A lot of things are expected fromrole-playing games, especially given how populated the genre is. Without a strong hook, it’s very much possible for some RPGs to fade into the background and become forgettable relics just moments after they’re launched.
Some role-playing games faced this fate when they failed to make a huge splash at launch — or made the wrong kind of splash and received intense negative feedback. Thankfully, fans eventually realized the quality of these video games, making themsome of the most praised RPGsby modern gaming audiences.
Alpha Protocolchannels the energy of the three JBs of espionage media (James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Jack Bauer) in a riveting spy thriller RPG that is unlike anything the genre has ever seen before. Unfortunately, when the game launched, the ugly UI and a wealth of technical problems ended up being the focus instead.
It took a while for Obsidian to patch out the bugs and let fans enjoy this masterpiece, even ifthe sales numbers were disappointing. If this title had hit the ground running, then fans could have enjoyed a series of espionage RPGs that boast the same level of impressive role-playing as this title.
Everyone even remotely familiar with the gaming industry knows how much players hated the original endings ofMass Effect 3. After an epic journey where players made numerous vital decisions, the ending basically boiled down to what color players wanted their explosion to be.
TheCitadelDLC changes this, giving playersone last opportunity to bond with beloved party membersbefore embarking on a journey that Shepard wouldn’t return from. It also improves the ending and makes it more substantial, which finally allowed players to praiseMass Effect 3as a somewhat fitting end to the series.
Another Obsidian game that suffered from a rushed launch, a lot of things were cut inKOTOR 2so that the game could meet its deadline. Technical problems hampered this game’s reception and left it dangerously close to becoming a forgotten sequel that failed to live up tothe first game’s potential.
However, it was only after official patches and a legendary fan restoration project that players understood how amazingKOTOR 2is. The game’s biggest strength is its nuanced exploration of the force that has never been seen before in a piece ofStar Warsmedia, single-handedly turning Kreia into one of the greatest video game villains of all time.
It’s always a shame for a brilliant video game to be overshadowed because of another game or a buggy release. In the case ofVampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, the game suffered from a double whammy. It was released on the same day as the generationalHalf-Life 2,and it was full of game-breaking glitches.
The game undersold, and Troika went out of business, only for fans to slowly warm up to this title and realize how great this RPG is. The amazing voice acting and incredible atmosphere made this one of thebest vampire video games of all time. Fans can only hope that the infinitely delayedBloodlines 2lives up to the predecessor’s legacy.
In one of the most surprising fan reactions to a FromSoftware game, players actively complained aboutShadow of the Erdtree’s difficulty when it came out. Bosses and even some regular enemies could one-shot the Tarnished regardless of a player’s level, which felt unfair at the time.
Thankfully, the community quickly realized that they had to gather Scadutree Fragments in the Land of Shadow to increase their offense and defense. In hindsight, it’s a novel way to keep the DLC challenging for overleveled players, and it didn’t take long forShadow of the Erdtreeto be hailed as one of the best DLCs ever made by fans and critics alike.
New Vegasis one of the greatest video games ever made, but this wasn’t the perception when the title launched. The bugs were overflowing in this game, to the point where most people felt that the 84 Metascore was justified.
Thankfully, as the bugs were slowly ironed out, fans realized that they were playing something special.New Vegasis the perfect marriage of old and newFallout, which helped both the base game and its celebrated expansions be hailed as some of the best adventures fans can experience in theFalloutuniverse.
Cyberpunk 2077went through the wringer when it launched, being rightfully criticized for the sheer volume of bugs coupled with some unfulfilled promises. CD Projekt Red could have taken the PR hit and abandoned this game, but they were passionate about an RPG that had something special under the endless layers of bugs and glitches.
After a ton of updates and a lauded expansion,Cyberpunk 2077wormed its way into the hearts of fans. People could finally appreciate the beauty of Night City and the sheer amount of work that went into the writing of this game, treating players to twisted, emotional moments that hammered in the dystopian capitalism of this world.
Final Fantasy 14is perhaps the best modern MMORPG of all time, but this sentiment was downright unthinkable when the game first launched. Fans were worried that their favorite JRPG series was on a downward trajectory, and the abysmal launch ofFinal Fantasy 14made this apparent.
It wasn’t until Yoshi-P joined the project and the base version of the game was scrapped that fans were treated toA Realm Reborn. This re-release was a massive improvement over the first iteration ofFinal Fantasy 14, and later expansions helped establish this game as theWorld of Warcraftkiller that MMORPG fans had been craving for the longest time.
