10 GREAT Games Released At The WRONG Time

10 Great Games Released at the Wrong Time

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at great games that went overlooked by most players due to poorly chosen release windows.

“Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines” (2004)

This cult classic earned its status due to a passionate fan base that fixed many of the problems it had at launch. While it had wonderful writing and characters, it famously had a horrible development period, releasing with missing content and a lot of bugs. It obviously could’ve used a bit more time in the oven, but it was over time and budget, so Activision released it during a crowded window. November of 2004 saw many high profile franchises make a return; namely, “Halo 2,” “Metal Gear Solid 3,” and “Half-life 2.” In comparison, “Vampire: The Masquerade” didn’t stand a chance, even if it had launched in a flawless state. It was a financial disaster, and took developer Troika Games with it.

“Shadow Hearts” (2001)

The PlayStation 2 had an incredible catalog of RPGs, though not all of them got the credit they deserved. “Shadow Hearts” is fittingly dark in comparison to many others, taking inspiration from H.P Lovecraft and the ultra-violent manga, “Devilman.” This, along with its own subtle twists to turn-based mechanics, delighted those who played it. So, why is that number so small? Well, because, in North America, “Shadow Hearts” released six days before another RPG, “Final Fantasy X,” which naturally ate it alive. 2010’s “Resonance of Fate” from tri-Ace met a similar fate, releasing at the same time as “Final Fantasy XIII.” Note to all publishers: do not release your RPGs around a “Final Fantasy.” It won’t go well.

“Mad Max” (2015)

Maybe ‘great’ is a bit of a stretch here. But we still feel that 2015’s “Mad Max” is a game more people would’ve gotten enjoyment out of had they given it a chance. Driving through the apocalyptic wasteland and battling whoever crossed us was still extremely fun, if not a little mindless. Franchise creator George Miller even acted as a consultant, lending it some credibility. Unfortunately for the game’s sales numbers, most players couldn’t resist the allure of Kojima. Due to a delay from 2014, “Mad Max” released on the same day as “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain,” a much more anticipated trek through an open world. Unsurprisingly, Max was completely overshadowed.

“Ōkami” (2006)

It may have a ton of love behind it now, but “Ōkami” was an extremely poor seller on release. Inspired by “The Legend of Zelda,” it was released in North America two months before “Twilight Princess,” the entry in which Link also turned into a wolf. Although it was initially a PS2 exclusive, it seems many players weren’t interested in buying a Zelda-like on a different platform. Regardless, its American release was also one month before that of the PlayStation 3, and players were likely more interested in the new system’s launch line-up. Additionally, games were shifting to a grittier, more realistic style at the time, and “Ōkami” had distinct, water color visuals. Even Nintendo had to adjust to player bias in “Zelda,” with “Twilight Princess” being an answer to the backlash behind “Wind Waker’s” visuals.

“SiN” (1998)

The late 90s were a glorious time of growth for many genres, including the first-person shooter. The futuristic “SiN” has players fighting against a corrupt biotech company, with a few tweaks to traditional FPS gameplay to set it apart. However, one of its biggest criticisms at launch were its frequent bugs, which could have been fixed had publisher Activision not aimed for a Christmas release. But you know what other sci-fi FPS released for the holiday season that year? A little game called “Half-life.” The future groundbreaker launched two weeks after “SiN” in North America, and stole every bit of spotlight it had managed to grab. “SiN” may have had a better time, and better performance, if it arrived just a little later.

“Shantae” (2002)

The half-genie hero Shantae is now an indie darling, consisting of multiple well-received platformers. But Capcom got it off to a horrible start. Granted, the first game was a hard sell for the developer, WayForward, as it was a new IP. Additionally, it was an impressive technological feat for handheld games at the time, but that meant its cartridges cost more to produce. Still, after Capcom signed on as publisher, it waited for months after the game was already finished to release it. At that point, the Game Boy Advance had already been released, and many players had moved on from the Game Boy Color. Also, because its cartridges were more expensive, not many were printed. So when it sold poorly, more weren’t made.

“Nights into Dreams” (1996)

When Sega and Team Sonic released “Nights into Dreams” in 1996, it instantly became a critical darling, praised for its unique visual flair and mechanics. Sadly, there were a few things holding it back from reaching as wide of an audience as it could have. It was released on the Sega Saturn, which was never a great seller in the US. But it was also released in the US one month before the Nintendo 64, and therefore “Super Mario 64,” one of the most important platformer video games in existence. That’s not to mention the new platforming kid on the scene, Crash Bandicoot, who arrived the same month as Mario. “Nights” is great, but not much can measure up to something like that, even back then without the historical significance.

“Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning” (2012)

Fans of fantasy action RPGs could find a lot to love in “Kingdoms of Amalur.” Even if it didn’t do much new, combat was still fun, its visuals were strong, and it had a huge scope. Unfortunately, it was released in February of 2012, three months after “Skyrim.” We don’t need to tell you how big an impact that game had, so the familiar nature of “Kingdoms” just didn’t cut it. Prior to release, lead designer Ian Frazier expressed concern that people would still be wrapped up in Bethesda's release to pay attention to his. With how many people still play “Skyrim” today, that concern was completely valid. While a sequel entered pre-production, it was canceled when co-publisher 38 Studios closed due to low sales.

“Beyond Good & Evil” (2003)

There are few games more deserving of the title ‘cult classic’ than “Beyond Good & Evil.” Its story, characters, animations and visuals are still supremely strong 20 years later. But it could not have been released at a worse time, being the incredibly packed holiday season of 2003. It faced major opposition from big names like “Final Fantasy X-2” and “Medal of Honor: Rising Sun,” just to name a couple. GameCube-only players were more interested in party games “Mario Party 5” and “Mario Kart: Double Dash.” Ubisoft even gave itself competition, releasing and spending more on marketing for “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.” “Beyond Good & Evil” had no room to grow and sold extremely poorly, though would thankfully find more fans later in life.

“Titanfall 2” (2016)

We will never understand EA’s baffling choice to release “Titanfall 2” when it did. The work put in by developer Respawn resulted in a far superior package than the first game, including a now beloved single player mode. But even that couldn’t stand against new entries in both the “Battlefield” and “Call of Duty” franchises. “Titanfall 2” released in late October of 2016, smack dab in the middle of the two giants, and was neglected by FPS players everywhere. EA also owns “Battlefield” developer DICE, making the decision even more confusing. Thankfully, “Titanfall 2” would find more fans later through sales and Respawn’s continued support of the game. But it could and should have been more successful than it was.

What game do you feel was released at the wrong time? Share your thoughts in the comments and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!