Just like any other art form, certain video games have it in them to stand the test of time, while a certain few are forgotten almost immediately. But somewhere between these two extremes stands a point where the theoretical insight of "what could have been" plagues the minds of the players and critics who can see through the layers of ambition and experience that makes a game underrated.
It's been almost a decade since the PlayStation 3 lost its charm, and with modern consoles bringing in a significant boost in technological aspects, certain games that were overshadowed and flipped through due to obscure reasons can have a chance to redeem themselves with a remastered launch!
6 The Saboteur
Back in the days when EA games were popular among the fans churning out games having hardcore single-player campaigns with no microtransactions came The Saboteur. Set amidst Nazi-occupied France during the times of World War 2, the game follows Sean Devlin, who joins the French resistance to liberate Paris from the Nazis.
The game was aesthetically pleasing, with the Black and white tones and reds marking the objectives. But on the other hand, critics tore the game apart for its lousy character animations, inability to convert a strong narrative into the gameplay, and sub-par enemy AI's. Despite these backlashes, players who finished the game found it to be a lost opportunity from the developers.
5 Tokyo Jungle
Tokyo Jungle is a 2012 post-apocalyptic action game published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation 3. Despite many apocalyptic-themed games hitting the stands, this one stands out differently. The players control several animals who need to survive in the deserted streets of Japan to understand the cause of mankind's extinction.
However, the game was severely underrated and had a broader audience on the eastern side. In addition, the game was slow to pick up and was criticized for the subpar graphics and in-game mechanics of unlocking new animals after missions with providing too little to explore. However, times have changed, and unlocking characters is the trend, and a remake in the current-gen tech should do wonders.
4 Binary Domain
Binary Domain is a 2012 third-person shooter published by Sega primarily for the PS3 and xbox360, followed by a PC port a few months later. Set in 2080 Japan, the game features a post-apocalyptic world courtesy of worldwide flooding from unchecked global warming. The game follows The Rust Crew in pursuit of one Ms.Amanda, responsible for creating the first Humanoid robot.
The game was way ahead of its time, where the player could command and order his troops using voice commands. Apart from being a third-person action shooter, the game also features a trust meter based on "Consequence Algorithms," in which the crew's loyalty is positioned over the choices and actions of the player. However, things didn't pan out due to the technical shortcomings back then, but one can be sure its hypothetical remake works well with the current times.
3 Enslaved: Odyssey To The West
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Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. have a history of making great games that are often overshadowed or celebrated by a select few. One such is the 2010 action-adventure Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. The game was initially envisioned as an animated feature film based on the novel "Journey to West" and is set in a post-apocalyptic world ruined by the ignorant egos of humans, which lead to an all-out war. Players take control of Monkey, who is on the mission to escort Trip home safely after they survive a ship crash, surviving hordes of enemies and solving puzzles along the way.
The game was well-received by critics, but the marketing of the game let it down. The sales numbers did not match as expected, and only a few had experience playing it. The studios severely underestimated the game's potential, and working out a remaster right now would probably help bring up the prospective sequel that was shelved.
2 Remember Me
Remember Me is a 2013 action-adventure video game that follows the lead character Nilin, a memory hunter (who ironically has no memory of her real past) working for the resistance called the Errorists. As her stint with the Errorists takes shape, so does the little remanence of her past. The game almost takes inspiration from the Batman games' detective mode while trying to make a story out of collected memories.
The game was the first for Dontnod and was ambitious. Unfortunately, the troublesome and generic combat and the bad in-game designs at crucial places led the game down, earning it a "What could have been" title among the critics and fans. A few tweaks here and there in the remastered version should help salvage some pride, and the developers now have a six-game experience, including games like Life is Strange and Vampyr!
1 Spec Ops: The Line
When this particular list went live, it would be no surprise that most of the gaming world (if not entirely) would have a good idea of what this game stood out to be. Spec Ops: The Line is a third-person shooter developed by Yager Development and published by 2K Game in 2012. The game was a reboot of the Spec ops franchise that spanned nine prior installments between 1998 and 2002. The story takes place in a war-wrecked setting in fictional Dubai, where the player takes control of Captain Martin Walker. The latter is sent on a recon mission with his delta force team.
Apart from the action-adventure commonly associated with shooters, the game takes a deep dive into the psychological elements of human warfare and the darkness that engulfs them from within. Unfortunately, apart from its ambitious narrative, the game failed to be innovative with its in-game mechanics and lacked several vital elements that plagued its success. However, a few years later, fans of the genre came to appreciate the hidden gem of the PS3 era. A remastered version of it with lackluster aspects fixed should propel the game to the heights it truly deserves.