The gaming world is full of iconic titles and smash hits from a range of genres, some from big-budget studios and others from indie developers that have managed to make a name for themselves. Yet in the endless sea of games that gets bigger every year, there are quite a few hidden gems that deserve far more attention than they currently get.
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These Japanese role-playing games were either dismissed as bad or forgotten over time, but revisiting them today provides a pleasant surprise.
Regardless of whether players are looking for an expansive action-adventure game or an emotional ride to change how they see the world around them, there is definitely a game out there that they have missed but will almost certainly enjoy. It doesn't matter if that initial release window passed them by; players can still experience some of the best games out there, even years later.
Before Your Eyes
Watching The Story Move With Every Blink
Before Your Eyes
- Released
- April 8, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Before Your Eyes is one of the most unique games ever made, both in terms of its story and the actual gameplay. The core mechanic revolves around using the player's webcam to track their blinks, with each eyelid closed moving time forward in the game, making every moment feel fleeting and adding an emotional weight to even the smallest details.
The game has received a huge amount of praise over the past few years, but there are still many players who have never played or heard of it. For people who enjoy more grounded, human narratives, Before Your Eyes is the perfect game to experience in a single session, and by the end, players will be in a puddle of tears and shaken to their very core.
Returnal
Each Death Is A Step Towards The End
Returnal
- Released
- April 30, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Housemarque
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Returnal takes the roguelike genre and fuses it with a third-person bullet hell that requires a huge amount of skill and precision from the player. The game begins with Selene crash-landing on an alien world, but as time goes on and players begin to delve deeper into the environment, it is clear there are far more psychological elements at work.
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Unlike other roguelikes, players can never get to a point of being too overpowered or unstoppable. Instead, they are constantly challenged by a range of terrifying creatures that never give up in their pursuit. Originally launching on PS5, the PC port never fully took off despite being an exceptional shooter that many fans of the genre would enjoy.
Nine Sols
Proving That There Can Be More Than Just Hollow Knight
Nine Sols
- Released
- May 29, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen / Blood and Gore, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- RedCandleGames
- Genre(s)
- Action, Platformer, Metroidvania, Soulslike
Nine Sols is a stylish metroidvania that blends Sekiro-style parrying with satisfying movement to deliver an experience that rivals the best games in the genre. Players explore a distinctive Tao-punk world full of infected creatures and robotic enemies, wielding mystical powers both for offense and defense.
What makes the game so great is the constant motion towards a set goal, as it always feels like players are making progress, even if they are backtracking for some loot or to grab an extra collectible. The attention on the game has grown slowly since it launched, but it surely deserves a spot alongside games like Hollow Knight for its polish and overall quality.
The Plucky Squire
A True Fairy Tale Narrative
The Plucky Squire
- Released
- September 17, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- All Possible Futures
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
The Plucky Squire is a storybook brought to life that breaks down a lot of boundaries for what's possible in a single title. Players run around on the pages of a fairy tale, taking out beastly foes and solving simple puzzles, but they will quickly leave the 2D world behind and explore the third-dimensional desk space with even more freedom.
It's the perfect game for a cozy gaming session, as all the fights and puzzling sections are pretty easy to work through, yet they still feel rewarding to clear. Despite a small amount of initial attention at launch, it remains an adorable adventure that almost any player will love from start to finish.
Scorn
Biomechanical Insanity
Scorn
- Released
- October 14, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes
- Developer(s)
- Ebb Software
- Genre(s)
- Horror
Scorn sends players to an alien world full of death, decay, and a whole lot of body horror. The visuals feel very reminiscent of the Alien series, but here, things take a more mechanical turn as players traverse a metallic environment with no clear direction and no safety in sight.
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Even though the game is a pretty exceptional survival horror experience, a lot of players overlooked it on release, and it has only retained a small cult following ever since. Despite that small amount of attention, it is still one of the best games in the genre, and the perfect title to play for fans of body horror and grotesque enemy designs.
The Case Of The Golden Idol
Thinking Outside The Box
The Case of the Golden Idol
- Released
- October 13, 2022
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Violence, Use of Alcohol, Sexual Themes, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Color Gray Games
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle
The Case of the Golden Idol is a detective game about deducing the culprit behind 12 strange deaths in a town where nothing is ever as it appears. Players can move between areas, searching for clues and examining objects up close, all while trying to piece together a complete series of events and a true conclusion the mystery.
What elevates the game is how odd yet human everything feels. The characters and world are stylized in a distinctive way that sets the visuals apart from other games of its kind, and although the number of players has grown over time, it should still be brought to the forefront of the puzzle genre for its unique design and truly satisfying gameplay loop.
Alpha Protocol
Obsidian Showing That They Are The King Of RPGs
Alpha Protocol
- Released
- June 1, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Alpha Protocol is an action stealth blend that takes into account every choice the player makes in their attempt to save the world. Players strive, slide, run, and shoot their way across a range of environments, using ingenuity and a bit of aggression to make it deep into enemy territory to put a stop to the impending war.
The game is well over a decade old at this point, but the gameplay still holds up thanks to its tactile and authentic feel. As Obsidian continues to dominate the RPG space, now is as good a time as any to revisit one of their earlier hits that has just as much action and intensity as any of their modern titles.
Alice: Madness Returns
Enter The Horrific Wonderland
Alice: Madness Returns
- Released
- June 14, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Spicy Horse
- Genre(s)
- Hack and Slash
Alice: Madness Returns is a psychedelic adventure into the darkest parts of the mind, sending players across a twisted version of Wonderland in search of answers and a way back to reality. The dark fantasy aesthetic and gameplay style make it feel similar to an early Soulslike, only with more interesting traversal sections that take players high into the skies and deep underground.
Jumping between reality and the dreamlike world allows the environments to get pretty absurd and chaotic, each filled with equally strange enemies of all sizes. Alice: Madness Returns has remained a cult classic for many years, but fans have been begging for a sequel or remake, so an influx of attention may earn this game the follow-up that it has been deserving of for quite some time.
