The Influence of Classic Games on Your Favorite Modern AAAs

The influence of classic games on the modern video games industry has never been so apparent as it is today. As modern AAAs struggle to reach the player counts they are used to, many gamers are even going back to older titles or enjoying remakes such as Oblivion. There are many reasons why the modern games industry sucks, and classic games endure, from action horror titles like Resident Evil to gambling in games. Here are some examples of why.

D&D and Action RPGs

There are tons of memorable action RPGs with decisions that shape the outcome of the final game. The mechanics that underlie these games have their roots in ancient classics such as chess, where strategy is at the heart of the game. However, titles like KOTOR have had a major influence on modern RPG best-sellers such as Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3 and other D&D games, where complex moral choices define how the story plays out, as seen in other BioWare titles.

The Influence of Classic Games on Action Horror

The Resident Evil series has sold over 170 million copies across eight iterations, remakes, and spin-offs. While the first Resident Evil wasn’t the beginning of video game survival horror,  almost all modern titles in the genre owe a lot to Resident Evil, because of the following:

• Tight story-driven narratives that place the player in the middle of the action.
• Complex characters with morally ambiguous motives that aren’t always apparent.
• Critical outcomes are based on the player’s ability to solve puzzles and make decisions.

Open World RPG Soulslike Games

It could be argued that souls-like games have had their day. Every game award show, showcase, and exclusive reveal has us thinking, “Oh great, another one.” Of course, souls-like games are popular for a reason, and companies today are cashing in on a dying trend.

However, open-world souls-like games such as Elden Ring are amazingly popular, as studies like From Software have adapted the core mechanics to vast open spaces with intense combat.

Cinematic and Progression-Based Stories

It’s an old video game trope, but one that works. You start with almost nothing and progress the character to something like a demigod. With some time and dedication, you end up with the ability to one-shot most enemies, and you feel like a literal God, as is the case in the aptly named God of War. But it isn’t the ability that makes these games memorable; it is the way that the story progresses and how they are presented in the most cinematic ways imaginable.

The Influence of Classic Games on CrimSims

Up to 2 million gamers play GTA Online every day, making it one of the main reasons why GTA has endured for so long. But GTA 3 was where it all really started for Rockstar’s unbeatable series that influences games today, no more so than the new Grand Theft Auto game, GTA 6. 

Successful sandbox simulation

There were sandbox games before GTA 3, but none of them worked very well. Rockstar utilises cutting-edge streaming tech to open up the world to players, where almost anything is possible.

The crime fantasy

Crime games are not easy to make. Like movies, they can feel cheap and cringy when not done right. Other series, such as Saints Row, owe a lot to the influence of GTA on their own success.

Universal game mechanics

Rockstar didn’t invent many of the game mechanics found in GTA games, but they did popularize them. The weapon wheel is a perfect example of a mechanic we can’t live without!

It’s hard to find a video game series as beloved and controversial as Grand Theft Auto. The original top-down game was groundbreaking at the time, and GT 3 onwards cemented Rockstar Games as an industry titan, whose influence is felt across almost every other crime game today.

The Freedom to Explore

You may not know it, but the concept of the open world game isn’t new. It has been around since early games like The Legend of Zelda from 1986. A novel but well-received concept at the time, the freedom of exploration is something that has endured to this day. Some might argue that open-world games are too big today, as bemoaned by many in regard to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. However, the concept of freedom laid down by classic titles is one that millions love.

Open-World Free-Flow Combat Games

Further to open-world games, there are also titles that offer semi-open but free-flowing combat mechanics for a tighter story. Games such as Batman: Arkham Asylum introduced a combat system that to this day is still used in modern AAA games such as Sony’s Spider-Man. As for gameplay, Arkham also popularized the concept of easter eggs, secrets, and challenging trophies to collect that not only enhance the game, but provide bragging rights, too. 

Gambling and the Influence of Classic Games

To date, Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold 79 million copies, making it the fourth best-selling game ever. You could write an entire book about what you can do in RDR2, but classic gambling games like poker have had a solid influence on the game, if only for authenticity reasons:

• The game allows you to play poker at saloons for in-game money for the character.
• The inclusion of gambling in RDR2 helps it feel much more authentic to the time.
• This has been a controversial decision for the online component of RDR2.

Survival and Stealth Mechanic Titles

When you think of stealth games, there’s only one that comes to mind. Metal Gear Solid is the king of stealth and has influenced many series such as Hitman and Splinter Cell, but none come close except, of course, for the modern Metal Gear Solid Delta, which is a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. However, that hasn’t stopped other games from trying, and the stealth genre is alive and well, even though nothing captures the feeling of sneaking like Metal Gear.

Summary

D&D is undoubtedly the best example of the biggest influence of classic games on the modern video games industry. However, GTA 3 can claim dominance and influence over modern crime games, and there’s only one classic that reigns supreme in the stealth genre: Metal Gear!