With each generation of consoles, there are the expected exclusive franchises. PlayStation has Gears Of War. Fans expect those games to come out for each new generation while others seem to have been left in the past.
From their original consoles to the current generations, Sony and Microsoft each have released games for their consoles that despite good receptions, faded into obscurity. These range from entries within famous franchises to one-offs that never got the chance to expand.
Xbox
Dance Central
Overall, Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360 and Xbox One was a fun but failed experiment. There are some hidden gems for the Kinect, one of them being Dance Central. It was one of the few games where the Kinect worked almost flawlessly and helped provide a good workout as well as fun.
It featured many catchy party songs that forced the player to move. There was no cheating through dancing which also made for some levity during parties. Dance Central went on to have several sequels that are also worth checking out because they just took what worked and improved upon it.
Jade Empire
BioWare has practically become a household name for gamers due to classic Hong Kong martial arts films of the past.
Released for the original Xbox, Jade Empire mixes the morality and dialogue decisions that BioWare is known for with a unique martial arts RPG combat system. Metacritic gave Jade Empire an 89 rating with Eurogamer rating it an 8/10. However, where other BioWare properties became massive franchises, Jade Empire remained a solo venture.
ReCore (2016)
From the movement of the main character Joule to the color-coded ammo types, ReCore was in many ways a spiritual successor to the Jak & Daxter games. It mixed 3D platforming with action in an open world that featured many puzzles to solve to progress.
ReCore was a big deal for Xbox because it was supposed to be this new IP for Xbox One but sadly, it did not become a franchise. It did gain a cult following through Xbox Game with the Definitive Edition seeing mostly positive reviews.
The Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay
Often considered one of the best movie-licensed games, The Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay acts as a canon prequel to Pitch Black. It further expanded the Riddick universe with Vin Diesel and Cole Ha providing the voices for their respective characters.
Escape From Butcher Bay was released for the original Xbox and proved to be an innovative shooter that mixed action and stealth. In many ways, it paved the way for a lot of games including Batman: Arkham Asylum, which features a similar concept.
Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon
Point-and-click adventure games are not for everyone but the Broken Sword games certainly have a fanbase with five games from 1996 to 2013. The third title, Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon embraced a different style more akin to Grim Fandango at the time.
The common condenses for The Sleeping Dragon is that it may not be the best Broken Sword game but it is still a worthy sequel. It retains the head-scratching puzzles and manages to update the gameplay for the modern era without straying too far from the style that the series is known for.
Playstation
Wipeout 3
The Wipeout games were a racing franchise that never got the same time in the spotlight as unique racers on the original PlayStation.
Of the original trilogy on the PS1, Wipeout 3 was praised for its tight controls and smooth visuals thus earning it an 89 rating on Metacritic. For many, it was considered the most accessible of the franchise before Wipeout: The Omega Collection was released for PS4.
Castlevania: Lament Of Innocence
The long line of Castlevania games features one of the most convoluted timelines in gaming and there are so many that it's easy for some to fade into obscurity. Castlevania: Lament Of Innocence is the story that tells the origins of both the Belmont family and the evil Dracula.
It swapped to a more hack-and-slash style of gameplay akin to the original God Of War but still keeping many Metroidvania elements. This earliest story in the timeline would be praised by both fans and critics alike but after the follow-up with Curse Of Darkness, this style of Castlevania would be forgotten.
Clock Tower (1996)
The original Clock Tower was part of the survival horror craze of the 90s that was very much ahead of its time in the genre. However, it was only released in Japan while its sequel was released internationally as the first game in the series, creating confusion for some.
Clock Tower fits in the same survival horror style asSilent Hill was much slower paced, focusing on atmosphere and puzzle-solving. However, Clock Tower was praised for its randomly generated horror instances, especially with the villainous Scissorman. Due to the comparisons to the more successful Resident Evil and Silent Hill series, Clock Tower remained a cult series.
Jak X: Combat Racing
The Jak & Daxter is one of many 3D platforming franchises that defined the PlayStation 2 era for Sony alongside Spyro Crash Bandicoot. Most the first three games fondly but they also tend to forget that there was a fourth game that was essentially a mix of Crash Team Racing and Twisted Metal.
With a plethora of racers, vehicles, customizations, modes, and racecourses to choose from, it's a shame that Jak X: Combat Racing was drowned out by other famous racers. Jak X balances all of its modes including a story campaign leading to favorable reviews but like the Jak franchise itself, it faded away.
Resistance 3
For a while, it seemed like Resistance was going to be Sony's answer to Gears Of War as it too was a franchise about a post-apocalyptic world fighting extraterrestrial invaders. However, it would seem that Gears Of War won since there hasn't been a new Resistance title since Resistance 3.
Similar to Fallout, Resistance 3 continued to mix a period piece with the 1950s setting with a sci-fi twist. With nothing but love from fans for its strong mix of first-person shooter action and horror, it's surprising that Resistance seemed to die off with no reports of a sequel. As a result, many gamers have forgotten that the Resistance trilogy even exists.
