History GenreShift / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' has done this twice. Originally it was a WorldWarII shooter, much like ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' and countless others. Then, in 2007, they released ''Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare'' to massive success, launching the Modern-Military Shooter genre and [[FollowTheLeader spawning numerous imitators]]. However, due to oversaturation on the market (among other things), the Modern-Military Shooter became DeaderThanDisco much like the WorldWarII shooter before it. As such, the series threw the genre overboard to rid itself of the title (ironic since they were the ones who popularized it in the first place), and has now settled on being an AlternateHistory[=/=]SciFi shooter.

* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' began as an atmospheric horror series. By [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 the fifth numerical installment]], the series had shifted to the point that it took place largely in broad daylight, replaced the slow, plodding (but frightening) zombies of the first three games with faster and more intelligent enemies that used firearms (and provided the player with enough guns and ammo to respond in kind), and featured a co-op focus. This was a progression from the fourth game, which shook up the series formula with the introduction of similar gameplay to the fifth, but still had a horror tone to it (as well as a pervasive element of campy self-parody in its story that wasn't present in the previous games and hasn't returned since). With the fifth [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 and now sixth]] games, the horror that the series was once based on has been substituted almost entirely by action. Also, within the aforementioned ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', the soundtrack undergoes a genre shift about two thirds of the way through. For the first three and-a-half chapters, the music is mainly {{drone|OfDread}} or dark ambient, but starting with the later part of Chapter 4, it becomes more action-oriented and orchestral. After that, the Mercenaries sub-game has a techno soundtrack, with two of its songs recycled from ''VideoGame/PN03''.

* The ''[[VideoGame/DonPachi (Do)DonPachi]]'' features this not exactly in its gameplay[[note]]the later games play differently from earlier games, but in ways [[PublicMediumIgnorance nobody cares about]][[/note]], but in its characters and plot. The series started off as two shooters with mainly mechanical graphics for the player and enemies, much like other shmups of their time; the only characters you see are the player character (in ''[=DoDonPachi=]'''s true ending), the Colonel, and [[TrueFinalBoss Hibachi]]. In ''[=DoDonPachi=] dai ou jou'', the "mecha-loli" element starts to creep in: the player character is accompanied by one of several different Element Dolls, who make prominent appearances on the covers of the [=PS2=] and XBox360 ports. By ''[=DoDonPachi=] Daifukkatsu'', the mecha-loli trend is in full force; the Element Daughters (successors to the Dolls) appear as ''bosses'' and you'd be hard-pressed to find official ''Daifukkatsu'' art that is devoid of the Daughters, let alone features the player ships.

* The original ''VideoGame/{{Mass Effect|1}}'' game was an RPG with shooting elements, while the sequels are more of an action-shooter game with a few RPG elements thrown in.

** ''MassEffectAndromeda'' makes the jump from the SpaceOpera of the original trilogy to the SpaceWestern that defined shows like ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' and ''Series/{{Firefly}}''.

* The original ''VideoGame/MarioVsDonkeyKong'' for the GameBoyAdvance was a puzzle platformer modeled after ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong94'', but the NintendoDS sequels, from ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis'' to ''Miniland Mayhem'', were ''VideoGame/{{Lemmings}}''-style puzzle game that utilize the touch screen and stylus. The latest installment, ''Minis On the Move'' for Nintendo3DS, is a ''VideoGame/{{Locomotion}}'' clone.

* The Indie games ''VideoGame/{{Evoland}}'' and its sequel revolve around the concept of the evolution of video game technology. 1 shifts from an overhead adventure in zelda style to end up as an RPG. 2 goes further with the bulk of the game being an RPG, but different stages undergo drastic genre shifts into such things as top-down-shooters al la ''VideoGame/NineteenFortyTwo'' and even [[RhythmGame Rhythm Games]].

* In ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor: Airborne'', after 5 missions of largely realistic gameplay based on actual historic UsefulNotes/WorldWarII campaigns, the final mission throws bulletproof, heavy-machinegun-wielding Nazi {{Super Soldier}}s at you, and takes place in, as [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw]] put it, "a giant concrete tower that can only be described as a '''Doom Fortress'''", [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flak_tower which is]] [[TruthInTelevision actually real]]. 8 were built, they were ridiculously sized, and they had more refuge in intimidation than use.
* ''VideoGame/{{Oddworld}}: Stranger's Wrath'' starts out as the Oddworld equivalent of a western. Mysterious BountyHunter? Check. Gun toting outlaws? Check. Hick Towns populated by chicken men? ...Um, Check. But then in the final third of the game, [[spoiler:after stumbling into an ambush set up by the BigBad, and getting hit with a TomatoSurprise,]] the game shifts to a more traditional Oddworld setting as you help the native Grubbs overcome the BigBad. This change completely overhauls the game. Stranger's costume changes, the concept of Moolah (and therefore the concept of enemy bounties) is removed (enemies are turned into ammo instead. Don't ask), the soundtrack changes from spaghetti western music to epic orchestrated pieces, the enemies change from gruff outlaws to military Mooks, new gameplay mechanics are added, and the scenery colors shift from browns and reds to blues and greys.

* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}: Combat Evolved'': Two words: The Flood. The game starts off as a fun little shooter where you fight aliens with multi-coloured blood and where marines shout at the fallen enemies. Then you get to "343 Guilty Spark" in which you [[spoiler: wander through a creepy fortress with no enemies, discover what happened to the squad before you then fight through a Flood infested forest. The Flood are like the Left 4 Dead infected, but they can fire weapons AND ROCKET LAUNCHERS. And they can sprint, too.]]

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' Starts out as a light-hearted NoPlotNoProblem first person shooter, then switched gears with a wackier backstory, [[CoolHat hats]] and comedy, then of course, Gray Mann came into the story, and it turned DarkerAndEdgier, with the team fighting an endless horde of robots, based on themselves, and eventually lost their jobs. The current (non-related to game) story is of Ms. Pauling, the StopHelpingMe announcer's sidekick attempting to [[PuttingTheBandBackTogether put the team back together]].

* The first ''VideoGame/{{Dune}}'' game was an AdventureGame. ''DuneII'' established the RealTimeStrategy genre. Note that the first game did have some strategy elements. In fact, you had to set up consistent spice production using the Fremen tribes you find and befriend (which takes some doing), while training other Fremen tribes to fight and arming them in order to defeat the Harkonnen. The game is clearly based more on Creator/DavidLynch's film than the book, even though Duncan Idaho looks like a [[Series/BabylonFive Centauri]], for some reason.

* ''MissionCritical'' is a fairly hard sci-fi first-person adventure game, where the PlayerCharacter is the last surviving crewmember aboard the USS ''Lexington'' after it is ambushed by a more powerful [[UnitedNationsIsASuperPower UN]] ship, and most of the crew play the role of a Trojan Horse in order to [[ISurrenderSuckers sneak a nuke aboard the enemy ship]] and give the player time to complete the mission. A good first part of the game is devoted to the player trying to fix immediate problems with the ship, such as an overloading reactor, the frozen main computer, a hole in the hull, inactive communication dish, etc. Then it switches to a more typical sci-fi about exploring other planets and alien ruins. Cue TimeTravel, and the genre switches again, only to go back to its original genre in time for the FinalBattle ([[spoiler:which is also the first battle which was originally lost]]). The game also features an UnexpectedGameplayChange, where the typical first-person adventure game changes to a space RTS for {{Space Battle}}s.

* ''VideoGame/{{Nier}}'' is a third person action adventure gamem ost of th time at least. The game isn't afraid to change things up on you. Sometimes it acts like a shoot'em up, at one point it turns into an isometric action game, but the most unusual genre shift is in the Forest of Myth when [[spoiler: you enter the dream world the game suddenly becomes a text adventure.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Nier}}'' is a third person action adventure game. However this changes in the Forest of Myth when [[spoiler: you enter the dream world the game suddenly becomes a text adventure.]]

* ''VideoGame/Nier'' is a third person action adventure game. However this changes in the Forest of Myth when [[spoiler: you enter the dream world the game suddenly becomes a text adventure.]]

* ''TalesOfGraces'' is yet another JRPG to switch gernre to [[spoiler: Sci-Fi]], though in this case it happens halfway through the plot.
* ''TalesOfVesperia'' starts as a lighthearted journey storybefore it takes a ''very'' dark shift as [[spoiler: the protagonist becomes a VigilanteMan and [[PayEvilUntoEvil murders several villains who were "above the law"]], with his increasingly extreme methods [[OrderVsChaos bringing him into conflict with his friend]] who intends to go the InternalReformist route.]] Then it becomes a slightly lighter, but still dark, take on a [[spoiler: typical rescue-the-princess story]], and then the mood becomes much lighter and the plot turns into [[spoiler: an elaborate analogy for global warming.]]

* The first arc of the sequel series, ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'', is a definite horror story [[GetOnWithItAlready once the murders start]]. However, while the later arcs have more {{gorn}}, the simple fact that there's a BigBad to be confronted and argued with shifts it over much more to a "mystery" feel. In fact, a sizeable chunk of the story consists of the characters fighting amongst ''[[BreakingTheFourthWall themselves]]'' about what genre the story's supposed to be.

* Played with by the ''Metroid'' series. The main games are all side-scrolling Platformers. Then came the ''Metroid Prime'' sub-series, which were First-Person Shooters, that don't even act like they're a spin-off of a Platformer-series. And then there's the completely absurd and unexpected GenreShift: "''Metroid Prime: PINBALL''"! It's by no means the most successful game in the series, but it sure is the strangest GenreShift from a Platformer or FPS that yuo could ever make...

** ''Golden Axe: The Duel'', the third VideoGame/GoldenAxe arcade game (later ported to the SegaSaturn).

* ''Videogame/{{Bloodborne}}'' starts off as a GothicHorror in an especially dark, grungy Victorian setting. Most of the early enemies and bosses are different variants of werewolf, and the plot seems to be about finding a cure for the beast affliction plaguing the town of Yharnam. As you progress, the game starts dropping hints at something deeper: the [[ReligionOfEvil Healing Church]] that controls the town is conducting disturbing rituals and appears to have a direct hand in the town's troubles. The predominately beast-themed enemies give way to [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent snakes]] and other more disturbing threats the further you get out from Yharnam. Then you arrive at [[ExtranormalInstitute Byrgenwerth]] and the true scope of the game becomes clear: [[spoiler:the game is a Lovecraft-inspired CosmicHorrorStory. [[EldritchLocation Yharnam]] occupies a neverending Nightmare Realm overseen by the [[EldritchAbomination Great Ones]], powerful beings secretly observing and influencing humanity. The Healing Church worships them as god and uses their blood and magic to exert control over the city, while a splinter faction of the Church conducts arcane rituals to summon them into the world. What's more, the Great Ones themselves are [[MarsNeedsWomen impregnating human woman to bear surrogate children for them.]]]] Yeah, suddenly the werewolves don't seem so bad.

* ''Videogame/{{Bloodborne}}'' starts off as a GothicHorror in an especially dark, grungy Victorian setting. Most of the early enemies and bosses are different variants of werewolf, and the plot seems to be about finding a cure for the beast affliction plaguing the town of Yharnam. As you progress, the game starts dropping hints at something deeper: the [[ReligionOfEvil Healing Church]] that controls the town is conducting disturbing rituals and appears to have a direct hand in the town's troubles. The predominately beast-themed enemies give way to [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent snakes]] and other more disturbing threats the further you get out from Yharnam. Then you arrive at [[ExtranormalInstitute Byrgenwerth]] and the true scope of the game becomes clear: [[spoiler:the game is a Lovecraft-inspired CosmicHorrorStory. Yharnam occupies a neverending Nightmare Realm overseen by the [[EldritchAbomination Great Ones]], powerful beings secretly observing and influencing humanity. The Healing Church worships them as god and uses their blood and magic to exert control over the city, while a splinter faction of the Church conducts arcane rituals to summon a Great One into the world. What's more, the Great Ones themselves have are impregnating human woman to bear surrogate children for them.]] Yeah, suddenly the werewolves don't seem so bad.