The term “experimental” is often applied to movies that don’t fit into the traditional media template, but the term can equally be applied to video games. In both cases, it means that the writers and developers used non-conventional narrative devices that challenge traditional ways of telling a story.
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A video game can creatively tell its story, provided that it has one, but the gameplay, graphics, user interface, or dialogue can also challenge traditional designs.Capcomhas a reputation for challenging gaming conventions, and there are some iconic titles from this brand that have started franchises and even genres.
7Forgotten Worlds (1988)
A side-scrolling shooting game isn’t unique, but one that takes place ina post-apocalyptic horror-fantasy worldis, especially in the late 1980s before the cyberpunk revolution of the 1990s had taken place. Most games at this time were made for home consoles and arcades, butForgotten Worldswas also the first game that Capcom designed for home computers, also a new concept at the time.
The story and lore were far more complex than they should be, setting the stagefor similar stories in the future. The setting of the game is the 29th century and tells the tale of the battle against a god named Bios. The remaining human beings of the Dust World, the planet formerly known as Earth, have built two super soldiers to defeat Bios. It’s an ambitious plot for the type of game that usually doesn’t have a backstory at all.
6Ghosts & Goblins (1985)
So many lifelong gamers have a story about the first time they playedGhosts ‘n Goblins.Nobody ever thought a 2D sidescroller could be so engaging and terrifying. Capcom would continue the trend of experimental horror for decades and become a leading name in the new genre.
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TheGhosts ‘n Goblinsfranchise is still going strong today as a pillar of the genre it helped start, adventure horror. There were equally creative spinoff games, such asGargoyle’s Questwhich allows the player to play as a demonic monster.
5Resident Evil 2 (1998)
The first game in this franchise was also a groundbreaker, but it was held back by the clunky controls and cringeworthy dialogue. The second installment not only smoothed out those wrinkles but blended some RPG and puzzle elements intoan even more brilliantly terrifying game.
Resident Evil 2is brilliant when it comes to using the new concept of three dimensions to augment almost everything in the game, especially the combat. There are plenty of great moments that teach the player to look up and down in addition to left and right, and it also made survival horror a genre to be reckoned with as a branch of both RPG and adventure gaming.
4Devil May Cry (2001)
Another Capcom game that pushes the limits of what experimental fantasy horror can do,Devil May Crystarted as an interesting combination of some of the demonic roots of the wildly popularGhosts n’ Goblinsand some of the grit from the equally adoredResident Evilseries. It was originally developed by the same Capcom team to be anotherResident Evilgame.
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Devil May Cryis a combination of horror, fantasy, adventure, and human drama, based loosely on Dante’s Inferno, and what other game uses medieval literature as a basis? By the time the second was released, the story and characters had become more sophisticated and the series had taken on its own identity.
3Ōkami (2006)
Most gamers are surprised to find out thatŌkamiis a Capcom game. The brand is known for arcade games, fighting and shooting adventures, and survival horror. This game is the retelling ofan epic and ancient legendfrom Japan that uses a unique art and gameplay style that defies convention.
The player is Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, as she trains and finished quests to increase her skills and earn various types of currency. The art is intended to mimic woodcuts and vintage brushwork that further immerses the player into this mystical world. It’s not just a daring design for any game but for Capcom, which is usually more about realistic depictions of humans and settings.
2Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2001)
At a time when the cyberpunk and dark fantasy genres were dominating the market, Capcom got into visual novel adventure video games before they were cool. This was before the genre started trending and the investment paid off, leading to a successful franchise that endures into the present with sequels and spinoffs.
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The protagonist is the titular character, but players also take on the role of Phoenix’s mentor Mia Fey, and his interns, Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes. The game is a refreshing break from the gore and horror of other games from the same developer, using deduction, strategy, and problem-solving to engage the player instead.
1Zombie Cafe (2011)
One of the more fun and unique of the freemium game trend,Zombie Cafewas a Capcom game intended for handheld devices that seemed to make fun of other games in the same class.This game mashed the zombie, cooking, service industry, and design sims together into a fun, disgusting mess.
As the name implies, the player runs a cafe staffed by zombies, and like other games in this category, the goal is to serve customers in a timely fashion and find new recipes by raiding other cafes. To get more employees, customers can be turned into zombies, but if they work too hard their lust for human flesh overwhelms them and they start to eat the patrons. Capcom used this game to introduce yet another relatively new genre to video games, comedy horror, which is already a popular but niche movie genre.
