Underrated games of 2011 you didn't play, but should have

I've got games from 2009 that I haven't gotten to!

This year my bought-near-release-but-didn't-finish-quickly pile will include Assassin's Creed Revelations (I'll probably play in January) and Dark Souls (bought the CE; haven't started).

This isn't because these are bad games -- I've had Valkyria Chronicles 3 and FF Type 0 taking up all my gaming time. And they're pretty worthy games.
 
Title
Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars


Why it was over looked:
3DS Doomed status

Why you should play it:
Jagged Alliance is its closest kin.
 
NightSky (PC/Wii)

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d7d1d36b01railer.jpg.jpg


night-game-20090401053524113_640w.jpg


Fun puzzle/platforming indie game. Beautiful artwork and the I loved the soundtrack!
 
Looks at list so far , see Ghost Recon 3DS , is happy....game was fucking awesome, loved it and to date my longest played 3DS game...


Speaking of 3DS games

Pacman and Galada Dimensions

why was it over looked: because people thought it would be only those two weird 3Ds style games

why you should play it:

6 games in one
pacman and galaga Original Arcade versions

Pacman Champion ship edition, Galaga legions

and the 3ds only games are pretty damn good..

ohh online scoreboards also!!!
 
The_Player said:
Brink. Probably, the most underrated game in the current generation. Still don't understand all the hate around it. It is like someone promised you a treasure chest full of gold and gems, and instead of that everyone received pile of dogshit covered with chocolate flakes.
Click to expand...

I bought Brink on release day as did a buddy of mine. We were both really, really excited for it. I loved what Brink tried to be, wanted to be, but it simply couldn't pull it off.

The biggest failure, by far, is how a game that's main focus was multiplayer teamwork made it so damn hard to get into games with friends. The UI for getting online was awful IMO. IF you got into a game with friends (bonus points if you could actually get them on your team), and IF it was filled with human players and not AI controlled guys (bonus points if they had any idea what they were doing), and IF the game was actually stable at all and didnt look like a photo slide show.... the game was FANTASTIC. Unfortunately, and this is sticking with the game longer than most, that was the rarest trifecta in gaming history in my experience (this was all for 360 btw).

Again, loved the weapons, the style, the controls, the gamemodes..... but we always spent more time actually trying to play the game opposed to actually playing the game. But right now, Gamefly has it for $5.99 and free shipping if anyone's interested!
 
Radiant Historia

Why was it overlooked: Stealth DS release by Atlus

Why you should play it: Because it's charming and fun, with a great battle system and a story that quickly pulls you on. Has a great (although limited) soundtrack from Shimomura. Really awesome game, it's one of my favorites of 2011.
 
jarosh said:
wow. i remember when we would have these threads several years ago. underrated sure used to mean something else. i guess this is a sign of the changing gaming landscape and the increasing and exclusive focus on AAA games with little room for anything else. now we have people seriously mistaking some of these endlessly hyped big budget games with underrated gems.
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I get the others, as they all sold and scored relatively well, but resistance 3 sold and scored lower than the previous two, despite being a superior title.

I think selling a mere 180k in its first month definitely qualifies it for the "underrated" if not under appreciated.
 
Lord of the Rings: War in the North

Why it was overlooked:
- Released in busiest time of the year, without a large amount of marketing
- Takes a while to get going, and reviewers are busy
- Movie license
- Uninspiring characters

Why you should play it:
- Best hack & slash game of this generation
- Great visuals for the loot (armor and weapons)
- Surprising amount of lore and conversations, with an incredible voice-acting cast (Jennifer Hale, Yuri Lowental, Nolan North, Kim Mai Guest, Steve Blum)
- Great Eagles as characters in your party
- Surprisingly long (the first play-through took me 23 hours), with two additional difficulty levels to play through as New Game+.
 
BrokenSymmetry said:
Lord of the Rings: War in the North

Why it was overlooked:
- Released in busiest time of the year, without a large amount of marketing
- Takes a while to get going, and reviewers are busy
- Movie license
- Uninspiring characters

Why you should play it:
- Best hack & slash game of this generation
- Great visuals for the loot (armor and weapons)
- Surprising amount of lore and conversations, with an incredible voice-acting cast (Jennifer Hale, Yuri Lowental, Nolan North, Kim Mai Guest, Steve Blum)
- Great Eagles as characters in your party
- Surprisingly long (the first play-through took me 23 hours), with two additional difficulty levels to play through as New Game+.
Click to expand...
Is it Nolan North as Nolan North? I'm kind of interested in this.
 
Dead Rising 2 Off the Record

Why was it overlooked: because it's obviously a cheap cash-in.

Why you should play it: Okay, if you've played DR2, you shouldn't. But if you haven't played last year's game, DR2OTR really is a lot of fun and Capcom has smoothed out a lot of the rough edges. The sandbox mode is also exactly what people always wanted out of the game, and since your Frank stays constant between the two, you can level up in sandbox and basically make the campaign as easy as you want.
 
Frozen Synapse

Overlooked because it's a small indie developed pc only game with no marketing budget.

You should get it because it's the best multiplayer TBS to come around in years, it's also inexpensive and runs on any hardware.
 
The Book of Unwritten Tales

2epiwd4.jpg


Why was it overlooked: It's a point and click adventure (so it's the exact opposite of a military fps)

Why you should play it: IT IS AWESOME!!!
 
protonion said:
The Book of Unwritten Tales

2epiwd4.jpg


Why was it overlooked: It's a point and click adventure (so it's the exact opposite of a military fps)

Why you should play it: IT IS AWESOME!!!
Click to expand...

Oh come on, you have to give us more info than that! Where can we get this?
 
Amazon UK. It should be available as a digital download too at the publisher's site (google Lace Mamba).

Edit: I just checked and it's also on amazon.com.
 
AbsoluteZero said:
Name a popular "AAA" game in 2011 and I likely haven't played it.

But that's not how I roll, I'm more of a B-Grade person myself.
Click to expand...

Well that's what the thread is for, to talk about games that under perform, under scored, or simply aren't AAA games (so to speak). Personally I think "AAA" means nothing more at this point in the industries life span than how much marketing is behind a project.

For instance, Dead Island is absolutely a B-Grade game in every way, but's marketing budget propelled it to "AAA" status. Same can be said for tons of titles, really.


finalozzo said:
Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City.
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Please read the thread title :P Neither of those games is even close to underrated.
 
MrCompletely said:
Frozen Synapse

Overlooked because it's a small indie developed pc only game with no marketing budget.

You should get it because it's the best multiplayer TBS to come around in years, it's also inexpensive and runs on any hardware.
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Came to post this. Thanks for saying it better than I could. For my contribution:

SpaceChem

...

EDIT:
Shai-Tan said:
SpaceChem

why it was overlooked: well it's a niche game, looks more like a flow diagram than a game

why you should play it: it's fun to experiment in this game unlike some other puzzle games where it's a lot of frustration until the solution comes
Click to expand...

Looks like I was beaten to SpaceChem too! Thanks Indie PC GAF :)
 
Resistance 3:

Why it was overlooked: Money. I promised my wife I wouldn't spend as much on gaming this year as I did last year, and R3 was a casualty. If there's a good sale on Black Friday, I'll snag it and Ratchet All4One, which I passed on for similar reasons.

Why should you play it: It's Insomniac Games. They have one of the most rock solid track records for making genuinely fun games. Even their worst games (arguably, Ratchet: Deadlocked, and Resistance 2), were pretty solid, fun games.

I also just wanted to chime in on Alice: Madness Returns. I passed on it because I'm not a fan of American McGee, and while I don't put much stock in reviews, the luke warm reception to Madness Returns did have me a little wary. So, I Gamefly'd it, because it still looked interesting, and bought it the next free paycheck. I don't understand why the game isn't appreciated more. Glad I gave it a chance.

Also, Warhammer: Space Marine. I just didn't have an interest in it. A buddy of mine bought it for cheap, and I played it when I hung out with him a few weeks ago. I was surprised at how enjoyable it is. Clean visuals, fun gunplay and melee. I think modern game reviewers are expecting every game to be of the caliber of an Uncharted, or Gears, or Witcher 2. Sometimes, a game is just fun. It's not aspiring to be revolutionary, or genre defining. It just wants to be fun. Like Darksiders, which pulled off it's mishmash of Zelda, God of War, and even a little Portal, extremely well.

Dead Island arrived from Gamefly yesterday, but I've only put a few minutes into it. So far, it's looking like it might be another one to add to the list.

My reasons for missing out on a lot of games have more to do with game budget than anything.
 
Uh, I guess some people are taking the "you" personally instead of using it as a means of talking to others. Answers like Arkham City and Skyrim definitely shouldn't be showing up otherwise.

My answer would probably be Kirby's Return to Dream Land. I find it pretty sad that the public gave Epic Yarn way more attention (and just for it's artstyle too). Admittedly, I haven't played this one either. But I'll have that fixed by Christmas.
 
Bioshock 2 Minerva's Den (PC release in 2011)

Minerva's Den sits with the best moments of Bioshock 1, with the improved combat of Bioshock 2. Although it retains the little sister defense baggage from Bioshock 2, it's by far a better game and validates Bioshock 2's existence. A really nice ~5 hour Bioshock game with nice story and great levels.
 
Linkzg said:
Bioshock 2 Minerva's Den (PC release in 2011)

Minerva's Den sits with the best moments of Bioshock 1, with the improved combat of Bioshock 2. Although it retains the little sister defense baggage from Bioshock 2, it's by far a better game and validates Bioshock 2's existence. A really nice ~5 hour Bioshock game with nice story and great levels.
Click to expand...

Does it require Bioshock 2, or is it stand alone?
 
Someone mentioned Cladun x2 on PSP and I agree. If you like Zelda style top-down RPGs, or games with lots of loot to collect, you need this game. Totally worth the $20.
 
Title
Modern Warfare 3

Why it was over looked:
Too much skinny Jonah Hill advertising, not enough fat Jonah Hill advertising. Small, niche title only enjoyed by hardcore JRPG fans.

Why you should play it:
For pawning noobs.


I do it for the lulz. ;-)
 
TangoAlphaLima said:
Title
Modern Warfare 3

Why it was over looked:
Too much skinny Jonah Hill advertising, not enough fat Jonah Hill advertising. Small, niche title only enjoyed by hardcore JRPG fans.

Why you should play it:
For pawning noobs.


I do it for the lulz. ;-)
Click to expand...

For the lulz, or to get your post count up so that "Junior Member" doesn't follow you around making everyone roll their eye's when you post...for the lulz?

:P

Seriously, let's not do this :( Don't want this thread ruined.
 
Title
Two Worlds II

Why it was overlooked
because its fucking Two Worlds II

Why you should play it

While its no Skyrim or The Witcher 2 in terms of quality, TWII still offered a really solid WRPG adventure with decent combat, quests, it didn't take itself too seriously but didn't have that renaissance fair gone wrong atmosphere the first one did. My only real disappointment is
you never explore the main island
. There is still some jank present, but its still a fun game that anyone should check out. Its honestly 100 times a better game than DA2, which still surprises me. If someone told me that I personally would enjoy TWII more than DA2, I would have laughed at them


WELLL WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?!?!?!?!?!



Nobody.....I guess........because nobody told me that..........
 
truly101 said:
Title
Two Worlds II

Why it was overlooked
because its fucking Two Worlds II

Why you should play it

While its no Skyrim or The Witcher 2 in terms of quality, TWII still offered a really solid WRPG adventure with decent combat, quests, it didn't take itself too seriously but didn't have that renaissance fair gone wrong atmosphere the first one did. My only real disappointment is
you never explore the main island
. There is still some jank present, but its still a fun game that anyone should check out. Its honestly 100 times a better game than DA2, which still surprises me. If someone told me that I personally would enjoy TWII more than DA2, I would have laughed at them


WELLL WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?!?!?!?!?!



Nobody.....I guess........because nobody told me that..........
Click to expand...
First post that actually piqued my interest. Thanks.

I've seen Skyrim and Arkham City both listed in this thread... people do not know what "underrated" means.
 
love this thread, well at least from the people reading the op. don't really have anything to add as i haven't played a diverse range of stuff this year, mainly just the big games, but i'm adding stuff to my list (alice: madness returns in particular)
 
Strike said:
Yeah. Great game. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons I really think that this might be it for the franchise.
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I dunno. I played the demo and it was, frankly, one of the ugliest games I've played. The horrible low-resolution combined with a generally turdy color-scheme... it looked like mud with somewhat discernible things running around in it to shoot at.

The first two games look better imo. I'm not a graphics nut, but the game is aesthetically offensive. Or, at least, the demo is.
 
BobsRevenge said:
I dunno. I played the demo and it was, frankly, one of the ugliest games I've played. The horrible low-resolution combined with a generally turdy color-scheme... it looked like mud with somewhat discernible things running around in it to shoot at.

The first two games look better imo. I'm not a graphics nut, but the game is aesthetically offensive. Or, at least, the demo is.
Click to expand...

You didn't appreciate the particle effects at all? I felt that was the games strong point!, visually, and they get really impressive later on. I'm not sure how long the demo runs on for, but once the "Storm" hits Oklahoma, it really starts to do things I don't think any other game does well (debris and wind, etc).

Still, I think it's worth giving it a shot. The game has FAR more color than people give it credit for (especially when you hit St. Louis, PA, and New York). The biggest fault of the demo is that it doesn't give you some of the more "awesome" weapons to toy with, like the Mutator, Auger, or the Cryogun.
 
MrPliskin said:
Does it require Bioshock 2, or is it stand alone?
Click to expand...

It requires Bioshock 2 (which is unfortunate, but I think it's been down to $5 during Steam sales) and Minerva's Den DLC is $10. Both are GFW Live, which, again, is unfortunate.

actually just checked and the xbox 360 version of Minerva's Den is on sale right now for $5.
 
Linkzg said:
It requires Bioshock 2 (which is unfortunate, but I think it's been down to $5 during Steam sales) and Minerva's Den DLC is $10. Both are GFW Live, which, again, is unfortunate.

actually just checked and the xbox 360 version of Minerva's Den is on sale right now for $5.
Click to expand...

Serious? I'll have to hunt down a cheap copy of Bioshock 2 then! Just bought it, will (eventually) play it when I get Bioshock 2.
 
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

Why it was overlooked:

Not the easiest game to market. Main character design is bizarre, no one's really sure what the game is about, a stupendously long title, and no one aside from Bible scholars knows what the Metatron or "El Shaddai" refers to.

Why you should play it:

By far the most inventive and gorgeous visuals and sound this year. People say Skyrim is the most gorgeous game ever made, but for all of its art design caveats, it has nothing on El Shaddai's variety and sheer insanity. Its soundtrack is completely goddamn brilliant, with multiple different genres represented all while maintaining an 'epic' feel. The story, albeit muddled and disjointed, is surprisingly true to the source material (the apocryphal First Book of Enoch) while at the same time adding in a dash of Eastern cultural charm.
 
Are there really no obscure or mostly unknkown games anymore?

I hardly read any gaming magazines be it online or print and there is almost no game itt I've not heard of. Most of them I'v even seen lots of TV ads for.

Not bitching, just wondering.
 
Title
Aliens Infestation

ss_preview_aliens_infestation_uk.jpg.jpg


Why it was overlooked
GAME OVER DS GAME OVER

Why you should play it

First, are you the kind of person who moans about the lack of new Metroidvania-like titles? Cool, then you'll really need it. Are you a fan of the Alien movies? Then you want it as well. It has a lot of references and it even has a knifetrick minigame! But seriously, a neat little game which can be picked up for about $/€ 20. Boss fights are sucky, but man the rest of the games makes up for that. Buy it.
 
MrPliskin said:
Fight Night Champion


Why you should play it: The single player campaign is actually very compelling. I really loved the fresh new twists they throw at you to keep each and every fight feeling fresh. Criminally underrated for a sports game. I'm pretty sure it's $4.99 on PSN
Click to expand...

You sure about that? Because if it's available at PSN Ger, for that price I'd get it immediatly. Still costs 30€ at retail in Germany.
 
DerZuhälter;32851102 said:
You sure about that? Because if it's available at PSN Ger, for that price I'd get it immediatly. Still costs 30€ at retail in Germany.
Click to expand...

Sign up for US account and buy some US PSN points online, if it doesn't.


codhand said:
Title
Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars

Why it was over looked:
3DS Doomed status
Click to expand...

Real reason it was overlooked: People actually still think a $5 iOS version is coming out.
 
DerZuhälter;32851102 said:
You sure about that? Because if it's available at PSN Ger, for that price I'd get it immediatly. Still costs 30€ at retail in Germany.
Click to expand...

Huh. On the US store there is a version that is only the single player story. Maybe it's not available in other regions.
 
I think half the games posted here are from people who don't understand the topic.

Sadist said:
Title
Aliens Infestation

ss_preview_aliens_infestation_uk.jpg.jpg


Why it was overlooked
GAME OVER DS GAME OVER

Why you should play it

First, are you the kind of person who moans about the lack of new Metroidvania-like titles? Cool, then you'll really need it. Are you a fan of the Alien movies? Then you want it as well. It has a lot of references and it even has a knifetrick minigame! But seriously, a neat little game which can be picked up for about $/€ 20. Boss fights are sucky, but man the rest of the games makes up for that. Buy it.
Click to expand...


Fuck, I didn't even know this existed. Is that Bachalo art?

Regardless, I'm picking this up. I've wanted an Aliens Metroidvania for literally, LITERALLY over 20 YEARS.
 
Title
game_hard-corps-uprising.png


Why it was over looked:
Japanese PSN/XBLA title released in March when everyone was hyping over the summer releases like Portal 2, MK, etc. It also had very shoddy DLC practice and very little advertising. The xbox360 version had some bad loading times. Some people were turned off by the challenge.

Why you should play it:
- Beautiful hand drawn sprites
- Greatest Soundtrack of 2011
- Awesome, fun, 2D run and gun game design with a bountiful number of boss fights.
- Intuitive and responsive controls and meticulously balanced to ensure that it was a very challenging game yet never the game's fault for your death.
- Robust upgrade "rising" system to alleviate the difficulty
 
AAK said:
Title
game_hard-corps-uprising.png


Why it was over looked:
Japanese PSN/XBLA title released in March when everyone was hyping over the summer releases like Portal 2, MK, etc. It also had very shoddy DLC practice and very little advertising. The xbox360 version had some bad loading times. Some people were turned off by the challenge.

Why you should play it:
- Beautiful hand drawn sprites
- Greatest Soundtrack of 2011
- Awesome, fun, 2D run and gun game design with a bountiful number of boss fights.
- Intuitive and responsive controls and meticulously balanced to ensure that it was a very challenging game yet never the game's fault for your death.
- Robust upgrade "rising" system to alleviate the difficulty
Click to expand...

Yes! So good.
 
AAK said:
Title
game_hard-corps-uprising.png


Why it was over looked:
Japanese PSN/XBLA title released in March when everyone was hyping over the summer releases like Portal 2, MK, etc. It also had very shoddy DLC practice and very little advertising. The xbox360 version had some bad loading times. Some people were turned off by the challenge.

Why you should play it:
- Beautiful hand drawn sprites
- Greatest Soundtrack of 2011
- Awesome, fun, 2D run and gun game design with a bountiful number of boss fights.
- Intuitive and responsive controls and meticulously balanced to ensure that it was a very challenging game yet never the game's fault for your death.
- Robust upgrade "rising" system to alleviate the difficulty
Click to expand...

I have it on PSN and the load times are quite terrible too.
 
Title:
Infamous Festival of Blood

Why it was over looked:
- Stand alone game many thought was DLC for Infamous 2
- 3+ gig game you need to download
- Overshadowed by bigger fall releases

Why you should play it:
It is a cheap game at $10 but since its built off infamous 2 it has all the visuals and polish of a full retail release. Flying felt great, progression was nice and speedy and I had more fun collecting stuff in this then pretty much any other game. At 3 to 4 hours it was the perfect bite sized game.

Why you shouldn't play it:
- Extremely poor final boss battle
- Returns to one boring section several times
- Playing it the week of Halloween was part of the fun

Also, I'll echo Two Worlds II
 
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