5 cool underrated games

There's nothing worse than dropping money on a bad video game. But what about the opposite—the games you didn't expect much from that turned out to be an incredible adventure? It is possible to find one of these gems buried in the mountain of bargain bin games.

These five underrated games sold poorly, were undeservingly slammed by the critics, or simply fell between the cracks for no good reason at all.

Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna

One of the most accessible and addictive action role-playing games lets players step into a 3-D fantasy world by taking control of a traveling troupe that fights evil with might and magic. The game takes place across huge outdoor and indoor levels but unlike many games, doesn't force you to wait for multiple-load screens when entering new areas. The Legends of Aranna expansion pack includes the full version of the original Dungeon Siege plus an all-new campaign on the mysterious island of Utrae. You'll also find new story elements, gameplay features, characters, enemies, spells, and weapons.

No One Lives Forever Mega Mix

This action-adventure hybrid stayed on the store shelves for months before word caught on about its level of freshness and fun. Now a cult classic, the over-the-top gameplay in No One Lives Forever combines the wry humor and silly villains from 1960s spy films with tactical action played from a first-person perspective. Gamers assume the role of Cate Archer, a.k.a. "The Operative," who must take down a criminal organization with weapons, gadgets, and, most of all, savoir-faire. This "Mega Mix" demo mission, should you choose to accept it, includes four single-player levels and two multiplayer maps.

Command & Conquer Generals

Armchair generals glued to CNN, it's time to put your mouse where your remote is. The new Command & Conquer (C&C) puts players in charge of one of three warring factions. C&C Generals is in true 3-D and comes with plenty of solo and multiplayer options. The game plays out in real time, so gamers must make decisions and execute them without pausing the action. The single-player campaign is spread across 23 missions, but those who prefer live opponents can log on to the Internet to play online.

Wizardry 8

Veteran role-playing game (RPG) enthusiasts may know that it has been 20 years since the first Wizardry computer game and 10 years since the last. Now, Wizardry 8, in all likelihood the final game in the coveted fantasy series, has cast a spell on PC players once again—that is, for those who know it exists. Though it suffers from a few technical bugs, Wizardry 8 is a deep and challenging RPG that pits a band of skilled fighters against the Dark Savant, who has escaped with a powerful artifact said to contain the secret of life. Pick your traveling party members, travel through exotic locations, and take on mandatory missions and optional side quests. Combat utilizes a phased, turn-based system, with each character taking turns attacking the enemies onscreen.

The Neverhood

Mention The Neverhood to anyone who has played the game and chances are you'll evoke a childish ear-to-ear grin out of the gamer. The problem is, said gamer will be hard to find since this award-winning 1996 title sold roughly 41,000 units (according to the marketing organization NPD Group). The Neverhood was created by animation masters at DreamWorks Interactive who used "claymation"—that mesmerizing stop-motion animation with clay characters and environments. The goal is to lead a cute little guy though many wild puzzles and environments. Zany music and sound effects add to the fun.