The pandemic has been soaring for over a year and you must have tried everything you could possibly do indoors. The two activities most engaged in were OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon and streaming media like YouTube. Even though they continuously generate new content, you may be getting tired of using the same platforms.
If you are looking for a change, we suggest that you try cult video games. This is a genre that does not enjoy widespread popularity but has die-hard fans in a niche area. Cult games have always been around, but took somewhat of a leap amid the lockdown situations worldwide last year. The conditions remain to be grim and these video games are still kicking in 2021.
It gets difficult to characterise cult games beyond the small but fanatic following they enjoy. However, if one goes through the list of the popular titles and read reviews, there seem to be some commonalities. Themes like noir fantasies, clash of cultures, fight to the finish and hero versus villain attract cult following. On the flip side, the technical aspects of the games are said to be below excellent so they are not able to garner global mass appeal. Cult games mostly are not affiliated with big labels that have huge marketing budgets, and are also referred to as indie (independent) games.
We have scouted around and have picked five cult games that we expect to rule the roost in the coming months.
Resident Evil Village
Resident Evil claims to be the originator of the survival horror cult genre. With seven titles already released, the fans are highly expectant about the eight one titled Resident Evil Village. For those who have followed earlier versions, Ethan travels to the Resident Evil Village in East Europe to rescue his Daughter Rose. She seems to have been abducted by Chris Redfield who earlier killed Ethan’s wife. You begin by taking on werewolves called Lycans and then move on to the villains. Each of them has their own locations and you will have to infiltrate their hideouts and eliminate them before confronting Mother Miranda. Resident Evil Village (also presently known as Resident Evil 8) offers more enemies, ammunition, shootings and scares, which the fans will need and love. The focus is away from the eerie suspense of the past to explosive action packed battles.
Street Fighter II
The latest edition is Street Fighter V, but it is the second version that sustains as a cult video game. Sub-titled The World Warrior, it is the quintessential video game with multiple game play possibilities. The plot is relatively simple. The leader of the Shadaloo organization, M. Bison, plans to dominate the world and sets up a fighting tournament, to select the best warriors to work under him. He does not take into account the machinations of Akuma and that could lead to his downfall. Street Fighter II features a roster of eight selectable characters, including Ryu and Ken from the original cult game. You have to knock off all these opponents, before taking on the Shadaloo Bosses.
Street Fighter II – The World Warrior Slot offers another kind of platform for engaging with this cult game. This type of game takes your love for cult games to another level and gives you the option of even earning some cash while playing.
Horizon Forbidden West
Forbidden West is the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, which went live in 2017. It continues the story of Aloy, a young huntress of the Nora tribe, this time sent on a quest to the Forbidden West to find the source of a mysterious plague, the result of an apocalyptic situation, that kills all it infects. She traverses a vast array of ecosystems across uncharted lands occupied by dangerous enemies and deadly machines. To attract the core Horizon fans, the makers of this cult game have created locations like ruined San Frisco city and ravaged Yosemite Valley. As a player you control Aloy and attempt to guide the through hostile terrain till she finds the cure for the plague.
Back 4 Blood
This has an interesting story to start with. Left 4 Dead and its sequel were the joint effort of Turtle Rock and Valve. The two split, with Valve owning rights to the title. For more than ten years there was no move and the fans had given up on the franchise. Now Turtle Rock has revived the format from Left 4 Dead in the soon to be released Back 4 Blood.
You will again encounter survivors taking on the zombies in a post apocalypse situation. The Left 4 Dead games had different squads, so the introduction of new characters will not be an issue. The game mechanics are expected to be more involved. You can earn cards that adjust various elements of gameplay, such as the player’s health, damage and stamina. The AI can create random hindrances like spawning extra enemies, activating a fog effect and increasing the size of the zombie horde.
Deathloop
Deathloop is a cult game that is slated for a September 2021 release. If you are crazy about time travel, like in the movie Inception, this game will be perfect for you. It revolves around an assassin named Colt who is stuck in a time loop. He needs to slay eight targets before midnight to prevent the time loop from being reset. In the multiplayer format, another player can be Julianna, an agent whose objective is to protect the time loop and rescue Colt. However, the gameplay is such that Julianna may actually hinder Colt rather than help him.