00:00With the gaming industry bigger than ever, kicking out multi-million dollar projects left and right, it's hot.
00:05Keeping up with every last thing you should play.
00:07On the flip side though, you've got more options than ever.
00:10More games that have associated fanbases or passionate followings screaming that a certain title didn't get.
00:15The more time passes, the more the collective spotlight moves on and the more that recommendation
00:20feels essential because that wider set of people just don't know what they're missing.
00:24I'm Scott.
00:25And these are 9 seriously underappreciated video games.
00:309. The Enemy Within
00:31Interestingly, the second season of Batman was re-
00:35really Telltale Games' swan song.
00:36The Walking Dead saw two episodes released before the studio closed.
00:40And the rest went off in a handful of other directions.
00:42Batman was that studio's final game from the-
00:45original creative run.
00:46And what a way to go.
00:48Season 1 of Telltale's Batman was genu-
00:50genuinely phenomenal, putting you in the shoes of Batman and Bruce Wayne in a way that no
00:53other work of fiction has-
00:55ever attempted.
00:55It made for a fascinating dynamic as you knew a potential boardroom decision as-
01:00Bruce could mess with Batman's duties and vice versa.
01:03Season 2 then continued that formula-
01:05Bruce was forced to go undercover and infiltrate a gang consisting of Bane-
01:10the Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Harley Quinn and the Joker.
01:12The story and choices tested how far you-
01:15willing to go to maintain your cover, whilst also making you feel sympathy for the Joker.
01:20No-
01:20No small feat.
01:21It was Telltale Games firing on all cylinders, at everything they always did-
01:25better than the competition.
01:26The Enemy Within is a fantastic Batman-slash-Bruce Wayne story that-
01:30suverted expectations and had you reeling at every decision that had to be made.
01:34Troy Bacon-
01:35The Joker's Bruce-Bartt combo is low-key an all-timer, and I think it'll only get more
01:40appreciated-
01:40appreciated as we move forward.
01:41Number 8- Ni No Kuni 2-
01:44S-equal to Sony-
01:45The Joker's Breakout JRPG was never a sure thing, but Ni No Kuni 2 is a beautiful RPG-
01:50that does lack the heart of the original, whilst making up for it with better gameplay
01:54and a more robust world.
01:55If you never played the first Ni No Kuni, it was a mesmerising JRPG that tasked you with
02:00collecting-
02:00familiars, then battling, almost like Pokemon or Persona.
02:03What really set Ni No Kuni apart-
02:05what, however, was its heart-wrenching story, told with Studio Ghibli-style animated cutscenes
02:10that were just-
02:10endlessly charming.
02:11The sequel, then, features even better gameplay, a more interesting world, lots more-
02:15familiars, and a fun town-building mode.
02:17Yes, it missed those Ghibli cutscenes and the-
02:20touching story, but Ni No Kuni 2 remains one of the most recommendable and gorgeous RPG-
02:25of the modern day.
02:267.
02:27Grease
02:28Graphics will never try-
02:30trump gameplay entirely, but if we're making a pie chart of reasons to play Grease, it's
02:35defi-
02:35definitely 80% that god-like art direction.
02:37An absolutely wondrous painterly style back-
02:40backed by an impactful story told entirely through visuals, gameplay borrows small parts
02:45of a Metroid-
02:45Metroidvania structure, including light platforming and various abilities you'll unlock over time.
02:50Speaking of over time, this initially launched on Switch and PC, though 2019 saw one-
02:55a hell of an upscale over on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro, with the game now running-
03:00at 4K with locked FPS frame rates, also available on PS5, if you want a lit-
03:05ritual feast for your eyes that's a joy to play through and explore, Grease is that game.
03:106.
03:11Firewall Zero Hour
03:13Languishing for a couple of years after launch-
03:152018 was the breakout year for virtual reality.
03:18In particular, it was a banner year for PlayStation 4.
03:20PlayStation VR, which saw incredible games like Astro Bot Rescue Mission and MOS.
03:24It was also the-
03:25In the air we got the best console VR shooter so far, Firewall Zero Hour.
03:30Others had a-
03:30attempted to make FPS games in VR, such as Bravo Team, but Firewall was the first on
03:35PlayStation 4.
03:35PlayStation 4 that made you feel like you were really in the firefight.
03:38Gritty, tactile, and addictive when it comes-
03:40In terms of making you actively think of different ways to approach firefights, you'll physically
03:43take cover or play-
03:45the angles game against someone in hiding to just pop a headshot.
03:48Solid graphics help immerse you in-
03:50In the action, and every time you see a bullet coming square at your face, your heart will
03:54skip a beat.
03:55Firewall was a huge stepping stone for PSVR when it comes to how these kinds of experiences
03:59can really-
04:00work and elevate the genre itself.
04:025.
04:03Become Human
04:04Detroit Become Human
04:05Somehow the forgotten Quantic Dream game, despite an insane budget, production values
04:10and-
04:10fact it has a very dedicated fanbase, Detroit Become Human is a story told from multiple-
04:15perspectives you need to experience yourself.
04:17Detroit Circa 2038 is a city revitalized-
04:20by the advent of androids as human helpers.
04:22Think iRobot, but much more lifelike.
04:253.
04:25Three androids, Kara, Marcus and Connor, find themselves intrinsically linked in a world
04:29that is on the brink of a-
04:30revolution.
04:31It's a story that works surprisingly well once you have to make decisions as one character
04:35that-
04:35affects the other.
04:36Even if the whole thing is insanely heavy-handed when it comes to drawing on racial-
04:40subject matter across the board.
04:41The elephant in the room is obviously that Detroit and David Cage's right-
04:45writing played too fast and loose with incredibly sensitive topics, not to mention Cage's reputation
04:50and-
04:50as well as the situation plummeting in recent years alongside a string of ugly accusations.
04:53It'll be on each player whether or not-
04:55or not they're comfortable separating these elements from the game itself, as in the latter's
04:59case, tracking accounts.
05:00Collective player base's choices in this context, and seeing which branching story paths you
05:04missed or committed.
05:054.
05:08Vampyr
05:09Vampyr
05:10Vampyr is set in 19th century England, and puts you in the shoes of Dr Jonathan Reid,
05:14who's just con-
05:15You then play the game struggling with the need to feast versus the morality of killing
05:19m-
05:20Your patience for sustenance, and some fancier unlockables.
05:22As you can imagine with this coming from the-
05:25Lines of Life is Strange and Remember Me, Vampyr is more about storytelling and worldbuilding
05:29than it is-
05:30Gameplay.
05:31This dark and twisting story is reflected in the gloomy and claustrophobic street-
05:35locations of London, which makes for a refreshing tale in a world overflowing with sequels and
05:39safe bears.
05:40Vampyr has atmosphere in abundance, and what it lacks in polish and occasionally repetitive-
05:45combat, it more than makes up for with style, uniqueness, and supremely well written characters.
05:503.
05:51Guardians of the Galaxy
05:53The best Marvel game that isn't in-
05:55Omniac Spider-Man titles, but deserves to be up there with them, Guardians of the Galaxy
05:59suffered a terrible-
06:00initial gameplay demo at E3, and then a completely flat marketing rollout that didn't-
06:05accentuate its positives whatsoever.
06:07What Square Enix appeared to show off was a thrown-together cash-
06:10Scrab almost feeling like Avengers DLC being sold for full price.
06:14What Guardians actually is-
06:15His, though, is an incredibly well written character piece from some key minds behind Deus
06:19X.
06:20side missions and conversations are on the level of Mass Effect, and the overall story
06:24here gets incredibly-
06:25emotional and unique in tackling themes of fatherhood, and what it even feels like to
06:30know a group of-
06:30people have your back no matter what.
06:32Yes, combat gets repetitive, but it's serviceable enough, and-
06:35nowhere near the majority of what you're doing.
06:37This is a game that prioritizes its characters, fun-
06:40soundtrack, neat dialogue options, and above all, that specific Guardians tone.
06:44It's clear-
06:45creative director Jean-Francois Dugard got the source material and knew exactly how to elevate
06:50it.
06:50Eidos Montreal's Guardians of the Galaxy is the best Guardians of the Galaxy thing
06:54we've had so far.
06:552.
06:56Florence
06:57Florence tells the most realistic tale of a relationship-
07:00ever seen in video games.
07:02The ups, the downs, the joy, the melancholy, it's incredibly-
07:05incredibly moving, but it was initially exclusive to mobile, and that meant flying completely
07:09under most-
07:10people's radars.
07:11Thankfully, it's now on Switch.
07:12And this touching story focuses on Florence falling for-
07:15someone, and the days and weeks that follow.
07:17You'll go from start to finish in around 40 minutes, with-
07:20Evan Penkin's gorgeously carefree, occasionally sad soundtrack carrying you through.
07:24Made to be a-
07:25drop-in short story of a video game centered on dating in a city, there isn't much in
07:29the way of gameplay-
07:30but every mechanic serves to make playable the various mindsets and realities of a relationship-
07:35where some things fit and others don't.
07:37Making the mundane interesting and nailing a tight artistic-
07:40vision, Florence joins the likes of Unpacking and The Artful Escape as brilliant indie gems-
07:45that really stick with you.
07:461.
07:47A Way Out
07:49It took it takes-
07:502.
07:512.
07:522.
07:532.
07:542.
07:552.
07:562.
07:572.
07:582.
07:592.
07:552.
07:562.
07:572.
07:582.
07:592.
08:002.
08:002.
08:012.
08:022.
08:032.
08:042.
08:052.
08:052.
08:063.
08:072.
08:083.
08:092.
08:103.
08:113.
08:124.
08:134.
08:145.
08:155.
08:165.
08:176.
08:186.
08:196.
08:207.
08:217.
08:227.
08:238.
08:247.
08:258.
08:268.
08:278.
08:289.
08:299.
08:309.
08:3110.
08:329.
08:3310.
08:3410.
08:3510.
08:3610.
08:3710.
08:3810.
08:3910.
08:4011.
08:4111.
08:4211.
08:4312.
08:4412.
08:4512.
08:4613.
08:4713.
08:4814.
08:4914.
08:5014.
08:5115.
08:5215.
08:5315.
08:5415.
08:5515.
08:5615.
08:5716.
08:5816.
08:5916.
09:0016.
09:0116.
09:0216.
Comments