Most Surprisingly Good Game
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At GameSpot we make every effort to approach each new game without any preconceptions about its quality. But in some cases, a game will surprise us with how good it is, which makes us realize that we weren't really expecting much from it, for one reason or another. Maybe the game seemed generic at first glance, or maybe the concept seemed too gimmicky. And some types of games simply have a reputation for being too unwieldy for or inaccessible to the average player. The sleeper is the one that rises above any preconceived limitations and proves itself to be truly great, which is exactly what these five games have done.
Microsoft's promises of "synergy" between a new Xbox 360 game marketed toward kids and a simultaneously launched computer-animated cartoon made our skin crawl, but we should have had more faith in Rare, who turned out a great, addictive game in Viva Piņata.
Microsoft's promises of "synergy" between a new Xbox 360 game marketed toward kids and a simultaneously launched computer-animated cartoon made our skin crawl, but we should have had more faith in Rare, who turned out a great, addictive game in Viva Piņata.
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Unlike so many other Grand Theft Auto imitators, Saints Row went deeper than just the basic look and controls of GTA and succeeded at being fun to play and fiendishly funny at the same time. We didn't expect that.
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Taking a cinematic masterpiece like The Godfather and having the audacity to turn it into an action game is automatically going to polarize people. Some never gave The Godfather game a chance, but those of us who did were pleasantly surprised with how it turned out.
Although this PC real-time strategy series carries a well-respected name, it didn't sound like it was going to turn out all right when transformed into a turn-based, portable game. But it turned out better than all right.
A video game inspired by the brand of an outspoken urban clothing mogul? It might have had "train wreck" written all over it, but Getting Up won us over by delivering an all-around great game of fighting the establishment one spray can at a time.
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