Most Overlooked Current Gen Games - Part Four

One of the longest running traditions of SuperPhillip Central is our Most Overlooked series of articles representing a wide range of video game platforms. The tradition continues with part four of our look at the most overlooked and/or underrated current generation games. This includes the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U. Now possessing six games instead of just the standard of five, this edition of Most Overlooked is the biggest yet!

To check out past parts, look no further than these three links:

Current Gen - Part One
Current Gen - Part Two
Current Gen - Part Three

Gravity Rush 2 (PS4)

It was a definite delight to even see a sequel to the once-PlayStation Vita exclusive Gravity Rush. (It's now also available on PS4 in port form, but good luck finding a physical copy for retail price for a North American copy.) Gravity Rush 2 brought a return of the awesome heroine Kat and her powers to manipulate the gravity around her to not only navigate the game's world but also to battle enemies. Gravity Rush's world was big for the Vita, and in the PS4 exclusive sequel, the world for Kat to explore was even bigger. Using gravity to fly around remains one of my favorite ways to travel in a game of this type. Nonetheless, Gravity Rush 2 had the unfortunate side effect of being released in an absolutely packed first month and first quarter of solid game releases. Gravity Rush 2 was lost in the sea of stupendous games. However, if you're able to track down a copy, then you'll find yourself getting a different type of lost-- lost in a charming and enjoyable gravity-bending adventure.

The Last Guardian (PS4)

Here we have another PlayStation 4 exclusive, but this one got caught up in a deluge of holiday releases that were much larger in hype and franchise stature. Still, for many fans of games like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, a release by director Fumito Ueda and Team Ico is an event in and of itself. The Last Guardian featured a tumultuous and extended development cycle, originally starting on the PlayStation 3 almost a decade before its launch on the PlayStation 4. Players of The Last Guardian no doubt know the great qualities of the game, such as the endearing friendship between the main characters, a boy and his animal companion Trico, and the smart puzzles created to capitalize on the smart AI of Trico itself. Nevertheless, despite being a quality game, The Last Guardian failed to meet sales expectations held by Sony, with the game falling in price months after. Regardless of whether you pay full price, budget price, or any price in between, The Last Guardian is worth adding to your PS4 library.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (Wii U)

When the news of a Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem crossover project for the Wii U was announced, fans of either or both series were overjoyed and delighted in the possibilities of the type of game that would be made. A problem here, however, is that the project was announced way too far in advance, obviously to give current Wii U owners something to get excited about for the future of the seemingly future-less console. Regardless, what the final game ended up being was Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, a game that definitely didn't engage every type of gamer with its Japanese idol appearance and pop music presentation. Fortunately, those who didn't dismiss the game by judging a book by its cover were greeted with a tremendously deep and highly rewarding JRPG that could offer a serious challenge, even to veterans of the genre. Released late in the Wii U's life, it's no wonder that the game didn't fly off store shelves.

Star Fox Zero (Wii U)

If there was any battle towards a current overlooked and underrated game that I'd gladly continue to fight in, it's the battle that Star Fox Zero is a great game. However, if you were put off by the atypical control schemes of games as seen on the Wii or even a more recent release like the Nintendo 3DS's Kid Icarus: Uprising, then there's sense to be found in why you might not enjoy the latest Star Fox game. At the same time, Star Fox Zero does things that aren't possible on any other system, such as the ability to have your ship pointed in one direction while aiming the Wii U GamePad at the side to pick off foes outside of your initial line of sight. The complication arises if you can't figure out when to ration time between the TV screen and the GamePad screen. For those that could, they'd find a fantastic game to aim for high scores on and intense dogfighting action.

Ittle Dew 2 (PS4, XB1, PC)

Looking for a Zelda-like game after getting wrapped up in the world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? Perhaps you're not a Switch or Wii U owner and want an alternative? Sure, Ludosity's Ittle Dew 2 obviously doesn't reach the same highs as The Legend of Zelda series's latest, but it does offer a fun overhead Zelda-like adventure that captures the spirit of the very first Zelda game on the NES. Ittle Dew 2 packs more humor and all the excitement of journeying across the world map, slaying enemies, entering dungeons, and solving clever puzzles. The game's eight initial dungeons can be played in any order, and there's a large array of hidden caves leading to treasure that is spread out all across the map. With Ittle Dew 2 you get a fiercely challenging, always humorous, and delightful action-adventure that isn't Zelda, but it is somewhat close in quality.

Aqua Moto Racing Utopia (PS4, PC)

While aquatic racing games aren't in fashion at the moment for the big publishers and their franchises (where's our Wave Race and Jet Moto, for instance?), smaller devs are filling the gap quite nicely. Developer Zordix has created a challenging take on the jet ski racer with all the goodies of the genre. Slalom races? Check. Realistic physics? Check. Competent AI to make races have a good amount of difficulty to them? Check. Enough races and locale types to keep things interesting? Check. I could go on, but in a nutshell, Aqua Moto Racing Utopia checks all of the boxes for a wonderful alternative to the kings of the genre on a shoestring budget. It won't replace your need for a new Wave Race or Jet Moto, but it will help curb your appetite for them.

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - "New Horizons" Edition

SuperPhillip Central rings in a new month with some terrific tunes. It's a pretty packed lineup of games this time around with most of them releasing within the past year or two.

We begin our musical journey with the main themes of two recently released games: Horizon: Zero Dawn and Titanfall 2. Then, we listen to the epilogue theme of The Last Guardian. Taking us from there is a rock and choir-driven piece from Tales of Xillia 2. Finally, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth brings us home with an impressively epic battle theme.

Just click on the VGM volume name to open up the YouTube link containing its theme, and as always, click on the VGM Database to hear every VGM volume ever showcased on this weekly recurring SPC segment. Now, let's get on to the music!

v1346. Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4) - Main Theme

This edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs begins with the main theme of a game that launched last week on the PlayStation 4. It's the critically acclaimed Horizon: Zero Dawn from Guerrilla Games, the makers of the Killzone franchise. The development team really outdid themselves with Horizon, surpassing the expectations of many to great effect. The main theme is an emotional start to Aloy's journey, one worthy of being represented on this list.

v1347. Titanfall 2 (PS4, XB1, PC) - Main Theme

Despite EA's silly decision to release the game between Battlefield 1 and the newest Call of Duty, Titanfall 2 somehow managed to find some success in its sales. It's terrific too as the game possesses fantastic multiplayer and one of the best FPS campaigns in recent years. Titanfall 2's main theme is a joyride through various musical landscapes, from the boisterous brass to the stirring strings, it's a fun musical adventure from beginning to end.

v1348. The Last Guardian (PS4) - Epilogue

Starting off slow and modest with this theme, The Last Guardian's Epilogue theme soon brings with a heavenly chorus, backed up strings and brass. It's a theme that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and especially so when you hear it punctuated by the actual game. The Last Guardian is indeed a special game, albeit a bit aggravating sometimes. However, the occasional aggravation is overall worth it.

v1349. Tales of Xillia 2 (PS3) - Betting on the Last "Guide"

This theme from the mind of Motoi Sakuraba starts out with the music building on itself before climaxing with an intense rock and choir-filled main theme. It's an amazing buildup that succeeds in its execution. Then again, Motoi Sakuraba isn't one to disappoint usually. His music is generally more often than not of a high caliber, and it's evident here with this Tales of Xillia 2 theme.

v1350. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth (PS4, Vita) - Royal Knights

We conclude with another epic battle theme, but this time it's from Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth. Who knew that a series that started out all adorable and cute like with the Digimon anime with the Digi-destined would digivolve to something so serious? This tense chorus-filled battle theme showcases the idea that this Digimon game isn't the Pokemon knock-off that so many early Digimon games were!

SuperPhillip Central Best of 2016 Awards - Top Five Most Pleasing Visuals

Graphics usually take the backseat for me in importance when judging the overall quality of a game. However, that doesn't mean they don't serve a genuine purpose when examining a game. When I judge the visuals of a game, I'm not looking for the most impressive pushing of polygons or pixels; I'm looking at the games that have a desirable art style and use that art style well. These five games fit that bill rather nicely to show what I mean.

5) The Last Guardian (PS4)

Like something out of a children's storybook, The Last Guardian's visuals present a gorgeous display that assists the world to being a character as much as Trico and its young boy keeper are. Trico itself never fails to make me gaze at the creature in awe, much like the detailed world that I also saw myself stopping every bit of the way to take in. Performance problems aside on the OG PlayStation 4, The Last Guardian's visuals ultimately delight and help establish a wondrous setting for a wondrous adventure.

4) Final Fantasy XV (PS4, XB1)

The developers of Final Fantasy usually show mastery in getting a lot of the hardware each entry is placed on. Despite being a less than desirable game, Final Fantasy XIII is a true beauty. With ten years of planning, development, and stumbling points, it didn't seem like Final Fantasy XV would turn out well, especially starting out on the PS3. However, not only is the game superb, but so are the visuals. From the huge draw distance showcasing jaw-dropping vistas and tremendous views to the immaculate character and enemy models (and how about those food dishes!), Final Fantasy XV is a visual showcase on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, giving it the four spot on this top five countdown.

3) Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U)

Despite being weaker hardware compared to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the Wii U has shown many times that it can hang with the big boys, if not by visual fidelity then by style alone. Paper Mario: Color Splash is one such game that makes a case for how a game's art style can really bring out a healthy heaping of beauty. The paper characters look fantastic, and the environments made also of paper but also cardboard create a world that is both fun to explore and mighty pleasing to the eyes. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems may not have gone the desired direction with the gameplay, but visually, Paper Mario: Color Splash is a sight to behold.

2) Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)

There are few games that make me do double-takes upon seeing the visuals. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is one such game. From the amazingly lifelike visuals, showing realistic human models that don't delve too deeply into the uncanny valley, immensely detailed backgrounds and environments, and special effects that boost the visual splendor to magnificent levels, Uncharted 4 is an amazing achievement visually. Naughty Dog's graphical team really nailed the look of the game and mastered the PS4 hardware, making it all the more exciting to see how The Last of Us 2 turns out.

1) Ratchet & Clank (PS4)

Ratchet & Clank is the PlayStation 4 game that most impressed me this year, especially seeing it played on the PS4 Pro. I'll always take a fantastical world and characters over realism any day, and Ratchet & Clank's colorful visual style checks that box well. The game looks like the film of the same name only in interactive form. The different planets are truly marvels to look at and engage in, and the character models exude personality, charm, and push plenty of polygons. These reasons alone put Ratchet & Clank as the game with the most pleasing visuals for SuperPhillip Central's Best of 2016 Awards.

The 15 Games of E3 2015

E3 2015 is over. The attendees have returned home, the booths are closed and have evacuated the premises, and all the megatons have been dropped. It was an awesome E3 overall-- one that will go down in the history books, for sure. As is customary for me after E3, I have devised up a list of the games from the show that got me most hyped. After you check out my choices, I'd love it if you'd share yours in the comments section below!

Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4)

From the minds behind the Killzone series of games, Horizon: Zero Dawn was the all-new IP from E3 2015 that excited me most at the event. It's colorful, and most importantly, it feels like something completely different from the norm. In this post-apocalyptic world, mechanic beasts roam the planet, and it's up to you to take them down as the female lead. It's games like this that helps my decision to eventually get a PlayStation 4 a much easier one.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)

Although the on-stage demo at Sony's press conference suffered from some control issues at the beginning, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End seems like it checks off all the boxes of what I would want from a new gen Uncharted sequel-- gorgeous, jaw-dropping visuals, humongous and eye-popping set pieces, and the trademark wit the series has always possessed. It's going to be a busy 2016 for PlayStation 4 gamers. This year? Not so much.

The Last Guardian (PS4)

After many gaming events and conferences being MIA, The Last Guardian reappeared this E3. The response was phenomenal, and while the game obviously has evidence of being brought over from the PS3, it still looks mighty interesting to me, offering something that a lot of games at the show lacked-- heart. I eagerly await the day I, along with many other gamers, can finally get their claws on The Last Guardian.

Final Fantasy VII (PS4)

Years upon years of clamoring by fans, hints and troll announcements like an HD port of Final Fantasy VII on the PS4 from Square Enix, this past E3 was the official time that a much desired remake of Final Fantasy VII was finally announced. While I don't hold the original to a high esteem like many fans, I do appreciate it for what it did to the JRPG genre in the West. I look forward to seeing how the remake progresses, what changes, if any, are made, and what decade I can look forward to actually playing it.

World of Final Fantasy (PS4, Vita)

While many Final Fantasy fans got hyped for the Final Fantasy VII remake (and understandably so), the biggest amount of hype I got towards the series was the chibi-styled World of Final Fantasy, a spin-off featuring collectible monsters, an altered active-time battle system, and a soundtrack of new and remixed songs by Masashi Hamauzu. The news that the game is also hitting the PlayStation Vita got me only more hyped for the game.

Kingdom Hearts III (PS4, XONE)

We saw a snippet of gameplay at E3 2014, but this year we saw a full healthy heaping of delicious gameplay at Square Enix's press conference. Kingdom Hearts III looks absolutely divine, sporting colorful worlds, intense and free-flowing combat, and all the love from the developers that you'd expect to poured into a Kingdom Hearts game. This might be another example of a game that'll suffer from delay after delay, but as long as I keep being fed new gameplay, I'll put up with it!

Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness (PS4)

One of my favorite JRPGs of all time is Star Ocean: The Second Story (also available in port form as Star Ocean: Second Evolution on the PlayStation Portable). I also enjoyed the third entry, Till the End of Time, which released on the PS2. I skipped the fourth game due to scathing reviews by both critics and fans of the series, but the fifth Star Ocean is set to right many of the wrongs past games contained. Offering battles with more than six party members and a score by the great Motoi Sakuraba, I shake with anticipation to learn more about this most likely epic RPG.

Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4, XONE)

This is the main game that makes me wish I had a current gen system other than the Wii U. Batman: Arkham Knight is the final chapter in the Arkham series, and I cannot wait to see how it ends. I already know the game will be of excellent quality due to the masters at Rocksteady, so all I really need to know is when I'll be able to afford either a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One to play it on!

Ratchet & Clank (PS4)

My favorite PlayStation franchise returns to the forefront of gaming with a new movie and a new game next year. Ratchet & Clank isn't necessarily a remake of the PlayStation 2 original. Instead, it's more of a re-imagining with new and returning planets and set pieces, new bosses, and a familiar cast of characters. The game looks so darn beautiful, almost like a Pixar cartoon in quality. If there is one game that would make me get a PlayStation 4 upon release, it's Ratchet & Clank.

Rare Replay (XONE)

I consider Rare Replay one of the best deals in gaming history. You get thirty Rare classics like Battletoads, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, and Conker's Bad Fur Day for only thirty dollars. Hopefully we'll see Xbox One owners pick this compilation of classics up, as it's one heck of a steal.

Super Mario Maker (Wii U)

As someone who has a genuine interest in creating games, Super Mario Maker seems like terrific practice to design some (hopefully) killer levels to test my own abilities to create and players' abilities to beat my (once again, hopefully) creative concoctions. With so many options available to creators, Super Mario Maker appears to be the real deal when it comes to level creating and level sharing.

Star Fox Zero (Wii U)

Though not looking in appearance as a visual beast, the space combat and ability to transform one's Arwing into a land trotting vehicle makes Star Fox Zero highly appealing to me. Star Fox is one of my favorite Nintendo series, and I cannot wait to see what Platinum Games has in store with the campaign outside of what was seen by attendees at E3 2015.

Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U)

Reggie Fils-Amie was mentioning something about not revealing games that were more than a year or so out. Yoshi's Woolly World proves he's mistaken, as the game was revealed last E3 and still won't release until this October. Still, I think the wait will be worth it, as this looks like the best Yoshi game since the original Yoshi's Island. That might not be high praise, but it looks like it will rival the SNES classic in entertainment and clever level design. I'm eager to finally get my hands on this game this October. You lucky PAL gamers get next week.

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (3DS)

Similar to Four Swords as it is a multiplayer-focused Zelda game, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes premiered last week at E3, and it blew me away. I adore the A Link Between Worlds art style, supporting such fluid animation, the creativity of the designers by making a game for three Links to team up in various costumes to achieve one goal. Supporting local and online play, as well as a single-player mode, Tri Force Heroes seems like a grand game for the holiday season.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force (3DS)

My reaction to Metroid Prime: Federation Force wasn't nearly as bad as others. I certainly don't want to sign a petition to see it cancelled, but I can understand the disappointment in the first Metroid game in over five years being something totally different than what fans were expecting. Still, this game looks like it'll scratch an itch I've been having with the Nintendo 3DS's library, and I trust Next Level Games greatly with their talent and skill in making fun games.