When people discuss underrated games, they are often referring to titles that went under the radar and were played by only a few people. However, that isn’t the only type of underrated game. There are others that are underrated because the people who played them gave them overly harsh reviews.
It doesn’t matter if it was a reviewer or a regular player. Either way, the negative response hurt the overall reputation of these titles. In some cases, the bad reputation has persisted despite the games not actually being bad. Here are some examples of that.
You can’t have a game set in the Batman universe without it automatically being compared to the Arkham titles. That comparison likely hurt the reputation of Gotham Knights. Yet, it’s actually a good open-world action-adventure game.
The premise itself is unique, as Batman is gone, and the rest of the Bat Family have to protect Gotham. This means Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Robin must band together to save the day. Each character feels very different from the others during gameplay. They also have distinct personalities and reactions to Batman’s passing. It’s interesting to see how they all cope, and the same goes for Batman’s classic rogues.
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure brings back Max Caulfield from the first Life Is Strange title, aiming to rediscover the series' original magic. For many, this didn’t work, as few would put it amongthe best Life is Strange games.
Yet, Double Exposure deserves more respect than it received upon release. There are some issues with the story, but it remains a fascinating tale revolving around Max’s ability to switch between different universes. The narrative goes in a few interesting directions, and you meet some good characters along the way.
The Far Cry games lack significant variety between entries. Far Cry 3, Far Cry 4, Far Cry 5, and Far Cry 6 all share a lot of similarities, particularly mechanically. So, it’s understandable that by the sixth instalment, people were tired of the formula. Far Cry 6, though, is still a really good game.
It offers smooth and satisfying gunplay as well as decent stealth mechanics. Plus, the driving is fun, and the inclusion of animal companions is a nice touch. So, while it might not be the most original Far Cry game, it’s still among the best.
The original Mass Effect trilogy is fantastic. As such, it would be difficult for any follow-up title to live up to those three classics. Unfortunately, Andromeda wasn’t quite able to. That said, it is still an enjoyable action RPG.
In the game, your character joins many others on a trip to the Andromeda galaxy. Once there, you have to make the planet habitable. This does lead to a few uninspired missions. However, there is a lot to like about the game, too. There is some good writing and nice characters. Plus, most of the locations you visit are interesting. And most importantly, the core combat is very smooth and enjoyable.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a unique game in that it arguably provides you with too much of a good thing. The title feels overly long and bloated. This is why many aren’t fans. However, the game is actually really good if you can look past its length. For starters, it’s a game set in Viking times, which is always an interesting setting. Your character travels to England from Norway, hoping to build a settlement and make alliances.
Each attempt to make an alliance serves as its own separate, little story. Many of them are well-written and engaging. Also, most contain plenty of fighting, which is a good thing since the combat is solid in this title.
Before Veilguard came along, Dragon Age 2 was the onlygame in the series that really divided fans. Much of the criticism was directed at the game’s lack of unique and interesting locations. After all, most of the quests are set in or around the main city of Kirkwall, which isn’t the biggest area in the first place.
If you may get past that, though, this is an excellent action RPG. The combat is fast and fluid, and the story is very compelling throughout. Maybe the title lacks a little depth, especially compared to others in the series, but it’s still a really good game.
Remakes can be challenging because any changes the developer makes to the original game will naturally be criticized heavily by fans. This is what happened with the RE3 remake. Several elements were removed from the original, including branching paths and the Gravedigger boss fight. This led to a relatively short game.
Yet, it is short and sweet, as it’s still a really good Resident Evil title, even if it isn’tthe best remake ever. The core mechanics are excellent, and the game includes some nice set pieces. Long-term fans have understandable concerns about the cut content, but the RE3 remake remains a fantastic horror experience.
Live service games don’t have a great track record, especially for fans of single-player gaming. And some of those live-service and online elements do drag Marvel’s Avengers down a bit. That said, it’s still a decent single-player experience that offers a captivating story about the Avengers disbanding after being blamed for a terrorist attack.
The writing is solid, and some of the voice-acting performances are really good. The game does lack a bit of variety in mission design, but it makes up for it with plenty of variety in combat, as all the characters play very differently.
