The Most Underrated Game of 2025

Arsic

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
What is it GAF?

We already know GOTY is Clair 33. We know the shittiest is Mindseye. What's the most slept on game?

The game you think should've been praised, sold oodles, and we will look back on 5 years from now as one of the goats?

I think for me personally it would be Stalker 2 on PS5. This was an incredible experience and I hope the dlc is soon. This is my favorite open world game after red dead 2. The zone is one of the best places ever created in the medium up there with Vanadiel or Azeroth.

Since technically stalker 2 released last year my close second this year would be Hell Is Us.
 
Arsic said:
The game you think should've been praised, sold oodles, and we will look back on 5 years from now as one of the goats?
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It won't ever been seen as a goat, but Hell is Us is easily one of the most underrated games of the past 10 years and will absolutely be looked at like a gem.

Shit, I didn't even see you already listed it. But, I agree.
 
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Wuchang Fallen Feathers or First Berserker Khazan

Maybe Where Winds Meet

I'd also say Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter, although it's really well liked here. To me, it should be getting all of the accolades, instead of E33
 

You go chop a tree and your friends cheer on you while a boss battle theme composed by Nobuo Uematsu plays in the background.

Fun videogame.
 
RafterXL said:
It won't ever been seen as a goat, but Hell is Us is easily one of the most underrated games of the past 10 years and will absolutely be looked at like a gem.

Shit, I didn't even see you already listed it. But, I agree.
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Really a good game. The sequel is so easy to take to the next level that they'll crush it if executed.

More bosses, more enemy variety, and more challenging hard mode. Would easily be a GOTY contender for me.
 
I haven't fully checked it out yet, but I will be as soon as I'm finished Yotei.

Hell is Us

Feels like a real cult, sleeper in the making. Anyone that's played it for real knows how special and weird it is. And according to Angry_Megalodon Angry_Megalodon it might just possibly be the Metroid we all missed out on this year
 
Chuck Berry said:
I haven't fully checked it out yet, but I will be as soon as I'm finished Yotei.

Hell is Us

Feels like a real cult, sleeper in the making. Anyone that's played it for real knows how special and weird it is. And according to Angry_Megalodon Angry_Megalodon it might just possibly be the Metroid we all missed out on this year
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Shit that's a really good way to to look at it. It is the best Metroid game of 2025.

Edit: I should add I liked MP4, and I love Silksong. Prefer silksong out of all 3 the most.
 
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Blade Chimera is a Metroidvania hidden gem, but in a year with Silksong, Ender Magnolia and Metroid Prime 4 as competition it's just bound to be forgotten even by genre enthusiasts, it's a fantastic game though.

 
I wouldn't quite say under rated as it is very well reviewed but deserves more attention by the overall gaming community. You want silent hill meets king's field with a dose of condemned? Here you go.

 
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I don't think there is one, all of the games mentioned so far got enough credit.

Hell is Us and Absolum are probably the best candidates, but they aren't great enough to be some hidden gem 10 years from now.

Despelote could have been the one, but it's too short and simplistic.
 


It's a solid 8/10, add 1 point if you like Spongebob. Game looks amazing and the dev really punches above its weight with only 60 employees.
Purple Lamp should take on jobs based on unused nostalgia properties like Spyro, Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, Banjo-Kazooie and such.
 

- It's an 'open-world' management simulator (almost fully voiced in Japanese)
- Visual novel dialogue (2D portraits + text)
- Recruit mascots → send them on jobs → manage agency → explore town → solve story mysteries

Good news: there is a demo out on PC, PS5, Xbox Series

97.0% positive reviews on Steam

 

A niche game, from a small team, a little janky in spots, but basically invents a new sub-genre: the Leadership RPG. You are the commander of a rifle company in WW2 and deal with everything that entails. It's hard to fully describe without playing it, but imagine:

Disco Elysium + Band of Brothers + Wargame

There's just as much dialogue as Disco, with you constantly making decisions that affect basically everything. Morale, supplies, objectives, who lives and dies. You have to be mindful of your own stress, the stress of your subordinate officers, the feelings of your men, the expectations of your commanders, on and on. This happens before and after scenarios and during missions. Stuff you do early on can come back around 15 hours later.

Everything feels extremely authentic as there are hundreds of historical photos used in the game. A lot of the situations are based on real memoirs and it all feels real because of it. There's even a prolonged section where you basically do a mini-game of office work and managing your people during R&R. The game doesn't shy away from anything, it hits on PTSD, loss, grief, anger, war crimes (by both sides, even you perhaps), and the horrors of war. But also the funny parts, the camaraderie, the surreal moments.

I highly, highly, recommend the game if that sounds at all interesting. The actual combat gameplay is solid as well, it takes a bit to get into it but is a really good tactical game that punishes bad judgment. The biggest downside is probably getting through the initial tutorial section. Thematically it works great, you're in boot camp, but it's kinda messy in presentation (explanation videos from the dev that feel like they should have been dropped in beta).

I know that's a long post, but I really appreciated this game and how unique it is. I thought it was vaporware for like 5 years, then it actually came out, and it even more shocking it was really good! They are doing a DLC that adds new campaigns from additional perspectives, can't wait for it.
 
There are a lot but my pick seems to have sold in the hundreds unfortunately. It is a horror boomer shooter with high production values. It is called Painted In Blood and despite being in early access it has a lot to offer at the very low price of $9.99.



Honorable mentions to Deliver At All Costs (isometric PG-13 GTA with highly destructible environments) and Neon Inferno (pixel art run n' gun).


 
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Poppinfresh said:
Wuchang Fallen Feathers or First Berserker Khazan

Maybe Where Winds Meet

I'd also say Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter, although it's really well liked here. To me, it should be getting all of the accolades, instead of E33
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Wuchang got review bombed at launch but the last month or so it's at like 90% positive. The more removed we get from the controversy and censorship the more people just realize it's a really good Souls game. The First Berserker has been getting great reviews since it launch, and it's really good, with some of the hardest bosses I've fought in one of these games, I don't know why it never really caught on. It should have sold much better. Both really good picks, IMO.

Where Winds Meet is just a crazy game. Filled with great content and we're still a year behind the Chinese version, so I think it's going to be big for a long time.
 
Arsic said:
See thread. We asked for underrated or slept on. DS2 reviewed well, sold well, and people know about it.
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But was not a commercial success despite of good and credible reviews and good metacritic score from reviewers and users because allot of gamers judge it at once as boring walking sim.
 
LectureMaster said:
Great game, arguably Falcom's best.

But it's not underrated at all, reviewed and sold both extremely well.
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It underrated it terms of most big gaming site didn't even review this game, Tales of Xillia remaster got more spotlight than 1st Chapter got.
 
Atomfall for me.

Awesome atmosphere, no handholding, open ended exploration. Stealth based gameplay that works well.

Played the hell out of it.
 
Danjin44 said:
It underrated it terms of most big gaming site didn't even review this game, Tales of Xillia remaster got more spotlight than 1st Chapter got.
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Well, that's not called underrated, it's just the game's limited influence.

But you gotta judge it in its own context. Trails series, or Falcom as a dev, has been niche with only a faithful fan base. 1st chapter isn't meant to take the industry by storm.

The remake successfully expanded the fan base and performed strongly, that's what we call a success, and they are taking the momentum to remake 2nd chapter already.
 
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