8 Ignored Video Games That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts.
Video games are a modern medium, not because they are new, but because they are the most popular form of entertainment nowadays, with titles such as Elden Ring and Red Dead Redemption 2 pushing the industry forward. However, just because the new games are good doesn’t mean the past doesn’t have anything worthwhile, especially because there are plenty of classics. Unfortunately, gamers usually only remember the biggest titles of the past, like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and tend to forget the lesser-known, yet equally entertaining games.
Putting aside the classics that everyone knows about, there are so many older games that were lost to time and are now being forgotten. That is why this list will feature eight forgotten video games that have aged like fine wine based on aspects such as gameplay, design, art style, narrative, influence, popularity, originality, critical acclaim, and overall quality. These games may no longer be top dog, but they are better than they ever were, and fans should give them another chance to prove why they have aged well.
'Vagrant Story' (2000)
The PS2 is still the best-selling console of all time for now, but its release also cannibalized the sales of many newer PS1 games, such as Vagrant Story. It follows Ashley Riot, an elite agent who fights for peace on her next mission, infiltrating a ruined magical kingdom. As the player hunts down the cult leader, they encounter a complex plot involving the church, state, and dark magic, creating a war for power that threatens to tear the world apart.
Vagrant Story was overshadowed by the PS2 and other bigger games, and while it never got the fame it deserved, it is still an excellent video game that has aged well. The atmosphere is stellar, and the mature storytelling has a beautiful script that makes the narrative near-perfect. The risk-based combat system was ahead of its time, and the cinematic direction created a comic-book style that pushed the console to the limits, creating a visually striking masterpiece.
'Bully' (2006)
Rockstar Games is a prolific video game studio responsible for the Grand Theft Auto franchise, one of the biggest gaming series in the world. However, they also have some underrated titles, such as Bully. When a rebellious teenager is placed in a boarding school, he quickly realizes there's a hierarchy of power. In order to survive his first year, he must fight, prank, scavenge, and negotiate his way through class. He may seem like an outcast, but he is actually the one standing up to the real bullies at school.
Compared to the other games on this list, Bully isn’t as forgotten, especially since it is one of Rockstar's best video games. However, other titles still get more recognition even though this game is magnificent. The map is small but densely packed, being a nice change of pace compared to other Rockstar games. Bully may be edgy and grim at points, but for the most part it is a heartfelt coming-of-age story about standing up to the actual bullies. It has aged even better because of the fact that no sequel has threatened its impressive legacy.
'God Hand' (2006)
A lot of these games were good when they came out but simply got better with age. God Hand, on the other hand, was critically panned on release. Gene is an arrogant martial artist with a legendary magical arm, and with his companion Olivia, they fight off hordes of demons who want to use his power to resurrect the demon lord.
God Hand was punishing, had awful camera angles and lowbrow humor, earning a bad early reputation. However, it has since been recognized as a masterpiece of fully customizable combat styles. Players can map out their buttons personally, creating their own style of fighting that suits them best. It is still difficult, but God Hand rewards the players who master its system. It is rare for a game to do a complete 180 from disaster to masterpiece, but this one pulled off the impossible.
'Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure' (2011)
Gacha games make a profit by selling skins for the game, but before that, fans had Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, which forced gamers to buy toys if they wanted to play as different characters. As the portal master, gamers can play as many different creatures in a fight to take down a tyrannical portal master known as Kaos. Outside of the three base characters, new ones were purchasable on the side, some of which included special missions and extra levels.
Some fans will never forget Skylanders, but for most it is a long-lost era of video games that tried something and failed soon after. The toys-to-life fad was spearheaded by this game, but the genius behind Skylanders was that the game was still fun outside of its gimmick. Tightly paced with single-player or co-op modes, this game was fun to play from start to finish. The characters were creative, and the upgrade system is addictive, which explains why it remains a nostalgic video game.
'Mirror's Edge' (2008)
Some video games have fantastic premises that fail to fully explore and capitalize on their potential, and one such example is Mirror’s Edge, which is looked at more fondly today. Set in a dystopia where communication is monitored, players control Faith, a runner who illegally transports messages. Running around the city, Faith gets tangled in a political conspiracy that threatens to get rid of the Runners.
Mirror’s Edge was relatively short and had some frustrating gunplay mechanics that hurt the game's overall retention. Besides that, though, it is a visually striking game that uses its stark and minimalist art direction to create a bold environment better than most modern games. Not to mention, Mirror’s Edge also has a fluid parkour mechanic that makes it a momentum-based masterpiece of traversal that hasn’t been replicated since.
'RollerCoaster Tycoon 2' (2002)
Most video games on this list have some sort of main story or campaign for players to experience, but RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 simply offers never-ending theme park building. Serving as the manager of a theme park, players must build rides, manage finances, hire staff, and keep guests happy, taking an empty plot of land and making it the happiest place on Earth.
The RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise has since released newer games, but they haven’t been better than this seminal second entry. Forgotten because of newer titles in the series, this one holds a certain irreplaceable charm that makes it better than others. The pixel art is timeless and still looks good today, not to mention the math is surprisingly deep and complex. There is so much complexity and so much to do in this game, proving why it is one of the best video games of the 2000s.
'Skies of Arcadia' (2000)
These video games are forgotten by themselves, but some of them were even released on forgotten consoles like the Sega Dreamcast. Skies of Arcadia is set in a world with floating continents where players become an air pirate. Soaring across the skies, players are in a grand race for six magical moon crystals against the Empire, which plans to use them to awaken an ancient weapon.
The Sega Dreamcast is beloved, but also obsolete, which rendered many of its games forgotten. RPGs of the era leaned into dark and angsty narratives, but Skies of Arcadia had a bright and positive vibe that made it a breath of fresh air. With an overwhelming sense of exploration and airship combat, Skies of Arcadia established itself as an innovator that went against the grain, and it was better for it since it has aged so well.
'Grim Fandango' (1998)
A lot of the video games on this list have distinct vibes and art styles that aged well, and one of the most unique and refreshing is Grim Fandango. Manny Calavera is a travel agent who makes the transition to the land of the dead smooth. But when he learns that corrupt officials are taking tickets from good souls, he plans to expose them and make sure they get what is coming to them.
1998 was a great year for video games, one of the best, in fact, and that is exactly why this title is so forgotten. Not to mention, the point-and-click genre was going out of style at this point. Grim Fandango has aged like a fine wine because of its ageless art style, which is a unique blend of 1930s art deco noir and Mexican Day of the Dead aesthetics. More than that, Grim Fandango boasts a cast of unforgettable characters and witty writing that makes it a flawless narrative adventure. If fans want further proof, the music is stellar, and the cinematic take is more than just a game to play.
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