Topic: 1 series, multiple genres

How do people feel about 1 series spreading across multiple genres? Such as if the first game is a RPG then the next game is a strategy game, then the next is an action game? Do you feel developers should make multiple series to fit each genre or do you enjoy being able to play multiple play styles within the same "world"?

First thing jumping to my mind fitting the description would be Blue Dragon and it didn't went well for that series...

I guess a series should stick to at least some of its chore aspects and work around those for really evolve and improve with time, even if spin-offs are a great way for try something totally different and make the world around the franchise grow without destroying it. Of course Mario would be the finest example since his spin-offs almost all became franchises on their own XD

Personally I think the idea of having a serie drastically change genre in every new main installment would be a bad idea that would hardly work, still if any game exist or will one day exist proving I'm wrong I would be totally cool with it

@BakaKnight
would you at least be willing to try the next game in a series you like even if it is a genre you dislike? Or if it goes into a genre you dislike would you skip that game?

Personally I think a problem a lot of series that try these things is that they try to stick to the past too much. If it was an RPG they will try to keep RPG elements, or if it is an action game they will try to make sure their is still action elements. Mario does well because rather than every spin-off trying to keep platforming elements they just focus on making a fun game in whatever genre they want.

@DefHalan
As I said if a game can prove I'm wrong I would be fine with it and if a serie I love would try a nuts change I would definitely give it a chance, no matter how unavoidably sceptical I could be.

Still while I agree is wrong to cling to the past as most series do nowaday, I also think that a whole change of genre is an opposite problem, it's ignoring the past completly and that sound as much wrong to me...

Of course as Mario and other series did, spin offs can and should go wild, that's even their point and I think it's also the reason why Miyamoto pushed Hyrule Warriros into be a game closer to the Warriors serie than Zelda. Indeed the actual Zelda situation is a fine example. The main serie need to keep the chore points while finding new original (and also fun) ways for evolve them and that's what Aonuma promised us for the upcoming 2015 Zelda, on the other hand Hyrule Warriors had no reason for stick to the formula and got pushed even away from it towards a totally different style.

It's hard to speak in general since the gaming world is huge and every game is different, but I think that when making a new main entry in a franchise a chore question developpers have to follow is "What make this game a -insert franchise's name here- game?"... wait...I actually think I just quoted Aonuma again with this XD

I hate Mario vs. Donkey Kong for this reason, it started so awesome in Donkey Kong 94 and the first Mario vs Donkey Kong, then someone decided to turn the series into a generic Lemmings clone...

This is what Bioshock should be doing tbh.

What I mainly want to do is just have 1 lore that multiple games pull from. So within that lore I could have a RPG series, Strategy series, Action series. I think this is a better way to phrase it. Like how there are so many stories throughout Middle-Earth told different ways, each story could be its own genre of story telling, while all of it is based in the same lore.

Nothing gets the fanbase's panties in a twist faster than genre hopping. Look at Lufia. How dare they make a decent action RPG for DS when the previous games had been traditional turn based.

I agree. Can't let that beautiful story go to waste.

@DefHalan Would this have something to do with Star Fox assuming that you're a true Star Fox Fan?

In seriousness though, change is good but only if the fundamentals work. The problem with Star Fox adventures was that it did something completely different compared to Star Fox 64. It should have added elements of 64 and did something different of its own to properly match. Take Mario RPG's for example. No matter what you say, they feel like playing a Super Mario game because you still require platform jumping and getting coins and items from blocks. Only difference is that its played differently while still making gamers feel familiar with Mario.

This is exactly the problem that devs face when they want to do something new to an existing IP because once they do something like that, they've made a huge mess.

@Artwark
Actually this had nothing to do with Star Fox but Star Fox is a good example of how mot to do this. I feel the problem with Star Fox sequels (after 64) is that they were too tied to the old series. I personally feel if they took what was unique about each game and ran with that further they would be better games. Instead they take good ideas and then try to put classic Star Fox mechanics in where they didn't need them. Plus those Star Fox games are all focused on the same main cast, what I am proposing is different. You have reoccurring characters and enemies but you don't force all the games to have the same main party line up. So your RPG may star certain characters and your Action game may star different characters while your Strategy game has a mix.

@DefHalan

Oh I get it now.....

But still Mario's the perfect example for this sort of thing. The more characters they have, the more spin offs and uniqueness they can offer.

i would really like to see a story driven gameseries that starts with one genre and then every sequel is done with a different genre. it could really help to tell the story. look at this example:

you could start with playing one character in an action game. alone wolf kind of character that just tries to survive. then the second one being tactical rpg where your character from the first game is the head of a team and fights against an evil tyrann and then the 3rd game is an RTS game where your character is the king of an empire and you have to defeat every other empire only to become the next tyrann.

all done by the same developement team. that would be sick!

Can be good e.g. Panzer Dragoon Zwei to Panzer Dragoon Saga (on rails shooter to rpg), can also be a complete mess e.g. Banjo Tooie to Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts (platformer to vehicle based game) and kill the series. Probably safer not to dabble from a business point of view, people generally like more of the same taken in new directions if the previous entry was good.

Panzer Dragoon is what comes to mind for me and I prefer stuff to be like that.

I like multiple genres in the same game as well. (Like shmup and platformer(Contra / Castlevania etc type)). Or any other combination.

I don't like collectables in platformers other than e.g to get an extra life. (I don't mind finding stuff / exploration or a decent story when it is an RPG because without them there is no point in the game).

Or games that are a long unskippable tutorial followed by 50% of the game which might as well because it is so easy. (Or the whole game telling you exactly what to do).

I think it's good but the developers should be clear from the outset and not try to con their fanbase by making out they're making a sequel when really it's a spin off.

I would like to see Nintendo make a an ultimate Nintendo game with every major franchise represented in a huge open world. If you need to get from A to B really fast you can use an Arwing or Blue Falcon. If you want to do a drive-by assassination of the Toad Brigade you pick a Mario Kart. If you wish to replenish health you pull up alongside Tingle in your Double Dash Kart and drive to a secluded spot.

BEST GAME EVER!

I am not talking about spin-offs. But also each game would tell a complete story, some stories might connect but you won't suffer from not playing a certain game in the series only benefit from playing the others. I believe that if a studio is able to just focus on each new genre and not be tied down from a past game in the series it could lead to interesting gameplay and storytelling. Just because a character has a certain ability in one game doesn't mean the same character has to have the same ability work the same way in another game, which I think is where a lot of problems come from. It is just an idea I am working on.