Games that took you by surprise

[Kuzagi_PT]

I remember when i saw the trailers for little big planet and i thought the game was childish and really bad to play. One day i went to my friend's house and we played the beta all the damn day. The game is too funny and creative ..

Edited May 15, 2014 by BUwUNY

[opikal]

So many to name but, recently, I finally tried Dead Space. There are not many games that draw me in like that and keep me playing. Also borderlands, which I got the platinum, my first earned one and not a telltale game

 

Borderlands 2 for me is not as fun and just seems like pain in the ass. I will certainly be purchasing the DLC for #1 to 100% it. 

 

One game on my vita, that I really really like, is Gravity Rush. I just never seem to get in the mood to play vita though, most of my time ends up on ps3.

[Sra-000]

Okami HD: I gave this one a pass on the PS2. I know it got stunning reviews, but for whatever reason it just didn't seem like it would appeal to me. Then last year I needed a game to play over holiday break, and a friend called my attention to the PS3 version. It was cheap, so I gave it a try. I had a lot of fun with it. It was fairly long, and was really something different and unique. Also, the sense of humor in the game really took me by surprise.

Dragon Age, Origins: This might seem like a strange pick, but it was one of my first PS3 games and I didn't know what to expect. I usually enjoy games like this, but the story of this one especially pulled me in. It became one of my favorite games ever. (Looking forward to Inquisition!)

Edited May 15, 2014 by Sra-000

[RunItsAShark]

Far Cry 3: Bought this on a whim during a sale, never having played any of the previous installments of the series. I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting the story and world was.

[hrayr99]

Mine is uncharted 3 when i got i was like why i got this game but then i really enjoyed playing it specially Campaign mode and after that i wanted to experience the other Uncharted games so i got U1 And U2 and i really liked them and now i cant wait for uncharted 4 on PS4.

[xKrAzY_8sx]

God of War: Watched a friend play the beginning of GOW 2, and it just blew me away. It got me into God of War when I was least expecting it, and it's become one my favorite series ever.

 

Dead Space: I went with a random GameStop employee's recommendation on this one. He told me that the story was gripping despite it being creepy and scary. I bought it used thinking that if I didn't like it, i'd return it. Boy did it blow me away.

 

LittleBigPlanet: I was late to this train. I was bored one day, so I asked on facebook if anyone could recommend any good ps3 games to play since I didn't have much at the time. One of my friend's told me to try this and that if I wanted, I could buy the GOTY edition for fairly cheap. I wasn't expecting much except a simple platformer, and I ended up having hours upon hours of fun.

 

Assassin's Creed II: I got the AC train very late. One of my co-worker recommended that I play this one, as the first was not important. I bought both at the same time, and for sake of order, played the first one. While it was fun for a little while, it got old and repetitive quick. Some time later I put in II not expecting it to be any better but I was bored. I was hooked on the story just a few hours in, and i've been a pretty huge fan of AC since. 

 

Mass Effect 2: I had heard good things about it, but I never thought it was going to be as great as it was. It was one of those things where I was afraid the hype was bigger than the game. Once I played it for myself, I was engrossed. As a fan of Star Wars and now Star Trek, this fit in very well as an epic adventure in space.

[Tankor_smash]

Batman Arkham Asylum.  Got great reviews and everybody loves it, but I was still blown away by it.  It is everything Batman should be.

 

Puppeteer.  Everything about this game is great.  The story, the narration, the presentation it is one of the best games out there.

[Alindawyl]

Valkyria Chronicles. I expected that I would like it, but did not anticipate that it would be my favorite game on the PS3 still to this day. Definitely a unique experience.

[Priere]

i don't judge games by what people say so here's what i got:

 

In a good way: Puppeteer, what can i say! it's truly a masterpiece, well for me anyway.

In a bad way: hmm, any game that has a lack of the game itself, ratchet and clank & GTAV are the biggest examples i can give.

In a shockingly super way: Bioshock Infinite, oh boy, this game is not like any other game, that is what i can say.

 

there are other games that has surprised me in a good and bad way, but those are what i can think of now.

 

As i said, these are my own thoughts.

[Sunflower]

Persona 4 Arena - Probably the game that has surprised me the most on the PlayStation 3. I decided to pick this up earlier this week for a mere 9.99 from Game. I had heard a lot about Persona but it never appealed to me. I adore fighting games so I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. I loved everything about the game, from the characters, to the environments (especially having an announcer) and the gameplay is superb. P4A ranks as my second favourite fighter, just below Tekken which is my favourite series ever. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for other Persona games that are available for the consoles I own at a later date - especially Persona 5.

 

The Walking Dead - When I first brought it before it was praised non-stop, I was not expecting much. However, even though gameplay is virtually non-existant, the story made up for that and I realised that the point and click style worked extremely well. It still remains one of my favourite games to date. Even if it is a little bit like a Visual Novel, I think that made me enjoy it even more as it was similar to 999/VLR that also had fantastic stories (and was mentioned in a previous post). Oh and it was also the first and only game to ever make me cry and I never cry at movies/games. 

Edited May 15, 2014 by talithacs

[The_Dragon_Man]

Spec Ops: The Line- the ending makes it fantastic - I actually ended up doing my dissertation at uni on this 

Bayonetta - i got told it was a cheap dmc ripoff they were wrong haha

Uncharted 2 - the first one was good but ND smashed it with this one!

[Alastor_Nelo]

Saints Row series in general. A lot of people like to think of it as some GTA spin-off or that the latest installments have been too goofy, but they're honestly fun in their own right.

[Bonofifa]

Mafia 2 - This game is so underrated, I'm not some cod hater but It really pisses me of that Call Of Duty games gets better scores than this. The story is really cool and the characters are really likeable. Even the most badass characters like Henry and Vito still comes out as likeable.

 

The Walking Dead - Telltale really hit the spot with this one! The story 10/10 gameplay 10/10. The only bad thing about this is how the frame rate drops too many times.

 

South Park Stick Of Truth - After the crap Family guy game I had no hopes for this game but god damn it was good. This game might not be as good for everyone, but if you watch all the season of the tv show this game will most likely be one of your favorite games.

 

The Wolf Among Us - Badass characters, badass art-style.

 

Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion - This game is actually really good. It's Super Smash Brawl just with a better story and not as many op characters.

[brainfrozeno00o]

The Walking Dead - I never thought that I would play this game in my life... man, this game blew me away.. no doubt.

 

Bayonetta - What an Umbra Witch.. I like the game.. and the story..

 

 

Bayonetta - i got told it was a cheap dmc ripoff they were wrong haha

 

Same thought right here about Bayonetta

[FluffyAssassin64]

Metal Gear Solid Series - I started playing this series only a few years ago because I'd heard that MGS4 was an amazing game, and I wanted the full impact of the story to hit me when I finally played the conclusion to Snake's story... but I didn't really know what to expect. Boy was I in for a surprise! I started with MGS2, then the originals on NES, then MGS1, then MGS3, then finally MGS4... and the series became my favourite series of all time basically from the very first time I played it. The little things like codec conversations, using the heartbeat to find characters, etc... it's just such an incredible series and I'm honestly sad that I waited so long to play it for the first time!

 

Hotline Miami - This was the game that really got me started on the Indie game craze. Before HM, I hardly ever played Indie titles, thinking they were just boring and cheap wastes of my time. Boy did my opinion change as soon as I picked up this beauty! RIDICULOUS amount of fun and just so satisfying; I could do no less than go for the Plat in this stellar game. Since then, I've played around 20 different Indie games between my 360, PS3 and PS4... and I've had some of the most fun I've ever had in my gaming life!

 

Spec Ops: The Line - I'd heard that the story in this game was good, but I didn't realise just how good until I played it. I'm not going to spoil anything here, but suffice it to say that I needed to think long and  hard about myself (and how I approach gaming) at several points in the story. The emotional impact on myself was just crazy. Absolutely a hidden gem.

 

Mercenary Kings - I've already talked about my 'start' with Indie games, but this is one game that I truly got addicted to. From my first 2 hours where I thought it was the worst game in existence, to my 62nd hour when I finally achieved the platinum, I just could not put this game down. It's not even the best game I've ever played, but by golly it was addictive! ... Did I mention I was addicted to this game?

 

Bioshock and Mass Effect - I've combined these two games together; not just because they're both some of my favourite games of all time (Bioshock is actually probably still number 1), but because I was so hesitant to play these games at first. They looked interesting from the cover... but I hadn't really heard anything about them and only bought them because they were super cheap at the local EB Games. Boy did they change my opinion of gaming! The revolutionary (for me) gameplay, story-telling and atmosphere elements really endeared me to these two franchises; which remain near the top of the heap for me to this day

[Sikatiiker]

Spec Ops: The Line - I'd heard that the story in this game was good, but I didn't realise just how good until I played it. I'm not going to spoil anything here, but suffice it to say that I needed to think long and  hard about myself (and how I approach gaming) at several points in the story. The emotional impact on myself was just crazy. Absolutely a hidden gem.

I was going to come here and say this. You put it all in words! I still have a few chapters to go and it's getting late but I guess I'll finish my first playthrough tonight and probably begin with the rest of the trophies tomorrow. Sure it seems like Battlefield with a third person view but it just may teach you something about yourself and gaming.

[Cobby]

Hotline Miami! My mate made me buy it during the sale, wasn't expecting much, but it is SO GOOD!!!!

[LukeWarm115]

Far Cry 3 - Bought it on a whim and thought it was fantastic.

 

Dishonored - Heard nothing but good things about it, was disappointed.

 

Metroid: Other M - Was not the best Metroid game ever, but better than reviews made it seem.

 

Enslaved - Found it in a bargain bin, very underrated game.

[savageamusement]

Uncharted

Only bought this game cause when I bought my PS3 I had bought DMC4 and The darkness and thought that out of the games available this one looked a little different (not hack and slash or FPS) When I first put it on I was amazed by the graphics and just so happened the game was aces too. One of the best decisions I have made regarding my PS3.

 

Darksiders

My favourite new IP of last gen. I just fell in love with the story and lore in this game - also one of the best endings I have seen in a game. Hope this series continues.

 

Assassins creed 2

Just started this game yesterday. After buying the anthology set cheap last year I thought I would play all the AC games. Finally finished AC1 yesterday and have to say it was OK but a hell of a slog to keep interested in. I didn't have high hopes for the series despite all the praise everyone gives it. After an hour on AC2 I can now see why people love the series - its improved in every single way - graphics, story, gameplay overall a much better experience and now I want to play, rather than the previous game when I made myself play it.

 

Far cry 3

Bought this game at launch as I was caught in the hype - every bit as brilliant as I hoped it would be.

 

Spec ops: The line

What everyone else has said.

 

Resistance 3

Quite liked the first resistance, not really a fan of the second but the third game was fantastic. I recommend this game to everyone regardless of their feelings towards the previous games.

 

Littlebigplanet VITA

I only got LBP on PS3 due to the hacking scandal and it was OK, not really for me. I only got this game cause it was free with the VITA bundle I bought. Much better game this time round and it felt like the right platform for LBP.

 

Rayman Origins VITA

Never really liked the original Rayman games as I felt they played too slow for a platformer. Bought this game as it was cheap and I had heard good things. A great game and I loved every minute of it (same goes for legends)

[DrBloodmoney]

Dead Nation - theres just something about this game! Playing coop with my wife is fun as hell, its tough but fair, incredibly satisfying and very difficult - and to add to that the dlc mode that they released is great - endlessly replayable. A very enjoyable (and cheap!) Game.

also, special mentions to Darksiders/Darksiders 2, Singularity, Prince of Persia 2008, Castlevania Lords of Shadow, Dead Space and Enslaved - all far better than I had expected!

[Shug244]

Spec Ops The Line:Well like everyone else said,spec ops the line is a game that surprised me i just loved it i think it was fluffyassassin who said it but that game really had me looking at myself because unlike outher games that give you a good choice and a bad choice that game forced you to consider every decision you made based off what you felt was right at that very moment,i had to sit back and think for a few hours after i was done with it,and since i plan on joining the millitary (hopefully soon) this really hit me hard.

Bioshock 2:When i first tried this game back in february i hated it i only got to about the second level before i put it away,i hated the combat system(mainly the fact you moved to slow)and i hated the atmosphere(i hate games that are set that so far back in time,thats also the reason why la noire has been gathering dust).But today i picjed it back up again(running out of games to play)and i have to say after a few hours of playing i got used to the combat system(it became unimportant)thanxs to the story whuch just pulled me in si now i plan on getting bioshick infinite out my bscklog to play that than someday i willvget bioshock.

[broy300]

Beat Hazard Ultra- Just an awesome game. Asteroids on acid. After 3 years I still play it.

 

Rock Band Blitz- Never got into the whole music fad. Picked this up and absolutely love it.

 

Mafia 2- Never have been into the Goodfellas vibe. I love everything about the game. Music, characters and story are all top notch.

 

Driver: San Francisco- Been playing it the last couple weeks. Just a really good game that did not get much hype. Online is decent as well

 

Singularity- Never was a big FPS person. I loved the SP and one of the only MP experiences I really enjoyed

 

Tornado Outbreak- thought it was going to be a Katamari clone, and it is too a point. Still suprised me on how fun it is.

[STRANGEgenius]

Spec Ops The Line; always comes to mind as a nice surprise. I heard it was good, but didn't expect the story to be so damn brilliant.

[merciful84]

Oh! How could I forget Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit?! Boy, what a piece of crap game that turned out to be. I had just got done playing through Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and was all excited about getting an even better expeience on the first DBZ PS3 game...I don't even know why the heck it was made! The gameplay was like 10 steps back from the Tenkaichi series, the roster was insultingly small, and the story mode only went up to the Cell saga!!! It felt more like a DBZ tech demo for the PS3.

 

Man, was that game a total letdown!

Edited May 19, 2014 by merciful84

[MacJunegrand]

Red Dead Redemption - I was never a big fan of westerns, but I got to play this on someone else's PS3.  Loved it instantly, and it was actually the first game I purchased once I got my own PS3.

 

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - I got this on a whim.  I didn't expect much, since licensed games are hit or miss, and the movie wasn't the greatest thing, but wow, the game was so much fun.

 

Dead Space 3 - After absolutely loving the first two entries, I got this one without even thinking.  I don't think a game has ever bored me as quickly as this one.  I found it really surprising, considering how much fun the previous ones were.  Clearly, they just didn't care with this one.  I shelved it after barely playing for a few hours and I don't know if I'll ever continue with it.

 

Grand Theft Auto IV - After absolutely everyone telling me how fantastic this game was, I finally got to play it... and felt absolutely underwhelmed.  I really don't see why everyone loves it so much, I found it absolutely frustrating and annoying.

 

There are others like Bioshock and Spec Ops: The Line that others have mentioned, and I feel the same way, so I don't see the need for repeating.