I think the actual reason is that they only have a limited presence on consoles, which is what the majority of the English-speaking discourse on games is focused on. The genre also fizzled out in the early 2000s, which doesn’t help.
Trackmania Nations has to be the peak of the series. One aspect that amazes me is that it works equally well with every input method out there. I’ve played this with a keyboard, joystick, gamepad and even steering wheel (although admittedly one without force feedback).
I searched this thread for Gothic II and it was nowhere to be found. This brilliant masterpiece is even getting snubbed from lists of games getting snubbed. It really should be more known. This is a game that makes (no offense) OP’s Fable look like baby’s first RPG. Incredible world building, expert progression, meaningful choices, an entirely skill-based combat system that is basically a proto Dark Souls, so many clever touches everywhere. It’s so well designed, it’s one of few RPGs that credibly crosses into immersive sim territory - that’s how well its systems are connected.
I wouldn’t be surprised if, in just a few years time, pre-AI-era content of all kinds, not just games, ends up becoming cherished by people, to the point that entire fandoms and subcultures develop around preserving and promoting it.
Try Rodina. Very unique and interesting seamless “open solar system” game made by a single developer. Comes with a fun ship interior builder. It looks very bland and dated on screenshots, but feels awe-inspiring to play, creating a sense of scale that I have not seen anywhere else. It feels almost 3D even on a flat screen.
Rodina does not have a ton of actual content, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Also, you can propel yourself around space with a fire extinguisher, which automatically makes this the best space game in history.
Happens to the best of us. Some games are in early access for ages. Vehicle simulation BeamNG.drive comes to mind. The first playable version was released to the public in 2013 and it’s still getting regular updates, just received a major one that overhauls the big truck in the game.
Absolutely, but that’s not how this works anymore and today, the expectation with every multiplayer game and even multiplayer mode is that it’s live-service. The industry has replaced the “natural” skill progression of players with dangling the carrot of permanent (and in my opinion mostly pointless) unlockables in front of their faces at all times.
Is it really? I thought the entire point of this game series was delivering a tightly scripted singleplayer narrative. That’s what attracts people to it. I think the overlap with people looking for some kind of multiplayer shooter is fairly small.