Ever see an amazing game that just didn’t get the recognition it deserved? Not necessarily a hidden gem, but an absolute beast of a game that was released the wrong year or at the wrong time?
10 Most Undeserving GOTY Nominees Ever
These ten occasions where The Game Awards lost my faith are egregious and perhaps controversial.
We’re talking about great games that didn’t sell all that well, and we’ve got ten of them that need to be on your radar.
10Ryse: Son of Rome
Are You Not Entertained?
Ryse: Son of Rome
Ryse: Son of Romewas supposed to be the system seller for the Xbox One. It didn’t quite turn out that way in either sales or reviews, selling1.3 million copiesafter 3 years against a5 million dollar budget, but today,it’s pretty much the only game of its kind.
Ryse aims to give you the full experience of being a Roman soldier, and it does so in thrilling fashion, and it all starts with the combat.
The combat is basically ripped straight out of the movie 300 and thrown into video game form, and it’s done so relatively flawlessly.
Its parry based, and you’ll be able to lop off enemy limbs by timing your correct button presses properly, and seeing it in action is still impressive over a decade later.
The story is also fantastic, telling an interesting war tale through flashbacks which results in a thrilling conclusion and a cliffhanger that, sadly, I don’t think we’ll ever get an answer to.
It didn’t sell all that well, and part of the reason is how short it was. That doesn’t stop it from being an excellent title, however.
If you’ve got $5 lying around, you can likely pick this one up on Steam or on Xbox, and it’s well worth your time.
9The Order: 1886
Werewolves in London
The Order: 1886
The Order: 1886is one of the coolest ideas for a game imaginable. The Knights of the Round Table in a steampunk world set in London? Yup, I’m in. Say no more.
It should have been just that simple for a breakout hit and yet, the pieces never came together to make it the legendary title it should’ve been.
It’s a shamethat so many missed out onwhat today would probably be praised for.The budget for The Order: 1886 was considerable, and it looked like it could be a real system seller in the early years of the PS4, but that would not come to be as it onlysold 1.69 million 5 yearsinto its release.
The reason? It’s largely the same as Ryse: Son of Rome. There just wasn’t enough here. The run time is woefully short, and in 2015, we were already used to sprawling, epic games like The Witcher 3, Metal Gear Solid V, and Skyrim
The foundation here is incredible, with atmosphere dripping around every corner, excellent combat and thrilling set pieces, everything was in place for this game to be the big PS4 exclusive it was supposed to be.
The story, in particular, is just awesome, with a darkly serious tone, awesome voice acting, and an intriguing story about Werewolves, Vampires, and the Knight of the Round Table.
It’s painful because, today, you can’t find a better, 6-10 hour experience on this level. But it’s gotten more love as time has gone on, so maybe one day we can get a sequel as the game ends just as it feels like it’s really ready to begin.
8Quantum Break
Breaking the Mold
Quantum Break
Quantum Breakshould’ve been the game that put Remedy back on the map when it released in 2016, but it might’ve been ahead of its time.
It was the first game in Remedy’s catalog to use this TV Show game hybrid plan to tell a story, and it did it just as well as a breakout hit, Alan Wake 2.
However, 2 months after its release, it had only sold 200,000 copies in the US, which was far from the splash Remedy was hoping to make and although it picked up some sales years later thanks to the success of Alan Wake 2, it was still considered a failure.
You play Jack Joyce, played admirably by Shawn Ashmore, in this time-traveling, reality-bending story that takes some wild twists along the way.
The combat is a huge standout here, as it takes time-bending techniques and turns them into weapons for Jack to use against enemies, resulting in some amazing graphical displays that really haven’t been equaled to this day.
It’s a fairly generic third-person shooter without that, but combined with the powers, you get some very interesting combat scenarios and set pieces that set the groundwork for what Remedy would eventually do with Control.
The big divisive feature was the watchable TV show episodes in between each chapter, which went on for a while and didn’t exactly add anything that could’ve been achieved through gameplay.
When you’re actually playing the game, though, it’s great, and Paul Serene, played by Aiden Gillen, is a great villain with some interesting motivations. Seeing as Jack made an appearance in the Alan Wake 2 DLC, it’s possible Remedy isn’t quite done with this property yet.
7Days Gone
Open World Zombie Slaying
Days Goneis another game meant to be a massive console exclusive that didn’t come close to recouping its budget of 250 million.
It didn’t sell well initially, achieving the 19th best sales in the US over its first few months. Over time, sales have gone way up, but it is not enough to convince Sony that a sequel makes sense.
The exact numbers on the situation are up for debate, but whatever the true number is, it wasn’t impressing Sony execs who were expecting another The Last of Us.
It was panned by critics throughout the industry and fans seemed to be getting a bit weary of zombies by the time it was released.
It’s unfortunate becausewhat is here is greatif you give the game some time. It starts off slow, but the world-building is important, as is the character-building of Deacon.
His relationship with his best friend Boozer is the heart of this unique, post-apocalyptic tale, which holds true throughout the game as the stakes get higher and higher.
The interesting part is, we’re not really trying to save the world here, survive in it. The plot is small, but it’s tight. We’re not the savior of humanity; we’re just guys trying to get by.
The combat is a standout, and it hits its apex during the massive horde attacks, where you will face off against 100s of Freakers in showdowns I can only describe as beyond terrifying and nerve-wracking beyond any gaming experience I can remember.
6Spec Ops: The Line
An Experience To Remember
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Linewas not a hit and wasbarely a blip on the radarin the loaded 2012 year of gaming, but that didn’t stop it from achieving exactly what it set out to do.
This war story places you in the boots of a seemingly generic soldier on a mission to take down a rogue former comrade.
What starts as your run-of-the-mill shooter slowly unravels into a trippy experience,examining the nature of video games themselves.
This meta commentary is incredible to experience, and it all culminates with one of the best endings to any game I can remember.
The combat, while nothing special, is effectively brutal and the voice acting here is top-notch, delivering a cinematic experience far beyond what you’d expect from an IP of this level.
Although it failed to sell well, anyone who has played the game knows how important it is in terms of the greater gaming universe, and while it’s not a masterpiece, it’s an awesome game that will make you think about it long after you’ve played it.
5Titanfall 2
The Right Game at the Wrong Time
Titanfall 2
Titanfall 2is one of the best first-person shooters even to this day, but due to its timing, it never got the recognition it deserved.
Sales were well below expectationsand the reason is that it was released between Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
It simply had no chance of overcoming those two titans, leaving it with great reviews, but little in the sales department compared to expectations.
Titanfall 3 Hopefuls In Disarray Following News Of New Respawn Game
Despite reports that Respawn’s new game is not Titanfall 3, fans are still searching for a glimmer of hope.
The single player campaign here is easily thebest in the first-person shooter genreand is a thrilling and brief ride from start to finish that uses some incredibly interesting storytelling and set pieces to make you feel like you’re in an action movie in the best way possible.
The multiplayer is also great, with wall running, jumping into Titans to do battle and some very sharp controls to boot, it was all there to be a breakout hit that made a name for itself in a crowded genre.
Instead, it remains one of the more beloved games in the genre and that love has extended to Respawn’s monster hit, Apex Legends. But we still clamor for a return to the unique and thrilling world of Titanfall, so hopefully, one day that can be made a reality.
4Max Payne 2
Better Than The First In Every Way
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne 2is a direct follow-up to the first game that improved upon the original in almost every wayexcept in the sales department.
This one involves Max and Mona investigating her being blamed for the death of a US Senator. It’s a bigger story than the original in many ways, but it still maintains that noir feel that made the original so iconic. It also has great voice acting and writing to add to the pile.
The gameplay also holds up to this day, showing how great it was when it was released over 20 years ago. The third-person shooting was sharp, and the same slow-motion antics were made even better here, leading to some of the most thrilling shooter gameplay around.
Its not really clear why Max Payne 2 didn’t sell well, but it certainly didn’t have the cultural impact the first game did.
It did everything you could want from a sequel and was a graphical standout at the time as well, but it might’ve been a bit ahead of its time, as 2003 was still a formative year in the gaming world and darkly serious games such as Max Payne weren’t being embraced in the way they would be today.
3Onimusha: Warlords Remaster
Resident Samurai Evil
Onimusha: Warlords
Onimushais one of Capcom’s better series, but sales will definitely not tell that story. Even though the series lasted 4 games, none of the games managed to sell all that well, despite all being quality titles.
The first game is the best of the series, butthe remaster didn’t get nearly the sales that Capcom’sother giants like Devil May Cry or Resident Evil managed to achieve in the following months.
That’s not for lack of trying though, because the game is awesome. It’s a look back into the history of video games and an important one at that.
It was the first game of its kind, combining Japanese history with horror to create a samurai action game that at the time, had no equal.
It was creepy, interesting, and action-packed all at the same time. It felt in many ways like Samurai Resident Evil and felt a lot like what would become the souls-like genre in its execution.
Samanosuke is one of the better Capcom protagonists, and overall, the game just had a brilliant atmosphere combined with some cool combat mechanics.
It should’ve been a way bigger hit than it was and been the catalyst for Capcom to revive the series, much like they’ve done with Resident Evil.
2Guardians of the Galaxy
A Galactic Hidden Gem
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxyis a victim of circumstance and perhaps some Marvel fatigue.While it was reviewed well enough, and those who actually played the game loved it,it didn’t sell well at all,and there are several reasons for that.
First, Square Enix hadn’t exactly gotten much goodwill from the disaster that was Marvel’s Avengers, and this seemed to be more of the same from the company that was just completely disappointed with a similar project.
Then there was the Marvel fatigue, that has slowly gotten worse and worse since Avengers: Endgame.
It combined to make the game not sell nearly as well as it should’ve and effectively ended Square Enix’s superhero visions for the time being.
The game itself was actually fantastic, giving you control over Starlord and control over the Guardians of the Galaxy in a squad-based action game that had a light-hearted but well-executed story and some great voice acting and graphics to boot.
There were some thrilling set pieces involved, and while it would’ve been great to control all of the Guardians, but still, Starlord is fun to play with, and his abilities grow over time, as do his companions.
It feels like a title ripe for success, but gamers just weren’t interested in another superhero team game after Avengers left such a sour taste in their mouths.
A Series Cut Short
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
Xenosagais the psedo prequel to Xenogears, and the first big release for Monolith Soft after they split off from Squaresoft in the 90s.
The game relied on some prior knowledge of Xenogears to get the full breadth of the story and relied on somewhat old-feeling turn-based combat and a bizarre, anime/3D hybrid art style to tell its sprawling story.
It’s an epic game, full of deep, philosophical questions, themes like existentialism and the meaning of life, and some genuinely gripping ideas.
The war against the alien form known as the Gnosis may start out straightforward, but it soon evolves into something much deeper, and there are some great characters involved in that story, none the least being the series mascot, KOS-MOS.
For RPG fans, this was a top-notch experience for PS2 at the time and had some fun combat mechanics mixed with sharp-level design and well-done boss battles.
The party was a bit on the small side, but each character was packed with backstory and personality, so it didn’t matter that much.
It was originally supposed to be the start of a 6 part series, butdue to poor sales, that lofty ambition was cut short to 3, and from there, Monolith Soft revived their ideas in the Xenoblade Chronicles series, which has been far more successful.
