Video game clones aren’t an uncommon affair. Everything is inspired by something. Some games are just a bit more inspired by each other. OK, maybe a lot more. Video game clonesare basically legally-distinct versions of another game, sharing more than just foundational ideas but certain mechanics and design 1:1.
That’s not to say every clone is bad, just quite derivative, there to make a quick buck. Some games, though they may have started off heavy in how many cues they took from other games, really did end up carving a niche of their own, making a brand-new game with distinctive features.
Genshin Impact
Less Zelda Than At First Glance
There’s a shot that has become a de facto for many open-world video game openings now. When Link wakes up in Breath of the Wild and stares over the horizon, it’s an awe-inspiring scene. And has also become gaming’s Akira bike slide, feeling like nothing more an imitation when it happens. And from its reveal, that’s exactly what Genshin Impact felt like.
The cel-shaded art, layout of certain UI elements, the gliding, the ability to climb anything in the open world. It screamed rip-off. And in parts it was, sure. But once it actually released, it was surprisingly surface level in what it tok, with plenty of its own style to keep it a clearly unique game. Even if it felt like it was trying to gouge money out of you.
Tomb Raider (2013)
Uncharted With A Survivalist Twist
Tomb Raider has went through a few different periods at this point, with the 2013 reboot being one of the series’ most important since the games originally started. It was a very different approach for the games, reducing the emphasis on movement but prioritising exploration and more surviva elements.
There’s a lot of Uncharted in its more curated approach, especially in the first game. As they advanced, however, they settled into this new version of Tomb Raider, building upon the survival and stealth elements, and thankfully bringing puzzles back in a bigger way too.
The Outer Worlds
What If Fallout: New Vegas Was In Space?
The Outer Worlds
4.0/5
- Released
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October 25, 2019
For a long time, and frankly still to this day, people heralded Fallout: New Vegas as the shining jewel of the modern Fallout games. It is packed with variety in terms of how you can build your character and explore the world, giving you incredible freedom in terms of both narrative and gameplay. Obsidian did a great job.
So with the Outer Worlds, they just did it again. While the style of writing is quite different, the actual presentation of the game is remarkably similar. You even have a VATS replacement system that lets you slow down time. It’s got an entirely unique style, but it truly feels like New Vegas free of Bethesda’s constraints.
God Of War
Devil May Cry And Onimusha Would Like A Word
The modern God of War games are quite different from those that came before it. The modern games have a tighter camera, making Kratos more grounded and significantly less flashy than in earlier entries. Back in his Greek God slaying days, Kratos was a nimble force of unstoppable rage.
And it basically exclusively owes that to games like Onimusha and Devil May Cry, the earlier examples of character-action and hack-and-slash games. By all means, God of War gave itself a visually and mechanically distinct identity, though it would never have existed without those games, the former of which even the devs acknowledged.
Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor
Batman: Arkham, But Every Goon Has A Story
The Batman: Arkham games were a revelation for the world, showing a brand-new style of combat that could be seamlessly blended with both stealth and gameplay. Many others sought to emulate it immediately. Except for Warner Bros. Owning the Batman: Arkham games, it simply took the system and applied it directly to its other games, such as Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor.
When playing the game, the combat is complete nothingness. It is a system in place to ensure there is a combat system. It is entirely derivative of Batman and adds nothing unique. But the Nemesis system is unrivalled. Every single orc has the ability to become a character, evolving based on your encounters. It absolves it of the sin of stolen combat.
Palworld
Enough For Court
From the moment Palworld was revealed, it felt like a challenge. A very “Nintendo, sure this man!” strategy to get some viral marketing. And it worked, maybe better than expected. While the basis of the court case was indeed rather stringent and reliant on some villainous usage of law, there is no denying the obvious Pokemon inspirations.
In practice, Palworld isn’t really like Pokemonin terms of its actual game structure. Yes, you have to capture the various pals in what are essentially pokeballs. But it’s also a survival-crafting open-world dungeon-crawler. There’s probably a few more genres that could be thrown in there. It’s derivative, but oddly unique? Weird game.
Ghost Of Tsushima
Assassin’s Creed But With Style
Yes, you’ve heard it before. Ghost of Tsushima and its sequel are Assassin’s Creed style open-worlds. That is true, but also probably tiring to hear as the primary comment upon the game. It’s a simple critique, but also a very effective descriptor. It is an open-world game that is quite empty save for a few towns and enemy camps, and some checklist objectives.
What makes Ghost of Tsushima so unique, however, is that it actually has style. Going from point a-to-b,even if it’s only for a checklist objective, is a gorgeous experience. The world is hand-crafted for screenshots, but is even more beautiful in motion. And so much of the world is designed to be viewed diegetically, allowing petals to guide you than overhead markers.
Splinter Cell
But Was It A Metal Gear Solid 2 Killer?
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
- Released
-
November 18, 2002
- ESRB
-
t
- Developer(s)
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Ubisoft Montreal
While Splinter Cell has fallen far from grace since its debut back in 2002, it was once upon a time the premium stealth adventure. Where Metal Gear focused more heavily on infiltration, Splinter Cell put an emphasis on the acrobatic navigation of environments and fields of visibility. However, it was also created for a specific purpose.
To be a Metal Gear Solid 2 killer. It took massive inspiration from it, though genuinely came away as a very different form of stealth. Movement was heavy and areas much more urban. It was a very different feel, even when the foundational influences are still so clear.
Nioh
Here’s Your Dark Souls Character-Action Game
There aren’t many Soulslikes out there that have managed to get a reputation for actually being good and an actual rival to Dark Souls. Those games are great, but worked from a mixture of build variety, strong world design, and great enemies. The actual corecombat system, divorced from those things, really wasn’t anything special.
So then Nioh comes along. All the Soulslike fundamentals are there, from grueling difficulty and stamina systems to limited healing and shrines that act as checkpoints. But Nioh has such an incredible combat system, one teetering on the edge of Ninja Gaiden’s character-action roots at times. It’s unlike any other Soulslike, and firmly established itself as one of the pinnacles of the genre from day one.
