Five for Five Xbox 360 Gameplay Sampler -Part 2- (Overlooked Games)

I guess calling them Hidden Gems, or Underrated Gems is a bit cliche by now, so I'll just call them overlooked games. Overlooked at the time, and you may still be overlooking some of these. Most of these are also available on the PS3 and PC, so find them in whatever form suits you.

Timeshift is heavily inspired by Half-Life 2. This becomes clear in the later open levels. The story doesn't make any sense, so if you are story-driven, this game probably won't be your cup of tea. However, the general gunplay, level designs, and time-suit abilities which become an integral part of the experience, bringing them beyond a mere gimmick, make for a crimminally underrated 7th gen FPS that doesn't play in the same tired 7th gen FPS way. It's definitely unique amongst it's peers.

Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom may be more appreciated today than it was in it's release. Kingdom Under Fire fans probably weren't fans of the change from strategy game/Dynasty warriors mix to a more hack 'n slash RPG affair. For Souls fans, this isn't a Dark Souls type of game, but the play design does remind me of earlier From Software games like King's Field, or Evergrace, because your ability to attack relies on your stamina meter at the bottom of the screen. You have to wait for the meter to fill before you can attack again. There is also a really deep item upgrade system in the game if you can get into it.

The Club is an arcade shooter that's all about scoring points in each level run. It's almost like Smugglers Run, or Stuntman for FPS games. The point is to keep your kill combo going, while scoring as many points as possible. It's a unique concept, but one with an acquired taste.

Beautiful Katamari added online play, and online leaderboards to everyone's favorite rolling sim. I won this game fro free from a Gamepro(dot)com contest, and it was the first Katamari game I played through. I do believe the levels were later ported to the PS3 in Katamari Forever, but you can't go wrong with any Katamari game in my opinion. They are all incredibly fun, and addictive. Zany concept, fun gameplay, this is one of the kings of niche titles.

Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia is definitely inspired by Zombies Ate my Neighbors, and is most fun with multiple players to play with. It allows 4-players local, and even online play. Playing single player is fun, but this is definitely a zomebie game you want to invite you neighbors over to play for it's most fun form.

0:00 Timeshift
5:00 Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
10:00 The CLub
15:00 Beautiful Katamari
20:00 Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia