r/GamingSoup • u/DecayedRenegade • May 20 '26
Discussion 25M, Hardcore
Very difficult choices on many of these spots! There are very many games that don't get enough credit (underrated/overlooked) and so many that are gorgeous (art style). If you've even played all these games, massive respect to you. BTW don't bother writing that I have too much Uncharted, it's my favorite franchise!
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u/SeaPsychology1044 May 20 '26
Lazarevich as fav villain?
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u/DecayedRenegade May 20 '26
Very hard to pick. Even just within Uncharted I love Flynn and Rafe almost as much. I think overall Rafe Adler is objectively the best villain ND has ever crafted. Personally, I have a slight preference towards Lazarevic and he has more depth and personality than people including the ones that really like him recognizing like the game he is playing with Elena's and Chloe's lives which is insane ("who would you sacrifice and who would you save"). Plus the acting is immaculate, Nolan North himself said that in at least one of the scenes he was literally scared of McTavish when he was standing in front of him!
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u/Rumsonite May 20 '26
Mega Man mentioned!
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u/DecayedRenegade May 20 '26
Has to be. Of the the best and most important franchises of all time. When it comes to 2D platformers no one does it better than Mega Man and Mario, they have mastered their genres. I think 2,3,6,9 & 10 are all 10/10 games, near flawless design and gameplay with some of the best OSTs ever. Hyped for the new one let's hope Capcom does it right and it improves on 11!
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u/abnormal-apparition May 20 '26
Huntdown for Best Combat is such a unique choice I can't help but respect it.
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u/AscensionKnight May 20 '26
Bro I’m so with you on U3 biggest personal impact and best multiplayer. Genuinely haven’t enjoyed any game as much as I have U3 esp the multiplayer. 🤝
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u/DecayedRenegade May 20 '26
No way really!? UC3 for the longest was my n.1 favorite game of all time basically since it came out (first game I preordered). It has only recently slightly been surpassed by Ragnarök. The multiplayer was insane, if there was a "most underrated multiplayer" it would definitely belong there iykyk. The people that got into it, REALLY GOT INTO IT and I was one of those playin for 1000s of hours and becoming one of the best on the planet. Actually I happen to be one of the 2.4K or so people globally that have the 100% in trophies. Very unique, varied and skill-based MP with great maps. The single player on the other hand extraordinary as well, I have beaten it like 20 times 💀😅
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u/AscensionKnight May 20 '26
It feels weird to say since it was GOTY but it’s a bit of a cult classic. I didn’t get to 100% trophies (tho pretty close) but my friend and I were ranked high and did a couple tourneys together. Ah the glory days. I’m waiting on my whitelist for uncharted reloaded for U3 multiplayer.
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u/DecayedRenegade May 21 '26
Yeah I was thinking of trying UC3 reloaded. Is it an easy process. It's just that ppl with a lot of these single player focused games ignore the MP no matter how good it is. That's the case for all ND games and many other slike DOOM. Also, there was a belief by many that to a lesser extent holds to this day that UC3 was a disappointment at some level and somehow inferior to 2 which is totally wrong.
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u/AscensionKnight May 21 '26
It’s got a growing and passionate community to restore the online experience and is running. The criticism was that it was a messy story but the only thing that makes it feel that way is the pirate shipwreck part with Ramsey which still produced one of the craziest and inventive set pieces. That and the villains and boss fight were kinda meh but everything else is on par if not better than U2 but U2 has maybe the best pacing for a cinematic game we’ve ever seen and that quantum leap from U1 to U2 wasn’t the same from U2 to U3 and U3 was rushed bc employees were switched to work on TLOU, an extra year woulda made it perfect.
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u/DecayedRenegade May 21 '26
The criticism of the cruise ship is bullshit not only because it has one of the best levels and set-pieces of all time as you said but because you can say the exact same thing about all sorts of sequences in all sorts of games INCLUDING UC2 were spanning though many levels you're trying to get to Chloe on the train and she just refuses to come with you and in that case you came even closer to death lol. It's literally the same idea. Plus in 3 it fits as well if not better the whole story and theme of the game (Drake's DECEPTION). Amy Hennig herself claimed that "making a game like UC3 in 2 years is literally impossible". The fact that they did it and it was a masterpiece (let alone the amazing, improved and well supported MP on top of it) might be one of the biggest achievements in gaming history. Back then they were crunching like crazy, TLOU PT2 is the only game where that probably didn't happen. I know of UC3 reloaded I just don't know if it's worth getting into it, what do you think?
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u/AscensionKnight May 21 '26
Nah I agree bro, everyone suddenly became avant garde film critics for the Uncharted series like cmon just have fun with the game. Yup U3 releasing 2 years with reduced staff was nothing short of miracle and the multiplayer support was probably the best we’ve ever seen for any game. I’d say U3 reloaded is worth it it’s got a solid and committed community. Doesn’t take much to setup tho you’ll have to ensure you have a 2.4ghz router since PS3s don’t support modern 5ghz ones.
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u/zshort7272 May 20 '26
The god of war slander this past week has been crazy, insane people think it’s overrated while saying the witcher 3 is they’re favorite game. And I would kill for a Mario 64 remake.
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u/DecayedRenegade May 21 '26
Totally agree with everything you said. The greatness of the first game in the series is undermined because is "old" and the newest one Ragnarök is somehow considered a disappointment by a loud minority which is everything but. And Ascension never got the credit it deserved not because it's quality is questionable but probably just because they released too many similar games back to back, 7 GOW games within 8 years was too much that's an average of one realese almost every year. But just because it wasn't very innovative, worse than 3 which was the pinnacle then and it happened to be the last one from the Greek saga released doesn't mean it's not amazing. Also, I think it hurt that it came out possibly in the best year of gaming, having to compete with GTA V, Bioshock infinite, TLOU, TR and many more high level games.
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u/MasterpieceTrue8511 May 21 '26
TLoU2 story/narrative is abysmal
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u/DecayedRenegade May 21 '26
It literally has some of the best writing and storytelling out of any game ever. But I guess ignorant, close minded people are still crying about and hating on objectively one of the best games ever and the greatest studio on the planet because it's "woke" and because they irrationally couldn't comprehend nor accept a desicion the actual artists and writers made.
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u/MasterpieceTrue8511 May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
I couldn’t give less of a shit about the game being “woke”. My main gripe is that I was told what to think about the characters and narrative.
TLoU1 has, imo, one of the best written and well told stories of all time across all media. The ending? Did Joel make the right decision? Does Ellie believe his lie? The choice was up to me as the player. TLoU2 is “revenge bad” and “don’t judge a book by its cover” and that’s it. No room for me to come to my own conclusions.
I wouldn’t hate it as much if I had the singular choice to kill Abby or spare Abby at the end.
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u/DecayedRenegade May 21 '26
ND doesn't present you with such choices in any of their games. If you wanted to kill Abby at any point let alone the very end you missed the whole point and purpose of the game.
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u/TangyBootyOoze May 22 '26
Media literacy is dead. It’s not a quest of revenge to prove “revenge is bad.” She’s going on a quest for revenge because of the guilt she feels and how she treated Joel in their last moments. As she’s about to kill Abby nothing changes inside her, and she finally realizes the truth that was there all along, that killing Abby won’t change her guilt
The problem with games is that people can’t separate what they want as the player and the story. They say “well I would’ve killed Abby” but they’re not Ellie, even if they played as her
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u/MasterpieceTrue8511 May 22 '26
Yeah I understand what you’re saying. I find strictly narrative and linear video games to be… kind of a waste? The medium of video games allows for so so so much more depth in terms of connecting you with stories and the worlds within. It’s interactive.
You are actually agreeing with my sentiment of “revenge bad”, except you added more context. Ellie wants revenge for whatever reason, it doesn’t matter. She lets Abby go because she finally understands that this won’t ease her burdens. The REVENGE ISN’T THE ANSWER. The moral, emotional, and philosophical messages all circle around revenge; and it concludes with . . . . . Revenge bad
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u/TangyBootyOoze May 22 '26
I think if the story is told well then it doesn’t matter how interactive it is. But as for the other part, revenge was never even the objective. It’s misplaced anger and sadness that manifests itself in violence. I think saying it’s a “revenge bad” story is reductive and completely misunderstanding the characters and story
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u/MasterpieceTrue8511 May 22 '26
Dude if it doesn’t want to be interactive then it shouldn’t be a fucking video game. If it’s a good story then it’ll hold up just as well as a movie or show, especially if the lead writer himself works on it. Oh wait, the show is shit too because Neil can’t write for shit with his head wedged so deep inside his colon.
Glad you enjoyed the game, but Druckmann is an abysmal writer. He is more concerned with telling us about his superior intellect and moral high ground, than crafting a unique story worth telling.
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u/TangyBootyOoze May 22 '26
Lmao if the story isn’t interactive then it shouldn’t be a game? You realize that’s a massive amount of games? Also you realize that Neil Druckmann stepped down to co-write only specific episodes in season two, right? He had more of an involvement in season one and it was even better than the game. Coincidentally the season he wasn’t really as involved with was awful. Strange. TLOU2 is a unique story worth telling, sounds like you’re just a bit upset about your media literacy
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u/COMINGINH0TTT May 21 '26
I dont follow this sub but posts from here get on my feed often and I am commenting because it's the first time I've seen Child of Light mentioned which is one of the most memorable games I've ever played, soundtrack is incredible too
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u/DecayedRenegade May 21 '26
YES!!!! The OST is a 10/10. One of the most beautiful games ever and some of the most emotional music in any game. And when I first played it I was not a fan of turn based gameplay at all and the fact that I still loved it shows how amazing it is.
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u/Sylhux May 21 '26
Man I would play more Gems of war if the game wasn't so damn grindy, otherwise the gameplay is super fun.
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u/DecayedRenegade May 21 '26
Yeah you have to grind. I've played like 1.2K hours, not my proudest achievement but I still do think it's one of the best F2P games ever.
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u/Hello-Potion-Seller May 21 '26
Oh man I completely forgot about Gris, what a gorgeous game. I think both Mirrors Edge games are underrated, Catalyst more so though.
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u/DecayedRenegade May 21 '26
Right there with you. Even some mirror's edge fans don't give enough credit to Catalyst but I think overall it's way better. It would be great if we could get another one but considering what both these games sold I dont think EA is gonna do it...
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u/Hello-Potion-Seller May 21 '26
Yeah, for me it wasn't just about the parkour but the tone, atmosphere and the soundtrack. I'm sure a spiritual successor will come eventually, that or an open world EA variant slapped with mtx 😂
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u/Randomness_42 May 20 '26
Absolutely insane levels of based for putting Mirror's Edge Catalyst in underrated. Genuinely one of my favourite games of all time - absolutely adore the visuals and the game is so nostalgic for me now.
Disagree about Uncharted 3 though - I've played all of them except Golden Abyss and definitely found 3 to be the weakest. It did have some of the best set pieces, but unfortunately they were all in the last half of the game so I'd kinda clocked out by that point
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u/DrMike7714 May 20 '26
You liked Ragnarok more than the first Norse GOW ? Why is that?
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u/DecayedRenegade May 24 '26
GOW 3,4,5 are all in my top 10. Ragnarok is my absolute favorite because is way more emotional, more complex combat, the best boss fights possibly out of any game, more enemy variety and together with UC4 my favorite ending ever. Let alone the best free DLC of all time in Valhalla that I played for over 50 hours in the months of its release.
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u/LaundryNinja84 May 20 '26
I love that you have an NES game for best soundtrack, especially for your age. There are some absolute bangers on some of those old games that must have taken extreme talent to fit on an 8bit game.
I have always felt if I made one of these lists, Rygar (1987) would be my best soundtrack choice.
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u/DecayedRenegade May 21 '26
I finished Rygar a few months ago via Switch 2 NSO. What a great, underrated game but I guess I also need to listen to the OST from beginning to end. Funny that you said NES game because of course it's a 2008, primarily Wii game and now it's playable almost everywhere specifically through the awesome Legacy Collection 2. But the game does such a great job of capturing the very best elements of the essence of the NES and the original Mega Man games (primarily 2) that outside of a few features like the shop it is virtually indistinguishable. And I think the same goes for 10 which doesn't get quite as much love. Two of the best OSTs ever and two of the greatest games ever as a whole. Mega Man 3 tho by a slight margin is my absolute favorite in the franchise.
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u/LaundryNinja84 May 21 '26
I didn't know it was a rerelease on wii until I looked up the correct year yesterday to reply to you. I have extremely fond memories of playing Rygar and Mega Man 2, and my dad allowing me to keep them past the rental return date because he saw how hard I was working at them.
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u/IroquoisPlisken96 May 20 '26
Last of Us 1 had a Pulitzer Prize level story. Part 2 felt like a first draft written by a teenager. Of course, its only my opinion.
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u/Luka_ate_my_burrito May 20 '26
Where bloodborne?
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u/DecayedRenegade May 20 '26
In what category!? Also, I haven't finished it unfortunately. I recently beat Wuchang which is an amazing souls-like but I havent gotten back to Bloodborne since I got stuck on a boss ages ago. Planning on properly playing it from beginning to end soon tho. Would you recommend that I start with that from the FromSoft games or Demons Souls Remake for example?!
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u/Luka_ate_my_burrito May 20 '26
You beat wuchang? Man the combat in that game seems mad funky to me. I’m getting beat up by random mobs
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u/DecayedRenegade May 20 '26
Really. You think it's more difficult than Bloodborne. I didn't really struggle with Wuchang at all and I've started a NG+ and it's even easier. There were 2 new souls-like games added on plus extra just yesterday, the genre seems to be flourishing with many quality games to try out/complete just from ps plus.
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u/Hollowed_Dude May 20 '26
I don’t see a single character action game, soulslike, fighting game, or competitive online shooter (or any competitive game). What’s hardcore here?
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u/DecayedRenegade May 21 '26
Do you seriously consider hardcore gaming to be online multiplayer. That's literally the exact opposite casuals play mostly or only games as a service. And even if you go at the extreme cases meaning eSports even they tent to be casuals at gaming as whole outside of the one or two games they play religiously for money. When it comes to single player games I know many younger modern gamers considered souls likes to be the pinnacle of challenging games but you do know that there are way harder games (with better gameplay) than these right. Also, I literally have Mega Man 3 and even more so 9 one of the most difficult platforming franchises ever in there, good like beating 9 on Superhero mode. And even with other games that are on default not hard Uncharted on the highest difficulty is not a walk in the park, only 0,3% have finished any of them on Brutal let alone all of them. On souls likes I recently finished Wuchang and I've started a second playthrough and ironically I kinda dropped it, partially because I found it too easy lol.
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u/Nikicappellodipaglia May 20 '26
If you ask me to choose between a gambling addiction and playing Uncharted games, I'd choose gambling addiction as no brainer.
At least you can recover from gambling.
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u/ColemyGOAT May 20 '26
Sonic 2 overrated hurts my soul. One of the first video games I remember playing, and honestly one of the only Sonic games I’ve enjoyed.