Welcome to the ZTGD Reviewer Rodeo. Each week, we’ll grab on to the hottest issue, hold on for dear life, and wrassle it to the ground.
In the field of “AAA” titles, especially during the crowded fourth quarter of the year, many titles get overlooked, never to receive the attention they so richly deserve. What underappreciated or underplayed game would you recommend that our readers play?
Jeff “Scorched Angel” Borsick
The game that I feel deserves a play through, even though it may not have been well received, is Fracture. The game is set in the year 2161, and the United States has been split into two sides, the Pacific and the Atlantic, by rising water levels caused by global warming. One side wants to enhance the technological prowess of humanity, while the other wants to enhance the human genome.
The gameplay is centered on a run of the mill third person shooter, but the twist is that you have powers that enable you to raise and lower the ground around you. You can raise it to provide cover for yourself, or to drop your enemies to take them down. The weapons vary as well. One killing machine shoots missiles underground that spring up to decimate your enemies.
The game was not well received by the media, getting under a 6 from some sites, and I agree that there were some frustrating bits and repetition, but I think its worthy of a run through. You can pick the game up used for 5 bucks, which is cheaper than most rentals in this day and age. I think it’s a good game, just underappreciated for being generic. I had a lot of fun with it, and I think most people that enjoy third person shooters would. With a character named Jet Brody, how can you go wrong?
Drew “Frustrated Fury” Leachman
Shadows of the Damned: I can’t believe this game sold as poorly as it did. It irks me to no ends that people cry for new IP’s and when a new one comes out, they don’t buy it. The game was just pure fun; the most fun I’ve had in a very long time.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor: A great game that any RPG player should pick up on the DS. Luckily, Devil Survivor: Overclocked releases soon on the 3DS so that will give players another chance to give it a try.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope: Another JRPG that a lot of people didn’t check out when it released. I really enjoyed it, and if you don’t mind the occasional annoying stereotypical Japanese character, you should really give this RPG a try.
Arcana Heart 3: A fantastic fighting game that almost no one picked up. It has a mixture of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 and BlazBlue. Unfortunately, you can only find it on the PSN as a full game download, but honestly, if you enjoy the fast paced fighting games, this is a must play.
Dungeon Siege III: Granted, the online co-op is a gimped, but the single player is very solid. A lot of Dungeon Siege veterans called foul for the 3rd entry, but Dungeon Siege III is a great way to get newcomers into loot gathering dungeon crawlers.
Chime Super Deluxe: This is a personal favorite of mine. I don’t exactly know how well it sold, but there is no denying the fact that Super Deluxe is a really fun puzzle game. The local multiplayer is a blast, and if you haven’t given it a try yet, you’re missing out.
Forsaken World: For the MMO guys and gals out there, you really can’t go wrong with a free to play MMO, especially one that is rather good. There’s a ton of content to be had in Forsaken World and it’s a great introduction to the giant world of MMO’s all of this free of charge.
A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda: This small downloadable title on Steam is the little engine that could. It takes mechanics and style of the old school platformers of yesteryears and gives it that new fresh feel. Plus, the soundtrack is amazing.
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