11 AWESOME VIDEO GAMES NOBODY PLAYED
There's nothing more exciting than a sleeper hit--a video game that defies everyone's expectations
and sells like hotcakes.
On the other hand, there are plenty of legitimately great games that just gather dust on the store
shelves.
Let's pour one out for these games that were awesome, but just didn't sell like gangbusters.
KINGDOMS OF AMALUR: RECKONING
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was a game that should've done well.
The game's world and story were crafted by fantasy writer R.A.
Salvatore, and the art design was courtesy of Todd McFarlane himself.
Amalur featured a huge world with plenty of quests, providing over 200 hours of gameplay.
Unfortunately, those 200 hours went unplayed.
The game sat on store shelves and only sold 1.2 million copies by the 90-day mark of its
release.
This might sound like an alright number, but it's considered a failure since it needed
to sell 3 million copies to break even.
Not too long after, the game's developer, 38 Studios, filed for bankruptcy not long
after Amalur's release, killing any chance at a follow-up.
GRIM FANDANGO
Grim Fandango is a cult classic that was published by LucasArts, back when LucasArts was, y'know,
still a thing.
It was the very first adventure game published by the company to use 3D graphics on pre-rendered
backgrounds, giving the game a really unique look.
With a film noir feel, Grim Fandango made Manny Calavera one of the more unique video
game characters in the medium's history.
But even after winning critical acclaim and praise for its design and direction, Grim
Fandango is considered a commercial failure, having moved about half a million copies in
worldwide sales.
Fortunately it found new life later on.
In 2015, it was remastered and rereleased for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, PC, Mac,
Linux, and even Android and iOS.
EARTHBOUND
EarthBound is a legend among gamers, considered by some as one of the best ever made.
But most people didn't actually play it when it was released in the '90s.
Known in Japan as Mother 2, some collectors will pay almost anything to get their hands
on a physical copy of the Super Nintendo cartridge.
That's crazy, since the game only sold about 140,000 units in the United States, about
half of what it sold in Japan in 1994.
Some blame its lousy showing on bad marketing.
Others point to its cartoony graphics, which gamers at the time didn't see as much of a
selling point.
But EarthBound became more popular as the years went on and actually spawned a sequel
that was released in Japan in 2006, and a Wii Virtual Console port that came out in
2013.
BEYOND GOOD & EVIL
Beyond Good & Evil, developed by French gaming auteur Michel Ancel, is the definition of
a cult classic.
It received great reviews and was critically acclaimed for its excellent graphics, storytelling,
and unique cast.
But it suffered poor sales during its original release in 2003.
Some attribute its terrible sales to bad marketing and the fact that it was released at a time
when the market was oversaturated with big titles that overshadowed it.
A remastered version was released in 2011 for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live
Arcade, so you can play it now in glorious HD.
Meanwhile, even though a sequel was announced in 2008, the game has yet to materialize as
of the making of this video...eight years later.
GRAND THEFT AUTO: CHINATOWN WARS
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the portable Nintendo DS hearkened back to the Grand Theft
Auto games of old.
Players controlled Huang Lee in a top-down style adventure in his quest to cause mayhem
with the Triads of Liberty City.
Despite being part of one of the most successful franchises in gaming, Chinatown Wars sold
under 90,000 units in its first two weeks in America, making it a commercial dud despite
its amazing gameplay.
Maybe it was the fact that, at the time, the Nintendo DS was mainly thought to be a mostly
kid-friendly platform.
And, really, pretty much any Grand Theft Auto game is anything but "kid-friendly."
JET GRIND RADIO
If you had a Sega Dreamcast, you probably played Jet Grind Radio.
The big problem?
Most people didn't have a Sega Dreamcast.
It's too bad; with cel-shaded graphics, the game let players rollerblade through the city
while performing tricks and spraying graffiti tags on as many surfaces as possible.
With enough practice, you could skate around the city flawlessly, with a level of grace
and style that most gamers could only dream of in real life.
Despite its low sales, Jet Grind Radio did spawn a sequel and a few HD remakes.
At the very least, the Dreamcast classic managed to tag the hearts of players around the world.
OKAMI
Okami for the PlayStation 2 is a major artistic success to its diehard fans.
But its sales figures reveal it to be a definitive commercial flop.
Okami followed the adventures of the sun goddess, Amaterasu, in a beautiful, cel-shaded world
based on Japanese folklore and mythology.
With gameplay inspired by The Legend of Zelda, it was a hit with reviewers.
Meanwhile, it sold 200,000 copies in North America in 2006, and only 66,000 units in
Japan that same year.
Even after being re-released on the Wii and the PlayStation 3, Okami had trouble finding
an audience.
Its sales were so bad, in fact, that it literally set a world record.
It was named "the least commercially successful winner of a game of the year award" by Guinness
in 2010.
That's probably not a great blurb to put on the front of your game box.
DARK CLOUD
Dark Cloud blended role-playing with city-building, a blend of gameplay styles that reviewers
loved.
Even still, it performed poorly when it was launched on the PlayStation 2 in Japan back
in December 2000.
Fortunately, the game did much better after being released to Western audiences.
And it might still find more fans going forward, since Dark Cloud was released on the PlayStation
Network for PlayStation 4 in December 2015.
MAX PAYNE 2: THE FALL OF MAX PAYNE
Why didn't Max Payne 2 sell well?
The first game was enough of a hit to warrant a sequel, and the second installment earned
great reviews.
But whatever the reason, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne sold terribly.
It might as well have been called Max Payne 2: The Fall of Take-Two Interactive's Earning
Forecasts.
The poor performance at retail might have made the process of getting Max Payne 3 a
greenlight.
Fortunately, the third game in the series managed to right the ship, selling four million
copies in its first year.
VALKYRIA CHRONICLES
There are few games as pretty and as addictive as Valkyria Chronicles for the PlayStation
3.
This strategy role-playing game had great visuals, memorable characters, and a wartime
backdrop that hooked players.
Its sketchbook-style aesthetic brought a classic, old-world feel to the world, which was loosely
based on pre-World War II Europe.
Despite its positive reviews, Valkyria Chronicles didn't have stellar sales numbers.
It saw a sales boost after a price cut, but it was never considered a commercial success.
Luckily, its PC port sold very well on Steam, moving about 650,000 copies within its first
five months.
SHENMUE II
Ryo Hazuki continued his search for revenge in Shenmue II, a Sega game released for the
Dreamcast in 2001.
The game took place in China, meaning players would get to explore a denser, more urban
environment.
Shenmue II got stellar reviews...but like lots of other Dreamcast games, sales didn't
reflect its positive reception.
Two years after it was released, it had only moved a paltry 100,000 copies.
A lucky hit, Shenmue II was not.
Then again, nearly 70,000 dedicated fans pledged over $6.3 million to Kickstarter to make Shenmue
III a reality.
That made the project the most funded video game in Kickstarter history as of 2015.
Will that be enough to help the franchise come back for good?
Time will tell...
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