Some titles are lambasted in their time for one reason or another, but have since found favor with audiences and modern critics. Such situations typically do not follow the same path as movies, books, or albums that were hated upon release and eventually found love.
There is usually an objective goodness to game mechanics and controls most reviews see and appreciate. With this in mind, these selections are here for a variety of reasons. Some are online games with humble beginnings, while others were bogged down by technical issues that reviewers could not look past while fans could.
10 Alien Resurrection
While most modern audiences still consider this game simply average even for the time, Alien Resurrection famously received a terrible review from GameSpot based on its dual analog control scheme, calling it nearly unplayable. The game was ultimately ahead of the curve, as Halo: Combat Evolved would popularize the console FPS control scheme less than two years later. Alien: Resurrection walked so future FPS games could truly run on consoles.
9 No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky was hyped by the press up to its release for an ambitious promise to present a truly endless universe for players to explore. The game lived up to its word, it just turned out exploring a vast galaxy with little direction is dull for some. Thankfully, developer Hello Games continued to tinker with their project until there was more to do than players could possibly contend with. Now it is one of the most unique and interesting living games on the market.
8 Harvester
Harvester is weird, even when compared to other ‘90s FMV adventure games. The macabre and esoteric narrative is meant as a commentary on violence within the medium, though mostly ends up being a prime example of it rather than saying anything important. Reviews were mixed upon release, but it now lives on as a cult classic. Playing it today reveals a lot of dated mechanics, but its memory is more prevalent today than most of its peers.
7 Alpha Protocol
Obsidian is noted for narrative-driven RPGs like Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds. They tried to bring this same formula to a modern spy thriller with Alpha Protocol.
They succeeded, but most reviews at the time bemoaned the poor shooting controls and stealth mechanics. However, fans of the developer pushed through the undeniably stale action for a gripping espionage story where players’ actions influence the flow of events.
6 Sea Of Thieves
Since Rare has become a Microsoft studio, they have tried their hand at numerous genres. Sea of Thieves was their foray into massively multiplayer gaming. Players take the role of pirates as they team up with others to explore the high seas while contending with less friendly players. Early reviews praised the content while bemoaning the lack of content, a sentiment early purchasers echoed. Fortunately, Sea of Thieves is in a much better state these days.
5 Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter World was so incredibly beloved, it is difficult to imagine a time when critics did not receive the series with open arms. However, the original game is more complicated and nuanced than other JRPGs. Because of this, its critical score floated somewhere below average, while players were significantly kinder. Fortunately, consumers are the ones paying money for it, so their love of the product got sequels made until Monster Hunter World broke into the mainstream.
4 Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
Any ire Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines earned upon release was justly earned. The developer perhaps bit off more they could chew, resulting in an incredibly buggy product only made smoother through fan patches. Fortunately, the community kept the game alive and spread the word, turning this RPG into a cult classic. Its legacy was prominent enough to will a sequel into existence, which is due out sometime in 2021.
3 Deadly Premonition
Deadly Premonition has some nasty technical issues, especially on the PS3. It is a critic’s duty to report these and consider them when assigning a review score. Fans would be lying if they said jank was completely absent from Deadly Premonition. However, they’d also be lying if they said it was not one of the most intriguing and mind-boggling narratives in modern gaming. Unfortunately, not even the weirdness could save Deadly Premonition 2 from universal hatred.
2 Final Fantasy XIV
Coming off the massive success of Final Fantasy XI, Square Enix perhaps had some hubris coming into their next MMO, Final Fantasy XIV. It ran on the Crystal Tools engine and looked great, but it lacked many modern MMORPG conventions and was hindered by technical issues.
Fortunately, Square acknowledged their misstep and went about completely rebuilding the game as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, which salvaged the title and became one of the most celebrated MMORPGs.
1 Demon’s Souls
Demon’s Souls had a notoriously underwhelming showing at Tokyo Game Show before it released to little fanfare. However, as a few gamers discovered its unique genius, they started spreading the word. The title eventually spawned Dark Souls and ended up being one of the most celebrated and influential games of the century so far. With a remake coming out as a PlayStation 5 launch title, a whole new generation of gamers will be able to experience this classic.
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