10 Underrated Video Games Nobody Appreciated In Their Time

How does something as original as L.A. Noire not get a sequel?!

By Josh Brown /

As much as they say they want it, both video game fans as well as publishers really don't like change. Gravitating towards certain genres, trends and styles of games we're all used to, there's a reason why developers try to create experiences that players are familiar with. In 2007 it was modern first-person shooters and now it's open world games, with the industry leaning into a new craze every few years or so.

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Consequently, while these trends obviously stagnate and require a revolutionary new release to move the industry in another direction, games that try to do something new too early are often ignored, criticised, and eventually forgotten about entirely.

Which is a shame, because some of the pioneering titles in the medium's history - your Grand Theft Autos, Resident Evils and Modern Warfares - would never have happened if others hadn't tried and failed to push new ideas beforehand.

Risking revolutionary gameplay styles that would later be picked up and subsequently perfected by other releases, if these ambitious titles came out in another time, they'd easily be considered some of the most significant releases in gaming history.

10. Turok Did Bow & Arrow Jungle Combat WAY Before Far Cry

Although it was derided as being uninspired at the time, 2008's reboot of the Turok series actually adopted some rather impressive gameplay mechanics that would go on to become hugely popular in the years following its release.

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In particular, the game got in on the 'stalking-enemies-from-the-shadows-and-striking-with-a-silent-bow-and-arrow' trend long before the likes of Tomb Raider or Far Cry 3 were even in pre-production.

That gameplay loop was just as enjoyable in Turok though, made even better at the time by the title's impressive technical features like dynamic grass that actually reacted to your movements rather than disappearing once you passed through it.

It was far from perfect, but considering how much flack the reboot took when it launched for having no original ideas, it should be recognised for establishing a gameplay focus that would dominate the biggest releases in the following years.

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