BrokenSymmetry
Member
The Void (PC).
By far the most unique gaming experience I've had in the last five years.
By far the most unique gaming experience I've had in the last five years.
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Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
The Underrated: Games that deserve more love from GAF
- Thread starter -PXG-
- Start date
SabinFigaro
Member
GoldenEye 007 (Wii)
A title that was justifiably met with skepticism. Afterall, how arrogant of Activision to sell this to us based on nostalgia, especially after the cheap and horrendous Rogue Agent years ago.
As skeptics, we couldn't be more wrong. GoldenEye is excellent, and you're most likely missing out. This is the perfect Bond videogame: it has elements of stealth (and that actually means something here), unobtrusive, yet neat gadgets, and a great arsenal. The levels are also very well-designed, and there is only an element of "inspiration" taken from the original. The levels here are much better designed and more expansive.
GoldenEye is cheap enough now that it should be on the list of any self-respecting FPS or action fan. Don't hesitate to pick it up.
IrishNinja
Member
yeah, but see - if you switch gears from "underrated by GAF gamers" to "underrated for their contributions to the industry", you kinda have to include all kinds've stuff you'd not normally put on the former's list, like Modern Warfare, Portal, etc.
I see Gears more as an interactive promotion for UE3 than an actual game. Now, that might come off as an insult towards Epic, and especially odd coming from me, since I am a huge fan of the series. However, you can't say the same thing about say, Uncharted, right? Does ND license out their engine? Do you see other devs trying to copy their games?
LordPhoque
Banned
StuBurns said:
It has one of the biggest OT in the history of GAF, and most of the people here claim it has the best campaign after CE... so I wouldn't say it's underrated. If you want to see a place where Halo in general is underrated, take a look at most of the european boards/reviews.
Kilgore Trout
Member
Maybe not underrated, but criminally undernoticed from what I've seen. I understand point-and-click adventures aren't a big thing anymore, but with Telltale games thriving I'd like to think something like Machinarum would receive more notice of any kind really.toythatkills said:
IrishNinja said:
I don't think anyone will say CoD hasn't been influential in game development. It certainly has. Gears? Underrated? Amongst gamers? Of course not! Everyone knows what it is, and has either played it or is aware of it. But in regards to what it has done behind the scenes and the latent, indirect effects on other games, is it equally recognized? At least for me, no.
Hopefully you see the difference.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
The original had some flaws, but it was still one of the most unique and fun games I've played this generation. The second fixes almost all of those flaws, although its a bit more linear. And both of them have absolutely fan-fucking-tastic soundtracks.
AceBandage
Banned
IrishNinja said:
Trying to figure out what Gears and MW actually contributed to the industry...
They certainly weren't the first third and first person shooters.
I suppose, maybe you could say Gears popularized the third person cover system?
Modern Warfare... no clue what you could say it contributed, besides to making a single franchise so huge.
Uncharted 2 Multiplayer - Uncharted 2 get's a lot of praise for it's amazing campaign, but it is also my favorite online shooter this gen
Picross 3D - I am not into puzzle games but this is probably the most addicting puzzle game I have ever played
God of War Ghost of Sparta - never played it myself but I liked the CoO and I heard it is 10x better, some even say it is better than GoW3
Picross 3D - I am not into puzzle games but this is probably the most addicting puzzle game I have ever played
God of War Ghost of Sparta - never played it myself but I liked the CoO and I heard it is 10x better, some even say it is better than GoW3
Raging Spaniard
If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
you cant put Gears in there bro, thats stupid and the point you use to defend its inclusion goes against the point of your own thread.
Underrated current gen games that more people on GAF should play does not mean Gears of War. Most people here have played that.
Underrated current gen games that more people on GAF should play does not mean Gears of War. Most people here have played that.
Splinter Cell Conviction
It changed up the gameplay that the series is known for and it turned off a lot of fans. However, after 4 games I felt a change was needed and Ubisoft delivered brilliantly. Sam moves like a panther and the mark/execute mechanic makes you feel like you really are a well trained spy.
Last known position and the objectives being placed onto the world are neat design structures. Overall the story is much more heartfelt than any SC's before it and the camera work/presentation is brilliant. I've never seen a gameplay camera move like I have in this game. A fun co-op story, thats actually not shoehorned in, followed by the superb Deniable Ops mode add a ton of value.
The only fault for me was the AI is usually not up to snuff of your advanced killing mechanics. That, and a useless Iraq level that thankfully doesn't go on too long. Still, the game controls great and is just downright fun.
lifa-cobex
Member
I picked this up after i finished SH2.
Absolutely hated it.
Every five minutes i kept telling myself "wtf is this? IT'S NOT SILENT HILL!"
traded it in the next day.
Picked it up years later, looked into it and now i appreciate it for how unique the whole idea is.
Still still not a SH game in my eyes but for a stand-alone horror i think it's great.
Raging Spaniard said:
I think most people are just reacting and not actually reading. It's one thing to say, "Gears is underrated in the sense that people aren't aware of how much influence the UE3 has had in game development" compared to just saying "Halo Reach" without any explanation whatsoever. I've made it very clear as to how and why I think the game isn't recognized. From a gamer's perspective, it doesn't need any more accolades. I know that. I get that. You don't need to tell me that. All I'm saying is to think about whether or not Epic get's enough credit for setting development trends. I don't how many times I have to say that.
Has IW/ Treyarch influenced develpopment? Hell yes. It's painfully obvious what CoD has done. Has Bungie? Of course. Now if you don't feel they have, speak up.
Circle of Willis
Neo Member
Warhammer 40K - Dawn of War 2 and its expansion packs (Chaos Rising and Retribution).
It's borderline criminal that these titles get so little love seeing as how it's a good example of classic PC gaming support. It's a unique take on RTS (units are actually valuable and so tactical retreats are fundamental to the gameplay) and Relic has done a really good job supporting the title post launch with balance patches as well as a free new mode in the Last Stand. With Retribution, Relic has basically released a standalone $60 game for $30 with the promise of "Last Stand" like support down the line.
Even though Dawn of War 2 and Chaos Rising will no longer have multiplayer since everything has pretty much migrated to Steam with Retribution ( and for the better I might add). They're still worth picking up to experience the singleplayer campaigns alone.
It's borderline criminal that these titles get so little love seeing as how it's a good example of classic PC gaming support. It's a unique take on RTS (units are actually valuable and so tactical retreats are fundamental to the gameplay) and Relic has done a really good job supporting the title post launch with balance patches as well as a free new mode in the Last Stand. With Retribution, Relic has basically released a standalone $60 game for $30 with the promise of "Last Stand" like support down the line.
Even though Dawn of War 2 and Chaos Rising will no longer have multiplayer since everything has pretty much migrated to Steam with Retribution ( and for the better I might add). They're still worth picking up to experience the singleplayer campaigns alone.
The Take Out Bandit
Member
I may suggest to folks providing the current MSRP for these games so if it piques the interest of folks, they can click through and buy themselves a copy. A lot of these great games can be had on the cheap, so why not?
I'm coming back with A List. Hide ya women, hide ya children. . . >:|
I'm coming back with A List. Hide ya women, hide ya children. . . >:|
ModNation Racers
I recently got it, checked the OT and even posted some short replies. But was surprised at the thread having so few replies; even for a game that's on "2 platforms" (PS3 and PSP) and it's a nice mixture of Mario Kart (fast, quick races, items, simple but with some strategy) with Little Big Planet (tons of customization options to create characters and race-tracks). There's a really nice online integration (you turn on the game, you're online and see other people around with their cars and everything).
The game still receives some nice support from the developers, with a (sometimes
) weekly blog about updates, new stuff and other news. And there's a good single player mode too, if you don't want to focus that much on online multiplayer, with challenges, unlockables and other things.Granted, it had the "dreaded May release" of last year with Blur, Split/Second the same month of Red Dead Redemption (though, the PS3 version outsold those 2 games and even managed to end in the Top 20 NPD at #18). The game recently became a Greatest Hits and can be bought for under $30 at any store (under $20 for the PSP); so there's no excuse now.
You're being inconsistent though, where is CoD4 in the OP? That's massively influential. What about WiiSports?-PXG- said:
The point is, you said games that are 'block busters', have high 'revenue/profit', and critically acclaimed are not what you're looking for, and you included a game that is absolutely all of those things.
It's your thread, you can do whatever you want of course, but it's really strange.
Raging Spaniard
If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
-PXG- said:
Yeah like I said, I understood what you wrote, its still wrong.
The idea for this thread seemed to be something like "come in here and find a game that you might have not heard about" .... and then you put Gears in there. You want to make a thread about influential games then yeah, sure, put that right in there.
DryvBy
Member
Snuggler said:Magicka
Usually mentioned in a positive light, but it's thread has only gone for 6 pages. 6 pages! That's like the first hour of some big name game threads. The main game received as much attention as the Vietnam expansion pack did just for being super silly. I understand that it's potential fanbase is limited with it being PC only, and it doesn't have the broad appeal of a big budget game, but it's worthy of much more attention then it has received.
It's an accessible game, easy for new comers to grasp, but it's very challenging later in the game. It's definitely one of those great games that are easy to learn but hard to master. It's cute sense of humor and sly movie references are a big part of what makes Magicka stand out, but it's the ingenious mechanic of combining elemental spells that make it something special. There is tons of room for experimentation, with certain combos having unexpected effects and the different methods of spell casting available (you can cast ranged, on yourself, in the area around you etc.). It's worth the price admission just for the unbridled joy of combing things to see what happens, but it also makes for a very flexible and hectic action RPG as you're battling hordes of foes and whipping up combos on the fly.
...and all that awesomeness for only ten dollars. And I didn't even mention the multiplayer, which I haven't had the chance to try but it looks like a hoot. Again, I'm aware that it's received a positive reception, but I'd like to see more people talking about it.
I strongly disagree with this. I played this with a few friends and outside of the first hour, the game got boring fast. I went through about 4 - 5 bosses and quickly figured out the best startegy was to slam lightning and what the A button was to make it shoot far. Other than that, it just got to the point we all made excuses to play a different game and "come back to Magika". I haven't touched it since. It's just the same thing over and over again.
OT, if I had to pick any game that's underrated, I'd say 3D Dot Game Heroes. I really hope Atlus makes a sequel to it, or even see if they can make a 16-bit pixel game (a la SNES style). The game was amazingly fun.
My reason for putting Gears in there is completely different for the others in my list. There is a reason why it's last. There is a reason why I hesitated to put it in there in the first place. Unlike the others, I'm not suggesting people to buy and play it. Instead, I want folks to think about, and yes, question, whether or not Epic's design philosophy and game engine has effected other developers and their games.
As for the others. Yeah, go out, buy them, play them, and hopefully, love them. But that doesn't apply to Gears.
As for the others. Yeah, go out, buy them, play them, and hopefully, love them. But that doesn't apply to Gears.
whalleywhat
Member
Wario Land: Shake It Way too many reviewers didn't bother with the treasures or challenges in this and ended up saying it was too easy. It's actually got a crazy amount of depth, hidden levels, etc. and looks gorgeous.
StuBurns said:
I'm not inconsistent. CoD and Wii Sports ARE influential. You have to be living under a rock to think they aren't. Hell, Bungie is known for pioneering matchmaking. However, Gears' influence in development, in my opinion, isn't recognized, specifically, when it comes to game design, tech and engine licensing. The game itself, doesn't need more recognition though.
MikeE21286
Member
best (arcade) racing game this gen probably
Demon_Knight
Banned
The Darkness was probably the most enjoyable FPS I've played this gen. Their other game,
The Chronicles of Riddick was also quite exceptional, and used a lot of similar light/dark and stealth mechanics. Both come highly recommended for anyone looking for solid, fun FPS games.
Also, I don't know if this is underrated, but it's impossible for this game to get too much love:
One of the best games of the generation, the sheer imagination and creativity of the great minds at Treasure never fail to amaze. Like Demons Souls, I feel like everyone should buy this game at least once, to keep the real, non-Hollywoodized games industry alive
Also:
Not nearly as great as the games that inspired it, nevertheless I found it to be a really enjoyable experience overall.
The Chronicles of Riddick was also quite exceptional, and used a lot of similar light/dark and stealth mechanics. Both come highly recommended for anyone looking for solid, fun FPS games.
Also, I don't know if this is underrated, but it's impossible for this game to get too much love:
One of the best games of the generation, the sheer imagination and creativity of the great minds at Treasure never fail to amaze. Like Demons Souls, I feel like everyone should buy this game at least once, to keep the real, non-Hollywoodized games industry alive
Also:
Not nearly as great as the games that inspired it, nevertheless I found it to be a really enjoyable experience overall.
Circle of Willis
Neo Member
-PXG- said:
Gears definitely is not underrated even with the rational you gave. Most people recognize that it was the first truly "next gen" title. In fact a lot of the accolades given to Gears state that as a reason.
Personally I think this title serves better purpose and discussion to highlight games that really were neglected despite being quality. Zack and Wiki being chief among them (except the sword fighting- which was absolutely horrible).
The Oil Blue by our own Chubigans.
I gotta admit the game is not for everybody, but if it gets you, you won't stop. Shame that it didn't get too much attention here on gaf.
Lifted from their webpage:
http://www.vertigogaming.net/game/oilblue
I gotta admit the game is not for everybody, but if it gets you, you won't stop. Shame that it didn't get too much attention here on gaf.
Lifted from their webpage:
http://www.vertigogaming.net/game/oilblue
DryvBy2 said:
Yeah, it does get a little repetitive, I'll give you that. I would have liked to see some puzzles and platforming that required use of the elements, but I enjoy the core game enough that I've had a great time so far. I've been playing solo, which might make for a different experience. I can't really rely on being stationary and gibbing everything with a power beam of death anymore since there are ranged enemies and big groups that can swarm me before I get off a shot. I have to use a lot of shields/bombs and stuff for crowd control and self preservation.
Arma 2 + Operation Arrowhead
By far the most sophisticated Military Simulation game ever released
Two Worlds II
The most beautiful Open-World RPG ever made. Wonderful gameplay as well.
Risen
The best open-world Exploration-RPG ever made. Exploring a fantasy world has never been so much fun. Good graphics as well
By far the most sophisticated Military Simulation game ever released
Two Worlds II
The most beautiful Open-World RPG ever made. Wonderful gameplay as well.
Risen
The best open-world Exploration-RPG ever made. Exploring a fantasy world has never been so much fun. Good graphics as well
Circle of Willis said:
When people think of influential games this gen, they immediately think Call of Duty and Wii Sports. But there are others too. Gears is one of them. Street Fighter IV is another. Capcom almost singlehandedly resurrected an entire genre with that game.
Various 2D games and platformers have also made a come back too. Which ones do you think deserve more recognition and deserve more people playing them?
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
Circle of Willis said:
-Pandemic's last game was also their best. A perfect swan song.
-Let's you murder Nazis is a variety of ways. Blowing them up while they're up in lookout towers never gets old.
-The Paris setting is perfect. WWII literally begins right in front of you with Germany invading France. The city is beautiful and there is a ton of countryside to explore.
-Sean Devlin is a fantastic protagonist. A heavy-drinking Irish badass race car driver.
-Just a ton of stuff to do.
If you love open-world games, play this now!!!
Circle of Willis
Neo Member
I just don't see how Gears of War is underrated or even underappreciated in any way shape or form. Most of the series' negative criticisms stem more from Gears of War 2 no living up to expectations.
VGChampion
Member
As for a GAF underrated game, I'd go with FFXIII no matter what. I thought the game was excellent and gets a lot of hate / disappointment here and I just don't get it. There wasn't a thing I didn't like about it.
I also think the first One Piece game for the Wii is underrated. Sure, it doesn't follow the story line and gets repetitive, but it was fun enough to play through.
I wouldn't say Gears of War is underrated either. I know you've explained it in the OP and throughout but Gears is one of the most popular. I see just as many people playing Gears as they did MW2 back when I was at college.
I also think the first One Piece game for the Wii is underrated. Sure, it doesn't follow the story line and gets repetitive, but it was fun enough to play through.
-PXG- said:
I wouldn't say Gears of War is underrated either. I know you've explained it in the OP and throughout but Gears is one of the most popular. I see just as many people playing Gears as they did MW2 back when I was at college.
Gears of War? Seriously? Why don't you just put Mario up there? Here's a REAL underrated game.
ATOMIC BOMBERMAN
10 player Bomberman with a funky soundtrack and a unique aesthetic. It was actually developed by Interplay and not Hudson. I wish they would remake this game and give it online multiplayer.
ATOMIC BOMBERMAN
10 player Bomberman with a funky soundtrack and a unique aesthetic. It was actually developed by Interplay and not Hudson. I wish they would remake this game and give it online multiplayer.
Circle of Willis
Neo Member
SapientWolf said:
Dawn of War 2 Retribution is running off Steam matchmaking whereas the original DOW2 and Chaos Rising were running off GFWL. So even though Retribution is being billed as an expansion pack, it's really a standalone title since you don't need the previous 2 games to play it. You can still technically play multiplayer for DOW2 and Chaos Rising but the community has migrated to Steam.
Future PhaZe
Member
Tales of Vesperia
I still don't know if there's a game this gen that has been so incredibly nostalgic and refreshing as Tales of Vesperia. It's such a charming experience that transports you back to the days of great characters, story--all packaged around an amazing battle system. I went into the game very wary but was instantly disarmed by the entire package. The cherry on top is that the game is legitimately LENGTHY, while seemingly sacrificing nothing to achieve it. Tales is the best JRPG this gen imo.
Condemned: Criminal Origins
There are still a lot of people who haven't played condemned, and for something like 5 bucks I'm sure you can hop right in. Arguably one of the most immersive--not to mention chilling experiences today, this horror-fps hybrid absolutely deserves to be played.
Ace Combat 6
Throw away your genre bias and PICK UP THIS GAME NOW. Nevermind that it still holds up as one of the most impressive looking games this gen, the story, while not great, is still able to suck you in because of impressive in game scenarios that are just a BLAST to play through.
I still don't know if there's a game this gen that has been so incredibly nostalgic and refreshing as Tales of Vesperia. It's such a charming experience that transports you back to the days of great characters, story--all packaged around an amazing battle system. I went into the game very wary but was instantly disarmed by the entire package. The cherry on top is that the game is legitimately LENGTHY, while seemingly sacrificing nothing to achieve it. Tales is the best JRPG this gen imo.
Condemned: Criminal Origins
There are still a lot of people who haven't played condemned, and for something like 5 bucks I'm sure you can hop right in. Arguably one of the most immersive--not to mention chilling experiences today, this horror-fps hybrid absolutely deserves to be played.
Ace Combat 6
Throw away your genre bias and PICK UP THIS GAME NOW. Nevermind that it still holds up as one of the most impressive looking games this gen, the story, while not great, is still able to suck you in because of impressive in game scenarios that are just a BLAST to play through.
semiconscious
Gold Member
stupei said:
not gonna happen, unfortunately. pretty sure rh is doomed to be one of the more illustrious members of the 'great games that no one's played club', & one more reminder of why we end up with a lot of the mediocre crap we end up with - we often don't even recognize, never mind support, the good stuff when we get it...
yeah, i'm bitter
...Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Forkball said:
