That underrated, forgotten gem of a game.

[JasonKaotic]

Lost Odyssey. That game is just... wow. It's ridiculous that's it's so overlooked.
If you have an Xbox 360 and you like Final Fantasy, please, please buy this game. It deserves so much more attention. It's like £5 preowned.
Hironobu Sakaguchi wrote the story and Nobuo Uematsu made the soundtrack. That is all you need to know.

 

[217not237]

El Shaddai and Mister Mosquito were amazingly bizarre.

 

[Leemaster777]

I love any opportunity to pimp out Freedom Force:

Love this game, it's a simply fantastic top-down tactical RPG. It's like the entire Silver Age of comic books contained in a single game. Great characters, great powers, great gameplay, and just a damn good time.

Although I wish that the sequel hadn't ended on such a ****-tease cliffhanger. I mean, I'm glad Irrational went on to make Bioshock and everything, but dammit, I want to know how the Freedom Force story ends!

 

[JackandTom]

James Bond Everything or Nothing

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f8/Everything_or_Nothing.jpg

I guess people just think it's a movie tie in or something. It isn't, but it's the only reason I can think of. It had great graphics, great gameplay, an amazing co-op campaign, a brilliant voice cast and WILLEM DAFOE!

 

[mrhateful]

Temple of Elemental Evil


Sure it was buggy initially, but thanks to community patches, it now works as intended

Okay, is this nostalgia talking or did you seriously think this game is good.

I just brought this game like 1 week ago and I think it must be the most disappointing game I've played so far.

First of let me just say I played Planescape: torment and Baldurs gate 1&2 and love them both to death.

But TOEE is nothing like those the game has no story awful early gameplay(I got level 2) plus the music makes me want to pull my ears out.

Also it cheats you by making you think you can play with premade characters (you cant) thing is you need to make sure your stats rolls are high enough so you dont die to the very first frogs.

What I will stay is the turn based dnd combat is very awesome for seasoned dnd player such as myself but dying over and over the first levels having to go all the way back to town to heal up makes it near unplayable in my opinion.

I think if the game started at level 3-4(like NWN2) so that you have heal spells and your wizard doesn't start at 4 hp then I could see this being a fun game but otherwise no just no.

Normally I except RPG games being boring and awful the first 2-3 hours but since this isn't a RPG then what's the point. Using dnd ruleset and not put in RPG elements is like playing an FPS with the mouse disabled.

What ? ToEE has much better combat then all those other RtwP D&D games you mentioned (BG1/2,PST, NWN 1/2) Lets face it, combat is a pretty important part of most all RPGs, and ToEE is right up there with the Gold Box games, Dark Sun and Knights of the Chalice for best combat in a D&D based game. Creating your whole party from scratch is great and welcomed in a game which is more about the combat and dungeon crawling, as opposed to one being more story focused. And I think you mean 'story elements', not RPG elements, btw. Have you ever played the original ToEE module by Gary Gygax ? (or alot of the early D&D modules) They were about dungeon crawling/adventuring and fun encounters, not these intricate stories and long winded dialogs. Not that I dislike a game like PST, as it is a great story focused RPG, but I def can appreciate a more tactical/combat focused D&D romp also, IF the combat is well done. (which it is in ToEE)



Your other complaints just sound like you were softened up too much by easier games. ToEE combat isn't that hard once you get used to the system a little. Roll yourself a decent party (obviously), stick with it and don't give up so easily. Of course if you're an "all about the story" type player, this game isn't for you, and you would of known if you had done your research.

This music makes you want to pull your ears out ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MOvDv_Gr_o&feature=relmfu

Okay first of lets get something clear the game is not hard, its drawn out. I have played lots of RPG games to know that once you get high enough level the game starts becoming a lot easier the thing is, the first few levels(the ones I played) was all about going in wishing the mobs didn't hit my fighter for 8 out of his 12 hp, or if the mob was unfair wishing it would miss my wizard 2-3 times. If they did load, try again or if I killed the group(losing all hp in the process), go all the way back to town heal up then try again. Or as I am guessing you might have done sit for 1-2 hours rerolling stats until the game is basically on killing spree mode. So don't give me this "the game was too hard for you crap" because its drawn out and dull but certainly not hard.

And yes the music is awful I actually want to play more of it just to see if it gets better but just thinking of that music is enough to hold me back.

 

[EmperorZoltan]

Dark Cloud 1 & 2; absolutely LOVED the weapon levelling system in these games, sure it could be a little grindy and the RNG for good crystal upgrades could be occasionally punishing, but the games were tons of fun.

Level 5 unfortunately made nothing I wanted to play this console generation...

 

[ShinyCharizard]

I'd also suggest the Yakuza series. I don't know if they are particularly under-rated but The fighting system and the stories of those games are just so damn enjoyable. I highly recommend picking those games up if you get a chance.

 

[Spydercake]

I'll add in the Corpse Party series for the Psp
Though with more LPers playing it now, it will hopefully get the attention it deserves.

 

[unstabLized]

I'll toss in Emperor: Battle for Dune.

 

[Smolderin]

Wow, I can't believe I will be the first to mention this! Does no one remember Goblin Commander?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oCjCdUAVdE

This game is terribly underrated and terribly under appreciated. It is an example of a console RTS done right. I have such fond memories of this game and I played it again just recently and I still think it holds up quite nicely. If your an RTS fan, do give this a try.

 

[otakon17]

Azure Dreams on the PS1. It was a roguelike where you played a young man delving a dungeon with a summoned creature at your command. I forget most of the details but for some reason I loved the art style and gameplay. Even if I did end up getting most of my equipment destroyed. There were items that kept that from happening though. Gold items wouldn't degrade but had weak attack power while Diamond items wouldn't break or degrade but were extremely rare. I never did beat it...

 

[Frezzato]

DS:

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex:
A GOOD anime based game? What the fuck, am I right?
While not the best game in the world, the simple fact that this game is not total shit (SEE: GitS on the PSP) and has a GREAT 4 player multi-player mode with a decent story, great graphics, and controls that actually work, some really good weapons and combat, this is one of my favorite anime based games out there.


Oni

Ghost in the Shell had this great detail in the multiplayer. There was this tall, spindly robot that had wheels for feet and it was always shaking up top. That was meant to show that the robot was always auto-adjusting as if it had some sort of fly-by-wire stabilization system. Such a small, micro detail that only Masamune Shirow could pull off, and that only I would care about.

And Oni for PS2. I bought that used and then my BC PS3 died. I remember originally thinking how ridiculous it was that you couldn't remap the controls. Every time I got into a fist fight I would end up staring at the ceiling. But that game was stylish, and the transition from guns to fisticuffs was very cool. It felt more like a Ghost in the Shell game than the actual GiTS game. The coolest part was that it was made by Bungie.

Not to sound ironic, but I think a truly overlooked game was the single player campaign for Halo: Combat Evolved. None of my friends had finished the actual game because they were too concerned with multiplayer deathmatch.

 

[Dfskelleton]

WALL OF TEXT AHOY!

Spoiler

Clock Tower is one of those games that sounds really stupid in concept, but is freaking awesome when you play it.
Imagine being thrust into the role of a victim in a slasher movie, except you're not a total idiot. When the killer shows up, you can't fight him; you have to run off and hide/find a temporary way to disable him, or you're doomed to a new existence in two pieces.
However, while your protagonist is fairly intelligent (by slasher standards), the serial killer (known only as 'Scissorman') is also very clever. Despite not being very fast, he's good at finding ways to ambush you, ranging from jumping off the stairs, or hiding in places where you'd normally find plot-essential items or NPCs. Also, while there are a lot of hiding spots, only a few are actually good. While you can hide under a bed or a bench, there's a good chance that Scissorman will suspect something and skewer you to your hiding spot. Using the same hiding spot repeatedly will result in the same outcome.
While the PS1 era graphics are a little weird for the characters, Scissorman has actually become creepier with age. His twitchy animation and unclear features make him more disturbing, and when he chases you, he loudly clashes his weapon of choice (if you haven't guessed, a giant pair of scissors), producing a horrible metallic clanging sound. His theme song is also sure to inspire panic. Sure, the voice acting is cheesy (it's a PS1 era horror game), and some of the characters are kind of stereotypical, but the atmosphere, music, and antagonist are all awesome.
Unfortunately, the series was driven into the ground by horrible sequels. Clock Tower 2 had some good ideas, but ended up being funnier than scary. Clock Tower 3 is an absolute riot only because of how ridiculous it is. Scissorman has shifted from being a menacing killer to an androgynous Soul Calibur villain. Don't even get me started on Lord Burroughs...
The biggest problem with Clock Tower is finding a reasonably priced copy anymore. But if you can manage to play it... you're in for a treat. Especially around this time of the year.

Captcha was: ladies, first. How chivalrous of you, Captcha... even though I'm a man...

 

[the_great_cessation]

Otogi: Myth of Demons -A beautiful and unique action game that captures both the thrilling, combo based action of modern sword fighting games and blends them with an uniquely tranquil take on the genre through it's dark-fantasy aesthetics blended with East-Asian mythology.

 

[Amaury_games]

Tetris Attack, for the SNES.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U_8Xp2M6XJg/UAnbyhAIVwI/AAAAAAAAAx4/sWMApSIxXZ4/s1600/Tetris-Attack+capa.jpg

I love this game and even have a little history about how I got interested in it, but never found someone with the same passion for the game. I wish people knew about it more.

 

[themind]

Beyond Good and Evil a forgotten, underrated gem? Really? You know I'm not sure what to say to that! Just... no! That's like saying Okami is underrated and forgotten. I mean yeah it wasn't the biggest seller out there but it was far, far from being underrated, or forgotten.

Underrated in the sense that it wasn't given enough attention, I suppose under-the-radar is a more appropriate way to describe the game. As for it not being forgotten, well it has to be known in the first place to be forgotten, and I am the only person in my group of friends who owned a PS2 and BG&E. I suggested it to the OP because if he hasn't played it, it's worth a shot.

 

[Cat Cloud]

Any Etrian Odyssey game

Klonola- or the first GBA one, at least. Great puzzels, great animation for the system.

Little King's Story- the Wii one, it was such a well put together world and story...

Lost in Blue- for the DS. I don't know, I think this game is a lot more fun than people give it credit for. Reviewers complain about shaking trees all the time (and how repetitive the game can be), but to be honest, you can still beat the game if you never even touch a tree.

I kinda want to add The World Ends With You, since few people I know have played the game...

Half Minute Hero- for the PSP. It's funny and has great gameplay.

Hatoful Pigeon- parody, no other explanation needed.

 

[Rad Party God]

Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl/Call of Pripyat (Clear Sky never existed).

Quite popular around the master race of PC gaming, but the game's still quite obscure and underrated, thanks to great extent by it's "buggy" nature (CoP isn't that buggy IMHO, in fact, it's way more stable than your typical Bethesda RPG). This game is way shorter than I'd like it to be, simply because it's wonderful. It makes you think and plan ahead of your next move, you can't pick up too many items or carry too many guns because of their weight and you aren't freaking Master Chief with regenerative health.

Maybe not underrated, but still kinda obscure.

Metro 2033.

Made by most of the same team that made Stalker, both games share a lot of similarities each other and although way more linear than Stalker, it still was gloomy, stark and mature, also it's still used as a great graphical benchmark for PC gaming. It looked that good.

Like Stalker, maybe not underrated, but still a forgotten gem.

 

[Drakmorg]

I'm gonna go with Threads of Fate on this one.

It's most likely just nostalgia talking though. I have not played the game in years, and as such I'm actually having a difficult time remembering why I enjoyed it so much. I just remember having quite a bit of fun with it back when I actually owned a PS1. I even still have the original disk, despite it having long since become useless for me since I don't own the system to play it on...