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Rip-Off Games: Unoriginal But Still Fun

Silver Linings #40

By Adam WallacePublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Hi, and welcome back to Silver Linings where the worthy get respect... even if they are just ripping something else off.

It can be argued that there's virtually no creativity in big-budget games anymore. Ubisoft is just creating one open world game after another. Square Enix and EA both pushed out crappy Destiny wannabes. The sports game market is more concerned with squeezing players with microtransactions than actually providing fresh experiences. Were it not for low-budget indie games, the gaming market would be in awful shape right now.

For as long as games have existed, if one idea saw massive success, other companies would try something similar, hoping some of those profits head their way. This was why there was a surge of modern military shooters after the success of Call of Duty 4. This was why Activision pumped out Guitar Hero games to the point of oversaturating the market. Think of how many knock-off Pong consoles there were back in the 70s!

That's not to say that a lack of originality can't still result in a good time. Some games may be just rip-offs of previous successes, but they can still provide enjoyable experiences. The ten games I'm featuring today probably wouldn't exist without other games providing a template, but they're still worth checking out.

"Dante's Inferno" [Rip-Off of "God of War"]

God of War was a massive change in how action games were done. It showed how fixed cameras and quick-time-events can actually enhance action games rather than hurt them. EA saw how much success Sony was having with Kratos decided to push out their own action game. Dante's Inferno, despite its VERY loose basis on The Divine Comedy, copies God of War's gameplay style in almost every detail. However, it does make use of the Seven Circles of Hell to provide some very disturbing imagery, and building up either good or evil powers can provide plenty of replay value, even without the "Trials of St. Lucia" DLC.

"Game of Thrones" [Rip-Off of "Dragon Age: Origins"]

I already talked about this RPG; check out that article for more details. Even though the gameplay is almost a straight copy of the first Dragon Age, the authentic feel given to Westeros makes it a good addendum to those captivated by George R.R. Martin's dark world.

"Gears Tactics" [Rip-Off of "XCOM: Enemy Unknown"]

Gears Tactics isn't the first time a shooter series switched to strategy. Halo did it previously with the Halo Wars subseries. However, while Halo used Command & Conquer as its strategy template, Gears of War borrowed very heavily from the XCOM games. Face it; gameplay-wise, the only differences between this game and XCOM are the chainsaw bayonets and the Locust. However, it still provides effective scenarios to think your way through, and it's every bit as gory and visceral as its parent series.

"Killzone" [Rip-Off of "Halo 2"]

Speaking of Halo, Microsoft's system-selling juggernaut is the reason Sony produced Killzone. Think... A sci-fi first-person shooter with a mix of contemporary and futuristic weapons. An invading force to blast into oblivion. Heavy emphasis on co-op and online. The only real difference is swapping out the religious themes of the Covenant with the Nazi fascist themes of the Helghast. It is still a good time, though I do recommend playing the HD remaster on Playstation 3 rather than the PS2 original. Killzone pushed the PS2 hardware a little too hard, resulting in technical issues.

"Lord of the Rings: The Third Age" [Rip-Off of "Final Fantasy X"]

An RPG set in Tolkien's universe made perfect sense, and The Third Age definitely scratched that itch. While it is disappointing to be controlling a group of second-stringers rather than the Fellowship themselves, it does mean that you get to take part in multiple famous moments from the films including the battle at Helm's Deep. Of course, if you've played Final Fantasy X, you will instantly recognize the battle mechanics as they are exactly the same (aside from the Ring power that gets charged up).

"Marathon" [Rip-Off of "Doom"]

This is probably the most honest case of ripping off a successful game ever! Bungie admitted in interviews that they created Marathon solely because they couldn't play Doom on Macintosh computers at the time. Marathon is very much Doom with more of a sci-fi paintjob, and it's just as much of a simple, enjoyable blast-a-thon. A few years later, Bungie created Halo which inspired its own rip-offs (see Killzone above).

"Saints Row" [Rip-Off of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas"]

Saints Row has become one of the most absurd and insane open-world series ever. However, its first game was a far cry from what the series would become. The first trip to Stillwater was a straight copy of the design of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, complete with the territorial gang wars. However, Saints Row refined some issues that edition of GTA had, including tightening the shooting and using rag doll physics for some neat side-missions.

"Singularity" [Rip-Off of "BioShock"]

BioShock showed how a tense sci-fi/horror story could be told through a first-person shooter. Activision wanted to have the same thing and had Raven develop Singularity. The retro-horror aesthetic is EXTREMELY similar, but there is one key difference. While BioShock's look was because the game took place in 1960, Singularity's plot revolved around cracks in time, resulting in the player jumping back and forth between the past and the present. Despite the similarities, Singularity is an enjoyable slice of horror action, as well.

"The Surge" [Rip-Off of "Dark Souls"]

After From Software had its genre-defining smash with Dark Souls after testing the waters with Demon's Souls, rip-offs started popping up everywhere, even in the indie market. While games like Nioh and Jedi: Fallen Order had enough distinctions to stand out on their own, The Surge and its sequel were almost straight-up copies of Dark Souls, from the level design to the insane difficulty. However, The Surge games have a cool futuristic look, and the mechanic of targeting specific body parts of enemies is a neat element to add to the combat.

"World War Z" [Rip-Off of "Left 4 Dead"]

Let's see... a four-player co-operative shooter were players fight massive hordes of zombies (including a few special varieties) in levels that form a few unconnected episodes. Yep, World War Z, based on the book and film, is almost a carbon-copy of the design of the Left 4 Dead games. The big addition in this one is the ability to set-up defenses, adding a tower defense element to the zombie massacres. Since the Left 4 Dead series will never get a third game (since Valve just can't count to 3), World War Z is a good substitute.

What do you think? Any more rip-off games that deserve playtime? Let me know, and game on!

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About the Creator

Adam Wallace

I put up pieces here when I can, mainly about games and movies. I'm also writing movies, writing a children's book & hosting the gaming channel "Cool Media" on YouTube! Enjoy & find me on Twitter!

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