Atlus has been making games for a very long time. The company began in 1986, and after a brief period selling amusement equipment like karaoke systems they began developing games for the NES. Some of their more notable titles of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras are; Rockin’ Kats for the NES, Dungeon Explorer for the Turbografx-16, and Run Sabre for the SNES (which is awesome).
Atlus has been a subsidiary of Sega since it was purchased by Sega Sammy Holdings in 2013. They have always been known for making high-quality games; some of their best games are among the highest rated on Metacritic. Like most game developers (and publishers) Atlus also has their share of games that critics and fans have savaged on Metacritic. Here are the five highest rated and five lowest rated Atlus games on Metacritic.
10 Worst: Daylight (PS4) – 48 Rating, 4.6 User Score
Daylight was also released for the PC, and the score for that platform are only slightly better than the PS4 version. Daylight is a horror game that puts the player in a procedurally generated abandoned hospital. The player must find their way out safely while trying to unravel the mysteries that surround the hospital.
One of the biggest complaints from both critics and fans is that the game is very repetitive. The game also suffers from numerous bugs; the player character getting stuck against a surface is a common complaint. Most reviewers also agree that the game’s graphics should have been much better.
9 Best: Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS) – 85 Rating, 8.6 User Score
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology is the Nintendo 3DS remake of Radiant Historia for the DS. Atlus made improvements to the game’s graphics, sped the gameplay up slightly, and added new content for Perfect Chronology.
This is a JRPG set in a steampunk world with an interesting twist – the main character has a book that allows the party to travel back and forth through time to set points. This allows the player to explore different timelines and create new tangents within the time-line. Battles in Radiant Historia are handled in the traditional turn-based face-off between the party and the enemies.
8 Worst: Attack On Titan: Humanity In Chains (3DS) – 46 Rating, 4.0 User Score
Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains for the Nintendo 3DS is not nearly as enjoyable as the hit anime and manga on which it is based. The story-line for the game follows the plot of season one of the anime; even using the show’s musical score and clips from the show for many of the cutscenes.
Many reviewers found this to be lazy and stated it would have been better had the cutscenes been made using the game engine instead. The game’s over-simplified controls were also another source of complaints from critics and players. The game’s action sequences feel like prolonged quicktime events which don’t allow the player to feel any sense of accomplishment.
7 Best: Demon’s Souls (PS3) – 89 Rating, 8.9 User Score
Demon’s Souls is the first game in the Souls series; which would continue under the Dark Souls flag to allow the game to be published for multiple consoles. The series has a reputation for being incredibly difficult – a well-deserved reputation. Many players compare Demon’s Souls to the games for the NES, which are legendary for their difficulty.
Critics and users both acknowledge this difficulty in their reviews, but most state that games of this sort are usually too easy and welcome the challenge Demon’s Souls presents. Many user reviews also lament that games like Demon’s Souls are becoming too rare.
6 Worst: The Cursed Crusade (Xbox360) – 39 Rating, 4.4 User Score
The Cursed Crusade is a third-person action game that takes place during the Fourth Crusades. The graphics in this game are decent, but the other aspects of the game are where it falls short – according to the critics and users. One of the main complaints is the camera views.
There are many times where the player character is surrounded by enemies, and the camera views don’t allow the player to see incoming attacks. The slow paced battles are made even less enjoyable due to the poor A.I. of the computer controlled opponents. This game is also available for the PS3 and PC, and the Metacritic ratings for those versions are nearly as low as those for the Xbox360.
5 Best: Odin Sphere Leifthrasir (VITA) – 93 Rating, 8.4 User Score
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is a remake of the PlayStation 2 game Odin Sphere, which was a spiritual successor to the game Princess Crown for the Sega Saturn. This game is a side-scrolling action game with RPG elements and a crafting (alchemy) system.
The game is praised by users and critics for its perfect controls, beautiful 2D graphics, engaging story, and superb soundtrack. Some reviews call this game as much a work of art as a game. Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is also available for the PS3 and PS4, but the VITA has the best Metacritic rating of the three versions.
4 Worst: R.I.P.D. The Game (PC) – 26 Rating, 1.5 User Score
Most movie licensed games generally are awful cash-grabs, but few are as bad as R.I.P.D. The Game. Many savvy reviewers noted this game is simply the developer’s previous game, God Mode, with different skins and textures; except R.I.P.D The Game has had a lot of the content in God Mode removed.
According to the critics and users the game is an uninspired and repetitious grind with almost no replay value. More than one user review states this is the worst game ever made and is not worth playing; which isn’t surprising considering the movie it is based on is barely worth watching.
3 Best: Persona 4 Golden (VITA) – 93 Rating, 8.5 User Score
Persona 4 Golden for the VITA is a remaster of Persona 4 for the PS2. Persona 4 was one of the best received RPGs for the PS2, and was praised for its unique combat system, engaging plot, and seemingly endless gameplay options. With Persona 4 Golden Atlus took a classic game and improved every aspect.
The graphics were improved and new personas have been added. There are even new characters that add new social links for the main character. Critics and users both describe this game as perfect, and remark how this game is worth buying a VITA to play.
2 Worst: 10-In-1 Explosive Megamix (Wii) – 16 Rating, 3.7 User Score
This is by far the worst game from Atlus according to Metacritic. 10-in-1 Explosive Megamix is a compilation of mini-games with a play-style similar to the WarioWare games. One major complaint from critics and users on Metacritic is the poor controls; most reviews state the motion controls don’t work at all, and even if they did work are not suitable for a game like this.
Another common complaint is that the mini-games in Explosive Megamix are not fun in the least. This was released as a “value” game, but from the reviews it sounds as if there isn’t any value to be found here at all.
1 Best: Persona 5 (PS4) – 93 Rating, 8.7 User Score
It is probably not very surprising for fans of the Persona series to see that Persona 5 is the best Atlus game according to Metacritic. Persona 5, like its predecessors, is an addicting RPG with incredible graphics, a well-written plot, a unique battle system involving personas, and tons of extras for the player to discover. The art-style in Persona 5 has also been highly praised; it uses a minimalist style with highly contrasted colors.
Most critics plead with the reader to play this game, and users claim this might be the most polished and complete RPG ever made. This is an excellent game that definitely deserves its “Must Play” badge.