Plenty of games have very complete experiences, but some offer alternate ways to play that people prefer over the main gameplay. This is mostly dependent on preference, but there have been some extra modes or unique mods to certain games that were well-liked enough to spawn new titles altogether. In some cases, these games created from modifications to existing projects outshone their source material by a wide margin, creating longer lasting series than anyone could have predicted.
Some games made from adjustments to an existing one can be great, but also not have a greater impact than what came before. For example, there are an innumerable amount of games that spawned from Half-Life and its sequel, such as Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Chivalry: Medieval Warfare. However, those games arguably don’t quite reach the influence and appeal Half-Life or Half-Life 2 have upon gaming (except maybe CS: GO for esports), while other “games within games” have spawned spin-offs that are more successful than their inspiration over time.
The survival title DayZ was inspired in large part by Arma 2, a 2009 tactical military simulator produced by developer Bohemia Interactive back during that time. The tactical shooter was a sequel to the first Arma, which was memorable for its realistic combat environments and presentation of warlike settings before other series like Call of Duty, but not before other games like Medal of Honor. Arma 2 released during a time where other tactical shooters were gaining prominence, meaning that it had to stand out in an era where its formula could be found in a variety of places.
This is what made the DayZ mod on the game so interesting, as it changed the tactical elements of Arma 2 into a survival-focused fight against undead. Almost combining the deeper tactical elements of shooters with the survival horror of gaming classics like Resident Evil, DayZ was a hit instantly with fans. Eventually, this title grew into a game of its own, releasing as a fully fledged title in 2018, nearly a decade after Arma 2 originally came out. Although many zombie focused survival shooters would also release between 2009-2018, DayZ can be attributed with starting that trend somewhat.
The multiplayer element of DayZ also helped it stand out from Arma 2, making it one of the more played modes of Arma 2 back when the mod was made. Even now, the stand alone DayZ game from 2018 has Very Positive review margins on Steam, reflecting a polished survival adventure that drew in a larger audience than Bohemia Interactive likely expected. This could be due to the material limitations of DayZ, which captures the same survival gameplay loop that is so appealing in other games like Rust, The Forest, and other titles.
Project Gotham Racing 2 was a complex racing title that demanded a lot of precision from its players, as some racing games do. Although the game was never as straightforward as the Forza series or other “realistic” projects in the racing genre, Project Gotham still only really appealed to a market niche who loved racing titles as a whole. Released for the original Xbox, this limitation caused it to phase out over time, but Project Gotham Racing 2 would survive through its alternate game mode — Geometry Wars.
Geometry Wars was an incredible small scale twin-stick shooter, where players controlled a neon light trying to survive against various enemy types in a stylish space. Fighting against other geometry blocks created an arcade-style experience, where players could easily try to get as far as they could in runs to build up a high score. Surviving until the later waves of Geometry Wars turned your screen into a colorful explosion of chaos, with pure survival mechanics driving players to reach such an interesting stage of the game. When it comes to Xbox Live Arcade titles, Geometry Wars was one of the most downloaded on that platform.
While Project Gotham Racing faded away with time, Geometry Wars remained, gaining sequels and getting its core gameplay more refined with each entry. The expansions of Geometry Wars made the game go to multiple platforms, including mobile, Nintendo consoles, and far beyond its Xbox Live Arcade origins. The quickness of Geometry Wars gameplay combined easily with its “jump in and play” style, making it extremely accessible to far more groups of players, something that could not be said about the game it spawned from.
I’ll fully admit, this entry is entirely subjective, as there are plenty of players who prefer League of Legends to its spin-off Teamfight Tactics (TFT), and pretty much every other game. That being said, TFT is a surprisingly great alternative for those who are thrown off by League of Legends‘ MOBA complexities and community. In many ways, the stress and toxicity usually associated with League of Legends are alleviated by Teamfight Tactics, offering an experience without the pressure most MOBA titles impress upon their players.
The real-time action of League of Legends comes with incredibly high requirements of mechanical skill that players build over time, usually with teammates who don’t have the patience or tolerance for those trying to learn. The heavy team dependence of League of Legends is not present in Teamfight Tactics, which focuses on solo play against multiple enemies. The low, casual, or “chill” elements of TFT is centered around turn-based rounds, giving players more time to plan out strategies toward victory. Positioning and economy matter more than complex input timings, turning Teamfight Tactics into something more approachable.
All the decisions in TFT are done in distinct planning phases rather than in the moment, not requiring split-second decisions like League of Legends demands. At the same time, TFT is simply more accessible on mobile devices, with matches taking up much less of your investment. While a game of League of Legends can easily take up to 40 agonizing minutes if your team is obviously going to lose, a match of TFT can go by fairly quickly. Teamfight Tactics doesn’t require you to know an entire MOBA’s ecosystem or optimized builds, instead letting players engage with the game at their own pace.
On the other hand, DOTA exists as almost the opposite to Teamfight Tactics, showing how a MOBA formula can outshine another genre it was built from. The incredibly popular Valve spin-off was created from Warcraft 3, the real-time strategy title from Blizzard Entertainment that would establish its own stellar series with World of Warcraft later. The RTS version of Warcraft 3 required players to manage an entire base, complex in-game economies, and entire armies at the same time, which could be overwhelming. Although many didn’t mind the macro-management of Warcraft 3, DOTA was made to simplify what players had to engage with.
Instead of entire armies, DOTA gave players control over a single “Hero” character, stripping away any RTS elements in favor of teamwork with others. This multiplayer focus created a different layer of tactics focused on lane control and tactical coordination, rather than lengthy build-ups tied to layered RTS economies. This made DOTA easier to pick up and play right away, while keeping a high skill ceiling that players expected from something tied to Warcraft 3. Over time, DOTA would continue to evolve into the illustrious DOTA 2, a game that remains as one of the most praised MOBA titles even years after its launch.
Mastery over heroes still breeds excellent competition in DOTA 2 to this day, while Warcraft 3 has somewhat declined over time as World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and other RTS titles gained popularity. The player count for DOTA 2 now should tell you all you need to know about how appealing it still is, with a healthy environment raised from a risky origin. While it’s hard to believe DOTA came from an alternate mode, the series is proof that some games can spin its structure to fit what players want at any time.
