As someone who’s incredibly passionate about video games, I’m no stranger to the feeling of forming an opinion about a particular title even without having played it.
The internet has become so vast and deep that you can learn everything about a game without ever having touched it, and I think this is an increasingly common phenomenon these days.
Since certain video games are hard to find or have generated a lot of buzz within a niche you know you don’t belong to, you’d be surprised how often people talk about them not from experience but from secondhand knowledge.
While you might think this only happens with forgotten or obscure titles, I’ve actually seen it quite regularly with some pretty high-profile products, which are the ones that make up this list of ten games everyone pretends to love (but secretly didn’t play).
10 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Awarded by All, Explained by Nobody
For years, I stayed away from the Uncharted series out of sheer disinterest, though it always struck me that almost everyone unanimously pointed to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves as the best of them all.
Certainly, the arguments supporting this claim only alluded to its spectacular and cinematic nature, but I never saw a more thorough appreciation of its plot, gameplay, or atmosphere… And, after playing it, I understood why.
The game doesn’t excel in any of the aforementioned areas, except for the occasional scripted sequence that breaks the monotony. If people only talk about its cinematography, it’s either because they feel it doesn’t have much else to offer, or because they haven’t played it, and it’s the only positive aspect they can superficially discuss.
It seems like a rather negative opinion, even though I think Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a good video game. Still, I don’t doubt it’s praised either due to a lack of memory or because people haven’t had the opportunity to play it themselves.
9 Stray
An Episode of Mass Hysteria
I know one day I’ll have the opportunity to include Stray on a list from a perspective that highlights its strengths, but I’m afraid this isn’t one of those occasions.
The only reason I can think of to understand why the title has received so much praise since its release is a lack of understanding of the experience itself, because it’s a walking simulator with extra steps whose greatest strength is having a cat as the protagonist.
I never see anyone talking about the game’s only genuinely interesting aspects (like its environments or its interpretation of a post-humanist world), but rather about the simple fact that a feline is the avatar we control during the journey.
In a way, I understand it, since Stray doesn’t have much going on either, but people got too caught up in the cat trend and forgot they have to play the games to truly appreciate them, which is sad.
8 Half-Life
Respected by the Name
While it was an immeasurable classic way ahead of its time, I think it’s fair to say Half-Life is more significant for its eventual legacy and influence than for the game itself.
It’s a masterpiece, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the kind of game people know about because it’s historic, especially given the series is still being talked about more than two decades later, despite not having received a truly accessible modern sequel.
At most, people might have played its multiplayer mode, very common in cybercafés in the early 2000s, though nowadays, it’s much more likely people will gravitate towards its unofficial remake, Black Mesa, because of the graphical, technological, and quality-of-life improvements it offers.
And it’s an excellent piece of work, no doubt, but the fact that everyone recommends it over the original Half-Life isn’t a coincidence. Gordon Freeman’s first adventure is, unfortunately, more of a museum piece than an experience players want to have, which pains me deeply.
7 Journey
A Precursor Too Imposing
Journey is a beautiful video game and undeniably one of the best and most groundbreaking indies of all time, so including it on this list is primarily a wake-up call for those who haven’t yet dared to give it a chance.
It’s a highly acclaimed work by both critics and the community, yet you’d be surprised how many of those accolades come from simply listening to the soundtrack or watching a video essay by someone who actually played it and felt a deep passion for what it conveys.
Given its status, many people agree with the prevailing view despite not sharing it through their personal experiences, and I’ve seen this situation countless times over the years, especially with experimental titles whose concepts aren’t so straightforward.
I appreciate that people respect the consensus on Journey and join the wave of positive comments without hesitation, but what I would value even more is that they stop basing their opinions on others’ and give it the chance it deserves to be experienced naturally and authentically.
6 Cry of Fear
The Power of the Internet
Similar to Journey, Cry of Fear is the kind of title that has become firmly established in the collective imagination as an unparalleled creation. However, unlike Journey, the contrast between its praise and its actual quality is stark.
While it didn’t achieve widespread popularity during the era of short-form video games like many of its contemporaries, the title enjoyed extensive word-of-mouth buzz, establishing it as a masterpiece within niche discussion forums and expanding through countless memes and theories.
I was personally exposed to this content for a long time before giving it a chance, and it was the only way I realized a large part of this fanbase stems from the idea behind Cry of Fear—that is, from what it represents, not from what it actually is.
In the end, it’s a competent horror game with some very good ideas and questionable execution, but the story and its edgy tone are the only things that sustain the euphoria of the thousands of young people who praise it. I was also subjected to this kind of behavior with Rule of Rose, so I know how to recognize a facade when I see one.
5 Ori and the Blind Forest
The Beauty of the Superficial
I don’t want to underestimate one of the last decade’s most popular Metroidvanias, but I’m afraid I don’t see Ori and the Blind Forest as anything more than a beautiful cover with little substance beneath it.
It boasts a moving story and gorgeous visuals, but its gameplay is so outdated compared to its predecessors and spiritual successors that I struggle to understand why it’s so rarely discussed.
For every person who praises its soundtrack or art direction, another remains silent, either for fear of contradicting popular opinion or because they haven’t played the game and therefore can’t judge its weaknesses in level design, controls, platforming, and progression.
The truth is, I like Ori and the Blind Forest, though most of what’s said about it really only applies to Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The power of such beautiful visuals can take you very far, and this particular game gained a following even outside its target audience because of it.
4 Dante’s Inferno
Agent of Selective Memory
Dante’s Inferno is among those rare cases that went from being a largely overlooked game to a title far exceeding its potential, earning the label of underrated almost unanimously, even though few experienced it firsthand.
At first glance, everything seems perfect: a hack-and-slash game based on the Divine Comedy, a glorious cinematic blend of CGI and anime, copious amounts of blood and nudity, grotesque levels, and enemies that are a joy to tear apart… It’s the perfect God of War for those who don’t own a Sony console or who hate the series and want something to directly compare it to.
However, the second half of the game completely undermines what was achieved at the beginning. Character progression grinds to a halt, enemies start mimicking patterns, bosses become tedious, puzzles are nonexistent, and, essentially, it ceases to be the game you initially loved so much.
I still agree that history gave it less than it deserved, yet Dante’s Inferno brings together the characteristics most beloved by those who pretend to know about video games to give grandiloquent opinions, so much so that I can no longer listen to anyone talk about the game without always assuming they have not played it or remember it with a terrible memory.
3 Demon’s Souls
Almost No One Started Here, But…
The Soulsborne series evolved significantly and rapidly with each installment, partly because it started with a technically and mechanically outdated game that was as easily improvable as it was iconic and unique.
Demon’s Souls is by far the least played FromSoftware game in the last 20 years, which is, above all, a shame. However clunky it may be, and however many quality-of-life improvements its successors have had to implement to make the formula work, it’s an adventure with an unparalleled soul that should never be underestimated.
That said, the difference between it and even its direct successor is so noticeable that it doesn’t surprise me that so many players avoid it, especially given its still-existing exclusivity and its resurgence thanks to Demon’s Souls Remake. No one will ever recommend the original to you like I do, but neither will anyone ever admit they haven’t played it or don’t want to.
Paradoxically, criticizing the game is also sacrilege, just as it would be to insult a grandfather who was once a man of dubious morals but who today is a praiseworthy figure, capable of raising a beautiful family, because his sins were atoned for by the fires of time.
I admit I prefer it this way because I’m glad Demon’s Souls is remembered for its strengths and not for its weaknesses, though I also confess it makes me chuckle how easy it is to tell who has played it from who hasn’t when people talk about it.
The Oracle They Flee From
You and I both know Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is a timeless masterpiece that can easily be considered Hideo Kojima’s best, even though it wasn’t always held in such high regard by the gaming community.
It’s true that players managed to put aside their initial reservations about the title and appreciate it for what it is, not what most wanted it to be. Nevertheless, its resurgence in relevance due to its accurate predictions of the internet, information management, and AI has cemented its place even further in the minds of the gaming world.
Despite this, it remains a game from the early 2000s with clunky gameplay, completely unintuitive controls, and graphics typical of the era. Its themes are also difficult to follow and even harder to grasp, so the “incentives” to give it a chance seem rather few.
It’s much easier to research online why it’s so great and move on instead of going through the archaic but glorious process of exploring Big Shell, discovering who Raiden is, rubbing shoulders with Iroquois Pliskin, and suffering at Vamp’s hands, to name a few examples.
No one will ever deny Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is incredible, but considering how inaccessible it is, the complexity of its story and message, and how little it resonates with today’s gaming audience, it’s clear to me that it’s like a university professor students only pay attention to because they know he has a lot of recognition, not because they actually want to hear what he’s trying to say.
1 BioShock Infinite
Many Lighthouses, Many Lies
My relationship with BioShock Infinite is rather strange. When I first played it, I felt it opened my eyes to a new interpretation of video games, as if my appreciation for the industry had been reborn, but it gradually fell from grace over the years.
I know I’m not the only one because I’ve seen it discussed online, with reviews that try to understand why its value has declined. In any case, the dominant narrative still points to it as one of the best video games of its generation, but the reasons are always the same.
Besides Columbia and having a history full of plot twists, no one seems to talk about the other BioShock Infinite elements. Its narrative inconsistencies, its excessive Call of Duty-style shooter gameplay, its sad episodes with factions like Vox Populi… It seems that the factors ultimately holding the game together never enter the conversation about its quality when they are negative.
This, of course, could be due to the subjective bias we all have towards what we like, although here it goes further. The title is only discussed in terms of its merits, though there’s never any debate or contrasting perspectives because the memory of its impact prevails over its content.
That’s why BioShock generates more interesting discussions, with more dissenters and detractors, because everyone actually played it. In contrast, the unanimity surrounding BioShock Infinite doesn’t seem to stem from genuine consensus, but rather from a critical void where we only offer opinions from the comfort of external perspectives or from memory, silencing the incredible work that, despite everything, I still believe it to be.
- Security Camera Installation – indoor/outdoor IP CCTV systems & video analytics
- Access Control Installation – key card, fob, biometric & cloud‑based door entry
- Business Security Systems – integrated alarms, surveillance & access control
- Structured Cabling Services – voice, data & fiber infrastructure for new or existing builds
- Video Monitoring Services – 24/7 remote surveillance and analytics monitoring
Author: 360 Technology Group
