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I don’t believe in the notion of a “gateway game” being the same thing for everyone. There’s a lot of advice out there for players looking to get into X, Y, or Z genre, and while it works for some it’s not a guarantee to work for everyone. I imagine if someone had tried to get me into first-person shooters with Half-Life it would not have been nearly as successful as Halo: Combat Evolved would have been.

However, I do think it’s possible for any genre to have an access point for any enthusiastic player. I may not have received Bloodborne so well if I hadn’t first played Darksiders 3, but after having played both I have been able to better approach and appreciate what I’ve played of Dark Souls Remastered. It has, in fact, helped me confirm what I like about Bloodborne and why it is the From Software game that seems to most effectively execute on the studio’s ideals for this “genre” they’ve developed.

What is perhaps most curious is that each “gateway” game has stoked the fire of a new interest or obsession in a genre. Despite role-playing games being my favorite throughout childhood, Halo: Combat Evolved made me hungry for shooters during high school and College. As my (and the industry’s) interest in shooters waned throughout my adulthood, I slowly dabbled in many genres until DmC: Devil May Cry gave me a renewed hunger for character action. Now, Darksiders 3 and Bloodborne seem to have spawned an interest in this “Soulsborne” genre that others have craved the past decade. However, it has more reawakened a love of a genre that I’ve never gotten sick of: the Metroidvania.

Perhaps I’ll do a bit more writing regarding that topic in the future.

What games have opened you up to genres you once thought impenetrable? Please leave a comment below or send us an e-mail with what you’ve been playing.

Opening theme music by my buddy Brandon, a.k.a. Fallen Prophecy.