30. Onimusha
Onimusha, as a series, is a masterclass in how little a change you need to make to the gameplay loop of a game to completely change its tone and genre.
Onimusha originated as a concept that came from Yoshiki Okamoto for a ninja version of Resident Evil that would take place in the Sengoku era. You can see this clearly in the finished game, they dropped the ninja angle and went down the samurai route instead, but the core gameplay is so close to Resident Evil it’s almost uncanny once you notice. With the fixed camera angles, tank controls and the ambushes around every corner, it genuinely at times feels like someone’s made a samurai-themed conversion mod for a Resi game.
But then, through the smallest gameplay tweak, it’s had a complete genre shift from survival horror to horror-themed hack-and-slash. Instead of guns, you use upgradable melee weapons. That’s it. By taking away the need to manage your ammunition and giving a sense of progression by allowing you to upgrade your weapons, you discard all tension and dread and create a satisfying demon-hacking experience.
31. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
When Ubisoft rebooted the Prince of Persia series in 2003 with Sands of Time, few could have seen that this incarnation would become so popular that it would eclipse all past and future versions of the franchise, not to mention be the spawning point for another blockbuster franchise. (If you know what I’m talking about here, let us know in the comments) The story follows the titular Prince as he works to undo the damage he caused by unleashing the titular Sands of Time. Sands of Time took the world by storm with its fluid combat, innovative acrobatic level traversal, and revolutionary rewind mechanic. These mechanics were refined and added to throughout the subsequent games, creating a legacy that survived its reboot in 2008.
32. Shadow of the Colossus
If you’ve been on the gaming side of the internet in any capacity in the last decade and a half, you will no doubt have come across some discussion of this game. Shadow of the Colossus is iconic for its unique gameplay that sees you controlling Wander as he scales gigantic, seemingly peaceful creatures to reach and stab them at their weak points, taking their lives. There is a reason behind this, a fairly sympathetic one at that, but the game doesn’t shy away from portraying every killing as the tragedy it is. The story has been heavily discussed and debated over the years, with many forum posts and articles analysing whether you are playing as the villain of the story or not. I highly recommend trying this one to form an answer of your own.
33. ICO
ICO is what happened when a certain Fumito Ueda decided to make an entire game based on the most hated type of mission in video games of all time: escort missions.
Somehow, it doesn’t suck.
As it turns out, when you design a game with it in mind, escorting another character around and working out how to get them safely from A to B can be a pretty fun and engaging mechanic.
34. Haven: Call of the King
To be frank, Haven does nothing new in the 3D platforming genre, but that’s not needed to be a good game. Haven: Call of the King is an all-around highly polished game with appealing characters and interesting level design. If I were to compare it to anything else, I would say it most closely resembles a combination of the Jak and Daxter games and Beyond Good and Evil. The plot of the game follows a slave called Haven as he is thrust into a globe-trotting adventure in an attempt to save his people from the evil Vetch, who has not only enslaved them, but also poisoned them with a virus that requires a constant dose of antidote.
Something to keep in mind if you decide to try this one: the story does end with an unresolved cliffhanger, so if you can’t stand not knowing how a story ends, Haven might be one to avoid.
35. Devil May Cry 3 (Special Edition)
This Party’s Getting Crazy!
Though the first Devil May Cry deserves an honourable mention for kick-starting the stylish action genre, it’s Devil May Cry 3 that truly made it shine. Acting as a prequel to the events of Devil May Cry, DMC3 introduces players to a much younger Dante and explores his family dynamic (he and his brother try to stab each other)
This is a game with a combat system so deep that people have spent years exploring it, dedicated to the immense amount of potential it has. Devil May Cry is often praised for its gameplay and rightly so, but the narrative is no slouch either with the compelling dynamic between Dante and Vergil doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Vergil set the gold standard on how to craft an effective rival to the protagonist, a standard that has yet to be topped.
36. Scarface: The World Is Yours
Did you ever wonder what would have happened at the end of Scarface if Tony didn’t get blasted into a swimming pool? Well, this game has the answer for you! Apparently, he would have featured in a great GTA-style game killing various mobsters and gangs alike and dealing narcotics to take back the city that was once his. Who would have known, While it doesn’t feature Al Pachino, the impressionist does a surprising job at replicating the iconic voice. What a strange fever dream this game is. It’s also why I recommend it.
37. Sonic Riders
The idea of Sonic and friends hoverboarding like it’s the 80s (they had hoverboards in the 80s??) is a strange concept that has worked oddly well and leads to a fun experience. Riders plays very similarly to SSX and Tony Hawk, and while it’s not as mechanically dense or as smooth as those games with practice and patience you can master its quirks and get a great gameplay experience. Its story mode and challenges are great fun and allow you to unlock all the secret SEGA characters. Truly nothing beats landing tricks and zooming through complex stages on a giant banana board as Ulala after all.
38. Soul Calibur 3
Soul Calibur 3 is a great underrated sequel to the second game. It has a great character creator and the individual character stories are very well done this time with tremendous ending cutscenes that make the game worth the struggle. The gameplay is the same weapons-based combat we all know and love from the second game and with the introduction of iconic characters Zasalamel and Setsuka to the mix, this a can’t-miss entry to the franchise. Maybe you’ll catch the Underlevelled crew playing this soon…. https://www.twitch.tv/underlevelleduk *ahem*
39. Scooby Doo: Night of 100 Frights
Honestly, it is a crime that there aren’t more Scooby Doo games out there. Night of 100 Frights has fun and varied levels that see Scooby collecting snacks and surviving ghost attacks. The platforming was fun and challenging, with a fun mix of 2D and 3D sections. I would say bring a friend to experience this game with. However, when I did this he just ate biscuits the whole time. If you don’t believe me see for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CdxAf9879I4