Overlooked Gems [played in] 2008?

[Kelegacy]

Any titles you were surprised to enjoy that you played in 2008? Something that surpassed your expectations? Purchased cheap, got bad reviews or took a chance and found a gem? Doesn’t have to have been released this year, either, just played by yourself for the first time. For the record, my 2007 surprises were Condemned, GUN and The Darkness.

This year had some gems too. My two favorites:

Dark Sector – my first surprise of the year, and one of my favorite titles all around. Amazing action game, definitely recommended. Can be found in the bargain bin almost anywhere for $20 or less.

Alone in the Dark – Got hammered by reviews and gamers alike, I found it immensely enjoyable. The wonky controls and some bugs hurt the game, but I still think it’s one of my favorite titles of the year. Some really great ideas in this gem. I wish there were MORE games like this (with a bit more polish). Bought it for $9.90 at GoGamer, but to me it’s worth double or triple that.

What are your 2008 overlooked diamonds in the rough?

[Gorvi]

Wild ARMs XF: Absolutely, positively, without a doubt one of the best (if not the best) Strategy RPGs to come out since Final Fantasy Tactics. The battles all require a good bit of real strategy (not just overpowering enemies) and the classes are all very much unique (though they don't level as fast as I'd like). The game is very linear, but in this kind of game, that's to be expected. There's plenty to play as the game is easily over 60 hours long and the story holds up very well throughout. Anyone who owns a PSP and enjoys the genre owes themselves to play the game. The amazing soundtrack doesn't hurt, as well as having both a competant English voice cast as well as the full Japanese voice track.

The game reviewed horribly but I'm convinced that if it had been called Final Fantasy XF it would have actually gotten the attention and the reviews that it deserved.

[Hexxagonal]

Viking Battle of Asgard - If you liked Spartan Total Warrior... you may like this game. Sadly, the open world brings it down.

I also second Dark Sector.

[Kelegacy]

Viking Battle of Asgard - If you liked Spartan Total Warrior... you may like this game. Sadly, the open world brings it down.

I also second Dark Sector.

I second Viking. That was part of my list at first but I removed it. It was a great game, but got a wee bit repetitive towards the end. I mean, how many mills and towers do I need to liberate? The missions didn't have very much spice and the same missions were repeated on each island for the most part.

Still, good game that I enjoyed throughout.

[frederec]

Wild ARMs XF: Absolutely, positively, without a doubt one of the best (if not the best) Strategy RPGs to come out since Final Fantasy Tactics. The battles all require a good bit of real strategy (not just overpowering enemies) and the classes are all very much unique (though they don't level as fast as I'd like). The game is very linear, but in this kind of game, that's to be expected. There's plenty to play as the game is easily over 60 hours long and the story holds up very well throughout. Anyone who owns a PSP and enjoys the genre owes themselves to play the game. The amazing soundtrack doesn't hurt, as well as having both a competant English voice cast as well as the full Japanese voice track.

The game reviewed horribly but I'm convinced that if it had been called Final Fantasy XF it would have actually gotten the attention and the reviews that it deserved.

I think you're way too forgiving for that game. I think there just wasn't enough meat to it to pull me in. Besides, since it was more or less competing against Final Fantasy Tactics, Disgaea, and Jeanne d'Arc on the PSP, it just couldn't come close in my eyes.

For me though, the surprise has been Dokapon Kingdom. I got it partly because it was Atlus, and at first it seemed a little funky. But it is surprisingly addictive. All it really is is an RPG board game, and it somehow works.

[Gorvi]

I think you're way too forgiving for that game. I think there just wasn't enough meat to it to pull me in. Besides, since it was more or less competing against Final Fantasy Tactics, Disgaea, and Jeanne d'Arc on the PSP, it just couldn't come close in my eyes.
How far did you get? If you're looking for a lot of charcter customization it's not going to be there, the class progression is far too slow (and that is a flaw with the game), but the actual battles were far more interesting (to me) than any game in the genre in quite a while. The objectives were rarely just "kill all the other guys". They may have led to that in a way, but they changed things up quite a bit in how you went about it and the obstacles that were thrown in your path.

[frederec]

How far did you get? If you're looking for a lot of charcter customization it's not going to be there, the class progression is far too slow (and that is a flaw with the game), but the actual battles were far more interesting (to me) than any game in the genre in quite a while. The objectives were rarely just "kill all the other guys". They may have led to that in a way, but they changed things up quite a bit in how you went about it and the obstacles that were thrown in your path.

I didn't get that far, I admit. And some of the battles did get a little interesting. But for me a lot of the appeal in these types of games is the character progression, and like you say, it was waaaay too slow. That was largely what killed it for me.

[Gorvi]

I didn't get that far, I admit. And some of the battles did get a little interesting. But for me a lot of the appeal in these types of games is the character progression, and like you say, it was waaaay too slow. That was largely what killed it for me.
Ahh, ok. Yeah, if you're looking for the progression like you get in a Disgaea, it's nowhere near that. I'd just played through the first 2 Disgaea games in the past year, though, and had just started the 3rd, and I was really glad to be playing something with an entirely different focus. It completely tore me away from Disgaea 3, which I still need to go back to. A mix of the two would be perfect, with Disgaea's character progression and WAXF's battle design.

[Psykoboy2]

Overlord

And this year: I'm very surprised with Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows

[frederec]

Ahh, ok. Yeah, if you're looking for the progression like you get in a Disgaea, it's nowhere near that. I'd just played through the first 2 Disgaea games in the past year, though, and had just started the 3rd, and I was really glad to be playing something with an entirely different focus. It completely tore me away from Disgaea 3, which I still need to go back to. A mix of the two would be perfect, with Disgaea's character progression and WAXF's battle design.

I wouldn't even quite go that far. I think the progression just needed to be a bit faster. I think it was faster on the core Wild Arms games. I think the game itself was just a little too slow paced. After all, I enjoyed the hell out of Jeanne d'Arc, and you could make the argument that it had less customization than either Disgaea, Final Fantasy Tactics, or Wild Arms XF.

[Gorvi]

I wouldn't even quite go that far. I think the progression just needed to be a bit faster. I think it was faster on the core Wild Arms games. I think the game itself was just a little too slow paced. After all, I enjoyed the hell out of Jeanne d'Arc, and you could make the argument that it had less customization than either Disgaea, Final Fantasy Tactics, or Wild Arms XF.
Very true. You couldn't really grind either, it was too slow. That was really my main complaint with the game, but it didn't bother me all that much. The change from other games in the genre really grabbed me, I guess.

[Kelegacy]

Overlord

And this year: I'm very surprised with Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows

I have Overlord, have like an hour or so invested. Keep meaning to get back to it.

[crazyD]

De Blob, a game that had a bit of hype before release, then I never heard about again. I don't think it is at bargain prices yet, but probably will be soon. A really fun action platformer with some unique mechanics.

Blast Works, which I never really heard about at all before release, and barely afterwards. Katamari meets shmup, and a lot of fun to play, especially co-op. I haven't had the time to get into the user generated content, but I hear there is some great stuff available.

I am positive there are others, but not anything I can think of off the top of my head.

I also have Overlord, but just can't get into it. I've tried picking it up several times, but it doesn't click with me.

[bean]

King's Bounty - This is a "Heroes of Might & Magic" game but Heroes actually copied King's Bounty originally, so don't get caught calling them an imposter. Clever writing and an interesting character system elevate what would otherwise be just another Heroes title into something great.

I'm not sure how over-looked these are as they are released recently, but they have exceeded my expectations. I need a little more time to find out if the market has responded to them or not:

Tales of Vesparia - This is the best next-gen RPG I have played to date. The story and battle system are both excellent. The demo left me with a poor impression, but I immediately bought the full game after playing the rental for 3 hours. It is outstanding.

Spiderman: Web of Shadows - I saw them showing off the new battle system in trailers, but after having played this, I think this is the Spiderman game that the other Spiderman games helped to create. There is an evolution to the combat in this game so that has you jumping from enemy to enemy, juggling them in the air or fighting them on the sides of buildings that just makes the game FEEL like you are playing Spider-man. They've also simplified movement so that you can navigate the game world easily and no longer have moments of frustration in which you are thinking that Spiderman would never have this much trouble getting to the top of a building. The addition of a power-meter for special moves or to call for the assistance of other heroes (or villains) and the choice to play the game as a virtuous Spiderman or a malevolent antihero succumbing to the power of the alien symbiote suit really enhance the game and it's replayability.

Otherwise, the big winners have all been really well known titles for me this year. . . Warhammer Online, Fable 2, Fallout 3, and GoW 2. I'm hoping that Mirror's Edge and The Last Remnant will also deliver on their promise.

[Kelegacy]

King's Bounty - This is a "Heroes of Might & Magic" game but Heroes actually copied King's Bounty originally, so don't get caught calling them an imposter. Clever writing and an interesting character system elevate what would otherwise be just another Heroes title into something great.

I'm not sure how over-looked these are as they are released recently, but they have exceeded my expectations. I need a little more time to find out if the market has responded to them or not:

Tales of Vesparia - This is the best next-gen RPG I have played to date. The story and battle system are both excellent. The demo left me with a poor impression, but I immediately bought the full game after playing the rental for 3 hours. It is outstanding.

Spiderman: Web of Shadows - I saw them showing off the new battle system in trailers, but after having played this, I think this is the Spiderman game that the other Spiderman games helped to create. There is an evolution to the combat in this game so that has you jumping from enemy to enemy, juggling them in the air or fighting them on the sides of buildings that just makes the game FEEL like you are playing Spider-man. They've also simplified movement so that you can navigate the game world easily and no longer have moments of frustration in which you are thinking that Spiderman would never have this much trouble getting to the top of a building. The addition of a power-meter for special moves or to call for the assistance of other heroes (or villains) and the choice to play the game as a virtuous Spiderman or a malevolent antihero succumbing to the power of the alien symbiote suit really enhance the game and it's replayability.

Otherwise, the big winners have all been really well known titles for me this year. . . Warhammer Online, Fable 2, Fallout 3, and GoW 2. I'm hoping that Mirror's Edge and The Last Remnant will also deliver on their promise.

Did you preorder The Last Remnant through Amazon for their $40 deal? I did yesterday, hope it's good too.

I'm going to ask for Vesperia for Xmas or pick it up cheap around then. I'm in need of a JRPG with a fun battle system, and the Tales series always delivers on that. I'd also like to get Infinite Undiscovery, despite the mixed reviews.

[Restlessavenger]

My votes would have to go to Overlord as well as Space Invaders Extreme. I didn't expect much from that game, but what a great game it turned out to be. For me the gem of the year would have to be The Club.

I went into the game without a lot of expectations and found a unique fun to play shooter that changed the way I looked at the genre. The combo system was more than a little addictive, driving me to replay races to shave a couple of seconds of my laps or to increase my multiplier a few more points. It really was a racing game with guns, taking the Kudos system from PGR and added a shiny coat of shoot'em up violence.

[Wedge]

Alone in the Dark
Not a great game, no. But it did not deserve the slaughter it got. Has some great ideas tucked in there, though mostly poorly executed. If you are the kind of gamer that can play a game that is mediocre but has some fresh ideas you want to see, then this game is recommended. I played it, and I am glad I did.

[JayK47]

Dark Sector – my first surprise of the year, and one of my favorite titles all around. Amazing action game, definitely recommended. Can be found in the bargain bin almost anywhere for $20 or less.

Alone in the Dark – Got hammered by reviews and gamers alike, I found it immensely enjoyable. The wonky controls and some bugs hurt the game, but I still think it’s one of my favorite titles of the year. Some really great ideas in this gem. I wish there were MORE games like this (with a bit more polish). Bought it for $9.90 at GoGamer, but to me it’s worth double or triple that.

I actually picked these two up due to how cheap they are/were. I have yet to play them however, because I am overwhelmed at the moment with all of the so called "heavy hitters". Once the dust settles, I do intend to play them. However, too often cheap games like these just collect dust because I never actually get around to playing them. There always seems to be a great game around the corner, and I never get to the "average" games. So even though I may get them for cheap, what is the point if I never actually play them?

[Hyperglide]

I really shouldn't be saying this as I haven't played the game. I mean I WANT too and will get it eventually (only cause I already got way to many high quality games I still gotta finish). But GRID doesn't get any love it seems. Maybe this forum is just against racing but this game got high praise from every reviewer and might get racing game of the year (over BO: Paradise?).

I'll probably get it on a price drop on eBay next year in January or February when all the crap games come out.

[KingGorilla]

I did not dig deep into the backlog. I suppose maybe The Witcher, but it was the Enhanced Edition which was released this year.

I could put Uncharted into the disappointment thread.

Does Ratchet and Clank Future Tools count for this thread? Fun platforming, deep action elements, fun and interesting weapons. It is also really funny.

[bean]

Did you preorder The Last Remnant through Amazon for their $40 deal? I did yesterday, hope it's good too.
I've agonized over this. . . the fact that their ship date is 5 days later than the street date bugs me, and I have to wait for shipping. I'm not considering paying an extra $20 just to get the game a week early though (not that rich or game crazy about this particular game), but I am considering getting it through Gamefly first (and getting it fast by manipulating my queue, it's been on there for ages so I'm assured a copy if I have an open slot and no other games that are released yet in my queue) and then having the option to buy it from them.

[Kelegacy]

Does Ratchet and Clank Future Tools count for this thread? Fun platforming, deep action elements, fun and interesting weapons. It is also really funny.

Pretty much any game that you PLAYED in 2008 counts. The title of the thread is misleading but I couldn't think of anything that really fit my thoughts on the subject. More like: I played such-and-such this year and loved it. It could be something from last gen, last year, or it could be something released this week.

When I bought GUN during Black Friday at Best Buy last year for $5 (released 2005), I wasn't expecting much. Instead, I played that game from beginning to end and loved every second of it. I was very surprised. Same went for The Darkness, which I picked up cheap on the same day. The Darkness was perhaps my favorite game of last year.

When I traded with Halo 32 for Dark Sector this year, I thought I was getting a mediocre game that I could play someday for achievement points. I put the game in my 360 and it didn't come out until I beat it. I still need to go back and beat it on the most difficult mode, but it was really a fun time. Like a hybrid of Gears and some other action titles. The glaive really made the game more enjoyable for me. I love decapitations.

[KamaItachi]

The World Ends With You.

I know it got a lot of love on EVAV, but I really wasn't that interested in the game or my DS in general. I picked it up cheapish, at the airport at the start of my holiday, but was a bit cynical about the whole thing. I think I played that damn game non-stop for the whole 3 weeks, much to the annoyance of my family.

[jacob.armitage]

Wild ARMs XF: ...

i had so much fun with this title, it still pulls some of my weekly gaming time.

[Evil Avnovice]

Etrian Odyssey II, Helix, Groovin' Blocks.

[thomas]

Overclocked: A History of Violence
Fantasy Wars
King's Bounty
Mount&Blade

All great games.

[Kelegacy]

I forgot, I purchased Stranglehold this year on sale. Great title, actually surprised me. I was "meh" with the demo but really liked the full game.

[Ancalagon]

Warhammer: Dark Crusade

Its quite a different beast to the strategy games I'm used to, such as Supreme Commander and C&C Generals.

Strangely enough, due to life intervening, such as the release of Fallout 3, a friend of mine getting married, work and NaNoWriMo (dont ask), I've got far in the Space Marines campaign, but not finished it, nor played as any other race except briefly playing as the Imperial Guard in Winter Assault. Love those space marines, nothing quite like genetically engineered, fanatically devoted, highly trained, heavily armored marines equipped with heavy weapons.

[Virtual Machine]

write me down for:

Dark Sector - The storyline wasn't worth talking about, but the level design was an absolute blast, and it was one amazing looking game.

Viking: Battle for Asgard - Loved the art style of the game (Fable meets Conan) and actually really enjoyed the open (but not too open) world design.

Golden Axe: Beast Rider - KIDDING!

[Xydarc]

The Last Guy: A fun, challenging "old school arcade" type game, imo. It does get a lil repetitious, but I've forgotten how many times I'd say to myself "just gotta save one more citizen..."

[Psykoboy2]

The Last Guy: A fun, challenging "old school arcade" type game, imo. It does get a lil repetitious, but I've forgotten how many times I'd say to myself "just gotta save one more citizen..."

Can you buy that now? Last I'd seen it was still a demo.

[biosc1]

Can you buy that now? Last I'd seen it was still a demo.

In Canada you can, so I'm assuming yes?


I'll get a lot of flack for this one, but Kane & Lynch (360) is one game I truly enjoyed this year for it's co-op splitscreen goodness. I'm not commenting on it's single player, but two player couch gaming is grand.

Also, another bump for King's Bounty.

[Psykoboy2]

I'll get a lot of flack for this one, but Kane & Lynch (360) is one game I truly enjoyed this year for it's co-op splitscreen goodness. I'm not commenting on it's single player, but two player couch gaming is grand.

You won't catch shit from me on that one. Might have been suck on the gameplay section and looks, but I've heard nothing but good things with the story it delivered.

[Squidbot]

After seeing Spiderman: Web of shadows mentioned in this thread I picked up a copy at work. The most Spidey Spidey game. Liking it a lot.

[DeathtollWRX]

I agree on Dark Sector. It's a good game that was way overlooked. It's a solid 8 out of 10 but could have been better although it's still one of the better third person shooters out there.

[Virtual Machine]

Kane and Lynch was actually one of my favorite games of last year. I make no apologies.

[biosc1]

After seeing Spiderman: Web of shadows mentioned in this thread I picked up a copy at work. The most Spidey Spidey game. Liking it a lot.

So...this isn't in-game footage?

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm176/andlf/gravity.gif

[Psykoboy2]

For a split second at the end, it looks like he's waving at me with his right hand.

[JayVe]

Overlooked games I very much enjoyed this year:

Overlord
Conan
Battalion Wars II

[biosc1]

Conan


I very much enjoyed Conan. A nice romp with a different sort of graphical style that was well done (in my opinion). Of course, only enjoyable while not played on the hardest difficulty.

[JayVe]

I very much enjoyed Conan. A nice romp with a different sort of graphical style that was well done (in my opinion). Of course, only enjoyable while not played on the hardest difficulty.

Yeah. Conan got scathing reviews if I remember correctly, but it did a LOT of things right. The voice acting was great, and it really captured a lot of my imagination from the books.

Oh, Put Bionic Commando: Rearmed on my list of favorites for this year. Loves me some co-op grappling-hook action game!

[Mortis]

Another vote for Dark Sector, it had some great visuals and solid gameplay.

[Kelegacy]

Overlooked games I very much enjoyed this year:

Overlord
Conan
Battalion Wars II

I want to grab Conan here shortly. I actually have been wanting to buy it for awhile, and Gamefly sells it used for $15, but I know I can get it cheaper. Best Buy was selling it for $10 apparently, but I haven't been able to get there to see if my store has a bargain bin and dropped the price. I have a $5 coupon in rewards points, need to use it before next month. So even if I score it for $15 new after coupon at Best Buy, I'll be happy.

I wonder why Dark Sector did so badly. It had tons of magazine advertisements for like a year prior to release.

[Xydarc]

Can you buy that now? Last I'd seen it was still a demo.
It's available on PSN for $9.99.

All this Dark Sector love is making me wonder what I missed. I'll have to see if there's a demo on PSN.

[JayVe]

All this Dark Sector love is making me wonder what I missed. I'll have to see if there's a demo on PSN.

There is a demo on PSN. It is quite good. I did get stuck for a long time after I killed a bunch of enemies and couldn't figure out where to go next. Walked back and forth for 10 min or so trying to open doors that wouldn't open. Also loved/hated the boss battle. It was epic, and I was sure there was some clever way of killing him... like destroying all the pillars to make the roof fall. In the end, it wasn't anything nearly as cool.

Even though the control scheme is largely a RE4/gears style, I actually preferred the controls and motion of Dark Sector.

Oh, and you actually use the motion controls of the SIXAXIS to guide the glaive. It works, and feels great.

[Kelegacy]

Yeah. Conan got scathing reviews if I remember correctly, but it did a LOT of things right. The voice acting was great, and it really captured a lot of my imagination from the books.

Oh, Put Bionic Commando: Rearmed on my list of favorites for this year. Loves me some co-op grappling-hook action game!

Bionic Commando was a surprise to me. I never finished the original (game was tough!) but beat the remake and loved the thing. Last level took me 2 tries, but I did it.

[jacob.armitage]

Yeah. Conan got scathing reviews if I remember correctly, but it did a LOT of things right. The voice acting was great, and it really captured a lot of my imagination from the books.

Oh, Put Bionic Commando: Rearmed on my list of favorites for this year. Loves me some co-op grappling-hook action game!

i have yet to play Bionic Commando in co-op. It was an excellent title, i have not finished it yet though. i really enjoyed the original Nes title, but the gameboy one was always my favorite.

[Widgetcraft]

Armored Core 4: This is the first game I've played in the franchise, and I was instantly hooked on it. It seems to get a lot of hate, but I don't know why; flying around as an agile mech and blowing shit up seems like a no-brainer.

Beyond Good & Evil: Finally found an XBOX copy of this game at a local games store. I really enjoyed it, everything about it was excellent from the style, to the voice acting. I'm really enthused by the prospect of a sequel.

[Purple Santa]

The World Ends With You.

I know it got a lot of love on EVAV, but I really wasn't that interested in the game or my DS in general. I picked it up cheapish, at the airport at the start of my holiday, but was a bit cynical about the whole thing. I think I played that damn game non-stop for the whole 3 weeks, much to the annoyance of my family.

I played this game when it came out which was just before GTA IV came out. The game kept me from playing GTA IV until I had to finish TWEWY. We certainly did give this a lot of love over at EvAv. We tried to convince anyone who had a DS to try the game. So far that is my choice for GOTY.

[Squidbot]

Most un Spidey Spidey clip :D

Conan the console game was fantastic, I think I probably enjoyed that more than the MMO.

[Virtual Machine]

Conan the console game was fantastic, I think I probably enjoyed that more than the MMO.

HUGE fan of Conan here. Though i also played a fair chunk of the mmo and feel that's been getting a bum rap as well.

I've also read all of Howard's original stories, the Dark Horse comic books, and a lot of the pastiche stuff, and regularly play the Conan pen n paper RPG - so yeah... hardcore.

[JayVe]

I'm gonna go pick up Viking based on a few comments in this thread. How does Viking compare to Conan?

[Virtual Machine]

It's a different beast. The gore factor is certainly there, but the gameplay is more "Fable 1" than "God of War". It's more open world exploration than out and out hack n slash, but the three islands you visit are not huge or anything. It's just a unique game that really kind of sets itself apart, and you're either going to love it or hate it.

The second map was absolutely ridiculous in it's awesomeness though - the siege on the first large area was a sight to behold, and one of those transcendent moments for me. The game is not without it's flaws (the sound is terrible - though i heard a story that the game was pressed with unfinished audio), but what's good far outstrips what's bad.

[H.Bogard]

King's Bounty
Old school PC RPG with a GameRankings average of 86% (http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/939197.asp?q=kings%20bounty)

[ShortRound]

So...this isn't in-game footage?

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm176/andlf/gravity.gif

No that's Squidbot after a couple of bottles of Wine.

He always gets the Spidy costume out when he's pissed.

[Squidbot]

HUGE fan of Conan here. Though i also played a fair chunk of the mmo and feel that's been getting a bum rap as well.

I've also read all of Howard's original stories, the Dark Horse comic books, and a lot of the pastiche stuff, and regularly play the Conan pen n paper RPG - so yeah... hardcore.

I'm also a hardcore Conan fan, and I thought AoC had a lot of potential which it just failed to deliver upon. It had some great moments, I bounced like an excitable child when I got to meet King Conan, but the rest of the game was just far too unfinished outside of Tortage.

No that's Squidbot after a couple of bottles of Wine.

He always gets the Spidy costume out when he's pissed.

I am your friendly neighbourhood Squidman.

[Virtual Machine]

I'm also a hardcore Conan fan, and I thought AoC had a lot of potential which it just failed to deliver upon. It had some great moments, I bounced like an excitable child when I got to meet King Conan, but the rest of the game was just far too unfinished outside of Tortage.
.

Have you taken a look lately? There's been a fair chunk of gear and mid-level content added. Cultural armor, more unique crafted equipment etc. The PVP system has also been tweaked, and the whole murderer/consequences system is apparently in. It's all evolving into what looks like a robust and pretty unique MMO. I'l probably reactivate my account when the DX10 version update drops.

[Squidbot]

I'll give it another couple of months and perhaps take another look. Gaudager leaving just seemed to much like a death knell.

[Wilkz07]

Viking Battle of Asgard - If you liked Spartan Total Warrior... you may like this game. Sadly, the open world brings it down.

I also second Dark Sector.

my vote for Viking, hack'n'slash but fun.

I've been addicted to Spiderman Web of Shadows. I don't think it was well recieved as its 'just another spidey game'. Open world game with missions and allies you pick up along the way consisting of heroes and villians. 2 'career paths' to choose from Black Suit or Red Suit- choices affect ally status and story progression. And the coolest thing is that you need to be near buildings in order to webswing. no more out in the open where is the web sticking to nonsense. Spidey WoS gets my vote for overlooked game.

[Superman's Dead]

Viking was good; I got around my dislike for the music by playing Muse through my 360. =)

A great game I haven't played until 2008...hmmm...Freespace 2. Picked it up for three dollars at a goodwill (even though its free, I know) and was kinda awed. I need to pick that back up.

[Talon]

I played this game when it came out which was just before GTA IV came out. The game kept me from playing GTA IV until I had to finish TWEWY. We certainly did give this a lot of love over at EvAv. We tried to convince anyone who had a DS to try the game. So far that is my choice for GOTY.

God I loved TWEWY. Honestly, that might be my favorite game of the year as well. I can't remember the last time I played a game nonstop until completion. The whole pin system was great, the story was interesting enough (for a game clearly aimed at teens), and the combat was fantastic.

Why is all of Square's actual creative energy only going on the Portable systems?

[JayVe]

Why is all of Square's actual creative energy only going on the Portable systems?

It is much less risky to build a handheld game. If your 2-million dollar handheld game flops, you are out 2 million. If you dump 20 million into a new and different RPG on next-gen consoles, and it flops, you are out 20 million. Not to mention, you need to sell a LOT more.

These kind of experimental games will do wonders as it lets devs try out new ideas and refine them. They can build a following, and THEN make the jump to home consoles... where their following will FOLLOW. :D

[Xydarc]

GameStop has a 20% off used PS3 games, so I went looking for Dark Sector. No joy at my local GS, but I did pick up Conan for teh cheap. Violence and boobies: good times.

[maharahaj]

I'll throw in another vote for Dark Sector. I absolutely loved the game: its graphics, sound, gameplay, progressive unlocking of powers/moves. It all came together really well IMO.

My second choice would be GRID. Its another well polished game that had my attention for several months. Its plays like a better PGR but without the kudos system. Its not too simulation like GT or Forza and not too arcady like Ridge Racer or burnouts. Great fun.

[Xerxes]

Armored Core 4: This is the first game I've played in the franchise, and I was instantly hooked on it. It seems to get a lot of hate, but I don't know why; flying around as an agile mech and blowing shit up seems like a no-brainer.



I haven't played AC4. But I think most complaints from people who've played the older versions and not seeing much evolution. I played the first AC and loved it. Then From(Software) kind of went bananas. They are calling it AC 4 but there have been like 7 Armored Core games or something. <shrug>

I have the game, and I'm looking forward to playing through it son enough.

So...this isn't in-game footage?

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm176/andlf/gravity.gif

Can't stop laughing. I like how he acts like he has it and tries to flip over.

[KingGorilla]

Why is all of Square's actual creative energy only going on the Portable systems?
Is most of that really creative or energy? Thy 3rd(or was it 4th?) release of FF3 just happened on DS for example. Square can crank out remakes and make sad ammounts of cash.

Also, if you are a developer whose Bread is Buttered in Japan, the DS is your best friend.

[Karak]

Medal of Honor Airborne. Pretty much no one liked it but my lan group. Something about the ability to go anywhere when you spawn in and the battles going back and forth across the map. Aside from idiot AI it was awesome.

Oh and Viking and Conan. I bought Viking and did not play it for 6 months after the first try that ended in horrible motion sickness. But late one night after playing and beating Conan(amazing) we turned it on.
11 hours later and barely able to stay up we turned it off and came back a couple hours later to beat it. Amazing fun.

[Camel]

For those of you (ok...maybe it's just me) who now want to try out Alone in the Dark after reading some people's thoughts here, this is a pretty incredible deal:

http://www.gamefly.com/products/detail.asp?pid=129345

[Blue]

I doubt this counts but heck, I'm going to list it anyhow. I'm playing through Super Mario RPG for the first time and it's wonderful. I have 3 stars and am in the tower just outside of Moleville having just acquired Bowser and Chomp. So it's sort of overlooked but overlooked by me :)

Next up is Secret of Mana, also for the first time.

[Xerxes]

Overlooked games? How about Otogi 2. )

[Variable Gear]

TWEWY for me. Even though it was one of the best games of the year, it was still overlooked.

[Xydarc]

Overlord for the PS3. I really enjoyed the demo. After the holiday glut, I'll pick it up.

[bean]

If we are opening this up to all gems played this year, well I replayed a few good ones this summer:

Psychonauts -This is the "hidden" gem that is really so talked about now that it is sort of a touchstone on whether or not someone is really a gamer. It was made for the Xbox and PC but you can download it for $20 as an Xbox Original on your 360.
Evil Genius - may get this installed again soon. It is an overlooked game that was just awesome. Create your own evil lair as a Bond villain, send out henchman to complete capers or earn money, and eventually take over the world!
Jedi Academy - The last of the Jedi Knight games created by Raven, it is also the most well-made and finally lets you play as your own Jedi instead of Kyle Katarn. Well-made and just a ton of fun.
Project Sylpheed - This Squenix space simulator got a bad wrap initially due to a terrible demo that was far too difficult for new players because it gave you extremely weak weapons and then tasked players to kill huge ships that are not that difficult to take out after you've been slowly introduced to the game mechanics but are destructive beasts to someone playing their first level agains them. It's a great space sim with a cliche narrative and a great new game+ feature. Go through the game and unlock great weapons and you get them in the new game+. These allow you to beat seemingly impossible bonus objectives that can alter the results of battle (though not the results of the main storyline. . . sort of Conlony Wars light). Good stuff worth getting on the cheap.

Overlord for the PS3. I really enjoyed the demo. After the holiday glut, I'll pick it up.
You can pick up a used version for next to nothing on the 360. The PS3 version has some bonus content since it came out so much later? Either way, it is a really great overlooked game.

[frederec]

Is most of that really creative or energy? Thy 3rd(or was it 4th?) release of FF3 just happened on DS for example. Square can crank out remakes and make sad ammounts of cash.

Also, if you are a developer whose Bread is Buttered in Japan, the DS is your best friend.

Not that I really like to defend Square these days, but the release of FF3 for the DS was the first time it had been released in the US. If you want to look at them milking an entry to death, see FF1 and 2 - after the NES release, there was a PSX release, a GBA release, and then they were split into two expensive PSP releases. FFIV was just as bad, only having a DS release instead of a PSP release.

[JayVe]

Overlord for the PS3. I really enjoyed the demo. After the holiday glut, I'll pick it up.

Overlord is a fantastic game. Add in a map and I'd be happy as a clam.

I'm gonna put No More Heroes on the list of overlooked games this past year I've really dug into.

I'm gonna go pick up a number of titles mentioned in this thread that I missed. Namely Viking, Project Slypheed, and Dark Sector. I gave my copy of Conan to Rock Bandit the other day. Share the gems people~!

[Purple Santa]

I gave my copy of Conan to Rock Bandit the other day. Share the gems people~!

I often do this. Why let games sit and collect dust when someone else can enjoy them. And I don't get enough value to trade the games in either. Value being subjective...sometimes the cash I can get for a game is much less than the fun I can give another gamer with a game they want or wish to try.

[JayVe]

I often do this. Why let games sit and collect dust when someone else can enjoy them. And I don't get enough value to trade the games in either. Value being subjective...sometimes the cash I can get for a game is much less than the fun I can give another gamer with a game they want or wish to try.

Absolutely. I feel much better knowing someone else I know who LOVES GAMES will be able to get some enjoyment out of something they may not normally spend money on. That is worth more than the $6 trade-in credit I'd likely get from my local brick-and-mortar establishment.

Just make sure to pass it on when you are done! Share the gaming!

[Purple Santa]

Absolutely. I feel much better knowing someone else I know who LOVES GAMES will be able to get some enjoyment out of something they may not normally spend money on. That is worth more than the $6 trade-in credit I'd likely get from my local brick-and-mortar establishment.

Just make sure to pass it on when you are done! Share the gaming!

Agreed. I mention this when I give the game away. I call it the pay it forward video game version. This would be a great idea for a thread. We have lots of gamers...lots of games...hmmm...

[Cyndair]

I'm in the process of playing through Okami (Wii version) for the first time. I'm about 20 hours in and loving it so far. If your Wii is gathering dust and you haven't tried this game yet then you are depriving yourself.

After reading this thread I'm going to stop on the way home and pick up TWEWY. I've been putting it off for far too long.

Edit: I'll also say The Witcher. I knew it was going to be good but I never knew it was going to be THAT good. I haven't been that glued to an RPG in a long long time. It felt so fresh.

[Purple Santa]

I'm in the process of playing through Okami (Wii version) for the first time. I'm about 20 hours in and loving it so far. If your Wii is gathering dust and you haven't tried this game yet then you are depriving yourself.

After reading this thread I'm going to stop on the way home and pick up TWEWY. I've been putting it off for far too long.

Edit: I'll also say The Witcher. I knew it was going to be good but I never knew it was going to be THAT good. I haven't been that glued to an RPG in a long long time. It felt so fresh.
Okami is truly a lost gem. Played it on PS2 but a gaming experience I haven't forgotten. Good choice...

Witcher is one I need to find and play. It's one that also gets a lot of talk around here...that creaking is my backlog growing and teetering...

TWEWY? Run. Drive fast...whatever you have to do. Then just do nothing but play. The more who play, well those who have played...we are all hoping for a sequel. We need to start another TWEWY thread...and since Spigot never did go back and REALLY finish...

[menage]

Viva Pinata 2.

It again sold poorly and it's still great.

[Virtual Machine]

The Enhanced Edition of The Witcher should be readily available in your neck of the woods, wherever that may be, and it is an AWESOME package for the price.

Hell, i got the patch for free for my existing copy and STILL bought the Enhanced Version.

[Kelegacy]

For those of you (ok...maybe it's just me) who now want to try out Alone in the Dark after reading some people's thoughts here, this is a pretty incredible deal:

http://www.gamefly.com/products/detail.asp?pid=129345

I noticed that as well. You all should buy a copy, it's worth the 5 or 6 bucks at the very least.

I loved the game, but again it's just the controls that stood out as the worst part of the game. Even with them the way they are, I loved the game. Fuck the reviews (and I rarely ever say that). There might be a few bugs in the game as well, but nothing game-breaking for me. The just-released PS3 version is supposed to be much more polished and worthwhile, but for 5 or 6 bucks for the 360 version you can't go wrong.

Hope you have run with the game Camel. Let me know how you like it. I really wish there were more games like this one out there. Some great ideas in this gem.

As for another overlooked gem I just played in 2008, I have to offer up Crash of the Titans. It's not stellar, but it's definitely a surprisingly good platformer. I'm having a ton of fun with it. I'm on the last level or near abouts right now. For $10, I have definitely got my money's worth. Hopefully Mind over Mutant (the just released Crash sequel) will be as good. I'll probably Gamefly that one, though.

[Goronmon]

My second choice would be GRID.I enjoyed GRID a lot as well. I think they did an excellent job with the AI for your competitors. They actually do screw up in believable ways and don't drive like perfect robots that most racing games do.

I remember once there was this track with two long straightaways connected by a fast S-bend. I was behind a handful of cars and as I'm coming up on the turn going about 150+mph I see one of the cars in front of me take the left too wide. Their back end clipped the inside wall enough to toss the car directly into the opposite wall destroying the car in a explosion of smoke and debris. I couldn't really see where the car was with the smoke and the speed I was traveling at, but someone managed to sneak between the wall the car had just hit and car itself with inches to spare. It just happened so fast I was amazed I made it through without a scratch.