The Most Underrated Games Of The 21st Century

There are plenty of acclaimed games recognized by critics and players alike for their brilliance. Titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2, Breath of the Wild, and God of War launched to praise from all over the gaming industry. Often, though, great games can be overlooked, not being recognized for their excellence by the majority, leading to them being forgotten by the mainstream.

Games like this can be anything from platformers to first-person shooters, and most of them have garnered a following of players who continue to praise them, despite their lack of general recognition. The following are some of the best examples in recent memory.

Updated on November 26, 2024, by Dennis Moiseyev: With plenty of new games launching left and right, and oftentimes multiple in a single week, it can be hard to determine where your priorities lie, so some games often get discarded, but that shouldn’t mean they’re any less worthy of acclaim. There are plenty of games over the years that seem like they’re at risk of being forgotten even though they offer some of the best story and gameplay you’ll see in the medium.

Below we’ve added some new underrated horror gems of the 21st century.

26 Alone In The Dark (2024)

A Remake Worthy Of The Same Praise As Dead Space And Silent Hill 2

2024’s Alone in the Dark absolutely deserves a chance as a modern survival horror game. It does an incredible job with its sound design, particularly with jumpscares, document voice-overs, and the jazz soundtrack that plays throughout to build that noir horror atmosphere. David Harbour and Jodie Comer give as outstanding a performance as you can get in a video game, with Harbour’s Edward Carnby arguably being an even better portrayal than Jim Hopper.

The environment design, story writing, puzzles, creatures, and main bosses are well-executed. There’s even a chase sequence with the Dark Man that is on par with Silent Hill 2’s Pyramid Head, in which firing a weapon will cleverly make your character turn it on themselves. The influences of Lovecraft and Egyptology and the attention to detail to the original are incredible. Stealth and weapon reloading could be a lot smoother, but the combat is still nowhere near as disastrous as The Callisto Protocol.

25 Shadows Of The Damned

There’s No Tour Through The Underworld Quite Like It

Shadows of the Damned is perhaps EA’s most underrated game, so much so that some are just figuring out that this game even exists with the launch of the 2024 Hella Remastered version. This is not your typical supernatural action-adventure title, however, as it’s more like Lollipop Chainsaw in terms of vulgarity and comedic writing.

You play a hotshot demon hunter character named Garcia Hotspur, who must venture into hell to recover his girlfriend in a story setup not too different from the tale Orpheus and Eurydice. However, the gameplay makes it nothing but a fun, over-the-top romp through the underworld from Suda51 and Resident Evil and The Evil Within’s Shinji Mikami.

24 The Medium

A Narrative-Driven Horror That Deserves Way More Credit

Bloober Team struck gold with Silent Hill 2, but they also have a lot of their own underappreciated Double-A horror gems, including what could be described as their version of Silent Hill – The Medium. From the very intro of the game to the themes and storytelling (not to mention a soundtrack co-composed by Silent Hill’s Akira Yamaoka), it becomes evident how Silent Hill influences the foundation of the game design.

Where Bloober’s creativity comes in is the intentional split-screen design, which allows your protagonist, Marianne, and the spirit form joined to her to exist at the same time, with the puzzles relying on that mechanic as well. The environments inside Niwa, especially the ones later in the story, are gorgeous and will look as though you’re inside a painting, which is no coincidence, considering they’re inspired by Polish painter Zdzislaw Beksinski.

23 Silent Hill 4: The Room

A Different Experience But Still Hailed As One Of The Best From Team Silent

When you think of the best Silent Hill games, usually the first three from Team Silent come to mind, and Shattered Memories too gets some love from fans, but Silent Hill 4: The Room often gets overlooked. This entry introduces you to a new protagonist named Henry Townshend and experiments with a first-person perspective when you’re inside Henry’s apartment, which is located in Ashfield.

While you might long for that oppressive atmosphere and fog-drenched Silent Hill landscape, you still get to explore Otherworlds and encounter some of the series’ most eerie and disturbing creature designs yet. The Room’s story is also somewhat of a continuation of the second game with many connections, including the main villain being Walter Sullivan, a deceased serial killer you’ve heard a lot about in Silent Hill 2, as well as James Sunderland’s dad, Frank.

22 Days Gone

Zombie Games Truly Can’t Get Any Better Than This

PlayStation exclusives tend to overperform and amass a phenomenal response from both critics and players alike due to their quality, but not in the case of Days Gone. It’s a unique open-world zombie game from Bend Studio that ended up getting largely overshadowed by Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us series, and it’s now also infamously remembered for the ex-director’s spat with Sony over it not getting a sequel and ending up in Astro Bot.

What Days Gone achieved was brilliance with zombie combat, giving you a swarm of hundreds of zombies called Freakers to evade and take on via various methods, whether they be the environment or your arsenal. The action is as impressive as the rats from A Plague Tale or World War Z-style hordes. Your protagonist, Deacon St. John, was also part of a motorcycle gang prior to the apocalypse, so you get that Sons of Anarchy element and GTA’s The Lost MC.

The Mist and Being Human star, and Darth Maul and Starkiller’s voice actor, Sam Witwer, gives an underrated performance as the main protagonist Deacon St. John.

21 The Thaumaturge

The Polish Hidden Gem Cousin Of Disco Elysium

If you’re a fan of supernatural historical fiction and detective thrillers, don’t skip over The Thaumaturge. This is a turn-based RPG that went way under the radar of many, and it actually offers a gem of a story from Fool’s Theory, a studio headed by a former Witcher 3 developer and that helped with the development of Baldur’s Gate 3. So, you can certainly say this team knows its way around characters and quest design.

You’ll be in the shoes of the titular thaumaturge, Wiktor Szulski, who investigates many mysteries and frequently gets into conflict with the soldiers in the Tsar’s army, all with his good friend and companion Rasputin by his side. It’s set in 1905 Poland, with the writing, characters, and environment design immersing you right away. Your arsenal also consists of demons you collect called Salutors, which have some detailed and terrifying designs.

20 Aliens: Dark Descent

Expanding Aliens Lore One RTS Level At A Time

The Alien series is up there with other films as having plenty of video game adaptations. Although Aliens: Fireteam Elite and Alien: Isolation have been heralded as some of the best video games the series has to offer, Dark Descent slipped through the cracks but is an equally worthy entry that deserves more recognition.

The gameplay is also something vastly different from what you’ve seen before, as Aliens: Dark Descent is an isometric real-time strategy tactics game where a squad of up to five Colonial Marines mows down hordes of Xenomorphs across different locations. Each teammate is fully customizable from their appearance to what they’re equipped with, and the story set on the moon Lethe comes with compelling new threats and characters.

19 Mad Max

As Great An Entry As Any Of The Films By George Miller

Despite what George Miller himself has said about the 2015 Mad Max game, it’s a masterpiece in terms of VFX, gameplay mechanics, and visual design. You literally are the Road Warrior, able to fill your car up with ‘guzzolene’ and customize and upgrade its features to be equipped with the best vehicle in the wasteland. And the combat, both vehicular and melee, is what video game action-adventure is all about.

The hand-to-hand system features a fluid bone-breaking counter system very similar to the Batman: Arkham games, with some brutal finishers and shotgun action coming in as well. Then, the vehicle mayhem and explosions are even more spectacular, as you can use the harpoon and other modifications to pull down towers and rip off parts of enemy vehicles to send Scabrous Scrotus’ War Boys to Valhalla.

18 Batman: Arkham Origins

The Underrated Black Sheep Of The Batman Arkham Family

Batman: Arkham Origins is the game that unfairly gets the most criticism aimed at it from the entire series of Batman: Arkham games. But does everyone forget how poor the Batmobile gameplay felt in Arkham Knight, or the dumpster fire that turned out to be Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League? Suddenly, Arkham Origins probably doesn’t sound like a bad option, and it’s really not.

While not developed by Rocksteady like the other games, Origins still offers much more of the same iconic caped crusader open-world combat and investigative experience from Arkham City. It takes place around Christmas Eve and has an epic roster of villains, like Deathstroke, Black Mask, Firefly, Copperhead, Deadshot, and Anarky. Additionally, Troy Baker as Joker and Roger Craig Smith as Batman are hard to distinguish from Hamill and Conroy’s performances.

17 Spec Ops: The Line

A Powerful Video Game Retelling Of Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness

On the surface, Spec Ops: The Line seems like a serviceable third-person cover shooter, but nothing special. However, there is much more to the Yager Development game than meets the eye. It has one of the most compelling and engrossing stories in action game history. In fact, it’s one of the few military titles that try not to glamorize war too much.

The protagonist, Captain Walker, is not just some burly action hero. He’s a soldier who gets increasingly affected by what he sees on the battlefield. And the game cleverly simulates the warping of his mind by playing tricks on you while you play.

16 As Dusk Falls

An Interactive Crime Drama From A Former Quantic Dream Developer

Some narrative adventure games have been really popular in the 21st century, such as The Walking Dead and Life Is Strange. Unfortunately, As Dusk Falls didn’t receive the same level of attention, and it slightly fell under the radar.

However, the game is every bit as compelling as others in the genre. It revolves around two families crossing paths on one fateful day that significantly impacts their lives. You also impact it because the title is filled with choices for you to make that heavily alter the story.

15 Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments

Still One Of The Best Detective Games You Can Play

While there have been plenty of entries in Frogwares’ Sherlock Holmes series, the games still don’t get a lot of attention. And it’s a shame because titles like Crimes and Punishments provide excellent detective experiences.

In the 2014 entry, you’re tasked with solving several separate cases. Each one follows a similar pattern: you look for clues, question suspects, and try to piece the whole thing together. The game doesn’t directly lead you toward a single solution, so there’s a real sense of pride for making the right call. But the game continues whatever decision you make.

14 Enslaved: Odyssey To The West

Ninja Theory Is Also Not Immune To Some Overlooked Gems

Ninja Theory is an underrated development studio, but at least titles like DmC: Devil May Cry and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice received significant attention. The same can’t be said for their other action-adventure title, Enslaved: Odyssey To The West.

Its story is loosely based on the Journey to the West novel. You play as a man named Monkey who has to help a woman called Trip to traverse the post-apocalyptic wasteland, once known as New York City. The story has plenty of interesting elements, especially regarding the relationship between the two main characters. Plus, the beat ’em up style combat is fun and surprisingly tactical.

13 F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch

An Impressive Action-Packed 3D Metroidvania Platformer

When you think of Metroidvania titles, probably the most overly praised ones that come to mind are Hollow Knight, the Ori series, Dead Cells, and Blasphemous. Ironically titled F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch, this one failed to emerge from the shadows, even though it does Metroidvanias proud with some of the best graphics, story, character designs, and combat mechanics in the genre.

The game lets you take on an anthropomorphic bunny named Rayton, who’s a citizen of Torch City, in what feels like a more gritty and realistic dieselpunk version of Ratchet & Clank. The coolest part about Rayton’s character is the special suit he wears, which has a giant mechanical fist attached to the shoulder that does all the talking with enemies, which can then also become a drill and whip.

12 Mirror’s Edge

The Most Immersive And Stylish Parkour Game Ever Created

Mirror’s Edge is a parkour game unlike any other, being arguably the best example of this relatively unexplored genre ever seen. The whole premise revolves around you playing as a character called Faith, who is on the run after her sister is falsely accused of a crime she didn’t commit. All of this takes place in a gorgeous utopian city, which, despite being over ten years old at this point, still looks great today.

It’s fairly short, but every minute of its playtime is packed with intensity and challenge, as you try to negotiate your way across a city skyscape, all whilst being chased by an ever-present force determined to take you down. Somehow Mirror’s Edge was heavily overlooked when it first came out, but no other game has managed to replicate its unique feeling to this day.

11 VVVVVV

A Creative 2010 Platformer That Should’ve Been More Recognized

VVVVVV is a brilliant platformer, although it is ridiculously tricky at points. It’s heavily inspired by the 8-bit platformers of old but introduces a unique flipping mechanic by allowing you to control gravity to flip the protagonist, Captain Viridian, from the floor to the ceiling and back again.

After you complete the main game, there’s another set of levels developed by other game developers too, adding a few extra hours of gameplay on top. VVVVVV might just be Terry Cavanagh’s best work, and it is well worth the time investment.

10 BioShock 2

Rapture Is Even Better The Second Time Around

BioShock is regarded as one of the best shooters of the 2000s, but its sequel is heavily overlooked despite being just as good, if not better in some places. You play as one of the Big Daddy’s and are tasked with solving the mystery behind the disappearance of little girls along the Atlantic coastline, with the answers being hidden within Rapture.

Its gameplay is leaps and bounds ahead of the original, and the return to Rapture is every bit as good as you’d expect it to be. BioShock 2’s version of the city is the best setting in the series, and aside from a messy first few hours, it is a fantastic experience.

9 Marvel’s Midnight Suns

An Even More Misunderstood And Underestimated Game Than Guardians

As Marvel is such a big company, it’s rare for one of its games to be overlooked. However, that is exactly what happened to Marvel’s Midnight Suns, as shown by the title’s poor sales. Perhaps the game was too different for its own good, as there are few superhero titles like it.

Instead of being an open-world or action-adventure game, it’s a tactical turn-based RPG with plenty of similarities to XCOM. So, you strategically use the heroes’ powers to get the better of the opposition. Plus, the story isn’t typically a mainstream superhero affair, either. After all, it revolves around dark magic and witches. Overall, Midnight Suns is a superb and unique experience.

8 Sleeping Dogs

A Martial Arts-Inspired GTA Clone With An Equally Amazing World And Story

Few games are called underrated as often as Sleeping Dogs. Based on that, you could argue it isn’t underrated. Yet, in terms of sales, it was clearly overlooked by too many people since Square Enix considered it a commercial failure. This is despite the open-world title being incredible.

It tells a compelling tale about Hong Kong police officer Wei Shen, who has gone undercover to infiltrate the Triads. Throughout the game, he struggles to manage his two lives. He also beats a lot of people up, as unlike many other open-world crime games, guns are scarce. You spend much of your time using your martial arts on your enemies, and the fighting mechanics are fluid and fun.

7 Titanfall 2

A Stronger Sequel And One Of The Best FPS Games Of All Time

Titanfall 2 is one of the best FPS games you’ve probably never played, having been sandwiched between Call of Duty and Battlefield release dates. The campaign is one of the best the genre has ever seen, but the real star of the show is multiplayer, which is fantastic, especially because of the added titans that bring a great deal more variety to combat encounters.

There’s also the fact that all DLC aside from cosmetics is completely free, a move that most other developers have followed in recent years. It may have been overshadowed by titles like Apex Legends, but Titanfall 2 deserves more attention.