Best Video Games for originality

originality Decision Dashboard

Best for originality

Donkey Kong Bananza

5.0 feature score

Highest scored product for this feature based on supporting review evidence.

Most evidence

Atomfall

11 supporting reviews

Has the broadest review evidence for this feature.

Best overall product

Hades II

4.5 overall score

Strongest overall product among items with scored evidence for this feature.

See ranked products
#1 Donkey Kong Bananza
5.0

Originality was strongly praised, with reviewers calling it unique, special, and full of ideas not seen in other 3D platformers.

Pros: gameplay mechanics, world interactivity

Cons: economy and resource balance, enemy variety

#2 It Takes Two
5.0

Originality is praised through reviewers calling the game rare and among the most creative co-op experiences they have played.

Pros: core gameplay loop, movement feel

Cons: character development, dialogue quality

#3 Silent Hill f
5.0

Originality received a strong positive score from one reviewer who emphasized how divergent and culturally distinct this entry feels.

Pros: voice acting, emotional impact

Cons: family friendliness, menu usability

#4 Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
4.8

Reviewers repeatedly describe the experience as unusually distinctive, hard to compare, and powered by a kind of play few games offer.

Pros: grind level, originality

Cons: social features, accessibility options

#5 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
4.8

Originality was a major strength; reviewers repeatedly called it fresh, unique, and unlike anything else.

Pros: monetization fairness, microtransaction impact

Cons: platforming precision, menu usability

#6 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
4.7

Reviewers repeatedly emphasized how unusual and specific the game feels compared with modern RPGs.

Pros: soundtrack quality, fun factor

Cons: checkpoint system, family friendliness

#7 Kirby Air Riders
4.7

Reviewers strongly emphasized the game's unusual identity as a strange, unique alternative to standard kart racers.

Pros: flying mechanics, exploration quality

Cons: AI behavior, boss design

#8 South of Midnight
4.7

Originality was praised for its fresh Southern Gothic setting, visual identity, and rarely explored cultural focus.

Pros: atmosphere, voice acting

Cons: world interactivity, camera behavior

#9 Hollow Knight: Silksong
4.7

Originality is praised where Silksong is seen as firmly on its own path rather than a simple copy.

Pros: core gameplay loop, world interactivity

Cons: loot system, accessibility options

#10 The Alters
4.7

Originality was strongly praised, with reviewers calling the concept unique, uncategorizable, ambitious, or unlike anything else.

Pros: controls responsiveness, onboarding experience

Cons: crash stability, grind level

#11 Goodnight Universe
4.6

Originality was strongly praised, with reviewers repeatedly calling the premise, baby perspective, and overall experience unique or fresh.

Pros: side character depth, visual effects quality

Cons: user interface design, handheld play suitability

#12 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
4.5

Originality remains high, with reviewers praising bold creativity, even as some say the sequel is safer than the first.

Pros: animation quality, facial animations

Cons: quest design, AI behavior

#13 Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
4.5

Originality is praised through the original story and the sense that the game feels distinct despite clear inspirations.

Pros: pacing, core gameplay loop

Cons: companion AI, map and navigation design

#14 Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
4.5

Originality was praised as special and more than a cheap clone, even when it evoked classic RPG energy.

Pros: art direction, environmental detail

Cons: multiplayer design, accessibility options

#15 Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad
4.5

Originality was praised because the game offers a fresh, welcome angle on the SAO setting.

Pros: environmental detail, art direction

Cons: world interactivity, loot system

#16 The Blood of Dawnwalker
4.5

Originality was praised when reviewers said the game was more than a Witcher-with-vampires idea and leaned into older RPG openness.

Pros: core gameplay loop, replay value

Cons: value for money, difficulty balance

#17 Absolum
4.5

Originality received positive support for its fresh beat-em-up and roguelite hybrid approach.

Pros: mission design, world interactivity

Cons: quest design, endgame content

#18 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
4.5

Originality is supported by reviewers who say the reimagined story still surprises them despite familiarity with the original.

Pros: world-building, art direction

Cons: mission design, stealth mechanics

#19 Lego Voyagers
4.5

Originality was praised in the way the game treats LEGO as creative expression rather than another licensed slapstick formula.

Pros: writing quality, checkpoint system

Cons: menu usability, user interface design

#20 Mario Kart World Review
4.5

Originality evidence was positive where the reviewer praised how World expands what Mario Kart can mean conceptually.

Pros: animation quality, sound design

Cons: difficulty balance, AI behavior

#21 Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
4.5

Originality is supported by praise for Snake Eater's still-distinct outside-the-box boss and stealth ideas.

Pros: world interactivity, sandbox freedom

Cons: crash stability, learning curve

#22 Monster Hunter Wilds
4.5

Originality was praised where new ideas and systems were said to separate and elevate Wilds beyond a simple formula repeat.

Pros: art direction, cross-play support

Cons: dialogue quality, monetization fairness

#23 Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
4.5

Originality is praised where reviewers call the revival fresh for the series rather than a simple nostalgic retread.

Pros: graphics quality, environmental detail

Cons: bug frequency, dialogue quality

#24 Street Fighter 6
4.5

Originality came through World Tour's unusual fighting-game RPG structure and the full package's fresh approach.

Pros: movement feel, art direction

Cons: platforming precision, writing quality

#25 Cabernet
4.5

Originality was praised through the game’s unusual vampire-life premise, unique narrative RPG flavor, and distinctive approach to the visual novel genre.

Pros: accessibility options, protagonist appeal

Cons: frame rate stability, polish

#26 Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls
4.4

Originality is supported by the unusual manga-Western look and a tag system that reviewers say works differently from traditional tag fighters.

Pros: emotional impact, frame rate stability

Cons: server reliability, tutorial quality

#27 Pragmata
4.4

Originality is praised because Pragmata feels like a fresh new IP with a distinctive puzzle-shooter identity.

Pros: bug frequency, user interface design

Cons: HUD clarity, mission design

#28 Split Fiction
4.4

Originality was mixed: some called it audacious or original, while another argued it was polished more than new.

Pros: puzzle design, level design

Cons: exploration quality, side character depth

#29 Pokémon Pokopia
4.3

Originality evidence was positive, with one reviewer stressing that it was not simply Animal Crossing and felt more interesting.

Pros: protagonist appeal, faithfulness to franchise

Cons: map and navigation design, aiming precision

#30 007 First Light
4.3

Originality is praised because reviewers see First Light as its own identity rather than a reskinned Hitman or nostalgia-only Bond game.

Pros: level design, user interface design

Cons: AI behavior, facial animations

#31 Crimson Desert
4.3

Reviewer evidence is positive: originality was generally praised, though some notes were more qualified across 2 review(s).

Pros: level design, replay value

Cons: stealth mechanics, save system reliability

#32 Rhythm Heaven Groove
4.3

Originality is praised through creative scenarios and inventive mini-game concepts, even as reviewers note the sequel is not radically changing the formula.

Pros: couch co-op quality, accessibility options

Cons: platform-specific feature support, performance optimization

#33 Reanimal
4.2

Originality is praised when Reanimal sidesteps clichés and establishes its own identity despite obvious Little Nightmares lineage.

Pros: onboarding experience, environmental detail

Cons: family friendliness, movement feel

#34 Invincible VS
4.2

Originality was praised through unique mechanics, an original story mode, and visuals that stand apart from other 2D hero fighters.

Pros: immersion, frame rate stability

Cons: user interface design, bug frequency

#35 Pokémon Legends: Z-A
4.2

Originality was supported by praise for the game's strong proof-of-concept feel and fresh Legends identity.

Pros: crash stability, gameplay mechanics

Cons: AI behavior, monetization fairness

#36 Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss
4.0

Originality was usually praised for the future setting and fresh investigation ideas, but one negative review called the overall result wasted potential.

Pros: world-building, world interactivity

Cons: enemy variety, stealth mechanics

#37 BlazBlue Entropy Effect X
4.0

Originality is positive but not revolutionary, with reviewers liking the fighter-roguelike blend while noting it does not redefine the genre.

Pros: movement feel, skill tree depth

Cons: menu usability, HUD clarity

#38 Capcom Fighting Collection 2
4.0

Originality is supported by reviewers describing some included games as nontraditional and distinct from standard fighters.

Pros: emotional impact, sound design

Cons: cross-play support, boss design

#39 Digimon Story Time Stranger
4.0

Originality was supported by one reviewer who felt the evolution and combat systems made the game feel distinct in the genre.

Pros: atmosphere, world-building

Cons: HUD clarity, fast travel convenience

#40 Gears of War: E-Day
3.9

Originality is mixed-positive: the game is described as new, but the amount of change also creates risk.

Pros: emotional impact, art direction

Cons: value for money, platform-specific feature support

#41 Elden Ring Nightreign
3.8

Originality was debated, from criticism of challenge-for-challenge's-sake to praise for a weird, bold experiment.

Pros: emotional impact, visual effects quality

Cons: crash stability, cross-play support

#42 Cronos: The New Dawn
3.8

Originality was mixed: reviewers praised the fresh setting and unique spin, but several stressed how derivative it remains.

Pros: core gameplay loop, emotional impact

Cons: checkpoint system, bug frequency

#43 Atomfall
3.8

Originality was mixed-to-positive: reviewers liked the unusual British setting and fresh lead system, while several felt the mechanics borrowed too much.

Pros: art direction, frame rate stability

Cons: boss design, camera behavior

#44 Saros
3.8

Originality was mixed, with praise for bold changes and criticism that Saros repeats Returnal-like beats with minimal variation.

Pros: value for money, fun factor

Cons: map and navigation design, side character depth

#45 Directive 8020
3.7

Originality was mixed: some saw refreshing focus, while one preview felt the survival-horror shift made it less distinct.

Pros: user interface design, graphics quality

Cons: combat system, animation quality

#46 Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
3.7

Originality is mixed: reviewers like distinctive flavor and legacy touches, but some feel it resembles other SNK fighters too closely.

Pros: emotional impact, animation quality

Cons: enemy variety, server reliability

#47 Forza Horizon 5
3.5

Originality is mixed: reviewers see thoughtful evolution, but also note limited novelty and safe iteration.

Pros: controls responsiveness, movement feel

Cons: tutorial quality, animation quality

#48 Borderlands 4
3.5

Originality is mixed: reviewers see the game as fresh enough, but not especially original.

Pros: sandbox freedom, art direction

Cons: polish, save system reliability

#49 The Last of Us Part II Remastered
3.5

Originality was mixed, with one review finding No Return strange and unusual but artistically awkward.

Pros: core gameplay loop, level design

Cons: family friendliness, puzzle design

#50 Forza Horizon 6
3.4

Originality is mixed: Japan feels like a new level, but some evidence calls the formula cookie-cutter.

Pros: open-world design, replay value

Cons: dialogue quality, writing quality