The Six Best Video Games Not Enough Of You Have Played
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West: Xbox 360
This game had almost too many water cooler moments to talk about.
Why did no one else play this awesome Ninja Theory game that came out in 2010? Why do I keep asking that question, as if you guys can all answer me at once? Is it because it was SUCH an Andy Serkis vehicle that it became too much? Is it because the subtext of the game, based off the ancient Chinese story (Journey to the West, by Wu Cheng’en) was too lofty for some? Or is it because it wasn’t spoon fed to us as gamers, so we missed it? Either way, there is no excuse.
In Enslaved, you play as Monkey (who was mo-capped and voice-over’ed by Andy Serkis, for those who missed my hint earlier) and for me to tell you about the evolution of his relationship with partner in crime, Tripp, would ruin the game. Because that is where a good deal of the joy of playing Enslaved comes from. Just to show you guys what you’re missing though, I will show you the trailer.
It is heady to say this, but Enslaved has one of the best first levels of any game I’ve ever played.
Pretty sure you can snatch this game up for a couple of bucks now, so the fact that you are still reading this and not buying this game yet makes me question you. I also feel the need to tell you guys that this game has, what I think to be, one the best endings of the current gaming generation. Some people hated it, but some people hate everything.
Red Dead Revolver: Playstation 2
Wait, there was a “Red Dead” game before the Red Dead game we all know and love?
Yup.
Rockstar knew this game (and franchise) were gold, so they bought up the IP from Capcom and gave the series the love and attention it deserved. The end result, Red Dead Redemption, is quite easily one of the greatest games ever made. But before we put on the stirrups as John Marsten, we put on the stirrups as Red, seeking revenge for the death of our family. It was a level-to-level action game, all linear for the most part, but the shooting mechanic was spot on, and the Western theme hadn’t been done that perfectly in games before.
The original ended up being the template that Rockstar followed, but fully expanded upon.
Everything that made Redemption work so well (except for the open world) is in Revolver. The kooky characters, the bullet-time, the stellar set-pieces, and the real feeling that you were a cowboy. Shooting up bad guys on horseback was not something I had done up to that point, and that experience always stuck with me. Now I know I said it before about a few others on this list, too, but this game ALSO has one of my favorite boss fights ever.
His name was Pig Josh, and his boss fight was badassery to the max.
Careful if you play this game now, though. Red Dead Redemption perfected everything in this game and the original didn’t age so well as a result, but still a trip to some younger gamers who don’t seem to know Redemption was an (unconnected) sequel.
Honorable Mentions:
Karnov for Nintendo. Play as a fat Russian guy who blows fire and hides ladders inside Pokeballs. No idea why I loved this game, but I did. And you didn’t.
Darkwatch for PS2. A FPS where you play as a vampire-zombie-cowboy in a gothic version of the old west. I know, it IS a cool concept. Fun game, too.
Notice those SMOOTH polygon textures of gaming days gone by. *Sarcasm font.
Stranglehold for Xbox 360: Wait, I can play as Chow Yun-Fat in a John Woo movie with fully destructible environments? Derivative and simple, but awesome, just like the films that inspired it. Yes, there are doves and slow-dives, too.
Painkiller for Xbox: The boss fights in this game made the whole experience worth it. Proof? Ok:
That’s a tail, you perverts.
The Club for Xbox 360: People didn’t like this game, because people didn’t “get” this game. It was a point-based shooter that was played more like a racing game. Once you got into the rhythm of the game, though, you would get obsessed with beating your times. Tiny, frenetic levels and incredibly cool mechanic made me love this game. Me and three other people.
Lost Odyssey for Xbox 360. Poor RPG fans thought they were getting no love on this list up to now, I bet. This may be the best current generation RPG I have played. Eternal Sonata was awesome, too, but a little bit too cute at times (though the theme of death and classical music clearly wasn’t.)
Kid Niki for Nintendo. I love this game. Haters gonna hate, but I love it. Kid ninja fighting bosses with fat cheeks? Yup. I still play this game when I want a flash of nostalgia, minus the controller flinging difficulty of most old-school NES games.
That AWESOME moment when you realize Kid Niki was rocking a mullet.
And lastly, this game right here. I think this game is underrated.
Psychonauts doesn’t even rank an honorable mention? ARE YOU HIGH?
Penny, games that not enough of us have played, haha. Like, the original Majesty! I loved that game but nobody knew about it.
Sir Dan Fortesque is rumored to make an appearance at Playstation Battle Royale. Which would be epic.
Oh man, my neighbor had Karnov when we were kids and we would play that to death. Looking back, it’s ridiculously hard, and the game gives you NO help on what to do with the all the crap you acquire as you play. There are seriously 20 or so items and icons you can get, and I’m convinced half of them don’t actually do anything.
Oh, and MediEvil FTW. That game was great. Did you ever play Maximo?
My RPG loving ass did feel a little left out, so I’m going to throw some underrated RPG titles at you.
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Sega Saturn): Best game I’ve ever played on every level. Innovative as hell.
Grandia 1 (Playstation) &2 (Dreamcast): Under the radar due to the boyners and girlners everyone had for Final Fantasy.
Skies of Arcadia (Dreamcast and Gamecube): Awesome art style, with fun unpretentious characters. One of the coolest RPG worlds I’ve ever been in.
Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii): One of 2 awesome RPG’s flying under the radar right now during the Wii’s Swan song. Over 200 hours of gameplay with a real time, kick ass battle system. Play this game! It has the biggest world I’ve ever seen in a console RPG.
The Last Story (Wii): Again flying under the radar because it’s on a dying console. What Final Fantasy should’ve been like for the last decade.
I never really got that much into Medievil but I have to back you up on Enslaved and Darkwatch. I bought Enslaved just right after I played the demo because it looked amazing and the controls were awesome, Monkey is really cool to control. It was also at 15 bucks on Amazon when I bought it so its the third cheapest gam I have bought at Amazon (Alpha Protocol was $9.50, sucha steal, btw thats another great game which not many people played, its hell of fun although it does have its issues but its pretty enjoyable.
Darkwatch was damn fun, i didnt know it was really that overlooked, but I bought it just because I had this pahse during the ps2 era where I liked to play loads of FPS mostly because back then they actually developed FPS which were fun and great in single player or just had single player altogether, these days everything is about the multiplayer crap which I hate.
Also, good to hear about Shadows of the Damned. A coworker has been talking about it non stop since it came out since he wanted to get it really bad since he is a Suda 51 nut but all I have read are bad reviews, now I wonder if i should give it a shot (its cheap as hell on Amazon)
El Shaddai might be one of the biggest piece of shit I’ve ever played. The original idea is great : trying to make the graphical most bizarre game out here. But the gameplay is just terrible, the dialog is ridiculous, the characters make me wanna puke, and finally, the graphics are just boring. It has his good moments, but overall, I still have nightmares just thinking of it.
Want the good version of this game ? Try Nier.
I have been hearing and reading some very good things about Nier, been wanting to check it out for a while.
Eff yeah, Enslaved! I’ve been touting this game as horribly underrated for a couple years now. People have been telling me to shut up about it, in fact. So glad to have even more games to try out and possibly annoy my fellow gamers with. El Shaddai looks especially intriguing to me (as does Nier, I suppose, after reading Danny’s comment).
And hey Caleb K, I’m so with you on Xenoblade Chronicles! I’m planning a piece on Wii games that includes that particular gem, as a matter of fact.
Completely forgot about Darkwatch. Awesome game! Thanks for the reminder
@Penny, that game has a cult following like few others, and did not belong here, but great game regardless.
@thenottakenname, hahaha, exactly!
@Patrick, not sure my heart could handle seeing him rendered that beautifully.
@DocDoom, funny you ask that, Maximo ALMOST made the list, but I trimmed it because my twitchy hands could not beat it..hahaha
@Caleb, you get a hundred points for making me scream SKIES OF ARCADIA out loud just now, that is one of my all-time faves. Sky pirates for the win.
@monchofos, Monkey is DEFINITELY one of the coolest (and most evolving) characters in gaming, and I kinda had one of those pathetic nerd crushes on Trip, I won’t lie.
@Danny, heard a lot of good things about Nier and I have to give that game a shot, and I do hear you about El Shaddai, but to me, the visuals make the game worth it, hands down (come on, the stained glass window levels???? Amazing)
@Sara, not surprised you know and love that game. Trip and Monkey for Halloween???? lol
@Cody, just glad someone else played it, no sweat!
Duuuuuuude, if we lived in the same city, hell yes!
And if we ever attend a con or somesuch other nerd gathering at the same time, we’re doing it. Required.
Oooh – a million thumbs up for Lost Odyssey. I absolutely LOVE that game!
I’ve never met another gamer who even knew what it was, but I adore it, to the point where I’m saved just outside the final big boss fight but I don’t want to go in and beat him because then the game will be over.
@Remy
Cant blame you, Trip is ridiculously cute in the game, and actually kinda has of a cool personality, she is sort of a damsel in distress but not really and she shows much character, and I really liked her voice, matter of fact, thats one of the top things for the game, they really kicked ass with the voice acting, even Pigsy. Its a nicely written game with a lot of fun in between and it also looks gorgeous. I played when I still had a tube telly and even in it the visuals were striking.
I still believe that Skies of Arcadia was a better game than Final Fantasy VII. And I’ll defend it till the day I die.
I think NieR deserves at least an honorable mention. Sure, the game play could have been better (and hard mode a lot easier, fucking 30 minute boss fights Q.Q). But honestly, this game has as a plot at least on par with any Final Fantasy you can name and infinitely better delivery than all of them. The music was amazing (what do you expect from SE after all?), and simply enchanting. The characters were all very likable (not a single one I didn’t like, including minor characters), and fit together beautifully.
Yes, there are WAY too many sidequests, but honestly they’re not like most games where they add nothing to the characters or story. You actually get to see a little bit of depth added in the sidequests. I can honestly say it is the best JRPG/Action RPG I have ever played, and probably ever will. I admit it had flaws that take away from it, but its strengths are right where they should be. The game almost feels like an interactive movie at times and almost brought me to tears a few times. I highly recommend everyone checks it out! You will not be disappointed from beginning to end!
Hahahahahahahaha, Enslaved is fucking terrible. Everything NT has ever made has been terrible and the gaming industry would be better if LESS people played them.
And the list is shit in general. They’re not all bad games, but there are far better obscure titles than these.
@Mr. Right: I was going to argue with you, but your name suggests that I would be merely be wrong. So, alas. . . .
I really liked Enslaved, though. And Shadows of the Damned. I bought both of them BRAND new, too. If I’d only known how quickly they’d go cheap. . .anyway, Remy, I’ll be sure to try every single one of these games now because our tastes are clearly similar.
I have almost bought Stranglehold on so many occasions. I’m sure it’s dirt cheap these days. You may have finally convinced me to buy it.
Jet Force Gemini for N64. What Mario 64 did for traditional Mario, Jet Force Gemini did for Megaman. Not the crappy Megaman 64/Legends we got.
Original Xbox: Def Jam: Fight for NY
SNES: Metal Warriors
WOW…Enslaved and Shadows of the damned!? Both of thoses games are extremley boring. also, saying “People didn’t like this game, because people didn’t “get” this game.” Is infuriatingly pretentious
Ugh, Enslaved is absolutely awful. I gave up on the game after the first couple of boss fights, and I realized I spent more time fighting the crappy camera system then the actual boss. The story might have gotten a lot better and I did enjoy the voice acting and the cinematics, but the actual game mechanics were pretty shit. But, then, the game was made by Ninja Theory, so what do you expect? Which is exactly why I never understood why Capcom chose them to make their new DMC game. Tight gameplay and controls are not exactly their forte.
I really liked Tsugunai: Atonement for the PS2. It was my first real taste of an RPG. Kind of gave up though when I wasn’t a high enough level to beat the last boss and it was taking a boat-load of time to GET higher. (although in reality, I probably just sucked at killing the boss). Also, it had a unique form of turn-based fighting, where you could block or counter if you hit the button at the exact right time. It was tough to get just right. It had a nice story line too.
Also, Shadow of Destiny for the Ps2 was cool. I never actually played it, but the game was short enough to watch my fiancee play the game all the way through. It was a game about changing your fate – gong back into the past so that you can save yourself from being stabbed to death, and it has several different endings. Watching it, I got frustrated the same way Homer Simpson did in the toaster episode where he decided to smash up all the bugs and kill the dinosaurs because there was no way he WASN’T going to change the future lol
Oh wow how many years has it been since i played my first playstation demo disk with medival on it..kinda makes me feel old now xD Was a great game.
So just console games then?
Some PC suggestions:
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Grim Fandango
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
Outcast
This piece could have been subtitled, Enslaved haters, aim your hatred at ME!
@ Charlie, well played, made me laugh again.
To everyone else, thanks for reading regardless.
@Nick
(and everyone else) Do you see how Nick just asked me that? He did so in a manner that indicated I left out PC games, but he did so with class. Nick, good call, I will have to do a follow up list with PC games (I loved Bloodline and thought I was the only one..Huzzah to that!)
And lastly,
@Stone,
In hindsight, I actually agree with you the “pretentious” comment, but that was not my intention when I wrote that.
My bad.
Shadows of the Damned and Lost Odyssey. Honestly, two of my favourite games. So glad to see them mentioned.
i can honestly say i was infatuated with Red Dead Revolver. In fact, i still like it more than Red Dead Redemption. childhood memories ftw!!
If your looking for unappreciated games you need to check out Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem on Gamecube it one of the darkest carziest games i ever played it actually messes with you head i love it and also for Ps1 Eternal Eyes it in the styles of Final Fantasy tactics but is a thousand times better theese are truly unappreciated
While I defiantly agree with some that Psychonauts should be high on the list… I am gonna go with the best… The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. Or, even more obscure, Blood Omen: The Legacy of Kain! My favorite game series ever! You play these games for the dialogue, story and ATMOSPHERE! .. oh and the gameplay is fun too.
@Gill, I am still too messed up by the memory card moment to even bring up Eternal Darkness.
Lost Odyssey is by and far #1 on this list for me. As someone who has become disenfranchised by OMG ANOTHER SHOOTER!!!, this game was a godsend.
I can’t believe you left out ‘Vanquish’. That’s one of the funnest games I’ve ever played, and it didn’t get anywhere NEAR the attention it deserved.
Vanquish was amazing, good call.
Defiantly Enslaved, it was brilliant! and totally lost odyssey 🙂
Man! I still tell people about Medievil. That was the first game I bought with my Playstation. That game changed my life!
El Shaddai is not a 360 exclusive you sheep. It’s not a good look trying to promote obscure games while failing to mention them being on more than the mainstream “My 12 year old son wants me to buy him this console because he saw a kid on TV playing COD with it” console.
And Enslaved blows, just like all Ninja Theory games. Stop trying to get more people to play it, if anything TOO many people have already played it. Maybe if it bombed they could’ve gone out of business before Capcom let them rape DMC.
Oh wow, MediEvil….I remember that game.
KID NIKI!!!!!
HAHAHAHA, Mr. Right called me a sheep. Sheep are adorable. YAY!
Has anyone here heard of Golden Sun? The extremely awesome but very underrated RPG for the GBA. I would say it deserves at least a mention here.
What about the Legacy of Kain series?
Don’t Suggest that Cancer like Enslaved, it is a waste of time.
A good one that no one talks about is warlords battle cry 3
I loved Young Sherlock Holmes the movie, and I never knew about the game, which console was it on….now I want to play!!!
Karnov is one of those “Oh yeah, I forgot I beat that game” games. It wasn’t the hardest NES game but one of the weirder ones for sure. It seems like the 1st generation consoles were the cambrian explosion of video game archetypes. Things were still being figured out so a lot of game styles that didn’t pan out were attempted. Even predictable 2D sidescroll platforms incorporated experimentation you don’t see now with every game these days being a MUST BE blockbuster there’s no room for risk. Older games aren’t just great because they are great. They are great because of their variety.
The fact that Metal Arms: Glitch in the system is not on this list greatly disappoints me. It’s fantastic and NOBODY knows about it.
War of the Monsters, The Legend of Dragoon
Yeah, Darkwatch was awesome. Multiplayer as vampire cowboys with sniper rifles and guided missiles.