The video game industry is known for its ups and downs. Not every game gets to launch out of the gate in a perfect state, both in terms of what the developers and the players want, which means that many titles are left behind or forgotten, at least until updates and content drops bring the package more in line with the initial vision.
Best Games That Survived Disastrous Launches
A bad launch can sink a game before it even gets off the ground, but these games not only survived their bad launches, but are thriving today.
However, some games manage to weather the storm and come out the other side looking better and brighter than ever. It might take months or even years, but these games show that with enough dedication, anything can be turned around and made into an experience that is widely loved by players of all kinds, to the point that most people forget they ever hated these games in the first place.
No Man's Sky
Making It Over The Early Struggles
- Bug-riddled launch that lacked content and was dragged down by poor performance.
- Countless updates and patches breathed new life into the game.
No Man’s Sky launched with an extraordinary amount of hype behind it, marketed as an expansive open universe for players to explore seamlessly. However, players quickly encountered a vast but repetitive universe with minimal interaction, sparse storytelling, and missing mechanics that left many feeling as though they had been lied to.
Yet years of free updates manage to completely reverse its reputation, turning it into one of the best sci-fi games ever made. Everything from the flight system to the base building saw overhauls and improvements, making the launch state and the current experience feel like two different games entirely.
Dark Souls
Too Hard For Many
- Considered unfair in terms of difficulty early on.
- Now revered as one of the best fantasy games of all time.
Dark Souls was released a couple of years after Demon's Souls, with the game pushing further into the brutal side of the difficulty scale and completely subverting a lot of conventions in the gaming world. The lack of direction and insanely punishing gameplay forced many players away, and the game quickly became more of a marker for challenge rather than good design.
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In the years since, more players have grown to appreciate the game for what it is, and if it wasn't for the bold steps taken early on, the Soulslike genre simply wouldn't exist. It stands as an exceptional dark fantasy game that relies less on clear narrative paths and more on player-driven exploration and organic moments of discovery.
Assassin's Creed Unity
A Small Bump In The Road
- Bugs and a lack of polish at first.
- Fixed over time and eventually became one of the best in the series.
Assassin's Creed Unity’s launch was dominated by viral glitches, broken animations, and inconsistent frame rates that overshadowed everything else that made the game great. Its reputation tainted an otherwise fan-favourite franchise, and the game quickly became a cautionary tale for rushed AAA releases.
Beneath the issues, however, was one of the franchise’s most refined parkour systems, and a world that contained an unmatched level of detail. Through slow updates and gradual improvements on the technical side of things, Unity eventually reached a more solid state, allowing players to finally enjoy the finished product as it was intended.
Fallout 76
Far From The Initial Vision
- No NPCs at launch and a shoddy multiplayer release.
- Additional updates brought enough content to bring it in line with the initial pitch.
Fallout 76 launched in a broken technical state with an empty world that many felt lacked the soul of the previous Fallout games. The absence of human NPCs alienated longtime fans, and a wide range of bugs made even basic exploration hard to stomach.
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Bethesda wasn't just going to let the game die, however, and within a few years, Fallout 76 grew into a large-scale cooperative RPG that stands among the best in the genre. With fully voiced characters back in the world, the environment felt more alive and gave players a more immersive experience overall, one that felt familiar in a lot of ways but also like a step in a new direction.
Star Wars Battlefront 2
Pay-To-Win Right From The Start
- Microtransactions ruined the initial experience for many.
- Today, all content can be unlocked for free, and more skins and cosmetics make BF2 one of the best in the series.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 was highly anticipated from the moment it was announced, yet all of that hype came crashing down when players found that the progression system tied powerful upgrades to randomized loot boxes, triggering one of the largest backlash events in gaming history. The controversy overshadowed a lot of the good aspects within the gameplay, forcing many players to move on just as soon as they had arrived.
EA eventually removed the controversial microtransactions entirely and committed to years of free content updates, including new characters, maps, and game modes. With a more balanced progression system, the cinematic battles shone far brighter, delivering a gameplay experience that was far more in line with what many fans were hoping for.
Final Fantasy 14
Rebuilding An Entire MMO From Within
- Poor design and unfinished state.
- Shut down for almost a year and relaunched as an exceptional MMO.
The original release of Final Fantasy 14 was so badly received that Square Enix publicly apologized and shut the game down two years later. Its user interface, performance, and overall design failed to meet even basic MMO standards, forcing the game into a redevelopment cycle that looked to give it a second chance.
The relaunch, known as Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, transformed the game from the ground up and paved the way for new expansions to give players a much longer-term gameplay loop to enjoy. In the end, FF14 managed to become a genre-defining MMO that stands among the best and remains one of gaming's most impressive comeback stories.
The Elder Scrolls Online
Nothing Like The Name Suggested
- Clunky combat and poor quest design.
- Has now beome a densely packed, fully-fledged MMO experience.
At launch, The Elder Scrolls Online struggled to find its footing between traditional MMO mechanics and Skyrim- style freedom. A lot of the gameplay mechanics just weren't very fun to play with, and many players felt that the game's early progression lacked any real meaning or identity to get invested in.
The devs weren't deterred, however, and they continued to flood the game with updates and expansions that added in massive regional storylines and refined the existing systems into a more acceptable state. The current version of the game delivers an exceptional, narrative-driven MMO that continues to draw in new players and impress older fans in equal measure.
The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Quite The Divisive Art Style
- Embraced A visual aesthetic that was rejected by diehard fans.
- Later became revered as one of the most beautiful games in the series.
When The Wind Waker was revealed, its cel-shaded art direction clashed sharply with fan expectations for a darker, more realistic Zelda game. Many players dismissed it before release based purely on its aesthetic, barely even touching the game to give it a chance to prove its worth.
However, reality can often differ from expectations. The Wind Waker managed to prove itself as a contender for the top game in the series. Its oceanic exploration and bold visual style helped distinguish it as a unique title within the franchise, and today, it is celebrated for its artistic confidence and remains one of Nintendo’s most beloved reinterpretations of Hyrule.
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