10 Severely Underrated PS4 Games That Deserve A Second Chance
Despite their flaws, these titles are well worth your time.
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00:00While there's no denying that many games of the last generation certainly deserve criticism,
00:04the fact that so many met a negative or even lukewarm reaction just seems like it might've
00:09been a step too far. This isn't to be confused with some of the PS4's most overlooked titles
00:14either. Though that is a topic worth discussing, games that fell afoul of the Metacritic average
00:19is our primary concern today. It was a time of highs and lows for Sony's PlayStation 4,
00:24but with underrated titles both exclusive and otherwise, the PS4's library of soon-to-be
00:29forgotten classics grows by the day. I'm Jess from WhatCulture and here are 10 severely
00:34underrated PS4 games that deserve a second chance.
00:3810. The Evil Within 2 The sequel to 2014's Evil Within might be
00:44able to boast a cult following, but it's yet to achieve the mainstream recognition it sorely
00:49deserves. Though it isn't without its flaws, this Shinji Mikami sequel is a compelling
00:53third-person horror title and one that manages to retain its drive from start to finish with
00:58only a few wobbles in between. Yes, those corridor sequences aren't as exciting as the
01:03title's earlier moments, but The Evil Within 2 is atmospheric above all else, having picked
01:08up three or so years after the finale of the first game. It's not a sequel just for the
01:13hardcore either, as although the lore is certainly deep, it doesn't take long to get to grips with,
01:18lending this particular horror title an appeal others in the genre can lack at times,
01:23particularly so once you factor in its intuitive combat mechanics.
01:279. Dying Light Although the first entry in the studio's
01:31open-world zombie title reviewed decently, it fell short of the rating it probably deserved.
01:37Yes, there were flaws, particularly in regards to the title's protagonist and antagonist,
01:41but gameplay was intuitive, the environment was interesting enough, and the deluge of
01:46post-release content managed to retain a strong community from which to build the follow-up.
01:50If you're enjoying the heck out of Dying Light 2 and missed the first one, it's worth noting
01:55that the first one's enhanced edition is readily available, so there hasn't been a
01:59more appropriate time to take a trip back into it, potentially with a friend too if
02:03you're a fan of co-op. 8. Sniper Elite 3
02:07Though pretty much everyone seemed to hail Sniper Elite 4 as the moment Rebellion
02:11Development's WWII series finally matured, gamers who dismissed the previous entry in
02:16the franchise are only depriving themselves of an enjoyable title. Sniper Elite 3, which
02:21is set in the North African campaign during the Second World War, succumbs to criticism
02:26pertaining its protagonist, storyline, and setting, and though there's nothing particularly
02:31memorable about SOE operative Carl Fairbairn, his inoffensive personality in no way impedes
02:37the crux of the title, killin' Nazis. Following in the footsteps of Lieutenant Aldo Raine,
02:42the player is tasked with wreaking havoc on the Nazi war machine, and without foxing the
02:46original Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel. It's great fun, with the series' infamous X-ray
02:52animations making each shot feel just that little bit more important, whether you find
02:56yourself sabotaging or causing different kinds of chaos behind enemy lines. It's not quite
03:01Sniper Elite 4, but it's still a cracking WWII action game, and one worth checking out
03:06all the same. 7. Call of Duty Infinite Warfare
03:10Call of Duty might not be the franchise it once was, but while the series' hardcore
03:15audience seemingly rails against the increasing integration of science fiction into the shooter,
03:20some of the best entries in the series have placed those elements front and center.
03:24Infinite Warfare, the 13th installment in Activision's most profitable franchise,
03:28is a testament to that, even if initial backlash to the title persuaded gamers to look elsewhere
03:34for their next FPS. Set in the far future, Infinite Warfare came to represent everything
03:39the series' hardcore had come to loathe about the franchise. Wall-running jetpacks, lasers,
03:45space combat rounded out Infinite Warfare's mind-bogglingly successful shooting mechanics,
03:50and while a glance was enough to put plenty of people off, those that took a chance on
03:54the title found a competent, if not slightly overstuffed shooter lying in wait. Critics,
03:59for the most part, seemed to agree, with the PS4's edition of the title garnering a 77 rating
04:04on Metacritic. Contextualizing this average within past ratings given to COD does, however,
04:09illustrate that Infinite Warfare was underrated by both the series' followers and by mainstream
04:15outlets more generally. Either that or franchise fatigue had begun to set in. In any case,
04:20it seems bizarre that the COD that made innovation a primary concern fell afoul of
04:24critics and audiences more so than its less adventurous predecessors. Press F to pay respects.
04:306. Infamous First Light A new Infamous game from Sucker
04:35Punch hasn't dropped since First Light in 2014, and that's a massive shame for all concerned.
04:41The series, which took inspiration from the superhero genre of comic books,
04:45was a staple of the PS3 before debuting on the PS4 with Second Son, a title that managed to
04:50nail an average rating of 80 on Metacritic. The sequel's spinoff First Light didn't fare as well,
04:56even though it probably should have. Acting as a prequel to Second Son, First Light followed
05:01Abigail Fetch Walker, a supporting character from Second Son, in the events leading to her
05:06meeting with Delson. Criticism at the time came down to the fact that, having given players such
05:11a wide array of powers in Second Son, only being able to use one of them with Fetch seemingly
05:16presented a step back for the series. It worked within the context of the story, though, and while
05:21First Light isn't discussed much these days, it's a worthy addition to the Infamous allure, and one
05:26worth any fan's attention, especially with the price it's available for these days.
05:305. Until Dawn
05:33Until Dawn is honestly just about the best horror title the PS4 has. It's one of the best horror
05:39titles gaming has, and yet it's not held in nearly as high a regard as it should be. Though the game
05:44fared well amongst most critics, it fell short of a Metacritic average of 80, sitting just below on
05:4979. Though such a minuscule difference shouldn't denote the difference between a good game and
05:54a great one, it's fair to say that Until Dawn's cult status amongst gamers and horror fans in
05:59particular has cemented its status as a forgotten classic, and as an IP Sony have failed to ever
06:05properly capitalize on. Any word on Until Dusk at all? A horror title that sides closest to a
06:11point-and-click adventure game and should never be spoiled for those yet to play it, Until Dawn
06:16features the likes of Rami Malek, Hayden Panettiere, and Brett Dalton as a group of teens set
06:21up camp in a house on a haunted hill with a dark past. The game only gets zanier and more terrifying
06:27from there on in, with every decision the player makes having the potential to be a matter of life
06:32and death. With star power, atmosphere, and horror aplenty, Until Dawn is the must-have
06:38exclusive PlayStation owners can't afford to miss. Number four, Driveclub. Make no mistake, upon its
06:45release, Driveclub was not a good game. It released with bugs aplenty and had a bunch of features
06:50missing, but now we're years on from its original release, Evolution Studios' racer has managed to
06:55make a name for itself as one of the best PS4 exclusives. With mind-blowing weather effects,
07:01a compelling selection of racetracks, and a decent array of vehicles, the Driveclub of today is a
07:06markedly different one to the one that released during the PS4's second year. Sadly, as of the
07:1131st of March 2020, online servers for Driveclub were shut down, but at least we can remember it
07:17as one of the best racers to hit the PS4. Number three, Assassin's Creed Syndicate.
07:23Assassin's Creed Syndicate is just about the best Assassin's Creed game that everybody seems
07:28to miss, and it's all thanks to the fallout surrounding Unity. Unity, which was Ubisoft's
07:33first last-gen Creed title, was panned for numerous reasons, perhaps the largest of which being that
07:39it launched as a buggy, unplayable mess. That reputation unfortunately carried over for Syndicate,
07:45which released just a year after Ubi buggishly broached the French Revolution during a period
07:50in which annualization was coming under heavy scrutiny. The fact that it innovated in a great
07:56many areas didn't seem to matter, and neither did its fantastic recreation of Victorian London.
08:01Franchise fatigue had set in, and Syndicate, unfortunately, was its first victim. Releasing
08:07in 2015, Syndicate told the story of Jacob and Evie Frye as they navigated Templar-controlled
08:12London during the closing decade of the 19th century. It was a fantastic exploration of the
08:17city, and with players being able to switch between Jacob and Evie at the flick of a switch,
08:22each boasting distinct play styles, the title provided the rejuvenating kick the franchise
08:27sorely needed, two years before Origins released.
08:302. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
08:34Rainbow Six Siege might not have been the game it is today when it first released,
08:38but it's fair to say that a lot of critics wrote it off without giving Ubisoft the appropriate time
08:43to develop it as a platform. Today, Siege is something of a phenomenon. There are few shooters
08:47on the market as competitive as it, and though the title did divest from the classic Rainbow
08:52formula, combat is still tactical, impactful, and uniquely gratifying, finding the perfect
08:57balance between hero multiplayer titles like Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm,
09:01and the tactical building blocks with which Ubisoft approached each Tom Clancy title before it.
09:06Gamers would seem to agree, with Siege having gone from strength to strength since its launch,
09:11cultivating a community that numbers in the millions and can always be found on Steam's
09:16most played list. A lot of this comes down to the fact that Ubisoft have diligently stuck
09:20by the game since its release, producing free DLC every three months or so, and providing
09:25a reason for players to return each and every time they do. Siege has proven that it's only
09:30going to get bigger and bigger, with a roadmap planned for months to come, Ubisoft's essential
09:35shooter is showing no signs of stopping, and is bound to exert an influence on military
09:40titles currently in development.
09:42Number 1. Mafia 3
09:44Hangar 13's first foray into the world of 2K's mobster series was anticipated for a whole host
09:50of reasons, not the least of which because LucasArts alum and comic book writer Hayden Blackman would
09:56be heading development. Together with the rest of 13 who assembled colleagues formerly of LucasArts
10:01and 2K Czech, Blackman set out to tell the story of Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam veteran who falls in
10:07with the Black Mob on the eve of the United States' most tumultuous year, 1968. Gameplay-wise,
10:13yes, it did leave some things to be desired. The open world looked impressive, but gameplay could
10:18get repetitive at times. That said, combat felt fast, impactful, and frenetic, and the overarching
10:23narrative surrounding Clay's revenge was among the most compelling the medium had ever seen.
10:28Treat Mafia 3 as a story worth exploring, and it's impossible not to appreciate.
10:33Throw in all the DLC for good measure, and taking another trip to New Bordeaux
10:37is pretty much a no-brainer, even if it didn't look like an enticing prospect in 2016.
10:42That's the end of our list, but let me know down in the comments if you can think of any
10:46other severely underrated PS4 games that deserve to be on this list.
10:51As always, I've been Jess from WhatCulture, thank you so much for hanging out with me.
10:55If you'd like, you can come say hi to me on my Twitter account, where I'm
10:58at justMcDonald, but make sure you stay tuned with here for plenty more gaming goodness.