a) Titles should have a ranking of 70% (or close) in Metacritcis and/or Gameranings
b) They sold less than 500k units worldwide according to data avalible.
It'd be great to check more recomendations for games that got little fanfare this year, so please post the titles that in your opinion deserve more love from us.
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (PS3)
Metacritics: 75
Gamerankings: 74.69
There was a time when this franchise sold more than 1 million copies; that was at the PS2. Since then Sly Cooper was a recurring petition for most fans and finally a new game was released early this year, just to be ignored by most users, in fact the game charted at number 9 in the NPD report of February just to disappear the next month. (as a reference the number 3 of that chart was Crysis 3 with 207k units sold) Granted the title has their critics and some decisions weren’t popular (like the change on Carmelita) but overall it’s a fun platform game and quite cheap these days, plus with the PS3 version you get the Vita version for free.
Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan (3DS)
Metacritics: 84
Gamerankings: 85
The Etrian series has always been a niche title, but surprise, we got not only 1 but 2 titles of this franchise this year, the first one was released early this year and is a really nice old school RPG with a great difficult. Sure the character design is questionable (specially the dancers) but if you can get over that it’s a really addictive title and probably one of the last examples of traditional RPGs on handhelds.
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk (PS3)
Metacritics: 70
Gamerankings: 71.73
And another niche title with a limited appeal. But overall I really enjoy this game, it reminds me of a simple time when games didn’t need melodrama and complicated stories to be enjoyable and even if this entry of the Atelier series get a little too serious at times, it’s still a good game and a enjoyable experience if you’re into JRPGs.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate (3DS)
Metacritics: 72
Gamerankings: 71.81
Castlevania has been one of those franchise with really good games that for some reason or another get overlooked by most fans. Mirror of Fate has its problems like a convoluted story intended to link 2 console titles and the lack of the distinctive “metroidvania” feeling of the handheld series, but it’s a fun game with nice graphics for the 3DS.
Pandora's Tower (Wii)
Matacritics 73
Gamerankings: 71.74
Wii’s last hurrah was born of the collective effort of “Operation rainfall” overall this title was the weakest of the 3 games that were released by that effort (Xenoblade reminds as one of the best RPG this generation IMO and The Last Story was way better too) still the game has great touches and ideas, like a smooth combat system and the changes in the heroine.
(PC, Xbox 360, PS3)Grid 2
Metacritics: PC 80, Xbox360 78, PS3 82
Gamerankings: PC 81.88, Xbox360 78.96, PS3 80.96
It’s hard to believe the difference between this title and the first one; it shows the decline of the Arcade Racing genre in a brutal way. The first game sold almost 2 million copies; this one opened in the UK at number 1 with 29% down from the original, meanwhile in NA it didn’t even chart at the NPD list. Which is a shame, Grid 2 ended up having great graphic, a nice online setting and overall a really nice title for the few fans that still love this kind of games over the most “realistic” experiences like GT or Forza or the kart titles like Mario or LBP Kart.
Remember Me
Metacritics: PC 65, Xbox 360 70, PS3 72
Gamerankings: PC 67.06, Xbox 360 68.73, PS3 73
Capcom has been a rollercoaster this generation, throwing franchises into the sacrifice pile (Resident Evil) or making great games that few people actually play (Zack and Wiki) Remember me is by no means a perfect title. It has its faults, but also interesting ideas, great design and an overall fighting system, at this point this title was a big deal but ended up falling short on its goals. Still worth it if you find it cheap… or free on PSN+
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New super Luigi u (Wii U)
Gamerankings: 75.92
Metacritics: 77
This one was difficult to put here, mostly because it’s an add on for New Super Mario U and to this daywe don’t know for sure how many copies have been sold. Back in August NPD reported 102k both physical and digital, but http://nintendoeverything.com/august...ings-for-2013/ it’s quite sure that this title won’t have the success of NSMB U, which is a shame, because NSLB U has a great challenge over its predecessor.
Muramasa rebirth (Vita)
Gamerankings:80.26
Metacritics: 78
Muramasa is one of the most amazing titles on the Wii, with a beautiful design, great action and great soundtrack, this game had a second chance on the Vita, while it sold quite well in Japan the story was different for the rest of the world, with an amazing package from Askys MR is one of those titles that’s worth for every Vita owner.
Project x zone (3DS)
Metacritics: 70
Gamerankings: 71.36
When 3 companies are whiling to put their best characters in one game most people expect an experience that’ll transcend as one of the best games of the generation… sadly this isn’t the case. Project X-Zone is not a game for everyone and the combat is quite repetitive, but the great set of character and the fact that’s a miracle to see this title on western lands make this game worth it for fans.
Killzone: Mercenary (Vita)
Metacritics 78
Gamerankings 76.94
It’s a hard time for handhelds in the western, so it’s quite interesting to see how the PS Vita was designed as the perfect machine for FPS action on the go. But it was until this year that a title could finally make good use of the Vita, even for people that don’t like the Killzone franchise (like me) KM is by far the best FPS available for handhelds at the moment, not only on the graphic front but also the controls and options. Sadly the numbers were at 41k last time available.
Puppeteer (PS3)
Gamerankings: 81.65
Metacritics: 80
Marked as a work of love, Puppeteer was always a hard sell; Sony did little to promote the title, and most gamers dismiss it as a child game. Which is not, is actually a really creative and well done platform with an outstanding design, sure the physics are a little bit weird, but after all they make sense with the character, a true hidden gem that IMO would work way better as a PS4 game. (Especially considering PS4 launch line), so far we don’t have figures for the game with it did 8900 its first week on Japan and rumors say that the title is less than 100k worldwide
The Wonderful 101 (Wii U)
Metacritics: 78
Gamerankings 77.98
The WiiU had some of the most interesting offers this year, and the Wonderful 101 is one of the best ones, with a great combat system, character design and soundtrack this action package title requires practice and patience, but once you mastered the beast this little gem offer one of the unique experiences and one of the best uses of the gamepad.
Rune Factory 4 (3DS)
Metaritics: 78
Gamerankings: 78.95
Finally another of those games that are way to niche to get huge sales, but still Rune Factory offer one of the most addicting experiences with the mixture of farming, fighting and waifus. It’s not a game for everyone but for the people that have followed the series since the DS it’s a great option and by far one of the must have titles for the 3DS in this quarter.
