Gaming outside your genre comfort zone.

[MrEco]

Recently I've been trying to play a wider variety of genre's. Because there are some genre's that I just have very little or no experience with, and I'd like to at least be able to form a stronger opinion on them besides "they don't look like my thing." Though I'm hoping I'll be pleasantly surprised and find some new genre's to enjoy.

So far I've picked up games to help explore the shmup genre, rhythm games, traditional puzzle games, rail shooters, trading sims, my first try at a 3D Sonic game, and... uh, whatever genre Rez is suppose to be.


Ghost Trick is actually the game that convinced me to do this. It lured me in with constant praise of it's great story and characters, but I fully expected to find the puzzle gameplay elements a bit boring. Turned out to be a lot of fun though, so now I'm trying to branch out more.


So, the point of this thread. I'm curious if anyone else here finds themselves in the same position? Anyone else trying to branch out and try new genre's? Or perhaps you've done that in the past? Or plan to in the future? And if so, what genre's are you inexperienced with?

[noiseredux]

I feel like I'm constantly trying to explore genres I am unfamiliar with. I love games, so I feel like ignoring any one genre is doing myself a disservice. I guess most recently (last year or two) I've not only gotten over my aversion to modern FPS games, but actually come to find that I quite enjoy some of them. So yeah, like you, if I realize that there's a game or genre that's outside of my current comfort zone, it sort of all the sudden becomes alluring to me.

[fastbilly1]

My two biggest problem genres are instrument rhythm games and horror titles. I just cant get instrument rhythm games, it doesnt click. Ive tried multiple times and nothing seems to help. I can play them but am completely terrible at them and nothing helps.

Horror titles are just because I dont like the bump in the night scares that most games try to pull. Now I will play them if they are coop, but singleplayer I have no desire to play. Granted I also dont watch horror movies either...Im just not a horror fan.

[alienjesus]

Lately I've been trying to play some games that are less in my usual comfort zone too - partly because a lot of the genre's I've never really gotten into are the standard genres of the biggest and most popular games this generation. Genres like FPS and 3rd Person Shooters, Western style RPGs, Stealth games and Horror games are all genres I've never really gelled with.

I've only given a few games in the genres a try, such as Tomb Raider, Resident Evil 4-6, Left 4 Dead, Halo and Fallout. I'm about to play through Metal Gear Solid too. Admittedly some of them are old and a bit dated, so perhaps not the best to gauge my opinion on, but I've not really found a whole lot to change my opinion yet. Left 4 Dead, Resi 5 and Halo are quite fun in multiplayer, but I wouldn't bother with them if I wasn't playing with friends. Both Tomb Raider and Resi 4 are solid games, but I found I had to force myself to play through them, because whilst they weren't bad, I'm not sure I'd say I was enjoying them as such.

One genre I've never given a chance that I'd like to try is the MMORPG. I refuse to pay those subscription fees though.

[ZeoDefender]

Every year or so I'll pick up a WRPG in an attempt to learn to love the genre. It never ends well.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I've been attempting some Cave shooters. They're enjoyable to play but it's not a genre that I "get" at all.

[Ghegs]

Funnily enough, I just today started a game of Tales of Monkey Island which I got for a few bucks from GOG some months ago. It's not wildly outside my comfort zone because I used to play a lot of adventure games as a kid, but I stopped playing them at some point. One of the reasons being the nonsensical puzzles. Instead of trying to think a solution to a problem logically, you have to figure out the one thing the designer wants you to do. For many of these problems, if they took place in real life, there'd easily be dozens of solutions for them. But here, you must connect the doohickey to the whatchamacallit and apply it to the humdinger so that the apple falls from the tree.

And that kind of annoys the hell out of me.

But, yeah, trying to see if I can enjoyment out of the genre again.

[noiseredux]

I've been attempting some Cave shooters. They're enjoyable to play but it's not a genre that I "get" at all.

which ones have you been playing?

[BoneSnapDeez]

I've been attempting some Cave shooters. They're enjoyable to play but it's not a genre that I "get" at all.

which ones have you been playing?

Akai Katana
Deathsmiles
DoDonPachi Resurrection
Mushihime-sama Futari Ver 1.5

[noiseredux]

Akai Katana
Deathsmiles
DoDonPachi Resurrection
Mushihime-sama Futari Ver 1.5

well, that's definitely a nice pile. I think y'all know my love for Deathsmiles already, so I don't need to reiterate. But DDP Res and Mushi Futari are both excellent games that I've spent quite a bit of time with and really really enjoy. (I've 1CC'd both Novice Modes). Akai Katana is one I always mean to spend more time on. I feel like it's going to be really great once I figure the scoring out for sure. But every time I play, I feel a little confused.