10 Best Sci-Fi Video Games You've Never Played

10. Vanquish (2009)

Vanquish was released in 2009 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to considerable critical approval. The game was developed as a third-person shooter, but it incorporates elements of beat-em-ups, 2D bullet hell shooters, and it introduced an innovative sliding-boost mechanic which has since been copied into many other games.

This is one of those titles that didn't get the kind of attention other Triple-A games got when it was released. It was an entirely new franchise, so there weren't a ton of people lining up to buy a copy like they might have for the latest Call of Duty effort, making it one that a lot of people missed out on. Of course, the fact that it was released on the same day as Fallout: New Vegas didn't help its sales either.

While too few people enjoyed Vanquish when it was released, those who did play it found it to be a complex and entertaining game. It did suffer from a campaign that was far too short, but other than that, the mechanics, gameplay, setting, theme, soundtrack, and graphics were all praised.

Because Vanquish brought innovative new mechanics to the third-person shooter genre, it should definitely be checked out by anyone who loves playing these types of games. All games that followed with a sliding mechanic owe a debt of thanks to Vanquish, and fortunately, it's been given a Game of the Year edition and a PC port, so it's still available to play.