Most underrated games of all time?

[Northern Goblin]

After seeing http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...es-of-all-time I thought that a counter thread might bring up some interesting discussion.

So here's the criteria, games that are either panned by the critics or playerbase that you absolutely loved, or games that you felt slipped under the radar and deserve far better recognition than they ever got. Just explain how you feel they were underrated, and how you believe they deserve better praise than they have.

There's a couple of games from the overrated list I'm expecting to see pop up in here, but it'll be interesting to see if any others show up too.

[Deleted]

Shenmue on the dreamcast, it really slipped under the radar due to poor sales but if you go hunting around for reviews from the big game sites it comes out strong. It was one of the first open world games i played and one of the best, it's just my opinion. It had a good story and left me eager to play the sequel, it's a shame that i didn't get to see the final outcome of the story

[Zao]

Alpha Protocol.

Yeah, it was bugged as hell. But far too many people ignored it because of said bugs.

The main storyline itself isn't too special, but at least it's something different from your standard fantasy/sci-fi setting.

The choice system was very good. Time limits is something great for RPGs and I wonder why there aren't more games that implemented that. The choices you made also had significant impact on later missions.

The gameplay was rock solid. Again nothing too out of the ordinary, but still well done.


I loved the game and I wish that it had been more successful. At least it might've sprouted a more varied approach to RPG settings if nothing else.

[McNeil]

Alan Wake - Truely a gem of a game. This game has some amazing landscapes, story, characters, music, graphics, atmosphere. Basically everything, but the gameplay was okay. I still have high hopes for Alan Wake 2.

Command & Conquer: Renegade - Very underrated for its time. While the graphics were a little dated, it had a very fun and easy gameplay. And the singleplayer was pretty neat. I've had so much fun with this game, but a lot of C&C fans seem to hate it. Westwood just wanted to try something different than keep making RTS games all the time... I don't blame them.

[dense]

Nier - i don't think many people know about this game. The game is great, but the soundtrack is absolutely amazing.

[Deleted]

[QUOTE=McNeil;20248399]Alan Wake - Truely a gem of a game. This game has some amazing landscapes, story, characters, music, graphics, atmosphere. Basically everything, but the gameplay was okay. I still have high hopes for Alan Wake 2.

Definetley, it was just awesome: "It's not a lake, it's an ocean!"

Darksiders I - it was quiet good but overlooked, the story was not that great but it was fun to play an war is an badass main character

[Boxtroll55]

Darksiders games - both great games
FFXIII-2 went into this game not expecting much I didnt like the first game but it fixed many issues I had with XIII
Rift - alot of people say the game failed but it evolved into its own thing

[NotPrepared]

Command & Conquer: Renegade - Very underrated for its time. While the graphics were a little dated, it had a very fun and easy gameplay. And the singleplayer was pretty neat. I've had so much fun with this game, but a lot of C&C fans seem to hate it. Westwood just wanted to try something different than keep making RTS games all the time... I don't blame them.

This. I completely disagree on single player, but imo the multiplayer was absolutely awesome. Even with all the cheaters and lag. I miss this game so bad.

[Fencers]

- Parasite Eve : Under appreciated. Had one of the deepest customization and stat systems in a Square RPG for years. Setting was fairly well done as well.




- Trap Gunner : Not too widely known. Great, fast paced PVP action which wasn't an FPS... on a console.




- Vagrant Story : The other Square RPG that beat out PE and FFT. It was sort of Zelda for grown ups. Or just smarter kids. Take your pick.




- Metal Fatigue : One of the quintessential PC games. Difficult to learn, complex, unforgiving and full of bugs. Yea, pretty much exactly a PC games as it should be in that era.




- Fallout Tactics : The best in the series other than the original. Lambasted unfairly for not being a true RPG, but despite this FT: BOS is really solid tactical game. Which actually game more world/character freedom than the every FO games since 2. No hand holding at all.




- Chronicles of Spellborn : Never got a chance due to shitty publisher and lazy devs. CoS had some great MMO systems in place if only it was better funded and supported.




-- Champions of Norrath : As good as Diablo 1. Not the same depth of play as Diablo 2. Though a fantastic playing, fast paced ARPG... on console.

[TheRabidDeer]

Spec Ops: The Line

Amazing game that gets praise, but no play.

[hiragana]

Rogue Galaxy, has some very cliche moments but still a great RPG in my opinion. I think it came out just before the ps3 was released though so kind of slipped under the radar. Looks fantastic on pcsx2, aged really well.

[Zogarth]

Well not sure if it is underrated but a lot of people i have talked to have never herd of this game. Bastion. I find it truly incredible with an awesome story, amazing voiceover, and a good enough combat system, and with a truly beatiful world. I really can't recommend this game enough.

For an old game... Emperor: Battle for Dune. Still the best strategy game i have ever played.

[RoKPaNda]

Darksiders 1 & 2

WarCraft 3 - This may seem odd to some people, but within the StarCraft / StarCraft 2 community WarCraft 3 is seen as a "meh" game because it was so vastly different from previous WarCraft titles and from StarCraft. I think it was one of the greatest RTS games ever. Well, after some of the initial kinks were worked out.

Wolfenstein 2009 - RotCW got quite a bit of hype, but Wolfenstein 2009 didn't get all that much, and I've seen a lot of people call it the weakest game in the series, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I think the main problem with it is that it's mostly a classic styled FPS game that was released when FPS games were starting to be ... Well, as they are now, so people dismissed it as the developers not being innovative enough.

[Toffie]

Alan Wake
Tera

[Celarent]

Half-Life 2 earned no shortage of accolades, but the level of detail involved in the game — Viktor Antonov's art come to life, Robert Culp's performances, hundreds of eerie-yet-effective recordings for Combine chatter — went overlooked by the average player. It blows my mind every time I return to it.

[Sargerus]

Conker's Bad Fur Day
Binary Domain
Okami

[ro9ue]

Sacrifice
Thief Dark Shadows
Luigi's Mansion (GC)
Super Mario Legend of the Seven Stars
Final Fantasy Tactics
Paperboy
Shaqfu
Earthbound
Dragon Warrior Monsters
Darksiders 1 should be a 9 minimum

[Deleted]

Gothic 1 and Gothic 2. Really great RPGs, but i don't think that many people played them.

[Deleted]

James Pond 3: Operation Starfish

[madethisfor1post]

Phantom Dust - One of the most fun games on the xbox I played.

Monster Rancher - I'd give anything for a Monster Rancher RPG that was done similar to Pokemon but still has the disk regeneration mechanic but also allows you to find disks or fragments and had ALL the monsters from ALL the games and made it so that they could all be combined.