Best Obscure Games: Top 10 Certified Classics

Some games have great releases but quickly fall off into obscurity. Other games have limited releases and are hamstrung on arrival. Both instances are a shame, as it’s often not the games’ fault but the publisher’s. Regardless, let’s take a look at some of the best obscure games of the past few decades.

Best Obscure Games: Listed

1. Heavenly Sword

Heavenly Sword is a martial arts hack-and-slash from 2007 that unfortunately never made a name for itself when it was released back in the day. It was very Dynasty Warriors-esque, although it lacked many of the over-the-top elements of the Dynasty Warrior game as it tried a more story-driven approach. The game was good but flopped so badly that it isn’t even available to purchase anymore.

2. Dungeons and Dragons: Dragonshard

The 2000s was the golden era of RTS games, with titans like the Command and Conquer series, Warcraft series, and Age of Empires series all releasing some of their best works in that era. In between all of them, there was this one game that was equally as good but never got the recognition it deserved, Dungeons and Dragons: Dragonshard. Thankfully, unlike the previous entry, this one is still available for purchase and is as good as ever.

3. Dante’s Inferno

The best way to describe Dante’s Inferno is to call it a Christian God of War. In it, you played as a heavily-romanticized version of Dante as he goes about hell vanquishing its many inhabitants. Compared to God of War, Dante’s Inferno was much darker and certainly much harder. The game had a great launch but quickly fell into obscurity after that. Thankfully, it’s still available to purchase on the Xbox Store.

4. No More Heroes

No More Heroes is probably the most popular game on this list and the game with the saddest fate. No More Heroes was a great game, it had good combat, hilarious dialogue, and was a generally pleasant experience. Its sequels on the other hand… not as good. They were so poorly received in fact that they killed the entire franchise, thus casting a great game like No More Heroes into perpetual obscurity.

5. Psychopomp

Psychopomp is a psychological horror game that deals with themes of paranoia, schizophrenia, and psychosis. The game itself is relatively short but is so jam-packed with atmosphere that it puts many AAA horror games to shame. The reason Psychopomp quickly fell into obscurity is that it didn’t have an adequate marketing budget to support it post-release. A real shame considering its Overwhelmingly Positive review score on Steam.

6. Total Overdose

Total Overdose is one of those games that you have a vague memory of playing as a kid but you can’t exactly recall. It was an open-world action game in the style of GTA or Saints Row but with ten times the amount of carnage. The game itself was incredibly charming, albeit clunky in certain regards. Its clunkiness was unfortunately the thing that damned it and prohibited it from catching on like its contemporaries did.

7. Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines

Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines was one of the most interesting RTS games of the late 90s. Unlike other RTS games of the time, Commandos focused on smaller units performing clandestine operations behind enemy lines. This unique twist on the classic RTS format proved a success and even spawned a series. However, just as with No More Heroes, the sequels were a disappointment and only managed to defame the series as a result.

8. Okami

Some video games have great gameplay but lack soul. Other games have a lot of soul but are a chore to play. Okami had both, and it’s an absolute tragedy that it failed. The game used a drawing system that was different from anything that had been seen up to that point and since then. It was a resounding success, both among critics and fans, but because of its poor market performance, it was ultimately doomed to obscurity.

9. Command and Conquer: Renegade

Command and Conquer: Renegade is the often forgotten black sheep of the CnC series. Unlike other games in the series, Renegade was an FPS and a surprisingly good one at that. However, it suffered a lot from false expectations. When people heard Command and Conquer, they expected RTS games, not FPS games, hence it was avoided like the plague when it was originally released and ultimately fell into obscurity.

10. Monday Night Combat

Monday Night Combat’s fall into obscurity is one of the biggest mysteries in gaming. When it was released in 2010 it became an instant hit and stayed at the top for quite a while. It even spawned a sequel that was also well-received. And yet, nowadays, nobody seems to be able to recall the series or the impact it had on gaming. It’s as if, one day, all of its soul got sucked away and everyone just forgot about it.