When Netflix first started to grow in popularity, the gaming industry took notice and hoped that full-priced games would be ditched in favor of subscription services. Such subscription services have come to fruition in recent years, with Microsoft's value-for-money Game Pass currently leading the way. It isn't just the green brand that has a subscription service, however, as Sony boasts its own in the form of PS Now.

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PS Now may not have as many day one releases as Game Pass, though it has amassed a fantastic collection of games over the years, including a ton of underrated gems from the PlayStation 3 era.

8 Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time

sly cooper perching thieves in time

When people talk about the Sly Cooper series today, they tend to only speak about the PlayStation 2 trilogy, while the PS3's Thieves In Time is disregarded.

This is a great shame, as Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time is a fantastic entry in the series that continues the franchise's unique trend of balancing the juxtaposing action-platforming and stealth genres. Sure, Thieves In Time didn't implement too many significant innovations to the series, but it's one of the best entries in the Sly Cooper franchise to play today, and it still looks spectacular almost ten years since its initial release.

7 Sonic Unleashed

Sonic standing outside a house

When the first trailers for Sonic Unleashed were released, there were a lot of moans and groans from the Sonic fanbase, who largely dismissed the new "Werehog" mechanic as a gimmick and felt that the series was straying too far from its roots. Moreover, the Sonic franchise's stock was still at an all-time low in 2008, following the disastrous release of Sonic The Hedgehog two years prior.

These skepticisms largely subsided once the game was released, however, as Sonic Unleashed provides one of the best 3D Sonic adventures to this day, with a fantastic set of platforming levels and an enjoyable range of beat 'em up stages that provide a nice change of pace.

6 Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds

Woman about to tee off

Golf has a rich history in the gaming industry. One of the key reasons for this is that golf is suited for both the arcade and simulation styles of sports games, thanks to a range of popular gameplay mechanics that suit gold like 3-click swing, analog stick swing, and motion control.

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Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds is very much on the Mario Golf side of the golfing spectrum than the Tiger Woods: PGA Tour one, as it's willing to throw realism out the window to emphasise a fun experience with beautiful courses, charismatic characters, and simple yet engrossing gameplay.

5 MotorStorm: Apocalypse

Car racing, approaching a breaking bridge

MotorStorm: Apocolypse was released exclusively on PlayStation 3 in 2011 by Sony Computer Entertainment, while the development was handled by Evolution Studios. The game was the fourth and penultimate entry in the MotorStorm series, with only MotorStorm: RC coming after it.

The game continued the series' tradition of letting players choose from a wide range of vehicles types, from powerful monster trucks all the way down to small motorbikes, offering a great range of playstyles. Unfortunately, MotorStorm: Apocolypse was criticized upon release for being too similar to Split/Second and for lacking innovation from previous entries. The game is certainly worth playing today, though, as its similarities to other games have been lost in time, and it's easily one of the most enjoyable racers on the PS now platform.

4 Civilization Revolution

Settlers selected in Civilization Revolution

Civilization Revolution was always going to be fighting an uphill battle, as anyone who had played a Civilization game previously knew how perfectly suited the series was for PC gaming. Further pre-release criticisms were directed at the game when trailers dropped, as the game received the unfortunate tag of being a "dumbed-down" version of the strategy franchise.

When the game was eventually released, it was clear that Civilization Revolution was far from being dumbed down. Granted, it simplified the series' gameplay to suit the PS3 and Xbox 360, but it still offers an excellent level of depth that makes every campaign a thoroughly enjoyable and challenging experience. Furthermore, the streamlined nature of the game makes it a nice alternative to the PC versions, ideal for when players want a more casual strategy experience.

3 Tales of Monkey Island

Guybrush Threepwood locked down in Tales of Monkey Island

From one classic PC franchise to another, LucasArts' The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge are still considered by many to be two of the best graphic adventures of all time. Unfortunately, the once-beloved point and click genre fell sharply out of relevancy in the late 90s, predominantly due to a lack of innovation and a notorious reputation for moon logic.

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Because of this, and because Telltale Games were still relatively unknown to mainstream audiences in 2009, Tales of Monkey Island flew under the radar. This is a great shame, as Tales of Monkey Island features some of the funniest dialog in the entire series, along with an excellent overall narrative.

2 Brink

Brink title art with characters fighting

Like any game that is released by Bethesda, there were a ton of expectations on Brink's shoulders prior to its release. Unfortunately, the game failed to impress in 2011, and the once highly anticipated title was swiftly forgotten about and began filling discount shelves.

Many people thought that Brink would never be spoken about again, though its name has started to re-emerge in recent years. This is largely due to hugely successful character shooters like Overwatch that, surprisingly, have a lot of similarities to Brink. The 2011 game's fast-paced gameplay, small sets of teams, and deep character lore have become popular features of modern shooters, and Brink has aged extremely well because of it.

1 Spec Ops: The Line

Spec Ops: The Line loading screen

When Spec Ops: The Line was first announced, many people dismissed the game as being yet another Call of Duty: Modern Warfare clone. This wasn't helped when people first started playing it, as the gameplay is fairly run of the mill and lacks innovation.

Those who persisted with Spec Ops: The Line were rewarded, however, as the game offers one of the most emotionally charged, hard-hitting storylines in the shooter genre that takes a look at the human and moral aspects of war.

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