10 Underappreciated Videogaming Gems

IncGamers: 10 games that failed to achieve the commercial success that they deserved.

[the-thing-that-is]

alpha protocol and valkyria chronicles should be on this list

[distorted_reality]

Alpha Protocol failed because of the huge amount of bugs in the game and the sub-par graphics and AI.

Which sucks because I thought it was a brilliant concept, just poorly executed. Is still somewhat enjoyable, but I think it got the ratings and sales it deserved.

[Redempteur]

valkyria managed to sell more than 500K

considering the genre of the game that's more than a success ..it just didn't sell fast during the first months .

While i can agree for beyond good and evil and eternal sonata i'll just say 2 things .

ETERNAL sonata is great but is nothing in front of dragon quest

Lost oddsisey isn't a good example of a jrPG imo. there are so many flaws in that game i just don't get HOW some people can put it that high in their regards

@iamironman
I doubt you'll find any "MAIN" dragon quest where you aren't involved with the characters.
YEs eternal sonata story was cool , very good even with all the changes in the ps3 version . But dragon quest has nothing to lose on that area either

"much more involving"
i dunno what that really means ..is it about enjoyement ? because that is subjective last time i checked

[iamironman]

I agree with what you've said apart from with dragon quest being better than eternal sonata. Eternal sonata is a great game and much more involving than dragon quest or pretty much any other jrpg of the last few years. Unless you count pokemon

[Myze]

VC sold pretty well over time, but considering it's the best RPG released this generation (if you don't include Persona 4), I still say it didn't sell enough. ;) Although, I will concede that it probably doesn't need to be on the list.

Completely agree about Eternal Sonata. Great game, but his remarks concerning the FF and DQ series are a bit preposterous.

I did notice something about the list though. It seems fairly apparent that the guy doesn't own a ps3. That's not a knock against him, but it would explain why some ps3 games aren't on the list in place of some 360 games that definitely shouldn't be. Alan Wake and Lost Odyssey, both good games, but both of them sold enough to not be on the list. He even said "Okay, so Alan Wake sold well enough but, it deserved to do much better."

[Myze]

@iamironman

Have you played Persona 4? Eternal Sonata is a pong game in comparison for purposes of "involvement." Also, Eternal Sonata, by JRPG standards, is fairly short, it's also very easy. The main strength of the game is atmosphere, and, of course, music. I wouldn't say depth is a huge strength in the game, and isn't meant to be, as the game is very casual and light-hearted. I don't want to talk bad about the game, because I really enjoyed it, but I have to defend some of the other games that did it better (imo).

[iamironman]

@redempteur by involving i mean caring about the characters and what happens to them. i like dragon quest but i don't think about them after i've finished them. i thought eternal sonata for a long time after finishing it.

yeah, you're right. it is subjective. i'm just saying i found eternal sonata touched me more than dragon quest has.

[iamironman]

@myze no i havent played any of the persona games but they have been on my to play list for a while. i want to start playing persona 4 but ive been caught up playing mass effect 1 and 2 recently because i didnt play them when they came out and i want to be ready for mass3.

i agree with the alan wake bit of the list though. i loved that game and think that it should be talked about and celebrated more than it is. even if it did sell well (i dont know how many it sold) its good enough to be one of the best selling games of this gen.

[Redempteur]

@iamironman

if it's about caring , then Dragon quest 5 & 8 come to my mind as way better ..my opinion of course.

There are many Rpgs that are more character driven than eternal sonata. Resonance of fate for example or most "tales of" games that focuses their appeal on the characters more than the story ...

[Haxel051410]

Eternal Sonata is way better than Final Fantasy XIII.

[Myze]

While I agree there are parts of Eternal Sonata that were better than FFXIII, I wouldn't come close to saying it was "way better." FFXIII had many problems, but it was NOT a bad game like so many people on the bandwagon claim, it was just poor if you compare it to some of the masterpieces in the genre from before. (by the way, the linearity that FFXIII gets knocked for, Eternal Sonata isn't exactly open world itself)

The main part of the author's point that I had issue with was when he said:

"...the content of Eternal Sonata is deeper and more rewarding than anything offered up by the likes of Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest."

I'm sorry, but that's just an ignorant blanket statement about literally dozens of games in the two series. To claim Eternal Sonata is better than FFIV, VI, VII-X, FFT, and DQ8 is pretty ridiculous in my opinion. Eternal Sonata is a good game, those are amazing games.

To be clear though, I have no issue with Eternal Sonata being on this list, because I think it did deserve more recognition than it got. It was just what he said in the little blurb underneath it that bothered me.

[memots]

My 2 cent.

On more recent games. Vanquish and Shattered Horizon.

Vanquish was one of the most intense, fun , fast game ever.

Shattered Horizon is a fps that is not noob friendly and actually required strategy.

[the-thing-that-is]

vanquish is in that list. no love for valkyria chronicles? that game is ace

[mithril]

For me sacred2 is underappreciated. But probably many other games can be added on such list. Depending on the author.

[telekineticmantis]

maybe not the most underappreciated but it is undervalued. My opinion and no one can argue it, is that this game should be up there with the Mass Effects & uncharteds of this generation.

[blackburn5]

OKAMI DERSERVED TO BE ONE OF THE GREASTEST GAMES EVER. Nuff said.

[A7XEric]

Eternal Sonata is probably my favorite JRPG this whole generation. Can only hope they get the green light for a sequel.

[CrazedJackPotty]

boo! where's the love for the dynasty warriors games?

[ian72]

The only game I have in that list is BLUR, and its quite a good game. I also got Split/second which is similar and good too. I wouldn't pay full price for them, but at £25 each they were alright at that price.

[CrazedJackPotty]

for £25 theyre a steal. both are cool games but split/second is better of the 2

[ian72]

They'd only been out a few weeks when I got them for that price. Both from Asda.

[CrazedJackPotty]

now i think it about it a bit more. apart from dynasty warriors series (especially gundam) i would add power stone on dreamcast, paper mario and i agree with the guy that said infamous. sweet game