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A look at the summer’s most underrated video games

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Published: October 2, 2007

Ben PerLee, Staff Writer
Published: September 4, 2007 Section:Entertainment

Ah, Madden season, when the yearly Madden NFL game comes out, heralding the holiday season of game releases.

The big guns, as we say, with Halo 3, Super Mario Galaxy, Guitar Hero 3 all making 2007 a year to remember for those who game. Of course, this summer wasn’t bad, with some truly fantastic gems hidden from those too focused on the holiday season to notice. And with that, we present to you five fantastically underappreciated games of the summer.

Picross DS (Nintendo DS)
Starting things off for the casual bunch, we’ve got Picross DS. Think of the offspring between Sudoku and Minesweeper, players make pictures by filling in boxes corresponding to numbers. Sounds confusing, but delightfully fun, players rely on logic and pure intuition to bring the picture of a banana to life. Good for bursts between class.

Shin Magami Tensei: Persona 3 (PS2)Behind the dense Japanese title lies a trippy role-playing game deep in Japanese pop culture. Players take the role of new student at a Japanese high school and discover the ability to summon facets of their souls that do spells to defeat demons. The best part? They do this by using an “Evoker,” that for all intents and purposes is a gun, that they shoot themselves in the head with. All wrapped up in a Japanese high school dating simulation. Truly bizarre, but fantastic stuff.

Bioshock (Xbox 360 and PC)
The Big Daddy of the bunch, Bioshock is a deep, beautiful, haunting, dystopian first-person shooter that not only plays like a dream, but delves into the horrors of a “Ayn Rand-ian” society. Possibly the only game this year that will make you feel guilty for some of the more disturbing choices you can make, this is a “Citizen Kane” of games. Come for the graphics (Art Nouveau has never been portrayed so beautifully), and stay for the story, Bioshock is easily one of the games of the year, if not the best of the decade.

Overlord (Xbox 360 and PC)
Remember Sauron from the Lord of the Rings? Well, now he’s back and ready for revenge! Take the role of an evil Overlord, ruler of twisted little freaks to do your bidding. Destroy towns, burn, and pillage for a twisted and humorous reversal of the epic hero quests. Sure, the game’s not perfect, but it’s fun in just the right ways, and it lets players get the nasties out. Who wouldn’t want that?

Crush (PSP)
For a true mind-bender, pick up Crush. A platformer at heart, you take the role of Danny as he powers through his subconscious in levels that he can “crush” from 3-D to 2-D. Sounds weird, and it is, but with a striking art direction and difficult gameplay in short bursts, Crush is for those who find logic puzzles fun. And we know you are out there.

Other Oak Leaf picks from the summer:
• Odin Sphere (PS2) - Stunning graphics make this a winner.
• Red Star (PS2)- A gaming mash-up of brawler and overhead shooter makes for fun co-operative play.

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