When people say: "this game is criminally underrated"

[MegaHiro91]

I am sure we all have our darlings that we feel haven't gotten enough love from the community. Games we feel are special in one way or another, be it their unique mechanics or new take on a certain genre. And sometimes when we wanna advocate for these games, we tend to hype them up a bit too much. Like this one guy on Youtube who said "ARMS is one of the best fighters ever made", and while I'm not a fighting game connoisseur, I have played ARMS, and although it has an interesting gimmick for sure, I wouldn't call it the best of anything.

This is not to sound like a negative nancy, especially as someone who has my own darlings that I sometimes oversell a bit, but sometimes there is a reason why a game hasn't done well, even if you find something to like about it.

Sure, some genuine gems may slip under the radar due to the sheer volume of games constantly released, so some game really don't get the attention they deserve, but I feel that phrases like "criminally underrated" are thrown around far too much.

Same in a way goes for the opposite. When someone says something is "overrated". It really just makes it sound like the person is bitter that a lot of people like something more than the underrated thing that you think they should like. I mean it's totally fair to say you don't get the appeal of something, but rather than take it upon yourself and say "I just don't see it, but more power to y'all" it's like you are putting the blame on them saying "you like this thing TOO much" and who made you the judge of that?

All in all, whether overrated or underrated, both are essentially just a matter of throwing responsibility away from yourself.

Overrated = Too many people like this thing that I don't see the appeal of, and I have a problem with that.
Underrated = Not enough people like this thing that I love, and I have a problem with that. When in reality maybe the thing they like just ISN'T as amazing as they themselves think.

So what do you think? Are you also tired of hearing these worn out phrases thrown around? Or maybe you have an underrated game that may not be so underrated afterall?

 

[Vetusomaru]

While it's true that the word "underrated" is often misused (video games included), the same thing happens with many other words. Still that doesn't change the fact that some games are indeed underrated and deserve more love.

 

[J.F.C]

Yeah people throw these words around way too much for my liking. The ammount of people i see online calling some PS2 licensed kusoge underrated because they played it when they were 3 is unreal. Of course there are several actually underrated games out there (especially for more unknown consoles in the West like the PC Engine.) but people nowadays will call every mediocre PS2 game an "underrated gem" for their shitty Youtube video or Reddit thread.

 

[trickybus]

"Criminally underrated" often accompanies "Flawed Masterpiece" in YT video essays about old games. I don't mind people people being passionate about obscure games because that means I get to learn about them. However, a piece of my soul will die every time I see that latter oxymoron.

 

[MegaHiro91]

While it's true that the word "underrated" is often misused (video games included), the same thing happens with many other words. Still that doesn't change the fact that some games are indeed underrated and deserve more love.

There are indeed. But like jfc says, the term is just thrown around way too much. Like, you say "this game is underrated" while I say, "then apparently it wasn't good enough to garner attention".

Post automatically merged: Feb 17, 2025

"Criminally underrated" often accompanies "Flawed Masterpiece" in YT video essays about old games. I don't mind people people being passionate about obscure games because that means I get to learn about them. However, a piece of my soul will die every time I see that latter oxymoron.

Sure! People preaching their "underrated" masterpieces is to the benefit of the rest of us who learn about new cool games. But the video title "Criminally underrated games" makes me die a little inside every time.

 

[Red Riders]

Yeah people throw these words around way too much for my liking. The ammount of people i see online calling some PS2 licensed kusoge underrated because they played it when they were 3 is unreal. Of course there are several actually underrated games out there (especially for more unknown consoles in the West like the PC Engine.) but people nowadays will call every mediocre PS2 game an "underrated gem" for their shitty Youtube video or Reddit thread.

YES. i completely AGREEEE with you. :)

 

[ATenderLad]

My boring opinion is that I start to tune out when I hear games called "overrated" or "underrated".

To me, it implies that there is some theoretical measure of "Deserved Attention/Adoration" for any given game...whiiiiiiich there isn't.

I will say, the use of "overrated" annoys me more, because it's generally:

-Thing is popular but *I* don't like it, and feel left out/unseen by the different opinions.
-Thing is popular with people *I* don't like, and this is an extension of my various agendas.
-Thing is popular but I'm pretty convinced I'm smarter than everyone else, so Nyeh.

All of which is just personal to each of us, it would be nice to see people speak honestly about it instead of pretending the "attention economy" didn't obey some imaginary natural laws.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

People overuse words all the time, that's why "Hidden Gem" and "Underrated" have become well-oiled, groan-inducing machines for me.

But, honestly? Some older games truly do deserve the titles due to the age they were released on -- games like Load Runner 3D on the Nintendo 64 and Roadsters got very little praise and even less love at a time when games needed that to survive, and specially because they simply wouldn't be able to get any traction at all if magazines didn't review them.

 

[Red Riders]

OHnu ee gads they have opened the pandoras box!

 

[Ikagura]

All in all, whether overrated or underrated, both are essentially just a matter of throwing responsibility away from yourself.

I'm tired of these two terms myself on the internet.

Instead of just telling opinions they're just using these pre-made terms to give more "credibility" to them...

 

[King Koopa's iconKing Koopa]

While I understand getting tired of the term 'underrated" I don't because looking at lists of "underrated games" helped me scratch that itch of finding a game that's the niche genre I was craving. Sometimes it helped me discover genres or genre hybrids I didn't know existed.

 

[Yousef]

Shadow the hedgehog is my favorite overhated underrated game.