5 Games From the 2010s You Forgot Were Awesome

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Man, the 2010s were such a golden age for gaming! I remember really getting into the late-life PS3 and 360 games – it took developers a while to figure out that PS3’s weird processor, but those final years had some absolute classics. Then the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch dropped, and while the Xbox One didn’t quite hit the same heights, the PS4 and Switch were just packed with amazing titles. Seriously, there were so many great games across all those consoles that a ton of hidden gems probably got overlooked. It was a fantastic decade to be a gamer!

It’s hard to name them all, but here are five fantastic games from the 2010s that might have slipped your mind.

5) Mad Max

Avalanche Studios, the team behind the Just Cause series, created their own version of Mad Max in 2015. While it came out the same year as the film Mad Max: Fury Road, this wasn’t a direct adaptation. This allowed Avalanche to put their own spin on the character and deliver some of the most thrilling, vehicle-based combat seen in a long time.

Although Mad Max received praise for its characters and open world, the real highlight was the fast-paced car combat. Fans of games like Twisted Metal and Road Rash will find a thrilling new experience with a satisfying level of chaos. While fighting on foot wasn’t great, it’s easy to overlook because the vehicle battles are so much fun.

4) Deadly Premonition

I’m a huge fan of everything Swery65 creates. I’ve always joked that if I won the lottery, I’d immediately give him a ton of money to help him finish D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die. But honestly, I think Deadly Premonition is the strongest game he’s ever made.

It’s clear that Deadly Premonition is heavily inspired by Twin Peaks – it doesn’t just borrow from it, it practically embodies it. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! Using a classic as a foundation has resulted in one of the most wonderfully strange and memorable video games ever made.

Let’s be real, Deadly Premonition‘s gameplay is just okay – it gets the job done. Don’t expect amazing controls or shooting. You’ll enjoy it much more if you embrace the game’s incredibly strange and unique mystery. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you connect with its quirky style, it could easily become one of your all-time favorite games.

3) Ridiculous Fishing

Vlambeer had a very successful period in the early 2010s. In just three years, they released three critically acclaimed games – Ridiculous Fishing, Luftrausers, and Nuclear Throne – and proved that the Netherlands was becoming a major player in the indie game development world.

In my opinion, Ridiculous Fishing stands out as the best of these games, largely because it was released when predatory phone games were incredibly popular. While those games are still around today, the early 2010s saw a huge surge in mobile game development, with everyone trying to profit from the trend.

Amidst a flood of low-quality mobile games, Ridiculous Fishing stood out as a genuinely fun experience. The gameplay is simple but addictive: you lower your line to catch as many fish as you can, then blast them out of the sky with a shotgun! It’s a delightfully absurd take on fishing.

2) Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Though often forgotten, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a remarkable game. Its creators, Ninja Theory, initially envisioned it as a CGI movie, and that influence is clear in the final result. The story, written by Alex Garland (known for 28 Days Later and Annihilation), and the acting by Andy Serkis and Lindsey Shaw give it a cinematic quality, and the graphics were stunning when the game was first released.

The gameplay, including combat, was straightforward and served mainly to connect the story moments, but it wasn’t unenjoyable. Platforming sections and simple puzzles offered some variety, although the game sometimes held your hand a bit too much. However, the real heart of Enslaved is the compelling relationship between the characters Monkey and Trip – it’s one of the most realistic and touching pairings we’ve seen in a game, making it a title we readily recommend.

1) Sleeping Dogs

At first glance, Sleeping Dogs seems like a copy of Grand Theft Auto but set in Hong Kong. However, that doesn’t give the game enough credit. While it is a crime story in a big open world with plenty of optional things to do, the developers at United Front Games went above and beyond with Sleeping Dogs.

Unlike the games that inspired it, Sleeping Dogs really shines with its hand-to-hand combat. You play as Wei Shen, a skilled martial artist who’s fast, agile, and isn’t afraid to use anything – even an air conditioner – to take down his enemies. While shooting isn’t the game’s strongest point, the incredible melee combat, comparable to Batman: Arkham Asylum, makes you want to avoid gunfights altogether.

Beyond its main story, Sleeping Dogs offers players a choice: build reputation with either the Triads or the Police. You play as an undercover cop, but you can choose to get more involved in criminal activities. While there aren’t multiple endings, your choices change how scenes play out and impact the gameplay experience. It’s unfortunate that planned sequels and spin-offs were cancelled. A movie adaptation is currently being developed, but the game’s developer, United Front Games, closed down in 2016.

We’d love to hear from you! Share your favorite underrated movie, show, game, or comic from the 2010s in the comments, and discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-12-12 23:13