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[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Assuming 3DS is next-gen, I'll take one on DS.

Jason Rohrer with music by Tom Bailey: Diamond Trust of London

1. What is it?

An indie game for DS that virtually no one has played. It's basically a board game, but the kind that can't be done on a real board. The goal is to move your pawns where the opponent isn't in order to collect diamonds, and if you are both on a sector bet more than him to collect the totality of it. Moves and bets are made secretly and simultaneously so you need to guess what your opponent will do. The trick is you can spy to know the planned moves of your opponent and react to being spied by modifying your plans. With bets, the "winner takes all" mechanics encourages risky/safe behaviours and spying adds a lot to the tension. You can also bribe the NPC to go in a sector of your liking: if you are in the same sector, he will take all the diamonds you have in your pockets.

You are a merchant operating for the Diamond Trust of London, illegally trading for Blood diamonds in Angola a year prior the Kimberley Process is put into action to regulate diamond business. You have one year to collect as much diamonds as you can by sending three mercenaries in the country. You are competing with an Antwerp based company which you'll have to outbid if you want to acquire diamonds. Also here is a UN inspector trying to regulate the market, who will seize any diamond he can find and block any trading in the sector he is in. Luckily you can bribe him to block your opponent. But was your bribe higher than your opponent's?

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

No one played it. Because it had a confidential release on cartridge exclusively, sold on the creator website only, not many people has had the chance of playing it. I feel it would have a great success if it was remade for the 3DS and given online play.

3. Why should we play it?

Because it's an excellent two-player board game, the kind that can't be done on a real board. The strategies and deceptions needed in this game makes you want to play one more game so that you can show your opponent you're the most sneaky of the two.

If anything, you'd be supporting an indie creator who went out of his way to create a physical release of his game on a Nintendo cartridge-based console. And was successful.

You can buy it there: http://diamondtrustgame.com/

A very complete article about how the game was made has been put on polygon: http://www.polygon.com/2012/11/14/3...-three-years-two-publishers-and-a-garage-full

IIRC, this was released on Kickstarter and it over delivered on dev's estimates. Knowing that, I would say it's pretty successful. They can always release it on eShop if they haven't already. Clearly their strategy to make it rare.

 

[Jakeh111]

1. What is it?

Pixel Dungeon

Whoa, I recently started playing this game and really enjoy it! Not really into mobile Thames but this one is great!

 

[d0t1q]

1. What is it?
Ni no Kuni , A JRPG that everyone can get into

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
I was the only one of my friends to get this game, and the price dropped so quickly I only ever see a few people talk about it

3. Why should we play it?
I think its only 14.99$CAD, it includes all the good aspects of a JRPG and is a great way to get into the genre

 

[Shengar]

Too easy OP, too fucking easy
Although Tuco already done his part in the first page, let me do mine as well

What It Is
An HD update of a cult classic series Space Rangers 2.As if the original content wasn't big enough, they added a whole single faction with its own questline, breathing more live to the galaxy. That not counting dozens of quest, which also included new text based quest as well.

Why Do You Feel It Is Underrated
I rarely heard the game being talked about, despite stellar experience from most users that have played it. It IS a cult classic, but even for a cult its really small and doesn't make much impact. Also the OT which doesn't even succesfully made it to the third page proved how much is this game is invisible to everyone's radar/

Why Should We Play It?
As Tuco said, the replayability is limitless. The main reason is the text based quest though. While the text based quest is not the best written quest in the world, SR text based quest has it own charm and ultimately expand the game into broader horizon than any other game in the genre.

 

[Minister of the Dog]

1. What is it?

Defy Gravity Extended

edit: first person to PM me gets a free copy on Steam.

I guess no one is interested or maybe it's because it's the last post of its page? Anyway, I think this game is really good, so I bought an extra copy to give away here, in case someone thinks it seems interesting enough. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned an indie game? I saw Botanicula so I thought they were fair game, sorry if it doesn't belong here.

edit: sent

 

[BGBW]

3. Why should we play it?

The story is truly amazing, regardless of horrible voice acting. For the Wii, the game is damned beautiful, and this is the gameplay that Final Fantasy should have. The combat works flawlessly, taking command of your partners works perfectly and your partner AI rarely has idiot moments. It's sad that the game didn't get the attention it deserves.

I thought the english VA was really good, though I suppose being British and being tired of so many bad american VAs will result in me liking a British cast when they come along.

 

[kirby_fox]

I guess no one is interested or maybe it's because it's the last post of its page? Anyway, I think this game is really good, so I bought an extra copy to give away here, in case someone thinks it seems interesting enough. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned an indie game? I saw Botanicula so I thought they were fair game, sorry if it doesn't belong here.

Looks interesting. Your giveaway was probably lost in the giant walls of text in this thread too. I've just been skimming on what games everyone has been saying.

My best answer for this question is Bastion- but I think it did pretty well for itself and a lot of people played it. It's more one of those "if people don't pay attention to gaming at all" they probably never heard of it games.

 

[tkscz]

I thought the english VA was really good, though I suppose being British and being tired of so many bad american VAs will result in me liking a British cast when they come along.

Ok, horrible may be a bit harsh, especially considering I do enjoy Lowell's VA.

Second entry:

1. What is it?

Red Steel 2 is a FPS/ First person sword-play game from Ubisoft and the amazing sequel to the mediocre Red Steel.

2. Why Do You Feel It Is Underrated

The game only sold 100K copies. I'm not sure why, but I believe it was the name. Red Steel left a bad taste in the mouths of the gamers who bough it, due to sword play being just a bunch of waggles and aiming not being as well done as The Conduit or Metroid Prime 3. The original sold well over 1m copies, so that's a lot of bad taste.

3. Why should we play it?

Unlike the first game, RS2's sword play works like what we wanted the first Red Steel to work like. The sword swings the way you swing the wiimote and it's melded with the gun play perfectly. Pulling off combos is hella fun and some moves never get old. The game is sadly short and you will run out of reasons to collect money, and it feels empty, but other than that the game is just so much fun. Wish it would get a sequel.

 

[Jrs3000]

Armored Core Verdict Day

1. What is it? Fast paced mecha combat with ACs of your own design.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated? It seems anything mecha or really technical doesn't do well in the West and they never seem to advertise this game. It's always boom it's out and sitting on shelves with no commericals or ads to create awareness.

3. Why should we play it? It's a long running series of creating custom robots to do battle which creates near limitless ways on how to play the game. If you always dreamed of making your own mech or hated how the gundam series games controlled with the targeting system and camera then this games for you. If you are a fan of chromehounds then definately check this out. Piloting a AC raining death on your friends online is priceless. This is the best entry in the series since they moved to 7th gen and is definately worth it.

 

[Kotetsu534]

Valkyria Chronicles

What is it?

Turn-based strategy RPG with some real time elements and narrated plot.

Why do I feel its underrated?

Because Sega refused to market one of the most inventive high production value games of the generation, then attempted to cash in on the name made for it by word of mouth with handheld releases.

Why should people play it?

People have been crying out for "innovation" in the JRPG sphere for as long as I can remember discussing video games on the internet. Sega brought it, with a unique take on the old turn-based SRPG using a fully realised 3D map, different unit classes and real time elements, and cleverly using a storybook format to cut out the fat of "random/repetitive encounters" that plague western blockbuster games and standard JRPGs alike - instead each mission is planned individual and has its own story importance. But more than that, it is a game that brims with affection and effort, most obvious in the stunning visuals provided by the CANVAS engine, using bold colours and a hand drawn aesthetic to great success. Sakamoto's score, variously militaristic, wistful, forboding and sentimental adds more than could have been hoped. The script is earnest and humourous (and I think a tad more subtle that it's given credit, if only in the characterisation and sidequest stories).

I would be the first person to argue that Japanese HD development in the last generation was beyond pathetic, in light of what was produced there in the 15 years prior. That serves to make Valkyria Chronicles, the bold, exciting, visionary merge of turn based combat, real time mechanics, and old fashioned anime melodrama all the more improbable and remarkable.

If a western blockbuster was half as inventive as this it would be hailed as an instant classic, which is not to suggest chauvinism, but to underline Sega's regrettable mishandling. If you want to see a glimpse of what might have been, play Valkyria Chronicles.

 

[Eidan]

Valkyria Chronicles feels like an odd choice. The game was highly acclaimed, and got two sequels.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Desktop Dungeons

1. What is it?

Copypasting from my GOTY vote post: A dangerously addictive mix of roguelike with what may be called a minesweeper-like puzzle game, it asks you to conquer bite-sized dungeons (one screen each, usually a 10-20 minutes affair) while juggling your resources to defeat the boss. Those resources range from the mundane (HP, MP) to roguelike mainstays (enemies, experience) to the decidedly unique (unexplored tiles; the core mechanic of the game, which restore your life and mana).

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Lost in the ocean of good indie games of the past handful of years, it doesn't have any big name attached to it nor is particularly eye-catching at first glance.

3. Why should we play it?

Because it oozes charm from every pore, is more addicting than heroin, fun as hell, and has tons of content that can keep you unlocking stuff literally for years. Basically it's one of those examples of all that's awesome about indie games.

 

[Malvingt2]

Sin and punishment - star successor

1.Cabal shooter video game developed by Treasure and published by Nintendo. It is the sequel to the Nintendo 64 video game Sin and Punishment.

2.Because Wii is only for casual gamers, these kind of gems tend to leave unnoticed.

3. It's absolutely thrilling adventure and it's extremely enjoyable experience to blast your way through this masterpiece

My pick also. Amazing game

 

[I am Christina Aguilera]

ITT: The Japanese video game industry

 

[Jagsrock]

Alice: Madness Returns



Sent out to die by EA with little to no support such is the way of EA when it comes to titles that wont do stupid numbers in the sales department. And I feel because of the old school feel it has many reviewers just didn't give it a fair shot.



A very beautiful game with a wonderful art style. It has a great old school platformer adventure feel which you just don't get anymore. It does have some camera issues but nothing to worry about. The combat is surprisingly good for a title like this with various weapons to collect and power. It manages to feel fresh and varied throughout the game. The story is also quite good and worth investing in.

came here to post this game. I loved this game to pieces and still own it till this day.
2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
it just wasn't that well recieved and poorly marketed
3. Why should we play it?
as mentioned above the game is gorgeous and has a wonderful atmosphere and art direction. The gameplay is mix of fun platforming with a nice combat system to boot with multiple upgradeable weapons. The games tone is just so good without becoming overdone. The story is pretty twisted and characters are memorable. As a fan of alice in wonderland and american mcgees interpretation I highly recommend this to anyone yet play it

 

[DaCocoBrova]

It's dope as hell, parity between both consoles (PS3/360) and the art direction and graphics are mind blowing!

Oh, and it's goes by the name of Vanquish.

 

[Yawnier]

ITT: The Japanese video game industry

Uh, there's quite a few mentions of western developed games in here too. A lot of the mentions in here are Japanese no denying that though.

 

[Gen X]

Offtopic


Too late, but...

9/3/2013
Hard Corps: Uprising
Purchase
Microsoft account
$3.74 USD

Sorry I should've specified on PSN.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

<3 this game... what Mass Effect marketed itself as, but actually achieves it. I wish Obsidian would get more love from gamers.

I loathe the combat mechanics. I'm sure there is a great game underneath

 

[Shogun1337]

Enchanted Arms

1. What is it?
Grid based, turn based traditional JRPG, released early last gen on X360 and then ported to PS3, made by GAF's beloved FROM software.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
It was released early last gen on the xbox 360 only before the PS3 even launched, and coming from the PS2 generation, with all the AAA JRPGs, i think everyone thought this gen will be FILLED with AAA traditional JRPGs, and everyone ignored the game, also the game's low-fi presentation, and cliched cast didn't help

3. Why should we play it?
its a great,charming and fun traditional turn based JRPG, when most JRPGs released these days are real-time, and there isn't much traditional JRPGs on consoles these days, the game is also long (~50 hours), has a pokemon-esque monster collection and upgrade system. it also has some nice features in the game, like save anywhere, and battle Fast Forward so easy encounters don't take much time

Seriously who are you? Get out of my head. First Shadow Hearts, now this... Enchanted Arms was a wonderful experience

 

[C.Olimar788]

OFF

1. What is it?
A freeware JRPG-style game. Originally made in French, then officially translated to English.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
The last time I heard it mentioned outside of the occasional Tumblr fan was Extra Credits' segment on Games You REALLY Haven't Tried. I'm gonna go ahead and appeal to authority here and say this game is pretty obscure. Hell, the poor thing doesn't even have an official webpage - the closest it has is a forum thread on Starmen.net.

3. Why should we play it?
Can you say "unsettling"? This is a game that makes you feel uncomfortable, and does so without utilizing the usual fare for such things. The game could easily be rated E10+ without a problem, but is likely to disturb you more than... well, most games, really. It makes you think about what it means to be the player in a video game and makes you explore a world that is disturbingly unlike anything you have ever seen.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

If Alice goes back on the Steam sale I'll pick it up... Unless Darksiders goes to $5 first.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

1. What is it?
Multiplayer Beat Em Up released by SEGA and Developed by Platinum Games, game also has single player, but again, the main focus was the multiplayer and it's where the game truly shines.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
The game took a long time to release over here, and when it finally did release, released as a budget title and zero advertising, the people hyped from the Japanese "MAX ANARCHY" release had lost interest, casual store-browsers saw the budget price and connected it with low quality, and no advertising meant the average gamer doesn't even know the game exists.

3. Why should we play it?

One of the best Multiplayer games of the generation, I have it on 360 and PS3, and while the 360 version is completely dead, it appears there still is a small community on the PS3 versions, the game is also extremely cheap to pick up, I picked it up off the Japanese PSN store (the MAX ANARCHY) release, which only cost 500 Yen, however, I also bought a physical copy of Anarchy Reigns release, for £6, this was the limited edition with the Bayonetta Character DLC too

If ever a game was perfect for PS+ it's this game. No one was prepared to drop the cash for an online arena brawler, but can you imagine the boost in the community if it was free for PS+'ers?

 

[BlackBuzzard]

1. What is it?
A Zelda parody/homage made by Silicon Studios(Bravely Default: Flying Fairy) published by FromSoftware/Atlus for PS3.
2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
It released under the radar with no marketing.
3. Why should we play it?
Its a great game thats a fitting tribute to 2D Zelda games, while still providing a twist on the old formula. Has a unique artstyle,amazing soundtrack,character customization and a great bit of videogame humour thrown in. If you love Zelda games you are almost certainly gonna love 3D Dot Game Heroes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoFYEtj2tDw

 

[Gen X]

Didn't 3D Dot Game Heroes have a game breaking bug that was only patched on NTSC copies and not PAL?

 

[OniBarubary]

OFF

1. What is it?
A freeware JRPG-style game. Originally made in French, then officially translated to English.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
The last time I heard it mentioned outside of the occasional Tumblr fan was Extra Credits' segment on Games You REALLY Haven't Tried. I'm gonna go ahead and appeal to authority here and say this game is pretty obscure. Hell, the poor thing doesn't even have an official webpage - the closest it has is a forum thread on Starmen.net.

3. Why should we play it?
Can you say "unsettling"? This is a game that makes you feel uncomfortable, and does so without utilizing the usual fare for such things. The game could easily be rated E10+ without a problem, but is likely to disturb you more than... well, most games, really. It makes you think about what it means to be the player in a video game and makes you explore a world that is disturbingly unlike anything you have ever seen.

I am full quoting it because this needs to be restated. This game is straight up AMAZING. I'd say the only thing that's sorta...awkward is sometimes you don't know what's going on in combat because the text flashes by too quickly. But that being said, this game is ridiculously unsettling and unique and blarharblurfurlsfladf. Just...damn man, if you don't wanna play it then watch AgentJR's Let's Play of it and prepare for intense mindfucks, allegories and an uncomfortable relationship with the character you play as.

 

[striferser]

Half Minute Hero

1. What is it
It's a rpg/shooter/rts hybrid in which the MC do everything in 30 seconds.

2. Why do you think it's underrated
Not much buzz, not a lot of people know it.

3. Why should we play it?
It's funny, fun, unique, and condense every JRPG into 30 seconds.

 

[nel e nel]

This one looks really interesting. How combat-heavy is it (not very, I hope)?

It's been years since I played Majin, but it's roughly equal parts combat, puzzling, platform and exploration. And there are boss battles at the end of each section, but they are more puzzle type bosses where you have to figure out the trick to defeating them.

Enemies do respawn, but once you go through the world and unlock all the unreachable areas, it's only about half of the original number, and you can just sprint past them.

I think the upgrade system was directly tied to the combat as you got orbs or whatever from defeated enemies.

 

[NR1]

This topic got me motivated to search for some of these titles in my Wii.

I don't know about GameStops outside of the Dallas area, they are clearing stock around here at insane prices.

I just got:

Zack & Wiki: $3
Nights 2: $2
De Blob 2: $5
Marble Saga Kororinpa: $5
Elbits: $2
Little King Story: $15

The GameStop in Garland to me that they throw away the cases and manuals of any used game that is less that $5... I wanted to cry when I saw so many gems sitting on the shelf in ugly paper yellow sleeves...

 

[HigherLevel]

Shadowrun on Xbox 360

It released before Call of Duty 4 took over and changed the way FPSs play and are designed. It's one of the last pure online shooters on consoles. The objective based gameplay was refreshing coming from months and months of nonstop Execution matches in Gears of War. I think it was the last game FASA released before they were closed.

Nobody played it because everyone was either addicted to Gears of War, or still playing Halo 2. MS gave the game zero marketing and charged $60 for a FPS with no campaign, even though it was completely worth the money, the lack of a campaign really hurt it at the time. FASA's closure prevented any DLC from releasing which didn't give people a reason to come back after games like Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 released.

People should play it because there is still a decent community for a game this old, it also has some of the best gameplay in an online shooter this gen. It feels different enough from every other shooter but also has some Halo and Counter-Strike influence/feel.

 

[FirLocke]

I haven't played it, but I think that someone who has played Infinite Space (by good ol' Platinum Games) should make a post about it.

 

[Orayn]

A lot of people missed out on what I consider to be the best MP game of this generation.

You should check out MAV. It's a pretty small project right now, but it's the closest thing we'll get to Chromehounds' second coming.

 

[OniBarubary]

I haven't played it, but I think that someone who has played Infinite Space (by good ol' Platinum Games) should make a post about it.

I would except I literally stopped playing when you get to that one battle you need something for, but you're past a point where if you don't have it you just eat shit and die in the battle and there's no way to win it.

I got so fucking pissed off I never picked it back up. It was like, 8 hours in.

 

[Tuck]

Mirrors Edge

What is it?
First person platformer/parkour. Running and jumping through linear levels.

Why do you feel it is underrated?
Not a lot of people played it - its something out of the norm. Weird gameplay with a weird art style with an asian, female main character. The game was also highly flawed with too much gunplay and combat in later areas.

Why should we play it?
The game is a lot of fun, and theres really nothing else like it in gaming. This is first person platforming done right, and at its best, it is exhilarating. The game has a lot of flaws, but the goodness shines through.

 

[Keysersoze]

1. What is it?

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

It's janky as hell, and the combat is extraordinarily crap unless you work out how to either avoid it using stealth or game the system to the point where you might as well be skipping it.

3. Why should we play it?

It's the best example of a fully reactive interactive narrative ever made. The player is continually making choices, and those choices always have consequences which feel believable. It also demonstrates that you can do a pulp-thriller with no aliens and a largely grey moral yardstick in a game without the writing being terrible or dull.

ctrl + f typed "alpha" found it. good job gaf.

 

[Cabal]

1. What is it?

An Action Hack & Slash RPG made by Cavia (Their last game *tears*)

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Released on the same week as Final Fantasy XIII and was ignored by Square Enix with small budget but the entire game feels like a mix of risky experiments not seen in other games

3. Why should we play it?

It has some of the best soundstrack of all time. The story is one of the most depressing stories ever. The characters are all lovable with amazing dialog exchange between them. Drakengard's sequel (in a way). GOTTA RIDE THAT BOAR ALL DAY EVERYDAY!

Just wanted to say that I read this a few days ago and decided to pick the game up while I was out. It's great! Honestly feel stupid for missing it as it's quite good thus far. Thanks!

 

[Romars202129]

1. What is it?
Madworld. A beat 'em up video game developed by Platinum Games (in their debut title) and published by Sega.
2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
Because it isn't numbered among the Wii's top five titles, as it clearly deserves... maybe.
3. Why should we play it?
Sin City artstyle, great rap sound track, Gregg Proops and John Dimaggio play the announcers[and frickin kill it] adding hilarious comentary throught out, awesome grindhouse story clearly inspired by Schwarzeneggar's Running Man, and amazing boss battles, as well as Tony Hawk like combo death system gameplay in between. Add to that, you can beat the game in like 6 hours.
What more do I need to say?

 

[Freezie KO]

Ok, horrible may be a bit harsh, especially considering I do enjoy Lowell's VA.

Second entry:

1. What is it?

Red Steel 2 is a FPS/ First person sword-play game from Ubisoft and the amazing sequel to the mediocre Red Steel.

2. Why Do You Feel It Is Underrated

The game only sold 100K copies. I'm not sure why, but I believe it was the name. Red Steel left a bad taste in the mouths of the gamers who bough it, due to sword play being just a bunch of waggles and aiming not being as well done as The Conduit or Metroid Prime 3. The original sold well over 1m copies, so that's a lot of bad taste.

3. Why should we play it?

Unlike the first game, RS2's sword play works like what we wanted the first Red Steel to work like. The sword swings the way you swing the wiimote and it's melded with the gun play perfectly. Pulling off combos is hella fun and some moves never get old. The game is sadly short and you will run out of reasons to collect money, and it feels empty, but other than that the game is just so much fun. Wish it would get a sequel.

The combat in this game was really fantastic.

 

[Tain]

No claims of "best" here. This is just a game that seems pretty great to me:

Carnage Heart EXA

1. What is it?
A game where you customize combat robots, program their AI end-to-end (complete with PSP input hooks if you want some real-time control) using a grid-based logic diagramming system, and then send them to battle.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
It's a PSP game that was released in North America digital-only in 2013 at $30 and it probably wasn't very widely-advertised. Among the forums I read, barely anybody has tried this game.

3. Why should we play it?
It's incredibly complicated and even the tutorial is satisfying. Full disclosure? The tutorial took me hours and provided its own challenges near the end, and I haven't even beaten the first real mission yet. You have a ton of control over the behavior of these robots, and the interface makes things a hell of a lot of fun to tweak. If you've played Spacechem you can understand the appeal, though I'd say that thematically and aesthetically this blows it out of the water.

Some screens:

 

[OniBarubary]

No claims of "best" here. This is just a game that seems pretty great to me:

Carnage Heart EXA

Welp, you got me to pony up for it. That sounds great. I am amazed I never heard of this. I'm lord of esoteric games.

 

[endresults]

Child of Eden, sans Kinect.

 

[Alx]

The combat in this game was really fantastic.

I should really go back to that game (Red Steel 2). I liked what I played, but I got stuck on the first boss and stopped playing there.

My vote for a great game that nobody played : Full Auto.

1. What is it ?
Racing game with guns. Nothing really new actually.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
As a near-launch game of the first year of the 360, it was heavily criticized for technical aspects, especially framerate drops.

3. Why should we play it?
Looking back to it and with a few sacrifices (like disabling the rear mirror), I still find it very impressive, with great destruction of the environment. And of course it's a lot of fun, with a great, simple handling of the cars, one of the first (and best) uses of the "time rewind" feature, a good campaign mode with many cars to unlock...
Taking a shortcut through a building and triggering a slowed down animation of your car jumping in the air guns blazing never gets old.

 

[GamingIsDead]

Awesome game one of fav psp games. Too many gems in this thread.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
It's a PSP game that was released in North America digital-only in 2013 at $30 and it probably wasn't very widely-advertised.

Holy crap i didn't know they were translating that game i thought there was no way i would ever get to play it. I remember playing the ps1 version when i was younger and it was all a bit too much for me lol.


*edit*

 

[Dreams-Visions]

A lot of people missed out on what I consider to be the best MP game of this generation.

came to post this.

1. What is it?

A mech quasi-MMO set in a world at war. You play as a mech pilot for the faction of your choice and participate in teams against other teams of players. Each win adds to the cumulative total of wins for given sides in the larger war. Eventually one side would conquer the other and win the war, after which the war would be restarted. Mechs could be customized with all sorts of weaponry and parts obtained a number of ways.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

There are few games like it, and fewer as entertaining and enjoyable. You could spend hours tinkering with your mech, getting it just like you want it to be before deploying into the battlezone with your friends/clan. Getting your mech to look just like you want it to look and behaving like you want it to was great, and the mech battles once deployed employed a ton of strategy, planning and coordination among your team. Scout mechs, Commander mechs, Sniper mechs, etc. all put their skill sets together to win.

3. Why should we play it?

You should have, but I believe the servers were shut down. Being a 95% online MMO-ish experience, there's really nothing left to play. But oh when it was new and fresh, it was some of the most entertaining gaming on the 360, ever.

 

[Trumpets]

1. What is it?

A first-person brawler, set in a surrealist landscape populated by bizarre chimera.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Very few people seemed to talk about it on release and sales were probably quite poor.

3. Why should we play it?

The first game had terrific art design and great combat, but a lack of polish and linear environments let the side down. This sequel fixes everything that was wrong with the original, expanding the beautiful environments into a series of huge open areas, and buffs the rest of the game up until it shines. The plot follows directly on from ZC1 and explains much about the world of Zenozoik and its interesting and unique history.

 

[dcassell]

Seriously who are you? Get out of my head. First Shadow Hearts, now this... Enchanted Arms was a wonderful experience

I loved Enchanted Arms. However, the localization was one of those ones that made me feel like I had to lock myself in my room just to enjoy the game for fear of being seen listening to that voice acting. I don't think it was quite as bad as Star Ocean this gen, but it was up there, especially the stereotypical gay character.

My pick is

Spoiler

Shadow Complex

.

1. Shadow Complex was a throwback to Metroidvania game design. A game that encouraged exploring and backtracking to find secret upgrades that boosted your character and allowed you to view new areas. I believe this was one of the first XBLA games to have a real, 3D graphics engine that rivaled something released in a physical medium. The game sold 600,000 total, 200k in the launch window, which was good for the time.

2. I haven't heard about this game since it came out. I even forgot about it until recently. While it sold well and got great reviews, I believe the rise of indie games and the digital medium left this behind as people moved on to Super Meat Boy and other indie titles that made people take notice of the medium. Since it was released so early, I think people forgot about it, and never got a chance to play it. I'm sure there's plenty on here who got into it, but in my social circles I think I might know one other person who has HEARD of it, let alone played it.

3. The exploration in this title is sublime. Being someone who grew up with Super Metroid, I really admire the thought that goes into designing a map that guides a player without barraging them with pop-up hints and arrows. If I remember correctly, the game gives you rooms that advance the plot on the map, but how you get there is up to you to find out. You have to explore, backtrack, and upgrade your character to find more stuff and fill in the huge map room by room. The game is a joy to 100% and features gunplay that feels just right, a clever secret filled map, and some pretty cool boss battles if I remember correctly. Yeah, the plot is drivel for the most part, but once you start exploring the facility it fades in importance. I also loved the challenge mode that came packed with the game. I spent quite a bit of time mastering all of the gadgets in this game. If you enjoyed the PS1/DS Castlevanias or Super Metroid, this is right up your alley. It's a bit short, but the new game+ makes up for that, allowing you to level up your character over multiple playthroughs and difficulties.

 

[rCIZZLE]

1. What is it?

2D platformer from Drinkbox Studios (Guacamelee!) where you control a blob and destroy the world by eating progressively larger objects. Everything about the game is charming from the blob himself to the world around him.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?

Being a launch title on the Vita definitely doesn't put it at the front of many must-play lists. Add onto that the abundance of platformers on the handheld already and you have a title that can easily be overlooked.

3. Why should we play it?

If you want a hilarious side-scrolling platformer with beautiful, vibrant visuals and relaxing gameplay then you could do a lot worse than this. Almost everybody on here who has played it seems to love it.

 

[GreenTornadoX]

RADIANT HISTORIA

What Is It?

An amazing JRPG that was released late into the life of the Nintendo DS. Developed and published by Atlus, it contained an immense world and story with relatable characters and a strong supporting cast. Read more on Wikipedia.

Why is it underrated?

It sold extremely little and only a handful of people know of this game.

Why should you play it?
There's a unique battle system and a unique way to experience the story. It has multiple endings and every decision came with repercussions. It was also developed by a team filled with talent ranging from Etrian Odyssey to Shin Megami Tensei to Persona. It's an amazing RPG and it definitely deserves some attention.

Why did it take this long for this game to get posted in this thread?!

I loved this game! Wish it was out on more systems at the time other than DS. (It's that good)

 

[symmetrical]

Sorry ^kotetsu beat me to it.

 

[cj_iwakura]

No claims of "best" here. This is just a game that seems pretty great to me:

Carnage Heart EXA

1. What is it?
A game where you customize combat robots, program their AI end-to-end (complete with PSP input hooks if you want some real-time control) using a grid-based logic diagramming system, and then send them to battle.

2. Why do you feel it is underrated?
It's a PSP game that was released in North America digital-only in 2013 at $30 and it probably wasn't very widely-advertised. Among the forums I read, barely anybody has tried this game.

3. Why should we play it?
It's incredibly complicated and even the tutorial is satisfying. Full disclosure? The tutorial took me hours and provided its own challenges near the end, and I haven't even beaten the first real mission yet. You have a ton of control over the behavior of these robots, and the interface makes things a hell of a lot of fun to tweak. If you've played Spacechem you can understand the appeal, though I'd say that thematically and aesthetically this blows it out of the water.

Some screens:

I dig the art. I would've bought a retail copy.