5 console games from the past that were ahead of the story and graphics of their time. I want to shout wow and repeat them again

The gaming industry, despite skepticism, continues to grow. Over the past 25 years, it has developed by leaps and bounds, and, unfortunately, many projects become outdated quite quickly.

However there is also the opposite effectwhen the game is ahead of its time in one way or another and looks decent even now.

Today we will talk about five examples of such games.

1. Notorious: Second Son

One of the first exclusive projects for the PlayStation 4. And although I am not a big supporter of the console itself, as I wrote about earlier, “Second Son” impressed me literally from the very beginning.

The plot of the game begins with a gameplay scene in which the player needs to intercept the console horizontally and draw graffiti using a gyroscope. After this, with impressive graphics, the player leaves the place of the criminals.

On the opening scene, Infamous: Second Son first of all includes its main trump card – stunning pictures and working detail of the environment. The light softly diffuses, the water creates glare and reflections, and even the smallest folds appear on the protagonist’s face. And this is still the very beginning of the game.

Plot-wise, Infamous: Second Son doesn’t disappoint either. It is worth noting that this is not the first game in the series, but it is very different from the original duology, and all the necessary things to understand the plot are told at the very beginning.

The story centers on Delsin Rowe, a 24-year-old graffiti artist and member of the Akomish Indian Tribe. The guy is a so-called “conductor,” a person with supernatural powers (no spoilers about how).

Guides in this world are illegal, and they are hunted by the DEZ organization, using not the most humane methods. The main message of the external story is that Delsin’s moral compasses and actions remain in the hands of the player. Only you can decide who to be – a good man or a villain. And, naturally, the outcome depends on this.

The gameplay in the game is dynamic, quite complex and very addictive, and combined with excellent graphics, it does not allow the game to become outdated. And if you previously bought a PS4 for Infamous: Second Son, now you can run it on PS5 with backwards compatibility.

2. Order of 1886

Speaking of the PS4 library, I can’t help but remember one of perhaps the most forgotten and underrated projects on the platform. “The Order 1886” is the first project of the Ready at Dawn studio for a stationary console; previously the team made only small games for portable devices. According to Sony, this title was supposed to be a similar response to the great Gears of War series from Microsoft.

It turned out… to some extent really controversial. For the full price of $60, we got a small third-person shooter with shelters lasting 4-5 hours and a very controversial ending, which not everyone liked.

What can still be praised in the project? Graphics and cutscenes, interesting setting and plot. “Half-breeds”—mutants with bestial features—began to be born among people. There is a war between two sides – half-breeds and ordinary people. Arthur founded the legendary Order of the Knights of the Round Table to protect humanity. He uses a special substance called “black water”, allowing knights to live forever and quickly heal from wounds.

Unfortunately, the new IP is not worthy of attention. In general, the game was criticized for its short duration, monotonous gameplay and too consistent ending. The game is almost 10 years old, but a sequel has never been released.

However, it is worth noting that in terms of visual contours, settings and attention to detail (the locations are so detailed that the small details of everyday life in fantasy London can be considered for a very long time), the game was far ahead of its time and its advantages.

Despite the criticism, the game is still worth trying. She might surprise you.

3. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

They move from modern games to older, but still cult ones. Needless to say, Hideo Kojima is a genius? No, it’s not worth it. And MGS 2 confirmed this thesis.

It’s not just the graphics, physics and facial animations, which were very advanced at the time of release and still look impressive. First and foremost, MGS2 was ahead of its time in terms of story. I will not retell it in detail; this is a topic for a separate article.

Let me just say that there were a lot of health and medical events predicted in MGS2 that are still relevant today. Issues of censorship, simulated political stability, and even some futuristic types of equipment now look frighteningly realistic. The game is almost 25 years old, according to recommendations.

And what a gameplay! In what other game at that time could you take a weapon hostage, have him share ammo, shoot at the radio so as not to call for reinforcements, and go through the entire game without killing a single person?

Of course, many people have heard about all the series, but if you want to understand what is behind the genius meme, then I highly recommend checking out the series for yourself. I would especially recommend starting with the first part so that the shock of the second will be even stronger.

4. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

The games that Nintendo creates and publishes never get old and often set trends. The influence of Nintendo on the entire gaming industry as a whole can be discussed separately and constantly. But not today.

Of course, those in the know might ask, “Why not The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time?” Not only was it ahead of its time, it set the standard for third-party action games and inspired the Dark Souls series! But I will answer: the game is really great, you are right, but visually The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker has been preserved much better, and thanks to its style it looks very cool even now.

The secret of youth lies in Cell Shading technology (imitation of flat volume, scientifically speaking). The game looks and reflects like a cartoon come to life, while telling an interesting story. It also has a real open world without reloads (on consoles in the early 2000s!) and a spirit of adventure that console games of those years so lacked.

If you run this Zelda now, it might very well seem like a game from 2024, just with a hint of “cartoon”. There are very few games left with such exciting and addictive gameplay, and missing them is a big omission.

5. Resident Evil 4

And our project was completed, which forever divided the third-person shooter genre into “before” and “after”. And even though RE4 has an excellent remake, the original has at least historical value, and at most it is very different from the remake and still plays perfectly.

Strictly speaking, the situation with Resident Evil 4 is compatible with the condition that existed with Zelda. An example is the remake of the very first part of “The Resident,” which was created (like the fourth part, by the way) in the building with Nintendo. The remake brought an end to the entire genre of classic horror games and showed amazing quality graphics that have been perfectly preserved to this day.

However, the RE1 remake also showed that the genre needs a critical rethink or risk dying. The changes that occurred in Resident Evil 4 led to the end. The camera moved out from the corner of the screen behind the shoulder of the main character, the pace of battles with enemies increased and acquired a tactical component – after all, now it is better to first shoot the enemy’s knee (if he has one) in order to slow him down, and only then shoot him in the head. Cutscenes became more cinematic with more emphasis on close-ups of people.

And, of course, the plot. The writers finally realized that the series was not about feigned seriousness, and let go of all the boundaries, leading the narrative towards an action movie, causing an ulcer to the main character and the femme fatale who knows kung fu.

Resident Evil 4’s legacy continues to reverberate throughout the gaming industry today, from the mechanics of movement and aiming to operational steps in the gameplay. Literally your game after RE4 borrowed ideas from Capcom in one way or another. Without RE4 there would be no success for Dead Space. And The Last of Us didn’t have such cool shooter gameplay. And it’s worth remembering – from the slow-motion concept of RE4, the Devil May Cry series was born, creating a new genre.

Even though there is a remake, I still recommend the original. It was as far ahead of its time as possible and has been perfectly preserved.

Not everyone is subject to time

The gaming industry is chaotic and chaos is beautiful. Many things from it do not spare time, and some still live, and the more such examples, the better.

Well, in the comments, as always, I encourage you to start a discussion, remind me of what I might have forgotten, suggest hidden gems, in general, to communicate. Have a nice day, everyone!