With the AAA titles becoming yearly franchises, there are many games that slip under our radar or do not get critically acclaimed which does not help a game which may be fun to play and hence leaving us very few choice of games to play. Some of these games bring in new ideas which deserve to be applauded.
Those games which don’t make much of a name can be surprisingly fun to play and even do better than AAA titles later on. I’m only covering real time combat games on PS, Xbox and PC (No side scrollers only FPS or TPS). Here is a list of the most underrated games which deserved a lot more attention than they got.
Mirror’s Edge
Mirror’s Edge was the only first person parkour game till 2014’s Dying Light (Though the mechanics of the former are better). It was a new kind of story and the atmosphere was also refreshing. But the game failed when it first launched because many people were wanting a better story which was not justified, since the story was simple and crisp. Later on it gained lots of attention and it became so popular that EA decided to make a sequel. Mirror’s Edge 2 is going to release early in 2016.
Red Faction 2
This game got the critics attention but failed to sell many copies despite being one of the best games of the 6th generation. This game had a decent story, reviewers saying the story was “Not bad at all”. The graphics were very good considering its 2002 release. And the best part of the game was its multiplayer mode. I spent many hours playing this game with my friends. The maps were a reflection of Halo and Quake with weapons being even more exciting. There was a decent amount of gore which made it even more fun to play.
Remember Me
The major complain against this game was its combat and its movement restriction (The combat was not so bad. You just had to get used to it). The art style was superb and the story was also decent. The main thing that let it down was its linearity and restriction. The game would have gotten better rating had it given us many ways to complete a particular task. Even with its flaws it’s a good game. The background music is good and the graphics are stunning. I would like it to have a sequel with a more open setting and better combat mechanics.
Spec Ops: The Line
The most underrated shooter of the previous generation, it was one of the more eccentric and exhilarating games of that year with the perfect balance of story, action and atmosphere. There were many ways to take down enemies and you could order your squad mates to engage a particular target. Such a good game, you must be wondering, “Where did everything go wrong?” The critics were too rigid to give a new game a good rating. Hence the sales went down and the game could not sell much in the end.
Shadow Warrior
Shadow Warrior added the old school and new elements perfectly to create one of the best FPS of 2013. The graphics were not bad. The story was compelling and the character development was excellent. It did not have a multiplayer, so that was a bit of a backdrop but the single player more than made up for the lack of multiplayer. Overall the game was pretty good but was shadowed by other AAA franchises.
The Darkness 2
This game was a game which did not add much from its prequel, yet was surprisingly fun. Its combat was much more improved but the plot was mostly taken from the first part. The release of this game was overshadowed by AAA titles like Mass Effect 3, Max Payne 3, Dishonored etc. It did not sell much because it went under the radar and the critics’ average reviews didn’t help.
The Saboteur
This game had a bag of mixed opinions at the time of release. Many people complained about its sluggish controls whereas many people complemented the overall mechanics of the game. Many people called it a crossover between GTA and Assassin’s Creed. The reason it didn’t sell very well was the fact that Assassin’s Creed had launched around the same time and people generally want a tried and tested game and a game which has got good ratings. The Saboteur wasn’t able to impress the critics and hence the sales went down.
Vanquish
This game was ridiculously fun and well-polished. The combat was cool, with rocket boosters on our knees we could slide anywhere in combat. The only area where it lacked was game length. It was barely 8-9 hours long and many people didn’t consider it worth the INR 2499 and many people waited for its price to drop. Otherwise the art, the graphics, the settings were all top notch and the game was worth a shot.
Enslaved: Journey to the West
IOf Enslaved had been released today, it would have been a hit. Unfortunately it came out at a time when no one wanted to play new IPs. Whether it is the gamer’s general reluctance to enjoy AI companions, a surfeit of third-person action adventure games, a lack of appreciation for the colourful post-apocalyptic setting, or just the ennui of generational fatigue, Enslaved was unfairly overlooked and deserves another chance.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
If there’s anything to must be said for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning it’s that 38 Studios did not stint on content; this fantasy runs far beyond the play limit you expect from a modern RPG, and you can feel the cancelled MMO that was to follow, Copernicus, luring in the shadows at the edge of the game design.
But you’ve really got to praise the combat. So few RPGs manage to make gameplay feel as fluid and immediately responsive as pure action and yet allow for stats and attributes to be gratifyingly consequential. The setting, a product of collaboration between RA Salvatore and Todd McFarlane, is perhaps ultimately too generic, but the lore that pours out in great gushing spurts every time you get the game excited shows a remarkable awareness of writing with games in mind. A sequel might have had a chance at being the perfect western high fantasy action RPG; as it was, Reckoning must be among the best.
Verdict
So what do you think of our list. Did your cult game make it to the list. What other games would you like to see on this list. Let us know in the comments.