For this list, I wanted to pick some underrated games that are easily obtainable and can be found for a good price. The list is in no particular order.

1. Spec Ops: The Line

My first impression of “Spec Ops” was that it was a generic third-person military shooter game. After a while, it becomes clear that the story is going places that these games never go. It’s hard to talk about the story without getting into spoilers, but this game shares similarities with works like “Apocalypse Now’ and “Heart of Darkness.” The game questions the role of the player and main character as you charge through waves of death and trauma. While the gameplay isn’t anything special, the story makes for one my favorite military stories in all of fiction.

2. Metro 2033

After a nuclear holocaust, the remaining survivors go underground to live in the metro tunnels underneath Moscow. “Metro” does a great job of building a unique and interesting post-apocalyptic world. The gameplay is challenging and combat has a weighted feel that fits the mood of the setting. By the end of the game, you’ll be fully immersed in the world.

3. The Legacy of Kain (series)

Most games in the late ’90s didn’t focus on story and writing the same way “The Legacy of Kain” games did. The story is full of vampires, ancient prophecies and time travel and while it can get very confusing at times, the writing is on par with some of the best fiction novels out there. The voice acting is also great and it enhances the entire experience. The story of Kain and Raziel is an epic myth told over five games. While the gameplay in earlier titles feels dated, the story makes it more than worth it.

4. Sleeping Dogs

“Sleeping Dogs” is modeled after movies like “Hard Boiled” and “Enter the Dragon.” You play as Wei Shen, an undercover cop who infiltrates the Sun On Yee triad in Hong Kong. The action is fun and varied as it switches between gunfights, fistfights and wars on the road. The setting of Hong Kong feels authentic and the story is a solid crime drama that does a great job of showing Wei Shen’s inner struggle as he goes further into the triad.

5. Mad Max (2015)

“Fury Road” was one of the most loved movies of 2015. Later that year a game that’s loosely based on the movie came out and no one seemed to care. “Mad Max” shines in its car combat. Throughout the game, you will unlock parts and cars that you can use in the open world. The sound of screaming engines and the sight of explosions and flying shrapnel fit the “Mad Max” setting very well. Hunting down upgrades and using them to destroy enemy vehicles is a blast.

Ulises Duenas can be reached at [email protected] or @OrionUlisesD on Twitter.