In the world of game development, there tends to be a story of the haves and the have-nots. The games with infinite cash to throw at a project, and the titles that achievemonumental success on a shoestring budget.
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In an industry where everyone seems to deal exclusively in extremes, it would be easy to believe that there’s no middle ground. But there is, and that middle ground is represented by AA games.
These are games with decent budgets, lots of support from big-name publishers, and mid-sized teams with more resources than a plucky indie dev.
But, even this leg up doesn’t always guarantee success, as shown by these incredible AA games that went under the radar when they were released.
10Ghostwire Tokyo
Folklore Becomes Reality
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Ghostwire Tokyo was a game that perhaps suffered due to the fact that many expected too much of its esteemed creator, Shinji Makami. Many expected a Resident Evil adjacent hit, but Ghostwire is a completely different beast entirely.
This title is an open-world game set in Tokyo that leans heavily into themes of the occult, and you just so happen to be lucky enough to die as the city becomes a dystopian freak show. It doesn’t sound lucky, but getting possessed by a demon in the process is about the best thing you could have hoped for.
Thus begins your quest through this paranormal and surreal depiction of Tokyo to save your family and make sense of what the heck is going on. It has great sorcery-like combat,a wealth of trippy quest lines, and an open world that isn’t just loaded with map markers and fodder.
It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, as Mikami is an odd dude. But if you like things that are a little offbeat, this is an oddity worth checking out.
9The Pathless
My Bow Makes You Quiver
The Pathless
I’m a sucker for a game thathas great archery mechanics, and when the PS5 launched, the advent of the Dualsense controlleronly added to the fun of plucking a bow In-game. This was something that The Pathless really leaned into, offering an incredibly tactile and dynamic archery-based format.
It’s a game that offers fluid controls that demand precision, but balances this with a lack of a game-over screen. Which blends well with the game’s focus on relaxing and exploring on the player’s terms.
It’s a game that takes simple mechanics, milks them for all their worth, and presents you with a world that looks jaw-droppingly stunning where you may perfect the game’s precise inputs. It may be short, and a little one-note, but it’s an awesome game that deserves your time and attention.
Bullet Hell Mayhem
Resogun is a game I often mention as one of the best games to pop up on the PS4 and one of the finest arcade-style games of that generation. Yet, when I do, I’m shocked to find that many people have never heard about this incredible bullet-hell spectacle.
This one comes courtesy of the guys that gave us Returnal, and it shows,as the game is projectile central. It’s effectively a modern recreation of Space Invaders, forcing you to navigate a cylindrical 2D environment and take out all the pixelated nasties while trying to save helpless little stickmen as you go.
As an arcade game should be, it’s easy to pick up. But, to get the high scores of a veteran, you’ll need to put in the hours and be able to dodge projectiles like no one’s business. It’s a devilishly addictive title, and one I urge you to play at your own peril, as you’ll need to kiss your free time goodbye.
7Bramble: The Mountain King
Bedtime Stories From Hell
Bramble: The Mountain King
If you’re someone that loves the works of PLAYDEAD, or gets a kick out of the spooky nature of the Little Nightmares series, this is the one for you.
Bramble: The Mountain King is a game that inexplicably went under the radar despite offering refined 2.5D puzzle platforming akin to Little Nightmares, albeit with a Grimm’s Fairytales slant on proceedings.
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The game starts with a bright and pleasant tone, but before long, it all gets dark and twisted beyond recognition, and the descent into all things depraved and demonic is truly wonderful.
The set pieces are equal parts terrifying and exhilarating, the pacing is superb, and the visuals are like Grimm’s Fairytale illustrations brought to life.
Few games are quite as unsettling and chilling as this one, and while telling children’s fairy tales, no less. Pretty impressive, and certainly worth a playthrough.
6The Ascent
Top-Down Cyberpunk
The Ascent
With the surge of popularity in ARPGs courtesy ofgames like Path of Exile 2, there’s no time like the present to look back at a brilliant AA top-down shooter that didn’t quite achieve household name status.
The Ascent is basically what you get when you combine the likes of Diablo and Path of Exile with the futuristic cyberpunk setting of Cyberpunk 2077, providing players with an enthralling setting, an excellent narrative, and bombastic action at every turn.
Plus, thanks to a Gears of War style cover system, and a wealth of weapons to choose from, there is a playstyle that will suit just about anyone with a penchant for gunpowder and explosions.
5Metal: Hellsinger
On-Beat Brutality
Metal: Hellsinger
There are some gaming genres that have been around forever, constantly producing games for their dedicated niche community, but never quite breaking through to become a beloved genre of the people. Rhythm games are very much one of those.
This is perhaps why Metal Hellsinger, a masterfully crafted boom shooter rhythm game, hit the digital shelves, but only a small handful of gamers took a chance on this rogue hell-based epic.
But, if you did, you were likely not disappointed, as this game features an incredible list of pumping tracks, and satisfying gameplay that forces you to kill to the beat.
It’s essentially the addictive nature of games like Guitar Hero and Beat Saber, married with the intense Rip and Tear vibes of DOOM. It’s a little on the short side, but it’s all killer, no filler, making this one a brilliant option for all you bloodthirsty demon-slayers out there.
Co-op Fantasy Fun
I’ve seen Outward be referred to as many things among the fans urging others to play this hidden gem. They call it Elder Scrolls combined with Dark Souls, and they call it Dark Souls for couples. Well, I’m here to tell you that they are absolutely right.
This open-world fantasy epic is expansive, detailed, and deeply punishing if you underestimate what you are up against. It’s a game that forces you to prepare for each excursion, work out quest solutions rather than mindlessly following a map marker, and it’s a gorgeous fantasy world to simply exist in.
Plus, as I hinted, it’s a completely co-op adventure where you can bring a buddy along for the ride. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a slow burn, but one that will reward you tenfold if you stick with it.
It’s basically AA Morrowind for everyone who longs for the old days of TES, and in case you haven’t gathered, I consider that a huge compliment and a personal endorsement for this magical adventure.
3Penny’s Big Breakaway
Wait, Are Yo-Yos Cool Again?
Penny’s Big Breakaway
I think we can all admit that Sonic as a franchise has been one you simply couldn’t rely on over the years. The series was prone to shipping dud after dud. However, one exception to the rule was Sonic Mania.
Christian Whitehead and his team gave fans a Sonic game by Sonic fans, for Sonic fans. But, he and his team wanted to strike out on their own, and that’s how Penny’s Big Breakaway was born.
It’s a game much like Sonic, with a focus on going fast, mastering simple mechanics, and getting an S rank at the end of each stage. And, unlike a lot of 3D Sonic games, this one is an absolute riot.
The art style is vibrant; the yo-yo-based gameplay is dynamic and satisfying. Plus, it’s a funny game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Sure, it’s a little janky in spots, but let’s face it. It wouldn’t be a Sonic-inspired game if it wasn’t. If you’re a fan of the blue hedgehog, this is a must-play.
2Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Break Out The Ouija Board
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Focus Interactive has always been good value for a historical RPG, with just a tinge of fantasy thrown in for good measure. However, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden leans into the occult a whole lot more than anything else in their illustrious catalog.
Banishers is a phenomenal RPG that sees you control a couple very much in love on their journey to quell the spirits that haunt New Eden in true Ghostbusters fashion. The only problem is, very early in the game, one of them becomes an ethereal being themselves.
This leads to a format where you can switch between Antea and Red on the fly, making use of his epic swordsmanship, and her ghostly powers. Combat is slick, but the real area where this one shines is in the quests and the writing. The game is punctuated with impossible choices and a central theme of love, loss and letting go.
Aside from Haven, I’ve never seen an established couple depicted so well in a video game. It’s every bit as good as Focus Interactive’s A Plague’s Tale series, and I just wish everyone would give this game a chance to prove it.
1Pacific Drive
A Survival Game Anomaly
Pacific Drive
While this game certainly caught the eye of gamers briefly in 2024, it’s a damn shame that this moment in the spotlight was so short-lived. As Pacific Drive, at least in my eyes, should have been in the conversation for a game award in 2024.
As far as survival games go, there’s nothing quite like this title that places you in the middle of a New Weird Midwest with only a rusty old station wagon to protect you from the elements.
The game’s motto is ‘drive to survive,’ and it couldn’t be more fitting, as you need to gather scrap, maintain your vehicle, and master the game’s cumbersome driving mechanics, or quite simply, you’re as good as dead.
In a genre littered with base building and a need to craft primitive tools, Pacific Drive breaks the mold, and I only wish more people gave it credit for galvanizing a tired genre as it did.
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