3 Awesome Under-the-Radar Games You Don’t Want to Miss

Let’s be honest, the big releases that kicked off 2023, like the remake of Dead Space and Hogwart’s Legacy, stole a lot of limelight, and rightfully so. However, with every notable release period, a handful of games tend to slip under the radar. But, we’ve got our hands on some of the smaller yet exciting releases of the month to highlight why you should check out the following games:

Clive ‘n’ Wrench

Available on: PS5 | Xbox Series X/S | PS4 | Xbox One | Switch | PC

A true lover-letter to the 90s and 2000s era of 3D platformers, Clive ‘n’ Wrench is a homage to the likes of Ratchet and Clank, Crash Bandicoot, Banjo Kazooie, and others. It’s full of movie spoofs, pun-packed dialogue, and some tongue-in-cheek humour that will be appreciated by those familiar with the innuendos and self-referential jokes of that genre.

The game revolves around a rabbit (Clive) and his sidekick monkey (Wrench), as they have to track down ancient stones to foil a plan by Dr. Daucus. 3D platformers are made or broken by their level design, and Clive ‘n’ Wrench does a great job at throwing you into some bizarre and varied levels thanks to its time-jumping storyline. You’ll hop and fight your way through ancient Rome, a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids-inspired level, and the obligatory snow level, amongst others, which are all great.

As for the actual jumping and collectin’ stuff, the game does a good job at making you feel agile and giving you the abilities to get to those hard-to-reach places. There’s a lot of collecting and scavenging items in order to unlock boss doors and progress, and some fun smaller side-stories, like reuniting a badger with his lost children.

Admittedly, the game does suffer from some small technical hiccups, the swimming controls are not great, and you’ll often have to wrestle with a few slow-turning camera on occasions. But, with that said, games like these are few and far between these days, and these bugs don’t hurt an otherwise fun adventure too bad. If you can look past some of the rougher edges, Clive ‘n’ Wrench is a damn good time for yesteryear platformer fans.

Scars Above

Available on: PS5 | Xbox Series X/S | PS4 | Xbox One | PC

There have been a few sci-fi shooters in recent times, but Scars Above looks to offer something a little different, being a third-person, narrative-heavy experience that also requires some quick-timing and tactics to beat some gnarly aliens.

Playing as astronaut scientist Dr. Kate Ward (yeah, a real overachiever), you have to come to use your wits combined with some powerful weaponry to exploit weak points of creatures and uncover what happened to your crew.

The game itself is pretty linear in its design which works well for its focus on story, and also makes it stand out amongst some of the more overwhelming games out there. Speaking of, the plot is one of the game’s strongest points and the mystery surrounding the events become a real carrot-on-a-stick to keep you shooting your way to the end.

Scars Above is a confident, direct, and really solid third-person shooter, and while we love a good side-quest, also having a game that directs its focus and delivers something that’s familiar — along with interesting gameplay twists, a compelling story, and clever visual design — is much appreciated in today’s market.

Like a Dragon: Ishin!

Available on: PS5 | PC

It’s bizarre to think of anything associated with the fan-beloved Yakuza series that would ever be considered ‘under the radar’, but given Like a Dragon: Ishin is a remake of a spin-off, it does seem to be slipping beneath the limelight, despite the original having a cult-like following.

Like a Dragon: Ishin uses the foundation of the tried-and-tested whacky but brilliant Yakuza gameplay to tell a story in ancient Japan, where you take control of a samurai Sakamoto Ryoma, a real-life historical figure credited with leading Japan to a major reformation; however, he takes the character takes the face model of Kiryu from the Yazkua titles, as a little nod to the game’s big-brother series.

So, Like a Dragon: Ishin has some historical weight behind it, but it still retains the over-the-top chaos that the mainline series is known for. Crazy street brawls, tough boss fights, and abilities, like calling an attack-bear out of nowhere (yeah, a bear, or a tiger), will make up most of your time in the game. The combat is incredibly fun, and switching between a number of different fighting styles (some of which use a handgun in combination with a samurai sword) is really enjoyable to experiment with.

There are a host of other mini-games and side-quests to indulge in, but the moment-to-moment story and combat gameplay are really the highlights of Like a Dragon: Ishin, and should be experienced by anyone looking for an old-school brawler with some serious style.