Everyone knows about the most popular games. Who has not heard of the Grand Theft Auto series (GTA), Assassin’s Creed, The Witcher and others. But there are those about whom little is known, and if the information is found, it is most often negative, which discourages the desire to spend at least an hour of their time on them. Due to this, there are many underrated PC games out there. Some of them are presented below.
Alpha Protocol
The plot tells about a secret organization called “Alpha Protocol”. Newly recruited agent Michael Thorton works here. He is the main character. Special Agent Thorton has been tasked with investigating the case of the terrorist organization Al-Samad, which shot down a US-made passenger airliner in the Middle East with a missile. After Michael got on the trail of the leader of Al-Samad, contact with him is lost. Thus, he becomes a rogue agent against whom all colleagues have taken up arms, accusing him of treason. This is how the secret investigation of the conspiracy begins.
Alpha Protocol’s graphics for 2010 were lagging behind their contemporaries, which players weren’t very happy with, as were the critics. The engine of the game Unreal Engine 3. Realization of the potential of the engine also left much to be desired.
Both foreign and Russian critics gave the game very mixed reviews. Praised for the idea, but not for the implementation of the project. Technical problems were the main negative, and they were also accused of the fact that the “spy” topic was no longer popular. Obsidian, at the very beginning, met obstacles, because for a very long time I could not decide which genre was needed. There were many transitions from one to the other until Sega intervened. As a result, the game was redone several times, which affected the original quality.
But the players’ opinion did not coincide with the critics. Alpha Protocol, albeit late, but won the love of the gaming community, albeit not a very wide circle. Proof of this is that those who have completed the game are eagerly awaiting the sequel. Obsidian doesn’t mind this, but Sega, which owns the rights, is not ready to take such a step. Alpha Protocol is a great game. Yes, there are downsides, but they are covered by an excellent plot, excellent dialogues and the player’s influence on the world.
The fans of the series, with their questions and discussions of the project, prove that the topic of spies is still relevant. What is really missing is good stories about the fighters of the invisible front.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
The game’s plot is set in Los Angeles, somewhere in the early 2000s. The created character is an ordinary person who met a vampire and himself turned into a creature of the night.
Critics gave the game mixed reviews. She was praised for the idea, but scolded for technical problems.
The reason Bloodlines failed and came out unpolished is in a rush. Activision wanted the game to come out as soon as possible and be the first on the new engine. The developers were pressured and rushed as best they could. The goal is to release the game before the start of Half-Life 2 sales. They didn’t want to hear anything about the release postponements. It turned out that the crude and unfinished Bloodlines came out on the same day with Half-Life 2, which millions were waiting for. This destroyed all her chances of commercial success. She was noticed and appreciated, at its true worth, only after a few years.
From 2004 to 2020, fans of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines are actively making unofficial patches and updating the game. All 16 years more and more gamers learned about it. And then something happened that happens very rarely with many good, but underestimated projects – a continuation.
In 2019, Hardsuit Labs announced Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. The creators of the first part will also take part in the development.
How Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines has matured over time. Loyal fans never forgot about this wonderful game for a single day, spreading, albeit a little, the glory of this fascinating story about the world of vampires and werewolves, spirits and ghosts, which is hidden from human eyes.
The Saboteur
The action takes place in occupied Paris during the Second World War. The protagonist is former Irish race car driver and auto mechanic Sean Devlin. An ordinary person who fled the war and his enemy Kurt Decker to France before it was occupied by the Nazis. The reason for this was the death of his best friend, Jules, who was killed by Decker. In Paris, Sean lives in the Belle de Nuits cabaret, where he unsuccessfully tries to find the meaning of life at the bottom of the glass. Sean’s next “reflection” is interrupted by the French writer Luc Godin, who is also a member of the resistance to the fascist occupation. He recruits Sean. However, Devlin’s goal is not the good of the world, but revenge on Kurt Decker.
The rating of the game was 7.5 out of 10. They noted a good storyline, originality of the “color” solution. Poor game mechanics and technical problems were named as obvious disadvantages. For users of ATI video cards, the game did not open at all, while the rest had constant crashes and errors at startup. At the time the problems were discovered, the studio had already been disbanded. Soon, a beta patch appeared in the play space.
At the time of release, the game with its technical problems was underestimated by the players and was postponed until later. Therefore, like French wine, which grows prettier over time, The Saboteur found its audience only after a few years.
Underestimated games were, are and will be. In the shadow of well-promoted projects, there are games that are imperceptible for a number of reasons, with their own original history, but, nevertheless, forgotten. Some have a chance to continue. Others are “left in the dust” by the publishers. Regardless of the reasons and thanks to the fans, they continue to live. Often they do it on their own, completing and modifying the existing shortcomings. In this regard, when the search: “how to while away the evening in the vastness of the gaming universe?” relevant, attentiveness and impartiality will help you find a story that you love with all your heart.
