There are so many video games released every single day of the year across digital storefronts that it’s impossible to keep track of even a fraction of them, such that some real gems inevitably end up falling through the cracks.
The gaming medium is constantly moving and innovating, and yet it isn’t always clear precisely how influential a game is going to be until a few years after the fact.
And even then, it’s fair to say that some games haven’t received their due credit for the major impact they’ve had on the industry as a whole. Perhaps they received mixed reviews out of the gate or flopped at retail, but many years after the fact, it’s clear they deserve a cozy spot in the gaming canon.
From games that pushed the boundaries of console multiplayer, to inventing literally game-changing control schemes, and simply pushing the boundaries of what a video game could be, each of these titles nevertheless remains depressingly unsung by many modern players.
Their DNA is felt throughout so many modern releases, and without them generating the creative spark for future creators in the first place, the world of gaming would likely look very different today…
At the time of its release in 2003, PS2 exclusive Resident Evil Outbreak was an ultra-ambitious attempt to take the survival horror franchise in a bold new direction, centered around four-player online co-op.
Though online multiplayer had been flourishing for years on PC by this point, console multiplayer was still a fledgling concept, with the PS2 trailing the original Xbox significantly in that regard.
And though the PS2’s online functionality, requiring the purchase of an additional network adapter, was undeniably clunky, when it worked Resident Evil Outbreak was an absolute blast to play with friends.
Even with a lack of voice chat, the ability to play through a number of survival scenarios in Raccoon City with up to three friends was a novel blast, as was the ability to be posthumously reanimated as a zombie and attack your own pals.
Outbreak garnered mixed-positive reviews upon release but hasn’t ever really received due credit for being so far ahead of the pack where co-op multiplayer on consoles is concerned.
Had Outbreak and its lesser-received sequel released a generation later and been able to benefit from a superior online infrastructure, they surely would’ve enjoyed a more appreciable legacy.
But with persistent rumours that an Outbreak remake or remaster is on the way, it may yet get the respect it so thoroughly deserves.
Source: https://whatculture.com/gaming/10-more-underrated-video-games-way-ahead-of-their-time
