Games you like more than the consensus

[gallo_pinto]

I've been on this forum for almost a year and a half, but this is the first time I'm creating a thread. Apologies if I'm breaking any forum etiquette! I went back two years to see if this topic already existed and couldn't find anything. Feel free to yell at me with a bunch of angry emojis if there's anything wrong though!

I know that overrated and underrated are kind of dirty words on this forum and I hope this thread doesn't go that direction. But I read a lot of gaming websites and listen to a lot of gaming podcasts (as most of us on this forum probably do). Combined with the Cane and Rinse forum and Twitter, one can usually get an idea of what the general consensus on a game is. I would love to know what games you enjoy more than that general consensus. Or maybe a better way to ask is which games click with you better than they seem to click with most people.

Late last year I played Rhythm Tengoku (Gameboy Advance) and Rhythm Heaven (DS). I just started Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii) and while it's possible I'm still in the honeymoon phase, I think this is one of my favorite series of all time. I feel that the general consensus on the series is overall positive, but I'm surprised that more people don't play it and shout from the rooftops about how wonderful it is. The designers have bottled joy and made a video game series out of it.

The other game for me is Walking Dead: Season 2. I feel that most people love Season 1 and were disappointed by Season 2. I thought Season 2 was just as good and I loved playing as Clementine. She became a very different character from Lee as I played her and I found her story to be fascinating and agonizing.

What games did you love that the rest of the gaming world didn't? Remember not to use "underrated" so Leon doesn't delete the thread!

[Alex79]

I wasn't disappointed by season 2 of TWD, I just didn't think it was as good. The protector/minor relationship was gone and the decisions carried far less emotional impact, I feel. I thought it was great, plenty of twists and turns, but the first season was a really original concept at the time and felt really fresh. The second season was never going to be able to match that.

But, as for my pick, I'm going to go for Lords Of The Fallen. Never saw anyone write anything good about it (on forums etc. It reviewed alright) but I enjoyed it a lot. Heavy Rain I absolutely loved too, despite Cage-bashing being very popular on the Internet! On the whole though, I can't really think of any games I've loved that got a real kicking, critically. Usually games get decent reviews then get a kicking online. I can think of loads of games I didn't like that seem universally adored, however, but that's a completely different thread!!

[ThirdDrawing]

I have a few -

Shadow of Destiny: Awful graphics, even for the time, wooden voice acting, a soundtrack so inappropriate you'd think they chose it randomly from a hat.
And yet, the mystery is compelling and there's some clever ideas in the game that kept me coming back. All the elements are terrible yet the whole package is pretty good.


Afrika - Tons of people called this boring, but I liked it because it's almost a stealth game. It takes patience and effort. I'll grant the animal AI isn't perfect but it's not bad. And the soundtrack is great!


Persona 2 - I am in the tiny, tiny, tiny minority that prefers Persona 2 to P3 or P4. I like both of them, but I liked the adult focus of Persona 2 and the Joker killer is definitely creepier than anything in the later games. I saw a lot of fans of later Persona games call this one's gameplay things like "obtuse". I completely disagree, it just took a bit of time and effort to learn the ropes. And it had more of a horror bent to it, which I liked. Speaking of which, last but not least:


Shadow Hearts - Everyone says SH2 is the best of the series and I disagree. I loved the first one's more serious, horrorish tone that the second one abandons. Plus they retconned the villain of the first game in the second, and I didn't like the retcon at all.

[Flabyo]

Every single Koei 'Warriors' game. I love them all. (Well, not dynasty warriors 6, that was smelly. Oh, and mystic heroes on the GameCube was pretty weak)

[Michiel K]

I'm not very far into it and the multiplayer is sadly not available anymore, but I have this feeling I'll end up rating Devil's Third quite a bit higher than its deplorable Metacritic score of 43.

[macstat]

In this age when its very trendy to bash on ubisoft games, I still very much enjoy Assassins Creed games. I can go even further than that, my favorite games in the series are usually those that are considered worst (well besides amazing II).

Assassins Creed 3 and Unity are ones that made most progress in terms of world traversing, and free running, and we often forget that this is one of main mechanics of the game. Also because of this franchise stagnation we tend to overlook how amazing those games are designed in both graphical and animation departament. I often jump there just to run around for a while.

Im not even bothered much by this ubisoft open world formula. For me running around, doing cool moves both free running and fighting is something that makes me want to play it.


Another game that wasnt recieved all that well, one that i really loved was Prince of Persia reboot. It had great pair of characters with a lot of chemistry (+ Nolan North as a Prince ). Game had beautiful art style, animation again was amazing. It also had much more platforming puzzles than combat which actually worked out fine for me, since platforming and figuring out how to get to point B is what i like in those games most. I'm even liked the ending, i though it told very personal story and it had bitter irony to it. Its just too bad that they didnt released epilogue DLC on PC.


I also remember enjoying Dungeon Siege III when i played couple of years go, though i cant remember much about it.

[Todinho]

Well shouldnt be a surprise that's MGSV XD ,the consensus seems to be that it's an unfinnished game that's a mess storywise,well to me it's the best game of 2015 and Kojima's swan song in terms of stealth gameplay,stoetwise I think it's one of the most interesting games of the series and I really liked the story it told,to me it was a great way to wrap up the series bring it full circle in a way that's not obvious.

I suppose I also like The Last Guardian more the most,it's the logical evolution of ICO and SotC and to me the best of each to make something really special,I really loved it controls and camera be dammed

Last one I think it's Jak 2,most people prefer the first game and hated what the sequel did,to me it was the opposite and didnt care much for the first game but I absolutely loved the second one and it was also the first kinda of open world game that I was really able to get into and despite the game being more "edgy" it still had a ton of charm and pretty good dialogue for the time.

[seansthomas]

I think the critics and podcasts I listen to get 95% of things pretty spot on, but I do tend to love an awful lot of games where the controls have put a lot of people off.

So several titles I've loved in recent years took a few hours to get a grip on, but then proved to be very good experiences. I'd count GoldenEye, Silent Hill Shattered Memories and Red Steel 2 as three of those. I don't think any of those games is a stone cold classic but all three gave me moments of utter joy due to the motion controls.

Starfox Zero was another. I loved so much about that game and really feel it was dealt an unbelievably poor hand by some lazy reviews, generalisations and early reaction pieces. There's actually a load to love there, if you can master the controls.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

I often find that the "consensus" tends to actually drive me away from things, whether games, movies or music. It is a very subconscious thing that I very conscious of when I do it. Heck, I'm even punk against punk, as what could be more conformist than dressing and behaving punk? In other words, I'm a bit odd.

The GOTY lists are a perfect example of titles that actually could be great, and I might actually enjoy, but the attention and constant saturation are a turn off. For example: Overwatch. Never heard a negative thing about it, and it seems to be in everyones list. However, I don't do online multiplayer (Australia + internet = shithouse at best), so that's the biggest hurdle right off the bat. I have no problem whatsoever with everybody loving it, and I sincerely hope it continues to bring enjoyment to all those who engage with it, but it feels like its popular and successful enough to not need my engagement. I'd rather turn my attention to the less popular underdogs of the gaming world.

Like I said, I'm a bit strange like that. At the end of the day its just how my personality is, for better and worse.

With that being said, I have been getting more and more into visual novels (there's no shortage in Japan, but outside it's still relatively niche). The Vita and the 3DS make for very comfortable vessels for the genre, and reviews tend to be mixed anyway most of the time. The Zero Escape series (Chunsoft) actually did review pretty well, so there is some consensus as to quality (maybe not sales-wise). And it is a genre that depends heavily on the quality of localisation, certainly more than others.

Plus having built my MVS arcade cabinet I've been exploring a lot of the SNK library via the 161-1 cart. There are plenty of little treasures, like Magical Drop, which while not the prettiest game around is super easy to get drawn into once you're playing. Sengoku 3 is easy the most refined and enjoyable of that series. Aero Fighters 3 (something about 3's with SNK) is a great schmup, and Viewpoint's viewpoint makes for a challenge.

And Windjammers (aka Flying Power Disc) from Data East. I paid a ton of money for that cart, and no regrets. And knowing that it is getting a digital rerelease this year means more people have the opportunity to experience it.

So yeah, the consensus is overrated (am I allowed to use that word?). Dig deeper.

[KSubzero1000]

I've been on this forum for almost a year and a half, but this is the first time I'm creating a thread. Apologies if I'm breaking any forum etiquette! I went back two years to see if this topic already existed and couldn't find anything. Feel free to yell at me with a bunch of angry emojis if there's anything wrong though!

Nothing wrong with it, good thread! Positive encouragement!

Remember not to use "underrated" so Leon doesn't delete the thread!

Wait, is Leon really that harsh? What's the agenda here? Is there a poignant backstory involved?


On topic, I don't think I've ever loved a game which was critically panned. But there are quite a few where I strongly disagree with the lukewarm consensus.

- Halo 2: Widely regarded as the black sheep of the franchise. Whereas I consider it to be one of the best FPS campaign I've ever played. The encounter design is superb. The mechanics are refined without being bloated. The level design is a bit hit and miss, but the standouts levels (Cairo Station, Outskirts, Regret, High Charity) are up there with the best of the series. The score is sublime. Obviously. And I especially liked playing as The Arbiter and viewing the events from his point of view. It would have been very easy to keep with the simplistic "evil aliens" narrative beat of the first game, but I think his inclusion added a lot of depth to the overarching story. (But then again, I'm a sucker for multiple protagonists and perspective switches in general.) I can understand people being initially disappointed with the cliffhanger ending, but other than that, I don't get the hate. My favorite campaign in the series. My favorite multiplayer as well, but that's a lot less controversial.

- Resident Evil Zero: This game has the best graphics, the best puzzles, and at least one of the best designed and most memorable locations in the series (the train). Plus Billy's a smooth criminal. And people complain about... having to keep track of where they leave their stuff? Consider me unconvinced. Granted, the villain is a bit silly and the enemy design somewhat uninspired and unbalanced at times. It doesn't have the polish of REmake or the fantastic pacing of RE2, but the game is still a perfectly respectable classic RE title. I find it mind-boggling how often I see it being thrown under the bus.

- Stranglehold: Critics said "Meh, whatever, Max Payne's better". I'm saying "Hard Boiled is a good thing, and you can't have too much of a good thing". Slick presentation, smooth controls, satisfying mechanics, Chow Yun-Fat, and doves. Lots of doves. Play it.

- Dead or Alive series: Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way. The female character design is for the most part juvenile and embarrassing. I also have very little doubt that it's the primary appeal for more than half of its current audience. So what else does it have to offer? Oh nothing much, except for some of the most dynamic, fluid, responsive and satisfying mechanics in the 3D fighting genre. The character palette covers a very broad spectrum of different playstyles that can cater to players of vastly different skill levels. The multi-tiered stages are layered and dynamic. In short, the actual game is fantastic. But with the fighting game genre already being as insular as it is, good luck trying to convince anyone to give this one a fair shot. Which is a damn shame. I can't think of a more thoroughly misunderstood (and moronically mis-marketed) series, forever doomed to stay in the shadow of its lesser brethren.

[Flabyo]

I think you're right on the DOA games. If they could get past the insane levels of male gaze they're obsessed with they could genuinely challenge the more established fighting games. It's great fun to play, and mechanically very deep, but if your own official world tour tournament series has to have rules banning more than half of the games costumes from play in order to keep the stream PG13, then you have a problem.

[JaySevenZero]

Strangely enough, we're covering two of the games I really like but were passed over or straight up dismissed by many and they are, The Order: 1886 and Mad Max and so I guess I have to hold off what I have to say on those until we record.

[Jusifer]

Well shouldnt be a surprise that's MGSV XD ,the consensus seems to be that it's an unfinnished game that's a mess storywise,well to me it's the best game of 2015 and Kojima's swan song in terms of stealth gameplay,stoetwise I think it's one of the most interesting games of the series and I really liked the story it told,to me it was a great way to wrap up the series bring it full circle in a way that's not obvious.

i echo you completely and I'd also like to add that i really loved mgs v gz. to me it was almost even better than phantom pain because the missions were more compact and the game had so much potential. i did receive gz as a gift so I don't know if my opinion would have differed if i had paid for it. then again i did buy it myself on pc after i had 100% the ps3 version. i also have 3 copies of phantom pain, one on ps3, the special edition on xbone and one on steam. It makes me sad that the fight between konami and kojima had to influence the game and how people think about the game so much

[KSubzero1000]

I think you're right on the DOA games. If they could get past the insane levels of male gaze they're obsessed with they could genuinely challenge the more established fighting games. It's great fun to play, and mechanically very deep, but if your own official world tour tournament series has to have rules banning more than half of the games costumes from play in order to keep the stream PG13, then you have a problem.

Oh, absolutely. And yet, high level DoA tournaments are a joy to witness on account of how dynamic and tense the matches can be. And that's because the defensive and strategic options are so rich. Head and shoulders above, say, Tekken, which pretty much never deviates from its established "alternating between 10-hit combo chains using the same setups" meta.

[gallo_pinto]

Remember not to use "underrated" so Leon doesn't delete the thread!

Wait, is Leon really that harsh? What's the agenda here? Is there a poignant backstory involved?

Haha, I just know it's (rightfully) a pet peeve of his with three word reviews on account of it being a statement on the reception to a game and not to the game itself.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

I genuinely loved MGS V, as well as the Ground Zeros prologue, though I thought the reviews were mainly positive? I'd say maybe I should read more reviews, but that can't lead to anything good!

And the Dead or Alive series is fantastic. I spent a ton of time on Dead or Alive Ultimate on the original Xbox, which was an enhanced version of DOA 2 with a seperate disc for DOA 1. So many good memories.

I picked up DOA 5: Last Round for very cheap, and it is currently on my pile of shame, yet to be played, like everything else on that pile. I understand why others can't get into it, but whatever, more for me!

[Todinho]

I genuinely loved MGS V, as well as the Ground Zeros prologue, though I thought the reviews were mainly positive? I'd say maybe I should read more reviews, but that can't lead to anything good!

The reviews were but the consensus that grew in the fanbase afterward was quite the opposite with many even going as far as to saying that it "ruined the series" and that "kojima is a hack" I will never fully understand the why of it though

[Joshihatsumitsu]

I genuinely loved MGS V, as well as the Ground Zeros prologue, though I thought the reviews were mainly positive? I'd say maybe I should read more reviews, but that can't lead to anything good!

The reviews were but the consensus that grew in the fanbase afterward was quite the opposite with many even going as far as to saying that it "ruined the series" and that "kojima is a hack" I will never fully understand the why of it though

Some people are just too hard to please! I think sometimes I'm not a fan of the fans, despite being a fan myself.

[ThirdDrawing]

Assassins Creed 3 and Unity are ones that made most progress in terms of world traversing, and free running, and we often forget that this is one of main mechanics of the game. Also because of this franchise stagnation we tend to overlook how amazing those games are designed in both graphical and animation departament. I often jump there just to run around for a while.

Im not even bothered much by this ubisoft open world formula. For me running around, doing cool moves both free running and fighting is something that makes me want to play it.

I'm not a huge fan of them, but I liked AC Black Flag so much I played through it *twice*. Once on PS3 when it came out and on PS4 last year. It was a lot of fun!

While talking about the open world formula, I feel like Mad Max is a game that took the formula and tweaked it enough that it felt different from other open world games. The general reaction seemed to be a shrugging of the shoulders, but I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the podcast on it this year.

[CandleFire]

After all the game of the year consensus via podcasts and various other sources, I have realised that I like No Man's Sky way more than most. According to my Steam account I have only played for 24 hours, but that 24 hours was a fantastic experience, exploring alien planets and enjoying every single moment.
Sure, I can understand the shortcomings, all of which have been done to death elsewhere, but ultimetely this has been a game that delivers experience over everything else.
There are plenty of games that give you exhilarating killstreaks, precision platforming or bombastic cinematic spectacle but there are few that offer majesty, beauty and exploration like No Man's Sky. Whether finding new fauna and wildlife or soaring into new galaxies alive with new possiblilities, this is a game that keeps on giving in its own unique and fantastic way.
No Man's Sky is a game that I enjoy and admire for it's ambition and scope.

I also really like Bioshock Infinite, the first Tomb Raider and Jet Set Willy 2 so I may be suspect.

Thanks for listening to my rant and all the best.