What games would you say were under-appreciated this gen?

I can think of a couple.

Bayonetta 3: it didn’t follow the formula of the first two games, so I think it got some flack from that. But the added gameplay elements with the Kaiju - like powers were really cool. I also liked that they added more variety to the game like the MGS inspired levels. It felt more like an adventure game. But I think the things that hurt it were 1) being on the Switch with that lackluster performance (hopefully we get a Switch 2 version) and the story. Hopefully we get a Bayonetta 4 that takes us back to the core gameplay the series is known for.

Returnal: we don’t get a lot of arcade style 3rd person shooters that also have AAA type graphics and presentation. This game has such an addicting loop. I know some people didn’t like some of the gameplay elements, like the difficulty or lack of saving. But overall, a very unique and refreshing game and I‘m very much looking forward to Housemarque’s next game, Saros!

How about you, SW? What games would you say were under-appreciated this gen?

From the top of my head, Ghostrunner 2 and Shadow Warrior 3 came to mind. Both short but sweet, with some the of the best first person action in recent years. Ghostrunner 2 motorcycle bits were amazingly done

Lies of P perhaps. That game was fantastic. Was as good as any game from FromSoftware.

More Survival Horror fans need to give Amnesia: The Bunker a fair shake. Well aware half the Amnesia games are walking simulators which gives it a mixed reception, however The Bunker is a return to form and a true successor of The Dark Descent.

Armored Core VI; I know ARPG babies only like the Souls games but give From Software's mech games a shot you filthy casuls. How else am I suppose to get a Metal Wolf sequel?

Dusk; if you claim to be a fan of First Person Shooters and haven't played Dusk? I'm asking for your gamer card. You have no right to own it anymore, just saiyan.

Stellar Blade; while the people who like the game are pretty vocal feel this game gets widely ignored when discussing games of 2024, heavily due to having exceedingly attractive characters. And that is beyond stupid. The gameplay is great, better than Bayonetta 3.

*& on that note Bayonetta 3 got exactly what it deserved. The game took forever to release, was built up by fans to make Devil May Cry's revival with DMC5 look like a piece of shit (it's weird how Bayo purists hate DMC for absolutely no reason) and just like God of War didn't even know what genre it wanted to be so went off the deep end and just played around with those ideas.. And don't get me started on whatever that timeline bullshit was. Bayonetta 3 wasn't a good sequel, heck it wasn't even a game worth its development time. It was only serviceable if it wasn't called Bayonetta 3, as it was sadly a sequel to a well-beloved series. it's basically what Ninja Gaiden 3 was to Ninja Gaiden.

Platinum Games survival seems to rely on reviving Ninja Gaiden so I wish for the best, but do yourselves a favor and don't repeat the mistakes of Bayonetta 3.

World of Goo 2; it's an indie puzzle game. I loved the original World of Goo and I love the second one. I wish I could use my Pro controller because I don't like having to use motion controls. It's definitely not for everyone, so in a way, I understand why it doesn't get much attention or praise. I recommend it because it makes you think and it's challenging.

I shouldn't even have to say this, but it has no micro-transactions, so that's a plus.

I've been thinking about LoP being my next game. Would you say it's commitment to defeating it is the same as a souls game? Like, very little hand holding... You've gotta git good at it to be successful or is it more forgiving?

@TheEroica: Yeah, it’s pretty much the same kind of commitment and difficulty as a Souls game.

Definitely agree about Bayo 3.

I'd also add 2 other Platinum games to that in Astral Chain and Bayonetta Origins.

@SolidGame_basic: "Returnal: we don’t get a lot of arcade style 3rd person shooters that also have AAA type graphics and presentation. This game has such an addicting loop. I know some people didn’t like some of the gameplay elements, like the difficulty or lack of saving. But overall, a very unique and refreshing game and I‘m very much looking forward to Housemarque’s next game, Saros!"

I thought people disrarded Returnal because the main character was middle aged and considered ugly?

@TheEroica: It's no where near as hard as souls games.

It's pretty linear too.

• Chorus: fun arcade space sim with a neat story and great world building. Every bit as good as the Everspace series and other games in a similar vein.
• Outcast: A New Beginning: sequel to the original Outcast from decades ago, this was a worthy follow up. It straddled the line between not taking itself too serious, and being just serious enough to not write off. Really great story with some excellent lines, cheesy-but-in-a-good-way delivery, and some really fun gameplay. It suffered from a bit of what I call "Euro Jank" but even that I kind of enjoy in moderation.
• Tainted Grail: imagine the overall gloomy grimdark design of Elden Ring, a twisted retelling of Arthurian tales, and the general gameplay of The Elder Scrolls and you got Tainted Grail. It's still in early access but 1.0 is right around the corner and the game is really amazing. Kind of surprised it's not getting more publicity.

Did the sequel do the first one justice? I loved the first one, might have been one of the first games I bought on Steam, too.

@PSP107: lol maybe in the dark corners of the web did people care that much about her looks

Yes, it's worthy of being compared to the first one.

Superliminal & Alan Wake II