Underused Settings and Themes in Games...

What settings do you think are underused in certain game genres?

People always talk about how they are sick of WWII FPS or numerous Tolkien-like fantasy RPG settings with orcs and trolls....so what settings in certain genres would you like to see more of or think we haven't seen at all?

Or even, what settings do you think are used a lot in one genre, but surprisingly is underused or never used in another genre that it could fit well.

For me....I always wondered why we don't see more quality Cyberpunk RPGs.....like Shadowrun on the SNES was or even what System Shock 2 or Deus Ex was....it seems like it would be such a great setting for RPGs, yet its rarely used.

Or even the Steampunk setting....Bioshock is the first game in a long long time that has RPG elements that is actually set in a Steampunk setting. Or even Gothic Punk....ie like Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.

Gothic Horror is another theme that seems practically absent from games....the last two games I can recall that really utilized this theme and setting was Clive Barker's Undying and Eternal Darkness.

Or even an epic RPG or action adventure set in Ancient Rome or based on Egyptian Mythology......why is it that it seems like game developers think that Ancient Rome is a setting only suitable for RTS games, when given the nature of their society and how long their history lasted and how brutal it was it could make for a very interesting RPG or Action Adventure in the hands of the right developer.

More Pirates and Ninjas. Im being serious.

Or even an epic RPG or action adventure set in Ancient Rome or based on Egyptian Mythology......why is it that it seems like game developers think that Ancient Rome is a setting only suitable for RTS games, when given the nature of their society and how long their history lasted and how brutal it was it could make for a very interesting RPG or Action Adventure in the hands of the right developer.

Robnyc22

I imagined a huge open ended RPG in the golden century of the Roman Empire. Or before, during the Punic Wars (the second one makes for an awesome setting).

More Pirates and Ninjas. Im being serious.

XaosII

Is it even possible to have too many Ninjas??

I myself wouldn't mind seeing a few more games with Western settings. It looks like there may be the beginnings of a trend using the genre, but it's still been woefully underused. Outside of Wild Arms, and Sunset Riders most people can't even think of a game with a Wild West background from before this year.

Oh wait, almost forgot about Freddy Pharkus Frontier Pharmacist. . . that was a classic.

I would definitely like to see more games based on contemporary themes. Apart from Rockstar, Remedy, and Io Interactive, there are basically no developers dedicated to such themes and settings. How about an action RPGgame based on Oz where you would play as an inmate over the course of X years and could align yourself to different factions depending on your race or beliefs. You could smuggle drugs, order or execute kills, and loads of other stuff. New inmates would constantly be added into the game, and perhaps you could be moved to another cell block based on your behavior or even death row. It would almost be like a persistant world, but still a story-driven single player game, perhaps maybe co-op. Man, that's pretty ambitious when I think about it.

I also want to see more games with real people if you know what I mean. Even though The Longest Journey was a sci-fi/fantasy game, its cast of characters were real, people you could actually relate to, people who talked and acted like real people rather than one-dimensional, shallow game characters.

Another underused setting which I would love to see more of is medieval - without the fantasy, no magic, no monsters. A massive RPG where you could start off as a lowly peasant or squire and explore and have adventures all over medieval England or the whole of Europe - perhaps evenend up being sentto the Crusades. No sugarcoating whatsoever - like many Crusaders, you could perhaps end up pillaging through Europe, see the poverty and misery of the Dark Ages, be caught up in politics, the Inquisition and everything else that was going on back then.

[QUOTE="XaosII"]

More Pirates and Ninjas. Im being serious.

Robio_basic

Is it even possible to have too many Ninjas??

I myself wouldn't mind seeing a few more games with Western settings. It looks like there may be the beginnings of a trend using the genre, but it's still been woefully underused. Outside of Wild Arms, and Sunset Riders most people can't even think of a game with a Wild West background from before this year.

Oh wait, almost forgot about Freddy Pharkus Frontier Pharmacist. . . that was a classic.

Red Dead Revolver, Gun and Call of Juarez

I would definitely like to see more games based on contemporary themes. Apart from Rockstar, Remedy, and Io Interactive, there are basically no developers dedicated to such themes and settings.UpInFlames

This I agree with, the only time we see anything really set in a contemporary setting is when its some modern warfare or shooter claiming be realistic.....but there are very few games that utilize many of the other contemporary themes that are available that could make for some really cool games.

I'm especially a fan of gritty Noir type settings (like Max Payne) and I'm surprised its not used more often.

A game can even still delve into fantasy elements and still have a place in a comtemporary setting....look at Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines and The Darkness....I guess those games can be considered Gothic Punk, certainly Vampire can, and it's funny that its a very well used theme in pen and paper RPGs (as is Cyberpunk) but its rarely used well in videogames, especially gaming RPGs.

Another lacking setting is the 1930's / 1940's urban setting, especially with dealing with the mafia, yet the only game to successfully use it was the excellent game Mafia...I'm hoping with the upcoming LA Noir we finally get another game that makes great use of the setting.

I also want to see more games with real people if you know what I mean. Even though The Longest Journey was a sci-fi/fantasy game, its cast of characters were real, people you could actually relate to, people who talked and acted like real people rather than one-dimensional, shallow game characters.UpInFlames

I know exactly what you mean....I've said constantly that despite all this next-gen technology and huge multi-milion dollar budgets, something that continues to be lacking are engaging and deep characters that feel real as well as good storylines, writing, and dialogue.

It's true, very few games have real characters that someone can relate to....The Longest Journey is a good example of one of the few games that did, even though it took place in the future. Indigo Prophecy was also another game where I thought the character's felt real.

As TLJ showed, a game can even have Scifi or Fantasy elements, I mean, TLJ even had both, and still present characters that are real and relatable.

Another underused setting which I would love to see more of is medieval - without the fantasy, no magic, no monsters. A massive RPG where you could start off as a lowly peasant or squire and explore and have adventures all over medieval England or the whole of Europe - perhaps evenend up being sentto the Crusades. No sugarcoating whatsoever - like many Crusaders, you could perhaps end up pillaging through Europe, see the poverty and misery of the Dark Ages, be caught up in politics, the Inquisition and everything else that was going on back then.

UpInFlames

Assassin's Creed seems to be the one game actually utilizing this setting, which I'm glad and it also brings a sort of freshness to the game, it'll be interesting to see their take on the setting.

Totally with you Cyberpunk is the ULTIMATE setting IMHO.

You should try playing Snatcher it's awesome.

Second would probably be Heaven vs. Hell.

Games that parody things. Eg. Conkers Bad Fur Day parodying movies like Star Wars and The Matrix among others.

Alternative present day games where an event in history never happened and the effect that event never happening has changed what the current events are. Eg. Crimson Skies and Resistance: Fall of Man

GTA London had40s 50s theme. I want more western games with cowboys, indians all that stuff. Or jungle themes with tribes and full cities.

Another lacking setting is the 1930's / 1940's urban setting, especially with dealing with the mafia, yet the only game to successfully use it was the excellent game Mafia...I'm hoping with the upcoming LA Noir we finally get another game that makes great use of the setting.Robnyc22

Agreed, and I'm very much looking forward to L.A. Noire. I hope it ends up being something like a gamingequivalent of L.A. Confedential. The early 20th century is a very interesting yet underused setting, too.

Games like Valve's "Portal". Where you have to use portals to move around the map. There is a game that "Portal" was based on which is available to download on various sites. I forget what the game was called, but it was supposedly made by college students.Ghost_702

It was called Narbacular Drop (no wonder you forgot the title), and the people that made it were all hired by Valve and are now working on Portal.

70's stream themes. :)

No, please don't say Driver: PL. :(