Underrated Games Vol. X

Added 09/16/2004 by Barnolde

Well, like all good things, there must be come an end, and for the Xbox’s most underrated games, that end is here. It’s been a long and enjoyable journey, which has hopefully influenced at least one purchase of some games that should’ve sold much better than they had. I originally planned to keep this thing going for quite a while, and I think the tenth volume is a good place to start, plus, I ran out of games. It’s been a good time writing all these, but I feel it’s time to move on as well. I’ve saved some of the best and most underrated games for this volume, to sort of ‘go out with a bang’, and without any further delay, enjoy the last volume of Underrated Games.



Summary: BUY THIS GAME NOW! If you’ve read any previous article, I’ve never started a summary off with such a strong statement, even for Shenmue II (which still remains my second favorite Xbox game). I feel so strongly for Beyond Good & Evil, that I felt is was not only necessary and justified, but mandatory. Not only is BG&E one of the best adventure games ever made, but one of the best games EVER made. This brilliant game has come from the mind of Michel Ancel, who some of you may know as the creator of Rayman, and you may also know that Rayman 2 is heralded as one of the best platformers ever. BG&E is basically about a government conspiracy, which you must uncover with the help of some friends. Now, that may not sound too great, but this game is just oozing with quality. If I wanted to detail all the great things about this game, I’d go on forever, so here’s a list of all the GREAT things about this game: Immersion, story, character design and development, level design, graphics, graphic design, audio, voiceovers, varied adventure gameplay, minigames, emotion and the ending as well. Basically, this game does pretty much everything right, blending action, adventure and stealth all into one beautifully crafted visceral experience. The gameplay is a bit reminiscent of Zelda (this title is often called “what Wind Waker should’ve been) and Pokemon Snap as well. In order to make money, you take pictures, among other things, and it’s hardly an inconvenience, because its actually quite fun. The world that Ancel has created is wonderful, with beautiful scenery, at night or day. The story is superb and captivates you to play more, and the character design and development is second to none, offering lovable and unique characters sure to win you over. Simply said, BG&E is more than a game, it’s an experience, and an impeccable one at that. This game MUST be experience by anyone, and will especially appeal to those who appreciate quality, not the generic crap that plagues gaming today. I’ve given this game a 9.6 score, which is nearly perfect, as is this game, and from the moment you start playing it, you’ll realize the score is more than justified. Buy this game, NOW, and you will not be disappointed, but it will leave you with an insatiable crave for more. Thank you, Michel Ancel and Ubisoft, for giving the world such a wonderful gift, which has been released as the best game of 2003, known as Beyond Good & Evil.

Why it didn't sell: Poor marketing, came out during crowded holiday season

Talk Xbox Beyond Good & Evil score: N/A
My personal Beyond Good & Evil score: 9.6



Summary: This game was set to revitalize the Prince of Persia series the way that Prince of Persia 3D could not. It was touted as one of the best games of 2003, set to be Ubisoft’s big game for the holiday season. When it was finally released, it came out to critical acclaim, but only to lukewarm reception in sales. Being a prequel to the previous Prince of Persia games, PoP:TSoT takes an entirely new look at the gameplay by making acrobatics a huge priority. The first PoP game’s big draw to it was the realistic animations, which made the superb gameplay stand out even more. Jordan Mechner and his beloved prince are back in this superb sequel. Now, the animations in this game are gorgeous, with his moves being second to none. The prince looks so lifelike, it’s incredible, which is due to the thousands of different animations he sports. The story for this game is that you’ve unleashed the sands of time, which has caused the population, except for you, the princess and the evil vizier to be turned to sand creatures. Now, this event happened, because you got the dagger of time, so it’s your fault that the world is messed up and you have to fix it now. With just a sword, you won’t be much of a challenge, but the dagger of time is able to control time, which allows for a unique experience, especially since this is present in an action/adventure title. You’re able to reverse and slow down time, among other things, which give you a strong advantage over your opponents. The story is well presented, and the relationship with you and Farah (the princess) definitely makes for a unique experience. The main focus of the gameplay though is wonderfully articulated acrobatics, including wall running, jumping between walls and using the environment to your advantage, and the “jumping puzzles” in this game, make the “jumping puzzles” in platform games look incredibly 16 bit. The audio and graphics for this game are superb as well, and they compliment the excellent gameplay making Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time one of the best titles of 2003, and still one of the best Xbox titles out there.

Why it didn't sell: Came out during crowded holiday season


My personal Top Spin score: 9.4



Summary: I remember the first time I played this demo, I was hooked instantly. There’s nothing else in the world like being able to pick up your enemies and throw them across the room in this wonderful psychic adventure. The fact that very few, if any games exploited psychic abilities (a la the Force) aside from some Star Wars games, like the excellent Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II is pretty disappointing. Psi-Ops plays out like a B-movie, your mind has been wiped in order for you to be sent in to infiltrate this psi terrorist organization. The game’s story doesn’t matter, but what does is as you progress, your psychic abilities return and make for one of the most fun games out there. There’s nothing as fun as being able to pick up your enemy with your mind, hurl him into another enemy, and then proceed to set both of them ablaze with your pyrokinesis. There’s also a vast amount of variety in this game, and many ways to accomplish a situation, which makes it a different experience each time you play. You can go in guns blazing, roasting and flinging guys, or you can see ahead with remote viewing and plan a stealthy approach, or you can use mind control and play as an enemy soldier, wiping out as many foes as you can. Huge props go to Midway for using the Havok engine, as ragdoll physics have never been used in a better game, and also for having some of the best environment interaction there is. The gameplay is great, and I wish that it stayed that way throughout the whole game. As you get closer to the end, there are psi-proof enemies who wear suits resistant to telekinesis and mind control, but that adds more challenge, the worst part of the game comes once you get aura view, which allows you to see things in another dimension. There are very difficult creatures which you must contend with, and also the fun enemy tossing gameplay of the past has been replaced with sneaking around invisible mines using aura view, which just completely ruins the fun the game once had, but it’s good that those parts aren’t very long and are only for a small section at the end. To be fair, I feel I rated this fun and innovative game too harshly, as I feel at least an 8.7, would’ve been more appropriate, but this game is great nonetheless. With an ending that leaves you wanting more and some of the most addictive gameplay ever conceived, Psi-Ops is a unique title that anyone who enjoys fun games should pick up.

Why it didn't sell: Poor marketing


My personal Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy score: 8.5