Top 10 Games You Probably Never Heard Of

Ever heard of them?

 Hey, all. I know it's been ages since the last Top 10 but I finally got around to making one. This Top 10 might sound like a similar one I did years ago talking about cult games that you should play, but today's is a little different. Today I'll be talking about games that didn't find their following or recognition during their debut, and as a result, were left forgotten with time. A lot of games come to mind and I've picked 10 games you probably never heard of such as the wacky gem that is Katamari Damacy or the often forgotten horror classic, Haunting Ground. So without any delays, let's take a look at the 10 games you probably never heard of.


Haunting Ground (Capcom)

No, it's not Resident Evil.

 2005's Haunting Ground was a survival horror game from the pioneers of survival horror itself, Capcom. The story follows a girl named Fiona, who mysteriously wakes up in a castle after a car accident. Throughout the game, Fiona will explore the castle while also running away from its wicked inhabitants. She's not entirely alone as a dog named Hewie will join her early on. Fiona can instruct Hewie to attack enemies, check areas, and grab items, though she'll need to bond with him so he'll be more responsive to her commands. A cool mechanic of the gameplay is that at times, Fiona will go into "Panic Mode" in dangerous situations, with her walking aimlessly and reducing visibility. It takes away control from the player and when there's enemies laying around, will have you panicking as well. It's a shame that Haunting Ground didn't reach the levels of success that the Resident Evil games had, especially since it brought some cool ideas to the formula. The least we can do now is wait for a potential remaster since Capcom has been revisiting their past works in recent years, so here's hoping.


Brutal Legend (Double Fine Productions)

Rock with the legends.

 Brutal Legend was among the most wildest games I remember watching YouTube Let's Plays of back in the day. Coming from the mind of Psychonauts creator Tim Schafer, Brutal Legend is one big homage to the heavy metal genre. Starring Jack Black as the game's protagonist, Eddie Riggs, he's transported to a world that's full of heavy metal references. On top of that, the game features the voices of metal legends Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford, and Lemmy Kilmister too. As for the gameplay, it's an odd yet unique blend of action-adventure and real-time strategy. Wonky at times? Yes, but it's an interesting idea if given the time to refine some of the mechanics. Metal fans will surely have a blast with Brutal Legend the most.


El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (Ignition Tokyo)

Simply breathtaking.

 Heavily inspired by the works of Studio Ghibli, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron follows the biblical adventure of Enoch, as he must save mankind from a band of corrupt angels. Right of the bat, El Shaddai is just plain eye-candy. The presentation is dazzling with trippy visuals and a grand soundtrack to boot. Don't get surprised if the gorgeous sceneries manage to take you out of the gameplay. Speaking of that, the game is a hack-and-slasher with 2D platforming. It obviously takes a backseat to the presentation but is neat regardless. I kind of regret not getting it for cheap years ago, but I'm hoping that I'll come across it again. Still, El Shaddai would definitely benefit from an extra boost in graphical fidelity in the form of a potential remaster.


Nier (Cave)

Rough around the edges, sure, but

it's an interesting journey throughout.

 Let's be honest, if it wasn't for the excellent Nier: Automata, the original Nier would still be regarded as a forgotten game. Still, that won't stop me from talking about. A spinoff of the Drakengard RPG series, the game follows the titular Nier as he scours a post-apocalyptic world in search for a cure to his daughter's illness. Conceived by the eccentric Yoko Taro, Nier is an action-RPG that has a tendency to blend various game genres together. One time you're hacking-and-slashing in 3D, the other time it's killing enemies in 2D platformer fashion. It's a unique game to say the least and one that paved the way for the kickass sequel made by nonother than Platinum Games.

Eternal Sonata (tri-Crescendo)

Don't stop the music.

 An JRPG with an interesting concept, Eternal Sonata ventures into the dreams of Polish composer Frederic Chopin during his final hours. The story draws heavy inspiration from the famed composer's life and music and you can even play as him seeing he's the main character. Eternal Sonata is your standard RPG that has you recruiting party members, leveling up, and dishing out special moves. Music also plays a large role in the gameplay with the soundtrack featuring piano renditions of Chopin's works. It's one of those games where you have to ask "how the hell did they came up with this?" seeing that it's such a unique and random concept. It definitely stood out compared to other games of the genre and still holds up both visually and mechanically by today's standards.

Drake of the 99 Dragons (Idol FX)

99 dragons but Drake ain't one.

 If there's anything Drake of the 99 Dragons needs to be remembered for, it would be the fact that it was a broken mess. Following an undead assassin named Drake, whose out for revenge against those who murdered his clan, the 99 Dragons. When I first looked at Drake, I was immediately reminded of the legendary Batman: The Animated Series, which is attributed to that fact that the art-style is heavily inspired by the TV show. That aside, Drake is often regarded as one of the worst games on the original Xbox, mainly due to the fact that the dev team had only 6 months to complete it. The result was unsurprisingly a broken mess of a game with fiddly controls, subpar graphics, and various technical glitches such as clipping issues. Unlike most games of the list, it's not one worth checking out and I feel that Drake is one of those games best left forgotten. Yet for some odd, mysterious reason, the game got a surprise steam release out of nowhere last year. So if you'd want to take a look at what could have been an interesting concept, then check that out (at your own risk...).

Stick It to The Man! (Zoink Games)

Oddly engaging.

 Stick It to The Man! is one of the smaller games on the list, but that doesn't mean that it's not worth checking out. Ray is just a normal guy until he gets himself mixed in an odd accident and has a weird arm coming out of his head. The result is that he now has the power to read the minds of the people around him and that doesn't sit well with the mysterious figure known as "The Man", who wants that power for himself. The gameplay has you exploring various levels and interacting with the wacky locals, often times reading their minds. There's puzzles to solve and striking art-style that's reminiscent of the aforementioned Psychonauts. For the indie fanatics out there, Stick It to The Man! is a forgotten gem that's worth checking out.

The House of the Dead: Overkill (Sega)

The dead are back... on the Wii??

 While the series itself pretty much dead (no pun intended) these days, the Wii spinoff of the underrated House of the Dead arcade series, was among the best games on the system. Serving as a prequel to the series, we follow Agent G and detective Issac Washington as they investigate the disappearances occurring in a small town in Louisiana. Released back in the heydays of the Wii, Overkill was a rail shooter that had you aim at zombies with the Wii's motion controller. Filled with crude humor, multiple F bombs, Overkill was definitely one of the most "hardcore" games on the often regarded "family-friendly" Wii console, though it's a shame that it got overshadowed by some of the console more casual offerings. A remaster was released for the PS3 years ago, but I personally feel that a brand new game in the series is long overdue already.

The Wonderful 101 (Platinum Games)

The extra 1 is you.

 While the Wii U wasn't Nintendo's breakthrough console, especially coming off of the high heels of the Wii, there's no denying that the system housed many stellar games such as Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 2, and Smash Bros for Wii U. One game that was completely overlooked was Platinum Games' Wii U exclusive, The Wonderful 101. Centering on a group of multi-colored heroes (obviously inspired by the Power Rangers), they must protect their world from an alien threat. With Pikmin-styled gameplay that has you utilizing the Wii U's gamepad in all sorts of ways, over-the-top humor, and a colorful aesthetic, The Wonderful 101 is criminally overlooked, seeing as it was one of Platinum's more unique offerings of the past years. Here's hoping a Switch port will give it a chance to shine again.

Rez (United Game Artists)

A modern classic.

 Rez is rail shooter by nonother than musical genius Tetsuya Mizuguchi. Vibrant, colorful, and pure eye-candy, the game was overlooked at launch, mainly due to the fact that it got released after Sega announced the discontinuation of its ill-fated Dreamcast console. Taking the role of an unnamed hacker, you must log into a technologically advanced super-network in an effort to save Eden, a super-intelligent AI whose having an identity crisis after being plagued by a virus. Rez has you going through various levels destroying any viruses and firewalls blocking the path to Eden. You destroy enemies by simply locking onto them and firing away. As you progress further into the levels, you'll get powerups, which will evolve your avatar and allow you to lock on to more enemies. It's simple enough, but the main charm of the game is the catchy, upbeat electronic soundtrack that nails the futuristic setting the game's striving for. It got another chance to shine on the Xbox 360 in the form of an HD makeover though the 2016 VR remaster is what introduced me to the game and is the definitive version for those interested in checking out Rez.


 These are pretty much my picks for the games that you may have not heard about. I know I may have missed a lot of games, but hey, if you think there's a game worth mentioning then share away in the comments below. And with that said, until next time!