10 Forgotten Masterpiece Video Games

For every great game that comes out and is a hit, there are plenty of great games that fall

through the cracks. If a masterful platformer shooter or beat-em-up is only available on a

lesser-known system, what chance does that have? Then there are games that get a lot of love

initially, but fade into memory once players move on to the next big thing

Even though the entries on this list are masterpieces, they've mostly been forgotten

about, which is a huge shame. But we're here to remind you of them, or perhaps tell you about them

for the very first time so you can have an even bigger to play pile. Sorry. I'm just from WhatCulture

and here are 10 forgotten masterpiece video games. Number 10. Final Fantasy XII. Final Fantasy lovers

are endlessly debating which game in the franchise is the best. You'll hear lots of people talking

about Final Fantasy VII, plenty more talking about Final Fantasy VI, and then there are those who love

10 or 14, and that's totally fair enough as well. Yet Final Fantasy 12 is rarely spoken about with

the same admiration, despite how beautifully crafted it is. It was bold to do away with the

encounters, but this decision gave players far more freedom in exploring. Ware also made progress

in Final Fantasy 12 less reliant on grinding, which has been a major flaw in the series since

day one. Even though the franchise regularly relies on nostalgia, Final Fantasy 12 incorporates

none of the iconic summoning monsters like Afrit, Ramu, or Bahamut. Instead, the creators devised all new creatures you could summon

and you could control them in the open world for the very first time. Even though modern games still struggle with AI partners

the gambit system that governs the actions of the protagonist's teammates is easy to manage and incredibly efficient

Since the Zodiac Age remaster has been released on most systems in recent years

now is the perfect time to revisit Final Fantasy XII. 9. Virtua Fighter 4

Because Tekken, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Smash kind of dominate the fighting genre

it's really easy to forget about Virtua Fighter. Considering Sega's Punch Fest was the first 3D fighting game ever and laid the foundation for

many beloved titles, it's a shame Virtua Fighter has been living in the shadows

If any entry in the series deserves more recognition, it's Virtua Fighter 4

Upon its release, there wasn't a single element that didn't receive universal praise

like even the tutorial was considered a work of art. This installment was touted the best fighting

game since Street Fighter 2 due to its balanced roster, jaw-dropping realism, fluid movements

diverse fighting styles, and responsive controls. It's also really satisfying when you win a match

since success totally relies on your ability to block and pull off counter-attacks as opposed to

dumb luck and button mashing. That does mean I wouldn't win any matches, but probably good if

skilled. Virtua Fighter 4 was so ahead of its predecessors it should have elevated the series

overnight, allowing Sega's underrated franchise to finally stand shoulder to shoulder with the

big dogs. But here we are over 20 years later and Virtua Fighter 4 still remains underappreciated

Number 8 F GX F GX gave gamers an experience unlike any other racing title Mario Kart is heaps of fun but there nothing as exhilarating as zooming around a gravity track while piloting a futuristic hovercraft at a thousand miles per hour

Because the levels are surrounded by things like asteroids and lava, there's also a greater sense of urgency while you're racing, since each participant can die mid-race

Even though the series is renowned for its catchy tunes, Hidenori Shoji and Daiki Kaiso outdid themselves here, creating some absolute head-boppers

GX was also among the most graphically impressive titles on the GameCube

barely showing its age even after over two decades. Although GX did sell 1.5 million copies

which is obviously a lot of copies, Mario Kart Double Dash, which came out around the same time

sold quadruple that. Since it was clear where the money was going, it's easy to understand why

Nintendo stayed with Mario Kart, while F-Zero was left in the dust. Sadly, GX was never re-released

giving racing fans little chance to give it a shot. 7. Lost Odyssey

On the surface, Lost Odyssey looks like a Final Fantasy clone. Not only does it have all the

staples, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi was the head writer. But in a way, Lost Odyssey

actually feels like Final Fantasy without some of its negative qualities. For example, gameplay

feels more skill-focused instead of just spamming the same attacks. The aim ring system is simple

in concept, but forces our heroes to align their attacks, keeping gamers engaged in every battle

Another way Lost Odyssey disassociates from Square's iconic series is its straightforward

narrative. There are no plot twists, last-minute bait and switches, or unnecessarily complex

subplots. Instead, the sprawling saga focuses on the main character's personal journey and explores

their relationships with one another. Thanks to the magnificent voice acting, it's tough not to

get immersed in the ensemble's conflicts and hardships. Even though Lost Odyssey is gargantuan

don't get us wrong, nothing really feels like filler here. Even outside of the main mission

it feels like the developers have put their heart and soul into every sub-mission, so you feel like you want to complete them all. Since Lost Odyssey was only available on the Xbox

360, few people experienced this lost treasure. It's not easy to get a copy, but Lost Odyssey is

definitely worth playing, especially for any RPG lover. Number six, nine hours, nine persons

nine doors. In nine houses, nine persons, nine doors, college student Junpei is kidnapped alongside

eight strangers, then placed on a sinking cruiser where they're forced to take part in life or death

tests. What makes this Nintendo DS title surpass other visual novels is how nerve-wracking it is

Every time a challenge is completed, things take a sudden 180 turn, a truth bomb is unleashed, or it turns out that somebody's betrayed you, so you're constantly on edge waiting for the next piece of the mystery to unravel itself

It's also refreshing to see that Nine Hours lacks many negative aspects of the genre, like pixel hunting, dead ends, and red herrings. We're looking at you, Grim Fandango

The puzzles are entertainingly diverse, demand a mix of logic, lateral thinking and math

and the conundrums pose a fair challenge but never reach Monkey Island levels of frustration Because there are six endings 9 hours has a huge replay factor After the story mode beaten the player can fast sections upon the subsequent playthroughs preventing the gameplay from getting tedious Even though Phoenix Wright and Professor

Layton are considered the kings of the visual novel genre, this one should definitely be up

there too. Number 5. Nights into Dreams The Sega Saturn bombed so quickly, it's genuinely impressive. But that doesn't mean this doomed

console didn't have a couple of awesome titles, most notably Knights into Dreams. In this action

platformer, two teenagers called Elliot and Clarice enter the dream world where they meet a character

called Knight. After taking control of Knight, the player must soar through the sky in a predetermined

route while passing through hoops and collecting orbs to maintain momentum. It might sound super

simple, but Knights into Dreams requires a surprising amount of tactical thinking, since you

I have to constantly monitor your velocity, speed, and the time limit

Once the mechanics have been mastered, though, performing acrobatic feats across the sky is a thrilling experience

With the vibrant colors, charming jingles, and incredible controls, getting through each level is a blast

Nights into Dreams may be brief, but gamers can't help coming back to it just to beat their old scores

Although Nights into Dreams didn't sell well initially, it could have made a comeback after the release of the sequel, Journey into Dreams

Sadly, this follow-up failed to recreate the magic, driving the original further into obscurity

Number 4. Vibribbon Vibribbon follows a rabbit called Vibri, who lives in a rhythm-based world called Music World

On his journey, the whimsical bunny comes across pits, blocks, loops, and waves

which correspond to the beats of the track. To navigate through these obstacles, Vibri must press the corresponding button

As straightforward as that sounds, it gets tricky when the levels incorporate two obstacles into one

giving the player a little time to figure out which combination of buttons to push. Vibribon has the potential to become absolutely unputdownable

Let's go with unputdownable. Since it also responds to any CD you put into the console

Like audio CD. Because the level design is based on the pulse of the song

the gameplay is only limited by the player's music collection. So if the player wants to navigate through a level based on the melody of

You Belong With Me, Red, 22, Fortnite, or Song That's Not by Taylor Swift, they can totally do

that. Although Vib Ribbon is staggeringly creative, its lack of popularity isn't much of a surprise

Due to its monochromatic design, wireframe aesthetic, and kiddie vibe, Vib Ribbon was a

hard sell. Unfortunately, when its two spinoffs sold badly as well, that kind of killed off the

franchise for good. Number three, Skies of Arcadia. In hindsight, it's baffling how the

Dreamcast failed, considering how many of its games were so ahead of their time. Although Shenmue

and Samba de Amigo eventually earned the recognition they deserved, Skies of Arcadia never got its due

despite being arguably the console's best title. Like many RPGs, the gameplay relies on turn-based

battles, earning experience points, and getting your skills leveled up. However, Skies of Arcadia

puts a much heavier focus on exploration The map is initially blank necessitating the player to navigate through the steampunk world to fill in their atlas This gives the player the sense that they rewarded for their curiosity enticing them to scavenge for secret pods allies and hidden chests

Also, the random battles never get repetitive since they all require strategic planning and tactical engagement

Each encounter has our hero Vice and his squad spouting banter while unleashing their attacks

making the experience more entertaining and personal. Since airships play a huge part in the plot

it's neat how sky vessels are incorporated into battles. The ship-on-ship fights are epic as they

allow Vice to command a crew and utilize a variety of innovative and devastating weapons

Despite being hailed as one of the best RPGs of all time, few people have even heard of Skies of

Arcadia, let alone played it, and that's a darn shame. Number two, Perfect Dark. Even though

GoldenEye 007 was a landmark title, the James Bond shooter hasn't aged well. Seriously, the controls

are much worse than you remember. The same can't be said about GoldenEye's spiritual sequel

Perfect Dark. Despite having the same structure, this rare title had an original storyline

and incorporated many mechanics that the Bond adaptation lacked, including double feature

weapons, voice acting, elaborate cutscenes, a shooting range, and most importantly, cheese

With the advances of the Nintendo 64's expansion pack, gameplay also got a hell of a lot smoother

and words cannot describe how darn good that soundtrack is. Sadly, Perfect Dark lacked one thing that GoldenEye 007 had in spades

and that's brand recognition. Being a new property, Perfect Dark couldn't sell the same as its predecessor

since GoldenEye 007 was based on one of the most widely recognized IPs

The prequel and remaster were decent but they didn't quite match up to that magical of the original

leaving the Perfect Dark series pretty dead in the water. Since there hasn't been another installment in 13 years and the announced reboot is in development hell

it's easy to forget what an impact Perfect Dark originally had. Number 1. Planescape Torment

There aren't a lot of games that are so ahead of their time in the way that Planescape Torment was

Although there are games like Bioware's Mass Effect and Dragon Age, which are heralded for how they allow the player to make choices

Planescape Torment was doing that all the way back in 1999. Even though the best games of that era had a simple storyline

Torment has a behemoth narrative that deals with obscure concepts like mortality

transcendence, interdimensional travel, and manifesting reality through thought. Torment tries to balance so many ideas it could easily collapse under its own weight

and yet the gothic roleplayer never wavers, weaving a magnificent story filled with philosophical musings

fascinating character arcs, and solid gallows humor. Every time you solve one of the game's captivating puzzles, a bunch of various parts are unlocked

which lets you explore even more gorgeously-terrained areas. As monumental as Torment is, it saves its best ideas for last

The mind-blowing twist, the glorious final boss, and the heart-wrenching ending is enough to stay with anyone forever

In a nutshell, Planescape Torment is an unparalleled masterpiece that doesn't just raise the bar for storytelling and world-building

but gaming in general. Thank you