In issue 264, we asked readers to pitch us on their dream game. While lots of readers' ambitions stopped at sequels and zombie games, some free thinkers came up with some pretty awesome ideas. Here are some of the responses.
The Ultimate Mash-Ups:
- My dream game would feature Dark Souls’ gameplay mechanics, a world like Ocarina of Time, and the lineage-based respawning mechanism of Rogue Legacy. Add in the Shadow of Mordor’s nemesis system and the procedurally generated dungeons of Bloodborne, and you would have an endlessly replayable (with co-op, of course) game that would make you care about the heroes, enemies, and your friends.
Eric Davidson - My dream video game has the stylish 2D graphics, relationship mechanics, and charming (mostly) characters and writing of Fire Emblem Awakening, the deep fantasy lore and world of Dragon Age, and the simple yet difficult to master turn-based gameplay of Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door. Most of all, I want it to have an emotional, thought-provoking story, a tragic villain, and lots of anti-stereotype characters: sensitive, flower-loving male healers and angry, combat-obsessed female warriors, whom you later learn are deeper and more well-rounded than they may appear. Also a snarky female techie. I love those.
Catherine Johnson - If I could have a dream video game, it would be a racing game with the jump physics of Forza Horizon 2, the customization of Need For Speed Underground 2, the free roam of the newer Need For Speed games, the storyline of Need For Speed Shift, and cars such as the 1999 Nissan Skyline R34 and 1992 Honda Civic Hatchback. Basically, I want one game with the content of about five games rolled into it.
Steven Sevarns - I’m a huge fan of the Hot Shots series, as well as many other arcade sports games. They’ve made Hot Shots Golf & Hot Shots Tennis, but my idea is Hot Shots Resort, which combines not only their golf and tennis franchises, but also some two-on-two sand volleyball (in the style of Summer Heat Beach Volleyball on PS2), three-on-three basketball (that plays like NBA Street), and any other casual games you could potentially play at a club or resort. You’d have about 20 characters that would be playable in all of the games. Ambitious, I know, but I’d play this game until I died of starvation.
Shane Simpson - My dream game would be a third-person, procedurally generated, quasi-open world, martial arts/sci-fi/fantasy/action/adventure-RPG. The game would feature an active world, where events would progress with or without your interaction (you can't be everywhere at once), and what you do or don't do would influence the way events unfolded. (I could go into mechanics, character development, progression, Layout, story, and more, but I think 18+ years of contemplation would be a little too much.)
C. Kennedy
Love On The Battlefield:
- I always dreamed of being able to play a full-scale war game. Most players would be first-person or third person soldiers (CoD or Gears of War); each could have 2 bots they control (Mass Effect). These players would be divided into squads that would be lead by another player who would be their lieutenant. Squad members could only communicate with each other. However, the LTs could also communicate with the army's General. The General would be viewing and controlling the army like a Real Time Strategy game. Things like sending supply drops, airstrikes, etc...as well as telling squads to move to different locations and to capture objectives (which could be arrows over player's heads and waypoints on maps). I think this would be incredibly cool; what do you think?
Tim L. - I've always thought about the idea of some kind of console MMO set during D-Day or just WWII in general. I can see how that is very limited but the idea has always interested me.
John Spirk - The video game I want to see has a simple concept: laughably violent first-person shooter. Mix Call of Duty with Borderlands and add a good parkour system. I want to scale a wall, rip an enemy in half with a sniper shot, and then turn a human into a pile of giblets and red mist with a grenade. Call it Shoot to Wound or some other clichéd nonsense.
Xavier Kazi
Is That All?:
- I want a game that literally lets you do anything you want. Think Sims combined with GTA V. You want to be a bank robber? Do it! A cop who busts people for traffic violations? Lame, but do it. You want to go and fight a war? Train and go overseas, and then the game turns into a Battlefield-type experience. Basically, the pitch is a hub-world game that connects all other genres into one experience. That's not the impossible part though – dream is tech, which would be seamless, with no loading screens or pauses; it all just happens instantly. It's a crazy idea, but that's why they call it a dream game.
David Christman - My dream game pitch is a console/PC RTS Star Wars game in the vein of the Empire at War series (with a canon story) and ALL of the planets of the galaxy in a Galactic Conquest component.
Luis Emmanuel Morales Falcon - My dream game would be a fully customizable fighting game. What I'm thinking is, with the help of the Steam Workshop, you can make, download, and upload characters, maps, and costumes.
Jordan Grant
Getting Creative:
- My dream game would be a game that explores dreams – an MMO where you’re recruited by an organization to protect the conscious minds of people from their evil subconscious thoughts while they sleep. As you level up, you are able to control their dreams and get more powers and weapons. It would also delve into deeper themes such as what is true human nature, our deepest fears, and the battle between the id, ego, and superego.
Korbin Keller - Here's my idea for a video game: Buzz Artist. A spiritual successor of sorts to Jet Grind Radio, Buzz Artist stars an anthropomorphic bee named Buzz, who flies around the urban city of Insectopolis, spray-painting murals as a hobby. When the police and the other citizens see the graffiti and despise it, Buzz must prove the good of graffiti in any way he can. Buzz must avoid the dangers of the city as well: the clinging webs of police spiders and the desperate fists of homeless flies. Gameplay and style would take cues from Jet Grind Radio and Sunset Overdrive.
Stephen Lambros - My dream game is called Gravity Down: The Dragon Slayer. Long ago, gravity was controlled by the four gravitational pieces: Gravity Up, Gravity left, Gravity Right, and Gravity Down. Many people wanted their power but they were heavily guarded. An alien shaped figure named Leon wanted it more than anybody and decided to kill the guards and take control of the pieces. While an unexpected hero heads to the castle to see the princess, he runs into the crossfire of Leon and the guards. Leon won but was heavily damaged, so he drops the pieces (except gravity down) and they fall into the hands of three dragons. If the pieces are not returned to their original position, the apocalypse could start. The unexpected hero offers to find the pieces, so it is up to him and all the help he can get to save the world.
Ryan
Dream Team:
- My idea is a four-player side-scrolling beat 'em up, similar to Battletoads or Castle Crashers, but you play as four different past American presidents: Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, and Teddy Roosevelt. Their faces are realistic, but their bodies are huge and busting through their tattered suits. They each carry a gun and a melee weapon that suits them (Lincoln has an axe, Roosevelt carries a "big stick," etc.). Each level is set in a different time zone, and each set of enemies are different infamous enemies of America's past. Fighting Red Coats in the colonies, Nazis in 1940s Germany, Al Queda in the Middle East, and so on. Other, more obscure enemies could show up, like robots from the future, or aliens on Mars. Your characters can level up and improve their weapons or abilities, and you can eventually unlock other playable presidents like Obama or Nixon. The best part? The name of the game is MOUNT CRUSHMORE.
Joshua Hull - My dream video game is a game where you can play as any horror movie monster or killer that you want in an open-world environment. Just imagine it: stalking innocent campers with Jason Voorhees or terrifying people as a more generic monster such as a werewolf, vampire, zombie, or even Bigfoot! For most people, there would have to be an objective, or else you're just running (or swimming, if you're Jaws) around killing people. For each character, you would have a set of missions/goals to complete to finish each character's "story." It would also be fun if you could play as a human (or group) that hunts each one of these horrors (like Van Helsing). Anyways, I have always wanted to share this idea, and I hope yall like it!
Stephen Clay - My dream video game would be one where you get to play as a bunch of Batman villains. Arkham Origins got mixed reviews, but I loved the online multiplayer where you can play as Bane and The Joker.
Matt Standley - My dream game projects incorporate the “shared universe” concept of Marvel's films. The first would be a sci-fi reimagining of Tarzan. I know it sounds cheesy, but it would take many elements from the Tarzan books and be completely different from other retellings. The second project would be a retelling of Frankenstein. Then, after a couple more projects, the sixth game would combine them all like The Avengers.
Ethan Bryant
Gods And Monsters:
- My dream video game would be a first-person, open-world, superhero RPG. It would be awesome to create your own superhero and run or fly around a huge city while saving civilians and beating up villains. It would also be cool to gain new powers as you level up.
Joe Seiter - You guys asked what my dream game would be. My idea is a Supernatural-style, open-world monster hunt. The format would be a semi-long opening that lays out the backstory and allows the player to choose how they will play the game. Difficulty will be chosen by the vehicle selected for use: '60s passenger car for "easy" mode, mid-'50s pickup truck for medium, full '50s-style custom for hard, and Rat Rod for expert. You can also choose to work alone, with an NPC teammate, or as a co-op team. After the intro, you jump into the world of hunting monsters. The makeup of your team changes the amount of help you get from other characters, so if you work alone, you get help from other hunters on how to kill your enemy. Your job will be to find cases across the country and fix the problems caused by the monsters. Driving from case to case will cover a large area and give you a chance to rest, play mini-games, and get supplies. At some point, the endgame comes into play and you will have to go after the "final boss" and take down the commander of the dark forces and stop the monsters for good. This is intended to be a big-budget adventure like Mass Effect or Uncharted and may have the story left open for sequels. Due to my personal biases, this would be a PlayStation exclusive, hopefully.
Derek Newell - My dream video game would be a console version of Supernatural. You could ride around in the Impala and hunt Wendigos, Shapeshifters, and all kinds of stuff. Bobby could give you missions, and you could be Sam or Dean...I wish!
Milissa Brintle - As a gamer since the tender age of five, I've played many different types of games. And as a major fantasy nerd I believe it's high time that the industry makes an RPG where you create and play as a dragon on a quest to save or destroy the world. I mean, how cool would it be to be able to fly over towns scorching citizens or to rescue the princess stuck in a tower before a knight does? We'd be able to create our own element-breathing lizard with customization close to the Sims or Bioware games, and then be able to find upgrades throughout the game to enhance our scaly armor and deadly breath. With controls similar to that of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, we'd be able to fly over mountain ranges, run through forests, and swim to the bottom of lakes to discover secret treasures. Our choices with how we play the game – whether or not we go save a stranded farmer or pillage his farm while he's gone – affect the outcome of the world, like any good RPG. Alas, even though it has been my dream to play this kind of game for many years, I don't see it being made any time soon.
Kayli Byerlay
Crossing The Divide:
- I've always wanted to see a first-person shooter based on the original From Dusk Till Dawn movie. How awesome would it be to drill through vampires with a hydraulic stake and melt their faces with a holy water condom bomb? You would start off in the bar when all hell breaks loose, and would have to fight your way through the underground temple hidden beneath the bar, culminating in a final battle in the semi graveyard. I think it would be a great game for Id Software to develop.
Justin Reynolds - I would love to see a game based on the Battlestar Galactica reboot series, a real game not that browser-based nonsense. It's one of the best sci-fi series ever made and has huge potential for a game. Your fleet is alone, running into the uncharted galaxy from a race of killer robots? Potential written all over it. You would control your fleet and explore the galaxy from a tactical map, discovering and managing resources to not only fuel and feed your fleet, but expending it on combat upgrades to your fighters, ground forces, and capitol ship. That's the perfect opportunity for cameos from people from the show: Spend XP in the barracks with Starbuck to upgrade your combat skills, and resources with Colonel Tigh and Baltar to upgrade your fleet and fighters. When you jump to a new system, you discover what planets, resources, and enemy presence it has. When you encounter a Cylon fleet, it would switch to the battle screen which could be a space fighter combat simulator or more of a mix of ground and air combat like Starwars Battlefront II.
Kevin Duval - My dream video game? I'd love to see a third-person shooter game based on The Punisher. There are existing platforms (Watch Dogs, Mass Effect) that could be used to make this happen. The PS2 Punisher game was a letdown; it'd be nice to see my favorite anti-hero done justice.
John Dube - We haven't had a decent Terminator open-world type game, if ever. It's time to give the Terminator a go with an open-world, a desolate future war with Skynet, a good campaign and a co-op mode. Players could choose to play as either Resistance fighters or Terminator Units. Take down HKs, find infiltrators, unlock weapons, and upgrade your endoskeleton's armor – what's not to like?
Philip Boccia
Dreaming Of The Undead:
- Okay guys, here goes: My dream game takes place in a sprawling open-world city, where the game mechanics are harshly real and item pickups are rare and appear only in realistic locations. The premise is fairly standard, with the city being overrun/infested with zombies/enemy soldiers/mutants/what have you. Preferably nothing too sci-fi, as to keep the game grounded. Now the catch is every inhabitant of the city has their own complete life and family and story. Not in a plot way, but very much akin to real life; you start as a random citizen and you must escape the city, but permadeath is in effect, so each time you die the game starts you off with another individual in another part of the city. Perhaps you're a father who's trying to protect his children from the chaos while searching for safe passage out of the madness. You nobly sacrifice yourself, dying so that your son and daughter have a chance at life. Then you could potentially respawn as the daughter you just saved; her mission is now to get her younger brother out alive so their father's death was not in vain. This, gentlemen, is the game I play in my dreams.
Jesse Williams - My idea is an FPS RPG called "Soldier's Story." When a cloning experiment goes horribly wrong, a horde of zombie-like creatures terrorize the earth. Only an elite backup force, with the help of a rookie and four outlaw aliens can find a mineral hidden throughout the darkest depths of earth, the essence of which can be distilled into a super shield that can destroy the zombies!
Nick - My dream game would have been Dead Rush – come on, GTA plus zombies? Alas, they destroyed my dream when they canceled it.
Josh Blevins - In my dream game you skateboard around while killing zombies and zombie dragons. It is an RPG except everyone you talk to is a zombie so any attempt to talk to said zombie villager will result in your death. There is also an amazing upgrade tree: one for your skateboard and one for weapons. There are druid scrolls you can find in secret areas which act like skulls from the Halo series. Every time you manage to kill a zombie dragon, you get a boss new skateboard. You beat the game by killing all the Z dragons and getting all the sick skateboards.
Charles Bartels - I started writing my dream game, and with each word I realized it was really bad. Thank you for showing me (without even reading it) that the story of my game was my worst idea ever – what could be fun about doing tricks with BMX/skates/snowboards/rollerblades while killing zombies?
César Reyes
It's Called Deus Ex:
- I'll give you my idea of the perfect game (granted there may be a game like this already and I don't know it). Take the Nano-technician and the Soldier from Anarchy Online and meld them into the perfect future commando. You work for a private military organization that sells its services to the highest bidder and you get sent to do the dirty work. Throughout the course of the game, you can either focus on your military training for a more shoot-em-up experience or you can excel at nanotech which grants access to various programs from enhancing your enemy-targeting protocols to sabotaging enemy armor so they take more damage. If you like, mix and match to find the ultimate combination. Just a short rundown on what I would like as a perfect game.
Trent Tolbert
What's your dream video game? Pitch us on it in the comments below!