What Defines a Boundary-Pushing Game?

It can seem as though there are so many games released every year, but only a handful of these are praised as going above and beyond. Fewer still become timeless classics acclaimed for years to come.

Baldur's Gate 3, Dragon Age: Veilguard, and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth are some recent examples that have risen to the top over the last two years. However, what is it that defines these games? Is there a set template that you can follow to create a boundary-pushing game? If so, why isn't every game that comes out recognized as an instant classic?

How Important are Visuals?

When you are trying to figure out what makes these games stand out, it is easy to point to more immediately distinguishable factors like the visuals. However, even in the case of Baldur's Gate 3, which is still lauded in that category despite releasing in 2023, is that the most important factor?

What is worth recognizing is that not every game is aiming for the same goal. Baldur's Gate 3 aims to be as immersive as possible, so it focuses heavily on interactive environments and realistic character responses, making visuals a key priority.

However, if you look at something like the popular MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), World of Warcraft: The War Within, the graphics do not look realistic at all, but the art style is impressive and cohesive, creating a fantasy world that feels consistent and immersive despite not having realistic graphics.

Redefining Gameplay

While some games might do their best to avoid being pigeon-holed into a particular genre, every game does sit in one genre or another. This is partly so it can appeal to certain audiences, and those audiences will have expectations when they enter a game. 

A game that pushes boundaries will want to play with these expectations to produce something wholly new, but it still needs to appeal to that core demographic.

An Artistic Vision

Some in game design believe quality-of-life additions always improve a product. However, this process can ultimately strip a game of its individuality. If an experience lacks idiosyncrasies, it may feel too familiar compared with other games on the market and fail to stick in a player's memory.

Certain figures in the gaming industry are considered auteurs, such as Hideo Kojima and Hidetaka Miyazaki; however, it was the strange, standout elements of their games that earned them widespread recognition, rather than tried-and-tested formulas.