Top 10 Underrated Games of 2010

GamingOgre's list of 10 Underrated games of 2010.

There have been a ton of great games launched this year, but it's also been a year full of sequels and continuations of other stories. In no particular order, I'd like to list 10 games that I personally have enjoyed that were largely overlooked by the public due to low review scores, other big name titles being out around the same time, or sadly, just a lack of general interest for whatever reason.

[RadientFlux]

My favorite underrated game this year (so far) has to be 'Enslaved' the characters grabbed hold of as I actually cared what happened to them.

The twist at the end was completely unexpected for me.

[DK_Kithuni_71]

.. and I did not care for it. It controls like crap and looks like a PS2 game to me. I like the idea of it though but will not buy it.

[PS360fanboy]

Enslaved looks like a PS2 game to you?! Ahahahh, you people try so hard...

[Bereaver]

I agree, enslaved was a pretty awesome game. I just didn't like the interaction between monkey and trip. Some things didn't fit right.

But yes, it was underrated.

[EliteAssassin81]

I'm sorry, but I feel that if you didn't actually play the game, then you can not give your honest opinion. The only game on this list that I played was Darksiders. I loved it from the time I started it, to the time I finished it

[HolyOrangeCows]

Most of these games got what they deserved.

[kancerkid]

Resonance of Fate is great. A game for real RPG fans.

[ExplosionSauce]

One of the things that threw me off about the characters was Monkey.
He was raised in the wild, yet he is very eloquent when speaking.
Aside for that, it was good.

[Sarcasm]

The most underrated game this year TO ME BECAUSE IT'S MY OPINION is Medal of Honor. Reason is because I felt like it was a more genuine military shooter and stayed true to a story about how hard it is fighting a war that is pointless.

I mean as far as actual gameplay and things like that, yeahhh it's not really that good. But I definitely prefer it over "the parody of anything military" COD series.

[RememberThe357]

I'm with you on that. I love MOH. This game is awesome. I'm not too bad at it either so I tend to have fun most of the time. The multiplayer is solid, deep, and can be challenging.

But about this list: Most of the games on this list weren't underrated, they were under-appreciated. Most of them were rated fairly. I played Singularity, Bayonetta, and Darksiders, from this list, and love love all of them.

[Game-ur]

Undersold is more accurate description, because most actually got very good reviews.

[soundslike]

for a game to be underrated it has to be a good "game"

[Anton Chigurh]

Is one of the best games I played this year.

[Silentmerc3nary]

I wouldn't say it's the best game I've played this year, but it's one of the better games I've played this year.

[Bolts]

Singularity = Bioshock clone.

[Anton Chigurh]

Is one of the best games I played in 2010.

[Pen15]

I thought it sucked, just my 2 cents...

[nnotdead]

still want to try Enslaved for the story, characters, and voice acting, but i didn't like the demo. still want to give it a play through though.

[ABizzel1]

Darksiders was really good. It's Zelda meets God of War, just not up to the caliber of those 2 games. The combat isn't as intense as God of War, the exploration isn't as satisfying as Zelda, and the graphics are only decent, but it's a good game.

Bayonetta was great in my opinion. The best new Hack and Slash game this gen (by new I mean games that aren't an existing franchise such as Ninja Gaiden/God of War/ etc...). The only game to compete with it to me has been Heavenly Sword. Those 2 games are the only good hack and slash deserving of franchises this gen.

Enslaved has the story and characters, but gameplay and controls aren't up to par.

Castlevania has cinematic presentation, longevity, and story. But it's boring and the combat isn't up to par.

Dante's Inferno was a rip off of God of War that came out at the wrong time. It's not a bad game, but it was completely overshadowed and blown out of the water by God of War 3, Bayonetta, and Darksiders since they all came out in a 3 month time frame.

I thought Vanquished was fun, but the length is what put it in the not buy section or at least the buy once it drops to $30.

The other games I barley played, before sending them back because they didn't grab my attention quick enough.

[gillri]

I would say Bayonetta but that scored really highly, so it isnt underrated

I think this guy is talking about sales

in which case I would say Enslaved or Vanquish, as they havent sold well

Bayonetta sold 1.5 millions copies

[Akagi]

I'd say Bayonetta is digustingly overrated.

I'd say the most underrated game of 2010 is 3D Dot Game Heroes.

[Acquiescence]

Bayonetta is spectacularly overrated and I wish I didn't buy into the hype. I've been trying to sell my Limited Edition copy ever since January.

[Zezo]

I'm never one to comment on just how much a game garners attention but honestly I have never had this much fun playing an action game since the first DMC. I say Bayonetta deserves the praises. But like most people everyone has different opinions. To each their own. It's an action game dudes.

If you are not having fun bashing,slashing, killing, and gunning down things maybe the action game genre is just not your cup of tea

[Sarcasm]

"I'd say Bayonetta is digustingly overrated. "

HIGHLY AGREE.

Rented it (the superior 360 version), and couldn't get past the stupid stupid stupid 10 foot tall she-male that's supposed to be hot and the stupid cheesy storyline. Yeah it has good gameplay mechanics, but that's like a road you have to walk barefoot that's covered with sh*t and broken glass before you reach the end to enjoy it.

[jeseth]

Agreed. 3DOT was awesome and super underrated!

I also really liked Enslaved despite all the mediocre reviews and poor reception it got. Pickup it up at a Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale and it was great.

[Neckbear]

@Akagi

I wouldn't say Bayonetta is overrated. At all. Played the PS3 version, hell, it was fun and enjoyable.

Also, wich other game HAS YOU SURFING WHILE KILLING A BOSS, RIDING A ROCKET AS IT WAS AN OLD-SCHOOL SHOOTER, OR PUNCHING GOD SO HARD YOU SEND HIM/HER/IT TO THE GODDAMN SUN?

None. At all. It's probably of the most awesome games we've had in a LONG, LONG while.

@jeseth

3DDGH isn't underrated. It was actually given proper reviews for what it is- a nostalgia-ridden game that's not GREAT but not BAD either, it's simply good.

About Enslaved, it didn't got bad reviews. I would say I liked it, but the auto-platforming and the game itself was completly mediocre, and the plot wasn't THAT good.

@cmrbe

I liked the Fly me to the Moon remix and Let's Dance Boys!, and the music overall felt fitting while still standing out. Wich is what makes it great, or well, at least personally.

Bayonetta cutscenes where of two kinds: An excuse to show off some awesome, AWESOME stuff or heartwarming. Sure, it's not deep, complex, no gray morality or anything, but hell, it was still worth looking at once.

Let us not forget, Bayonetta is mainly a GAME. Music is fitting, gameplay is awesome, story has its moments...so then, what's wrong with it?

Nothing at all. Wich is why it's not overrated- it's simply of the best games we've had this year.

[cmrbe]

No doubt she has some really mad skills but as an overall package it was lacking for me.

Byonetta has the most fluid/fast pace combat i have ever seen. Its the new standard for Hack and Slash games.

However the story (was there a story?) and the music really put me off. I now only play it mostly for the challenges but not much more.

I would give it an 8/10.

[SiteNblog Defender]

Bayonetta is underrated by the PS3 fanboys. They're butthurt the PS3 version isn't on par to the 360's.

@cmrbe, God of War 3's story isn't any better. Kratos is such a lame and unlikable character.

[guzman]

Kratos comes from the school of generic character design. He'll be forgotten in another generation.

[Pen15]

Speaking as a non-fanboy, your comment is a joke.

[TheLastGuardian]

Kratos' backstory is quite interesting if you play 1,2,3,COO and GOS. God Of War has a great story.

[TheLastGuardian]

Bioshock 2 is underrated. It wan't as good as the first and because of that people were dissapointed. It was still a great game.

[DigitalAnalog]

Just because it has a poor port by SEGA doesn't change the fact the this was an AWESOME game. Expected from the very same dude that produced DMC and Viewtiful Joe.

If anything, the most underrated games this gen are the Wii games. Aside from Mario/Zelda, SH: Shattered Memories is by far the BEST motion control used in the Wii. Dead Space extraction also gets an honorable mention. I hope Kirby's Epic Yarn does not suffer the same fate.

-End statement

[xilly]

Enslaved is definitely on my list of things I plan on playing before the end of the year! Glad to know it's as good as I've been hearing it is!

[-GoldenTimeLover-]

Time Crisis Razing Storm for me.

[AKissFromDaddy]

This list is perfect.

[BakedGoods]

'Cept it's missing Visceral's incredible Dante's Inferno. Fantastic game.

[Neckbear]

Bayonetta and Vanquish aren't underrated- just overlooked, sadly.

With NieR and Resonance of Fate both I can agree- except NieR would probably top the list thanks to its marvelous, MARVELOUS plot and characters.

Darksiders is pretty good, but not GREAT, and so is Mafia II, alongside Alpha Protocol.

It really saddens me that such great games get overlooked while pieces of crap sell like hotcakes and such.

But hell, it's always been this way.

@xilly

That's what you call an "overlooked" game, not an "underrated" one.

Wich is sad, but hell, when you're talking mostly with 13 years old fellows, or simply people who will buy the latest Halo or Call of Duty, it's normal than things like that will happen.

It's also why starting a new IP is usually risky- alot of those original games get overlooked for Rehash #23454.

[xXxSeTTriPxXx]

he must be judging these games by sells, because bayonetta shouldn't be on this list.it's a 90 on metacritic.the most under rated game this year is castlevania.yea it has a 85 on metacritic.but it should have gotten great reviews every where.it reminds me of uncharted 1 and how so many hated on it, when it was great.

[xilly]

Nah, I didn't base this on sales. Just on my personal experiences. I can't even tell you how many "hardcore gamers" I've spoken to who all had the same reply when I mentioned Bayonetta "eh, I never tried it. no real interest".

[guzman]

@Xilly: Sounds anecdotal to me. Maybe these "hardcore gamers" you've talked to are 13 year old, lobotomized mouthbreathers....er.. I mean CoD players.

[mandf]

Singularity is not underrated.

[bshubinsky]

I would say it is - it was an under the radar FPS that most people didn't give a chance to due to all the AAA games coming out at the same time.

[Mcardle]

Alan Wake

[Alvadr]

Yeah, Alan Wake is a great game and not enough people bought it!!!

[Wizziokid]

out of that list I only played Mafia II and I agree, it was underrated

[cb4g]

A lot of people got bogged down since it really wasn't an open world game but I felt the city added to the atmosphere of the game. Although, the story wasn't as impressive as the first game it was still a fun experience.

As for the author of the article, he obviously only played the console version of the first game. It came out on PC first and it played like a charm.

[Bolts]

Mafia 2 is definitely underrated.

[Acquiescence]

Enslaved
Alan Wake

[barinho]

I agree with this list but I would also add Alan Wake,Fable 3,Heavy Rain,Enslaved,Castlevania,Metr o 2033 and Dante´s Inferno to that list.I actually think that this year was a year where the critics were particualrly harsh.I just hope that gamers give these games the recognition they deserve.

[xilly]

Dante's Inferno isn't a bad choice. As a matter of fact had this been a top 15 or 20, it would have been in there. I edged it out just slightly because it did pretty well. I wouldn't include Heavy Rain though, because from where I stand having platinumed it, it's highly overrated. It's good, but it's not as life changing as some have described it. It's ironic to me that a lot of the same people that praise Heavy Rain are the same people who have described Final Fantasy XIII as being "a movie where you just hit a button over and over".

[barinho]

The thing I really liked about heavy rain was the way the story was told,it really made you connect with the characters and it was very emotional.And the fact that even a main character could die at any time and the fact that no matter what you did the story would move on.Your catuons really had an impact.But I can see why you wouldn´t like it,it really doesn´t have too much gameplay.

[Venox2008]

1. Bayonetta (for me it's a mix of God Hand & Devil may cry) - awesome!!!
2. Enslaved (great game)
3. Vanquish
4. Sin & Punishment 2 (wii)
5. Fragile (wii)
6. No more heroes 2
7. Singularity
8. Silent hill: shattered memories

sooo, sad.. :/ at least I enjoyed them ^^

[edoman20]

OMG Fragile is so extraordinary but is not for everyone

But seriouslty there isnt any other game in this gen that have a history that is soo deep and mature

If you dare to play prepare to be sad and share some tears

[IrishYamato]

I know this is not a 2010 game, but i think Far Cry 2 is underrated.

[Tron_Rocks]

The environments looked incredible and the Engine was fun but the story, the characters and the ending totally ruined it for me. I sold it as soon as I finished. It is a shame as I really wanted to love it as I did the first Farcry.

[cb4g]

The game required patience...lot's of it. I spent most of my time playing it by avoiding enemy patrols and strategizing how to infiltrate bases without attracting too much attention.

There's nothing like manoeuvring your boat down the river at night to avoid patrols on the road only to hear a river patrol coming your way. Hiding in the water until they passed was one of the most tense moments in the game.

[Ducky]

Was the list for any specific gaming system?
I'd put Amnesia on it if it includes the PC. The game got good reviews, but not enough attention as it deserves.

Stalker:CallOfPripyat could also make it for that matter... =/

[bshubinsky]

+1 to that.

[Empow3rd]

Say Call of Pripyat aswell. Amnesia was a great horror game judging by the demo i tried.

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games sell pretty well (First game sold 2-3 million units), but nobody really talks about that series. It is always either Call of Duty,Battlefield BC or Halo franchises...

[gillri]

yes Amesnia is a good choice, but an indie horror game like that is usually destined to not sell like a mainstream title

[Bolts]

Dead on. Amnesia and Call of Pripyat are very underrated but this is N4G. These PC gems are lost here.

[gillri]

people dont like Bayonetta, dont seem to like good gameplay

if its so good you should be able to look past the other aspects of the game you really dont like, obviously some people cant

I had so much fun with Bayonetta I didnt mind the dialogue, story etc etc

the enemy designs were brilliant though

[Blaster_Master]

Honestly, I thought Mario Galaxies, The other M, and MAG all deserve more recognition.

[BlueEye]

Transformers War for Cybertron was also very underrated, the only thing wrong with that game is maybe the lack of bosses in the campaign, IF there is lag it will be unplayable during online matches, and third is that there weren't many things to unlock so the multiplayer was rather pointless after getting everything. Other then that it was great!

[SeraphimBlade]

Darksiders? I really could barely get into that game at all. you would think the embodiment of War would be doing something cooler than (poorly imitated) Zelda-style dungeons in incredibly bland environments. And you'd think he wouldn't look like a Warcraft reject. And you'd think he'd be able to summon his horse in more than five rooms. And you'd think he'd be participating in the actual apocalypse for more than 20 minutes. And you'd think Mark Hamill wouldn't be wasted on such a bland character.

my games:
-Bayonetta: feels DMC-ish, but give it more than 20 minutes and its unique features will shine through.
-Singularity: Very bioshockish, but a pretty cool time-traveling plot, and a creative time-manipulation mechanic make it a great rental.
-Deadly Premonition: if Ed Wood made a video game... (but was capable of some creativity and a decent plot)

[EditorAtGNG]

I completely agree with their missed opportunity with War as a character. He has absolutely no personality. Even in the comic he has an attitude, I just can't understand why they didn't use it in the actual game. Nothing he does seems interesting (or even endangering) to his well-being. He just stays there, grunts, takes another quest and moves on. WHY!? He should be loud, bloodthirsty, brutal... more like Kratos than Gordon freaking Freeman.

The rest of the implemented elements (from various other games) were just as disappointing. The Portals from, well, Portal felt misplaced. The grappling hook wasn't even implemented in combat (if you count out the stupid drag move). The Zelda-style of dungeon seeking and treasure hunting was very limited and somewhat awkward (who the hell goes around collecting treasure chests when he is the mortal embodiment of WAR!?).

Oh, and the story... the story felt so thin and went by so fast there was no possibility for me to actually get hooked to the plot. This is (AGAIN) caused by the weak personalization of all the characters, who play out even the most basic layouts of demon/angel stereotypes.

STILL, I enjoyed the hell out of it. When you examine all these elements, you get (well) everything stated above. BUT, as a sum of all its parts, Darksiders is still very interesting and superbly paced game, which will get on interesting locations, battling huge enemies and will end with a fair amount of Awesome.

[Caffo01]

MAG?

[bshubinsky]

I absolutely *hated* MAG.

[Pen15]

MAG is 100% overrated. Its honestly the best shooter I've played in years.

@bshubinsky
How long did you actually play MAG? That game has the steepest learning curve of any game I've ever played. 30 hours is the minimum to actually judge it.