Games you love, but probably didn't get enough sales/attention

[DrunkOnEstus]

Haunting Ground. It's one of my all time favorite games but is so unheard of. Although I have to say that the best underrated game for me would be Rule of Rose. It has one of the most fantastic stories in gaming history and, despite it's really frustrating combat system, is so well done that it's a sin that it doesn't have a larger fanbase. It's even been banned in some countries because of it's macabre story. If there is a god, Rule of Rose would be remade for nextgen consoles.

A friend recommended Rule of Rose to me because I love Atlus games (megaten, persona, odin sphere), and it flew under the radar for me. The prices are rather steep on Amazon, but your recommendation makes it really hard to pass up now. Maybe it'll get a PSN release? Odin Sphere and God Hand did : )

Side note: If anyone's played Odin on a real PS2 and can't stand the frame drops when theres a lot going on screen, the digital PSN version handles it a lot better, emulation or whatever's going on. Much smoother experience.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Alice: Madness Returns. Best level design I've seen in quite a while, aesthetics that stand head and shoulders above the rest. So much going for that game and all people do is whine about how long the levels are.

I enjoyed the first Alice on PC, but the sequel got so universally panned that I kind of subconciously ignored it as a "illigitimate" sequel I guess. Thanks, I'll chack it out.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

I'll throw another one in: Hotel Dusk for the DS. Great story, fun little puzzles, and it really made you feel like the main character as you learned new secrets. I've played it more than once, and if anyone knows of similar titles I would be in your gratitude. People usually say "Try the Nancy Drew games". Uh...no.

 

[Faux Furry]

The Deception series, particularly the second and third games.
The last time that they've got any exposure of any kind that I can recall is the main character of Deception 2 ,Millenia's costume showing up in Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate as an alternate costume for Ayane.

 

[frizzlebyte]

A little real-time-tactics WW2 game called Blitzkrieg. Many hours of my childhood went into that game.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

The Punisher (2005) is an amazing third person shooter. Just listen to the main theme for Christ sake. This is not your typical cash-in game. It's a real game for hardcore gamers and fans of The Punisher

And "Shinobido: Way of the ninja". It is an actual stealth game with ninjas in feudal Japan. AWESOME!

 

[mrdude2010]

World of Goo. That game was awesome. Too many people pirated it, and it wasn't even expensive. Bullshit.

 

[OldDirtyCrusty]

Yay, all my favorites are already mentioned.
Splatterhouse
Tenchu
Punisher
and i want a new Dead to rights.

 

[Something Amyss]

Mirror's Edge got way too much undeserved hate.

Solid reception, good advertising, pretty strong sales.

Yeah, definitely fits here.

My first thought is Skies of Arcadia. It certainly had terrible promotion. It was critically well received but didn't seem to sell very well. Possibly because it was on the Dreamcast.

 

[skywolfblue]

Vanquish Well, to be fair I can see why it wouldn't really be on the radar for a lot of people. No multiplayer, short campaign, terrible story and voice acting. But... OMG 'dat gameplay!

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West I loved this game a whole lot. Beautiful, vibrant environments and a heartwarming story. Sad to see that it didn't do so well.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon. Most people think I'm joking when I say this game is awesome, but I'm not, this game is FANTASTIC.

 

[bafrali]

Rayman Origins. Thank God Ubisoft decided on a sequal despite its low sales. Game is brilliant i tell you, brilliant.

No... It's not... It's really not. It didn't get much attention for a reason. Pretty visuals and smooth platforming can't make up for what is ultimately a game that isn't particularly noteworthy and lacking in content.

Ugh you of all people? Does anyone take you seriously anymore? What is your problem bro? Did ubisoft kill your parents or something? Grow up!

 

[Nightmare-Child]

Vagrant Story, Brave Fencer Musashi, Psychonauts.

 

[lord.jeff]

Viewitful Joe and Stacking, both are awesome.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Beyond Good and Evil, the sales weren't there for the game.

And it's on sale right now and for the rest of the weekend on GOG. OP should get it while he can.

Well...I own a physical copy for the PS2, and the HD remake on 360, as well as the steam version for the PC. Hell, I'll buy the GOG version if Ansel gets the money or it makes Ubisoft wake the hell up a little faster, that's always a worthy cause : )

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Viewitful Joe and Stacking, both are awesome.

God do I love Viewtiful, 1 and 2. It's everything we loved about arcade beat 'em ups refined into perfectly controlled and gracefully aging cartoon style. I just wish Platinum Games was more of the continuation of Clover I thought it would be.

God Hand grew into Mad World (meh), and now they're doing that Metal Gear Rising thing. Vanquish was fun, and I know Capcom owns the rights to Okami, Viewtiful Joe, etc., but I kind of hoped we would see more experimental games in those veins with even less cuffs by a publisher like Capcom.

Of course, they're free to do what makes them happy, but I'll take hand drawn-style art in my video games all day. It just ages so well and stands aside from the "replicating real life" side of development. Okami will look beautiful even when we have VR helmets that transmit the photo-realistic rendering into our retinas. Wow, I'm tired I think.

 

[Imthatguy]

Freedom Fighters as far as 3rd person shooters go its pretty bland but it just drives its hooks in when you play it I don't really know how or why

 

[OtherSideofSky]

Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure.

I love that game so much and it used the DS so well and so inventively, but people just didn't go out and buy it. Or talk about it at all, really.

 

[Matt King]

i almost don't want to say it because i whore myself out for this game enough as it is

(it's lost kingdoms for the gamecube)

 

[VeryOddGamer]

Rayman Origins. Thank God Ubisoft decided on a sequal despite its low sales. Game is brilliant i tell you, brilliant.

No... It's not... It's really not. It didn't get much attention for a reason. Pretty visuals and smooth platforming can't make up for what is ultimately a game that isn't particularly noteworthy and lacking in content.

Ugh you of all people? Does anyone take you seriously anymore? What is your problem bro? Did ubisoft kill your parents or something? Grow up!

You shouldn't have done that. You have awakened The Great Beast and it thirsts for your blood. Or it will baffle and entertain you with insane arguments.