For as long as I’ve been a gamer, games have gone through all kinds of trends and booms. While there are lots of great indie games nowadays, just a few generations ago, it was a miracle to find something interesting outside of the major releases. There were a few games that gained cult classic status, however, thanks to original ideas and unforgettable presentations. With the power of modern ports, these games continue to live on in the Steam catalog, and if you’re curious about them, you can play them all now.
Cult Classic Games You Can Play On Steam
Obviously, your precise definition of “cult classic” may differ from mine or others. I’ve certainly got my share of games I know are never getting a port. However, thanks to fan demand and publisher interest, you can play these five much-lauded games on your PC:
- Okami HD
- Killer7
- Metal Wolf Chaos XD
- Katamari Damacy Reroll
- Psychonauts
Related: How to fix Steam Error e502 I3
Okami HD
During the sixth generation of game consoles, Capcom and its subsidiaries were experimenting with all kinds of new and interesting game ideas. One of those subsidiaries, Clover Studios, alumni of which would go on to form Platinum Games, created Okami, an adventure game in the style of traditional Japanese sumi-e art.
Take the role of the sun goddess Amaterasu, incarnating as a sacred white wolf, and protect the Ryoshima Coast from dark demons. Draw on the world with the Celestial Brush to attack enemies and solve puzzles with environmental phenomena.
Killer7
A longtime auteur of the game industry, Goichi Suda, better known as Suda51, has created some of the most far-out productions in gaming history. One of the most bizarrely fascinating is his seminal work, Killer7, a game that to this day defies traditional classification.
It’s a shooter, technically, but it’s also a puzzle and exploration game set against a backdrop of political intrigue and supernatural mystery. The story has the kind of distinctly off-kilter presentation you’d expect in a Quentin Tarantino movie.
Metal Wolf Chaos XD
When you think of FromSoftware, you probably think of games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring, right? Indeed, that’s what they’re known for nowadays, but before they hit it big, FromSoftware released a game called Metal Wolf Chaos, your popcorn movie dreams brought to life.
Originally a Japan-exclusive release, this game places you in the role of the President of the United States, who pilots a giant mech suit to save his country from a coup d’etat. It’s high-octane action all the way through and must be seen to be believed.
Katamari Damcy Reroll
Back in 2004, seemingly out of nowhere, Bandai Namco (Namco Bandai at the time) released a mysterious game called Katamari Damacy. Nobody knew where it came from or why, but as word of mouth spread, it became an instant classic.
As the Prince of All Cosmos, you roll your Katamari around the world, picking up objects and creatures and steadily growing in size until you’re big enough to grab entire countries. The simple, addicting gameplay loop is bolstered by colorful art and an absolute banger of a soundtrack.
Psychonauts
The very first game released by Double Fine following Tim Schafer’s departure from LucasArts in 2000, Psychonauts remains one of the most creative adventure platformers ever created (and one of my personal favorite games). It underperformed in its initial sales, but thanks to enduring fan support, it finally got a sequel over a decade later.
Take on the role of young Raz, a circus runaway with incredible psychic powers, as he trains to be an international mentalist super spy at a bizarre summer camp. Enter the minds of those around you and explore their mental landscapes, unraveling a world-ending plot to leave the world brainless.
These are all phenomenal games, and if you missed them in their heydays, then there’s no better time than now to get on the bandwagon. Just don’t start hoping for sequels, because they probably aren’t getting them any time soon.
