There are many great games out there that never get their chance to shine. I’m sure you can think of a game or two that should have been remembered as great but, for one reason or another, was overshadowed. What’s most frustrating is that this lack of recognition is normally due to circumstances beyond the control of the developers.
12Guardians of the GalaxyWas Ignored by Many Players
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, which came out in 2021, is a linear, single-player game that stands out because it doesn’t follow the game-as-a-service model that was so popular at the time. Its story, combat, and overall charm made it a memorable title. While the plot fits the usual cosmic comic book adventure style, it also gives Star-Lord a personal story that pulls players into an emotional journey.
Even with its strengths,Guardians of the Galaxymight not have gotten as much attention as it deserved because it came afterMarvel’s Avengersand from the same publisher. Many thought the game would lead to the same disappointment, and so it got mostly ignored.
It didn’t have microtransactions, which many assumed it would. It focused on a straightforward, story-driven adventure, which was a great choice. Unfortunately,Guardians of the Galaxywas a fantastic game that was mostly ignored. Unfortunately,Marvel Snapcontinued Marvel’s bad luck, butat least it’s back for now.
11Apex LegendsOwesTitanfall 2for a Lot of Its Success
Titanfall 2was developed by Respawn Entertainment and released in 2016. It improved on the first game in many ways. This fast, smooth first-person shooter experience combines parkour movement with intense battles involving giant mechs called Titans.
The single-player campaign, a weak point in the originalTitanfall, became one of the game’s strongest aspects. The story follows Jack Cooper and his bond with BT-7274, a highly advanced AI-controlled Titan.
Titanfall 2had the misfortune of launching at the same time as major competitors likeBattlefield 1andCall of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Being squeezed between these blockbuster releases hurt its sales, preventing many players from trying the new-age gameplay.
10State of Decay 2Is One of the Best Zombie Survival Games
State of Decay 2tasks players with leading a group of survivors during a zombie apocalypse. It’s done in a way that remains believable. When the game first came out, it didn’t have difficulty options and had a lot of issues, so Undead Labs added Nightmare mode and fixed a lot of it. Unfortunately, by the time these changes were made, people started moving on to other games.
State of Decay 2still stands out as one of the best post-apocalyptic games around. The game works best at higher difficulty levels because winning feels like pulling victory from the edge of disaster, and every loss or setback becomes part of the community’s ongoing story.
9Sleeping DogsIs a Martial Arts Masterpiece
Sleeping Dogsis an excellent open-world action game that mixes elements of Hong Kong cinema with fun gameplay. Its strengths were frequently ignored because it took so much time to release due to changes in development. That makes it a standout title that never received the widespread praise it deserved. One of the game’s biggest highlights isits story, which sticks with you long after it’s done.
The story follows undercover police officer Wei Shen as he works his way through the dangerous world of Hong Kong’s Triads. This isn’t just a simple backdrop for the action; it’s a gripping, well-written tale packed with unforgettable characters and rising tension. This makes it different from many other open-world games where the story feels like an afterthought. The combat inSleeping Dogsis intense and satisfying, mixing martial arts, gunfights, and creative environmental takedowns.
8Marvel’s Midnight SunsIs a Marvel Lover’s Dream
Marvel’s Midnight Sunsis an impressive game that combines deep tactical combat with a surprisingly fun RPG-style story. The game features a special card-based battle system designed by Firaxis, which adds a new layer of strategy to the superhero genre.
Players get to use famous heroes like Iron Man and Doctor Strange in creative and exciting ways. It focuses on smaller, character-driven missions instead of following typical superhero game conventions.
That said, even thoughMidnight Sunshas innovative combat, a great story, and enjoyable characters, it didn’t get as much attention as it should have. Part of the reason is that it launched at a very busy time for new games, but it was pretty complex as well.
7EarthBoundWas Influential, But Many Haven’t Played It
EarthBound, which came out in 1995, is a Japanese role-playing game that mixes classic gameplay with a setting inspired by 1990s America. The game balances serious and silly moments, pushing players through tough fights against weird enemies (like living piles of vomit) with plenty of funny situations (like helping monkeys fall in love).
It also used a health system where numbers rolled down, giving players a chance to heal before a character died. Unfortunately, even today, many people haven’t playedEarthBound. It’s worth trying out since plenty of fan translations exist.
6Everspace 2Is a Fun Space Dogfighting Game
Everspace 2is a fast-paced, vibrant, and action-packed game that blends looter-shooter RPG mechanics with arcade-style space battles. The game has smooth, glitch-free flying and has a classic take on close-range dogfights. You have to carefully choose the right damage types to break through enemy shields and armor.
What really makesEverspace 2stand out is its emphasis on space combat and the huge amount of customization available for your ship. Players can equip different modules like boosters and shields, choose from 10 primary weapons, and pick from a wide selection of secondary weapons, along with various devices that can all be upgraded and fine-tuned.
While the combat and ship customization are excellent, the story and characters aren’t very memorable, with repetitive dialogue and missions that mostly focus on fighting without much variety. This caused it to receive worse reviews than it could have had, and it tends to be overlooked by many.
5Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-CarsCame BeforeRocket League
Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Carswas a one-of-a-kind car soccer game that should have gotten much more attention than it did when it first came out. I am more sure of that than any other game on this list because the next game in this series wasRocket League, which took a lot of the original and made improvements.
The game took the basic idea of using cars to score goals and mixed in physics, letting players pull off amazing midair tricks and skilled moves. Despite being a really great game, the long title did not help.Rocket Leaguegot its bit break at launch by being free on PlayStation Plus, so it’s possible thatRocket Leaguecould have suffered the same fate.
4Old WorldIs a 4X Strategy Game That’s a Ton of Fun
Old Worldis a strategy game that skillfully combines the 4X genre (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) with elements fromCrusader Kings. It stands out by focusing closely on ancient Mediterranean history, emphasizing the personal side of leadership through named characters and noble families. The choices you make matter, affecting not just your nation but also your ties to powerful families, leading to tough decisions with real consequences.
Old Worldmight not have gotten as much attention as it deserved because of its initial complexity and a user interface that presented information in a heavy, text-focused way. Compared to broader strategy games likeCivilization, its specialized historical focus may have also limited its appeal. The steep learning curve at the beginning and the complexities of managing internal politics and order resources are likely still off-putting for some players.
3Spec Ops: The LineIs an Unforgettable Experience
Spec Ops: The Lineis a standout shooter because it makes violence feel meaningful, which few games manage to do. The story is one of its biggest strengths, following Captain Martin Walker and his Delta Force team as they navigate the morally gray ruins of Dubai. As the plot unfolds, Walker changes from a typical hero into someone much darker, forcing players to face the consequences of their actions in a way most games avoid. It’s a reallymisunderstood game you should give another chance.
The issue withSpec Ops: The Lineis that it had to compete with an already huge catalog of shooters. It also didn’t have the marketing to stand out. Despite an incredible story, the likes ofBattlefield,Call of Duty, andGhost Reconultimately drowned it out. Despite daring to make players feel guilty for their violence and encouraging them to reflect on their choices in a way most games don’t,Spec Opsnever quite got the recognition it deserved.
