Hidden Gem Hunting will accompany me as I search charity shops, car-boot sales & discount stores for cheap video games. I will report my findings back here, once a week. Please bear in mind that these are my first impressions on these games, and are definitely subject to change once I have played them. If it turns out that a hidden gem or a heap of shit is among these, you’ll see a review pop up in the near future and I’ll link it here.

Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict (Xbox) £0.75

At this point, I’m not sure whether to call this a potential hidden gem. The Unreal Tournament series is well known to PC and console gamers alike and I’m a huge fan of UT3 on the PS3. UC2: TLC is the only game in the series that doesn’t have a PC release, and that is what intrigued me. The second entry into the Unreal spin off series, UC2 has a heavy emphasis on melee combat, with a plethora of different melee weapons and even a fatality mechanic to rip your opponent’s limbs off. It can also seamlessly switch between first and third person views whilst in-game and has 4 player local co-op. What more can you really ask for?

Primal (PS2) £0.75

Primal is a game that I’ve had my eye on for quite some time now. This action-adventure game is all about demons and hellish realms. One of it’s main selling points is that it doesn’t feature any loading times, I’m not sure how that’s going to work so I’ll believe it when I see it. There’s a lot of puzzles in the game, and a really fleshed out back-story. It was recently released on the PlayStation Store as a PS2 classic, so I’m looking forward to seeing if it’s deserving of that moniker.

Speed Racer: The Video Game (PS2) £1.50

I’ve never seen the movie and I don’t think I ever will. Speed Racer appeals to me because I love arcade racers. The game has really bright and colorful tracks as well as a vehicular combat mechanic called ‘Car-Fu’. Speed Racer also supports local multiplayer so I’m chomping at the bit to annoy my other half on this game. Unfortunately, as we all know movie tie-ins are generally terrible. This game was released on the PS2 after the PS3 came out and the graphics look reminiscent of a PS1/PSX title. If anything, Speed Racer will give me a couple of hours of mindless fun.

XIII (PS2) £0.50

Pretty much a moving comic book, XIII features a very unique art style. Not only is the game cel-shaded but it also pops out with ARR’s and OOF’s when you hit your enemies. You don’t play as a superhero, you play as a secret agent who has lost all of his memories, and the game follows the protagonist on a journey to remember who he is and why he woke up ridden with bullet holes. I’m more excited to play this FPS for the cracking visuals than anything else, and I’m apprehensive about that being all the game has to offer.

Fuse (PS3) £2.00

Super-cool alien weaponry? Yes please. This third-person shooter from Insomniac games (Spyro, Resistance, Ratchet & Clank) has a lot going for it. A four-player co-op campaign sits in the middle of this package, which is surrounded by innovative weapons and game modes. Fuse was received extremely poorly by critics and players, scoring a 63/100 on Metacritic. I’m still confident that I’ll enjoy this game, especially if I manage to find four local friends to play it with.

Total Spent: £5.50

Pick of the Week: Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict (Xbox)

Sleeper: Primal (PS2)

Most Likely to Suck: Speed Racer: The Video Game (PS2)

Be sure to keep an eye out for reviews of these games to see if they were worth a second look, or worth retracting the first look everyone gave them. Check back next week for five more possibilities.

Sam Marshall

Sam Marshall delves deeper into the darkest depths than any man who dared to tread before him. Some people enjoy a little mind-crushing torture. He is one of them.