9 Times Critics Ignored INCREDIBLE Video Games

Time has only made these hidden gems shinier.

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Dontnod

Critics, oh what a fickle bunch. Giving horrible reviews to God Hand which is a massively fun game and Bioshock Infinite a 94 on metacritic despite it being the worst in the series and a huge step back from the original game.

Critics enjoyed Assassin's Creed III (metacritic score of 85), except for that one guy who refused to play it because Connor hunts animals and the reviewer was a vegetarian, but that's beside the point. The moral is that critics can be pretty weird with their reviews.

But what's even worse is when great games get swept under the rug or totally ignored – or at least don't get the dues they deserve. Some of the games on this list are indie gems that didn't have the marketing power and brand loyalty to make a big scene, and some are AAA quality that got misunderstood or swatted away in favor of bigger - but not better - products, releasing at the same time.

These titles didn't get the love they rightfully deserved from critics, and the media in general. Whether it be middling reviews, being totally ignored, or perhaps just something you've never heard of, all of these games deserve more respect than they received.

9. Binary Domain

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SEGA

Binary Domain is the 2012 shooter that is absolutely a mix of any other cover based shooter from the early millennia and the old Armitage anime series. That is, a third person cover-based shooter about robots who can pass for humans, and possibly even replicate themselves with humans.

It received positive but ultimately sub-par reviews upon release and only sold 20,000 units within its first quarter of sales in the US (though it was the #2 game in Japan with over 70,000 sales in a similar amount of time).

The game is a masterpiece though with decent combat, some of the better AI in shooters at the time, and an engaging, dramatic story with powerful acting and characterization among your teammates. Multiple endings are the icing on the cake to what is otherwise a pretty perfect game.

But oh my god the voice controls! Remember LifeLine, one of the first voice controlled games? You'll miss LifeLine if you try to play Binary Domain with voice control on. And that is where it gets huge marks removed. If it had worked - game of the year. Though even without this, it's still a really good game.

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Author of Escort (Eternal Press, 2015), co-founder of Nic3Ntertainment, and developer behind The Sickle Upon Sekigahara (2020). Currently freelancing as a game developer and history consultant. Also tends to travel the eastern U.S. doing courses on History, Writing, and Japanese Poetry. You can find his portfolio at www.richardcshaffer.com.