Are there any games you've played that you feel are underrated or overhated?

[twilitfalchion]

As diverse people with varied tastes concerning the games we play, we've all bought different games and enjoyed them for one reason or another, even if others have not. For example, I had Pac-Man World 2 as a kid and really enjoyed playing it, even if it didn't get great reviews from critics or others. I think it's one of the best 3D platformers of that generation of games. Or Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, a platformer-of-sorts that made great use of the bongo controller. While not for everyone, the bongos really pulled into the game as you were playing it, more so than if you just used a regular GC controller. There's other games I could think of, but that generation sticks out in my mind with the most notable examples.

So, what games do you feel this way about? Where you had a great time playing them, but it doesn't seem like they're remembered well or received the reviews you thought they deserved. Or (to make the question a bit broader), are there games that people outright disliked, but you liked despite the overall hate for them?

 

[Spirit]

I really feel as if the Klonoa games are underrated.

Everyone who has played them thinks very highly of them but they never do well with reviewers and never sell too well either, which is a terrible shame.

His games have a unique double jump mechanic and his levels fuse 2D platforming with really clever puzzles. His games often have intense and dark stories, a little like Kirby, which is refreshing to see in a 2D platformer.

Klonoa is pretty much dead at the moment unless he gets a Crash/Spyro style remake (though he had a remake on Wii that nobody played) or he gets into Smash.

 

[GoronGainz]

I really feel as if the Klonoa games are underrated.

Genuinely never heard of it before, had to google it to see if it was a real thing.

Underrated: Advance Wars, never talked about. Real tactical gem of a series.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

Pandora's Tower by a long shot, it's among my favorite wii games that unfortunately didn't get the attention it deserved. It was a pretty late released wii game but nevertheless, it's still worth taking a look at and probably the best way for the wii to go out.

Billy Hatcher too, I don't know if it's caught on in recent years but of course, Sega hasn't really done anything w/ the IP, heck they even booted Billy out of Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed

For overhated, I'm thinking Xenosaga 2. Yes it's incredibly easy to point out the game's shortcomings if you're familiar w/ it, but on the whole, I liked playing this game more than Xenosaga 1

 

[Spirit]

Pandora's Tower by a long shot, it's among my favorite wii games that unfortunately didn't get the attention it deserved. It was a pretty late released wii game but nevertheless, it's still worth taking a look at and probably the best way for the wii to go out.

Oh my god, Pandora's Tower stressed me so much. Constant time limit and I felt really bad making the girl eat the monster meat.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

Oh my god, Pandora's Tower stressed me so much. Constant time limit and I felt really bad making the girl eat the monster meat.

that time mechanic lead to one of the most tense and memorable moments I've ever had playing a video game, so for that alone I'm cool w/ the time limit, and yeah it's rough to see Elena have to eat it at first, but she gets used to it.....oh man does she get used to it

 

[MW7]

Phantom Hourglass - I'm replaying all the Zelda games right now, and this game has grown on me a lot from the first time I played it. The ability to write on maps and the amount of control for items such as the boomerang are great features (map writing really shouldn't be a ds-only feature). I think this game does exploration and progression very well. Not all locations are mapped so you feel like you are truly exploring, and once you play through the first two quarters of the world, you gain the ability to unlock both of the remaining quarters at once so you have a lot of freedom. Plus the Temple of the Ocean King is actually a lot more fun for me than most people it sounds like. I like how many different solutions there are to the floors once you have more items. I'll redo my signature once I finish replaying the series, and Phantom Hourglass is probably going to make the biggest move up my list of favorites.

Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon - This game is very underrated. It's a mix of gameplay styles of Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time (despite coming out before Ocarina of Time), and it is quirky but has lots of fun gameplay situations. I find myself replaying it almost every year.

Donkey Kong 64 - I think this game gets unfavorably compared to Banjo Kazooie often, and I like the game for many of the criticisms that it receives. The backtracking and needing to go through levels with each of the 5 Kongs is a lot of fun for me because you get to see the levels from many different perspectives and explore every nook and cranny of the levels. Getting 101% of the game feels like a accomplishment. Banjo Tooie is sort of a middle ground between Banjo Kazooie and DK 64 in that it has a lot of backtracking too. I think all three are gems, and I wish more games were made in this collectathon style (closest things we have now are 3d Mario games).

Pokemon Stadium 2 - The minigames in this game are my favorite of any party game. I play them over and over whenever I have multiple people to play games. I wish Mario Party would steal all of them and repeat them in every iteration.

 

[Kirino]

Final Fantasy XIII is an example of a game that I think is somewhat overhated, largely because it's such a deviation from the traditional FF formula. It's mostly criticized for its linearity (although it opens up significantly much later on) and its cheesy and melodramatic story. But I think the graphics, music, and combat system were all impressive, and while it's far from the best in the series, I don't think it's a bad game.

Likewise with Skyward Sword. I think the game was very overhyped prior to release and received near-universal acclaim when it came out, resulting in a backlash from those who had their expectations disappointed by it. It's definitely a flawed game, but I ultimately thought the motion controls were implemented well and made the combat much more rewarding, and the story criticisms have always come across to me as somewhat frivolous. It's still one of my favorite Zelda games overall.

 

[GoronGainz]

Another one for underrated: Ghost Trick. Honestly a really unique game with some great puzzles which seems to be forgotten.

 

[Sheikah_Witch]

Final Fantasy XIII is an example of a game that I think is somewhat overhated, largely because it's such a deviation from the traditional FF formula. It's mostly criticized for its linearity (although it opens up significantly much later on) and its cheesy and melodramatic story. But I think the graphics, music, and combat system were all impressive, and while it's far from the best in the series, I don't think it's a bad game.

I agree.

I also think XV gets a bad rep, it's also a divisive game in the series. I think it's a great road trip adventure.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

I agree.

I also think XV gets a bad rep, it's also a divisive game in the series. I think it's a great road trip adventure.

....sorry