With the sheer number of video games that are now released every month, it can be hard to keep track of what to play. End-of-year awards, Metacritic scores, and good old-fashioned word-of-mouth are all great tools for discovering what's worth purchasing but there can still be games that fall through the cracks of public attention and struggle to sell.
In some cases, these underperforming releases can be among the best games of their respective year, though for whatever reason, they couldn't convince enough people to make the purchase. To shine a well-deserved spotlight on some of the best games that struggled to succeed commercially, we've listed some great games that sold poorly.
7 Okami
Okami was originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2006. The game turned heads with its beautiful and creative art style and kept players' attention with its Legend of Zelda-like adventure. Despite the plethora of Zelda comparisons upon release, the game struggled to sell.
Thankfully, the Nintendo Wii port of the game, along with the multiple releases of Okami HD, has finally started to give the game the commercial success that it always deserved, though it's still a shame that the initial PlayStation 2 release was a financial failure.
6 Beyond Good And Evil
Beyond Good & Evil was released in 2003 on PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC, and GameCube. The action-adventure game had great variety, requiring players to solve puzzles, defeat enemies in combat, and utilize stealth in order to progress.
Although Beyond Good & Evil struggled to sell upon release, the game grew a large cult following, which led to a sequel being announced in 2008 - though the game is still yet to hit stores. However, a new trailer was released in 2017, and a Netflix movie is also in the works, so there's reason to be hopeful that the IP will finally be rejuvenated, nearly 20 years after its initial release.
5 Grim Fandango
Grim Fandango is known for being the final bow of the graphic adventure genre's golden age, which is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that it's regarded as one of the greatest graphic adventure games ever released, though the curse is that the game marked the genre's decline as, despite how great it was, it struggled to sell.
Grim Fandango encapsulated everything that made LucasArts' graphic adventure games so special, with superbly well-written dialogue, an engaging story, and a wonderfully creative setting. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to convince mainstream audiences to give the game a try, as point and click titles were considered outdated in 1998.
4 Psychonauts
The platform genre had a sharp drop in relevancy during the sixth generation of home consoles, as systems like the PlayStation 2 allowed development teams to create more realistic action games than ever before, leading to a surge in popularity for the genre. In an attempt to stay relevant, the platformers leaned towards the action-adventure genre, with the Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank series' being two examples of the new direction.
Psychonauts was another release in this same vein, with the platforming being accompanied by numerous action sequences and an in-depth story that was dripping with creativity. Although Psychonauts struggled to sell, the game did receive a long-awaited sequel in August 2021, which was universally well-received.
3 Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line was released in June 2012, a time when modern war shooters were at the height of their popularity. Although this may make 2012 sound like a great time for Spec Ops: The Line to hit stores, it struggled to gain interest as too many other games had tried to replicate the success of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare trilogy, leading people to believe that it was just another generic shooter.
However, what people were missing out on was a disturbingly realistic and horrific depiction of war that still has people talking to this day. Although the combat is admittedly average, the powerful story alone makes the game worth playing through for those who can stomach it.
2 Conker's Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day was released exclusively on the Nintendo 64 in 2001, a console known for its wholesome mascot platformers. Conker's Bad Fur Day may initially appear yet another cutesy, wholesome mascot platformer - though it actually offered an adult, satirical take on the 3D platformer genre.
Although the gameplay is decent, it was the humor that made Conker's Bad Fur Day beloved by so many who played it. The game's lack of commercial success likely came from confusion over who the game's target audience was, with adults assuming it was just another mascot platformer and parents not wanting their children to play the game due to its age rating.
1 System Shock 2
System Shock 2 was released in August 1999 and takes place on a starship in a cyberpunk 2114. The game was one of the most influential releases of the late '90s, particularly for its role-playing elements that let players level up skills and traits - something that is very common in single-player games today.
To the delight of the game's cult following, the System Shock series is set to get a new lease with a third entry into the franchise. An official gameplay trailer for System Shock 3 was released in September 2019.