Finding the perfect time to release a game is nearly impossible, especially since it is hard to predict how a game's development cycle is going to work out. But the goal is to release it at a time when everyone will want to experience it.
Sometimes, the game is going to come out and be the talk of the town. Other times, the spotlight will be on something else. While it may not be the fault of anyone involved, games released around the same time period may not get equal attention. This is led to some notable moments across the history of video games where one title has overshadowed another.
10 Darksiders
Published by the old THQ, Darksiders was a new IP that had players taking on the role of War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The action-adventure game got decent reviews and sold over one million copies, but it was released on the same day as another action-adventure debut: Bayonetta.
While not a sales juggernaut, Bayonetta became immensely popular and was one of the titles that put PlatniumGames on the map. While Darksiders had a couple of follow-ups, it did not have nearly the amount of critical or financial success, with the game's original studio closing after THQ's bankruptcy.
9 Alan Wake
Known at the time as the developer of the Max Payne series, Remedy Entertainment decided to move in a different direction with a new game. This later became Alan Wake, an action thriller that followed a more linear structure compared to their previous games and was separated into episodes.
While Alan Wake later became a classic, it was overshadowed by Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption. The open-world game about outlaws would go on to win numerous "Game Of The Year" awards. Red Dead Redemption would later get a sequel that was also up for year-end accolades, while Alan Wake fans are eagerly awaiting a follow-up.
8 Far Cry 4
Ubisoft has a handful of flagship franchises that fans will always come back to. With the release of Far Cry 4 in 2014, players would get a whole new story which included taking on an evil king named Pagan Min and his royal soldiers. However, that same day, role-playing fans would also be getting Dragon Age: Inquisition.
While both games had their flaws, Dragon Age: Inquisition was far more involved in receiving accolades, with some critics pointing out how Far Cry 4 felt iterative to its predecessors. Despite the critical reception, the two titles came from iconic franchises which helped both have a financially successful launch.
7 Rise Of The Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider had a handful of things working against it at its launch. The first and most notable was that it was a timed exclusive on Xbox consoles, which was generally panned at the time given the fact the franchise had rarely been a console exclusive before.
However, the other unfortunate aspect of the game's launch was that it landed on the same day as Fallout 4, a highly-anticipated title from Bethesda. Fallout 4 did have some flaws, especially at launch, but it sold 12 million retail units within 24 hours of coming out. Rise of the Tomb Raider, meanwhile, sold 11.8 million copies all-time.
6 No More Heroes 2
Suda51 has become one of the more recognizable names in the video games industry for his work behind some of the more wild games that have come out in the last few decades. One of the best games that he produced was No More Heroes 2, a sequel to a title that had become a cult classic over the years.
Despite the favorable reviews, No More Heroes 2 was a financial disappointment. While it wasn't the reason it failed, it likely didn't help that the game came out the same day as another major sequel: Mass Effect 2. A title that many consider one of the greatest games of all time, Mass Effect 2 is held in high regard for its story and the impact of player choice.
5 Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life
The Yakuza franchise has entered a new era, with the franchise moving into becoming more RPG focused with its most recent and upcoming titles. The last mainline game to be an action-adventure game is Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, which also was the conclusion to Kazuma Kiryu's story.
While it launched in Japan a few years earlier, Yakuza 6 came out in North America on April 17, 2018. A couple of days later, the world was reintroduced to Kratos in God of War. The reboot of the iconic PlayStation franchise, God of War is widely considered the best in the series and one of the best games in the history of PlayStation.
4 Doom Eternal
Right as the global COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to put everyone at home, two games released on March 20, 2020, that couldn't be more different from each other. One of them was Doom Eternal, another entry in the iconic first-person shooter franchise. The other was Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the fifth entry in Nintendo's popular simulation series.
Doom Eternal saw some solid financial success and even received some nominations in year-end awards, Animal Crossing: New Horizons took the world by storm as many people saw it as a wholesome experience as the world was dealing with a difficult timeline. Despite one overshadowing the other, the two games are referenced frequently in memes.
3 Pilotwings 64
Launching a console always means having a selection of games ready for people to dive in for the new experience. Debuting with the Nintendo 64 in North America, Pilotwings 64 was a sequel to an SNES game and was all about players learning to fly different vehicles by completing challenges.
Unfortunately, Pilotwings 64 was greatly overshadowed by the only other game it released with: Super Mario 64. One of the most iconic and impactful games in the history of the medium, Super Mario 64 took the world by storm as it was an evolution of Nintendo's mascot that changed the industry forever.
2 Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
There are some days in video game history that will go down as legendary for the number of popular games released on it. A great example of this is October 27, 2017. It is on this date that gaming fans saw the release of three massive triple-A titles in one day: Assassin's Creed Origins, Super Mario Odyssey, and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus.
All three games were critically praised. But while both Super Mario Odyssey and Assassin's Creed Origins ranked at the top of the sales chart following their release, Wolfenstein 2 was ranked 14th in its debut week on U.S. sales charts. Despite this, the game was still supported with three DLC releases and its overall popularity got it a co-op sequel.
1 Horizon Zero Dawn
Guerrilla Games decided to make a new franchise that strayed from their previous work, which is how Horizon Zero Dawn came to be in 2017. An open-world action game, it would later be overshadowed by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The Nintendo title came out just three days after Horizon Zero Dawn.
The PlayStation exclusive would forever be compared to Breath of the Wild. And unfortunately, it would happen to Guerrilla Games five years later when Horizon Forbidden West debuted just a week before Elden Ring. Despite this, the Horizon franchise has been able to garner a fan base and sales have not suffered terribly because of it.