Summary
It’s hard to deny that Ubisoft has been a juggernaut in the industry over the last few decades. Whether it’s the incredibly influentialFar Cryseries, or the much belovedAssassin’s Creedgames, this talented team of developers certainly know how to make a smash-hit when they want to, and as a result, they’ve amassed a pretty big fanbase over the years. The truth is though, with so many iconic games under their belt, it has meant that a few of Ubisoft’s games have flown under the radar for a lot of people, even ones which received generous reviews from critics upon their release.
Though Ubisoft’s mainline series always tend to perform well, there have still been times when these developers tried out something new, and for one reason or another, didn’t make much of an impression on players. Today, this list is going to take a look at the Ubisoft titles that never got the spotlight that they probably deserved, and whether they’re worth returning to, depending on their level of quality.
7TMNT
Metacritic User Score: 6.0
Considering that there have beenmore than 40 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle gamesreleased since the early 90s, it means that any new game in the series really needs to go above and beyond to even have a chance of standing out. In the case of Ubisoft’s 2007TMNTgame, though it was a decent hack n' slash game with a few unique elements that made it feel very different, by this point, it was easy to overlook given just how many games in the series had come before it.
Ubisoft added a little bit of their traditional creative flare into the game by introducing parkor that worked similarly to thePrince of Persiagames, allowing the turtles to navigate their environment without breaking a sweat. In terms of the gameplay, each turtle comes with their own unique fighting style and abilities, which does add a lot of replayability to the levels, but it’s also clear that some characters are much stronger than others. Still, theTMNThas a lot to offer, and can be completed in no more than a few hours, so it’s well worth picking up, especially considering it can now be played on so many systems.
6Eagle Flight
Metacritic User Score: 6.8
Back during the initial release of the PlayStation VR for the PS4, there were a bunch of games for the device which were being thrown out by a myriad of developers for players to try out. One of these wasEagle Flight, a racing game which takes place in apost-apocalytpic version of Pariswhere the only living beings left in the city are a group of eagles soaring through the sky. Once players take the POV of one of these eagles, they will be able to subtly move their direction by tilting their head and gliding towards the objectives to earn as many points as possible during a match.
Along the way though, players will need to keep a close eye out for other players who are capable of harming the opposing team by using a sonic wave attack. By working as a team, players can also use strategy to take out their opponents, such as luring them into a specific area before the rest of the team jumps out to take them down for good.Eagle Flightwas largely overshadowed by other exciting VR games when it came out, but it’s still a lot of fun to jump into for short play sessions.
5Disney’s Dinosaur
No Score Available
Disney’s Dinosauris an action-adventure game where players take control of several different kinds of dinos across a plethora of different levels. Though the core gameplay isn’t anything too out of the ordinary, the game does feature a surprising number of puzzles which can turn out to be real head-scratchers, along with specific objectives which must be met to navigate through each area.
As the name implies, this was a tie-in game for the 2000 Disney movie of the same name, but as far as video game movie adaptations go, it’s nowhere near as bad as some might have expected it to be. The game is also far from easy to complete, especially due to thehorde-like sectionswhere players are tasked with taking down massive groups of velociraptors and oviraptors, all while keeping a close eye on their maximum HP.
4Dragon Riders: Chronicles Of Pern
Another Ubisoft tie-in game that many people didn’t even realize had been released at all wasDragon Riders: Chronicles of Pern, which loosely follows the story of Anne McCaffrey’s novel of the same name. This third-person action-adventure game follows D’kor, a dragon rider who embarks on an epic mission that sees him traveling across three gigantic continents, and getting involved in some pretty intense conflicts along the way.
Though the game is barely mentioned these days, it’s honestly quite staggering just how much content it features, along with its incredible dedication to detail. In total, there are over 100 areas for players to explore, andup to 200 NPCswho can be interacted with, which for a Dreamcast game released in the early 2000s, was quite a feat. Fans of the source material should definitely try this obscure title out for themselves, but in truth, anyone can jump in and have a good time, since the game’s still very accessible.
3Batman: Vengeance
Metacritic User Score: 6.9
It’s hard to imagine a Batman game ever going unnoticed given how immensely popular the character is, butBatman Vengeancedidn’t do quite enough to make it stand out from its peers. It didn’t have the rock-solid platforming gameplay ofBatmanfor the NES, and after the debut oftheBatman Arkhamseries, it would eventually be forgotten about completely. However, this isn’t to suggest thatVengeanceis a bad game, as it’s still an absolute blast to run through, especially for longtime fans of the world and its characters.
Throughout the game, players will run into more than a few of Batman’s most iconic villains, including the likes of Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Mr Freeze, and of course, everyone’s favorite Joker. Though Batman is more than capable of holding his own against hordes of thugs, players are also encouraged to use stealth whenever possible to get the drop on enemies without drawing any attention. This game may have been overshadowed since the release of theArkhamseries, but this shouldn’t prevent anyone from still giving it a shot.
2XIII
Metacritic User Score: 7.1
A few months before the release of the firstFar Crygame, Ubisoft would dip their toe into the FPS genre with the release ofXIII. What immediately stands out about this game is the vibrant visual style, which was incredibly unique at the time, butXIIIwould also lean heavily into itscomic book inspirationsthrough its gameplay with insets and phrases always popping up on the screen depending on the player’s actions. There’s nothing more satisfying than pulling off a clean headshot and seeing a giant “Pop” spattered across the screen, making for some fast, fluid and fun gunplay that just never gets old.
The game also features a ton of chaotic weapons that players can toy around with, and if a firefight starts getting a little too intense, they can even take a human shield to help keep them safe while regaining some health. As mentioned previously,Far Cry’srelease not long after would cement that series as Ubisoft’s primary FPS going forward, butXIIIwas still a fantastic early attempt at the genre which stands the test of time to this very day.
1Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers
Metacritic User Score: 7.2
During the late 90s and early 2000s, it was incredibly hard for any newplatforming gamesto make a name for themselves, considering how saturated the genre had started becoming. Throughout this period,CrashandSpyrowere already the dominant platformers, and as a result, games likeDonald Duck Goin' Quackersreceived little to no attention upon their release. This is a real shame, asGoin' Quackersis actually a very high-quality and challenging platformer that allows players to explore several unique environments during a playthrough.
Whether it’s the gorgeous Duckie Mountain, or Magica DeSpell’s spooky manor, each of the game’s levels bring something new to the table which prevents the experience from ever becoming too bland or predictable. Just like theCrashgames,Goin' Quackersalso includes a few extra bonus levels which can be brutally hard to complete, giving players plenty to do after finishing the base game, which isn’t too long.
