My Top Ten: Games You May Have Missed
Some games deserve a bit more attention.Published 22/01/2010 at 14:00 by colossalblue
Long gone are the days when console gamers had to wait months between quality releases. Unless you’re a Wii owner, then you still have to wait a while but at least you have loads of party games to pass the time. Anyway, the point I am trying to make is that there are so many really good games coming out these days that it is incredibly easy for a few to slip under your radar. I’ve made a list of ten games from this generation which I think deserve to be played. Even if it’s only to pass a week while you wait for Call of War XV: Revenge of the Multiplayer or whatever it is you kids are excited about this year…
Feel free to add your own “unsung heroes” of this generation in the comments.
- Pure – It came out around the same time as MotorStorm and brand loyalty seemed to attract many potential customers towards the PlayStation’s flagship off-roader. Don’t be fooled though, whilst I’m sure MotorStorm was a great game, Pure is brilliant. Speed, customisation, great career mode and competitive setup all make this a bargain-bin title with a lot of quality.
- Crackdown – I know this Xbox exclusive has been around for ages and to people who bought a 360 early it might be old news but to those of us who were late to Microsoft’s party this might have slipped under the radar. Crazy, chaotic fun with a superhuman “agent”, this has a similar feel to infamous but takes itself far less seriously and has guns and cars instead of electric bolts. This is so cheap now it would be mad not to buy it.
- Saints Row 2 – Often compared to the GTA series this is regularly avoided by people who look at screenshots and think it’s just a poor impersonation of Rockstar’s seminal sandbox game. Think again, Saints Row 2 might not have the self-assured swagger of GTA IV but it has the one thing most people cite as GTA IV’s biggest omission – insane, tongue-in-cheek fun.
- 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand – Yes, it is awfully scripted and terribly clichéd. It does have more to do with promoting the rapper as some sort of invincible mercenary than actually being a good game. Get past all that over-the-top “gangsta” bravado though and there is actually a decent third person, cover-based shooter under there. Worth a punt at the knock-down prices I’ve seen it retailing for recently.
- Rocket Riot – This is an XBLA game that seems to have slipped under a lot of people’s radars. Certainly these days it’s easier to find an honest MP than it is to find a multiplayer game. Ignore all that though, Rocket Riot is amusing, charming, exciting and fun. It’s worth the price even for the fantastic local multiplayer. Who knows, if enough of you buy it we might even get a game online.
- Endwar – I got this because, at the time, it was the only way to get an official PlayStation headset. It is essentially a real time strategy game and it didn’t do particularly well. It is fun though and the voice-command system works flawlessly. Missions are broken up into easy to handle little chunks and the tutorial will ease in players who are unfamiliar with the RTS genre. Roughly one hundred and forty-seven percent better than Halo Wars.
- Siren: Blood Curse – Sure, the controls are a bit cumbersome and it’s not the absolute best example of the survival horror genre. It is cheap though and if you like your games scarier than a Fox News special report then you might just find something to love about it.
- Marvel Ultimate Alliance – This has its sequel now, which also seems to have gone by without much fuss. I haven’t played the second game but the first was an enjoyable super-hero-squad based brawler with multiple endings and light RPG elements. It has its flaws but the first game is so cheap now that you could buy it instead of renting. MUA2 is also dropping in price so it might be worth keeping your Spidey Senses honed for a bargain there too.
- Critter Crunch – Released on the PSN a few months ago with relatively little fanfare, this is a charming and amusing little puzzler. Probably the best game of its type this year and a definite must-have for fans of Tetris, Bejewelled or 7 Wonders. Who doesn’t want to barf rainbows?
- Valkyria Chronicles – Probably the best game on this list. It’s a kind of turn based, action RPG with a strong anime feel and a decent storyline. Such a shame that it didn’t sell as well as it deserved but if you can find it then it is definitely worth a purchase. Especially as it’s likely to be cheaper than a bar of Dairy Milk at a Diabetes clinic.
Comments
Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.
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eutiagopato | 22/01/2010 14:03
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Critter crunch is one of the best and funniest puzzles ever made, and for its price, with its long campain, puzzles and challenges plus online, it sure is worth your money. IMO at least
mynameisblair | 22/01/2010 14:04
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3879 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is on it’s way from Lovefilm for me.
Played it with 3 friends locally before, and it’s awesome local co-op fun. Pure & Critter Crunch were awesome.
hannes_truce | 22/01/2010 14:05
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2919 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2008
Good top ten, I’ve played and got at least a small amount of enjoyment out of most of those titles. I’d also recommend Wanted:Weapons of Fate as a game to pick up cheap to kill a couple of afternoons. surprisingly enjoyable.
jimmy-google | 22/01/2010 14:37
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I’d second that. Curving bullets, despite being gimmicky, was incredible fun and very satisfying. The TSA review persuaded me to give it a go
xdarkmagician | 22/01/2010 18:41
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Agreed, that is if your a fan of the film. The best part of the game is just the plain, simple fact that it’s a sequel for the movie.
hosepha | 22/01/2010 14:05
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Good List! I missed most of them really except Valkyria Chronicles which is fantastic! I haven’t finished it but love what i’ve seen.
cc_star | 22/01/2010 14:09
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Critter Crunch is awesome, and if you live in the US its only $3.49 from Amazon we really need this PSN competition in Europe
jimmy-google | 22/01/2010 14:44
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It’s also on sale on the US psn store for $3.49 as part of their 10 for ‘10 sale – went to buy it then it added tax on top of it which put me off.
Vaile23 | 22/01/2010 14:12
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269 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2009
good list, seriously considering getting Crackdown
Deathbrin | 22/01/2010 14:16
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Been thinking to get 50 Cent, but was undecided, but then you mention it so it is actually a good game then! Thanks.
shields_t | 22/01/2010 14:21
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I picked up saints row 2 for a fiver from sainsburys last weekend, it’s hilarious. And pure is defo worth the piddly amounts game sell it for 2nd hand these days
Lanselta | 22/01/2010 14:23
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I got crackdown a while back, SH real cheap, although i am yet to give it a hammering. I have a few games like that. Games that patiently sit on my shelf for a while, then i become obessess with them for months. Folklore is another one i missed. I loved the demo when i it came out, yet never persued it. I got it a couple of weeks ago, and it now patiently sits next to crackdown!
3shirts | 22/01/2010 14:27
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Saints Row 2 is exactly the way you described it. Not as graphically impressive as GTAIV, and not as gritty but all the more fun for it. Stuff like streaking side missions and designing your character (down to his voice, hair, insults etc) just edge it over GTA for me
Daywalker | 22/01/2010 14:29
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543 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2010
Sweet list, apart from endwar. This game looked the nuts so I picked it up for £14.99. Twas not so good…
KAMIKAZE-UK | 22/01/2010 14:37
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Valkyria Chronicles is a great choice but isn’t cheap at all because of how rare it is. I picked up a copy before Xmas for just over £20 from ShopTo.
jimmy-google | 22/01/2010 14:38
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I’d add Dark Sector to that list.
SIR-DARK-HAZE | 22/01/2010 14:44
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yh dark sector is a briiliant game, slicing people in half, should go through it again really. HAZE deserves to be up there as well. dont hurt me
jimmy-google | 22/01/2010 14:48
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I’d agree, certainly from a multiplayer stance.
rht992 | 22/01/2010 18:22
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oh the multiplayer in haze was great. shame about the rest of it though
rht992 | 22/01/2010 18:24
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Dark sector was a great game. a bit heavy going at times but really smartly done with a few great idea. plus i was 29th in the world online *smug face*
BrendanCalls | 22/01/2010 14:45
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc - YOHIMBÉ!!!
1420 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
I would add Trash Panic to this, I really interesting take on the Tetris style game, and it has fantastic local multiplayer element to it as well, not sure of the price but it’s not expensive and well worth the money I think.
YOURMUMANDME | 22/01/2010 14:45
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Noooo !
Marvel Ultimate Alliance was utter muck !
I know it’s not on this generation of consoles but “Way Of The Samurai II” was sheer brilliance , It only took about 3 hours to complete but the game changes with every choice you make so you could almost never play out the same story twice . It also starts with only a few characters and special items but by the time you’ve played it through a few times there’s loads of new stuff to use .