Every year, there are so many games released that they can't all change the medium forever. Most games are built on established ideas, using mechanics seen in many other titles. While those games can still be really good, it's always nice to see a truly innovative title hit the shelves.

These are the games that include features or showcase a technical prowess that didn't feel achievable. As a result, they seem like they could possibly change gaming forever - even if they don't always accomplish that. Here are some games that fit that description.

Grand Theft Auto 3

Open worlds already existed by the time Grand Theft Auto 3 rolled around, but they were still in their infancy. As such, the idea of being able to drive around a big city populated by people with whom you could interact seemed unrealistic until GTA 3 was released.

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It was one of the first games where the open world really felt like a sandbox. You could kill anyone you want or steal any car you want. You weren't just playing in an open world; you were impacting it. This concept is very common these days, but it felt like the future when the game was released in 2001.

EyeToy: Play

The EyeToy was a camera that launched in 2003, which you could hook up to your PlayStation 2 to enable motion-controlled gaming. The game that originally came with the device was EyeToy: Play. The game itself wasn't too deep. It was basically just a collection of minigames.

Yet, the fact that you didn't need any controller to play, and you could just move your body around, was unbelievable at the time. After all, the Nintendo Wii wouldn't be released until a few years later. So, this was one of the first games to allow motion control, which really made it feel like you were experiencing the future.

Deus Ex

There have been several Deus Ex games by this point, but it's the first one that made the biggest impact by far. The title was released in 2000, and it incorporated stealth, RPG, and shooter elements. This is because it was an immersive sim game, which was still a very new concept back then.

The game gave you an incredible amount of freedom to go about your mission as you see fit. All it did was give you the tools and let you figure things out on your own. Back then, it was rare to have a litany of ways to complete your objectives, which made Deus Ex feel special.

Super Mario 64

Before Super Mario 64 was released in 1996, platformers were almost always 2D. There had been a few 3D platformers, such as Alpha Waves and Jumping Flash!, but those games didn't really make a huge impact at the time of their release. The first 3D platformer that really felt futuristic was Super Mario 64. It was an almost perfect transition from 2D to 3D for the Italian plumber.

The general platforming was really fun, and the open spaces that the 3D environment allowed for were very innovative. The game made you believe that 3D platformers could have a big future, and that has since come true.

Watch Dogs: Legion

Unlike most games that are ahead of their time, Watch Dogs: Legion isn't considered a great game. Yet, it did feel futuristic upon launch. This is because of a mechanic that allowed you to control anybody.

That sounds like hyperbole, but it isn't. You could interact with any random NPC that was roaming the streets and recruit them into your hacker group, making them a playable character. Each of them had different skills and tools they brought to the table, but they were all available to play as. This sort of mechanic didn't seem possible before Watch Dogs: Legion.

Red Faction

The original Red Faction came out in 2001. It was a solid first-person shooter, but what really stood out about it was the destructible environments.

With the help of explosives, you could blast large holes into the floor, the ceiling, and the walls. And you could keep firing into those holes to make them deeper and deeper. You could even make a little tunnel for yourself. The concept of being able to change the environment to that degree was incredible at the time. In fact, it is still pretty incredible because destructible environments are still not that common.

Shenmue

Shenmue, released in 1999, is typically regarded as one of the most innovative games ever. It has this reputation for multiple reasons. For starters, its NPCs aren't just faces in the crowd. They have routines to keep and homes to go to. This is affected by the game's day-and-night cycle. People go to work during the day and go home at night. Plus, shops open and close at certain times.

All of this made it feel like you're roaming around a real world. What also helped was the amount of interactivity in the game. You could open drawers, use arcade machines, and generally interact with the open world around you, which made the game very ahead of its time in 1999.

Crysis

The main reason why Crysis felt futuristic at launch was because of how impressive the graphics were. Since the game came out in 2007, those visuals aren't as impressive anymore. At the time, though, they were so far beyond what people thought games were capable of.

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It wasn't just that the visuals were nice; the game was so incredibly detailed, and the lighting was exceptional. In fact, it was so advanced that most people didn't have a system capable of running the game, which became a bit of a meme at the time.

Half-Life 2

There's plenty to love about Half-Life 2, but the aspect of the game that made it feel futuristic was the physics. The game let you pick up and move almost everything you could find, from cinderblocks to coffee cups. And they all actually had weight to them. This allowed for some very original physics-based puzzles.

Many of them could be solved in several ways, thanks to the physics system giving you plenty of freedom. For instance, one puzzle encourages you to put blocks on a plank of wood to create a ramp to reach a platform above, but you can also just create a set of stairs with the blocks. No game before it could really do that sort of thing.

​​​​​​​Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear Solid, as a series, has always been known for including mechanics that have rarely, if ever, been seen before. As the first game in the series, the original MGS is particularly notable for bringing new ideas to the table. You discovered this early in the game when you wandered around a snowy area, and the guards actually saw your footprints in the snow and followed them. Later, when you're inside, they could hear your footsteps on hard surfaces. These sorts of things seemed super advanced when this game was released in 1998.

The game also included fourth-wall breaks where a certain boss (Psycho Mantis) would comment on other games you've played and take control of your controller, until you plugged it into the second port. These are just a few of the groundbreaking and unusual things Metal Gear Solid managed to pull off.

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