BioShock 2 - Hands down my pick for most underrated sequel.
I was skeptical and hesitant at first, but after I gave it a chance it literally became one of the most pleasant surprises I've had in gaming, in that for me it actually surpassed the first BioShock is practically every area...no small feat considering the first BioShock was my personal GOTY of 2007, which is considered one of the best years in gaming. I thought the gameplay improved greatly on the original....I thought the story was more personal...and most of all, it literally has one of the endings I've encountered in a game, which is a big improvement over the over the original BioShock.
What's sad is many who write off BioShock 2, do so before they even get mid-way through the game...which is unfortunate, because it's mid-way through that the game starts to really shine...I've said, it's literally the opposite of the original BioShock, in that the original BioShock had a great first-half and great twist, but after that twist, the game trailed off in the second half and wasn't as good as the first half, and it ends with a pretty weak boss fight and weak ending portion imo.
BioShock 2 is the opposite...it starts off slow...but at the mid-point really starts to shine, and it keeps getting better and better...till it leads to one of the most intense game finales I've experienced, capped off by rewarded me with one of the best endings I've seen in a game.
This isn't even getting into the excellent Minerva's Den DLC, which itself is it's own excellent game...and hands down the best DLC campaign I've purchased this entire gen.
Silent Hill 3 - Most people go on about SH2 being the best in the series, usually by those who never experienced the original game. SH2 is indeed a great story in the series brand-name...but Silent Hill 3 is more true to the original atmosphere. The developers have even said that Silent Hill 3 was a love letter to fans of the original game...and that's exactly what it is.
To put it bluntly, Silent Hill 2 may have been the most intricate installment in the series to date....but it's Silent Hill 3 that is the better sequel to the original formula that actually birthed the series.
In fact, I didn't find Silent Hill 2 scary at all...it has "disturbing" themes, sure...but it wasn't creepy or scary, certainly not like the first Silent Hill was...Silent Hill 2 didn't even have creepy "otherworld" from the original Silent Hill.....Silent Hill 3 is a return to that creepy atmosphere and it brings back the otherworld in a very lifelike way.
Not only that, it's one of the best direct sequels in terms of how it's story connects to the original game, but also wraps up the storyline of the original game perfectly....and it has hands down the best protagonist in the entire series to date, that's even before the cool twist on her identity, which makes her even cooler.
That's not even getting into how it was literally one of the best looking games of 2003...I would say the best looking game of it's time in 2003.
I mean, people talk about how games now like Uncharted 2 impress them because it can transition between a cutscene and gameplay, and both look the same....Silent Hill 3 did that in 2003. I mean, how many games in 2003 or before that, had in-game character models that looked this good. In fact...Silent Hill 3 from 2003 looks better then the more recent installments of the series from this current gen.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - In a way it's the black sheep of the 3D Zelda games....for those that gave it a chance, you'll find a game that's as good as the legendary Ocarina of Time...and some would argue even better. What's more, this is probably the most unique major Zelda installment in how it completely changed up the formula and actually went in a new gameplay direction while staying true to the series staple. I thought it was a great close to the Hero of Time saga.
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