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Are they worth it? or do they belong in the trash?

I love obscure games-the joy of discovering a hidden gem among titles few care about is unmatched. However, the flip side is equally true: going through all the trouble of discovery only to find out an obscure game is actually terrible can be disappointing.

No wonder some games either remain obscure or go on to cost hundreds on eBay.

Originally, I wanted to make a second part of “Hidden Gem Classic FPS Games” but since the majority of the games I will be mentioning are heavily flawed, I decided to alter the title completely and set this list apart. This list is more focused on letting you know about these titles than a best of. So if any of the games I’ll be mentioning interest you, go ahead and try them out.

So, without any further ado, let’s begin!

Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter

I first discovered (paid link) Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter when I was looking for some FPS shooters on the (paid link) PS2. Mostly, underrated games. At first, I didn’t give it any thought until I tried it last year.

What I ended up with is a mixed bag of ” I hate this game” to ” I like this game”. At times, Mace Griffin felt like a great shooter, and on the opposite, a frustrating experience. It had several great concepts that could have made it one of the best shooters of 2003, but the game’s lack of polish and questionable decisions made it fall short against its brethren in the genre.

When pitted against high-profile shooters or even lesser-known gems of the era, Mace Griffin clearly comes behind. The controls lack a tight grip that makes a shooter feel great. Difficulty spike is apparent in the entirety of the game. Enemies quickly react to movement that at times it feels impossible not to get hit. But where Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter shines is in its space combat segments. The controls in those sections are excellent, and I wouldn’t have minded if the game prolonged these segments.

UberSoldier 2

You either dislike Ubersoldier 2 or tolerate it. Personally, I opted for both. Like Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter, UberSoldier 2 had some great concepts on paper, but they fell short when executed.

The first striking flaw you will quickly come to notice about UberSoldier 2 is its sluggish controls. The 2000s saw the release of several great shooters like (paid link) Call of Duty World at War, Timeshift, Serious Sam, (paid link) Doom 3, and more which felt more responsive and fun than UberSoldier 2.

The game encompasses several mechanics like bullet-time which can be activated upon executing three headshots. And there’s a rage mode which can also be activated upon continuous stabbing spree. Plus, there’s an RPG system that lets you upgrade your stats, but honestly, I haven’t noticed a huge difference. Even after maximizing several stats, I still died. A lot.

And finally, there’s a shield ability that blocks bullets from reaching you. But let’s face the truth here, all of these elements were already made available in several games like Painkiller, Max Payne, and TimeShift. It’s difficult to recommend UberSoldier 2 because it’s flawed, and the game can be frustrating at times with its aiming accuracy. And the enemies are a pain in the ass.

Epidemic

It’s not every day that you stumble upon an obscure FPS game on the PS1. Let alone a mecha first-person shooter. The game I’m referring to is (paid link) Epidemic, also known in Japan as Killeak The Blood 2: Reason to Madness. You may be wondering right now if the game is any good. Well, I quite liked it at first, but I couldn’t bring myself to finish it because of various reasons.

First of all, the game controls well, and the visuals look great for a game released in 1995. But here’s the thing, Epidemic’s gameplay is heavily flawed, as levels take an hour to finish. Not only that, but the game quickly becomes tedious after forcing you to restart from the start of the level if you lose to a boss. Yes, there aren’t any save points scattered throughout the level. Keep that in mind.

Most of the gameplay sees you guiding a mecha through corridors, shooting enemy mechanoids, and solving puzzles in the style of ” find this key, and use it here”. The game provides you with a map so you won’t get lost so that helps a bit.

With negative critique aside, Epidemic’s selling point is its shooting mechanics and the intriguing story that keeps you focused. I definitely plan to revisit this game, soon. And if you like mecha shooters, check it out. But be warned, the game is flawed. By the way, I have yet to find a YouTuber who finished this game and reviewed it because reviews about this game don’t exist on YouTube yet.

Codename Tenka

Codename Tenka is a genuinely great obscure sci-fi shooter that I haven’t seen anyone mention for a while now. And just like every sci-fi shooter, CT has some great elements loaded in. The first time I discovered this game was back in 2016 when I was searching for a similar game to Disruptor, and to my surprise, I ended up stumbling across this game.

The PC release couldn’t boot for me no matter what I did. However, I quickly learned that a (paid link) PS1 release was launched prior to the PC version. In the beginning, I was pretty anxious that the console release would turn out to be terrible, but to my surprise it was decent.

LifeForce Tenka, also known as Codename Tenka in the USA, was released in 1997 by Psygnosis who are widely known for their excellent Colony Wars franchise. The game is a blast from start to finish, with an upgrade system that reminded me of Hard Reset.

As you progress into the game, you have to find certain upgrades for your weapon. It can be upgraded to accept a variety of weapons such as a laser gun, a missile launcher, and more. Visuals look great for a PS1 game, and they can look even better on an emulator if you opt to play there. I should also note that while it may not feel groundbreaking today, Codename Tenka allowed the player to crouch to go through small spots, which was a marvel thing for a 1997 game.

Clive Barker Undying

Some may argue that Clive Barker’s Undying doesn’t belong here, given its popularity in the horror community and the positive reviews it received from critics back then, not to mention the story was written by the acclaimed writer Clive Barker himself.

However, Clive Barker’s Undying is now a relic of the past after two decades since its original release, seldom discussed in the FPS community. First of all, the atmosphere in this game is incredible. I always found myself looking around me because of whispers, and to my surprise, there was indeed something lurking behind me.

For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself not to appreciate the visuals; they have that artistic flair behind them, and I have found the enemy design to be scary and intimidating. However, Clive Barker’s Undying features expansive levels where you can freely explore, solve clues, and progress the story. It may sound simple at first, but you may find yourself occasionally getting lost, unable to find where to go next. Plus, some bosses come as incredibly frustrating and unfair at times.

Luckily, though the game features a save feature, which lets you save anytime, anywhere. That way, you won’t start from the very beginning if you die. Clive Barker’s Undying is available now on GOG, and it still works on Windows 10 last time I checked. So pick it up if this interests you.

Redline

Originally released in 1999, a lot of players would have slept on this game if it wasn’t for Nightdive Studios and Atari reviving it in 2014 on Steam and 2023 on GOG.

Redline combines FPS and vehicular combat gameplay. In the sense that, at times you’ll reload your gun and start blasting through foes. On the other hand, you can just hop into your vehicle and rain hell on anything that comes your way.

I found the controls for both the first-person shooting and vehicular combat to be decent for a game that was released two and a half decades ago. They’re responsive and aren’t as frustrating as UberSoldier Two. I don’t have any complaints with this game, to be honest. Though, I wish they made a sequel.
ZPC

ZPC feels like a fever dream that I once questioned myself if I did play this game or if it was just my imagination. Turns out, I have. But is it any good? Sort of. The visuals and cutscenes are the selling point of this game, they feel like they’ve been ripped straight out of a KMFDM album. And speaking of KMFDM, the guy who made the textures for this game went on to make the cover albums for KMFDM as well.

If this doesn’t raise your eyebrows, the game was built on Bungie’s Marathon 2 engine which was used to power other shooters like Damage Incorporated. I’m not sure how accurate this piece of information can be, but ZPC is arguably one of the first cartoonish first-person shooters way before Borderlands and XIII were a thing.

ZPC controls are solid, as is the gameplay overall., but my gripe with this game was the difficulty, and how it doesn’t even show you how to save your progress (which is pressing F11).

It wouldn’t hurt if the game received a GOG release to let people know about this game. God knows who still owns the rights to this IP because information about this title is scarce.

FreeckyCake