These things are not only unoriginal, they are videogame staples and so common you wouldn't even think twice about them.  That is unless the devs go out of thier way to be as creative as possible with a completely mundane gameplay mechanic. First up is something that devs often try to dress up as much as possible.  The game's HUD.  I'm going to cite Dead Space for this one.  The Holo HUD is so commonplace now it may not even seem worth mentioning even by the criteria of this post.  But everything from the health and stasis bars on Isaac's back, down to the pop-up Holo ammo counter and especially the video screen that projects NPC'S as they talk to you felt new and different at the time.  It really was a complete package that put a futuristic spin on a basic gaming necessity. The Ubisoft "Towers" that were awe inspiring when they first appeared in Assassin's Creed have become a joke or even annoying to most gamers.  But the ground shaking mechano-hoves of the Tallnecks in Horizon Zero Dawn are just a bit more attention grabbing then a minimap icon.  Not to mention jumping off its head action Hero style with your grappling hook as it releases an EMP pulse. That is pretty cool, the first time.  It's mundane and you'll be doing it over and over again so it will lose its appeal.  Still, it's the most interesting way I've ever revealed a section of the map. What other creative ways have devs tried to spice up thee most trivial things in gaming?