What 'hidden gem' of a game did you enjoy the most, that you haven't played in a long time?

[Dristun]

I second this, to be honest it fits well with other great title released in 2004 but because so many great games came out that year, it didn't get enough spotlight. I played it years later and really, game was amazing.


For me I love Ridge Racer Type IV on PS1. Game is comedy handling, but the music is just perfection. Great driving song, I still listen to it while driving.

This one especially. one of the best driving song ever.

Type IV is cool too! It's just that 7 is even faster and more insane haha. But music in IV is arguably better.

Crashday, worms armageddon and F.E.A.R
Come to think of it I should revisit these games again. If Covid was 5 years ago I guess I played them about 8-10 years ago

Crashday, ha, now that's a name I haven't heard in a while. Cool battle racer, played a lot in high school.

 

[Onasi]

Half the posts in the thread are absolutely bizarre and name games that pretty much everyone knows and are not “hidden” in any way. Someone even mentioned Skyrim and Diablo II, come on.

Anyway, let’s go for some ACTUAL deep cuts.

- Sacrifice. Probably one of the weirdest settings in gaming and the gameplay isn’t far behind being a very innovative for the time combination of RPG and RTS and not in the usual “hero units” type of way. Fantastic presentation too with some of the best voice acting of any game overall. You probably never wondered whether or not Tim Curry playing a living balloon with a superiority complex would be cool, but… yeah, it is.

- AquaNox. Space-sim, but underwater. Very unique concept for the story being essentially a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk Jules Verne. The game isn’t perfect and arguably isn’t as deep and involved as its progenitor Archemedian Dynasty, but the gameplay is so fun that you won’t care. Plus, the aforementioned AD is even more of a deep cut.

- The Void. The masterpiece and the crowning jewel of Ice-Pick Lodge. The absolute pinnacle of “game as an artform”. Impossible to actually describe and feels like something that comes to you in a dream. For all the greatness of Pahologic 2 and its predecessor, The Void (or Turgor, as originally named) is less of a game and more of a state of being for the player. Essential for a play through. And then you realize that the Western release is actually fairly different from the OG, you mangle ypur Steam copy INTO said OG and do it all over to experience another, arguably better, side of the coin.

 

[Apocalypsee]

Half the posts in the thread are absolutely bizarre and name games that pretty much everyone knows and are not “hidden” in any way. Someone even mentioned Skyrim and Diablo II, come on.

Yep that's what puzzling me as well. Maybe they only read the last part '...that you haven't played in the long time' and missed out the 'Hidden gem' thing.

 

[Space Lynx]

I second this, to be honest it fits well with other great title released in 2004 but because so many great games came out that year, it didn't get enough spotlight. I played it years later and really, game was amazing.


For me I love Ridge Racer Type IV on PS1. Game is comedy handling, but the music is just perfection. Great driving song, I still listen to it while driving.

This one especially. one of the best driving song ever.

For my entry is this, it came out in one of the PS1 demo disk. Once I tried it I MUST BUY THIS GAME.

View attachment 367034

Absolutely love this game, the gameplay, the music, the comedy. It didn't get a lot of attention from media or everyone (of course all goes to FFVII) but turn-based isn't my forte. I still playing this from time to time.

I can't recall any 'hidden gem' for PC games. I'll post them if I remember them.

I still have Musashi on PS1, it's one of the few games I kept in a bin and decided to not get rid of. lmao wow that brings back memories. Ninja Shadow of Darkness on PS1 is another game I keep in that bin irl, I never beat Ninja Shadow of Darkness, it was a bit buggy, but I remember having a blast.

Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed

Unreal

Unreal Tournament 99

Unreal Tournament 2003

Just to name a few.

it might have just been my high school, so I may be wrong on this, but Unreal Tournament series was no hidden gem lol we all loved it


@Princess Garnet I have already seen a few posts not follow the ten year rule, it's just a guideline really to try and keep people on track, I think I speak for everyone here when we say we would be interested in your hidden gem favorites, so please do share even outside the 10 year time frame. your write up on FFIX was fascinating to read so I am curious personally

Yep that's what puzzling me as well. Maybe they only read the last part '...that you haven't played in the long time' and missed out the 'Hidden gem' thing.

yeah I probably should re-word it, not sure if it's too long winded or confusing in my first post.

Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land

Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land - Guide and Walkthrough - PlayStation 2 - By Jerrold - GameFAQs

For Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land on the PlayStation 2, Guide and Walkthrough by Jerrold.

gamefaqs.gamespot.com

Never heard of it. I just looked this up, I bookmarked the guide for it, I may give it a go someday on emulation. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Onasi]

Type IV is cool too! It's just that 7 is even faster and more insane haha. But music in IV is arguably better.

Type 4 wins on the basis of having the best intro of any racing game, let’s be real. Peak style.

 

[lexluthermiester]

What 'hidden gem' of a game did you enjoy the most, that you haven't played in a long time?

For me it was Soulblazer for the SNES. It was a total hidden-gem, sleeper hit BITD and is still relatively unknown to most people.

 

[Frick]

- Sacrifice. Probably one of the weirdest settings in gaming and the gameplay isn’t far behind being a very innovative for the time combination of RPG and RTS and not in the usual “hero units” type of way. Fantastic presentation too with some of the best voice acting of any game overall. You probably never wondered whether or not Tim Curry playing a living balloon with a superiority complex would be cool, but… yeah, it is.

It's Tim Curry man. I loved that game, we played multiplayer a bit, but I was terrible at it. I'm going to say it's still pretty innovative.

 

[Vayra86]

Don't know if it counts as "hidden gem", but I'll say Mirror's Edge anyway. I simply loved, and still do, its art direction and colors.

Yeah Mirror's Edge ranks high with me too, gameplay wise there was so little, but the execution of it all made it pretty great.

TimeSplitters 2 remastered is out now on PC (inside Homefront: The Revolution)

PC players have ensured you only have to play a little Homefront: The Revolution to get to TimeSplitters 2

www.pcgamesn.com

just found this cause it intrigued me... very interesting you can play timesplitters 2 remastered on PC through a "arcade" in homefront revolution game... kind of wild

Holy shit Timesplitters on PC? Wooot

 

[lexluthermiester]

It's Tim Curry man. I loved that game, we played multiplayer a bit, but I was terrible at it. I'm going to say it's still pretty innovative.

He was also very good in C&C Red Alert 3. A bit campy, but good!

 

[kilo]

Castle of the Winds.

It's a dungeon crawler RPG where my treasure always seemed to be overpowered or cursed. I haven't heard anyone mention it ever so hopefully, it'll count as a hidden gem.

 

[Onasi]

@Frick
The only games vaguely similar I know of since are Brutal Legend and Guilty Gear 2. No, I didn’t misspoke, the second proper game in the fighting game franchise is a weird action/RTS/MOBA hybrid.

He was also very good on C&C Red Alert 3.

Granted, that game had a phenomenal cast for the batshit insane campy fever dream that were the campaigns.

 

[Dristun]

Type 4 wins on the basis of having the best intro of any racing game, let’s be real. Peak style.

Type 4 is stylish but imo RR V cranks it up even further. The menus, the way the flow, the semi-transparent lady in the background, it's just too good. But the game itself is very short and lacking in content compared to Type 4, RR7 or the PSP versions.

 

[Vayra86]

Book of Demons I think applies for the hidden gem category. Somewhere during that simplistic game you will notice it has more variety and mechanics than Diablo itself which it is a parody on

Book of Demons on Steam

Book of Demons is a Hack & Slash in which YOU decide the length of quests. Wield magic cards instead of weapons and slay the armies of darkness in the dungeons below the Old Cathedral. Save the terror-stricken Paperverse from the clutches of the Archdemon himself!

store.steampowered.com

 

[Chrispy_]

So many non-hidden AAA titles in this list lol.

My contribution is an old top-down spaceship/RPG mashup:

Space Pirates and Zombies on Steam

Explore a randomly generated Galaxy populated with factions, enemies, missions, and items providing you with a unique experience each time you play.

store.steampowered.com

 

[Frick]

He was also very good on C&C Red Alert 3. A bit campy, but good!

Again, it's Tim Curry man!

 

[bug]

Titan Quest. And if I have to dig deeper, Star Control 2.

Not exactly "hidden" titles, but imho they got nowhere near the level of recognition they deserved.

 

[Space Lynx]

For me it was Soulblazer for the SNES. It was a total hidden-gem, sleeper hit BITD and is still relatively unknown to most people.

This does look really cool, I am bookmarking the guide for it in-case I decide to emulate it someday.

Soul Blazer - Guide and Walkthrough - Super Nintendo - By KeyBlade999 - GameFAQs

For Soul Blazer on the Super Nintendo, Guide and Walkthrough by KeyBlade999.

gamefaqs.gamespot.com

Titan Quest. And if I have to dig deeper, Star Control 2.

Not exactly "hidden" titles, but imho they got nowhere near the level of recognition they deserved.

I think this is going to be an absolute badass of a game, I am really looking forward to it. I like the story premise too.

Titan Quest II on Steam

Nemesis, Goddess of Retribution, is out of control. She is corrupting the Threads of Fate and punishing all those who oppose her. Take up your weapon, fight alongside gods, and change fate itself in Titan Quest II, an action RPG inspired by Greek mythology.

store.steampowered.com

 

[authorized]

Dark Souls, technically it's over 10 years old and it can be argued it was a hidden gem until the series gained notoriety.

Freespace 2, I looked at gameplay on youtube and it doesn't look terrible for a 25 yo game.

 

[lexluthermiester]

This does look really cool, I am bookmarking the guide for it in-case I decide to emulate it someday.

Soul Blazer - Guide and Walkthrough - Super Nintendo - By KeyBlade999 - GameFAQs

For Soul Blazer on the Super Nintendo, Guide and Walkthrough by KeyBlade999.

gamefaqs.gamespot.com

Highly recommend it! One of my favs. Good gameplay, solid GFX(even for an early SNES title) and a charming storyline!

 

[Onasi]

Since Soul Blazer is mentioned we can also throw in ActRaiser 1 and 2 onto the pile since it’s all vaguely a part of the same series.

Oh, and for another weird deep cut - Vangers. Have you always wanted to be an insectoid-ish abomination who is also a lorry driver? For other disgusting creatures? And your lorry has more armaments than an average main battle tank? Yeah? And how about adding a story and world building as weird and impenetrable as only some krokodil fueled Russians could have written? Then I have a game for you.

Vangers

Vangers was originally released in 1998 and now KranX Productions present you with the sp

www.gog.com

 

[neatfeatguy]

Gothic was one of these games where you had to work on your character a bit first and then slash. Sometimes you had to use enirovnment to your advantage to slowly kill something that you could not face directly. It was game with not an easy beginning. You became somewhat skilled at 3rd act only, which was basically half of the game. Game made you think and to explore. No quest marks and navigation, different creatures required different tactics. And the length of the game was amazing. I wish so hard that such games came out even today.

Gothic series was really revolutionary back then. Open world, so many options, crafting, hunting, alchemy, lock-picking, stealing ... Tried G3, Risen, Arcania and other "Gothic-like" stuff but there's no that type of feeling I was experiencing with Gothic 2. Looking forward to Gothic 1 remake. I haven't played that title, I got my hands straightly on Gothic 2.

Another gems:
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Red Alert 2, Generals
Skyrim
Need For Speed Underground 2
Battlefield Bad Company 2 (best multi player experience, especially Vietnam DLC with hardcore mode was amazing)
Starcraft 2
Diablo 2
Roller Coaster Tycoon
Anno 1404

The Gothic remake, they put a demo out a while back (probably close to two years ago now) looking for feedback. The combat was atrocious. I'm not sure what they were trying to do, but it was worse than the original game. Combat in the original game wasn't bad, per se, but it took some timing to get good with it....that's not the case with how combat was designed in the remake, it was just outright awful.

My understanding is they took the feedback and were working on improving combat. I don't think they could make it any worse and hopefully they fix it, but you never know. I'd have to play a new demo with updated combat before I paid for a remake of Gothic.

 

[Courier 6]

Test drive LeMans

Test Drive: Le Mans (Windows)

Remember Test Drive: Le Mans (Windows), an old video game from 2000? Download it and play again on MyAbandonware.

www.myabandonware.com

Test Drive: Le Mans (1999) - MobyGames

Take on the LeMans endurance racing challenge! Join one of the 25 factory teams and choose from over 50 vehicles to drive (designed with assistance of actual teams) on the eight different LeMans circuits. The actual wear and tear of the vehicle is...

www.mobygames.com

I did play the two versins of the game for PC, and I was really good at it, still have the CD with the box art from the second link

Oh and forgot to mention GPL, Grand Prix Legends from Payrus

Grand Prix Legends - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Grand Prix Legends (Windows)

Remember Grand Prix Legends (Windows), an old video game from 1998? Download it and play again on MyAbandonware.

www.myabandonware.com

and there was a Nascar game too, I don´t remember exactly wich one, I need to have a look if I still have the CD

 

[bug]

I think this is going to be an absolute badass of a game, I am really looking forward to it. I like the story premise too.

Titan Quest II on Steam

Nemesis, Goddess of Retribution, is out of control. She is corrupting the Threads of Fate and punishing all those who oppose her. Take up your weapon, fight alongside gods, and change fate itself in Titan Quest II, an action RPG inspired by Greek mythology.

store.steampowered.com

The bar is set pretty high, too easy to be disappointed at this point. Fingers crossed, of course.

 

[dirtyferret]

Half the posts in the thread are absolutely bizarre and name games that pretty much everyone knows and are not “hidden” in any way

I was going to mention World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Sims, Minecraft, Madden Football as some "hidden gems" of games that may have fallen through the cracks and not received much fan fare

 

[Onasi]

@dirtyferret
Yeah, those are certified underground classics only the most keen of gamers with impeccable taste heard about, alongside such indie hits like Fortnite, League of Legends and Grand Theft Auto.