10 Masterpiece Video Games You DIDN'T Play

9. Psi-Ops: The Mindsgate Conspiracy

Deadly Premonition Agent Morgan
Midway Games

During the 2000s, shooters were a dime a dozen, meaning every game had to fight to make a lasting impression. Even though Midway's action-adventurer, Psi-Ops, looked pretty standard on the surface, it was a landmark in the genre due to its fluid gameplay, creative weapons, and ragdoll physics.

Even though The Force Unleashed was praised for its telekinetic mechanics, the psychic abilities in Psi-Ops are far smoother. (The fact Psi-Ops came out two years earlier makes this feat more impressive.) Because Psi-Ops was nominated for several AIA awards, including Best Story Development and Best Adventure Game of the Year, it seemed its legacy as a classic was pre-ordained.

Unfortunately, Psi-Ops had the misfortune of being released at the same time as Fables and GTA: San Andreas. Since those titles picked up every award that Psi-Ops was nominated for, this underrated treasure went home with nothing, helping it fade into memory.

Even though Psi-Ops was viewed as a potential franchise (and the game ended with a "To Be Continued" screen), the game looks like it vanished off everybody' radar. With Midway now defunct, there's not much much chance of Psi-Ops getting a sequel, remaster, or rerelease on any system.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows