I love when games utilize impossible spaces. I feel like so many games try to stay grounded in reality, so I appreciate when a game really takes advantage of being a game and plays with reality a bit. (ie: Antichamber, The Stanley Parable)
The "Choose your reply (or none)" mechanic of 'Oxenfree'.
There’s a few things that irk me about that game, but it’s one of very few I know to get conversational interruption working well.
The one problem it had is that so, SO many players want to “absorb every byte of audio in the lines the characters are giving” and so will avoid interrupting to the last minute. Generally, I think people “treasure” voice acting a bit too much, ironically degrading its value. Good acting in movies tends to involve tons of interruption and cut-offs.
I'm one of those that hate interrupting people, so in Oxenfree, I missed a lot of opportunities to choose a dialogue option because I was waiting for the right time to cut in. I eventually just made myself do it, but I really hated the feeling of cutting off other characters.
I loved how Telltale does it instead where you select a dialogue option and the game has you say it at the right time.
It's so weird to me that what works so well for others bothers me so much. In fact, it bothered me so much that I didn't bother replaying it, despite replaying being a big appeal of that game.
Such a polished version of a classic mechanic, really felt like I was having conversations. This was especially refreshing compared to the obvious "bad choice good choice" options whereas Oxenfree felt natural responses.
I've played mainly fighting games for years and my fav mechanic is the comeback mechanic ala XFactor in UMVC3, Instinct in the recent Killer Instinct, and the Critical Art in the new Street Fighter 6.
It ain't over till you see the K.O. screen.
In Everhood, an RPG with rhythm-based battles, you start out only being able to dodge enemy attacks. Much later into the game, your character regains their memories and a new sense of purpose as well as finally gaining the ability to attack.
Then you have to return to the battles you scraped by by dodging and look for opportunities to sneak attacks in. It adds a new level of challenge to an already challenging game.
God, that moment, where you realize where the game is going? Honestly fantastic. Everhood has such a sleek design, and I love that there is no "filler" encounter.
Actraiser. That game was my favorite when it came out. Part Sim part platformer. Blew me away as a kid. I still give it a play through every few years.
I'm bad at explaining but I love Kirby's boss battles, they're simple, challenging, and somehow extremely cinematic. Just can't get enough of them. If there's more games that are just the boss battles as a full game let me know.
There are a few that I find really cool.
The "bullet time" in the max payne series was very enjoyable to me. Dodge-flying around enemies while bullets hit your last position and all looking like you are in the matrix movie? Yes please!
Then there was the flying in GTA5. The controls and "feel" of all the vehicles are very good, but flying is really implemented in a great way. Its by no means to difficult to learn (like a real simulator), but has a pretty high skill ceiling. To really "fly beautifully" you have to know your shit. And thats not even counting fighting air-to-air or air-to-land. It's beautiful.
Also I'm a sucker for all atmospheric games. Bonus for being dystopic. The System-/Bioshock series, Stalker, Fallout, Cyberpunk2077 and many many more. Disco Elysium. Some games really are art in its purest form. Still entertainment, but art at the same time. I remember the first time I entered Novigrad in Witcher 3, not even on a good graphics card. Such a vivid, "living" town, with logical alleyways, bridges, beautiful architecture, soundstage just amazing, ... I think to this day no other game has surpassed W3 when it comes to creating a believable city. It's just art!
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