In the 21st Century, there have been tons of video games that have gotten critical acclaim from fans and critics alike. However, these underrated games are masterpieces that received way less attention than they should have.
Gaming is an unfair industry. Some games due to their marketing have skyrocketed to millions of users but games with substance and quality do not get as many sales. Case in point, Hi-fi Rush or any other game we will look at on this list.
The titles we will break down are the most underrated names in gaming. They are worth playing even today due to their unique concept and art style. Without further ado, let us look at 10 of the most underrated games of all time.
Contents
- Top 10 Most Underrated Games of All Time
- 10. Psychonauts 2
- 9. Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- 8. Darksiders II
- 7. Mirror’s Edge
- 6. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
- 5. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
- 4. Bioshock 2
- 3. Haven
- 2. FIFA Street 2
- 1. Sunset Overdrive
Top 10 Most Underrated Games of All Time
We are classifying underrated on this list in the sense that people have heard of these games but have not gotten around to playing them. In addition, their sales numbers compared to other games of the same genre are too low. This list might not be for everyone since it has games that almost every mainstream gamer has heard of.
However, if the point would be to inspire more gamers to play these titles then we are going in the right direction. That being said, let us take a look at some of the most underrated games of all time.
10. Psychonauts 2
- Developers: Double Fine
- Publishers: Xbox Game Studios
We would argue that Psychonauts 2 is one of the best platforming games of all time due to its innovative art style and gameplay. But this game is not limited to just its platforming gameplay, the combat in this game is precise and fun due to the myriad of abilities the main character, Raz has. Using his psychic abilities to gather clues and solve mysteries, Raz is a likable character with innovative powers and a crazy family.
The story of this game blends itself well to the gameplay but you will have the most fun time venturing inside people’s minds and seeing what their inner world is truly like. Raz’s psychic abilities allow him to traverse and combat any sort of creature he comes across inside people’s minds. The upgrade system in this game is easy to understand and progression is beginner friendly.
Even if you haven’t delved into Psychonauts lore previously, you will have a fun time with this game. The level design of in people’s minds is breathtaking, creative, and colorful. The character design is artsy and the art style is something different.
You won’t find these three concepts in major AAA Games. Psychonauts 2’s is a comfort pick. It is a game that you play while sitting back and relaxing and not taking the gameplay seriously, unlike the multiplayer games out there that induce downright anxiety and rage within gamers.
9. Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Developers: Eidos Montreal
- Publishers: Square Enix Europe
Now, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is definitely the dark horse of the Tomb Raider reboot even though it is the final installment of the trilogy. With better graphics and improved gameplay, this game was set to the best out of the franchise. However, the Rise of the Tomb Raider’s perfect character portrayal, gameplay mechanics, and overall level design resonated more with the fans than this one’s.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider does not back down and fully utilizes its budget to make a world that is dangerous and relentless. The boss fights are creative and well thought out while the gameplay has evolved and Lara now has more creative ways to be stealthy rather than just sneaking up behind enemies.
The story progression is good, and the character models and their portrayal are well done, displaying Lara’s obsession with treasure hunting and how it is bad for the people she loves. Lara’s last outing in this trilogy is one filled with sorrow, hardships, and emotional turmoil. However, fans always have resonated with that part along with her quick-wittedness.
The semi-open world gameplay is perfect for this game, providing just the right amount of freedom without limiting the player or making the gameplay stale. The reason why we are calling this one underrated is because, in comparison to the other two entries in the reboot, this one has been a dark horse.
8. Darksiders II
- Developers: Vigil Games
- Publishers: THQ
This game was a treat. It follows the story of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, particularly Death, who is the protagonist of this game. There have been three Darksiders games so far, the first focused on War, the second on Death and the third on Fury/Famine. Darksiders II is an intricate art piece for people who wonder what powers a living embodiment of Death would have.
Death is a well-built character free with his own motives including saving and clearing the name of his youngest brother, War. Vigil Games has gifted players with an action and role-playing game filled with beautiful level design, tough boss battles, a unique and colorful art style, satisfying world-building, and three-dimensional characters.
Even though it is Death itself, he has tons of moments of humanity. He is not just a badass who has powers of the Dead on his side, he is much more human than most of the characters we have seen in gaming history. His portrayal and progression are some of the best storytelling we have ever seen in gaming and that itself is worth checking out.
The gameplay is a blast featuring tons of weapons you can use that have various advantages in battle. Death has magical abilities as well in addition to a Reaper Form which lets him deal more damage. The game’s voice acting is an underrated aspect that only a few have talked about. Playing Darksiders II is an experience that you will soon not forget.
7. Mirror’s Edge
- Developers: DICE
- Publishers: Electronic Arts
This is not just any platforming game, this is THE platforming game. Mirror’s Edge puts you in a 3D environment full of highrises, skyscrapers, and state-of-the-art technological infrastructures that will satisfy all of your dystopian needs. You play as protagonist Faith Conners in a first-person perspective. To progress in the story, you will have to complete a series of levels.
There is also acrobatic combat in this game giving you tons of moves you can use to disarm your enemies. The gameplay has a health system like Call of Duty where your health heals up as long as you do not take damage. The combat blends really well with the platforming and the story is something that you cannot gloss over.
Faith quickly goes from being a Runner (courier who delivers packages and information) to a central figure in the revolution brought to the city. The story might get sidelined due to the impressive parkour and the immense work that went into capturing how the movements work. A lot of gamers nowadays shy away from platformers due to the appeal of the action-adventure genre.
However, Mirror’s Edge blends everything into one and gives the players the satisfying thrill of being in a platformer along with the versatility of an FPS game. It is a game worthy of trying out and if you liked this, you can go for the sequel as well, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst.
6. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
- Developers: Radical Entertainment
- Publishers: Vivendi Universal Games
This is the best piece of Hulk media you will get to experience besides WW Hulk or Immortal Hulk comic books. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is the best Hulk game of all time and it’s not even close. If you want a game that does not hold back but leans into the strength and the destruction Hulk leaves in his wake then there is no game better than this.
The combat of this game is the best ever, allowing you to use cars as gauntlets, ride a bus as a surfboard, use a pole as a hockey stick, and use missile launchers as your personal projectiles. In addition to that, Hulk has tons of signature abilities like the Critical Atomic Slam and the Thunder Clap that deal devastating damage to the environment and your enemies.
There are tons of combos and move sets that are satisfying to execute including an elbow drop where Hulk runs on top of buildings and uses his momentum to slam down with full force. You can also execute a series of piledrivers on opponents. The story is good and emphasizes the vast differences between Banner and the Hulk, the boss fights are satisfying and there are tons of skins you can equip to change the look of the Hulk.
The game is open world, allowing you to participate in side missions, and challenges or just roam around the city causing destruction and smashing enemies. This game is the piece of Hulk media you should experience if you are a Hulk fan.
5. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
- Developers: Beenox
- Publishers: Activision
Another Marvel game that is worth mentioning is Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. There have been many Spider-Man games out there, including the recently released Spider-Man 2 which has two Spider-Men. This game had four and each of them had a unique combat style filled with signature abilities and more.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions gave us Ultimate Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, and Spider-Man Noir in one game and managed to balance their characters and combine them into an overall progressive story brilliantly. The story of each Spider-Man is told through individual levels where you play as one Spider-Man in each mission based on their story.
The cell-shaded level design is brilliant and a breath of fresh air last seen in the Ultimate Spider-Man game. There is no free roam unlike most Spider-Man games but the levels are brilliantly designed with just the right balance of combat and traversal. In addition, we see tons of Marvel characters make appearances including Madame Web, Mysterio, Vulture, Deadpool, and more.
In addition, this was the game that inspired the Spider-Verse movie franchise so it deserves all of the praise it gets. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions broke barriers in traditional Spider-Man gameplay and level design. It chose to tell a chapter-based story rather than throwing people into an open world. Plus, the story is narrated by Stan Lee just like the old Marvel games which is always a bonus and a pleasure to hear.
4. Bioshock 2
- Developers: 2K Marine
- Publishers: 2K Games
The very first Bioshock changed the way we perceived video games and the second one only enforced that idea. We go back to the underwater city of Rapture and play as a silent protagonist named Subject Delta, a Big Daddy (a person or entity inside a robot suit) whose job is to eliminate Splicers. Bioshock completely reshapes the FPS genre as you make use of a variety of tools to defeat your enemies in addition to magical spells that are called Plasmids.
The game also has a multiplayer mode but the sole focus is the single player in this case. The story is beautifully written and makes use of several philosophical arguments. Those arguments occur through in-game choices and dialogue. The game is a semi-open world as you hop through levels to complete your mission.
The old-school jazzy music is the most haunting part of this game and the sound design is scary and keeps you on your feet. The best part about Bioshock 2 is that it makes you feel a variety of things ranging from sadness, foreboding, and anger and it also delivers its fair share of jumpscares. This is one of the franchises that we recommend playing. Start with Bioshock and Bioshock 2 and make your way towards Infinite.
All of the Bioshock games have brilliant art design, gameplay and level design, character design, and more. The efforts that the developers have taken show that they truly care about the characters they make.
3. Haven
- Developers: The Game Bakers
- Publishers: The Game Bakers
This is a pure comfort choice that you must play at least once in your gaming journey. Haven follows the story of two lovers, Yu and Kay who have escaped from their homeworld and made a temporary Haven on a lost and uninhabited planet called Source. The planet Source is beautiful, filled with bright colors and well-crafted environments that have all manner of flora and fauna.
Haven is an adventure role-playing game with an open world that has plenty of beautiful creatures. You will make a couple of additional friends throughout your journey which are convenient for gameplay purposes. The spaceship of Yu and Kay is useful for crafting items for combat, making food, and more. It is also a major point of character bonding between the two.
Both Yu and Kay have to survive together and fight enemies and adversaries in hopes of being with each other. The story drives through the emotion between the two characters and does a great job of setting it up through great dialogue. There are tons of things to do in this game and gliding through the ground in your anti-gravity boots is a soothing experience.
Haven received good reviews but never broke any sales records. It is truly an underrated game with tons of content, brilliant art and character design, and gorgeous storytelling. If you are into romance and adventure, then this game is for you.
2. FIFA Street 2
- Developers: EA Canada
- Publishers: EA Sports BIG
Most of us grew up playing FIFA on our consoles. One of the fondest editions of the FIFA Franchise as a whole is the FIFA Street series and this game was the pinnacle of that. FIFA Street 2 featured some fast-paced and high-octane football gameplay we have ever seen and for good reason. The game threw realism out of the window and made players do superhuman things with football, in a good way.
It is due to this goofiness that fans loved the game and kept playing through it. There was a career mode where you had to participate in matches all over the world to obtain Trophies. The quick-play mode was the best, pitting two international teams against one another. With an extensive roster featuring greats like Ronaldinho, Adriano, Ballack, Stephen Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco, Del Piero and so much more, this game was an old Football fan’s dream.
In addition to all the gameplay and unending fun consisting of top-notch talent, the Jukebox of this game was the best consisting of synth-wave, rock, funk, and many other genres that fit the gameplay to a tee. When it was released, the game received lots of negative press due to many factors but as time went on fans began to release how good they had it back then.
Instead of the usual 11vs11, FIFA Street condensed it down and offered a 4V4 approach to a football match which was fun and fast-paced.
1. Sunset Overdrive
- Developers: Insomniac Games
- Publishers: Microsoft Studios
Undoubtedly, this is the most underrated game of all time. Sunset Overdrive is so hilariously consistent at its fourth wall breaks that the fourth wall should not even exist for this one. It is a self-aware title, poking fun at itself which not a lot of games can do. Sunset Overdrive is set in a fictional city called Sunset City where Fizz Co. has made an energy drink that turns its consumers into OD, which are zombies.
What follows is one of the most fun apocalypses also called the “awesomepocalypse” by the studios themselves. You can use a variety of weapons ranging from flaming shotguns, ARs, pinball machines, TNT explosives tied to teddy bears, ARs, handguns, acid sprinklers, freeze guns, and so on. The missions are fun and creative, the dialogue is satire and funny and the characters are cliche which is what makes them so likable.
Sunset Overdrive does everything right but in their attempt to make an Xbox Exclusive game, Microsoft failed to capitalize on such a good concept and IP. This game is a blend of Jet Set Radio, Saints Row, and Prince of Persia, if that does not sound like one of the best crossovers in the history of gaming then we do not know what does.
