Summary
- PS4 offered a lower price and great features, with continuing game support post-PS5 launch.
- Arslan: The Warriors of Legend is based on anime, packed with engaging action.
- City Shrouded in Shadow is a unique survival game set in Japan with Kaiju battles.
The PS3 was a bit of a disaster for Sony at first, but it got better. The PS4 was like an apology tour with a lower price point than its competitor and a ton of great features like the controller’s Trackpad. The console had some of the best games, too, and it is still being supported, which is wild since the PS5 launched in 2020.
8 Best PS2 Games You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
From platformers to RPGs, these PlayStation 2 are more than just a little on the obscure side of history and likely remain unknown to most gamers.
With so many games to play, from AAA titles to little indie darlings, there was bound to be some that flew underneath the radar. Let’s get to some standouts that should be checked out, even though they are a little weird.
8 Arslan: The Warriors of Legend
A Forgotten Musou And Anime
Arslan: The Warriors of Legend
- Released
- October 1, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Omega Force, Koei Tecmo
- Publisher(s)
- Koei Tecmo
- Genre(s)
- Hack and Slash
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
Arslan: The Warriors of Legend is a spinoff made by the Musou team at Koei Tecmo, Omega Force, that flew a bit under the radar. It’s based on the 2015 anime, The Heroic Legend of Arslan, which is an adaptation of a series that started in 1986.
The anime visuals are overflowing in the game, making it still stand out a decade later, and the action is as engrossing as ever. It’s a good conversion of the anime too, with a complete story that fans are still itching to see finished, as it only has one season.
7 City Shrouded In Shadow
Caught In The Crossfire
City Shrouded In Shadow
- Released
- October 19, 2017
- ESRB
- n/a
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4
City Shrouded in Shadow is one of the most unique ideas for a survival game, and it’s a shame it’s still stuck in Japan. The idea is that players have to get around a crumbling city in Japan while famous Kaiju, like Godzilla, and heroes, like Unit-01 from Neon Genesis Evangelion, duke it out.
It addresses questions raised by Kaiju fans for years, as citizens have to try and scramble to safety while buildings explode. It does make sense why it never came over, as there are so many properties to license, but Bandai Namco could make it work if they wanted.
6 Dragon Quest 10 Offline
A New Version That Is Still Missing
- Developer: B.B. Studio, Square Enix
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Released: September 15th, 2022 (Japan)
- Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch
Dragon Quest 10: Rise of the Five Tribes Online was the first game in the series to become an MMO, and it was originally released for the Wii in 2012. Since that launch, it has hit nearly every console under the sun and yet but a single one was ported to the West.
8 Best PS1 Games You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
The PS1 was a chaotic console, with a bunch of games released for it that are a great time, but remain almost totally unknown.
Fans may not have noticed that an offline version, Dragon Quest 10 Offline, was released in 2022 for various platforms. It removed the need for subscriptions, which is one hang-up that could have prevented its launch in the West earlier. Unfortunately, there is still no word on it ever coming over, even in this state.
5 Everything
Everywhere All At Once
Everything
- Released
- March 21, 2017
- ESRB
- E // Violent References, Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Mild Language
- Publisher(s)
- David OReilly, Double Fine, PLAYISM
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Windows, macOS, Linux
To call Everything a game may be a bit misleading, although it is fun to toy around with in its big sandbox. Players will start a seed when they enter the game, and then they can explore freely as nature itself. They can inhabit various life forms like deer or wolves, all of which look beyond derpy.
There are tasks players can accomplish, but, again, Everything is better described as an art project than a game, but that being said, it deserves to be played at least once.
4 Gal*Gunvolt: Burst
From Thirsty Cupids To Mega Man Platformer
- Developer: Inti Creates
- Publisher: Inti Creates
- Released: March 14, 2018
- Platform: PS4
Mighty Gunvolt Burst was a crossover game made by Inti Creates, combining characters from Azure Striker Gunvolt and Mighty No. 9, both of which were like spiritual successors to the Mega Man franchise.
Later, the game was re-released as Gal*Gunvolt: Burst, which added characters from Gal*Gun, also developed by Inti Creates, to give fans some old-school platformer action from the NES days. Gal*Gun, to note, was more akin to an on-rails shooter and a thirsty one at that, as a teenage boy had to shoot love arrows at raging teen girls going after him.
3 Megaton Musashi
A Missed Hit From Level-5
Megaton Musashi W: Wired
- Released
- April 25, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen // Fantasy Violence, Sexual Themes
- Developer(s)
- Level-5
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Level-5 is attributed to many great RPG franchises like various Dragon Quest games, Ni no Kuni, Dark Cloud, and many others. Megaton Musashi is another one of their projects, which was released first in 2021 in Japan, and then got a digital-only launch in the West, retitled as Megaton Musashi W: Wired in 2024.
6 Best RPGs You've Probably Never Heard Of
While there are many well known and beloved RPGs, there are quite a few lesser known games in the same genre.
Despite their legacy, the release went by relatively unnoticed, which is a shame because it has that level of quality that Level-5 is known for. It’s very anime-influenced as players control mechs and bash the metal out of others in real-time combat.
2 Mistover: Dr. Faust's Otherworldly Adventure
A Bizarre Tie-In With Guilty Gear
- Developer: Krafton
- Publisher: Krafton
- Released: October 10, 2019 (Base Version)
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch
Mistover is so obscure that players can’t even purchase it anymore, as it was removed from all digital storefronts in 2022. The gameplay was similar to Darkest Dungeon if it had an anime vibe. It was a turn-based roguelike that was beyond brutal but rewarding all the same.
Besides the short digital life, the game is notable for its DLC called Mistover: Dr. Faust's Otherworldly Adventure, which brought over Dr. Faust from the Guilty Gear series as a party member.
1 Venus Vacation Prism: Dead Or Alive Xtreme
The Volleyball Spinoff Is Still Alive
- Developer: Team Ninja
- Publisher: Koei Tecmo
- Released: March 27, 2025 (Japan)
- Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC
Venus Vacation Prism: Dead Or Alive Xtreme is actually a brand new game as of March 2025, and most probably have no idea it exists. In fact, fans of the Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball series may not have known there was a third game, or various spinoffs like this, following the second game on Xbox 360.
Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme is more of a dating sim than a series of mini-games. It was released on a few platforms but only in Asian territories. Based on those aforementioned sequels, it’s hard to believe this will see the light of the West anytime soon, but stranger things have happened.
8 Fantasy Games With The Best Exploration, Ranked
From smaller experiences to open-world continents, these fantasy games offer an unmatched degree of deep and engaging exploration.