10 Good Games That Flopped in Sales How do you feel about this list?

havoc00

havoc00

Member



10. Blur
9. The Evil Within 2
8. Mario and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
7. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
6. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
5. Gravity Rush 2
4. Sunset Overdrive
3. Vampire the Masquerade
2. The Wonderful 101
1. Prey

Bonus:
-Earthbound
-Conkers Bad Fur Day
-System Shock 2
 
I tried to like Prey, but I personally found the little enemies too annoying and the bigger ones visually boring.

I understand why people love it, though.
 
It's funny how Earthbound has jumped so much in popularity and basically become a genre defining classic in the modern day when back in its original release nobody cared and thought it was weird.

Sunset Overdrive as well, it's just amazing in terms of combat and movement. We need more fast paced games like it with a style and art direction that sticks with you.
 
Last edited:
kanjobazooie said:
I tried to like Prey, but I personally found the little enemies too annoying and the bigger ones visually boring.

I understand why people love it, though.
Click to expand...
I think the main issue with that game for you was that there wasn't enough mice to chase down.

Have you considered playing any of the Mickey Mouse games? I think you'll enjoy those the most.
 
Last edited:
Vampire had it's fun but also had it's issues, and it was kinda busted and niche. I never thought it would sell well. I'm not talking about Bloodlines, I'm talking about the original.

Sunset Overdrive: Yawn

Gravity Rush 2: Requires you to already be invested in the story of the first game which came out on the Vita before the remaster on PS4. Didn't grab me and was a tedious start.

Sparks of Hope: Completely ruined a great formula right from the start of the game. Huge disappointment.
 
Doom 64 2 (Doom Absolution) was planned at some point but Doom 64 didn't sell well enough.
 
Last edited:
havoc00 said:



10. Blur
9. The Evil Within 2
8. Mario and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
7. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
6. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
5. Gravity Rush 2
4. Sunset Overdrive
3. Vampire the Masquerade
2. The Wonderful 101
1. Prey

Bonus:
-Earthbound
-Conkers Bad Fur Day
-System Shock 2
Click to expand...

Interesting list. Of these, I've completed The Evil Within 2, Conker, and Prey. And I've dabbled in Pillars of Eternity, Enslaved, Sunset Overdrive, Gravoty Rush 2, and Vampire the Masquerade.

The ones I completed, I'm obviously a fan and wish they'd get sequels. Prey is an all-time classic, hurt by launch performance issues and lackluster reviews from reviewers who were salty they didn't get advance copies or didn't know how to play an immersive sim.

For the dabblers, they weren't my cup of tea or I wasn't in the right headspace.

I'd like to revisit Vampire the Masquerade at some point as it has the most vocal cult following. The others? Not so much.
 
Elder Legend said:
I think the main issue with game for you was that there wasn't enough mice to chase down.
Click to expand...
Wherever kanjobazooie goes, raunchy mouse jokes will follow. He can't escape from his past

Elder Legend said:
Have you considered playing any of the Mickey Mouse games?
Click to expand...
I know this is a joke but Mickey Mania and the castle of illusion remake are actually really good.
The Ducktales remake (and original) are also platforming classics.
 
Last edited:
64bitmodels said:
Wherever kanjobazooie goes, raunchy mouse jokes will follow.


I know this is a joke but Mickey Mania and the castle of illusion remake are actually really good.
The Ducktales remake (and original) are also platforming classics.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that game does look good. Too bad it's on Switch only. Dumb decision.
 
Blur really hurts. That game was such a blast 😓 The list is incomplete though, Titanfall 2 deserves the no1 spot
Sad Cartoon GIF
 
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, was phenomenal.

I can only hope BG3 permits a CRPG resurgeance and more players give it a chance. It's nearly as good as BG3 IMO.
 
Tried Prey after playing and love Deathloop (my first Arkane game). Definitely had that great DNA in it though it just didn't click with for whatever reason.
 
Elder Legend said:
Yeah, that game does look good. Too bad it's on Switch only. Dumb decision.
Click to expand...
Not sure which you're talking about in specific but all the games I listed are available on modern platforms.
Ducktales NES and Mickey Mania can be emulated, and the Steam Pages for castle of illusion and Ducktales remastered are here


 
Evil Within 2 is so much better than first one. I finished it good 3 times. It's one of my favs. It's FANTASTIC.
Prey is incredible too. Runs out of steam near the end but it's a great game.
Enslaved is very good too. Finished it only once.

Vampire the Masquarade is famously good.
never played Gravity Rush games. Maybe I should get it
 
W101 is the only one that deserved better. Evil within 2 showed some promise early before turning into junk. Much like the original actually
 
The Evil Within 2, Enslaved and Sunset Overdrive flopping is a real shame. Should've been hits but sadly, they just came and went. TEW2 and Enslaved I played at launch and enjoyed immensely. Sunset Overdrive I played when I got a PC. It was a slow burner and I didn't like it initially, but spending more time with it I realized what a great game it is. Top notch traversal and shooting, with hilarious writing, lots of customization and beautiful graphics that still holds up. Insomniac at its best and most creative here.
 
Mr Hyde said:
The Evil Within 2, Enslaved and Sunset Overdrive flopping is a real shame. Should've been hits but sadly, they just came and went. TEW2 and Enslaved I played at launch and enjoyed immensely. Sunset Overdrive I played when I got a PC. It was a slow burner and I didn't like it initially, but spending more time with it I realized what a great game it is. Top notch traversal and shooting, with hilarious writing, lots of customization and beautiful graphics that still holds up. Insomniac at its best and most creative here.
Click to expand...
yea I really wish something more was done with the sunset overdrive ip
 
I enjoyed Gravity Rush 2 so much. Wonderful 101 was good but it lacked soul. I found myself wondering why I was still playing.
 
Played Pillars of Eternity 2 recently right after I played the first game. Not sure why that flopped - I loved both of them even though they are a little different. If anything you'd think the second one would do a little better because it feels more "streamlined" (no need for rest for casting etc) than the first.
 
Freespace 2.

Was critically acclaimed upon release and received multiple GOTY awards. Then sold absolutely abhorrently. Left the game on a cliffhanger never to be resolved.
 
Enslaved and Remember Me are damn good games that are forgotten today. Everytime I see those two games on my steam games I get warm and fuzzy like.
 
Decent list I guess. I feel like Bayonetta should be on it. Maybe Psychonauts as well.
 
Last edited:
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
plays just too clunky, and on the rails, still worth a playthrough for the story, its pretty short anyway
 
Grildon Tundy said:
Interesting list. Of these, I've completed The Evil Within 2, Conker, and Prey. And I've dabbled in Pillars of Eternity, Enslaved, Sunset Overdrive, Gravoty Rush 2, and Vampire the Masquerade.

The ones I completed, I'm obviously a fan and wish they'd get sequels. Prey is an all-time classic, hurt by launch performance issues and lackluster reviews from reviewers who were salty they didn't get advance copies or didn't know how to play an immersive sim.

For the dabblers, they weren't my cup of tea or I wasn't in the right headspace.

I'd like to revisit Vampire the Masquerade at some point as it has the most vocal cult following. The others? Not so much.
Click to expand...
Are we talking about Vampire the Masquerade - Redemption?

I never understood why is so underrated, it's a fantastic game with a great cast and an exceptional story.
damidu said:
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
plays just too clunky, and on the rails, still worth a playthrough for the story, its pretty short anyway
Click to expand...
The camera constantly resets on the y axis, that game can get fucked.
 
Last edited:
AeonGaidenRaiden said:
So many games that in our mids are a success but corpos look at numbers only and shut them down:

Days Gone
Driveclub
Click to expand...
Agreed, it's difficult to even call something a flop when we don't know expectations, sales, or dev cost.

I personally think for example that Resistance 3 was a great game that might have flopped but I'm not 100% on that.
 
Fuz said:
Are we talking about Vampire the Masquerade - Redemption?

I never understood why is so underrated, it's a fantastic game with a great cast and an exceptional story.

The camera constantly resets on the y axis, that game can get fucked.
Click to expand...
I was thinking it was Bloodlines, but, yeah not sure
 
Yeah, that seems pretty fair, although I would disagree with Sunset Overdrive. That game tried way too hard to be off the wall and zany, and the gameplay was overly repetitive and got boring fast. I never got very far into that game despite really pushing myself beyond my patience threshold in hopes that it will eventually "click" with me. But nope, it never did.

As for positives, I feel particularly strongly about Evil Within 2, Enslaved, and Prey. Those were really great games that deserve more recognition.
 
Esca said:
Midnight suns should be on it. I really liked that game a lot
Click to expand...
Yep, I love Suns, but I was very hesitant to buy it because 'turn based combat + Marvel superheroes' didn't mix well in my head. They also promoted it pretty badly (for XCOM fans) and launched it in the worst possible window for a higher budget game.

I feel bad for at least half of the games from OP's list. I've liked them and they all deserved better sales.

DownLikeBCPowder said:
Played Pillars of Eternity 2 recently right after I played the first game. Not sure why that flopped - I loved both of them even though they are a little different. If anything you'd think the second one would do a little better because it feels more "streamlined" (no need for rest for casting etc) than the first.
Click to expand...
Pillars of Eternity 1 succeeded because it brought back the oldschool gameplay. Many people played it after backing up the kickstarter, but didn't finish it. This means there was no point of buying the sequel. Plus from what I remember some people hated the setting in Pillars 2 (I actually liked it).
 
Last edited:
10. Blur (Haven't played)
9. The Evil Within 2 (Deserved)
8. Mario and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope (Damn shame)
7. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire (Haven't played)
6. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (Haven't played)
5. Gravity Rush 2 (Haven't played)
4. Sunset Overdrive (Haven't played)
3. Vampire the Masquerade (If it's Bloodlines, damn shame. If not, deserved)
2. The Wonderful 101 (Damn shame)
1. Prey (Deserved. Fuck you)

Bonus:
-Earthbound (Haven't played)
-Conkers Bad Fur Day (Haven't played)
-System Shock 2 (Crime against humanity)
 
How about great games that flopped and left us with a cliffhanger?

System Shock 2, Anachronox, Freespace 2

Also all of Arkane's games prior to Redfall deserve to be commercially successful, them flopping probably lead to Redfall being made.
 
I absolutely loved The Wonderful 101.

I haven't beaten Gravity Rush 2 but I did enjoy what I played of it. It was one of those games where I put it down for whatever reason and just haven't made my way back to it. It wasn't like I put it down because I was bored of it like Horizon Forbidden West. I believe something else released and took priority at the time.

Blur is good although I think Split/Second came out around the same time and I preferred and played Split/Second more.

Driveclub although not listed would be on my list. Such fun times with the driving and I loved the points system in that game and challenges for the trophies.
 
Very sad Gravity Rush 1 & 2 did not see a wider audience. They are great games with fun, lighthearted atmosphere and a unique world.
Didn't The Last Guardian super under-perform too?
 
64bitmodels said:
It's funny how Earthbound has jumped so much in popularity and basically become a genre defining classic in the modern day when back in its original release nobody cared and thought it was weird.

Sunset Overdrive as well, it's just amazing in terms of combat and movement. We need more fast paced games like it with a style and art direction that sticks with you.
Click to expand...
I got Earthbound when it first came out. My dad thought the large box was cool, so we bought it. I learned how to read playing it. Quickly became one of my favorite games.

I was the only one who played or talked about it until 1999 when Smash came out. And then I had to deal with all of my friends saying it sucked because it has kiddy graphics and Ness fought with a baseball bat instead of guns.

So it feels good knowing now it's consider it good.
 
Evil Within 2 doing poorly saleswise is as disappointing as the low sales of Psychonauts. It did for horror what Psychonauts did for 3D platforming, which is create a surreal and mechanically polished experience unlike any other.
 
My heart hurts.... But Gravity rush 2 was going to come out in September 2016... However, the damn Final Fantasy XV was on that release date (that later was change ti november) , It came out in January but there was Resident Evil VII, and in another month there was Zelda BOTW or Persona 5 or the nasty Fortnite... They must have released it in August 2016 or shortly after Final fantasy XV... 2017 was a game of great video games.
 
Last edited:
NecrosaroIII said:
I got Earthbound when it first came out. My dad thought the large box was cool, so we bought it. I learned how to read playing it. Quickly became one of my favorite games.

I was the only one who played or talked about it until 1999 when Smash came out. And then I had to deal with all of my friends saying it sucked because it has kiddy graphics and Ness fought with a baseball bat instead of guns.

So it feels good knowing now it's consider it good.
Click to expand...

Earthbound got good reviews when it came out, it wasn't slammed or anything. I think the problem was twofold. One is it came out like a month before Chrono Trigger, which had the pedigree. Back in the day, it was tough to get/ask for/get gifted/buy/whatever two expensive RPGs at the same time, so I think most people interested in RPGs picked CT. The other was that around that time people were waiting for the new systems, the industry went through a sort of mini-slump that year as part of the transition.

I know personally speaking, I thought EB looked rad from the Nintendo Power previews and the like, but yea, PSX, Chrono Trigger, Yoshi's Island, something gets lost in the shuffle...
 
xrnzaaas said:
Pillars of Eternity 1 succeeded because it brought back the oldschool gameplay. Many people played it after backing up the kickstarter, but didn't finish it. This means there was no point of buying the sequel. Plus from what I remember some people hated the setting in Pillars 2 (I actually liked it).
Click to expand...
Yeah, I also loved the setting of the second. I love both games!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Poll
Overall, How do you feel about the State of Video games today?
2 3
117
1K
daninthemix replied
  • Poll
How do you feel about the success of the Nintendo Switch 2 Launch?
3 4 5 6 7
328
2K
cireza replied
  • Poll
Throughout all of gaming, on average, which genre do you personally feel has the most good games?
Poll 
33
329
Humdinger replied
Have you noticed how Nintendo positions itself in the market? Have you thought about this?
2
67
547
ReasonBeing replied
How often do you replay games?
2 3
134
3K
StueyDuck replied
Top Bottom