When Netflix first started to grow in popularity, the gaming industry took notice and hoped that full-priced games would be ditched in favor of subscription services. Such subscription services have come to fruition in recent years, with Microsoft’s value-for-money Game Pass currently leading the way. It isn’t just the green brand that has a subscription service, however, as Sony boasts its own in the form ofPS Now.
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PS Nowmay not have as many day one releases as Game Pass, though it has amassed a fantastic collection of games over the years, including a ton of underrated gems from the PlayStation 3 era.
8Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time
When people talk about theSly Cooperseries today, they tend to only speak about the PlayStation 2 trilogy, while the PS3’sThieves In Timeis disregarded.
This is a great shame, asSly Cooper: Thieves In Timeis a fantastic entry in the series that continues the franchise’s unique trend of balancing the juxtaposing action-platforming and stealth genres. Sure,Thieves In Timedidn’t implement too many significant innovations to the series, but it’s one of the best entries in theSly Cooperfranchise to play today, and itstill looks spectacular almost ten years since its initial release.
7Sonic Unleashed
When the first trailers forSonic Unleashedwere released, there were a lot of moans and groans from theSonicfanbase, who largely dismissed the new “Werehog” mechanic as a gimmick and felt that the series was straying too far from its roots. Moreover, theSonicfranchise’sstock was still at an all-time low in 2008, following the disastrous release ofSonic The Hedgehogtwo years prior.
These skepticisms largely subsided once the game was released, however, asSonic Unleashedprovides one of the best 3DSonicadventures to this day, with afantastic set of platforming levelsand anenjoyable range of beat ‘em up stagesthat provide a nice change of pace.
6Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds
Golf has a rich history in the gaming industry. One of the key reasons for this is that golf is suited for both the arcade andsimulation styles of sports games, thanks to a range of popular gameplay mechanics that suit gold like 3-click swing, analog stick swing, and motion control.
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Hot Shots Golf: Out of Boundsis very much on theMario Golfside of the golfing spectrum than theTiger Woods: PGA Tourone, as it’s willing to throw realism out the window to emphasise a fun experience with beautiful courses, charismatic characters, and simple yet engrossing gameplay.
5MotorStorm: Apocalypse
MotorStorm: Apocolypsewas released exclusively on PlayStation 3 in 2011 by Sony Computer Entertainment, while the development was handled by Evolution Studios. The game was the fourth and penultimate entry in theMotorStormseries, with onlyMotorStorm: RCcoming after it.
The game continued the series’ tradition of letting players choose from a wide range of vehicles types, from powerful monster trucks all the way down to small motorbikes, offering a great range of playstyles. Unfortunately,MotorStorm: Apocolypsewas criticized upon release for being too similar toSplit/Secondand for lacking innovation from previous entries. The game is certainly worth playing today, though, as its similarities to other games have been lost in time, and it’s easily one of the most enjoyable racers on the PS now platform.
4Civilization Revolution
Civilization Revolutionwas always going to be fighting an uphill battle, as anyone who had played aCivilizationgame previously knew how perfectly suited the series was for PC gaming. Further pre-release criticisms were directed at the game when trailers dropped, as the game received the unfortunate tag of being a “dumbed-down” version of the strategy franchise.
When the game was eventually released, it was clear thatCivilization Revolutionwas far from being dumbed down. Granted, it simplified the series' gameplay to suit the PS3 and Xbox 360, but it still offers an excellent level of depth that makes every campaign a thoroughly enjoyable and challenging experience. Furthermore, the streamlined nature of the game makes it a nice alternative to the PC versions, ideal for when players want a more casual strategy experience.
3Tales of Monkey Island
From one classic PC franchise to another, LucasArts’TheSecret of Monkey IslandandMonkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revengeare still considered by many to be two of the best graphic adventures of all time. Unfortunately,the once-beloved point and click genrefell sharply out of relevancy in the late 90s, predominantly due to a lack of innovation and a notorious reputation for moon logic.
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Because of this, and because Telltale Games were still relatively unknown to mainstream audiences in 2009,Tales of Monkey Islandflew under the radar. This is a great shame, asTales of Monkey Islandfeatures some of the funniest dialog in the entire series, along with an excellent overall narrative.
2Brink
Like any game that is released by Bethesda, there were a ton of expectations onBrink’s shoulders prior to its release. Unfortunately, the game failed to impress in 2011, and the once highly anticipated title was swiftly forgotten about and began filling discount shelves.
Many people thought thatBrinkwould never be spoken about again, though its name has started to re-emerge in recent years. This is largely due to hugely successful character shooters likeOverwatchthat, surprisingly, have a lot of similarities toBrink.The 2011 game’s fast-paced gameplay, small sets of teams, and deep character lore have become popular features of modern shooters, andBrinkhas aged extremely well because of it.
1Spec Ops: The Line
WhenSpec Ops: The Linewas first announced, many people dismissed the game as being yet anotherCall of Duty: Modern Warfareclone. This wasn’t helped when people first started playing it, as the gameplay is fairly run of the mill and lacks innovation.
Those who persisted withSpec Ops: The Linewere rewarded, however, as the game offers one of the most emotionally charged, hard-hitting storylines in the shooter genre that takes a look at the human and moral aspects of war.
