Best of... less popular games Xbox 360

[siamesegiant]

Nier is pretty awesome, and can be found pretty cheaply I think in the UK. Costs a fortune to buy one here in Japan now though, glad I got my copy when I did. Seriously quirky but atmospheric action RPG with Robotron, Resident Evil and text adventure style sections, ps2 era graphics but an awesome soundtrack, not for everyone definitely, but certainly worth picking up if you see it cheap. It's maybe my favourite game of this gen.

[Havantgottaclue]

Bit of a curate's egg, Nier - lots of people were totally non-plussed by it, whereas it is a firm favourite with a few people. I'm in the latter camp, personally. I didn't like their earlier game, Bullet Witch - I think it's one of the worst games I've played on the 360.

[rossi46]

Race Pro.

Somewhat in the shadow of the Forza games, but so, so much better IMO.

I got mine for £3 on eScum

[Nemesis]

After seeing some of the recommendations on this thread I have ordered Battle Fantasia, Bullet Witch & The Darkness via Amazon. They'd better be good!

With The Darkness just get used to your tentacles being your Health Bar, in that any damage you take will come off them first. Plus they automatically recharge when you're standing in any shadows. Trying to play it as a straight shooter without your Darkness powers will get you killed pretty quickly really.

Oh, and a little mini spoiler: The later levels get really really good indeed...

Excellent, consider my expectations raised!

[speedlolita]

After seeing some of the recommendations on this thread I have ordered Battle Fantasia, Bullet Witch & The Darkness via Amazon. They'd better be good!

I completed Bullet Witch a few weeks back. Nothing special but for a fiver it was a pretty solid 8 hours of gameplay.

[Joey]

Race Pro.

Somewhat in the shadow of the Forza games, but so, so much better IMO.

I got mine for £3 on eScum

Great game, have been playing it recently.

I think the 'no frills' presentation put a lot of people off but the actual racing is superb.

[Sureshot]

Commanders: Attack of the Genos. Fun little squad-focused turn-based strategy game, some really charming humour in the storyline too. It does get a bit repetitive, though.

[JazzFunk]

^Sounds decent, I really need to further explore the XBLA games.

Another enjoyable game that wasn't particularly successful - if you like Quentin Tarantino and "grindhouse" movies you'll probably love it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet_(video_game)

Another in agreement here! Completed this not too long back, was incredibly fun throughout, if a little scraggy. At a fiver or less, you will not go wrong.

Oddly, I clocked The Darkness *exactly* before embarking on Wet, and found it to be one classy game. It's quite an old 360 game (circa '07, picked mine up for £1.98) but still feels worthy even now. They worked hard on the atmos in this game, even down to the way they lovingly included FULL MOVIES on the ingame TVs, and I mean *proper* films, like To Kill A Mocking Bird and some of Sonny Chiba "Streetfighter" movies (!!!! - And much more, including old cartoons and sci-fi serials like Flash Gordon and the like!!!) A small point, perhaps, but one which adds immeasurably to the atmosphere and immersion you feel when playing the game. Has some clunky bits, definitely, but writing about it makes me realise how much I respected the game, and would have to concur with some of the previous posters when they say how good the end sections are. The unlockable comics are also very cool indeed, and are very nicely presented.

Bullet Witch, too, though i haven't completed it, I got far enough in to realise I really like the game, despite how rough around the edges it is. I LOVE the first level, it's just a US suburb (similar to the one in the film Poltergeist and in the game Paperboy), at dusk, that has a cemetery and a petrol station and some industrial bits but somehow I found it super-evocative and atmospheric.

[HalcyonDaze00]

Great topic, keep em coming. Going to get a few of these next week, seen a lot of the ones mentioned for around £5 in the likes of CEX etc

[Riddler]

Great topic, keep em coming. Going to get a few of these next week, seen a lot of the ones mentioned for around £5 in the likes of CEX etc

Yes, i found another great game. It's called X-Blade.

It has a great animated story and plays a lot like Tomb Raider but with more super abilities. Found a few cheap copies online but have been playing the Xbox live demo.

[skylarking]

Although it's probably too cutesy for some people, I'd recommend Viva Pinata.

[Havantgottaclue]

I don't rate X-Blades, really. I got it for something like £8 a while back and I just found it a bit repetitive and simplistic. Some of these games are worth a punt because they don't cost a lot but sometimes you come away after half an hour wondering whether you might have been better off just saving your money towards something a bit more worthy. But I suppose that's what makes this subject quite interesting - for me, The First Templar passed 10 hours or so fairly enjoyably, but I'd be really hesitant to recommend it with any enthusiasm - "might be worth it for under a tenner" is about close to a thumbs up as it would get.

Grey Matter I'm still undecided on. I've had it for a while (on the PC, not the 360) and I'm about 2/3 of the way through it and I keep meaning to go back to it. I really like the story, characters and setting, but if anything it's actually playing the game that proves to be a chore - at times, anyway. It is probably a flaw that's common to many adventure games - having to do things mechanically in the right order so that you progress the story. But the gulf between the narrative, which is genuinely absorbing, and the tasks you actually have to do to get to the next bit of narrative, which are pretty mundane.

Velvet Assassin might be worth a look if you can pick it up cheaply, but again I've only got about 2/3 of the way through it. There's something to be had out of the tense atmosphere the game produces. Without much in the way of armour, weaponry or special abilities, you don't often get away with a false step, unlike in other stealth games where you can often take cover or shoot your way out of trouble if the worst comes to the worst. However, it's slow progress all the way, which can grate after a while, and a dodgy frame rate (on 360) when there's a flurry of activity doesn't help - you really need the accuracy and smooth response that a reliable framerate provides in those situations because if you don't get that headshot you will be up against a machine gun or flamethrower and you don't stand much of a chance.

[deadpan666]

Going through my games, I've got another few to recommend....

Blacksite - Got this recently and it's a fairly decent FPS...feels a bit last-gen, but for the money it's good. It's basically a sequel to Area 51...

Ninja Blade - Only paid 79p for this! It's a bit like Ninja Gaiden 2, and has some pretty cool bosses...it does have a lot of Quick Time Event gameplay though, and some of the platformy bits can be frustrating,so it's not for everyone..but it's at least worth a fiver!

Lost Planet - Another pretty decent game...you stomp around a snowy landscape in mech-suits killing big bug-type aliens and snow pirates! That is pretty much it, but I think it's alright!

Stranglehold - The game sequel to the film Hard Boiled! It's a pretty funky third-person shooter, and sliding about tables and running up bannisters popping caps in the baddies is a right laugh!

[Antiriad2097]

Stranglehold has had a couple of mentions here. I'll point out that the first level is one of the worst, with you sliding about over tables and stuff accidentally. Its a very badly designed first level for the game. Once you get past that things become a lot more enjoyable, so persevere with it. I initially judged it on the opening scenes and thought it was terrible but gave it a second chance and had a high old time.

[Freestyler]

By the way: John Woo himself is a secret unlockable character on Stranglehold!