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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: karajorma on April 17, 2005, 06:32:39 pm

Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: karajorma on April 17, 2005, 06:32:39 pm
When I got my sound card a few years back it was bundled with a copy of Giants:Citizen Kabuto. I put the game aside while I played with my new card and it ended up getting shoved in the back of a drawer and forgotten about.

Thanks to the computer problems I've had recently I found the disk, pulled it out and gave it a try. I'm pretty upset I left the game lying around so long without playing it as it's bloody brilliant.

Basically it's a FPS (or third person shooter depending on where you want the camera) but with elements of RTS and racing thrown in at points. It's also one of the funniest games I've played since Monkey Island.

So now I'm wondering what else am I missing that's really good but next to no one will have heard of?
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Flipside on April 17, 2005, 06:41:47 pm
Kabuto was a brilliant game, came out at around the same time as Sacrifice iirc, which is why it never really got the recognition it deserved.

Theres a fair few games like that around, look for Terminus on HotU, and you'll find out where IW got the idea from, for example ;)
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Jeryko on April 17, 2005, 06:49:57 pm
Freedom Fighters -- Third Person Tactical Shooter, ragdoll physics, kick ass game if you ask me.

Uplink

Other probably.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Swamp_Thing on April 17, 2005, 07:58:19 pm
Freedom Fighters was very good. I´m surprised it got so little exposure.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: MatthewPapa on April 17, 2005, 08:08:13 pm
Under Rated Game: Freespace 2
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Dough with Fish on April 17, 2005, 08:14:30 pm
The Star Trek: Armada games, and Bridge Commander. Great games in their own rights, but if you are a trekker you'll get more out of them than an average gamer.

Also, Full Spectrum Warrior, one of the best Xbox games out there. Their making a sequel to it too, so you might want to get the first one before that comes out
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Ford Prefect on April 17, 2005, 08:15:21 pm
Tribes 2. That game is a blast.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Ransom on April 17, 2005, 08:24:43 pm
Clan Lord. It's an MMORPG, the best by far in my opinion. Course, since it has pretty terrible graphics and was initially only available on Mac it currently only has about 50-60 people playing at any one time. Even back in the Ripture War it only had something like 200 or 300 or so, which is tiny compared to things like EVE or RO where 7000 is a normal player count. And no mention of Clan Lord is complete without Arindal, which is another (newer) game using the same engine. They've done some pretty neat stuff with it, and unlike CL, since it's in public alpha it isn't pay-to-play. As I've said in another thread, Clan Lord is the only MMORPG to hold my attention for longer than a month - over three years so far. The only other game to hold my interest that long is Freespace 2.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Night Hammer on April 17, 2005, 08:56:43 pm
i dunno if these were under the radra but i always loved the Red Faction games by :v:
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Dark RevenantX on April 17, 2005, 09:13:36 pm
Unreal Tournament 2004 (www.unrealtournament.com)

The best multiplayer game I ever played.

Giants is a very great game.  I remember when gamespy was overcrowded with giants servers.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Dranon on April 17, 2005, 09:22:06 pm
I played the demo of Uplink a few years back, but lost it and forgot what it was called.  i thought it was lots of fun.  Thanks for the reminder Jeryko
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Ransom on April 17, 2005, 09:26:44 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Dark RevenantX
Unreal Tournament 2004 (www.unrealtournament.com)

The best multiplayer game I ever played.

Okay, but... how's that underrated? Last I heard it was extremely popular.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Dark RevenantX on April 17, 2005, 09:27:44 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Ransom Arceihn

Okay, but... how's that underrated? Last I heard it was extremely popular.


Lets see... Absolutely nobody I meet knows wtf it is... It only has three thousand players online, and slowly declining.  It is only a year old, so that should not be happening.  Look at Half-Life and Half-Life 2, millions of players total but one is ancient.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: BlackDove on April 17, 2005, 09:36:46 pm
The reason UT doesn't have any more exposure is because it quite frankly blows chunks compared to the other stuff that is on the market.

It was useful in Q3 vs UT days, but those days are long gone.

Not that I'm taking a dump on you liking it, I don't judge other people's tastes (I do, but not this time).


Anyway, www.neocron.com would be something to check out once they anal-retentively make their "official ub3r smackdown expansion officially official release". Game has been in a paying beta for quite a while, but there's tons of potential and it is somewhat likely that some of the potential it radiates will be reached soon-ish-ly.

Something to keep an eye on at the very least.

Here's a movie someone just posted. Haven't had the chance to see how crappy it is, but it'll probably give some insight in how the game is played.

http://ncvids.tigersjaw.org/STORM_final.rar
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Ransom on April 17, 2005, 09:56:06 pm
It could also have something to do with UT2k4 being little more than an overhyped and overpriced expansion to UT2k3. I bought UT2k3 and liked it, but never even considered getting UT2k4 simply because it was the same game but with vehicles, a couple new game modes, and some changed weapon models.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: BlackDove on April 17, 2005, 10:22:16 pm
Update: I just viewed the video I put above.

Not bad really, kinda displays the combat system.

It's all fast paced FPS combat as it was displayed. The thing in the video is an Outpost war (battling for control of.....an outpost - clan's name shines in front of the structure when they hack it).

Not too many FPS MMORPG's around these days, so that's really special. Only downside is that the people who make the game don't seem to know what the hell they're doing. Resulting in bad support, bad communications between the player and the bug-fixer, etc.

Still... neat game if you've got time to waste and motoric skills to practise.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Drew on April 17, 2005, 10:23:05 pm
Darwinia (http://www.darwinia.co.uk/)

brilliant, homebuilt, independent
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Knight Templar on April 17, 2005, 11:16:34 pm
Star Wars Rebellion: I remember millions of Star Wars fans crying about how bad it was. I remember getting it when I was around 11, and thinking it was more of an RTS. I couldn't figure out how to really play it until a year after I bought it. Once I read through the manual and strategy guide, the game proved to be quite fun. Sure, it's a bit limited, especially in tactical simulation where everything is determined more or less by numbers, but otherwise it was and still is loads of fun conquering the galaxy as the Empire or Rebellion.

Star Trek Birth of The Federation: Same as above. The game is actually a lot like Rebellion, except with a more developed research and security ascpet, but minus the characters. Again, people complained about how bad this one was, mostly I think because of the lack of good tactical representation, but I've had loads of fun with it, and still do.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Cyker on April 18, 2005, 01:43:04 am
Seconding Darwinia - It's a darn good game ;)

I've always had a soft spot for Project Eden; Very underrated IMHO.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: freespace2pilot on April 18, 2005, 02:17:47 am
Tribes 1
all the rest of the series were crap.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: WMCoolmon on April 18, 2005, 03:13:51 am
Incoming/Incoming Forces.

Incoming, because it's probably THE cheesiest sci-fi shooting game. (A combo of UFOs, secret government tracking facilities, moonbase attacks with NASA vehicles retrofitted with guns, and duels through giant space portals with experimental new vehicles. Plus you can play as a turret, tank, copter, fighter, alien ship, hovercraft, etc.)

Incoming Forces, because while the storyline wasn't particularly motivating, the visuals were good and the music kicks ass.

There's another game I'm forgetting but, uh, I'm forgetting what it's called right now. :p
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Ghostavo on April 18, 2005, 03:47:14 am
Universal Combat

I've got a feeling I'm gonna be murdered for this...
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Rictor on April 18, 2005, 06:16:54 am
Beyond Good and Evil - the very definition of a brilliant, though vastly under-rated game.

Aside from that, I would have to agree with you that Freedom Fighters is probably up there, as is Red Faction.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Fergus on April 18, 2005, 08:12:39 am
Terra Nova-A typically brilliant Looking Glass game that no one bought, lead a squad of soldiers in armoured suits with lasers, grenades and JET PACKS!  Tap the space bar and you shot up, up into the air.  Fire off a missle at that hight and the recoil would launch you backwards...all this in the mid ninties.  Still not beaten in my view.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: aldo_14 on April 18, 2005, 09:04:04 am
Quote
Originally posted by Ghostavo
Universal Combat

I've got a feeling I'm gonna be murdered for this...


Happy to oblige..........





Er.

Startopia (brilliant space-station management sim, has elements of Theme Hospital, RTS-lite, and a sort of HGTG feeling; by Mucky Foot - now dead - who were a bunch of ex-Bullfrog employees)

Trackmania (indescribable French racer-cum-puzzle game, with a newly released sequel)

I don't buy as many 'indie' games as I do albums from obscure artists, admittedly.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Darkblade on April 18, 2005, 09:11:25 am
Beyond Good and Evil, hands down. The most under-rated game of last year, which deserves a sequel.

Outcast. Not sure how well it sold but it is a damn good adventure/sneaking/shooting game.

Anachronox. If you are a fan of Final Fantasy series and/or Chrono Trigger then I recommend you to check this out. It has lots of humorous content and the story is overwhelmingly good. Unfortunately there never came a sequel so we are missing the conclusion to the story. :(
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: aldo_14 on April 18, 2005, 10:41:03 am
Oh, thought of another one -

Theme Hospital ; ancient, but truly unique.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: kode on April 18, 2005, 11:05:17 am
freecell!
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Liberator on April 18, 2005, 12:13:10 pm
C&C: Renegade

The only game I know where people involved in the Beta are still playing it.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Hippo on April 18, 2005, 12:17:42 pm
Truck Dismount.


:nervous:


What?
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Nuclear1 on April 18, 2005, 12:46:28 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Swamp_Thing
Freedom Fighters was very good. I´m surprised it got so little exposure.


Indeed. I kept wondering why it didn't get so much attention, cause when I played it I remembered getting a huge "kill-the-Commies" high.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Deepblue on April 18, 2005, 12:50:14 pm
I think Mercenaries is quite good...
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Mongoose on April 18, 2005, 02:45:10 pm
Full Spectrum Warrior...that was the game that the US Army contracted to teach new recriuts squad tactics, wasn't it?  I believe the released version was only slightly modified from what the Army received, so you're basically getting the real deal.  I wasn't aware that it was underrated, though.

As for the actual topic, I'm legally obligated to say Descent. :D
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Cyker on April 18, 2005, 03:58:36 pm
Mercenaries?

You mean the one that has, what I consider the most awesome game advert ever?
"Blow stuff up. Blow it up some more!"

They really knew their target audience ;)


Beyond Good and Evil - Is that the game where you play some reporter chick? I was going to get that but didn't for some reason... will have to fish it out of a bargain bin and give it a  try ;)

Anacronox is definitely an awesome game... can't believe I forgot that one! :)

Theme Hospital - Yay! One thing 'tho; Is it just me or does the announcer woman sound a lot like Daphne from Fraiser?!
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Deepblue on April 18, 2005, 04:38:46 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Mongoose
Full Spectrum Warrior...that was the game that the US Army contracted to teach new recriuts squad tactics, wasn't it?  I believe the released version was only slightly modified from what the Army received, so you're basically getting the real deal.  I wasn't aware that it was underrated, though.

As for the actual topic, I'm legally obligated to say Descent. :D


I don't think Descent was underrated at all... All of them were excellent games and they got the attention they deserved IMHO.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Rictor on April 18, 2005, 05:15:55 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Cyker
Beyond Good and Evil - Is that the game where you play some reporter chick? I was going to get that but didn't for some reason... will have to fish it out of a bargain bin and give it a  try ;)


Yup, that's the one. And my suggestion to you is to get it ASAP. Trust me, you won't be disapointed.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: karajorma on April 19, 2005, 03:02:25 pm
I suppose I should add Hostile Waters to the list for completion. How that game got so badly ignored is beyond me.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Mongoose on April 19, 2005, 03:33:23 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Deepblue


I don't think Descent was underrated at all... All of them were excellent games and they got the attention they deserved IMHO.

That's true for the first two games, but D3 got about as much publicity from Interplay as FS2, and it's reflected in both of their sales. :p
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Dough with Fish on April 19, 2005, 04:47:28 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Mongoose
Full Spectrum Warrior...that was the game that the US Army contracted to teach new recriuts squad tactics, wasn't it?  I believe the released version was only slightly modified from what the Army received, so you're basically getting the real deal.  I wasn't aware that it was underrated, though.

As for the actual topic, I'm legally obligated to say Descent. :D


It was a mixed bag with the critics. Some of them loved it, while others downright hated it, there was no middle ground on it. And the game sold rather poorly. But you can find any version of it (PS2, Xbox, PC) for 20 bucks or less these days.
Title: Under-Rated Games
Post by: Cobra on April 19, 2005, 05:09:20 pm
Mechwarrior. :D