10 Video Games Worth a Second Look

It would be a mistake to not mention this lauded critical gem of the PS2 generation. Shadow of the Colossus was an utterly unique game that keeps you rapt even though it was essentially a series of epic boss battles that have you climbing all around your mountainous foes. It is utterly astonishing the number of gamers who've heard of Shadow of the Colossus but never actually played it. With the new HD collection out, there is no reason for you to miss this incredible game for the second time.

The Club was a game that slipped under many people’s radar. The concept is simple -- an underground bloodsport club where rich patrons take bets on who will survive the lethal activities, The Club is a third person shooter that functions on an arcade mechanic. You have to make your way through each level defending positions while making as many combo kills as you can. It isn’t the most thoughtful or deep experience, but it is a hell of a lot of fun.  For that, it shoots its way onto our list of 10 video games worth a second look.

This side-scrolling 2D hack and slasher was a hidden gem on the Nintendo Wii. The visuals have a gorgeous hand drawn aesthetic and the gameplay's fast and fun. The conflict of the Demon Blades on the isle of Honshu was a joy to behold and each battle only served to cement your excitement. Take a criminal with amnesia and a princess possessed by a dark spirit and you have a recipe for engagement. Thankfully if you missed this one, you’ll be able to pick it up for the Playstation Vita this March.

When you take some legendary material and work it into a post-apocalyptic platforming beat-em up, you end up with something uniquely enjoyable. Enslaved was a somewhat flawed game but that didn’t detract from the fact that it was something new. The storytelling was fresh and the motion captured acting, by Andy Serkis, was engaging and earnest. It received a mediocre reception from critics and therefore a lot of people missed out on this enjoyable game. For being flawed but fun, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West bashes its way onto our list of 10 video games worth a second look.

Murderous difficulty and a sizable amount of bugs prevented this game from becoming a serious mainstream success, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving it a play, especially because a sequel is just over the horizon. Set in the post-apocalyptic sewers and subways of Moscow, Metro 2033 forces you to consider everything -- from your surroundings to your ammo in painstaking detail. The more premium ammunition is used as currency within the game so you must choose between defending yourself or purchasing enough supplies to survive. It is brutal but engaging and it put many players off because of it’s somewhat schizophrenic difficulty curve. The story itself is well worth your time slogging through the sewers

The Red Faction games were all about wanton destruction of pretty much everything. Red Faction Guerrilla is no exception. You may not be able to destroy terrain anymore, but there are plenty of buildings, bridges, and structures for you to reduce to piles of rubble. Even though the game was condemned for its weak story and repetitive nature, the ability to blast your way creatively through any situation overrides any criticism. When you have the choice of shooting a guy, or blasting out the first floor of the building where he’s hiding, you always choose the latter. For its ingenious gameplay and realistic physics, Red Faction Guerrilla snags a place on our list of 10 video games worth a second look.

While many people dismissed Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon as a stupid game consigned to the bargain racks of your local game store, we think it is an underrated gem of pure gaming bliss. The setup is simple -- giant alien insects are attacking the earth so use the biggest weapons you can find to blast them into tiny little bits of exoskeleton. The graphics may not be the best and it might lack variety, storytelling, and decent voice acting, but the game itself is undeniably fun. It is so satisfying zipping around with a jetpack blasting away at an ant the size of Godzilla terrorizing New Detroit. If that last sentence doesn’t convince you, we don’t know what will.

Platinum Games recently released Metal Gear Rising, but before that frenetic hack and slash bonanza came out, they created the brilliantly over-the-top Vanquish. With a cigarette chomping protagonist in an amazing set of DARPA developed armor, Vanquish lets you slow down time, rocket slide across the battlefield, and blow up hundreds of robotic baddies with machine guns. The dialogue and story must have come from a pulpy science fiction novel with delusions of badass. It is fun and doesn’t overstay its welcome. Vanquish definitely deserves a spot on our list of 10 video games worth a second look.

What happens when you’re given control of a super soldier that would make Bruce Willis cry, a magical grappling hook, and a whole island nation full of oil to destabilize? We’re not exactly sure, but we know it involved huge explosions and paragliding. Just Cause 2 puts you in the boots of an blockbuster action hero. You have a huge island full of things to blow up and an arsenal of insane weapons to perpetrate mass mayhem on the gas stations, skyscrapers, and military bases. There is nothing more satisfying than base jumping from a mountain, hookshotting a passing car into para-sailing, then lobbing a pair of grenades into a guard tower before swiping a nearby tank to torch the nearest gas station. Just Cause 2 is a sandbox game gone man and its so surprising that a lot of gamers missed this game.

Sitting mighty on the throne of our list of 10 video games worth a second look is the incredible Dark Souls. This game has been overlooked by many for two reasons. No, 1: It isn’t all that eye catching and the back of the box doesn’t seem all that interesting. No. 2: It is legendary for being harder than a dragon’s tooth. While Dark Souls is an unforgiving game, it plays it very fair. You you barrel through the game expecting to button mash your way through the world, you’ll have your ass speared and tossed off of a cliff. It is a game that rewards careful and strategic gameplay paired with diligence and courage under pressure. It is a deep and rewarding game that becomes even more fun when you play online. Who doesn’t like invading someone else’s game to hunt them down without pity from the comfort of your own couch?