack of SIM-type games. With all that said, it’s paramount success was not only because of its insanely smart timing – it brought even more gusto and technicality to the genre.
One example of the gusto and technicality of this game is its heavy usage of micromanagement. Before Theme Hospital, this element of gameplay was thought to be a nuisance to gamers; however, after selling four-million copies, Bullfrog Productions proved the industry wrong. Even more success was seen in later years by popular titles such as the Sims using this to an even heavier degree.
4. Maniac Mansion
A game much like Theme Hospital in its eccentric sense of humor, Maniac Mansion was one the few games that sparked a media frenzy; after learning that Lucasfilm Games were behind the project, you probably wouldn’t be surprised. Everything from TV adaptations to the sequel of the game were put into play.
The second iteration of the series – Day of the Tentacle – also released to rave reviews. After the series’ success and reinvention of the graphical adventures subgenre, the industry at large still begs the question, “Why was the series canned?” The world may never know, but there has not been even the slightest whisper of a third iteration into the franchise.
3. Descent
Descent – a perfect example of a surprise hit. The story was pretty inexplicable at first, but once you were engrossed there was no turning back. The game takes you on a wild ride through the solar system, and the end of the game will have you questioning your entire journey.
Descent was also one of the first games to utilize a fully-capable 3D engine. Even Doom, which released only a year before, could not claim this remarkable feat. This game was a true pioneer in terms of what it achieved technically.
2. Conflict: Freespace
Widely thought to be under the lineage of Descent, Conflict was actually a franchise in and of itself. Created by acclaimed developer Volition, the title boasted huge sales, amped-up storytelling, and graphics that trumped nearly every other game released at the time.
In terms of its graphical content, there were many areas in which Conflict excelled, but none more so than its explosions. The particle physics in the game amazed reviewers and really gave the industry a new outlook as to what games in the future would be capable of. It’s a mystery as to why a gold mine like this would be left to collect dust.
1. Baldur’s Gate
Baldur’s Gate gave players the most complete and thought-provoking experience of any RPG series. Spanning across ten years, each iteration of the series proved to be a money-making behemoth. While the series latest entry in 2004 may not have the same sheen as the first, the franchises abrupt halt is probably the biggest mystery on this list.
The series spawned a series of novels based upon the lore surrounding the Baldur’s Gate universe. These proved that the success of the franchise was not only limited to personal computers, but was a much bigger entity.
In a 2010 IGN interview with Ray Muzyka of Bioware, he stated that, “Atari has the license, so you’ll have to talk to them about that.” Which pretty much puts the series in limbo. So start sending your e-mails to Atari
