Tomb Raider Legend

The original Tomb Raider trilogy is one that has remained relevant through generations, and a lot of that praise could be credited to the constant innovation that the developers had done to each game back then. However, Tomb Raider Legend proudly stands above the trilogy thanks to an excellent amalgamation of brain-tickling puzzles, thrilling chases, and challenging platforming segments that never fail to keep you entertained throughout its run. If you had to experience just a globe-trotting adventure on the PS2, it definitely has to be this one.

]]> 620873 https://gamingbolt.com/15-amazing-single-player-games-that-deserved-better Mon, 21 Apr 2025 12:13:05 +0000 https://gamingbolt.com/?p=616713 It’s often said that time heals all wounds. This adage clearly doesn’t apply to every game (looking at you, Concord), but plenty of cult classics age better with time. Whether it’s poor review scores upon release or being launched in between heavy hitters, some games just get woefully overlooked. There’s also a class of games that remain controversial or just never got off the ground sales-wise for one reason or another. We’ll be taking a look at single player titles in particular that just couldn’t catch a ‘break’ from players despite their high quality. Join us as we reminisce over the top 15 great single player games players haven’t been kind to.

Mass Effect 3

Bring up the topic of video game endings, and Mass Effect 3 will undoubtedly be mentioned. As the grand finale of a trilogy that honored hundreds of player decisions, Mass Effect 3’s outro felt incredibly lackluster and underwhelming. Heck, many 10-hour games contain more branching conclusions than ME3. But ME3 has a heart of gold that can get overlooked. Some of the most memorable highlights in the entire saga take place within the third game. Mordin has perhaps the most heroic moment of the series, and a hefty amount of story threads get a satisfying resolution. For players who were appalled by the simplistic ‘crayola coloring’ endings, it really is the journey and not the destination that makes Mass Effect 3 so spectacularly special.

1. Mass Effect 3’s Endings

The biggest innovation the Mass Effect trilogy gave to the industry was its consequential choices affecting the events of its sequels. You could kill off beloved characters, and even have access to exclusive quests tied to specific choices. But all of that brilliant branching narrative comes crashing down when Shepard activates the Crucible to destroy the Reapers at the finale of Mass Effect 3.

Players are presented with three endings, all color-coded and nearly identical to each other. Sure, the outcomes of the endings are different, but the scenes that accompany them show the same dramatic sequence with some very slight alterations. Mass Effect 3’s illusion of choice is presented to you by the Star Child character, a shoehorned projection that pops up out of nowhere. The endings of Mass Effect 3 feel so cheap and inconsequential that many fans refuse to play through the trilogy again because of them, despite how excellent the games themselves are.

Phalanx Colossus Battle – Shadow of the Colossus

When we think of giant boss battles, Shadow of the Colossus usually comes to mind first. The only surprising thing about this entry is the specific colossus chosen. Sure, the final Malus colossus stands out as the culmination of Wander’s journey, but we’ve got to give it to the flying Phalanx. Just look at the size of this majestic colossus in comparison to all the other colossi in the game. Its length grasps the edges of any photo it’s in, taking up more mileage than all the other colossi by a considerable margin. And let’s not forget that you’re taking down this colossus, like the rest, all alone using a magical sword and some remarkable climbing ability. The fight itself remains one of the most memorable in gaming as you fly atop the giant flying serpent in battle. Malus may be the tallest and final boss of the game, but Phalanx remains the most memorable and awe-inspiring.

It could be a big-budget title or the port for a classic, some legendary titles have been downright horrible on PC. Let’s look at 15 of them here.

Dead Space Remake

Despite its greatness, Motive Studio’s Dead Space Remake had serious issues when launching on PC. There are the usual stutters and major performance issues at 4K resolution. Unfortunately, DLSS makes things worse due to iffy Variable Rate Shading, which is baked in, causing environments with shadows (read: a huge chunk of the game) to look muddy. Performance has improved with patches, but some players are still reporting frame drops and even freezes.

According to Windows Central’s Jez Corden, Konami is also planning on announcing a Metal Gear Solid Classic Collection soon- potentially next month, though where exactly the announcement will be made remains to be seen. According to Corden, the collection will include remastered versions of the original Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

It’s also been claimed that the remastered collection, similar to the aforementioned Metal Gear Solid 3 remake, will be multiplatform. Given how old these three games are, does that mean it will launch for the Nintendo Switch as well? That remains to be seen.

Either way, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of a remastered Metal Gear Solid collection, with reports earlier in the year also claiming that the same was being considered behind the scenes at Konami.

That’s as per actor Quinton Flynn, who voiced the character Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Responding to a tweet from a fan inquiring about the possibility of a Metal Gear Rising sequel being announced in the near future, Flynn recently said, “Stay tuned for things to be announced in the coming weeks.” Cheekily, he followed the message up with a winky emoji. Check out his tweet below, or a screenshot of it through here, in case the tweet gets deleted.

Reports have claimed for over a year that Konami is preparing to revive Metal Gear, with a ground-up remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater allegedly in development at Virtuos. Several subsequent reports have added fuel to that fire- though of course, Flynn would be unlikely to voice Raiden in that project, since the character isn’t part of the game’s story. Whether that means there are multiple Metal Gear projects in the works, similar to Silent Hill, remains to be seen.

Interestingly, veteran Metal Gear producer Noriaki Okamura recently said that Konami will be making “long awaited” announcements in 2023. Leaks have also claimed that Sony will be announcing new third party content soon.

https://twitter.com/quintonflynn/status/1615284297056788481

#10. METAL GEAR

This was back when the series was finding its feet, so it’s not surprising that in the many years since it came out, the original Metal Gear has been surpassed by essentially all of its successors. The game’s post-credits sequence was, as the game itself was, simple and to-the-point. Metal Gear ends with Solid Snake seemingly killing off Big Boss and leaving Outer Heaven, but after its credits have rolled, the game reveals that Big Boss is still alive, and has vowed revenge against Solid Snake.

Konami recently revealed its plans for the upcoming Tokyo Game Show 2022, which include the announcement of a new game in a “world-loved series”. Naturally, the assumption that many first jumped to was that the company will be announcing one of those aforementioned franchise revivals, one of which is allegedly a Metal Gear Solid 3 remake.

However, according to leaker Dusk Golem over on ResetEra, Konami’s TGS 2022 announcement is going to be for remasters of Metal Gear Solid 1, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Metal Gear Solid 3. It’s claimed that the remasters are headed to all platforms (PC and consoles), and will be purchasable separately. Those who purchase them together, however, will allegedly also get the original Metal Gear 1 and 2 for free.

Meanwhile, in its own report, VGC has also claimed that Konami is unlikely to unveil any of its bigger projects at TGS 2022, and is likely saving those announcement for more global events later on in the year.

In November of last year, Konami announced that Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 were being temporarily delisted from platforms as it worked on “renewing the licenses for select historical archive footage used in-game.” Earlier this year, the company said it is preparing to resume sales of the delisted titles, but hasn’t provided further updates since then.

THE LAST OF US PART 2

The Last of Us Part 2’s standout higher difficulty settings didn’t arrive until after the game’s launch, but anyone who enjoyed the game’s mechanics and wants to engage with them on a deeper level should go back and experience it that way at least once. With harder enemies, scarcer resources, Listen mode and several HUD elements being disabled, and more, Grounded mode is a grueling trek through The Last of Us Part 2’s post-apocalypse- while the option to turn permadeath on brings even more intensity to an already intense experience.