Summary
- Over time, fans appreciate the fun and gameplay of Days Gone
- Hogwarts Legacy had to overcome controversy and please fans with engaging gameplay mechanics
- Cyberpunk 2077 transformed into one of the best open-world RPGs after updates and fixes.
Given how breakneck the gaming industry has become, it's easy to see why the pressure of deadlines and shareholder expectations can get to certain developers. In a bid to make a title that makes everyone happy, these titles end up appeasing no one when they are launched.
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However, some games got the short end of the stick and had to win back fan approval by making the strengths of their game more apparent than ever. Eventually, the bad PR surrounding these games dissipated as fans realized that these video games deserved more of their love and attention than they initially gave.
8 Days Gone
Over Time, Fans Appreciated The Fun And Tense Gameplay Of This Title
Days Gone
- Released
- April 26, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action, Adventure
During a time when players were getting somewhat tired of zombie games, Days Gone failed to make a huge splash. The story took way too long to get going, and the game's technical issues were on full display at launch.
However, over time, fans grew to appreciate the Freaker Horde mechanic and the title's interesting gameplay loops, with some being more engaging than others. As a result, people finally started praising Days Gone, and the fact that this game is getting a remaster hopefully means that players will give it a fair chance this time around.
7 Hogwarts Legacy
The Game Needed To Hit The Ground Running To Overcome The Controversy Surrounding It
Hogwarts Legacy
- Released
- February 10, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Even before Hogwarts Legacy released, the game was bombarded with negative statements because of J.K. Rowling. Her controversial stances led many people to say that they would boycott this game and prevent it from being a success.
This could've been the case if Hogwarts Legacy was disappointing, but fans were more than pleased by what was comfortably the best Harry Potter game in a long time. The combat system was a crowning jewel and let players use spell combos to great effect, while Hogwarts itself was as magical to explore as most fans expected.
6 Final Fantasy 15
The Royal And Windows Editions Did A Great Job Of Adding More Substance To A Game That Felt Lean
Final Fantasy 15
- Released
- November 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
After stewing in developmental hell for an unreasonably long time, fans couldn't help but have mixed opinions about Final Fantasy 15 when it finally released. As charming as the game's setting and its characters were, the weird combat system and a borderline unfinished story didn't sit right with many fans.
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Thankfully, Square Enix proceeded to work on an updated version of this title with better gameplay loops, expanded areas, and inclusions to help the story stand out. It may be far from a perfect experience, but the fact that players have warmed to Final Fantasy 15 shows that this game has done a decent job of salvaging its reputation.
5 Fallout 76
An Open-World Multiplayer Fallout Game That Became Better Courtesy Of Updates And Expansions
Fallout 76
- Released
- November 14, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
The torrid launch of Fallout 76 is something that many fans are aware of. The lack of NPCs made the world feel lifeless, with the core combat and story being far from engaging enough to make up for this deficit.
However, like most multiplayer games, Bethesda supported this title with numerous updates and expansions that added most of the things that fans wanted. The addition of NPCs meant that players didn't have to read terminals to understand the story, and the expanded content allowed players to explore some fascinating locations in Fallout lore.
4 Death Stranding
Written Off As A Walking Simulator, Only For This Gameplay Loop To Slowly Endear Itself To Fans
Death Stranding
- Released
- November 8, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action
Death Stranding seemed destined for greatness, only for fans to find out that this title is essentially a glorified walking simulator. This definition, as reductive as it may be, led many players to either ignore or deride Death Stranding at launch.
Kojima's brilliance was so ahead of its time that it took years before fans finally grew to appreciate the different things that this title was trying. It may not seem all that great for players to operate as Couriers, but people who buy into this gameplay loop will love how bizarre yet interesting the world and its story are as they slowly but surely make progress.
3 Fallout: New Vegas
A Broken Game That Became Bigger And Better Courtesy Of Patches And Some Brilliant DLC
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Obsidian Entertainment had a bad habit of releasing games with so many bugs that it became impossible to appreciate the final product. Such was the case with Fallout: New Vegas, which was littered with so many issues that players were too frustrated to appreciate its brilliance.
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Contemporary reviews for this game speak for themselves, with many fans agreeing that Fallout: New Vegas is one of the greatest RPGs ever made. Both official and unofficial patches will eliminate most of the game's biggest bugs and let fans enjoy the quality of both the base game and its lauded expansions.
2 No Man's Sky
Broken Promises And False Statements Were Made Up For Eventually After A Torrid Launch
No Man's Sky
- Released
- August 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
No Man's Sky is the poster child of how a hyped video game can turn its reputation around even after a horrid launch. It was rightly criticized for the many lies told in the marketing, but Sean Murray and his team should be praised for not letting the negative reception overwhelm them.
Instead, they put their heads down and slowly but surely turned No Man's Sky into the greatest exploration-focused open-world game for players who want to traverse space. The sheer amount of content in this relaxing title is so immense that players can lose themselves in the title for hundreds of hours as they strive to reach the center of the galaxy.
1 Cyberpunk 2077
Updates Ensured That This Once-Broken Game Would Transform Into One Of The Best Open-World RPGs Ever
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
The hype for Cyberpunk 2077 was through the roof, which is why the title's broken launch aggravated many fans. It was a catastrophically bad launch, the likes of which had never been seen in the gaming industry, but CD Projekt Red refused to let the legacy of this game fade because of a rushed launch.
Instead, they did a valiant job of ironing out all the bugs and adding content to make up for their false promises. The cherry on top of this redemption arc was Phantom Liberty, which came with Update 2.0 to cement Cyberpunk 2077's turnaround as one of the greatest RPGs ever made.
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