Most of the time, when we make a list like this, we aim to discuss the very best of a certain category, such as the best games of a particular genre or the best games released in a particular year. But this list will be slightly different in that we will be looking at the very best games that not enough people found to be the very best games. These games are rarely talked about in comparison to other games in their genre or sometimes even within their own series, but, in our opinion, they definitely should be. Here is our list of the top ten most underrated games in modern history.
10. The Saboteur
Very few people that I speak with have even heard of this game let alone had the opportunity to play it since its release in 2009 by Pandemic Games. It really is a shame, though as while the game uses a stripped-down version of the formula now perfected by the Grand Theft Auto series, it manages to shine on its own in a number of unique ways that should have seen more gamers experiencing this World War II-centered tale.
One of the coolest designs found in the game is that any area that you have yet to free from Nazi control on the map will have a drab black and white appearance, while liberating said area from occupation will see the vibrant colors of Paris return to surprising effect. Something so simple from a design perspective is still burned into my memory to this day.
But the game was not just fancy visuals; the driving mechanics were honestly better than any Grand Theft Auto that had been released to that point, and the combat was no slouch either, if not a bit repetitive by the time the credits rolled. The story was pretty good as well, especially in an era of games that seemed to just then be figuring out how to balance cinematic storytelling within the gaming medium. If you are able to look beyond aging graphics in older games, you should certainly give The Saboteur a shot if you haven't yet.
9. Spec Ops: The Line
It is a rare game indeed that can nearly completely stand on one singular moment within its narrative to surpass in one's memory almost all of the issues that the aforementioned game might have. Spec Ops: The Line is definitely such a game.
While the gameplay itself isn't really revolutionary in its own rite, the narrative and story pushed the boundary at times of what many thought was acceptable to explore in a game about the warfare of our modern age. I am sure that if the moment to moment action of the game had lived up to its potential, Spec Ops would likely be a series still pumping out sequels to this day.
8. Batman: Arkham Origins
While it deservedly sits on a rung lower than the rest of its Batman: Arkham cousins, Batman: Arkham Origins is still an amazing game in many ways and deserves a second look from a lot of gamers now that time has moved on from it. Released in 2013 by Warner Bros. Montreal, many gamers never gave Arkham Origins a fair look, it deserved it simply because Rocksteady, the original creators of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, only served as a creative guide in the development process.
While in many ways the game is a lesser copy and paste of the formula Rocksteady perfected, the risks that the game took to be different largely paid off in many gamers' opinions, with some of the new gadgets and the awesome "detective" sequences as major standouts. The incredible boss fight sequence against Deathstroke, while it does mostly boil down to everyone's least favorite gameplay mechanic in Quick Time Events, is a highlight of the game that all fans of Batman should want to enjoy.
7. Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs so commonly goes on lists of underrated games such as this one that I almost considered pulling it altogether, but at the same time it so rarely gets put on any list of best open world action games, so here it stays. While many of the gameplay elements do get a bit stale and repetitive by the end, there is something still so compelling about the combat in particular that keeps drawing you back in.
A few sections in the game, especially a portion set up like a "fight to the death" tournament, hold the game back from being truly great, but overall the game is much better than it had any business being and I mostly find it to be better than the vast majority of the reviews that were done at the time of its release.
Do yourself a big favor and make sure that this is one Sleeping Dog that you don't let lie.
6. Days Gone
Sometimes a poor release is all that a game really needs to sink it in the eyes of gamers everywhere and that is exactly what happened in the case of Days Gone. After a seemingly endless amount of patches and fixes, much like the zombie hordes the game was trying to be known for, many gamers were simply at their wits end with a significant portion of them returning the game altogether.
Since then, the game has been brought to a much better state, and while the story is pretty "run of the mill" for a game of this genre, there are a few surprises in there, especially near the two-thirds mark or so, that shake things up and begin to get interesting. The highlight of the game has to be trying to take out entire hordes of undead that wash over your whole screen at times and can certainly get the blood pumping, especially the first few times you attempt it.
If you don't mind wading through a few open world tropes and a pretty lifeless first-half story, there is actually a pretty awesome game to be found here, and well worth the sale price, I am sure it's on with so many days gone by.
5. Darksiders 2
I will admit that, for whatever reason, the Darksiders franchise has always had a special place in my heart for being daring enough to take risks and find the perfect genre fit for each of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse that have been showcased thus far. While the original Darksiders was very much a Metroidvania clone, Darksiders 2 shifted gears slightly and took more cues from gameplay elements more akin to Diablo than anything else.
Mixing the third-person perspective with constant looting and equipment upgrades, while also maintaining the atmosphere, charm, and creative puzzle-solving of the original just scratched an itch for me that I didn't know I had and many gamers I have spoken with have quietly agreed. Playing as Death never gets old either, with the voice acting talent in particular shining through with every character and cutscene.
4. Mad Max
Every once in a while, you come across a game that genuinely shocks you with how good it is compared to how good you thought it would be going into it. Mad Max was certainly just such a game for me. I remember picking this game up on sale a few years after its release and being prepared for another Ubisoft clone of fetch quests, tower climbing, and stuff collecting. Don't get me wrong, all of that is still very much present here, just done way more thoughtfully and way more effectively than I ever would have thought.
The combat can certainly be described as a slightly more simplistic take on the Batman: Arkham formula, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I have played plenty of those types of games that are not even close to that level of fluidity and satisfaction. Upgrading your vehicle throughout the campaign remains fun to the end, and always feels necessary as your ability to explore further and further from fueling points increases. Anyone who missed this hidden gem of a title needs to throw it in reverse as soon as they can.
3. Prey
Coming off from a pretty successful IP in Dishonored, Arkane Studios needed to prove that it wasn't just a one-hit wonder in the first-person action genre and so they set their sights on a remake/ successor to a franchise that no one saw coming: Prey. When I saw the initial trailer for this game I remember being pretty excited as I love the Dishonored franchise and couldn't wait to see what Arkane had in store for us.
But then I hate to admit it, but I allowed one negative review of the game to cause me to wait a very long time before I gave this game a chance, and I have to say that I immediately regretted it. The atmosphere is incredible, the music is highly underrated, the horrific entities in the game are designed really well, and the narrative choices in the game are subtly very good too. From the very beginning, this game throws memorable moments after memorable moments your way, and I just wish that more people would find a way to experience them in the future.
2. BioShock 2
While the original BioShock certainly takes the cake when it comes to almost every comparison with its sequel, there are a handful of ways in which BioShock 2 managed to not only be better than its older brother but significantly better. The controls and combat mechanics are worlds better this time around, and the addition of wielding plasmids and weapons at the same time seemed small in the beginning, but by the end, it made some truly amazing combos possible when fending off splicers.
Speaking of fending off splicers, defending the Little Sisters as they do their nasty work is always a ton of fun, especially once you figure out the best ways to use up all those traps and defensive plasmids you've been gathering along the way. The original BioShock is praised for its story, and rightfully so, but BioShock 2's story had a lot of nuance to it that i feel was overlooked simply because it didn't have the "big twist" that many gamers were probably expecting. Simply seeing the world through the eyes of a Little Sister was a moment that actually served to make not only the sequel great, but, in my opinion, made the original game better as well.
1. Titanfall 2
I'm not sure it can really be adequately explained here how much I was blown away by the campaign in particular of Titanfall 2, a game which was created first and foremost for its multiplayer fanbase and very easily could have had minimal effort spent on its campaign or not even had one at all. Imagine my surprise to find a fully fleshed-out story with compelling villains, amazing level design, airtight gameplay, an awesome soundtrack, and some truly emotional moments to boot!
I will admit the very beginning of the game is probably its weakest point and so I nearly stopped playing it altogether, but I am very glad that I stuck with it as it just keeps picking up steam and never lets up until the end. I won't go into any spoilers here but there is one section of the game in particular that stands out in my mind as one of the best levels made for any game, period. It is just that good to me, and you should definitely check it out for yourself if you haven't yet.
