Best of the Worst, Overlooked, and Underrated
Some of these games are great (others not so much), and some were just plain overlooked - but I liked something about 'em all! You'll probably hate some of the titles on this list, but I hope you also find yourself enjoying some of them too. This list is ranked in order of my favourite to least favourite titles in this list, and I'm sure more will be added as I discover them for myself.
45 Games
A unique, insane rhythm game with some great music. I still listen to the soundtrack regularly. Best if you just jump into it blind.
1
Third-person cover-based shooter by the Yakuza devs, and the quality of the cutscenes, writing, and humour made that immediately apparent. It's solid, but overlooked due to bland cover art and bad marketing.
2
Create a new profile with "I Have No Time" as your username, then save.
Grab a friend or three, go to Exhibition mode, and load up the Psycho Sands course.
Enjoy.
Grab a friend or three, go to Exhibition mode, and load up the Psycho Sands course.
Enjoy.
3
Well-known, but pretty overlooked at this point (probably for good reason). If exploitation movies are your jam and you're a fan of stealth-puzzlers, you may enjoy this as much as I did. If not, I get that too.
4
Massively unpopular when it came out, and understandably so. This ditches the open-world aspect of previous Need for Speed games for linear level-based tracks. Story is cheesy, but the set pieces are solid. It's like playing a dumb movie. And sometimes that's fine.
5
The ability to spirit-jump from one car to another added a layer of fun to an already solid driving game. Some fine dialogue too. This one's just solid all around.
6
Great co-op (minus Ada's level) and the ability to dive and shoot from the ground. Cutscenes that are as over-the-top as a Michael Bay film.
Oh wait... this was supposed to be a horror game? Ah... well I think I understand why some folks might not have liked this one.
Oh wait... this was supposed to be a horror game? Ah... well I think I understand why some folks might not have liked this one.
7
The unofficial sequel to the movie. You're tasked with starting at the bottom and rebuilding Tony Montana's empire. Some really punchy shooting in this one - I loved it!
8
A rhythm game in driving format. Extremely punishing, but usually fair (the later levels aside). There's a real sense of satisfaction to nailing a scene. Worth a look, and if you eventually need to walk away from it, that's totally understandable.
9
The couch multiplayer is where this one shines. Whether you're playing the school bus survival mode where one player is tasked with wrecking the other racers or the duel mode where every car shoots explosive chickens, you're gonna have some dumb fun.
10
Probably the most well-known game on this list, but understandably derided at launch due to its repetitive open-world gameplay. Thing is, I thought that gameplay was great. Rolling up to a mob business and absolutely obliterating it with your choice of 1960's weaponry is premium revenge film fun. Great story, too.
11
A solid FPS with some punchy gunplay that was unfortunately trapped on the PS2, never seeing a PC release. Well worth loading up on an emulator.
12
Another well-known and oft-hated title. While the gunplay is almost objectively worse than F.E.A.R 1, the story, scares, and environments are all better here in my humble opinion. If that's what you're looking for, I think you'll enjoy this one.
13
A solid shooter that's fully playable in co-op on the PS2. While it's clearly a Halo rip-off with vampires... wait, that's a selling point.
Bonus points if you can land a double-jump decapi-dunk on a flying banshee with the axe-shotgun.
Bonus points if you can land a double-jump decapi-dunk on a flying banshee with the axe-shotgun.
14
This sequel drastically changed up the gameplay from the first title, and is often considered worse for it.
But you know, I think it's better. I think it's more polished, with better environments, a fun vampire-cult story, and an apocalyptic third act.
But you know, I think it's better. I think it's more polished, with better environments, a fun vampire-cult story, and an apocalyptic third act.
15
Yeah, the original. Some solid shooting, mind-bending anti-gravity platforming, and portals! Good all around, and backwards-compatible on the Xbox One/Series consoles.
16
Yes, we all know this is one of the most expensive PS2 games. But most people say it's not even good, and I disagree. It's rough around the edges, gameplay-wise, but it makes up for it in the graphics, atmosphere, and mystery. While playing I got immersed and really wanted to know what was going on with these crazy orphans.
17
This was just so... charming! At the same time, it wasn't afraid to ride a darker line for some story beats.
Beautiful art direction, a fun nightmare scene, and an intriguing mystery. The puzzles are basic, sure, but if you treat it more like a novel you'll probably have a good enough time with it.
Looking forward to the planned sequel!
Beautiful art direction, a fun nightmare scene, and an intriguing mystery. The puzzles are basic, sure, but if you treat it more like a novel you'll probably have a good enough time with it.
Looking forward to the planned sequel!
18
Survival horror that's fully playable in co-op? Worth a shot for that alone.
But it also has Sum 41 and mid-riff exposing tops, making it quintessential mid-2000's fun.
But it also has Sum 41 and mid-riff exposing tops, making it quintessential mid-2000's fun.
19
This is a solid Terminator game, and the franchise could really use one at this point, couldn't it? So it wants to be Fallout, but more contained. I think it did that just fine. If you like the franchise, you may enjoy this one. I sure did.
20
This one caught some flack due to the fact that you need to map your own button combos to perform certain actions in combat. I thought that was a bit weird, but didn't hate it.
It makes up for it in its story and environments. Neo-Paris has a great cyberpunk aesthetic.
Oh, and it was developed by the Life is Strange devs. You'll notice some parallels with the memory rewriting sequences.
It makes up for it in its story and environments. Neo-Paris has a great cyberpunk aesthetic.
Oh, and it was developed by the Life is Strange devs. You'll notice some parallels with the memory rewriting sequences.
21
This series has been rightfully maligned by critics, but I think they actually did a pretty good job with this one. If you played Far Cry and thought "Hey, I like the sniping in this - I wish they'd make an entire game that was just that, but set in a dreary ex-Soviet landscape", then boy do I have the game for you!
22
This one's gone down in history as one of the better licensed games. And it is! if you want to shoot dinosaurs with Tommy Guns, then this one's for you. The Kong sequences are alright, but the Jack gameplay is where it shines.
23
First, I love that in order to localize this game they gave everybody American names. But I love even more that they made everyone blonde.
Aside from that, this is a really cool little survival/adventure game with dialogue choices that matter and multiple endings. You and the folks you meet along the way are all trying to survive a flood in an artificial city. Add in a dose of conspiracy and it's a fun, albeit janky, ride.
Aside from that, this is a really cool little survival/adventure game with dialogue choices that matter and multiple endings. You and the folks you meet along the way are all trying to survive a flood in an artificial city. Add in a dose of conspiracy and it's a fun, albeit janky, ride.
24
A love letter to grindhouse films and John Woo. Slipping and sliding across the floor, running along walls, shooting guns, and swinging swords. It doesn't play amazingly well, but it has a lot of heart.
25
Kinda like The Shining but in prison. The island itself is evil, with the ghosts of the dead coming back to torment the inhabitants, each one modelled after their method of execution. Some good scares, excellent atmosphere, and decent gameplay.
26
Oh man, I'm gonna lose people with this one. Yes, this is my favourite Wii U title, unironically.
A mix of ultra-violent sword-swinging action, stupid cutscenes, and gunplay. Just don't take it too seriously.
Is Zelda technically better? Yeah. Mario? For sure.
But... I like this.
A mix of ultra-violent sword-swinging action, stupid cutscenes, and gunplay. Just don't take it too seriously.
Is Zelda technically better? Yeah. Mario? For sure.
But... I like this.
27
Kind of a Max Payne knockoff, but there's a dog. I thought the disarm animations were cool and it got sillier as it went so I was never really bored by it. If you like Max Payne, you may enjoy checking this out. I did.
28
The gameplay is repetitive and not all that great, but the cutscenes are 100% Yoko Taro insanity. I would recommend it on those grounds alone.
29
A fairly linear survival horror title. It's not amazing by any stretch, but I really liked its simplicity, random spurts of slasher-esque brutality, and genuine heartfelt sincerity in some of its cutscenes.
Also the final boss has what can only be described as the Hammer of Dawn from Gears of War, so when he inevitably kills you you'll at least go out with a bang.
Also the final boss has what can only be described as the Hammer of Dawn from Gears of War, so when he inevitably kills you you'll at least go out with a bang.
30
Hoooo boy this one's a pain to get running on modern PCs. A PAIN. Outside of the StarForce DRM which will brick your PC, the cutscenes also don't work on modern Windows. And believe me, you NEED them. Grab the fix from here, and run the game through it: https://sourceforge.net/p/dxwnd/discussion/general/thread/fa988ed6/?page=1#b3eb
That aside, this game was just nutty in a way that I loved. Jumping into peoples' dreams and the devotion to having every level be a bit different makes this a game I DO in fact recommend you try, but use protection. Install it in a virtual machine and crack it there, then transfer the files over and use the fix above.
That aside, this game was just nutty in a way that I loved. Jumping into peoples' dreams and the devotion to having every level be a bit different makes this a game I DO in fact recommend you try, but use protection. Install it in a virtual machine and crack it there, then transfer the files over and use the fix above.
31
FPS by the Batman Arkham devs. This has the same level of weight and ragdolling we'd later see in those titles, but here it's at the end of a gun. Often overlooked due to it being a late entry on the 6th gen consoles, this one really is quite solid. Nothing groundbreaking in terms of story, but the gunplay should hold you. It's very weighty and satisfying.
32
A racer where you use the environment to take down your opponents: causing a rockslide, blowing up a building, or causing an airplane to crash into the track. It's totally bonkers and well worth a look.
It's also absurdly difficult, featuring an adaptive difficulty system that dynamically increases your opponents' skill as you win. Gonna be honest, it felt pretty cheap at times. The time trials are also down to the second in many cases. I managed to beat it though, and I'm sure you can too.
It's also absurdly difficult, featuring an adaptive difficulty system that dynamically increases your opponents' skill as you win. Gonna be honest, it felt pretty cheap at times. The time trials are also down to the second in many cases. I managed to beat it though, and I'm sure you can too.
33
Gangsta Mario Kart.
Instead of red shells, you've got shotgun shells. And rocket launchers, and machine guns. The campaign is fully playable in co-op with one person driving and another shooting, which is how I beat it with a friend. We had a great time.
There's also an arena mode for some party fun.
Instead of red shells, you've got shotgun shells. And rocket launchers, and machine guns. The campaign is fully playable in co-op with one person driving and another shooting, which is how I beat it with a friend. We had a great time.
There's also an arena mode for some party fun.
34
I've always felt this game was emulating the shootout in the movie Heat. No music, just shooting through dense urban environments with a raw, gritty, and mean feel. And of course there's the fact that the whole game is framed as found footage, complete with shaky-cam. A lot of people hated that, and I totally understand because it's a bit obnoxious at times, but I didn't mind too much.
It's also really short at just under 4 hours so think of it like a bad action movie and maybe that'll tip it in your favour.
It's also really short at just under 4 hours so think of it like a bad action movie and maybe that'll tip it in your favour.
35
WW2 stealth-action game that's going for Splinter Cell and falls... short.
I recommend playing this on PC with some of the tweaks suggested by the community. This game's config files are wide-open, allowing to to change your gun damage, movement speed, and detection radius. With those in place, this is a really good time. Without those... maybe not so much.
I recommend playing this on PC with some of the tweaks suggested by the community. This game's config files are wide-open, allowing to to change your gun damage, movement speed, and detection radius. With those in place, this is a really good time. Without those... maybe not so much.
36
This one's got three things going for it - a beautiful recreation of LA, the ability to pimp your rides, and enemy AI that will dogpile on top of each other, sending them flying into walls during the car theft missions. A highly overlooked budget open-world racer.
37
This is worth playing for Mickey Rourke's one-liners and end-credits rap. And that's the only reason.
But since the game can be beaten in just over an hour, it's not much worse than throwing on a bad movie. I've beaten it probably 10 times now and it's always been entertaining.
But since the game can be beaten in just over an hour, it's not much worse than throwing on a bad movie. I've beaten it probably 10 times now and it's always been entertaining.
38
Okay, so definitely a bad Gears of War rip-off in every respect. The gameplay gets old fast and doesn't feel particularly great.
But the cutscenes! The lore! The two main characters! I wanted to know more! That really carried me through this one and I'm glad I finished it.
But the cutscenes! The lore! The two main characters! I wanted to know more! That really carried me through this one and I'm glad I finished it.
39
95% generic military shooter. 5% fighting a helicopter on top of the Eiffel Tower to prevent a nuclear bomb from going off.
And then he makes out with the girl.
If it's good enough for a fifth grade creative writing assignment, it's good enough for me!
And then he makes out with the girl.
If it's good enough for a fifth grade creative writing assignment, it's good enough for me!
40
Far Crimea. Because it's a Far Cry rip-off developed by Ukrainians - get it?
So think of this one as part Far Cry, part Bethesda RPG, with stealth, levelling, NPCs that give you quests (some of which are really out there), a faction reputation system, and an ancient curse that threatens to destroy the world.
If playing the Steam version, install the Russian voice pack and fan patch.
The final cutscene likely won't work for you (it didn't for me). If that happens, install the version 1.1 patch, then crack the exe (because the patch adds a disc check). The game will be in Russian, but the cutscene will be in English, and IT IS MAGICAL.
(the ending cutscene on YouTube has a different dub, and it loses said magic - I don't know what's up with that)
So think of this one as part Far Cry, part Bethesda RPG, with stealth, levelling, NPCs that give you quests (some of which are really out there), a faction reputation system, and an ancient curse that threatens to destroy the world.
If playing the Steam version, install the Russian voice pack and fan patch.
The final cutscene likely won't work for you (it didn't for me). If that happens, install the version 1.1 patch, then crack the exe (because the patch adds a disc check). The game will be in Russian, but the cutscene will be in English, and IT IS MAGICAL.
(the ending cutscene on YouTube has a different dub, and it loses said magic - I don't know what's up with that)
41
Oooh, I get why people hated this one. I really do. It's not great.
However, it had some neat ideas. 3-player co-op where each character has their own hidden agenda that they need to try to complete during missions? That sounds cool! The implementation was weak, but I appreciate what they were going for.
I hope that we see similar mechanics return in the future.
However, it had some neat ideas. 3-player co-op where each character has their own hidden agenda that they need to try to complete during missions? That sounds cool! The implementation was weak, but I appreciate what they were going for.
I hope that we see similar mechanics return in the future.
42
Street Fighter: Bin Laden and Friends
This is a mediocre shooter that ends each level with a 2.5D fist-fight against its respective boss.
And yes, the final boss is Bin Laden. Must be seen to be believed.
This is a mediocre shooter that ends each level with a 2.5D fist-fight against its respective boss.
And yes, the final boss is Bin Laden. Must be seen to be believed.
43
Bad gameplay. Let's get that out of the way.
However, the writing is so incredibly, laughably, stereotypically bad it's quite honestly offensive. Every character speaks in rap lyrics, and the ending throws any and all of the lessons learned out the window.
I recommend it, I suppose, but more so I recommend watching the cutscenes on YouTube.
However, the writing is so incredibly, laughably, stereotypically bad it's quite honestly offensive. Every character speaks in rap lyrics, and the ending throws any and all of the lessons learned out the window.
I recommend it, I suppose, but more so I recommend watching the cutscenes on YouTube.
44
Yeah alright this one's a bad game. Full stop. But you know, it had a cool idea. I think it deserves some credit for that.
Also, if memory serves me correctly, you can't melee enemies when they crouch, which is frustratingly hilarious.
Also, if memory serves me correctly, you can't melee enemies when they crouch, which is frustratingly hilarious.
45