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Underrated Games

by devwil

I think these games are underrated. That's about it.

Showing 1-7 of 7 items

NHL 11

1. NHL 11

I'm using this spot to argue that sports games in general are underrated and/or too quickly dismissed. Sports are games, too. They're games that have been popular for decades. Just because they're athletic (or virtually so in the case of sports video games) doesn't mean that five guys trying to put a puck past a goalie can't make for a compelling competitive experience.

Alpha Protocol

2. Alpha Protocol

So few games actually allow you to make meaningful choices. I had a really good time playing through Alpha Protocol, and it was largely because of how much agency I felt I had (no pun intended). Combat isn't the game's strong suit, but it's not the game's main focus either. I really only found it frustrating a couple times.

ToeJam & Earl

3. ToeJam & Earl

Maybe I just don't have a good feel for how well-regarded this game is, but I feel like this is a game that is sort of overlooked when people talk about classic 16-bit titles. If only for its style and replayability, Toejam & Earl deserves a nod any time someone mentions quality Genesis games.

Rez

4. Rez

Rez seems like it flew under everybody's radar when it came out. It's a truly unique experience that really only compares to the next game on this list.

Child of Eden

5. Child of Eden

I was so disappointed when everyone was complaining about the length of this game. Child of Eden, like Rez, is not something you play through once and say "okay, I'm done with that." It's an aesthetic experience like a painting or symphony that can be appreciated more than once. If you had the means to buy an original Monet, you wouldn't look at it once and then put it in storage.

NHL Eastside Hockey Manager 2007

6. NHL Eastside Hockey Manager 2007

It's basically a hockey RPG. The interface is basically just numbers and spreadsheets, but it's really addictive.

Day of Defeat

7. Day of Defeat

The original Day of Defeat tore me away from playing Counter-Strike competitively. If I had my way, this is the game you'd see in MLG events. Even though it was fairly successful and you'll still find a populated server here and there, it never came close to the popularity of Counter-Strike. It had some classic maps and was a great example of class-based multiplayer for its day.