With so few good new titles being released these days, especially by major studios, I figured I'd make a thread for everyone to share your favourite classic or older games, especially if they're lesser-known titles that others might have missed at the time.
I'll open with The Saboteur (2009), Mercenaries (2005) and Saints Row 2 ( The 2008 original)
Jade Cocoon is still the best creature capture game ever made, and one of the few that came out around Pokemon so it dodged any amount of influence from that one. It perfectly shows that you can have a "dark, deep" story in a creature game without it being cringe or segregating Mechanics from Story, and that even the minorest options (fusion eugenics) can create more replayability than 900 Mons in your dex. The sequel is also really good, but so different its hardly comparable other than some reused creatures and the MC of the first being a major character.
The Suffering is absolutely one of the best horror titles ever released, and shows that you don't need to be "helpless" to still be terrified as so many others demand you do. It also managed to implement a morality system that not only effects gameplay more than just "blue or red" by changing how loot works and how your powers develop depending on your devotion to one side, but also the story itself massively changes depending on what your morality is. Not just the story unfolding, but the literal backstory itself and the sequel has unique endings, scenes and plot points for every possible combination (Neutral in 1 then Evil in 2 for example).