Reviewing games can be extremely tricky. Occasionally, a game comes out that is a bit of a mess and needs to have points deducted despite some of its more unique elements. Other games are released at the wrong time and can end up getting dragged as a direct result. Some were even largely rejected on release, only to withstand the test of time and prove that they had more going on than they were initially given cred🦩it for.

Ultimately, this stuff is all very subjective, but there are definitely some pretty damn cool games that weren't exactly critical darlings. We here at TheGamer aren't proponents of the Ricky Bobby belief that "if you ain't first you're last". We are here to point you in the direction of some genuinely awesome games that didn't exactly receive the most praise on release.

Updated June 12th, 2023 by James Kennedy: It is the moment we have all been waiting for: it is time to dig around and talk about another couple of great games that didn't get a ton of love on release. One of them because it was so incredibly niche, and the other because of severe technical issues. While we suspect there would be a number of people who would play these games today and not love them, this isn't a list about the most accessible games, this is a list focusing on great games. Despite their limited appeal or their technical issues, we think both of these titles are, in fact, great.

22 ✱ Armored Core: For An🐷swer

Metacritic Score: 64

It is funny to think about now, but 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:FromSoftware's biggest series used to be 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Armored Core. They made a ton of these games, and most of them were extremely well-received...by their fanbase. You see, Armored Core was always unapologetically niche. It did its own thing and had no interest in appealing to a broader audience. It was the game that was for the people who really wanted to delve into the minutia of customizing their mecha. None of these games ever did well with reviewers. Sure, a few ﷽of them "got" it. But🐷 most would furrow their brows, shrug their shoulders, and move on.

Armored Core For Answer is one of the more loved titles by the Armored Core fanbase. It is most known for how fast and fluid the combat is. The size and scale of the levels here are also truly awe-inspiring. Even to this day, For Answer also looks pretty damn good. It is easily 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:among the best mech games out there. These days, reviewers are much more willing to mee♛t a game halfway and judge it based on its own merit. Despite the ho-hum reception it received at the time, For 🎉Answer is an absolute classic.

21 ♛ Alpha Protocol

Metacritic Score: 63

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Alpha Protocol is an Obsidian-made RPG that, uniquely, places you in the role of a spy. There is a very real chance that you have heard about this one as it has developed a dedicated fanbase. This is another one of those games where you will instantly understand why it wasn't necessarily well received when it was released a decade ago or so. It is buggy. Very buggy. However, if you can get past this eleme꧟nt, what you will find is that there is literally no♒thing like Alpha Protocol out there. This is a game that allows a tremendous amount of freedom.

But we aren't just talking about sandbox stuff. What you do, and how you do it, will impact the story meaningfully. It really feels like your ability to interact with the world meaningfully is beyond what nearly every other game has been able to accomplish. Dialogue plays out in a way that would be familiar to Mass Effect fans, but your choices have a much larger impact. The combat can feel clunky, but that is largely because your skill with weapons greatly affects how accurate they are in combat. Yes, your proficiency in combat manifests in ways other than just how much damage you do. So, while Alpha Protocol's combat may feel worse than some of its contemporaries, it helps the RPG-based systems to feel less superficial. Alpha Protocol is far from per𝐆fect, but there 🍷are few games out there even half as ambitious as it is.

20 ꧒ Strangers Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin ꦗ

Metacritic Score: 68

We've all seen the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Stranger Of Paradise memes. We know all about Chaos, how we need to punch Chaos, and how Chaos𒅌 is a real jerk who borrowed our lawn mower and never gave it back... CHAOS! And yeah, that is all in the game. Is it stupid? Absolutely. But you know what? It is al𒉰so super campy and fun! And hey, the combat engine is really slick! It implements the Final Fantasy job system brilliantly. It is basically Nioh by way of Final Fantasy, and in what world is that not awesome?

Look, the script is clumsy and awkward, but it was written by the same people who wrote the Kingdom Hearts games and are responsible for all the Final Fantasy 7 Anthology stuff. So, of course, it is cringe. That is all he knows! But this script is at least a good time! The gameplay is fantastically engaging, and the story will have you smiling in between grimaces. It is the Army of Darkness of video games. We think Stranger of Paradise is going to get a devoted cult following. And despite how goofy the story is, even that element has high points. And we assure you, that isn't bullshit.

19 Scorn

Metacritic Score: 64

While some of the games on this list are, in our opinion, absolute gems, we can see where some of the critics fell out of love with Scorn.🃏 The combat is really only okay, and the setting c♕an be repetitive. So what makes it great then? Well, everything else! The combat is really only an ancillary element.

Scorn is focused on two elements: atmosphere and puzzle solving. And guess what it nails? Yup, the atmosphere and the puzzle-solving. And on top of that, if you love Giger's aesthetic, not since Dark Seed have we had a game more dedicated to delivering it. So basically, it nails all the stuff it is focused on? We aren't saying Scorn is an immaculate jewel, but it feels like a completely unique experience that is, on the whole, praiseworthy. Scorn is going to be someone's favorite game and with good reason!

18 ﷽ Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol.2

Metacritic Score: 64

Okay, hold up. What? Why? 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol.2 doesn't have any technical problems, and it contains some amazing deep cuts! It ha🐈s Baseball Stars Color, which is, by itself, worth the price of admission. Beyond that, you get SNK Vs. Capcom Card Battle, which is another amazing time. And while card battlers may not be everyone's jam, they're an absolute gem for those down with the odd shuffle and deal.

Puzzle Link2? That's a fun arcadey puzzler that has some of that Puzzle Bobble energy. Pocket Tennis? Another great arcadey sports title from the era that produced the best arcadey sports games. Biomotor Unitron? This is a mecha Pokemon-like. These are great games! We get it, this collection doesn't have the usual suspects. You aren't getting the fighting games, nor are you getting any Metal Slug titles. Those were all in the first collection. Was the first volume a better collection of games? Sure. But that doesn't make this collection bad. In fact, we woul𒊎d argue that this varied package is an absolute k🅺iller deal!

17 Castlev🥃ania Chronicles 🐲

Metacritic Score: 69

If you are looking to get into the old-school style of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Castlevania games, and are looking for recommendations, Castlevania Chronicles is an excellent place to start. This is a port of the X68000 title, which is, essentially, an enhanced remake of the Nintendo original. But there is also an arranged mode that changes the game in a number of fun and interesting ways (including updating Simon's sprite).

So why, then, was 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:this absolutely classic🤪ไ Castlevania title received so poorly? Well, this is a story as old as time. These Castlevania games have always had a very tight style of control. They force you to commit to attacks, and a poorly thought-out jump could easily lead to your demise. This type of experience will always receive a certain amou෴nt of pushback from people who feel like they are "stiff" and "antiquated". It is unfortunate, as Castlevania Chronicles truly is a fantastic game. One that deserves to be celebrated!

16 ಌ Snake Pass

Metacritic Score: 69

If we had to decide on a single word to describe Snake Pass, we would land on delightful. Everything from its colorful aesthetic to its extremely cheery soundtrack is a delight. Snake Pass is a throwback to that 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:3D-Platformer collec🗹tathon-style of game that was popularized on the Nintendo 64. However, there is a twist; this game's control scheme does its best to emulate how it feels to be a snake.

It is a fascinating decision, as it takes something that is typically pretty intuitive—moving around a platforming stage—and forces your brain to think a little differently. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:To think like a snake! Instead of finding platforms to jump from, you have to coil your body around bamboo structures. And while the concept is easy enough to understand, it 🎃does take you a while before you can synchronize your brain with your fingers.

But, of course, games like this one may not be for everyone. And criticism around the camera is well warranted. However, we still think that anyone who loves the collectathon style of game should slither on over to Snake Pass and give it a go. It is far better than▨ that Metacritic score would have you believe.

15 Nier

Metacritic Score: 69

How far can quality writing, world-building, and captivating characters carry you? 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Is a great narrative able t🔯o carry a game? Those are questions that Nier answered. While those elements alone can't get your game a score in the 70s, they can make it a legendary title that has a diehard fanbase to this day. Yes, the combat engine may be clunky, and the graphics were dated on day one, but Nier has so much more going for it.

Despite bombing critically, Nier was able to sell well enough, and acquire a dedicated enough fanbase, that it spawned a sequel and a remake. The Nier franchise is now one of Square's most popular IPs. Not too bad for a game that pulled in a meager 69 on Metacritic! And if you're curious, the original title is backward compatible with the modern Xbox ecosystem. So you can pick up a copy and play through it on modern consoles!

14 ꦫ 🎀 Kirby Air Ride

Metacritic Score: 61

Kirby Air Ride is such a weird case. A lot of the most negative reviews 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:of this Kirby spinoff title focus on the streamlined controls that the game uses for the titular Air Ride game mode. However, while it is fine if you don't mesh with Air Ride's control scheme, there are two other excellent games tethered to this package! The Super-Off Road-esque Top Ride is a completely different style of ra🃏cing game that is a ton of fun (especially for quick sessions with friends), and the legendary City Trial mode is focused on building your perfect ride in preparation for a rando🔯mized event.

When people talk about this game now, they tend to focus on City Trial. While Air Ride itself is a well-made, misunderstood racing game, the City Trial mode is so incredibly unique and distinct that there has never been a mode that feels like it could replace it. Sure, Smash Run was an attempt to recapture the magic in the 3DS version of Smash 4 and is neat in its own right, but it still doesn't truly capture the pure variety and spectacle that was Air Ride's City Trial mode. If you ever have a chance, give Kirby's Air Ride a chance. It is an excellent time!

13 Deadly Premonition 𒉰 💃

Metacritic Score: 68

We have to sympathize with the reviewers here. How the hell do you review 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Deadly Premonition when it is dropped on your desk? Your first impression is probably something along the lines of "Wow, this game is a mess.” But it is so delightfully weird, incredibly strange, an𝔉d absolutely u༒nique. Nothing else feels like Deadly Premonition.🦋 There is a reason why people still rave🐓 about this game over a decade after its initial release.

Of course, Twin Peaks fans are likely to get a kick out of this one; Deadly Premonition really captures the spirit of the Lynchian classic. If you haven't played this game, you may think that it is something akin to Goat Simulator; jank that is funny. But there is way more going on here than that. It has a genuinely captivating cast of characters, and the story ꦏis sincerely compelling. It can also be authentically creepy.