Tonight I wanted to write something a little different. Usually I talk about my favourite games, and my critique of the gaming industry and a whole bunch of abstract things in the gaming/financial world. Today I want to bring it back down and talk about a few 'hidden gems' That I've recently had the fortune of playing and loving. This is the top 5 games that you'll probably have never heard of.
Of course this is my own opinion, and your top 5 list may be slightly different, but I'd definitely recommend you guys trying these gems out, if you haven't already!
5.) Brawlhalla
Released: 3 Nov, 2015. Platforms: PC, PS4, Mac, Steam
I first heard about this game December of last year (only about 7 months ago) and it quickly became one of my favourite competitive games, I would often find myself spending hours at a time with friends either playing Ranked 2v2, or free for all modes. This game has a very similar style to SSBB (Super smash brothers brawl), if you haven't played SSBB, then this is a 2d, platforming arcade brawl where 4 PEOPLE ENTER, 1 PERSON LEAVES VICTORIOUS!
Because of the restriction of SSBB to Nintendo consoles, and the ability to play Brawlhalla with an Xbox 360 controller, this has easily become one of my favourite games to play (and compete against) friends. It really reminds me of the good-ol-days, after school playing some SSBB with my high school buddies.
4.) Dungeon of the Endless™
Released: 28 Oct, 2014. Platforms: PC, Xbox One, IOS, Steam
My friend actually recommended that I buy this game at the start of this year (2017), and I must say that I must have thanked him a million times (and also told a bunch of other people that I knew to buy it too!) This well crafted indie game is has you set, stranded on an unknown planet, with a broken ship, your one goal is to escape the alien prison/dungeon and escape to the planet's surface.
Dungeon of the Endless is simple, elegant and does what it does especially well. The game is amazing when played both with friends and solo (Have the fun/difficulty of controlling/micromanaging 4 characters at once!) I have racked up several hundred hours playing this game with friends, and can say without a doubt it is a worthy entertainment-investment.
3.) Human: Fall Flat
Released: 23 Jul, 2016. Platforms: PC, Steam
Found this little gem at the start of the year looking at sales. All I can say I have absolutely no idea why this isn't a 'big' thing, it's well made, hilariously fun (especially with friends), and you can even customize your play-dough-like character!
This game will bring all kinds of emotions out of you, from having a bunch of fun trying all of the different ways to complete a level, to messing around and trying to whack your friends off a cliff, there is no stopping this game when it comes to things to do. Although one thing that I wish they had was some sort of Co-op multiplayer so that it didn't have to be local co-op. Nevertheless this is a brilliant game and definitely worth getting!
2.) Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Released: 16 Apr, 2008. Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
I'm sure all of us older gamers know the fun we've all had playing Rainbow Six Vegas 2, whether it was on Xbox 360, PS3 or PC, I know that many newer gamers have probably never heard of this old-gold game. This game is a brilliant combination of stealth, try to beat the ridiculous AI, or try go full gun-ho with a machine gun. This game is probably one of my favourite games for 'challenging yourself in video games', as there is a massive number of possibilities and challenges to try in the acclaimed 'terrorist hunt' mode.
Whilst there is the newer Rainbow Six Siege, I feel that nothing can truly compare to the funny moments and 'WHAT WAS THAT?' Moments that I've had in Vegas 2.
1.) Crawl
Released: 11 Apr, 2017 (Was in Beta/Alpha for years before this). Platforms: PC, Linux, PS4, Mac, Xbox One
Crawl is an amazing game with a brilliant development history. The couple of years this game was in Alpha/Beta were matched with amazing development of the game, leading to it's official release this year. I have spent over 200 hours playing this game with friends, playing Local co-op, competing against one another to see who could finish the final boss and win the game.
My favorite thing, for me at least, about Crawl is it's simplicity, it brings back the whole arcade dungeon crawler style game, adding in a massive competitive edge to try and one up your friends in local co-op mode. The game is seamless and truly is probably one of the best indie games of this year, and without a doubt has had the best development cycle.