Side Quest, Episode 20: The 10 Most Underrated Video Games of the Last Decade

I gave Puppeteer a great review at IGN, but it's not on the level of making this video, for me, anyway.

Colin Moriarty

I'm surprised Puppeteer didn't make the list. I feel like that was criminally under played. Love that Headlander made the list, I Platinumed that one. Great video Colin.

Ray Briggs

Awesome. Enjoy!

Colin Moriarty

Great video Colin, as with Austin above I have just picked up Headlander in the sale and am looking forward to diving in.

a jeddy night in

Headlander is a really great, quirky game. I hope you enjoy it!

Colin Moriarty

I just picked up headlander because of this video. It was 75% off on PSN. I’m going to dive in once I finish God of War. Thanks for the recommendation. Also, your love for Mad Max several years ago was what turned me on to you. I found we have very similar tastes in games after that. I guess you could say Mad Max led me to eventually become one of your patreons. Keep up the great work!

Austin Powell

You're gonna love it!

Colin Moriarty

I remember hearing you talk about Spec Ops the Line years ago on Beyond! and being very intrigued by its premise but I never got around to checking it out. I finally went ahead and downloaded it after watching the video and will be playing through it after I finish God of War.

Michael Krivo

Thank you for your kind words. I totally agree! This sort of approach gets you some different answers, for sure.

Colin Moriarty

See, that's what I'm talking about! =)

Colin Moriarty

Roger that. I'll look into it!

Colin Moriarty

Thank you! My copy of Lost Sphear comes in the mail today. =) (Also, I'm terribly sorry to hear about your dad.)

Colin Moriarty

I love "Most Underrated" lists like this, as I feel you get a little more personality than with standard "Best Of" features (though I do really enjoy those, too). If you asked a large group of gamers "What is the Best SNES title of all-time?", you're going to get the timeless classics: Super Mario World, A Link To The Past, FF6, Chrono Trigger, MMX etc (and none of those answers would be wrong, in my opinion). If you ask that same group "What is the most underrated game on the SNES?", you're going to get a greater variety of answers, one of which might even lead you to your new favorite game!

Justin Matkowski

I bought Mad Max after all the joking about it being your game of the decade. Didn’t regret the purchase at all.

Don Wagner

Also, ‘Stories: The Path Of Destinies’ is criminally unloved in my opinion. That game blew me away with how much fun it was and how creative it was.

Ian (616Entertainment)

Really, really enjoyed this one. It’s funny that you specifically pointed out I Am Setsuna’s soundtrack, as I loved it so much, I bought the album on iTunes. I was hoping it was pressed on vinyl, as I’m a bit of a record collector as well, but no such luck. The music is so sad at times, but so “we can do this, here we go!” in other songs. I had the album on heavy rotation after my dad passed away, there was something about the piano, lack of lyrics, and overall tone that brought me some sort of comfort. I don’t know, hard to explain. All I know is I probably never would’ve touched I Am Setsuna if you hadn’t recommended it way back when, as up until that point, I had no idea I enjoyed turn based JRPGs. I’m still not balls deep in them or anything, but I Am Setsuna, Final Fantasy VI and VII, I went out of my comfort zone to check them out, and I’m glad I did. All fantastic. I’m looking forward to trying Lost Sphear in the near future as well. Great episode, Colin.

Ian (616Entertainment)

Glad I could push you in the right direction. =)

Colin Moriarty

I bought Mad Max specifically because of your recommendation, Colin. I did not regret it. As a guy who grew up in the 80s, I always wanted a game based on the films. This was the wish fulfillment of my 12 year-old self. It’s too bad that it was overshadowed by MSG5.

Patrick A Crone

Precisely. =) Well put!

Colin Moriarty

Some top notch games in there.... The Vita is dead.... Long live the Vita!!!

Tony Colton

Thank you! It is one of the more "fun" videos I do. I'll get a little more serious next week. =)

Colin Moriarty

I'm sad that they never got a chance to return to it, except with Alienation, which frankly kinda lost the plot.

Colin Moriarty

Great fun video. I loved mad max game. It's funny in how it was released besides MGS5, as those were the two games in that time period I sunk the most time into, with getting into all the details, main missions, side bits. Some worlds are just fun to explore. Some of the others look very interesting, and I hadn't heard of some.

Peter Campbell

Ohh btw Dead Nation is hella underrated. I remember playing that at a cousins house and it legit was amazing.

Brogan Wassell

Dude Mad Max!! Fantastic game. I still think about just how awesome that game was for world building and everything “Mad Max”. Side note throwing in spec ops the line 👍👍. Also another underrated game that I’d throw in (although not sure if it’s underrated) was Brothers a tale of 2 sons. Straight up cried playing that game cuz it made me think of my brother.

Brogan Wassell

Good work. Now go try Foul Play!

Colin Moriarty

It could certainly be a bit repetitive if all done in one shot, for sure.

Colin Moriarty

In happy to say that with the exception on Foul Play - I own all Vita games on the list (Including my home-town-made Severed, which I also have the Platinum for)

Marc Boggio

Mad Max is dope. I still haven't hit 100% and I've had it installed for almost 2 years, but it's the perfect game to drop into for a few sessions here and there. Clear out a few outposts and cruise around the wasteland.

AndyofCT

I'm really worried about them, honestly. They are so, so, so talented. They made really amazing games, in sequence. But I think they started to get distracted, and started making their games too complicated. Dead Nation balanced that so well, while Alienation went too far in the complexity direction, and Nex Machina went too far into the simplistic direction. I know what they do isn't glamorous, and I also know that their last few games didn't do great. But that, to me, was a sign that it was time to return to the drawing board and come up with the next big idea in their space, not become a studio that makes multiplayer games. That space, to me, is way more dangerous for studios to enter. They're free to follow their hearts, and I will always root them on (I hope I'm dead wrong and their next game outsells everything they've done combined), but it's sad for me to see a studio with so much talent leave behind what it was so exceptional at. Their style, their approach... it really spoke to me.

Colin Moriarty

It's so good!

Colin Moriarty

Great video! Added a few of these to the list. Love me some Housemarque. Saw that they announced there new game Stormdivers. Saw a teaser for it but didn't really show anything. I hear it's a multiplayer game. Which isn't really my cup of tea. Hopefully there's a single player mode.

Oh and I still get Dead Nation out when I have a coop buddy over!

Martin

Great vid :), would love to see you revisit the Amalur idea at some point as well!

Martin

Great job as always Colin!! I really liked Trails of Cold Steel 1 and 2 on Vita you needed to play both cause the first one ended on a cliff hanger and they were long jrpgs but you had the time it was worth it. They were very Persona like which I loved but if people like those style games I highly recommend them, and they are on Steam now.

strawhatninja

I hear the Plat is a bitch. I never bothered.

Colin Moriarty

Thought about it -- along with some others that didn't make the list, like Vanquish and Singularity -- but decided to cut it. It would have gotten a sequel if not for shady 38 Studios dealings.

Colin Moriarty

Great video! I gotta be honest, I was shocked not to see Kingdoms of Amalur on this!! Keep em coming Col

Brock Thomas Walsh

I'm one of the few that played Mad Max at launch instead of MGSV. First, I'm a huge Mad Max fan, have been since I was a little kid in the 80's. Second, because it was just a damn good game. There's one trophy holding me back from a platinum and it's going to require me starting a new game to get it and i haven't had time. Freaking love that game though.

Jason Stafford

I played through quite a bit of the first one; no idea why I stopped. I know there's a second one, and I think the third one is imminent. I've always meant to go back.

Colin Moriarty

It's so beautiful and dire and sad. I was listening to it last night in my office and I was actually getting emotional. I think it's nostalgic for me; reminds me of life before the hostility that took it over the following year.

Colin Moriarty

Thank you. I really appreciate the kind words!

Colin Moriarty

Don't know if Banner Saga is Underrated, but I try and tell as many people that will listen to play it. Great story and unique combat. Some of the story choices were very difficult as well. All this from a very small team of devs. Great video as always. Thanks for the content.

Carson Smith

Excellent call on the I Am Setsuna soundtrack. I bought that soundtrack immediately after finishing that game. Everyone who loved the Breath of the Wild soundtrack needs to give the I Am Setsuna soundtrack a listen as well.

Phil Crone

Colin, you the best bro! Making people wanting mondays to come sooner, c'mon son

Petre Cismigiu