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| 3 | %%Please avoid using time-relative words when adding or editing examples, as they violate the Administrivia/ExamplesAreNotRecent rule. |
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| 6 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 7 | |
| 8 | !!Consoles |
| 9 | [[folder:Consoles]] |
| 10 | * The Internet has been helping classic game consoles to get more recognition: |
| 11 | ** For years, the Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem was the oldest system that is still remotely greatly remembered. Consoles such as the Platform/SegaMasterSystem and any game console that came before the NES were fading away into obscurity. However, as the Internet became more and more accessible, there was a lot more information on older games. Some may say that retro gaming is still relatively niche, but the Internet has definitely made learning about them a whole lot easier. |
| 12 | ** The NES and Sega Master System started to get more popular in the UK throughout the 21st century, particularly in the late [=2000s=] and beyond. Earlier in their lifespan, they were dropped in favor of microcomputers (like the Platform/Commodore64 and [[Platform/ZXSpectrum Sinclair ZX Spectrum]]) because many consumers thought they had primitive graphics compared to microcomputers. As the Internet started to become more and more available, many people in the UK realised that the assumption that their microcomputers had better graphics was wrong, making the NES and Sega Master System more popular as a result. |
| 13 | ** The emulation community has been instrumental in resurrecting games and consoles that would have been popular had they not failed to gain an audience due to poor marketing, were squashed by competition, or otherwise failed to find their stride. People being one Google search away from playing any game on any older console has given a lot of these older works a fair shot at winning over a crowd and finding a fanbase. |
| 14 | * While vindication [[AmericansHateTingle wasn't needed in most of the world]], the Platform/TurboGrafx16 went almost completely unnoticed in North America. At first this was mostly due to the loud MediaNotes/ConsoleWars between the Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem and Platform/SegaGenesis in the region drowning it out, but it later effectively buried itself with its "ComicBook/JohnnyTurbo" advertising campaign, which [[FollowTheLeader tried to adopt the same attitude as Sega]] but backfired with its especially hostile attitude. Then through a combination of the Platform/{{Wii}} Platform/VirtualConsole bringing a large chunk of its library to modern audiences, and the growing Internet connecting North American gamers to regions where the PC Engine ''was'' popular, it finally started to develop a decently-sized local following. ShootEmUp fans in particular love this console now for having official autofire buttons baked into the OEM controllers (as opposed to having to seek out specialized controllers for this purpose), greatly saving wear-and-tear on the player's thumbs in an era where game-long ButtonMashing isn't looked up so brightly anymore. |
| 15 | * The Platform/SegaSaturn never really caught on in the West, but word of mouth through the Internet captured the interest of hardcore gamers looking to indulge in its arcade perfect ShootEmUp and fighting game library. (In some cases, like ''VideoGame/TwinkleStarSprites'' and ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 3'', the Saturn versions are considered superior to the Dreamcast versions. ''VideoGame/RadiantSilvergun'', an arcade game ported to Saturn, infamously had its Platform/PlayStation port cancelled because the [=PS1=] couldn't handle its SpritePolygonMix.) The internet also resulted in greater awareness of various exclusives like ''VideoGame/PanzerDragoon Saga'', ''VideoGame/BurningRangers'', and other notable titles that still can't be had on any other platform without emulation. As a result, it's seen as much less of a failure and more of a must-have for any hardcore gamer these days, especially those who like arcade games. The Japanese marketing campaign (which had a narrative arc featuring mascot Advertising/SegataSanshiro) was also discovered in North America years after the system died out, and was considered to be one of the most effective video game system campaigns of all time. When all the specs are put together, the Saturn may very well have been the greatest 2D graphics console of its time; alas, this was during a period when 3D graphics were being heavily pushed to the forefront by the industry and consumers alike -- regardless as to how much better the Saturn performed in the prior category. |
| 16 | * The Platform/NintendoGameCube. It was in third place in the sixth generation (only a couple million units behind the original Platform/{{Xbox}}), with gamers deriding it as a "kiddie" console (granted, compared to the other consoles of its generation, it did look like a toy). It also suffered from few third-party exclusives, divisive first-party titles, and many best-selling T and M-rated titles such as ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' releasing on the other consoles but not the [=GameCube=]. In fact, it cost a lot for Creator/{{Capcom}}, as the only way they recouped their losses was by porting some of their games, most famously most of the supposed-to-be-exclusive "Capcom 5" like ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', to [=PS2=]. However, several games have become {{Cult Classic}}s, or have simply been revisited and given the accolades they deserve. It helps that the original model of the much more successful Platform/{{Wii}} was fully compatible with [=GameCube=] games, making it easier for people to play games for the latter without actually having to buy one. Its [[MadeOfIndestructium incredible durability]] means that operational [=GameCubes=] are still available, and its inherently portable nature (encouraged by the little carry handle on its back) and library of popular local multiplayer games means that a [=GameCube=] can easily show up at a party on short notice and be enjoyed casually, further increasing its popularity. |
| 17 | * The Platform/PlayStationVita was the worst-selling [=PlayStation=] device thanks to numerous issues, but it maintained a cult following during its run that only grew following its discontinuation, thanks to piracy on the system with homebrew games, like ''VideoGame/MarioKart Vita'' and the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' port. |
| 18 | * Zig-zagged with the Platform/PhilipsCDi. Nobody would consider it to be a ''decent'' gaming console in the present, but people are a bit more understanding of the system itself. It wasn't really a ''gaming'' system first - it was an "All in one" device that would have the functionalities of a home computer, media player, and interactive software - in ''TheNineties''. (Consoles didn't embrace the "All-in-one" format until the TurnOfTheMillennium) Perception on the CD-i has shifted largely from it being one of the worst gaming systems ever made, to walking so the Platform/PlayStation could run... and having some SoBadItsGood titles in the form of VideoGame/HotelMario and VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaCDiGames. |
| 19 | [[/folder]] |
| 20 | |
| 21 | !!Video Games |
| 22 | [[folder:''The Legend of Zelda'']] |
| 23 | ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series suffers from a perpetually BrokenBase, making the application of this type of reaction problematic due to the lack of clear consensus at any given time. There is an interesting phenomenon known as the "Zelda Cycle": Whenever a new ''Zelda'' game is released on a home console, the fanbase almost universally hates it, while the previous game (which was hated just as much up until this point) is now suddenly praised as a masterpiece. In September 2013, series producer Eiji Aonuma and Nintendo president Creator/SatoruIwata [[https://www.zeldadungeon.net/nintendo-discusses-the-zelda-cycle-of-fan-reaction/ expressed their awareness of this phenomenon.]] |
| 24 | * ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' is maybe the premier OddballInTheSeries for Zelda, being a sidescroller with RPG like elements instead of a top-down adventure game (besides its overworld maps), overworld "battles" that would draw you into sidescrolling combat segments and a clunky life system that kept your progress, but kicked you back to the starting point on every game over, forcing a backtrack which was all the more noticeable since the game was NintendoHard. Even Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto himself considers it to be the least favorite game he's ever helped to create [[note]]albeit this is less an OldShame and more because the team was so busy just making the NES/Famicom hardware work for the game they couldn't really get creatively crazy or invested in it, they just had to stick to what they put on the paper[[/note]]. While people didn't hate it at the time of its initial release, it quickly fell out of favor when ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast Link to the Past]]'' came out and really locked in what ''Zelda'' as a series would be, as well as the unfavorable comparisons to the ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaCDiGames Zelda CD-i]]'' games which were also 2D sidescrollers, turned public opinion against it in the 90s and early 2000s. Since then, however, people have warmed up to the game's unique gameplay style and appreciate it being the origin of many ''Zelda'' staples (towns, sidequests, and magic were all introduced in this game), even though they'll still admit it's [[GuideDangIt a game you want a guide for]] [[NintendoHard that will break you over its knee]]. Notably, there's a non-dismissable number of indie games that follows ''Zelda II''[='s=] lead, and many fans are warm to the idea of present-day Creator/{{Nintendo}} taking another shot at a game with similar mechanics and presentation as ''Zelda II''. |
| 25 | * ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' had the poor luck of being a follow-up to ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', [[ToughActToFollow one of the most critically beloved games of all time]]. Its reception was mostly lukewarm, with the chief complaints about the game being that it recycled graphics from its predecessor and its shortness, with a mere four dungeons, and for a long time it was mostly known as "the weird ''Zelda''." A decade or so later, and the fanbase for ''Majora's Mask'' had grown considerably, with many people loving the bleak, sinister atmosphere, the creative (if somewhat difficult) dungeon design, and the massive amount of sidequests.[[note]]A [[WebVideo/BenDrowned certain frightening]] AlternateRealityGame hasn't hurt matters either.[[/note]] It now isn't rare to hear people call it one of their favourite installments in the franchise. |
| 26 | * ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames'' reviewed well critically, but few fans played them since they released right at the end of the Platform/GameBoyColor's lifespan -- so late that they had special features if played on a Platform/GameBoyAdvance. Plus, the fact that they were direct follow-ups to ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' in terms of gameplay meant they were somewhat doomed to [[ToughActToFollow live in their big brother's shadow]]. As time went on and emulation became more accessible (including Nintendo's own Platform/VirtualConsole), more people gave the ''Oracle'' games a shot and discovered their more unique features, like the animal companions, a focus on changing the seasons or time period to access new areas, and a two-part story that spans both games. Fans now view them as solid 2D entries in the series. |
| 27 | * ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' was near-universally [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks derided]] by Western fans before and shortly after release. While two dungeons having been cut from the second half of the game in order to get it on shelves in a timely manner and the sailing system, which many found tedious, certainly didn't help matters, most of the hatred was aimed towards the art style. Due to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvE3yJv3fm0#t=16s a tech demo for the GameCube setting expectations]] and fans disliking the "kiddy stigma" that Nintendo was getting, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ7riCXrDxY the reveal of cel-shaded look]] was seen as a betrayal. The game's initial disappointment is a huge reason why ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'' opted for a more dramatic and mature story combined a dark atmosphere and realistic visuals. However, the game's stylized nature has aged well compared to the more realistically styled games of the time, which came to include ''Twilight Princess'' (whose art style was a response to the criticism ''The Wind Waker'' received), and its story gradually saw increased recognition as an adept {{deconstruction}} of the franchise's premise. Nowadays, the game is generally remembered as a niche favorite, a critical darling, and an overall flawed but more than worthy entry in the series. Aonuma himself has even said that this reaction is the reason why ''The Wind Waker'' specifically was chosen to get an HD remaster on the Platform/WiiU. |
| 28 | * ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass'' was criticized for several aspects such as the Temple of the Ocean King, the touch controls and especially the way the overworld was structured. Eventually, this game, while not widely considered one of the best in the series, got a lot of retroactive praise for its creative items, puzzles, and characters. |
| 29 | * ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks'': It was praised for improving on and addressing complaints with ''Phantom Hourglass'' (like the repetitive, time-limited central dungeon), but was also criticized by some for elements like the train mechanics, implementation of the Spirit Flute, and for being too similar to its predecessor. However, several factors have come to bring it into fans' good graces. So much so that the game would later get its own stage in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series |
| 30 | ** A stronger presence of Zelda herself, who is considered a more interesting and helpful companion character who was even PromotedToPlayable. |
| 31 | ** A narrative that is lighthearted and [[BetterThanABareBulb tongue-in-cheek]], which actually provides a resolving conclusion as a sequel to ''Wind Waker'' and ''Phantom Hourglass'' (in contrast to much of the rest of the series, which is largely [[KudzuPlot convoluted and contradictory]]). |
| 32 | ** A ''killer'' soundtrack, considered by many fans to be [[AwesomeMusic/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks one of the best in the franchise]]. |
| 33 | [[/folder]] |
| 34 | |
| 35 | [[folder:''Super Mario Bros.'']] |
| 36 | ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', while a popular franchise, has a few examples which took a longer-than-normal time to become popular with the fandom at large; |
| 37 | * [[http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/15/this-is-shigeru-miyamotos-favorite-mario-game In 2012,]] Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto shocked many by dubbing ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' as his [[CreatorPreferredAdaptation favorite]] ''Mario'' game, tied with the first ''Super Mario Bros.'' This surprise was because, while the game itself was popular during the first few years following its original release on the NES, bad word of mouth regarding its origins as a DolledUpInstallment (especially during the TurnOfTheMillennium) battered its reputation considerably. General audience reaction has been kinder towards the game in the following years, partly because it is a game that breaks the formula in many ways and introduced numerous defining gameplay mechanics. In particular, modern-era games like ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' were inspired by it, [[https://www.usgamer.net/articles/25-years-later-the-spirit-of-super-mario-bros-2-looms-large-at-e3 which has been noticed positively.]] Plus, the fact that it's the game that introduced [[BreakoutCharacter Birdo]], as well as other mainstays such as Shy Guys, Bob-ombs, Pokeys and Ninjis, certainly helps its reputation. |
| 38 | * ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland'' was critically acclaimed upon release but largely overshadowed by the more hyped-up ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest''. It's now considered to be one of the greatest games of the 16-bit era. |
| 39 | * The ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioLand Super Mario]] [[VideoGame/SuperMarioLand2SixGoldenCoins Land]]'' games were acclaimed and sold well in their day, but fell into disfavor due to their non-contemporary settings and being overall [[OddballInTheSeries weird]] games that also lacked the involvement of series mastermind Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto. In 2015, when Nintendo celebrated the 30th anniversary of ''Super Mario Bros.'', both ''Land'' games were included among the more iconic traditional games in the timeline. Fans have also become more appreciative of both games' creativity, atypical plotlines and settings (no Mushroom Kingdom, no Bowser, no Luigi or even Princess Peach; The first ''Land'' introduced [[TomboyPrincess Daisy]], while ''Land 2'' doesn't even have a SaveThePrincess plot, and was also the game to introduce [[EvilCounterpart Wario]]), while still staying true (for the most part) to the traditional fun gameplay of the franchise. The BrokenBase surrounding the modern ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' titles contributes to this as well. |
| 40 | * ''VideoGame/YoshisStory'' on the Platform/{{Nintendo 64}}, which was the sequel to ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'', got a ton of criticism when released. Lots of people made fun of it or bashed it for being a 2D game when 3D was the big fad, derided it for being [[ItsEasySoItSucks too easy, too kiddie]], and [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks too unlike]] ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'', which people were already holding up as one of the best ''Mario'' games ever made. Nowadays, ''Yoshi's Story'' is more fondly remembered for its graphics, music, SelfImposedChallenge potential, and the gamers who were actually in its target demographic when it came out, with many of them having happy memories of it. |
| 41 | * When it originally released, many gamers disliked ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' due to the voice-acted cutscenes and gameplay that was based more on the use of a water jetpack instead of traditional jumping. Years later, Mario fans have come to embrace the title. It's still not the most popular ''Mario'' title around, but its reception is much better, with some even going so far as to consider it a better game than ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''. While the game was criticized when it first came out for "not looking like a ''Mario'' game" due to lacking certain aspects of the series' iconography (such as the Goombas and Koopas), ''Sunshine'''s unique aesthetics are now a point of praise for the game after later ''Mario'' games (the ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' sub-series in particular) were criticized for [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks recycling the same look and feel over and over again]]. |
| 42 | * The original ''[[VideoGame/PaperMario64 Paper Mario]]'', while critically acclaimed, had the bad luck of being near the end of a console generation, with people anticipating the Platform/NintendoGameCube, and for [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks not being]] ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'', of which fans were waiting for a sequel since the previous generation. Its popularity didn't take off until well into the [=GameCube=] era when used copies started popping up and people decided to try it with the lower price. It became a big enough success (audience-wise, though not sales until the Platform/{{Wii}}'s Platform/VirtualConsole) to be the first Mario RPG to get [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor a sequel]]. ''Paper Mario'' also launched Nate Bihldorff from a freelance writer who barely got hired for anything to Nintendo's current primary localization writer, now well known enough that he was a host at Nintendo's booth at E3 2012. The ''Super Mario RPG'' fans have also since learned to accept it and put ''Paper Mario'' on equal standing with it. |
| 43 | * ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' caused a BrokenBase due to using real-time battles (aside from [[UnexpectedGameplayChange one RPG battle]] during Chapter 7, and even then, the presentation of said battle is a departure from the prior games) and being quite a bit easier than the previous two games. The hate has mostly died down since, in part due to [[VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar the following game in the series]] quickly becoming almost ''unanimously'' derided by fans instead. ''SPM'' is now viewed as being a very different but still enjoyable Mario RPG experience and has especially become appreciated for its darker story filled with meta jokes, commentary, and gameplay mechanics. The BrokenBase is definitely still there, though; few will argue against the game's solid story, but many fans still dislike the game for having several examples of ThatOneLevel and the gameplay, though unique, for being tedious and often very easy to break. |
| 44 | * ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion1'', when first released, was criticized by fans for not being a platformer, and for being [[ItsShortSoItSucks very, very short]], and was overall seen as a weak title for that reason alone. While even fans of the game still criticize its short length, which is not without reason or merit, it is more universally praised nowadays for being a great game that took the ''Super Mario'' franchise in an unexpected direction compared even to other spin-offs at the time. The game eventually received [[VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon a sequel]] on the Platform/Nintendo3DS in 2013 (which received an UpdatedRerelease on the Switch in 2023), a 3DS remake in 2018, and [[VideoGame/LuigisMansion3 another sequel]] for the Platform/NintendoSwitch in 2019. |
| 45 | * The [=GameCube=] ''VideoGame/{{Mario Part|y}}ies'' (''4''-''7'') caught a ton of fire in their day for being [[{{Sequelitis}} very]] [[CapcomSequelStagnation repetitive]] sequels with [[NewWorkRecycledGraphics a notorious amount of lazily reused assets]] that did little to spice or change up the formula. They have become to be more loved, however, when the series returned after a hiatus with ''9'', which drastically changed the formula from its frantic free-for-all style, which many fans actually [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks did not like]]. Which each new ''Mario Party'' released that drifts away from the classic formula, the more and more the [=GameCube=] parties became vindicated, with some considering them now to be right up there with the Nintendo 64 titles. The release of ''Super Mario Party'' vindicated the games further, [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel being heralded]] as [[WinBackTheCrowd a slight return to form for the series]] by going back to the classic formula (mostly), with ''Superstars'' proving to be an EvenBetterSequel to ''Super'' by re-imagining a few classic boards from the N64 games. |
| 46 | * ''VideoGame/MarioPartyDS'' was mostly ignored at launch, with the general consensus being that it was a game that is SoOkayItsAverage. Then came the 2020 {{Creepypasta}} video series ''WebVideo/MarioPartyDSAntiPiracy'', which went viral and [[ColbertBump drew attention back to the game]], this time receiving praise for its unique minigames and boards as well as having an exceptionally interesting story mode for a ''Mario Party'' game. Another strong point of the game is that it actually feels like a true ''Mario Party'' experience in comparison to [[OddballInTheSeries the other portable installments in the series]]. |
| 47 | * ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' arrived at a time when fans were clamoring for a new sandbox 3D adventure akin to ''64'', ''Sunshine'', and (to a lesser extent) ''Galaxy''; they felt that the newer game felt too similar to the presentation of the 2D ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' games, and thus [[TaintedByThePreview the game's reveal]] garnered it some backlash as [[NoTrueScotsman not being a "true" 3D Mario]] in the vein of the previous titles (while ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'' showed similar characteristics, it being released on a handheld system and its novel 3D effects lessened the criticism). While it managed to [[WinBackTheCrowd win back the crowd]] with later previews, being released on the failing Platform/WiiU console limited its reach. This was demonstrated on its opening week in the UK, where it was handily outsold by ''VideoGame/{{Knack}}'', a [[DuelingGames dueling]] 3D platformer that doubled as a launch title for the [[Platform/PlayStation4 PS4]] that had less-than-stellar reviews; resulting in [[MemeticMutation much mockery online]]. When it was re-released on the Switch after ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', which finally filled the void of sandbox gameplay and original worlds, fans were much more receptive towards what it did provide -- a surprisingly inventive campaign that offered [[SerialEscalation and played with]] plenty of new and [[TheBusCameBack old]] ideas in its level design, game mechanics, and characters; bolstered by the addition of four player cooperative play (a rarity for the 3D platformer genre). |
| 48 | * ''VideoGame/SuperPrincessPeach'', despite reviewing good and selling quite well, was subjected to controversy for its "Vibe" mechanic and causing SweetnessAversion. Fans have grown to appreciate it a little more after over a decade, being a very unique title with fun mechanics, controversial aspects aside. Plus, being able to play as Princess Peach on her own adventure was a really cool novelty for some. The game also received praise for its mechanics by doing away with VideoGameLives, and finding a practical use for the coins by offering a shop with purchasable items, well before ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' did it over a decade later. ''Super Princess Peach''[='s=] uniqueness has let the game stand out favorably among its contemporaries, being viewed as a worthy follow-up to the lineage of classic ''Mario'' platformers, especially in light of the controversial ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' series. Several fans are hoping for a sequel, if not for it to become a Peach-centric series like VideoGame/{{Wario}}, Franchise/DonkeyKong, [[VideoGame/YoshisIsland Yoshi]], and [[VideoGame/LuigisMansion Luigi]] before her. Sure enough, in June 2023, interest in ''Super Princess Peach'' was re-invigorated when ''VideoGame/PrincessPeachShowtime'', a second Peach solo title, was announced for the Platform/NintendoSwitch. |
| 49 | [[/folder]] |
| 50 | |
| 51 | !Others |
| 52 | |
| 53 | [[folder:A-L]] |
| 54 | * While ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'' still remains a ContestedSequel within the franchise, especially with its substantial deviation from its predecessors, it's seen something of a reappraisal following the release of its ''Definitive Edition''. That it's also the only entry in the series to go beyond the timeframe of ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' (covering the Age of Exploration up to the Victorian Era) with its own distinct features, has also fostered renewed interest among fans. |
| 55 | * Several games based on the ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' franchise have been positively reevaluated over time. |
| 56 | ** ''VideoGame/AlienResurrection'' for the Platform/PlayStation1 introduced the modern dual stick analog controls for FPS console games. This control scheme was one of many heavily criticized aspects of the game, which reviwers at the time found clunky and unintuitive. Dual stick analog controls would later be popularized by ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'' a year later, and become the standard control scheme for console FPS. |
| 57 | ** When ''VideoGame/AliensVsPredator2010'' by Creator/{{Rebellion}} first released on consoles, it got disappointingly mediocre mixed to average reviews and was considered much inferior to the beloved ''VideoGame/AlienVsPredatorCapcom'' BeatEmUp, as well as the 1999 ''AVP'' game, thanks to the clunky combat, less than stellar boss encounters and the Marine campaign (a bog standard FPS) being much longer than the Alien and Predator campaigns. Years later however, thanks to the critical and commercial failure of ''VideoGame/AliensColonialMarines'', more people have reevaluated ''AVP'' 2010 on Steam and given it very positive reviews, admitting it’s actually pretty fun, and effectively frightening in parts. The unique gameplay for the Alien and Predator as well as the multiplayer death matches were all praised along with the story (which has Creator/LanceHenriksen reprising his role as Weyland). Some fans even consider it one of the best modern ''Alien'' games alongside ''Isolation''. |
| 58 | ** While ''VideoGame/AlienIsolation'' received moderately positive reviews on its initial release in 2014, it was still polarizing and outright trashed by some of the bigger review sites in the industry due to its NintendoHard difficulty, slow pace, and padded length. The game has gotten a much better reception as the years have gone by thanks to its [[ArtificialBrilliance brilliant A.I. for the titular creature]], production value, and stellar level design, along with its outstanding and faithful representation of [[Franchise/{{Alien}} its source franchise]]. Its slow pace and high difficulty have also gotten more praise in connection with the above. Even several sites that initially trashed the game on release [[https://www.gamespot.com/articles/alien-isolation-is-still-an-unmatched-horror-exper/1100-6453861/ have praised it as one of the best and scariest survival horror games ever made.]] |
| 59 | * ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'': |
| 60 | ** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' was the very definition of a ContestedSequel when it launched because of its story and gameplay direction. Not only was Conor initially divisive for being a radically different protagonist compared to Ezio, but the game introduced many gameplay mechanics that were rather contested. Over time though, many fans grew to appreciate ''III'' for trying to differentiate itself from its predecessors and trying to make meaningful innovations. Fans grew to appreciate Connor for his unique and original personality whereas subsequent protagonists were derided as generic or discount versions of Ezio. Furthermore, many noted that this game was the last truly innovative title in the franchise. Subsequent games either polished or built on its assets (such as naval warfare in Black Flag) or the side mission mechanics (the Frontiersman missions and the clue mechanic used in Paris Side Stories and London's missions), as well as combat (using pistols, cover in any crowd, whistling). Many people note that later games even if they might have built or modified or polished the gameplay in some respects have generally not been as ambitious, especially as entries starting with ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins Origins]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey Odyssey]]'' went for a more looter/hack and slash style of gameplay. |
| 61 | ** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity'' was met with pretty poor reception when it launched. First of all, it had the unenviable task of following up ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag'', [[ToughActToFollow one of the most well-received games in the history of the franchise]]. On top of that, the game was very glitchy when it came out and needed serious patches before it worked properly. It was also criticized for the lack of any major female characters in the story. Finally, it stuck to the then-very tired ''Assassin's Creed'' formula pretty closely, after ''Black Flag'' had done a lot to shake up the formula. As a result, the game was widely panned by both critics and audiences. However, in the years that followed, reception to the game softened. Part of this was due to the game getting patched and fixed on a technical level, but it's also due to the changes made to the ''Assassin's Creed'' formula over time. After ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins'' took the franchise in a more RPG-like direction, which some of the fanbase is not happy with. Narratively speaking, the game is often looked back on fondly for the way it presented the Assassin/Templar conflict as something other than a black-and-white, good-vs-evil battle, introducing a lot of GreyAndGrayMorality into the conflict. And gameplay-wide, it's seen as the last good Classic ''Assassin's Creed'' game before ''Origins'' heavily revamped the formula, with particular praise being directed at the game for having the most refined parkour mechanics in the series before later entries in the franchise heavily simplified them. |
| 62 | * When ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' was initially released in early 2012, the game didn't sell well, and while the Japanese gaming press nearly unanimously praised the game, the critical response across the rest of the world was mixed at best. In spite of controversy concerning the DLC final part of the game, the game has gone on to become one of the most underrated games of the year, and has cult following to the point that it's considered to be one of the best games Creator/{{Capcom}} has ever made or published since the disbandment of [[Creator/PlatinumGames Clover Studios]], which is saying a lot. |
| 63 | * ''VideoGame/{{Azure Striker Gunvolt|Series}}'' was initially viewed as an average at best ''Franchise/MegaMan''-like run-and-gun platformer by the majority of players and ''Mega Man'' fans at a time where the ''Mega Man'' franchise was collecting dust while putting their hopes on the then-upcoming ''VideoGame/MightyNo9'' to carry the franchise's torch. Unfortunately, after a myriad of questionable decisions inside and outside of the ''Mighty No. 9'' Kickstarter project, three delays, an alienating marketing campaign by Deep Silver, and the final product being lambasted with poor critical reception from critics, players, and most backers alike, many ''Azure Striker Gunvolt'' fans suddenly changed their opinions about the game and began clamoring to it as "the only true" successor to ''Mega Man'' while being condescending and antagonistic towards ''Mighty No. 9''. It helps that ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt2'' was released not long afterwards, which is seen as [[EvenBetterSequel improving on everything the first game did right while fixing what it did poorly]]. |
| 64 | * A lot of ''VideoGame/BackyardSports'' fans reacted very negatively to the new art style that debuted with ''Backyard Hockey'', as it ditched the cartoony looks for more realistic designs. And once again when ''Baseball 2005'' introduced new {{Leitmotif}}s for the characters replacing the classic ones they have had for almost eight years at that point. The fanbase has warmed up to these changes over time, given that behind these minor aesthetic changes were solid and authentic ''Backyard'' games, and that was a lot better than cutting several characters and drastically {{Retool}}ing the franchise like they did in later games. |
| 65 | * ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooieNutsAndBolts'' was exactly the kind of crazy, technically inventive game that Creator/{{Rare}}'s fans had clamored for. However, the angry backlash against its change of style and low sales led to Microsoft cancelling sequels to ''Conker'' and ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' to restructuring Rare to focus solely on creating mini-game compilations for [[Platform/Xbox360 Kinect]]. Today the game is gaining a following for its excellent creation tools and standing apart in an era of grey-brown FPS games; and is now regarded as the last "traditional" Rare game from the company prior to its restructuring at the end of the decade. It's generally regarded that if the game did not try to sell itself on the ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' branding, the game would have been far better received and perhaps Rare's traditional development wouldn't have been shut down. Noticeably more and more fans are eager to defend the game today and the initial backlash the game got is considered less and less justified. |
| 66 | * When ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOrigins'' was released, opinions on the game were...varied to say the least. Most critics gave it positive reviews, although it didn't quite receive the acclaim that ''Videogame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'' and ''Videogame/BatmanArkhamCity'' got. Many players, however, said it was horrible due it being [[BTeamSequel developed by Warner Bros. Games Montreal instead of Rocksteady Studios]], [[ObviousBeta full of glitches on ports]] [[note]]though most of the really bad ones were patched[[/note]], [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks being nearly identical]] to ''Arkham City'' in terms of gameplay, for being a prequel instead of a sequel, and [[SeriesContinuityError containing some contradictions regarding events in the previous titles]], leading these fans [[FanonDiscontinuity to say it wasn't canon to the previous titles]]. Many felt that its only redeeming qualities were that it had better and more realistic boss battles and a well-written narrative. Once ''Arkham City''[='s=] true sequel, ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'', was released two years later, it too was praised overall by critics, but many players were either disappointed or dissatisfied with the game due to a combination of the insane hype it generated, overuse of the Batmobile, a [[PortingDisaster broken PC port]], overpriced and underdeveloped DLC, inferior boss battles, and [[ItsEasySoItSucks dumbed-down challenges]]. While it still has its detractors, ''Arkham Origins'' is generally looked at far more favorably now than it was when it launched, with some even considering it to be better than ''Arkham Knight'' in comparison, especially when it comes to story and boss battles. |
| 67 | * ''VideoGame/Battlefield4'' suffered a disastrous launch, its ObviousBeta status upon release rendering parts of the game (particularly online multiplayer, the game's main selling point) so unplayable that Creator/ElectronicArts faced multiple class-action lawsuits. Then Creator/{{Dice}}'s Los Angeles team got around to patching the game up, and those who stuck around realized that there was actually a phenomenal multiplayer shooter buried in there beneath all of the bugs. Combine that with a long train of robust (and free) DLC support, partly as an apology to fans for the broken state of the game initially, and ''Battlefield 4'' has managed to retain and expand its player base years after launch, such that it managed to successfully compete with ''its own successors'' in the ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}'' franchise, ''VideoGame/BattlefieldHardline'' and ''VideoGame/Battlefield1'' -- a nearly unheard-of feat in the modern online multiplayer world. Nowadays, it's considered to be one of the best modern military shooters ever made, and one of the best games in the series. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdv_KMHeUbc This video]] by Tyler J. of Cleanprincegaming goes into more detail. |
| 68 | * ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' released quietly and was usually seen as a "hidden gem" that a lot of gamers found in the bargain bins of their local game store. Ubisoft started to tease it, but a lot of people gave it a second look and it has since become a CultClassic. |
| 69 | * ''VideoGame/Bioshock2'': The game was released to generally positive reviews, but still mixed fan reception, many of which considered it an unworthy sequel to the highly acclaimed first game with less interesting villain and themes. Come the third game in the franchise, ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'', ''Bioshock 2'' seemed to be quietly forgotten and possibly RetConned (though that is still debated). In the years since, as ''Infinite'' has gotten more controversial due to certain writing choices and its dated combat mechanics, ''Bioshock 2'' became more and more praised for some genuinely heartfelt moments in the relationship between Delta and Eleanor and the very interesting exploration of the exact opposite philosophy explored on the first game. |
| 70 | * The ''VideoGame/{{Blinx}}'' series was heavily disliked by both gamers and critics back when it was first released due to the slippery controls (which were mostly fixed in the second game), the first game [[ItsHardSoItSucks being too hard]], and the second one [[ItsEasySoItSucks being too easy]]. Nowadays however, the games are looked back more fondly upon by gamers, and are somewhat of a CultClassic. |
| 71 | * ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'': |
| 72 | ** While ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyWorldAtWar'' was a massive commercial success out of the gate, its reception at the time was more mixed. Professional reviews, though positive, were universally inferior to the previous year's ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'', with critics bemoaning the return to the then thoroughly-saturated setting of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and the lack of massive changes to the formula, with some outlets dismissing the game as a WWII expansion pack of ''Modern Warfare'' rather than a true sequel. [[NewbieBoom Newbies brought on by the mega-success]] of ''Modern Wafare'' generally didn't care for the WWII setting either, and old-school fans dismissed the game out of hand as it was developed by Treyarch (whose previous title was the mediocre ''Call of Duty 3'') [[OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight rather]] than series creator Infinity Ward. As time went on, however, the game saw a reevaluation (something helped by the backlash against the shift to a futuristic theme the series took), with many praising ''World at War'' for its campaign design, its [[WarIsHell uncompromising depiction of the atrocities of war]], and it introducing the popular [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyZombies Zombies mode]] that would become a fixture of the series. Nowadays the game ranks high in popularity poll with many citing it as the best game in the series, something unheard of at release. |
| 73 | ** ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps'' was sandwiched between two ''Modern Warfare'' games, which along with being developed by Treyarch meant it was occasionally seen as a B-entry in spite of continuing the trend of the franchise's commercial success. Not helping was that ''Black Ops'' didn't use the new engine of ''Modern Warfare 2'', meaning in a straight graphical comparison it lost out. Today however, it is often viewed alongside ''World at War'' as one of the best games in the series. Its campaign is praised for its incredibly unique UsefulNotes/ColdWar setting and its fun ConspiracyThriller story, without losing out on a wide range of settings and scenarios to play through. Its multiplayer, meanwhile, was criticised on-launch for being much slower compared to what came before. As the pacing of ''Call of Duty'' became faster and faster in the upcoming years [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor as a direct result of those complaints]], however, ''Black Ops'' is viewed as being much fairer compared to the ever quickening time-to-kill and large number of gimmicks that future games would indulge in. |
| 74 | ** ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyInfiniteWarfare'' had the misfortune of being the third future-based entry in a row following ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyAdvancedWarfare'' and ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps3'', leading to a huge backlash to its announcement from fans who had grown tired of the setting. Notably, its reveal trailer was at one point the most disliked video on Youtube, and the competing WWI shooter ''VideoGame/Battlefield1'' being shown off just a few days later only made the snark even more venomous, with many using that game's setting as further flames for the fire. Upon IW's release, the multiplayer being at best SoOkayItsAverage didn't do it any more favors, and the game was often passed over in favor of the aforemention ''Battlefield 1'' or other more different shooters like ''VideoGame/Doom2016''. However, as the years have passed, and ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' having since gone back to the WWII and modern day settings to mixed results, fans have since given it another look, and alongside it, more appreciation. In particular, it is seen as having boasted one of the best campaigns in the entire series thanks to its strong character writing (with robot sidekick [[BenevolentAI ETH.3n]] becoming a [[EnsembleDarkhorse fan-favorite]]), and taking advantage of the future setting far better than ''Advanced Warfare'' and ''Black Ops III'', with aspects like the zero-gravity shootouts and Jackal fighter jet battles being especially thrilling. Nowadays, while it is still divisive in the fandom, many agree that the game received far too much pre-release hate, and it's not uncommon to find fans who hold it up as the most underrated in the series. |
| 75 | * A few examples from the ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' series. |
| 76 | ** To this day, ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals'' is still played by people worldwide, partly because of its gameplay, which differs a lot from other ''Command & Conquer'' titles. Said gameplay and the connections to UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror originally got the game a lot of strong negative criticism. The fact that it now has many popular {{Game Mod}}s helped a lot. |
| 77 | ** ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRenegade'' was initially frowned upon for the massive GenreShift from RealTimeStrategy to FirstPersonShooter, a somewhat weak campaign with [[ArtificialStupidity bad A.I.]] and [[ObviousBeta more than a few glitches]], and an imbalanced multiplayer that generally devolved into tug-of-war with tanks. Nowadays it's often looked upon with nostalgia as one of the best games in the series; that it has a number of popular game mods emulating other games in the series helps. |
| 78 | ** ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianTwilight'' was so harshly criticized it created two further examples in the series. ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer3TiberiumWars'' had a fairly decent reception at release, but it was nonetheless criticized by not being on the same level as ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun''; nowadays it's fondly remembered because it's ''not'' on the same level as ''Tiberian Twilight''. ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'' was harshly criticized for its cartoonish graphics style and turning all the {{Camp}} from the series up to eleven; today it's appreciated in that it at least still retains the basic ''Command & Conquer'' gameplay as well as having a fun co-op campaign and generally being user-friendly, unlike ''Tiberian Twilight''. |
| 79 | * ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' was not a commercial success, and its underperformance compared to ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' meant Creator/{{Capcom}} had (and continues to have) little interest in reviving the series. Critically. however, ''Darkstalkers'' is beloved among Capcom and fighting game fans for its beautifully intricate and wacky spritework and {{anime}} MonsterMash combination. For years, fans have begged for a revival and are delighted whenever ''Darkstalkers'' characters show up in {{crossover}} titles -- especially if it it's someone other than [[BreakoutCharacter Morrigan]], such as Felicia and Hsien-Ko in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' or Jedah in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite'' (despite that game's critical bombing). |
| 80 | * ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' is an odd case of this, because it actually received glowing reviews when it first came out and even won several Game of the Year Awards in 2014. However, many series fans loathed this entry for its deviation from [[VideoGame/DarkSoulsI the previous entry]] in tone, level design, gameplay, and the fact that series' creator/director Creator/HidetakaMiyazaki was not lead director, rather it was handled by Yui Tanimura. However, as time went on, and information regarding the game's TroubledProduction became more known among fans, many ''Dark Souls'' fans have taken a more forgiving attitude towards ''DSII'', with many fans appreciating the game ''because'' of how it does try to be different from the previous entry. Another thing helping matters is the release of the acclaimed ''VideoGame/EldenRing'', which was co-directed by both Miyazaki and Tanimura and incorporated several of ''II's'' more open-ended designs & elements, and the fact that [[https://www.pcgamer.com/vindication-for-dark-souls-2-defenders-as-hidetaka-miyazaki-says-many-of-its-ideas-carried-the-rest-of-the-series/ Miyazaki himself]] regards the game warmly and as a large source of ideas that they've gone on to explore better in other titles. Nowadays, ''Dark Souls II'' is widely regarded as a worthy addition to the series, if still somewhat controversial. |
| 81 | * An in-universe example appears in the ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' series. In ''Dark Crusade'', Governor-General Lukas Alexander was widely regarded as a traitor for his decision to oppose the Blood Ravens' landing on Kronus. However, by the time ''Dawn Of War II: Retribution'' rolled around and it became known just how widespread Chaos had sunk its claws into the upper echelons of the Blood Ravens, his actions were seen in a much better light. |
| 82 | * [[AcclaimedFlop Despite positive reviews in magazines]], ''[[VideoGame/GargoylesQuest Demon's Crest]]'' didn't sell very well, and generated ''negative'' sales at one point. It was unclear why, though some speculate it was either the demonic overtones offending parents or the short length. It didn't help that playing it like a linear platformer meant missing out on over half the content as well as the other endings. Nowadays, it's universally regarded as one of the Platform/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}'s finest games. |
| 83 | * When ''VideoGame/DeadRising3'' first came out, it was criticized for a new creative team, and abandoning most of the satire and humor featured by the ''Franchise/DeadRising'' franchise. After ''VideoGame/DeadRising4'' released, which removed a number of features of the series, severely downplayed the freedom of what the player was allowed to do with items, recast Frank West's voice actor T.J. Rotolo, and once again changed creative teams (this time with none of them having worked on a ''Dead Rising'' game before), response to ''3'' became somewhat better due to it trying to keep most of the franchise's core while still trying to do something new. |
| 84 | * ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'': |
| 85 | ** The series as a whole provides a strange example. During the build-up to [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry the reboot]], the original series was raked over coals by journalists and Creator/NinjaTheory themselves while putting the then to be released ''[=DmC=]: Devil May Cry'' on a pedestal, decrying criticism of the reboot as fans of the original series being upset over Dante's hair colour, among other things. [[note]]While this ''was'' a complaint, most people who brought it up did so in the context of a) ''[=DmC=]'' [[FlipFlopOfGod originally]] being touted as a prequel to ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening DMC3]]'' despite the {{Continuity Snarl}}s that would've created, and b) Dante's [[YouDontLookLikeYou initial redesign]] drawing clear parallels to Ninja Theory co-creator Tameem Antoniades, with jokes abounding over the reboot being a SelfInsertFic. In reality, very few bemoaned ''[=DmC=]''!Dante's appearance solely on the basis of him sporting black hair.[[/note]] Despite this mentality that the original series was outdated and needed replacing, the reboot failed to sell anywhere near as much as [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 the previous game]], taking over five years to sell 2 million copies. And when [[UpdatedRerelease Updated Re-releases]] of both games were distributed in 2015, ''[=DMC4=]: Special Edition'' handily outsold ''[=DmC=]: Definitive Edition''. If that wasn't enough, ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' managed to match ''[=DMC4=]''[='s=] numbers in a couple of ''weeks''. Ironically, the scathing attack on the original series helped the games escape obscurity and be held to the same regard as the likes of ''Franchise/ResidentEvil''. The fact that, in the period up to ''5'''s release, many journalists ''still'' praised ''[=DmC=]'' while thrashing the original series and rehashing debunked theories on why the ''DMC'' fandom at large rejected the reboot only helped add to its vindication. |
| 86 | ** Further vindicated by the backlash to ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'' -- given the ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' series was meant to be the hipper and cooler SpiritualSuccessor to ''Devil May Cry'', being strong in all the areas where its predecessor was weak. Yet in regard to the fans' response to the questionable gameplay and story decisions of the third game (which really brought to light the flaws that were already in the series but could no longer be ignored due to ''[=DMC5=]'''s immense success) even fans of ''Bayonetta'' can admit ''Devil May Cry'' is better structured, especially narratively. ''DMC'' also successfully, over the course of two games, built a new protagonist in Nero, PassingTheTorch in a satisfying way -- something ''Bayonetta 3'' attempted to replicate with Viola, resulting in a BrokenBase. |
| 87 | ** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2'' has received this to some degree in the decades since its release. It's still largely reviled by the majority of fans for having extremely sluggish combat along with equally dull levels and enemies and for removing the fun, wisecracking side of Dante in favour of making him a generic stoic swordsman. However, a good deal of fans have to come appreciate the positives of the game, the fact it's the entry that introduced Bloody Palace and stylised anime-esque Devil Trigger forms -- two of the most beloved conventions of the series -- and for featuring a cool, playable demon ActionGirl Lucia as the {{Deuteragonist}}. (Compare this to fellow female leads [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 Trish]] and [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening Lady]]. Neither was playable in their initial appearances, Trish was a non-canon SecretCharacter in ''2'', both women -- but Lady especially -- were DemotedToExtra in the fourth game, and only PromotedToPlayable in its ''[[UpdatedRerelease Special Edition]]'', and then they were hit with a hefty dose of {{Chickification}} in the fifth game.) It's also the game where Hideaki Itsuno, often considered to be [[MyRealDaddy the true driving force of the series]], came on board late in development and, unsatisfied with the result, swore to helm the franchise from then on, meaning the series likely wouldn't have the [[SalvagedStory polish, popularity]] [[WinBackTheCrowd and critical acclaim it has today]] without the trial and error of ''2''. |
| 88 | ** [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry The reboot itself]] has been getting some fonder looks as time passes on, with the release of ''[=DMC5=]'' and [[{{Unreboot}} return to the main canon]] helping to cool heads. While very few will defend its story as a "good" or even serviceable ''DMC'' story, a lot of people do look back on its unique spin on the character action gameplay formula, interesting setpieces, and grim worldbuilding with some degree of enjoyment, with many saying that if it was an original series instead of trying to drastically reinvent an existing one (not getting into the aforementioned hostility from Ninja Theory) it likely would have received a much warmer reception to start with. |
| 89 | * ''VideoGame/DoDonPachi dai ou jou'' was met with contentuous reception upon its release in 2002 due to its high difficulty even by the standards of its predecessor ''[=DoDonPachi=]''. However, over time it has started to be better-received for refining a lot of ''[=DoDonPachi=]''[='=]s rougher design and taking less time to get to the game's more challenging elements (the first stage of ''[=DoDonPachi=]'' is often derided by hardcore shmup players for being a fun warm-up level the first few times but getting tedious when one has to play it every single time). Less positively, the game's improved reception is because its successor, ''[=DoDonPachi=] Resurrection'', is an even more divisive sequel due to straying so much from the formula of the previous two games and [[ItsEasySoItSucks forced auto-bomb]]. |
| 90 | * ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' was met, during its announcement and early release, not only a cold reception but even ''scorn and hatred''. The former was due to Nintendo releasing what felt like an overwhelming amount of {{Platform Game}}s at the time, while the scorn came from ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' fans who hated that its existence meant Creator/RetroStudios hadn't been working on a new ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy Metroid Prime]]''. A few years later, with the game re-released on the Switch, a more varied landscape of games on the console, and ''Metroid'' fans calming down after the release of ''[[VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns Samus Returns]]'' and the confirmation that ''Prime 4'' is in development, people started looking at ''Tropical Freeze'' on its own merits... and the game's reputation did a nigh-180° turn, now regarded as one of the most splendid platformers of all time. |
| 91 | * ''Franchise/{{Doom}}'': |
| 92 | ** ''VideoGame/Doom64'', the Platform/{{Nintendo 64}} entry, had the unfortunate luck of being released when first person shooters were moving away from the classic "shoot everything that moves while flipping the occasional switch" style of gameplay in favor of the more sophisticated play mechanics seen in games like ''VideoGame/{{Turok}}'' and the soon-to-be-released ''VideoGame/{{GoldenEye|1997}}''. On top of that, the game's name[[note]]which was originally going to be ''The Absolution''[[/note]] [[SuperTitle64Advance misled people]] into believing it was another straight-up port of the original ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' at a time where [[PortingDisaster sub-par ports of the game]] were [[PortOverdosed reaching the level of an epidemic]]. Thus, the game was written off as "derivative" and "behind the times" by most (a matter not helped by the fact that you still couldn't jump, crouch, or look up and down). Fortunately, thanks in no small part to a 2002 ''Doom II'' total conversion mod called ''Doom 64: Absolution'' (which was later superseded by ''Doom 64 EX''), the game has gained a second wind and is now seen as one of the best games in the whole franchise (including user-made [=WADs=]), to the point where many consider it to be the "real" ''VideoGame/Doom3''. It helps that it stuck with sprites in an era where most other games were jumping onto 3D models that very quickly showed their age, and instead utilized the console's power to achieve some neat 3D-looking effects that the original two games weren't able to pull off. Ultimately, ''Doom 64'''s growing reputation probably helped it secure a 2020 UpdatedRerelease for modern systems. It also probably didn't hurt that the creative director of ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' and ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' considers ''64'' his favorite ''Doom'' game, with the new levels in the re-release confirming it as [[spoiler:the canonical link between classic and modern ''Doom'']]. |
| 93 | ** In terms of {{Game Mod}}s, ''Assault on Tei Tenga''. Released in 1999, shortly after source ports like [=ZDoom=] came about, it was the first widely-known mod to make use of some of [=ZDoom=]'s unique features, particularly using a ''VideoGame/{{Hexen}}''-style {{hub|Level}} in ''Doom'' to let players freely revisit levels to solve inter-level puzzles (e.g. leaving one map and then going back to it through a different exit to bypass a laser fence in the first map) and heavy scripting to include rudimentary cutscenes, giving the mod a story that was at the front and center of the experience rather than [[ExcusePlot completely irrelevant outside the readme file]]. Its reception was mixed at the time, several players complaining that the scripting constrained gameplay and was completely at odds with what ''Doom'' should be (i.e. running and gunning with scores of monsters as almost every other mod for the game had been in the '90s), but as the years have passed more and more players have come to at least appreciate it for its role in demonstrating what [=ZDoom=] was capable of. |
| 94 | * ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', while still not as beloved as [[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins its predecessor]], has received something of a reevaluation in the years since [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition its sequel]] was released. Originally widely derided for its less epic and more linear story, slight reduction of RPG elements and strongly reduced character customization; in later years, more and more people have started to appreciate its more character-driven and socio-political story for breaking the usual mold of Creator/BioWare's saving-the-world-from-ancient-threat-plots and its focus on the PlayerCharacter's family. |
| 95 | * ''Franchise/{{Drakengard}}'': |
| 96 | ** When ''VideoGame/NieR'' first came out, the game was left to rot on store shelves by uninterested gamers and was largely forgotten, which ended up [[CreatorKiller (temporarily) killing Cavia Studios]]. Nowadays, it is well-known as an amazing game and is considered to one of Creator/YokoTaro's best games. It's also well-regarded for its [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic incredible soundtrack]] and for the story being very ahead of its time. For just one example, Joystiq initially slapped the game with a ''zero'', only for them to later acknowledge it as one of the best games of the last decade. A sequel by the original team, ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'', was announced out of nowhere at E3 2015 and released in 2017 thanks to this trope -- and promptly became a critical and commercial hit surpassing its predecessor thanks to the reputation of the original. When ''[=NieR=]'' was given the remake treatment in 2021, it had far better sales and reviews than the original, making the vindication rock-solid. |
| 97 | ** The original ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'' as well, to a lesser extent. It didn't sell hugely well and was only given average-to-good reviews on it original 2003 release. However, it has gained more recognition over the years thanks to its [[CrapsackWorld sheer]] [[EvilVersusEvil bleakness]] and [[MindScrew what-the-fuck storyline]]. This trope was eventually why Taro Yoko decided to release ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'' for the original game's 10th anniversary. |
| 98 | * ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' suffered from a poorly timed American release, a cartoony art style which contrasted sharply with the more detailed and serious fare of some of its RPG contemporaries, [[QuirkyWork a then-offbeat approach]] to its storytelling and humor, and a marketing strategy that was [[OurProductSucks downright idiotic]] (the slogan for the game was "[[ToiletHumour This game stinks]]"). Contemporary reviews were lukewarm at best, and by 1999, mounds of unsold copies of the game could be found in Walmart bargain bins all across the U.S. for $15. Then ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros64'' featured protagonist Ness as a hidden character, prompting people to actually go back and give it a chance, whereupon its reputation did a complete 180. From that point forward, it became a SacredCow, one of the standout titles of the SNES era, and it's rare to find even boxless used copies on eBay for less than $100. When the game was finally re-released on the Platform/WiiU Platform/VirtualConsole, it quickly topped the Wii U's digital sale charts and formed a vibrant Miiverse community, leading Nintendo to finally release [[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings the first game in the series]] worldwide. People are still clamoring for an [[NoExportForYou official English release]] of its sequel ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'', and the heavily ''[=EarthBound=]''-inspired indie game ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' is often regarded as one of the best games of TheNewTens, with it overtaking the Internet, and its successor ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' and the similarly inspired ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'' enjoying similar popularity; indeed, ''[=EarthBound=]'' is a very popular source of inspiration for indie games in general. |
| 99 | * When Creator/SquareEnix (Squaresoft at the time) announced they were making a side-scrolling shooter, fans didn't take them seriously. Back then, Square Enix had a track record of making awesome [=RPGs=] but mediocre games in other genres. When ''VideoGame/{{Einhander}}'' came out, a majority of gamers didn't play it at first. However, years later, word of mouth spread about how really good the game was and soon a cult following happened. Today, ''Einhänder'' is considered one of the greatest side-scrolling shooters ever made. It's since had some references or cameos in later games such as ''VideoGame/WorldOfFinalFantasy'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV: A Realm Reborn'', and ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII''. |
| 100 | * ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': |
| 101 | ** Almost every game has a TheyChangedItNowItSucks vibe from some part of its fanbase. ''Morrowind'' had its fair share of criticism from ''Daggerfall'' players, ''Oblivion'' from ''Morrowind'' players, and so forth. However, after the game is no longer the "current" game of the series, those players eventually turn into fans. |
| 102 | ** ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsArena'' missed its Christmas 1993 release date and was eventually released in March 1994, which was at the time one of the worst times of year to release a game. Distributors were concerned about its lurid-looking cover, leading to an initial distribution of less than 10,000 copies. Combine this with the initially poor reviews and the fact that the original, unpatched version of the game was nearly unfinishable due to {{game breaking bug}}s, and you've got a disaster of a release. However, the (patched) game's eventually gained a good reputation mainly through word of mouth, and sales continued through the months. Before long, it had gained a cult following. 18 years later and four sequels later, ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series is one of the most popular WRPG series of all time. |
| 103 | * For years, Atari's infamous video game adaptation of ''VideoGame/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' was regarded as the worst video game of all time, and popularly believed to have single-handedly triggered MediaNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983. Since about the 2000s, however, gamers and reviewers alike have become much kinder to it, noting that developer Howard Scott Warshaw was given just ''six weeks'' to make the whole game from scratch and that he did a remarkable job in such a short time frame. It's now generally considered to be SoOkayItsAverage, with gameplay that's tedious and boring rather than downright bad (with most of the frustration stemming from the GuideDangIt nature of the game, which becomes more tolerable once you figure out what to do - something that wasn’t so easy to look up back in 1982), and to have been merely TheLastStraw for a company and industry that was already teetering on the brink, rather than the crash's sole cause. |
| 104 | * ''VideoGame/FZeroGPLegend'', upon its release in 2003, gathered mixed reviews due to not being as eye-poppingly lavish as its console-based predecessor ''VideoGame/FZeroGX'' and being tied to the ill-received ''Anime/FZeroGPLegend'' anime. The sequel, ''VideoGame/FZeroClimax'', was released one year later and similarly sold poorly, to the point where [[NoExportForYou it didn't even leave Japan]], resulting in ''Climax'' being blamed as a FranchiseKiller for the ''VideoGame/FZero'' series. In the years that followed, series fans have become kinder towards both games, seeing them as refinements of the pseudo-3D ''F-Zero'' games with better controls, faster-paced racing (especially when compared to ''VideoGame/FZeroMaximumVelocity'', the 2001 entry on [[Platform/GameBoyAdvance the same platform]] that more closely mimicks [[VideoGame/FZero1990 the first game in the series]]), and the diverse cast of characters and their machines, many of which hail from ''VideoGame/FZeroX'' and ''GX'' with some new characters for good measure. ''F-Zero Climax'' additionally features the most courses of any ''F-Zero'' game to date, at a whopping ''54'' courses -- granted, some of them are harder variants of existing courses for Expert and Master difficulties, but it still nonetheless gives players a lot of content to enjoy, ''and'' the LevelEditor endlessly expands the possibilities of courses to race on, albeit only in Time Attack mode. The success of the next game in the series, ''VideoGame/FZero99'', has led fans to call for rereleases of both of these games (alongside fan-favorite ''GX'')[[note]]The SNES game and ''X'' are available on Platform/NintendoSwitch Online[[/note]] on modern platforms. |
| 105 | * ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'': |
| 106 | ** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' initially received mixed reviews, thanks to Bethesda rushing the game to release in an unfinished state. Reviews criticized the game for its numerous bugs and for [[MissionPackSequel using the same engine]] as ''VideoGame/Fallout3''. To this day, ''New Vegas'' is now heavily praised for its open-ended choices, its GreyAndGrayMorality, and its excellent writing. Many RPG fans consider it one of the best modern role-playing game of the 2010s. |
| 107 | ** ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' while a success, got severely criticised by fans of the [[VideoGame/{{Fallout}} first]] [[VideoGame/Fallout2 two]] games who had TheyChangedItNowItSucks reaction as well other gamers who compared its UnintentionalUncannyValley aspects to ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]''. Fans have also compared it unfavourably to the aforementioned ''New Vegas'' which had greater freedom and more choices to its story. Since then, however, and thanks to the mixed reviews of ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' and critical bombing of ''VideoGame/Fallout76'', fans have gone back to ''Fallout 3'' and appreciated its better qualities. The game's [=DLCs=] ''Operation: Anchorage'', ''The Pitt'', ''Broken Steel'' (which raises the level cap and fixes the ending), ''Point Lookout'', and ''Mothership Zeta'' are also well regarded, perhaps even more so than ''New Vegas'''s [=DLCs=] which barring ''Old World Blues'' are quite divisive. |
| 108 | ** ''VideoGame/FalloutBrotherhoodOfSteel'' also received mixed critical reception but was savaged by ''Fallout'' fans for the contradictions to the lore, the deviation from the established tone and aesthetic, and getting ''VideoGame/FalloutVanBuren'' delayed and canceled, which eventually led to Creator/BethesdaSoftworks striking it from canon. With the [[ObviousBeta disastrous release]] of ''VideoGame/Fallout76'' (as well as some behind-the-scenes drama and shady business tactics), ''Brotherhood of Steel'' is no longer universally considered to be the worst ''Fallout'' game released to date. |
| 109 | * ''VideoGame/FarCry2'' is a rather unique case. It sold well enough on its own and was given positive reviews, but the game was hindered by a large amount of {{Scrappy Mechanic}}s and it was overshadowed by the massive success of ''VideoGame/FarCry3'', which was often called "''Far Cry 2'' with all the problems fixed" by critics and gamers alike. However, as the ''Franchise/FarCry'' games have become more [[StrictlyFormula formulaic]] and [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks repeated]] since then with ''[[VideoGame/FarCry4 4]]'', ''[[VideoGame/FarCryPrimal Primal]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FarCry5 5]]'', the second game has gained a rather passionate cult fanbase thanks to its [[WarIsHell incredibly grim atmosphere]] and its DarkestAfrica setting, along with its minimalistic story. The fact that it saw release on GOG with the infamous retail DRM removed, and the availability of [[https://www.moddb.com/mods/dylans-far-cry-2-realism-mod this mod, which removes most annoying things about the game]], helped a lot. |
| 110 | * ''Franchise/FireEmblem'': |
| 111 | ** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones The Sacred Stones]]'': The game had a [[BrokenBase mixed reception]] upon release, being the first game since ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden Gaiden]]'' to allow level grinding, which meant it was praised from one camp for being more accessible to casual players and players who were new to the series, but derided from the other for [[ItsEasySoItSucks being too easy]] and ruining the series' NintendoHard appeal. After the release of ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Awakening]]'', which added even more casual-friendly features, the hardcore camp started to warm up to ''Sacred Stones'' out of a combination of it being harder without relying on FakeDifficulty and general nostalgia. This was especially true when people pointed out that level-grinding in ''Sacred Stones'' was always optional. The game's plot as well is pretty much a book report of all ''Fire Emblem'' tropes, as well as a ''lot'' of JRPG tropes. However, it's remembered more fondly nowadays -- in part due to Lyon being seen as one of the best written villains in the series. Back in 2005, he was written off as an Alvis wannabe, but he's seen as much more in the intervening years. His portrayal in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes'' has also helped. |
| 112 | ** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden'' itself has a significantly warmer reception now than it did at release. Many fans at the time disliked [[OddballInTheSeries the many changes it had]] from the first game, most of which did not reappear in the series for a long time. However, with later entires like ''Sacred Stones'', ''Awakening'', and ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemFates Fates]]'' including aspects such as easier level grinding (all three), split routes (''Sacred Stones'' and ''Fates''), and UnbreakableWeapons (''Fates''), ''Gaiden'' feels much less out of place now than it did then. Its popularity was also helped significantly by [[VideoGameRemake its remake]], ''Echoes: Shadows of Valentia'', which is widely regarded as a PolishedPort with vastly improved characters and writing. |
| 113 | ** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Shadow Dragon]]'', when released in 2009, was one step away from being a PolishedPort, with most of the polishes being done with the mechanics rather than bringing things like CharacterDevelopment or the story up to par with the standard set by [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade the]] [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones previous]] [[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance four]] [[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn games]] released in the west. On top of that, the character of Marth suffered a lot of HypeBacklash due to how many members of the ''Smash Bros.'' fandom [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation created their own personality independent of what he actually had]], so when his personality was "discovered" to be that of a standard 1990s game hero, he was seen as a VanillaProtagonist and boring. It was even initially labeled a FranchiseKiller, something it was seriously MisBlamed for (''Radiant Dawn'' had a much higher budget and sold significantly worse). However, as time went on, people started to accept all the things it did well -- it introduced the concept of reclassing to the series, features a highly customizable level of difficulty from "cakewalk" to "murderous", added some major quality-of-life improvements that the Tellius games had been sorely lacking (most notably, the ability to skip an enemy phase), and involved some incredibly fun characters and mechanics (such as retooling Ballisticians almost completely). The plot, while relatively minimalistic, is also often seen as doing what it needs to do, and the game is perhaps the most fleshed out in terms of "no resets"-style play, since it features multiple methods to help the player get back on their feet if they lose too many units to {{permadeath}} -- features that, on release, got people angry because they saw the game as forcing them to kill off units. While it's rarely seen as one of the best games in the series, it's gotten a much stronger reception and a good-sized hardcore following. |
| 114 | ** "Casual Mode", introduced in [[VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem New Mystery]] and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' (but [[MarthDebutedInSmashBros outside of Japan]]) has had some changes in its perception as well. In the contest of 2013 when ''Awakening'' released, people took issue with the use of the word "Casual" - like the game was somehow talking down to them by locking one of its most beloved AntiFrustrationFeatures to a mode labeled "Casual". [[ValuesDissonance Which was somewhat of a swear word amongst gamers at the time.]] Sometimes, people even went so far to [[StopHavingFunGuys flame people for playing Casual mode]] in hopes it would send Nintendo the message that people only wanted NintendoHard games. These days, people generally care far less about whether or not you play it on "Classic" mode or "Casual" mode as constantly resetting the game and being stressed generally invalidates the purpose of a game - which is to have fun. Gatekeeping is seen as far more toxic in TheNewTwenties. |
| 115 | * ''VideoGame/FreeSpace2'' was at the time of its release the very definition of an AcclaimedFlop to the point where it (more or less) [[GenreKiller killed the space sim genre]]. 15 years later, it's frequently seen on "Best Space Combat Sims" lists, with many people considering it to be (at least for now) the pinnacle of the genre in terms of graphics, gameplay and story and has one of the most devoted fan bases and modding communities in all of gaming, with its greatly (fan-)updated engine "[=FreeSpace=] Open" being the engine of choice for anyone who wants to make a fan made space sim. |
| 116 | * Late-life [=PS2=] BeatEmUp ''VideoGame/GodHand'' was met with poor sales and mixed reviews at the time of its release, but in the ensuing years has developed a vocal and passionate online fanbase on account of its deep and challenging combat system, some downright [[CrazyIsCool crazy awesome]] moves, and [[QuirkyWork general unrestrained wackiness]]. |
| 117 | * ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV''[='=]s online multiplayer mode, ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoOnline'', suffered a disastrous launch that saw it unplayable for weeks, and even after the servers were stabilized, many slammed it as suffering from a dearth of features beyond basic deathmatches and races. Features that had been promised before launch, most notably heist missions, were nowhere to be seen. Many wrote it off as a failed experiment and stuck with the single-player story. [[Creator/TakeTwoInteractive Rockstar Games]], however, never abandoned it, and continued adding content (the long-awaited heists being just the start)... and never stopping. To say that ''GTA Online'' made a comeback would be the understatement of the decade, as it would keep ''GTA V'' near the top of the sales charts for ''years'' after its already record-breaking launch. As of this writing, ''GTA V'' is the second-best-selling video game in history with over 195 million copies sold (second only to ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'') and annual sales figures remaining above 10 million even a decade after its initial release in 2013, a long tail that owes almost everything to the runaway success of ''GTA Online''. In fact, ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoVI'' not being announced until 2023 has been [[https://videogames.si.com/news/gta-5-sales-q2-fy-2024 attributed]] to the fact that Rockstar was still making money hand-over-fist off of ''GTA Online'' and adding new content to the game to meet demand. |
| 118 | * ''VideoGame/TheGuardianLegend'' for the NES. Although it did get nominated for a few awards in Nintendo Power, most other professional reviews of the game at the time of its release were negative, with ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly'' in particular calling it "only average at best", and the highest rating it ever got was ''almost'' an 8 out of 10. Fast forward to the 21st century and you find it on a lot of lists of best NES games, with IGN calling it "one of the most influential games in the history of the gaming industry" in 2009 and Gamasutra calling it "one of the best games ever released." Most of the credit for this rests with the game's complicated, 32-character long {{Password Save}}s which were a huge downside at the time, but not so much anymore since most NES gaming these days is done with computer-based emulator programs, where save states remove the need to worry about those obnoxious passwords. |
| 119 | * ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'': |
| 120 | ** Upon release, ''VideoGame/Halo4'' was often derided on a technical level, with focus being especially given to its multiplayer. The shift to a more casual style of play, along with quick cancellation of the clumsily handled ''Spartan Ops'' made it one of the least popular games in the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' series. As time went on however, many people began to recognise its campaign as among the best in the series thanks to its surprising amount of emotional depth given to previously stoic characters, as well as the fun and varied missions themselves. Especially after ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'' suffered over its campaign, many began to look far more fondly over its predecessor. |
| 121 | ** ''VideoGame/Halo3ODST'', while praised by many, still received mixed reviews upon release, with a lot of critics considering it a mere "{{expansion|Pack}}" of ''VideoGame/Halo3'' and not worth buying. Since then, and thanks to being rereleased with the ''[[CompilationRerelease Master Chief Collection]]'' on Platform/{{Steam}}, many people have since come around to ''ODST'', praising its unique atmosphere, characters (including three ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' actors), and story as well as its Firefight mode. Nowadays, it's considered one of the best titles in the series alongside the main trilogy and ''VideoGame/HaloReach''. |
| 122 | * ''VideoGame/HauntingGround'', though it was meant to be a continuation of the ''VideoGame/ClockTower'' franchise, was struck with average reviews upon its release. Many critics wrote it off as an off-brand ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' without combat, but as years went by survival horror fans eventually began to see and appreciate ''Haunting Ground'''s merits, particularly its atmosphere and truly disturbing PsychologicalHorror elements. The game also gives a meta-commentary on the intentional sexualisation and victimisation of female characters in video games which in some ways makes ''Haunting Ground'' ahead of its time. It's generally considered one of the most underrated survivor horror games of the [=PS2=] generation. [=YouTube=] game critic The Sphere Hunter goes into more detail about it in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpZTJjZAAsw this video]]. |
| 123 | * ''VideoGame/HerzogZwei'' was released to bad reviews from professional video game critics, with ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly'' giving it [[http://www.giantbomb.com/herzog-zwei/3030-11439/ some of the lowest scores they've ever given]] to a Platform/SegaGenesis game while calling it a "flawed shooter game." Half a decade or so later, and those same video game critics would be including the game in [[http://kirk.is/vgames/powerlist/ their Top 100 best games of all time lists]] and considering it an important part of video game history, [[TropeMakers being one of the first, if not the first]], modern RealTimeStrategy games ever created, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20030504034920/http://www.above-the-garage.com/rblts/vie16b.htm directly influencing]] GenrePopularizer ''VideoGame/DuneII''. |
| 124 | * The ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptunia'' series was always popular in Japan, but struggled to find an audience in the west due to being unabashed, {{Fanservice}}-y (in more than one sense of the word) otaku bait. The first game took a critical pounding (the presence of several gameplay mechanics that bogged down the game certainly didn't help), with Eurogamer going so far as to call it a "a sexist, senseless, and ultimately stupid cultural curio." By the time ''Victory'' was released, the series finally got over its issues with wonky gameplay, and once the UpdatedRerelease of the first game made it onto Platform/{{Steam}} it quickly reached Overwhelmingly Positive ratings and got far more favorable coverage, and though the original version was derided as a janky mess in comparison, people eventually warmed back up to it due to major differences between the two releases. |
| 125 | * ''VideoGame/IRobot'' was considered too complicated for players when it came out in 1983 accompanied with hardware problems of arcade cabinets. However, retrospective reviews are very positive, praising its graphics and overall presentation with innovative gameplay. |
| 126 | * ''VideoGame/KidIcarus1986''. Back in its day, it got a lukewarm reception and was considered a poor man's ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' in the rare instance it was ever brought up. Nowadays, the original ''Kid Icarus'' and its Western-only sequel ''VideoGame/KidIcarusOfMythsAndMonsters'' are regarded as {{Cult Classic}}s due to their [[NintendoHard surprising difficulty]]. The inclusion of Pit in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' [[ColbertBump sparked]] [[NewbieBoom a new interest in the franchise]] which led to ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', the first new game in the series in 21 years, which would go on to be praised for its varied gameplay, vibrant cast of characters, and tongue-in-cheek, [[BreakingTheFourthWall fourth wall-breaking]] humor. |
| 127 | * ''VideoGame/Killer7''. Sales were very poor, advertising was nonexistent, and critical opinion was quite mixed. But over the years, due to positive word-of-mouth from the very few that had played it, and Creator/Suda51's further works becoming more well-known, the game has experienced a huge surge in popularity, and now it's one of the most sought-after games on the [[Platform/NintendoGameCube GameCube]]. This would culminate in the game receiving a remastered version for Platform/{{Steam}} in 2018. |
| 128 | * ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': |
| 129 | ** When ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' first came out, a lot of players (and reviewers) complained that the combat was too [[ButtonMashing button-mashy]] and that you could just spam X (and occasionally Triangle) to win most fights, which made the gameplay monotonous and too easy. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc8hrXyG1xw After]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhcqCIWc2wY years]] ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsiUcYMrjj0 and years]]) [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdCIAldWPm0 of]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqWh1faBaAA analysis,]] however, it turns out the combat system is actually pretty complex under-the-hood, and high-level play has much more to do with moves and counter-moves against the enemy's A.I. ''Final Mix'' made this much more apparent with the additions of the Cavern of Remembrance (which lets you fight Organization XIII again) and [[HarderThanHard Critical Mode]] (especially [[LowLevelRun Lv1 Critical]]), all of which do a great job of encouraging smarter play and experimentation with the game's numerous combat options, as mindless button mashing will simply get you killed. ''KHIIFM'' would eventually become the gold standard of the series' gameplay to many fans. The game's plot was also a point of contention upon its initial release, some fans criticizing the game for having a stronger emphasis on its original story as opposed to Disney, the introduction of Roxas and Organization XIII being met with mixed results (the former due to his ProlongedPrologue and the latter for bordering {{Wangst}} territory), and having a more [[GrowingTheBeard mature]] and [[KudzuPlot intricate plot]], a stark contrast to the mostly light-hearted first game. These days, ''KHII'' is praised for having one of the strongest stories in the franchise, certainly helped by the plot answering all of its questions by the end, unlike future installments that may go several sequels before properly answering questions, and having a legitimate (if not [[AndTheAdventureContinues open-ended]]) HappyEnding, whereas later installments would often go for [[DownerEnding a more]] [[BittersweetEnding somber]] [[RayOfHopeEnding ending]] or end on a {{cliffhanger}}. |
| 130 | ** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded'' was near-universally considered the worst entry in the series for its [[ExcusePlot "fluff"]] plot that did little to advance the overarching story, a number of [[UnexpectedGameplayChange unexpected changes to gameplay]] added, reusing many environments from the first game, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and for being another weirdly titled handheld game]]. However, many fans have begun taking a more critical eye to the franchise and have pointed out ''[[UpdatedRerelease Re:coded]]''[='s=] strengths, such as a much more balanced Command Deck pool that isn't dominated by a handful of commands like [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep some]] [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance other]] games, a unique leveling system that allows for much more customization, the gameplay changes actually being fun and unique twists that break up the basic formula nicely, and having a plot that (while not incredibly important in the grand scheme of things) delves into some [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman actually very dark and heavy subjects]] with some real depth and maturity. So while many still consider it the weakest and most unnecessary addition to the series, many others have started defending it as an underrated gem that deserves more respect. |
| 131 | * The western releases of the ''VideoGame/KingsField'' series garnered mediocre sales and a decent, but not great critical reception in great part due to their unimpressive graphics and high difficulty level. The release of ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' and ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' by [[Creator/FromSoftware the same developer]] (with the director of both games citing ''King's Field'' as a key inspiration) has led to a notable resurgence of interest in the series. |
| 132 | * ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'': |
| 133 | ** ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3'' was one due to coming after the ToughActToFollow ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'', and undoing many of the new mechanics from that game, such as multi-attack abilities, minigames, and a more elaborate BossRush. Instead, the slow-paced gameplay and Animal Friends from ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2'' made a comeback. This was because the games were made by different development teams (for one thing, ''Dream Land 2'', ''Dream Land 3'', and ''[[VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards The Crystal Shards]]'' were directed by Shinichi Shimomura instead of series creator Creator/MasahiroSakurai). It also was overshadowed by the release of the Nintendo 64, and the "coloring book" art style. Now, it's seen as much of a classic as that game, especially due to it improving the Kirby series' MinimalistCast with Gooey and the Animal Friends, and being surprisingly DarkerAndEdgier to most games in the series. |
| 134 | ** ''Super Star'' itself suffered, at least in the West, due to the proximity of its release to the launch of the Nintendo 64 (less than a month, in America's case). Today, its status as one of, if not THE best, ''Kirby'' games is firm, even getting a Platform/NintendoDS remake in 2008 entitled ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''. |
| 135 | ** ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'' was disliked by many on release for continuing many of the controversial gameplay trends seen in ''Dream Land 3''. Now, it's enjoyed for giving Kirby an ImpliedLoveInterest, and, once again, being surprisingly creepy. However, the Kirby series switched back to ''Super Star''-style after that due to the initial poor reception of these two games. Many fans are eager to see another game like them. |
| 136 | ** ''VideoGame/KirbyAirRide'' met a lukewarm reception [[OvershadowedByAwesome due to being sandwiched between]] ''VideoGame/FZeroGX'' and ''VideoGame/MarioKartDoubleDash'', and its TroubledProduction (which led to Creator/MasahiroSakurai leaving HAL Laboratory) further damaged its reputation for a while. Nowadays, it is considered a CultClassic and one of the highlights of the [=GameCube=] library, particularly for the City Trial mode. In fact, the Smash Run mode in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'' was directly stated by Sakurai to be a SpiritualSuccessor to said mode. It was also the game to introduce Sakurai's signature achievement grid system, enhancing its replay value. |
| 137 | * When ''VideoGame/{{Knack}}'' came out as a launch title for the Platform/PlayStation4, it was quickly dismissed by gaming critics as a boring, bare-bones action-adventure game with a [[DancingBear gimmicky character]] meant to [[TechDemoGame show off the system's particle effects]]. However, the game slowly grew a cult following over the years, to the point that many demanded ''Knack'' as a free [=PlayStation=] Plus game. Part of this is because, as fans have discovered, playing the game on Hard Mode takes away the boredom and makes the gameplay a lot more intense and exciting, to the point that fans started calling it "''Knack [[VideoGame/DarkSouls Souls]]''." As a result, ''Knack 2'' was announced at the 2016 [=PlayStation=] Experience event. |
| 138 | * Despite favorable sales and reviews, ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' was infamously divisive among fans for being a gigantic DeconstructorFleet, which challenges almost every part of ''Franchise/StarWars'' and [[GenreDeconstruction role-playing games as a genre]]. It didn't help that [[ChristmasRushed it was incredibly rushed in order to meet a holiday release date]], with numerous bugs and about ''a third of the game'' being cut out in order to meet the release. Years later, fans would come to love the game for its unique perspective and narrative which questioned the perceived nature of the Force, and the ever fighting Jedi and Sith. Its reputation was further helped by ''The Sith Lords Restored Content Mod'', which finished almost all of the game's missing content. The game has since been picked up by Platform/{{Steam}} with full Workshop mod support, which includes the restored content mod, bringing it to the attention of many new players more than a decade after its initial launch. |
| 139 | * The [[Creator/MonolithProductions LithTech]] MediaNotes/GameEngine saw this; initially powering a pair of rushed and lackluster games (the extremely rushed ''VideoGame/ShogoMobileArmorDivision'' and a sequel to ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' they didn't even initially want to make), after which it was licensed out to other developers, whereupon it, being a cheaper option over the typical ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' or ''VideoGame/{{Quake III|Arena}}'' engine, became the domain of zero-effort budget titles from cheap developers and publishers, to the point there's a Website/SomethingAwful [[https://www.somethingawful.com/game-reviews/ww2-normandy/1/ review of a game on the engine]] wherein the reviewer sincerely asks Monolith to never allow anyone else to use the engine ever again. Monolith, however, learned from the mistakes of ''Shogo'' and ''Blood II'', particularly coming to the conclusion that presentation trumped innovation, and got back to work on new games to put this idea into practice. The result was ''VideoGame/NoOneLivesForever'', a game where they started with comparatively humble aspirations and then polished what they came up with to a mirror sheen, resulting in it becoming the highest-rated game they've ever released. The engine still sees some licensed use by budget developers, but nowadays those are vastly overshadowed by Monolith's own work with it like ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'', ''VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon'', and ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfMordor''. |
| 140 | * ''VideoGame/LiveALive'', when released in 1994, was a fairly unique RPG that didn't sell very well in its native country of Japan. When emulation made more games from that era that [[NoExportForYou never received an international release]], ''Live A Live'' got some attention, but it still was overshadowed by games like ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', ''VideoGame/TrialsOfMana''. and ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' from Creator/SquareEnix (at the time Squaresoft). At best, it became a CultClassic. As TheNewTens waned, however, more people discovered the game thanks in part to Square Enix making occasional nods to it and most notably Creator/TobyFox of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' fame citing the game as an influence. In fact, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen he had wanted]] to use a remix of "Megalomania" for the final boss of ''VideoGame/TheHalloweenHack'' instead of an early version of "Megalovania". This caused a lot of people to go onto videos and [[LetsPlay Let's Plays]] of ''Live A Live'' while pointing out what the inspiration was. Fast forward to 2022 when a [[RemadeForTheExport remake]] was announced -- and after it released in late July, it received quite the acclaim even amongst the reception of the SleeperHit of ''VideoGame/{{Stray|2022}}'' and its InvisibleAdvertising. |
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| 142 | |
| 143 | [[folder:M-Z]] |
| 144 | * ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' was a moderately popular Mac FPS by a fledgling game studio known as Creator/{{Bungie}}. However, because it was (almost entirely) a Mac-exclusive series, its player base was limited by the install base of the platform, and it got flack for looking like a "''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' [[FollowTheLeader clone]]" on the surface despite several innovations to the formula. It has since earned many more fans because of ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' referencing it so much. Many ''Halo'' fans become Bungie fans, and many Bungie fans try out their older games. The fact that it has since been ported to other [=OSes=] has also helped. |
| 145 | * When ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' first came out in 2011, there was no shortage of gamers tearing the game to shreds over a lack of content, bizarre roster choices (no VideoGame/{{Mega Man|Classic}}, really?), and what many felt was taking advantage of the playerbase with ''[[UpdatedRerelease Ultimate]]'' [[CapcomSequelStagnation being released the same year]]. As time went by, when Disney revoked their license only to later collaborate with Capcom to create ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite'', the reception became far more positive. That's mainly because ''Infinite'' is far, ''far'' more polarizing than ''3'' ever was, which seemed to magnify the issues [[note]]the lack of content, a roster that doesn't have the signature mutants and {{unexpected character}}s, the feel of a blatant cash grab/glorified MCU advertisement[[/note]] while creating new ones [[note]]piss-poor production values, marketing disasters that alienated the fans[[/note]]. Now, ''3'' is much more praised by fans than it's ever been, who hold it as an example of how good the series was before Disney got involved. The roster in particular is held in high regard -- not only are there plenty of characters to choose from, [[ShownTheirWork but it actually feels like it draws from the comics]], as opposed to making everything a plug for the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. The fact that it had a good mixture of characters from different teams instead of more than half of the Marvel roster being mutants and more than half the Capcom roster being ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' characters like [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2 its predecessor]] helped as well. |
| 146 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends'': Back in 1998, ''Legends'' wasn't exactly the most loved iteration of the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' franchise. Its sales (at the very least, the sales of the sequel) did not satisfy Capcom, many veteran fans (who grew up with the [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Classic]] and/or ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX X]]'' series) were unsupportive of it for being [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks a completely different kind of game]] and critical reception was mixed-to-negative ([=ScrewAttack=] even included it in their "Top Ten Worst 2D to 3D Games" list). With time, though, its fanbase grew strong, especially since Creator/KeijiInafune declared the ''Legends'' series to be his favorite part of the ''Mega Man'' series, and since the 2010s ''Legends'' is now a beloved series with its early open world gameplay, charming characters, and interesting story. |
| 147 | * ''VideoGame/MetalGear'': |
| 148 | ** ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 2|SonsOfLiberty}}'' is an interesting case. It was originally critically acclaimed by critics and became a 7-million seller, but fans despised it for not having Snake as a main protagonist and having a plot that is very difficult to understand. Because of this fan consensus, the game had a negative backlash for a while after, often popping up on "Most Overrated Games" lists. However as time marched on, the game started doing better after people got over the former alleged fault. The understanding of the themes and structure of the story gives the game a warmer reception than when it was first released, and the rise of more PostModern games like ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'' and ''VideoGame/TheStanleyParable'' made people look back at the game as being ahead of its time. It also helps that the game's ReplacementScrappy Raiden TookALevelInBadass and became more prominent in the franchise which make his role in this game more acceptable. Nowadays most of the hatred and criticisms are aimed at the overabundance of codec-based cutscenes (even characters talking face-to-face call each other on the codec, {{Hand Wave}}d as "to prevent eavesdropping") for simply being unappealing and clearly signposting points where the devs didn't have the time or simply couldn't be bothered to make/finish a proper cutscene, and the obnoxious RomanticPlotTumor surrounding [[TheScrappy Rose]]. |
| 149 | ** A milder case can be found with some of the other games in the series: ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' was pretty well-received among most fans and especially critics, but many hardcore fans felt that it retroactively ruined some of [[FanDislikedExplanation MGS2's ambiguity]] and some of [[EvilAllAlong MGS3's characters]], all while being chock-full of [[NostalgiaLevel fanservice aimed mostly at MGS1 fans]]. The heavy reliance on cutscenes (even for the series' standards) was also heavily debated. However, the game gained a lot more appreciation after its complete antithesis, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidV'', was released. Nowadays, many fans remember ''Guns of the Patriots'' -- along with other previously divisive games like ''Sons of Liberty'' and ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Peace Walker]]'' -- more fondly because [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks "at least they had a final boss and an ending."]] |
| 150 | * ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'': |
| 151 | ** For years, ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'' was the bizarre and often overlooked OddballInTheSeries, boasting narrow and cramped level design, an emphasis on combat rather than exploration, a long endgame area devoid of any enemies that felt like mere {{padding}}, and a soundtrack that attempted to be atmospheric but instead largely ended up as unmemorable and ear-grating. When both a [[VideoGame/AnotherMetroid2Remake fan-made remake]] and [[VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns official remake]] were released fifteen years later, much of the fanbase now saw ''Metroid II'' as completely outdated and replaced. That is, except for a growing subset of fans who started to argue that it is an underappreciated classic where much of its game design (including aspects commonly regarded as flaws) were actually deliberately chosen to serve the greater purpose of atmospheric storytelling. This group believes that while both the fan and official reimagings are good games, they failed to capture what the original Game Boy game was trying to accomplish, with [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks some of the changes]] even completely undermining the original goal. This [[http://www.acriticalhit.com/am2r-depth-critical-review/ written AM2R review]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WkEoYvlUF0 this Game Maker's Toolkit video]] discuss the 1991 title's merits in more detail. |
| 152 | ** When ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' released in 2002, most ''Metroid'' fans weren't too kind to it due to the game placing more emphasis on the story and having surprising NintendoHard difficulty. It also didn't help that ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' was released at the same time, with a kinder difficulty curve and making use of StoryBreadcrumbs instead. As time passed however, more fans began to warm up to ''Fusion'' for giving Samus some much needed characterization, and while the linearity continues to be a source of debate, many fans saw it as a reasonable trade-off for the game's atmosphere of overwhelming dread. The sentiment for ''Fusion'' only grew after ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'' was heavily criticized for not only falling to accomplish a similar balance, but also for poorly handling Samus's character. |
| 153 | * ''VideoGame/MichaelJordanChaosInTheWindyCity'' bombed in sales and was reviewed rather harshly for the blatant product placement and wasting Jordan's likeness. Its premise was easy to [[{{Pun}} dunk]] on, and ''Magazine/NintendoPower'' rated it among the worst games ''ever'' in 1997. The game has gained a lot more respect years down the road, because more people discovered that underneath its cornball premise and all the product placement is a solidly well-made and creative game. |
| 154 | * ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterGenerations'' was seen as a downgrade from ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter4 Ultimate'' in the west because ''Generations'' did not have a "G Rank". Combined with less of a story mode ([[ExcusePlot by series standards, that is]]), it felt like the game had less content. Some [[StopHavingFunGuys purists]] hated the addition of Hunting Styles that was the main draw of ''Generations'' and felt it was derailing the gameplay. However, since ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' released with not even ''half'' of the large monsters present in ''Generations'' and ''4 Ultimate'' (combined with new content releasing at a glacial pace, only rectified much later with the ''Iceborne'' expansion), some of the games' critics have started to appreciate ''Generations'' for the sheer ''variety'' of content, including the much-vaunted Prowler mode which lets you play as a Palico. (A feature that has not returned ''since'') It helps that its UpdatedRerelease, ''Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate'', added back many of the much-missed features from previous games, making it ''the'' biggest ''Monster Hunter'' game (aside from ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterFrontier'') in terms of content. |
| 155 | * ''VideoGame/MoonbaseCommander'' suffered from being too far behind its time, and had little to no marketing when it first came out, leading to Creator/HumongousEntertainment's bankruptcy. However, once interest in Humongous' older games grew, many fans decided to give ''Moonbase Commander'' a second chance, and it's now been seen as a well-designed and simplistic strategy game. It's not the most popular game out there, but the fanbase is certainly much bigger than it was initially. |
| 156 | * ''Franchise/MortalKombat'': |
| 157 | ** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat4'', [[VideoGame3DLeap the first 3D game in the series]], got plenty of criticism and poor reviews when it first released, proving to be much less popular than the original trilogy and seen as a sign that the series was running out of steam. Many fans weren't pleased withnew characters like Shinnok (who replaced Shao Khan), Tanya (who replaced the female ninjas), Jarek (who replaced Kano), and Fujin, especially since a lot of the old cast were missing, including even Scorpion in the initial version of the game. Nowadays, however, it's looked back upon far more fondly for expanding the lore and said new characters have become more accepted and celebrated in the years since. ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'', one of the more popular entries of the series' "modern" age, even brought back Shinnok as the villain as well as other characters from ''[=MK4=]'' to unambiguous praise. It also helps that ''[=MK4=]'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaUvrr8ajkE hilariously janky cutscenes]] cross the line into SoBadItsGood territory with their voice acting, while modern titles like ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat11 MK11]]'' are more straight face and therefore far less fun according to some fans. |
| 158 | ** The [=PS2=]-era trilogy of ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Deadly Alliance]]'', ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Deception]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon Armageddon]]'' is considered to be another AudienceAlienatingEra of the franchise, only selling as decently as it did due to most other mainstream FightingGame series either being dead, forgotten, or underperforming during the very early 2000s (outliers like ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soulcalibur II]]'' and ''VideoGame/Tekken5'' notwithstanding). The ''DA-D-A'' trilogy received endless flack for its milquetoast gameplay as well as having a cavalcade of new characters -- many of whom were poorly designed and silly (e.g. Hsu Hao). Despite some bright spots among the new additions (like Kenshi, Nitara and Havik), and some fans finding the narrative turn the series took following [[spoiler:Liu Kang's death]] to be an interesting idea in theory, things reached a point where ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat9 MK9]]'' had to pull a ContinuityReboot to escape from the fallout. Since then, and in the wake of the trajectory taken by ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' and its ''second'' universe reboot with ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'', far more people have reconsidered the [=PS2=] games and acknowledged their positives. In particular, ''MK'' fans reconsider that they genuinely tried out new ideas and committed to the {{worldbuilding}} (even if it was often poorly executed) rather than being a cash crossover vehicle for Creator/WarnerBrothers with the ''MK'' world as set dressing, as a good portion of fans accuse ''[=MK11=]'' and ''[=MK1=]'' of being. ''Deception'' and ''Armageddon'' also respectively introduced open world gameplay (via Konquest Mode) and CharacterCustomization to series, both of which even detractors admit were fun and -- perhaps more importantly -- were ideas direct competitor ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' would effectively utilise in the immensely successful ''VideoGame/StreetFighter6''. |
| 159 | ** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatMythologiesSubZero'' tanked when it released due to poor sidescrolling BeatEmUp gameplay, broken platforming, and underwhelming combat. Since then, however, it's been looked back upon more fondly, especially for its live-action FMV cutscenes which are packed with NarmCharm. The fact it's also the game that introduced fan favourites like Quan Chi and Sareena while generally expanding on the lore on surrounding the fan favourite mascot ninjas means that it's a very important entry in the franchise, despite the woeful gameplay. |
| 160 | ** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatSpecialForces'' is a similar but downplayed example of this. It was rightly panned for its appalling gameplay due to being rushed and kicked out the door, coupled with ''MK'' co-creator John Tobias leaving for good mid-production. In the years since, with Midway as a company now being left to rot on the shelf by Creator/WarnerBrothers and Tobias no longer working on the games like he once did, ''Special Forces'' is now viewed as more of a tragic mess of wasted potential rather just simply a bad game. With the later ''VideoGame/MortalKombatShaolinMonks'' releasing to much better fanfare, a general sentiment is that the idea of a Special Forces spin-off game featuring Jax and Sonya would be much better accepted today in the right hands. Like the aforementioned ''Mythologies'', the cutscenes and dialogue of ''Special Forces'' have plenty of SoBadItsGood NarmCharm about them, which some fans do find endearing in spite of the gameplay. This game also, curiously enough, introduced another major fandom darkhorse in the rock ninja Tremor... who actually made surprise returns from ''[=MK9=]'' onward, including being fully playable as DLC for ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatX MKX]]''. |
| 161 | * The ''VideoGame/NBA2K'' series, which became one of Creator/{{Sega}}'s first third-party titles and became so massively popular ''it defeated [[Creator/ElectronicArts EA Sports]]!'' The series is now owned by Creator/TakeTwoInteractive, which bought Sega's Visual Concepts studio and turned it into 2K Games. |
| 162 | * ''VideoGame/Nightshade1992'': This console adventure game combined a PointAndClickGame interface with an utterly bizarre sense of humor. While video games like this were common on the PC platforms, it was still rare on consoles -- not helped by the fact that it arrived too late on the Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem when the next generation consoles were much more popular. As a result, on release, the game was met with lukewarm indifference at best and mockery at worst, and this reputation continued when the game became a common target for retro video game reviewers on Website/YouTube. It wasn't until the 2010s, when people became more accepting of console adventure games, that the game was finally given praise for unique and funny writing that aged surprisingly well. Nowadays, with the PC and Nintendo Switch Online rereleases, ''Nightshade'' has gained more respect as a fun, if flawed, classic with legitimately good humor that was ahead of its time. |
| 163 | * ''VideoGame/NoMansSky'' was a widely anticipated game that simply could not live up to the pre-release hype. It was critically panned for its [[ObviousBeta loads of unfinished features]], with players going it as far to call it false advertising, and went on to become one of the worst reviewed games of all times at light speed. Hello Games managed to turn this all around by... just continuing working on the game. ''No Man's Sky'' gained a stream of big content updates post-release, including the ''NEXT'' update which added true multiplayer to the game. Within just two years, these updates enticed people to review the game again with praise, and from that point onwards the game not only added every feature the game was vaunted to have pre-release, but now includes ''even more content than originally publicized''. [[SerialEscalation And as of 2022, it's still getting regular content updates.]] |
| 164 | * When it was released, ''ORION: Dino Beatdown'' was considered one of the worst games ever made -- ''in the words of its own developers no less'' -- due to incredible amounts of bugs and other issues, and was overall regarded as a ripoff. Three years and countless free updates later, the rebrand ''VideoGame/OrionPrelude'' has seen its rating rise up positively. It helps that, as stated, most of the updates that improved everything were free. |
| 165 | * This is a common cycle with plenty of Creator/ParadoxInteractive games thanks primarily to many of their games having hundreds of dollars worth of [[ExpansionPack expansions]] and DownloadableContent. When a new game in the series releases, a good portion of the expansion and DLC content has to be removed or toned down in order to prevent [[LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading hours of load and download times]]. On top of that, the number of moving parts means they have somewhat of a history of launching in ObviousBeta states -- but also some [[https://www.altchar.com/game-news/crusader-kings-3-patch-notes-are-hilarious-aeDI08l66f91 genuinely hilarious patch notes]]. But as time goes on, people tend to open up more to the games, especially once a few patches, mods, and DLC are added. |
| 166 | * ''VideoGame/Persona3'' and ''VideoGame/Persona4'' outside of Japan. Both had the (mis)fortune of releasing ''very'' late into the lifespan of the Platform/PlayStation2, hitting shelves between 2007 and 2009. By then, a lot of gamers had moved on to the seventh generation. They were also [=JRPGs=], a genre that (at least in North America at the time) was treated with lack of interest at best or disdain at worst. While both games were received quite well by critics and those who played it alike, they were at best a CultClassic. When Creator/{{Atlus}} later released ''Persona 3 Portable'', [[Anime/Persona4TheAnimation an animated adaptation]] of ''Persona 4'', and ''Persona 4 Golden'' for the Platform/PlayStationVita, the two games received more attention, garnering enough interest for the first two ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' games [[note]]''VideoGame/Persona1'' and ''VideoGame/Persona2: Innocent Sin''; sadly, ''Eternal Punishment'', the [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo second half]] of the ''P2'' duology, [[NoExportForYou didn't leave Japan due to font]], allegedly[[/note]] to receive an international (re-)release. And that's not getting into all the various ''P3'' and ''P4'' spin-offs such as ''[[VideoGame/PersonaQShadowOfTheLabyrinth Q]]'' that were released afterward. ''Persona'' is now a household word, and has effectively [[MorePopularSpinoff eclipsed]] [[Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei its parent series]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff outside of Japan]] in terms of brand recognition. |
| 167 | * ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' may be the most dramatic example of this trope in the history of video games. Though given overwhelmingly positive reviews on release, it sold terribly as it was [[AudienceAlienatingPremise impossible to market]] and it came out at the tail end of the Infinity Engine RPG craze. Today it's revered as a SacredCow of [[RolePlayingGame Role-Playing Games]] and held as one of the most well-written video game stories ever created. Its popularity has come to the point that when the developers showed off two different Kickstarter spiritual successors, both were fully funded within ''hours''. The modernized port of the game (which can run on modern computers) is also still consistently the highest-selling title on Good Old Games |
| 168 | * ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': |
| 169 | ** ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonXDGaleOfDarkness''. Both games received mixed reception from both critics and fans on release, mostly for [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks not being like the handheld games]]. But as complaints of ItsTheSameNowItSucks became more prevalent within the series, the two games are now considered refreshingly different, especially the Shadow Pokémon mechanics. Older ''Pokémon'' fans also appreciate their increased difficulty compared to the handheld games, with smarter movesets on A.I. Trainers and tough boss fights, along with understanding the games' DarkerAndEdgier aspects that flew over their heads as kids. |
| 170 | ** ''VideoGame/PokemonBattleRevolution'' was panned by critics when it was released and sales were a disappointment, the game being criticized for its lack of content compared to the other ''Stadium'' games. However, the game's reception has risen in more recent years for having some of the most expressive animations out of any ''Pokémon'' game, especially compared to the 3DS titles. It's frequently favorably compared to ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' in terms of animation quality, with people lamenting that a full-fledged home console ''Pokémon'' game has worse animations than a spin-off game from multiple generations ago did. |
| 171 | * When it was first released, ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' didn't get a lot of notice, had horrible promotion, and consequently its sales were no great shakes. It's now near-universally recognized as one of the best platformers of its era (getting the ColbertBump from [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] probably didn't hurt), with [[VideoGame/Psychonauts2 a sequel]] released in 2021. |
| 172 | * ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' and ''Madou Monogatari'': |
| 173 | ** ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo7'' and the characters it introduced originally garnered a lot of heat from the international fandom, but things have cooled off with time and now the game's cast have gained a following, with the game itself even gaining some respect. It helps that the ScrappyMechanic Transformation Mode, the inconsistent art, and the game's other flaws are nowhere near as readily apparent as the likes of ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyon''. |
| 174 | ** When the English fanbase first discovered the ''Shin VideoGame/MadouMonogatari'' timeline, [[FanonDiscontinuity it was laughed off as ridiculous and was completely forgotten]]. Come the latter 2010s, lore fans rediscovered it and made it one of the most infamous pieces of Compile-era lore. That being said, the Western fanbase discovering that the Japanese fanbase generally doesn't treat the books as canon has put a damper on this trope. |
| 175 | * ''VideoGame/QuakeIV'' was frequently derided and considered SoOkayItsAverage upon release, with a lot of criticism being directed towards its basic campaign and lackluster multiplayer. ''Quake IV'' would then become frequently relegated to bargain bins for years, but alongside digital distribution this would actually help the game find a new audience. New players found the game's single-player campaign to be incredibly enjoyable (if not uninspired at worst), and many also latched on to the story and found it amazingly gripping. After this boom in popularity, the game was re-examined and many old reviews were criticized for being unfair to the game and putting it down out of nostalgia for previous games. The multiplayer was the one thing gamers could agree was lackluster, but with the boom of multiplayer shooters going on this was no longer considered an issue. Today the game is now considered one of the best ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' installments and many think it used the ''VideoGame/Doom3'' engine better than ''Doom 3'' did. |
| 176 | * ''VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked'' launched to split the fanbase in half, thanks to its darker tone, lighter application of the story, limited selection of weapons, a mission-based structure and maps that were pulling double duty for the multiplayer, with more emphasis on vehicles and ''very'' few platforming sequences -- the antithesis of what ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' was doing at the time. With several years of reflection, many fans have come around to see that despite all of these, it ''still has'' the great gunplay the series is known for, and the expansive mod customization system is unlike anything the series has tried before or since. It also helps that [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One two]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFullFrontalAssault other]] titles would come out that would be even ''more'' {{contested|Sequel}} due to their experimentation. |
| 177 | * Upon its release, ''VideoGame/{{Raiden}} III'' didn't get quite a lot of positive reception due to shmups and other 2D action game genres going out of style at the time in favor of games with more cinematic narrative-driven experiences, plus amongst those who ''did'' continue to enjoy shmups, it got criticized for its dull-looking 3D graphics, [[ReplacementScrappy replacing the iconic Bend Plasma weapon with a more generic Photon Laser]], and the change of developer from Seibu Kaihatsu to MOSS resulting in a much different-feeling game from the earlier entries, which [[OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight many argued was for the worse]]. However, over time the shmup community has been willing to give the game another chance thanks to rereleases across multiple platforms and being able to judge it relative to later games in the series. The [[SequelDifficultyDrop reduced difficulty]] and [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap making the default spread shot much more usable at the lowest levels]] helps to further ease players into the game, as the Seibu-developed games are known for [[NintendoHard being relentless from start to end]]. |
| 178 | * ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' |
| 179 | ** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'' was released on the Platform/SegaDreamcast, which had an aforementioned infamous reputation among other console owners. This by extension affected ''Code: Veronica''[='s=] own reception despite it selling well on the console, with the game becoming something of a black sheep among the mainline ''Resident Evil'' titles. [[note]]Ironic considering ''CV'' was meant to be the direct sequel to ''[=RE2=]'' before being swapped out for ''[=RE3=]'' as we know it.[[/note]] By the time Capcom released ''[[UpdatedRerelease Code: Veronica X]]'' on both the [=PS2=] and Dreamcast, it was too late. Since then, players have come around to the game celebrating its European GothicHorror aesthetic, the revamp of [[TheMole Wesker]] into a SmugSuper DragonAscendant-turned-BigBad, and being the only game with the [[SiblingTeam Redfield siblings]] Chris and Claire starring together. Fans who were eager to see ''CV'' get the remake treatment were actually disappointed when Capcom announced they were remaking ''[=RE4=]'' before ''Code: Veronica''. Producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, however, did confirm that if the opportunity were occur they would remake ''CV'', even if there are no concrete plans at the moment. |
| 180 | ** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilGunSurvivor'' was generally forgotten and lambasted due to [[ItsEasySoItSucks infinite pistol ammo, infinite inventory slots]], terrible voice acting, and worse character design than the previous games. The shift to FirstPersonShooter, however, was seen as being immersive and it was technically impressive that a late-generation ''Platform/PlayStation'' game could do a fully polygonal ''Resident Evil'' game. Since the mid-end [=2010s=], especially when ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil7Biohazard'' returned to a first person perspective and featured a dark, desolate atmosphere that was similarly regarded as immersive. Its direct successor, ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'', would even take cues from ''Gun Survivor''[='s=] plot, such as experiments involving children and BOW soldiers. |
| 181 | ** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilOutbreak'' generally received middling to poor reviews upon release due to subpar voice acting not matching the subtitles and janky, online-centric multiplayer game mechanics. [[note]]In addition, you had the classic fixed camera gameplay meshed together with some aspects of ''Code: Veronica''. ''Outbreak'' is semi-fixed as the environments are largely polygonal and the camera can pan, but the delay between changing camera angles exist.[[/note]] In the years since, many fans revisited the ''Outbreak'' duology and found themselves better appreciating it when compared to later multiplayer efforts like ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilOperationRaccoonCity'', ''VideoGame/UmbrellaCorps'', and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake Resident Evil Resistance]]'', regarding the games' focus on online co-op play as an ambitious undertaking held back by the technological limitations of the era. ''Outbreak''[='s=] cast of mostly [[BadassNormal normal]] individuals are well-liked and fans were happy to hear them get referenced with a EasterEgg in the [=RE3make=]. |
| 182 | * ''VideoGame/RichardBurnsRally'', while already praised at the time for its realism, had a mixed critical reception upon its release and was a commercial flop. Both its developer and publisher were bought out just a few years later, making the game {{Abandonware}} just few years after release. Despite this, the game was kept alive by an extremely dedicated cult following through {{Game Mod}}s and the Abandonware status allowed new players to easily join the community. Thanks to this, the game has manged to garner more popularity and widespread critical acclaim, being often considered the best rally simulation available until ''VideoGame/DiRT Rally'' was able to challenge it for the title. |
| 183 | * While ''VideoGame/RivalSchools'' was the highest-selling arcade game of the year in Japan, the franchise still faltered compared to the fighting game juggernaut (and perennial {{cash cow|Franchise}}) that is ''Franchise/StreetFighter''; despite finding its way to the West, the series eventually faded into obscurity. Like ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'', fighting game fans came to love the series, praising its EverybodyWasKungFuFighting-HighSchool aesthetic (predating media like ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''), and were jubilant at the news of fan favourite Akira Kazama being announced as playable in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', marking the first time [[VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom in over a decade]] a ''Rival Schools'' character was featured in a Capcom fighter. |
| 184 | * In its infancy, ''VideoGame/{{Roblox}}'' was overshadowed by games like ''VideoGame/ClubPenguin'' and ''VideoGame/ToonTownOnline'', only to later be upstaged by ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}''. Come the second half of TheNewTens and beyond, it is now a huge platform for making your own video games. |
| 185 | * ''VideoGame/RollerCoasterTycoon 3'' was [[ThirdIs3D the first in the series to use fully 3D graphics]], and on top of the usual teething problems any established franchise has, it had some serious performance issues, struggling to work on anything but the latest and greatest hardware. Fans of the previous two games, which were noted for being extremely low-footprint and running happily on any PC in existence, were a bit annoyed about this. But a few years down the line, when games that once needed top-of-the-line hardware can now be played on any old beige box from UsefulNotes/{{Walmart}} or PC World, it underwent something of a critical reappraisal and is now seen as a flawed but still good game that lives up to its predecessors. The scathing reception of ''[=RollerCoaster=] Tycoon World'' in 2016, between its ObviousBeta glitches and shallow gameplay, has only made ''[=RCT3=]'' look that much better in hindsight. |
| 186 | * ''VideoGame/RuleOfRose'', much like ''VideoGame/HauntingGround'', received painfully average reviews for a survival horror game when it was released, mainly thanks to clunky and unpolished combat. Those who were willing to look beyond that have since have applauded the game for its chilling, creepy aesthetic and enemy design as well as a heartbreaking and ''very'' disturbing story. It's now generally considered a [[CultClassic hidden gem]] that's only let down by its gameplay. |
| 187 | * ''VideoGame/SaGaRPG'': |
| 188 | ** ''VideoGame/RomancingSaGa2'', at least outside of Japan. Even amongst the emulation community, the dedicated fan translation patch was in DevelopmentHell for years due to technical issues [[note]]the font used made displaying English characters difficult[[/note]] and its somewhat [[GuideDangIt unintuitive and not-fully explained mechanics]] made it seem somewhat unapproachable. In 2017, the game's remake was [[RemadeForTheExport released worldwide]] on virtually every platform except the 3DS -- and thus people have been able to appreciate the games' uniqueness (for the time being) since WideOpenSandbox games are much more popular now. |
| 189 | ** ''VideoGame/SagaFrontier'' was widely panned upon its release for its WideOpenSandbox nature and its use of 2D graphics. It also had the misfortune of being released six months after ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', a game that revolutionized the genre and made ''[=SaGa=] Frontier'' look very plain in comparison. Those who played the game, however, found out how deep the game was with its non-linearity, party customization, awesome music by Kenji Ito, quirky characters and more. It became a CultClassic among fans, and many were overjoyed when a remaster was announced and later released in 2021. |
| 190 | * When ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'' originally came out, most people thought it was yet another shovelware game for the Platform/GameBoyColor as it had a wide release with little promotion, a gimmicky-looking and unorthodox protagonist (a protagonist whose design is rather racy for an E rated game, is a [[GirlShowGhetto girl]] in an [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids E-rated]] game?), came at the end of the system's lifespan (the Platform/GameBoyAdvance released almost a week later), and was from a developer no one had heard of (Creator/{{WayForward|Technologies}}, which ironically only made licensed games prior to this). The few people who did buy it were pleasantly surprised to find an incredibly solid Metroidvania game, and [=WayForward=] Technologies soon became a well-respected indie developer that's also a shining example of SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames. Original copies of this game now sell for hundreds of dollars and ''Shantae'' went on to blossom into a cult title, eventually getting a sequel in ''Risky's Revenge'' eight years later and other games since, to the point where many regard the series as one of the top indie series. The Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console re-release even explicitly notes how the original release was overlooked despite the positive reception among those who did play it, and how the Virtual Console release would finally give a wide range of players the chance to play it. |
| 191 | * ''VideoGame/ShiningForceIII'', though for different reasons. It wasn't poorly received at all -- at the time it was seen as one of the best games on the system. What held it back was the fact that the Platform/SegaSaturn was [[ScrewedByTheNetwork floundering outside of Japan]]. By the time ''Shining Force III'' released outside of Japan in mid-1998, the system was ''already discontinued'' in North America (and possibly even Europe too!). The mismanagement of the Saturn also caused both Scenarios II and III to never [[NoExportForYou leave Japan]]. The Sega Saturn was also a difficult system to emulate for a while, but emulation of Sega Saturn games as well as fan translation patches for Scenarios II and III in TheNewTens and TheNewTwenties have allowed the game to spread to a much wider audience than it did back in TheNineties. |
| 192 | * ''VideoGame/TheSims'': |
| 193 | ** ''VideoGame/TheSims2'' was at launch not really seen as much of a proper "sequel", owing to how much content from the [[VideoGame/TheSims1 first game]]'s ''seven'' expansion packs was removed from the ''Sims 2'' base game in order to keep it from being over twenty discs and hours of load time. But as time went on and a few popular expansion packs (''University'' and ''Nightlife'' especially) were added, players warmed up to it, such that many fans will call it the best in the series. It helps that it was the last ''Sims'' game that Creator/WillWright [[OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight personally worked on]]. |
| 194 | ** ''VideoGame/TheSims3'' was (and still is) on paper the most complex and customizable ''Sims'' game to date. But at launch, it was [[HistoryRepeats treated much like]] ''The Sims 2'' for not having as much content as a four-year-old game with seven {{expansion pack}}s (and more stuff packs) did. On top of that, the amount of things the game was doing off-camera and behind the scenes meant that it required a very high-performance computer to run (in a series that was never known for such), resulting in crippling load times and a ''lot'' of potential bugs -- some of which were [[https://kotaku.com/pregnant-sims-can-no-longer-brawl-and-other-amazing-sim-1506014739 hilarious,]] others [[GameBreakingBug not so much]]. But as TheNewTens progressed into its later half, mods became more accessible, and computer technology advanced to the point where the game could run properly with fairly normal load times even on a mid-range computer, players warmed up to the game. Even its own suite of expansions were vindicated when it was found out that even the ones "Reselling" features back to players would either combine them with something new, overhaul them in an interesting way, or combine ''multiple'' features that were sold in previous expansions (Such as Nightlife containing apartments and vampires in addition to the titular Nightlife). Backlash against the more unpopular design decisions and expansion packs of ''VideoGame/TheSims4'' also caused some disaffected ''Sims'' fans to go back to the third game and give it a second look, many of them liking what they saw. There now exists a very vocal contingent of fans that sees the third game as the best game, when originally the second was seen as the unquestionable king of the franchise. Even those still don't like it often find it is the last decent Sims game, troubled by being too far ahead of its time as well as [[ExecutiveMeddling how EA continued to encroach into the game's development]]. |
| 195 | ** Back when ''VideoGame/TheSims4'' first came out, it was loathed by many for the removal of several features (even in comparison to ''2'' and ''3''), most notoriously toddlers. Its many glitches didn't help its case either. But as the game started receiving updates that remedied a lot of these (as well as its expansion/game/stuff packs), many players warmed up to the game. It remains a highly contentious game due to the subsequent abundance of the stuff packs and EA's ExecutiveMeddling, but is also still seen in a generally positive light. |
| 196 | * ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}'' was unheard of back in its day due to in no small part being released on the flopped [[Platform/SegaGenesis Sega CD add-on]], with a limited release on the platform. But because [[Creator/HideoKojima the developer of that game]] would later work on franchises such as ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', people who wanted more of Kojima's antics discovered the existence of ''Snatcher''. Those who sought out the game found that it was awesome and ahead of its time. Nowadays, it is remembered as one of the very best games on the Sega CD. |
| 197 | * ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': |
| 198 | ** When ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'' was released on PC with the ''[[https://sonic.fandom.com/wiki/Sonic_%26_Knuckles_Collection Sonic & Knuckles Collection]]'', a handful of themes from ''Sonic 3'' were changed -- most notably, the themes of Carnival Night, [=IceCap=], and Launch Base -- likely because Sega either lacking the rights to include the music in the PC collection, or not being able to modify them to work in MIDI format. In any case, the new themes used to replace the ones removed were not very well received by fans at the time. Things changed over time when the discovery of a beta version of ''Sonic 3'' from before the game was split into two parts revealed that the arrangements used in the PC collection were OlderThanTheyThink: the PC collection songs had originally been composed for the Genesis version of ''Sonic 3'' before Jackson's involvement. Following this revelation, reception of the PC collection's music improved a bit: while most fans argue that the Jackson-made Genesis themes are better (and their replacement with the prototype tracks in the CompilationRerelease ''Sonic Origins'' was met with some displeasure), it is now generally agreed that the PC collection themes are better than they were given credit for at the time. |
| 199 | ** ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' was subjected to mixed to negative reception back in 2008, with the non-Soni portions of the game being a strong point of contention, the Werehog in particular catching a ton of heat. The game was considered a 2000s "Dark Age" Sonic title, and was even among the de-listed Sonic games by Sega. A decade later, it isn't uncommon to find a lot more defenders towards ''Unleashed'' in particular citing the game's creativity, production values that many took for granted at the time, [[SceneryPorn awesome graphics]] done by the Hedgehog Engine (that still look great even today, perhaps even better than some 2010s titles), the extremely varied but [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic excellent]] [[AwesomeMusic/SonicTheHedgehog soundtrack]], and a plot that is generally considered very solid. The warming reception is likely what caused Sega to relist and reprint the game after it was delisted in 2010. |
| 200 | ** ''VideoGame/SonicRiders'': The game was divisive at the time as they came out during what was widely considered to be the series' second AudienceAlienatingEra ([[AudienceAlienatingEra/SonicTheHedgehog see here for more details]]). However, as time went on the first game began to get a lot more love, receiving praise for its unique concept of a racing game that didn't copy ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' like ''VideoGame/TeamSonicRacing'' (and ''VideoGame/SonicDrift'' before it) did. There was also praise for having [[GuestFighter guest characters]] from other Sega franchises as unlockables. Nowadays, you'll see a lot more fans wanting a HD port of the ''Riders'' games with online or a fourth entry that combines all the positive aspects of the ''Riders'' trilogy. |
| 201 | * ''VideoGame/{{SOS}}'' came and went without so much fanfare, but nowadays many find the game to be a somewhat flawed masterpiece thanks to its innovative game design. |
| 202 | * ''VideoGame/SpongeBobSquarePantsBattleForBikiniBottom'' sold well and was seen as a pretty good platformer at the time, but not a particularly memorable one in the face of other sixth-generation games like ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'', ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002'', ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxterThePrecursorLegacy'' and ''VideoGame/SlyCooperAndTheThieviusRaccoonus''. The fact that it was a licensed game meant that it also had to overcome [[TheProblemWithLicensedGames an image problem]], and it went largely ignored. Then [[http://kotaku.com/spongebob-speedrunner-wont-rest-until-the-game-gets-the-1795418676 speedrunners discovered it]] and found all manner of HiddenDepths in its gameplay. Nowadays, while it hasn't exactly joined the ranks of the greatest platformers ever made, it is extraordinarily popular within the {{speedrun}}ning scene, to a greater degree than many of its more conventionally acclaimed contemporaries. In 2020, the game was given a remake, ''[=SpongeBob SquarePants=]: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated'', a ''very'' rare distinction for a licensed property, much less a kid-oriented one. |
| 203 | * ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}'' is an interesting example of this. While the game wasn't a commercial failure and was received very well, it held the title for being gaming's biggest disappointment in history due the huge amount of hype built up for it and having the dubious honor of one of the most pirated games of the time due to its notorious DRM. Fast forward eight years later where the HypeBacklash no longer held sway and ''No Man's Sky'' was released, ''Spore'' was suddenly seen in a more positive light; with sales and reviews of the game on Steam skyrocketed as a result. It helps that weeks after ''No Man's Sky'' launch, ''Spore'' was released on Platform/GOGDotCom with its infamous DRM (except for the mandatory account sign-in to open the deprecated-but-still-online Sporepedia in game) completely removed. |
| 204 | * ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'': |
| 205 | ** When announced in 2010, ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'' was the bane of the internet. For years it had a loud periphery hatedom of ''Spyro'' fans and people who hated its MerchandiseDriven nature. As time has gone on, its reception has changed. Many kids who grew up on the games praise it, which has put ''Skylanders'' into more divisive territory. |
| 206 | ** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'': Many elements of this series can be found in ''Skylanders''. Even classic fans who hated it initially saw it in a new light if only because Spyro wasn't a side character in his own game. Bringing in fan favorite characters like [[DarkActionGirl Cynder]] and [[BigBad Malefor]] would also help, with many fans even asking they make their debut in the main series. |
| 207 | * ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}}: Shadow of Chernobyl'' sold well enough on its release that two sequels were made, but only received rather average reviews for its [[ObviousBeta staggering amounts of bugs]] from nearly a decade in {{development hell}} and [[NintendoHard extremely high difficulty]]. Nowadays, the game and its sequels are highly lauded for their grim, depressing atmosphere and for being more "realistic" takes on post-apocalyptic video games. They also have an extremely vibrant modding community thanks to the unique X-Ray Engine, which has given the series significant popularity over the years, and the trilogy eventually gained several [[SpiritualSuccessor spiritual successors]] in the ''Metro'' series and ''VideoGame/EscapeFromTarkov''. An official sequel for the series was SavedFromDevelopmentHell and officially announced in May 2018 with a 2021 release date. |
| 208 | * ''Franchise/StarFox'': |
| 209 | ** ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'' has become this in the years following its release. Although it received positive reviews back in 2002, it was criticized by many ''Star Fox'' fans as being a ''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]'' clone, but since then it has become much more positively received by fans -- especially with the divisiveness of ''VideoGame/StarFoxZero''. |
| 210 | ** To a lesser extent, ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault''. While the general consensus is that the game doesn't live up to [[ToughActToFollow the lofty standard]] set by ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' and has a few clunky and poorly implemented mechanics that take away from the Arwing sections, it ultimately tried to do something ''different'' with the series and continue the storyline from where ''Adventures'' left off -- with a DarkerAndEdgier plot to boot -- instead of rehashing ''64'' (like ''Zero'' did). At the same time, ''Assault'' came to be lauded for sticking to enough of the series' standard conventions to feel familiar as to opposed to gimmicky (as ''[[VideoGame/StarFoxCommand Command]]'' and especially ''Zero'' came across to many fans). It also helps that ''Assault'' boasts quite a few [[SceneryPorn stunning]] [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels set pieces]]; a ''very'' [[AwesomeMusic/StarFox excellent soundtrack]]; an incredibly fun and rich multiplayer experience that, by many accounts, has yet to be topped since; and voice acting that isn't SoBadItsGood, but actually decent if not legitimately good (though the improved voice work is [[SoBadItWasBetter a point of contention]] for some). |
| 211 | * ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefrontII2017'' is another DICE game that managed a remarkable turnaround. At launch the game was slammed by critics and players thanks to a lackluster campaign, buggy state, and the microtransaction-based progression that many have deemed pay-to-win and akin to gambling. However, the ''Battlefront II'' team managed to retool the progression system while also adding free maps and modes. These changes were well-received by the fanbase, and by 2019 its concurrent player count is as high as it was at launch. The success of ''Battlefront II'' led to EA releasing an updated ''Celebration Edition'', with several outlets even re-reviewing the game and finding the package to be more fun than it was previously. |
| 212 | * Platform/{{Steam}} was initially received very negatively by the gaming community, because it was viewed as little more than [[Creator/ValveSoftware Valve's]] own buggy DRM system for ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', back in the era where forced online to play a single-player game (and multiplayer games, as online infrastructure at the time was still dominated by LAN) was unheard of and thus extremely controversial, as Creator/{{Ubisoft}} and Creator/ElectronicArts learned later in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' for Ubisoft, and Securom-equipped games for EA, which includes ''Videogame/MassEffect'' and ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}''. However years later when major publishers started to publish their games on Steam, the platform was praised for providing easy access to a large number of games at all times without the need for game discs, cheap price of games during sales, easily usable modding content through Steam Workshop, its less intrusive DRM system (though publisher can add extra layer of DRM at a whim) compared to its rivals, a universal controller compatibility and customization layer (which now supports almost every Xinput and modern controller on the market), and the Proton OS emulation software introduced in 2018 to make many, many Windows games compatible with Linux. It's now considered ''the'' big PC digital distribution system, with the only others considered to have remotely comparable positivity being Good Old Games and Itch.io (for different reasons) -- any competitors that come onto the scene with nothing to really distinguish themselves from Steam in terms of features is usually hit with a massive backlash (as shown by EA's Origin platform or the Epic Games Store), to the point where EA actually ''gave up'' on Origin exclusivity and brought its full catalogue back to Steam, and Microsoft (through Creator/XBOXGameStudios), as of 2019, periodically brought games released from 2018 onwards to Steam apart from their own Windows Store without the UWP dependency. |
| 213 | * The first two ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons'' games. The [[VideoGame/HarvestMoon1 original game]] was one of the last games to be released for [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] -- way back in 1996 -- and was overlooked (the "farming sim" premise [[AudienceAlienatingPremise didn't help]]). Nowadays it is considered to be one of the best games on the console and is a CultClassic. Meanwhile, ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon64'' was originally passed over in favor of the Platform/PlayStation installment ''[[VideoGame/HarvestMoonBackToNature Back to Nature]]''. In later years, it's commonly nominated as a candidate for best game in the franchise -- and one of the best on the Platform/Nintendo64. |
| 214 | * ''Franchise/StreetFighter'': |
| 215 | ** ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'', like ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters98'', was derided as being primitive and having "SNES graphics" when it was first released, thanks to the [[Platform/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] being able to produce competent 3D graphics and fighting games being a genre on the verge of extinction. The cast of ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterII II]]'' was almost completely absent and replaced with a bunch of new, frequently scattershot designs, Capcom's attempt to use its chipset on other games was aborted, and the game was considered too hard to learn. For a case study of its original reception, check out [[https://www.gamesradar.com/the-worst-street-fighter-characters-ever/ a 2008 Gamesradar article]] of "Worst ''Street Fighter'' Characters": eight out of ten are from ''III''. Then people started cracking open the game, and realized that it was actually ''far'' deeper than any of its predecessors, with a phenomenal skill ceiling and a well-regarded parry system that added an unusual depth to the combat. "EVO Moment #37", where a tournament player managed to parry a ''seventeen-hit'' Super Art, helped build its reputation even more, as it revealed just how much the game could offer a skilled player. And when it was rereleased, people realized that its graphics were anything ''but'' primitive; they featured some of the most fluid and energized spritework of the time and had aged like wine next to most Dreamcast-era 3D fighters. Nowadays, fans consider it to be probably the best competitive experience the franchise ever offered, and some claim its revitalization saved the franchise, and perhaps even 2D fighters as a genre. |
| 216 | ** The ''VideoGame/StreetFighterEX'' trilogy originally had a very mixed reception when it came out; [[TwoAndAHalfD the decision to move the franchise to 3D]] was very controversial, and since the games were developed by a third-party company (Creator/{{Arika}}), [[OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight they were dismissed as second-rate]] compared to Capcom's [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha mainstream]] ''VideoGame/{{Street Fighter|III}}'' [[VideoGame/CapcomVs titles]]; the sub-series was permanently shelved in 2000. However, after Capcom's own move of the franchise to 3D with ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'', fans were willing to give the ''EX'' games another look. Today, the games are viewed much more positively than they used to be, with several of Capcom's most iconic fighters being complemented by an enjoyable cast of original characters created by Arika (including a wannabe-superhero in a skeleton suit, an Indian pro-wrestler, a GadgeteerGenius girl, and a baseball-playing bouncer) that fans have been clamoring to see return to the ''Street Fighter'' world after a [[VideoGame/StreetFighterV sixteen-year]] ([[VideoGameLongRunners and counting]]) absence. It helps that some of the mechanics in ''IV'', as well as a few "new" special moves given to the returning ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' vets, [[OlderThanTheyThink originated there]], or were at least inspired by aspects of the ''EX'' games. The renewed interest in the ''EX'' trilogy and its characters did eventually bear some fruit, with Arika releasing a SpiritualSuccessor to the series (and its rather obscure offshoot ''VideoGame/FightingLayer'') in 2018 called ''VideoGame/FightingEXLayer''. |
| 217 | ** The tournament scene in general would save the once-forgotten fighting game genre. When ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII: Third Strike'' came out, the tournament players showed how deeply tactical the game was, resulting in epic EVO matches, like the aforementioned [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSGW7CwD5GM famous Daigo comeback video.]] In fact, EVO tournaments themselves would become more popular and gamers' interest in ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' and fighting games again would result in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'' being made, [[GenreRelaunch which revived the dying fighting game genre]]. |
| 218 | * ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'', despite favorable reviews, sold poorly on its initial release in 1998 due to its poor localization and using 2D sprites when 3D graphics were all the rage. A couple of decades later, it was rediscovered and proclamied to be one of the best games ever. Used physical copies now sell for well in the triple digits, but fortunately the game is now available digitally on the Platform/{{PlayStation Network}}. |
| 219 | * ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' was one of the highest critically praised games in 2008, but the consensus for the game's Adventure Mode, The Subspace Emissary, was almost overwhelmingly negative, especially in regards to the cutscenes. [[note]]Not so much for the quality of the cutscenes themselves, but the perception that the time and resource that went into the cutscenes would've been better suited for the gameplay balance and other aspects of ''Brawl''.[[/note]] When it was announced in 2013 that ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU Smash Bros. 4]]'' would not have cutscenes, fans of the Subspace Emissary mode suddenly started crawling out of the woodwork. Back in 2008, you would ''not'' find people defending it. It ended up being vindicated again following the release of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', as the story mode in that game, World of Light, was criticized for lacking the fun interactions between the various characters that Subspace had. |
| 220 | * ''VideoGame/SystemShock 2'' was the sequel to a moderately successful cyberpunk FirstPersonShooter (that unfairly received comparisons to the original ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', which was released at the same time). The sequel, which had players step into the role of a hacker trying to stop a viral infection and insane AI on a now-deserted spaceship, was plagued with development problems. Although the game did receive several awards and very positive reviews, it failed to meet sales expectations thanks to being released where there was a [[UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} tragic event]] that triggers backlash toward violent video games, particularly first person shooters. Fast forward a decade later, and ''[=SS2=]'' is regularly quoted on "best game of all time" and "scariest game of all time" lists, to the point of almost every major gaming website giving it accolades and the game itself creating a SpiritualSuccessor in the form of ''VideoGame/Doom3'', ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'', ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'', and ''VideoGame/{{Prey|2017}}'' over the years. Both ''System Shock'' and its sequel have also continued to receive significant support from the fan community in the form of mods and graphic upgrades, more so than most other older games. Thanks to this trope, ''System Shock 3'' has officially now gone into development along with a Kickstarter-backed remake of the original game. |
| 221 | * ''VideoGame/TalesOfLegendia'' had the unfortunate side effect of being the next ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' game that released outside of Japan (in [[NoExportForYou North America, that is]]) after ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', which was ''quite'' a ToughActToFollow. The general consensus was that the game itself was SoOkayItsAverage since the game itself was one of the few Tales games that didn't really try anything new. These days, people are a little nicer to it since at the time it was not known that it was actually a BTeamSequel. |
| 222 | * ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheTempest'', another BTeamSequel, [[NoExportForYou never left Japan]] and was received so poorly that it was demoted to an "Escort" title, reserved primarily for spinoffs and, later on, mobile games. However, it wasn't fully disowned, as Caius & Rubia would appear in spinoffs alongside other ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' heroes. |
| 223 | * When Creator/{{Sega}}'s 1988 ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}'' game was released, it was a hit in arcades in Japan, but it was [[NoExportForYou never exported]] and [[AmericansHateTingle the few Western players who did play it wrote it off]] in favor of Nintendo's versions of ''Tetris''. However, when the online ''Tetris'' community began to formulate in the 2000s, this version of ''Tetris'' started to gain a small but appreciative player base outside of Japan, due to being the base for the highly-acclaimed ''VideoGame/TetrisTheGrandMaster'' series; in particular, it's the first ''Tetris'' game to be optimized for high-gravity play, with fast horizontal movement and delayed piece locking allowing the game to be playable even at its maximum drop speed. |
| 224 | * For a while, ''VideoGame/Tekken4'' was seen as the weakest entry of the ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' series, due to its much heavier and slower gameplay compared to its predecessors, heavy expirementation with walled arenas over the previous game's infinitely scrolling stages, and a DarkerAndEdgier tone that clashed with some of the lighthearted antics of previous entries while also [[DoingInTheWizard downplaying the supernatural aspects of the story]] in a rather convoluted manner. However, as time went on, fans ended up turning down their vitriol to commend Namco for the approach they had taken with the game, praising the darker approach that managed to give even the more comical characters depth, with aesthetics and mechanics that made ''4'' stick out as more of a unique experiment that was simply the victim of its own overambition. The fact that some fans are tired of Bandai Namco pushing anyone who's not a Mishima out of the limelight in later games (and especially ''VideoGame/Tekken7'') also adds to ''4'''s growing redemption. |
| 225 | * ''VideoGame/TombRaiderAngelOfDarkness'' was blasted by fans and critics alike for adding RPG elements (determines whether or not Lara can move certain objects or can jump great lengths), having a secondary playable male protagonist, and massive amounts of glitches. Over time, fans of the franchise began to warm up to the game and appreciated [[EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame the darker storyline, the characters, and the dialogue system that lets you decide on how to respond to certain characters]]. The revelation of the cruel treatment of the Creator/CoreDesign team by [[Creator/EidosInteractive Eidos]], who had [[ExecutiveMeddling ordered them to create and release a new]] ''Franchise/TombRaider'' [[ExecutiveMeddling game every year]], also garnered sympathy. |
| 226 | * ''VideoGame/TotalAnnihilation'': While it was given extremely positive reviews and tons of accolades upon its 1997 release for its then-gorgeous graphics and superb gameplay, it had the misfortune of coming out at the same time as ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}'' and not long after ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'' (two classics of the RTS genre). Therefore, it had very poor sales. Nowadays it's not only considered one of the best (if not ''the'' best) RTS games ever made, but also one of the most underrated games of all time. It helps that its developers went on to make two popular spiritual successors ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander'' and ''VideoGame/PlanetaryAnnihilation'' (and other developers with games such as ''VideoGame/AshesOfTheSingularity''), which helped the original game shoot up in popularity over the years. |
| 227 | * While ''VideoGame/TheTowerOfDruaga'' still remains an obscurity outside of Japan (unless talking about how [[NintendoHard legendarily difficult it is]]), many Western gamers who grew up with ''Namco Museum DS'' remember the game more fondly, possibly in no small part due to [[AntiFrustrationFeatures having a hint system to mitigate some of the obtuseness of finding the items]]. Even still, some at least credit it for inspiring later [=RPGs=] like ''The Legend of Zelda'' and ''Final Fantasy''. |
| 228 | * When ''VideoGame/UmJammerLammy'' was initially released, it got lots of praise from critics, but with the general public, it didn't gather as much attention as its predecessor, ''VideoGame/PaRappaTheRapper'', did. This was mostly due to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfxZQebVqzU bad American advertising]] [[WhatWereTheySellingAgain that had nothing to do with the game]], and because people were instead expecting the ''[=PaRappa=] 2'' that was promised at the end of the first game. Years later, when ''[=PaRappa 2=]'' finally did came out, and Lammy played a supporting role in it, the game received a huge increase in popularity and interest, and it's now considered one of the best games of the first Platform/PlayStation. A lot of people agree that it's ''even better'' than the two ''[=PaRappa=]'' games. |
| 229 | * ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' tanked hard despite good reviews on release, to the point where [[CreatorKiller the developer went out of business]]. The biggest blame is probably its release a day after ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' in concert with a rushed, extremely buggy release. As time went on and word of mouth about it spread, the game became increasingly popular after the fact, particularly among RPG fans with fond memories of ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' and bad memories of being let down by ''VideoGame/DeusExInvisibleWar''. Today, years after release, the game still receives unofficial patches and mods from the community, which have collectively rendered the complaints about bugs a moot point and restored large amounts of content that was DummiedOut. This would eventually lead to the announcement of [[VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines2 an official and direct sequel]] set in Seattle roughly 14 years after the original. |
| 230 | * ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'' had awful retail sales, because, apart from being [[ItsShortSoItSucks too short]], it was heavily ScrewedByTheNetwork: The game magically popped up on store shelves without any announcement or advertising, and it quickly fell under the radar. Then, in 2013, the game was released on Platform/{{PlayStation Network}}'s Games on Demand (and as a free download for [=PlayStation=] Plus subscribers), and proved far more successful there. This positive word of mouth, in turn, helped the game receive a PolishedPort on Platform/{{Steam}} in 2017, mere months after ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' (a higher profile and better selling Creator/PlatinumGames title) had the same honor. Come 2020, ''Vanquish'' would even get the HD remaster treatment on the Platform/PlayStation4 and Platform/XboxOne for its 10th anniversary, being bundled alongside none other than ''Bayonetta''. |
| 231 | * ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'': Despite being one of the key figures behind the ''Warcraft'' setting and many of the earlier storylines, Creator/ChrisMetzen's time on ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has been initially scrutinized as introducing massive retcons to move the story, perceived use of the ConflictBall to drive the narrative, supposed treatment of Thrall as a CreatorsPet, and lore directions seen to be detrimental to the overarching storyline. This was also combined with backlash at his handling of the campaign of the ''[[VideoGame/StarCraftII Starcraft II]]'' trilogy as well, namely the decision to redeem Sarah Kerrigan(in part tied to him having a [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/03/30/celebrating-20-years-of-starcraft-an-interview-with-starcrafts-creators greater fondness]] for redemption arcs as time went on) and center the narrative on her romance with Raynor. Yet, following Metzen's departure from Blizzard and the poor reception of both ''Battle for Azeroth'' and ''Shadowlands'' and the perceived worsening of the storytelling, worldbuilding, and plot direction of ''Warcraft'' combined with Blizzard being embroiled in multiple scandals, Metzen's storytelling has been looked upon much more fondly as at least providing emotionally charged moments, drawing on the basic themes of the ''Warraft'' franchise, and doing solid worldbuilding on their own right. Meanwhile, many players have at least given some credit to ''Starcraft II'' for wrapping that franchise up while it's ahead regardless of the perceived flaws of it's campaign in contrast to the ''Warcraft'' narrative. When Metzen's return to Blizzard as Executive Creative Director was announced, many had hopes that this would also indicate a return to form for both ''Warcraft'' and Blizzard, with his appearance in Blizzcon 2023 during the announcement of the Worldsoul trilogy being met with huge cheers. |
| 232 | * ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'' ended up standing the test of time. At launch, the game was mostly considered negatively, especially compared to much-loved shooter ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV''. However, over time the game's reputation increased, its stealth, action movie influences, and hacking mechanics being seen as a welcome variation to what had started to become a stale genre. After ''VideoGame/WatchDogs2'' came out, a lot of people also retro-appreciated that, while its plot wasn't the best, the game feels refreshingly different between the two. Looking at Steam reviews for both games, it becomes quite clear that ''Watch_Dogs'' was a solid game, and fans were rewarded. Less flak also came to the game's simple hacking mechanics when critics realized that they'd be much better than providing anything even slightly realistic, which would ruin the pacing. |
| 233 | * ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', while a financial success, was ''very'' much a ContestedSequel to ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1''. Part of this was that the first game was a rather ToughActToFollow, but another part was that ''[=XC2=]'' was ChristmasRushed and Creator/MonolithSoft couldn't devote full attention to the game. While never seen as a ''bad'' game so to speak, it was viewed as [[LighterAndSofter much more cartoonish]] yet [[HotterAndSexier heavier on the fanservice]] than the first game. But as time went on, people learned about ''why'' its English voice acting was the way it was [[labelnote:Explanation]]The voice actors were only given a few takes, weren't shown any visuals, and weren't even told much ''about'' plot points. This meant that they had to largely figure out how their characters ''should'' behave based off of context clues and each other.[[/labelnote]] and did some replays, and thus were more forgiving of it in TheNewTwenties. |
| 234 | [[/folder]] |
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