Top 20 Video Games That Defied Expectations

There were a handful of reasons not to get excited about a new “Star Wars” game in 2019. Perhaps the biggest was that publisher EA had been squandering the license for years, with 2017’s “Battlefront II” being an all-around trainwreck. On-screen, Disney didn’t seem to know what it was doing as “Solo” was a financial disappointment and “The Last Jedi” divided the entire fanbase. Yet, somehow in all the disarray, Respawn developed a really solid single-player experience. The team concocted a great blend of action-adventure elements and told an engaging story tied to one of the franchise’s most important events. It received praise, awards, and an upcoming sequel in 2023’s “Jedi: Survivor.”

The original “Watch Dogs” had players very excited when it was revealed at E3 2012. A new IP from Ubisoft that focused on hacking and stealth was something a lot of us wanted. Unfortunately, that excitement was diminished when it seemed Ubisoft had downgraded the game’s visuals from the reveal to the final product. Additionally, while gameplay was still solid, the story and protagonist were criticized, making for an overall mediocre game. It still sold well, leading to a sequel that we thought would only reach the same level of quality. We were happy to be proved wrong. With a change in setting came a much more engaging protagonist. And with real hackers giving input, the gameplay and plot were much stronger.

Military shooters are a dime a dozen, and they were even more common in 2012 when “Spec Ops” released. Gameplay didn’t innovate on what came before it, but anyone who thought they knew what they were getting into was dead wrong. Unlike many others in the genre, the story took center stage, detailing the disturbing horrors of war and the unsettling effects it can have on the mind. Framed around a reconnaissance mission, we were confronted by disturbing imagery and plenty of twists and turns. While it has received plenty of praise since release, it didn’t garner enough attention at release. Weak sales killed the franchise dead in its tracks, and prevented the rise of what could have been a juggernaut in storytelling.

“Until Dawn” is a Horror masterpiece, which no one could’ve guessed based on its development period. It was originally announced in 2012 as a PlayStation 3 game that would’ve used the Move controllers. We’re extremely grateful that didn’t happen. Even when it moved to the PlayStation 4 and ditched the motion controls, Sony barely marketed it, instead pushing third-party titles releasing around the same time. And yet, players came out in droves. “Until Dawn” far surpassed sales expectations and received well-deserved praise for its emphasis on player decision while being terrifying to boot.

Before “Shadow of Mordor,” games based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth were hit or miss. If they did hit, they didn’t necessarily set the world on fire. It seemed like Monolith’s game would be about the same level of quality. Early comparisons to “Assassin’s Creed” weren’t kind, with one Ubisoft employee even accusing Monolith of stealing assets from “Assassin’s Creed II.” Despite it looking very similar to other games in its genre, naysayers were quickly shut up when the game was released. Sure, combat was familiar, but it was also incredibly fun and well-balanced. However, it was the Nemesis System that really set it apart. “Shadow of Mordor” became the most successful “Lord of the Rings” game at the time.

“Wolfenstein 3D” may be credited as the grandfather of the FPS, but the series did little to entice players afterwards. Most felt indifferent about 2009’s forgettable “Wolfenstein,” and the poor sales reflected that. So when a reboot was announced in 2013, we didn’t think much of it. As we’d come to find out, Bethesda and MachineGames had created one of the most gloriously violent FPSs of all time. Not only did the fantastic gore lend more weight to the gameplay, but it also worked beautifully with the narrative. Set in an alternate timeline where the Nazis had won World War II, we were enthralled by every scene.

“Fire Emblem” had long been a Japan-only Nintendo franchise until “Super Smash Bros.” introduced the wider world to its heroes. Although this led to the series going worldwide, “Fire Emblem” wasn’t a strong seller. In fact, poor sales led to “Awakening” being a potential final entry during development. With the 3DS still relatively new at the time, it seemed like that’s exactly what would happen. Obviously, it didn’t. “Awakening” received a ton of praise on release, sold incredibly well due to newcomer-friendly features, and is thought to have helped the 3DS find its footing in the early years. And now the franchise is stronger than ever.

Outside of some mobile entries, the “DOOM” series had been pretty quiet following 2004’s “Doom 3.” However, that’s mostly because id Software began working on a fourth installment in 2007. And it had such a rough development period that it had to be scrapped and started over. In 2014, a decade after the last major installment, a new “DOOM” was announced. We couldn’t help but wonder if this new entry in the aged franchise could bring enough new to stand out in a sea of other FPS games. As it turns out, it didn’t need to. 2016’s “DOOM” brought the same frantic “never stop moving or shooting'' gameplay from the classic games, just with quality of life changes and beautiful, if not disgusting, visuals.

We don’t get a lot of movie tie-in games these days. But if we did, we’d question the quality of one released two years after its movie. That’s what happened with “GoldenEye 007.” Additionally, most of the best FPS games were found on PC. It’s strange to think about the state of the genre had “GoldenEye” not been as good as it was. It helped popularize the FPS on home consoles through a great campaign, though it’s more fondly remembered for the countless hours we all poured into its multiplayer. The mode was actually added last minute, yet became its defining feature. To this day, it’s still one of the most beloved releases in the N64’s library.

Activision’s “True Crime” series was set to receive an installment set in Hong Kong with developer United Front Games. Unfortunately, it was canceled in 2011 due to delays, its budget, and Activision’s belief that it couldn't reach the heights of its competition, like “Grand Theft Auto.” Despite it being nearly finished and United Front disagreeing with Activision’s belief, there was nothing that could be done. However, Square Enix came to its rescue, purchasing the publishing rights and renaming it “Sleeping Dogs.” The story, combat, and setting were so well-received that it sold 1.5 million copies within a year. It also received 3 expansion packs and a remastered “Definitive Edition” in 2014. Not too shabby.

In 2013, one of the worst movie tie-in games ever was released in Gearbox’s “Aliens: Colonial Marines.” Although the following year’s “Isolation” had a completely different development team, the debacle was more than enough for us not to get too excited. Thankfully, “Isolation” focused on everything we wanted it to. Both the plot and thrills were closely linked to the 1979 original film. And unlike “Colonial Marines,” the Xenomorph AI was both intelligent and unbelievably frightening. “Isolation” went on to sell two million copies within a year, receive ports to multiple other systems, and earn a handful of awards. For fans of the franchise and the Horror genre in general, this isn’t a game to be missed.

On paper, the pairing of “Final Fantasy” elements with Disney properties seems completely random. Actually, it still does two decades later. But in execution, Square struck gold. The first game in the series was much more than just a trip down nostalgia lane with worlds based on “Aladdin” and “Hercules.” Playing as the endlessly lovable Sora, we took great pleasure in battling evil while exploring Disney’s greatest hits. The action-centric gameplay over turn-based mechanics helped further bring the magic to life. As we all know, the idea more than paid off. “Kingdom Hearts” is one of Square Enix’s most cherished franchises, which shows no signs of slowing down.

Work on a fourth main installment began the same year “Resident Evil 3” was released. But it would be quite some time before players got their hands on it. Capcom scrapped four different versions of the game, creating the “Devil May Cry” series in the process. The lengthy development period certainly caused hype to die down, even with multiple spin-offs released over the years. Also, news that it would launch exclusively on the family-friendly GameCube, the worst-selling of the Big 3, probably didn’t instill the highest of hopes in the fanbase. Even those who were still excited could never have guessed how phenomenal this game would be. An incredible story, revamped gameplay, and genuine dread made it a standout in the long-running series.

The amount of peripheral-based games we’ve seen fail is too high to count. They can’t all be “Duck Hunt,” after all. So when “Guitar Hero” was announced, we assumed it was another pricey gimmick most players wouldn’t be interested in, even with its impressive music catalog. However, developer Harmonix managed to infatuate all of us through gameplay that was simple to pick up but tough to perfect with varying difficulty levels. Everyone, and we do mean everyone, could find something to enjoy here. It became extremely successful and earned multiple sequels, some of which focused on a single band’s work like Metallica and Aerosmith.

We’re eternally grateful Nintendo decided on the cel-shaded art style for “Wind Waker,” but there were many others unhappy with it when it was revealed. Many wanted and expected a darker, more realistic presentation, probably due to a tech demo at Space World 2000. The cartoony look was bashed for being too kid-friendly; even series creator Shigeru Miyamoto reportedly asked for a redesign. When we got our hands on it, we found everything we loved about “Zelda” well intact, from engaging puzzles to intriguing lore. Moreover, the art style has helped it age better than most GameCube games, let alone those in the “Zelda” series released before and after.

Will Wright’s “SimCity” series delighted players by letting them design and run entire civilizations. So when that aspect was put under a magnifying glass, producing a spin-off that seemed to only let us play house, it’s understandable that some saw it as a step backwards. Boy, how wrong they were. “The Sims” was the epitome of letting gamers play God, running the lives of their fictional neighborhood’s inhabitants. We all became incredibly invested in these digital lives, leading “The Sims” to arguably overshadow the series it spawned from. Since the original game’s release, the franchise has seen several sequels, all of which received expansions that have made it one of EA’s most profitable investments.

There is absolutely no one on the planet who could’ve guessed this game would be as good as it was. Artwork for “Kingdom Battle” leaked before its official reveal at E3 2017, causing a wave of backlash. Nobody wanted to see the Rabbids return, let alone team up with Mario. The developers found the negative reception very discouraging, but were vindicated when it launched later that year. Really, we had nothing to worry about. The humor was actually spot-on, and the RTS gameplay was simple but exceptionally entertaining. The team won multiple awards for its hard work, and honestly, it was well deserved.

In between the release of “Prime” and 1994’s “Super Metroid”, the world of gaming had taken some pretty big steps. Samus’ first 3D adventure shifted perspectives to first-person over sidescroller, which made some diehard fans think it would be more of an action game over previous entries. Additionally, handing the keys to the kingdom to then relatively unknown American developer, Retro Studios, definitely seemed like an odd choice. These days, we know it couldn’t have gone better. “Prime” is still one of the best “Metroids,” having beautifully transitioned its elements into a new dimension. We loved getting lost in its fascinating environments and soaking in the creepy atmosphere.

One of Nintendo’s most well-known franchises has surprisingly humble beginnings. Game Freak co-founder Satoshi Tajiri came up with the idea of “Pokémon” in 1990, based on his childhood hobby of bug collecting and the Game Boy’s link cable. But when he pitched it to Nintendo, many were skeptical. One who wasn’t was Shigeru Miyamoto, who mentored Tajiri throughout development. It would take 6 years and the near-bankruptcy of Game Freak before it was finally finished. And even then, Nintendo didn’t market it much as the Game Boy was already pretty old. However, positive word of mouth quickly led to it becoming immensely popular in Japan, all before it hopped westward, starting the Poke-revolution that has only continued to spike,

Batman had received some decent games over the years, and we wouldn’t have been surprised if “Arkham Asylum” reached the same middling heights. Even with voice actors from the 90s animated series like Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, Rocksteady only had one game under its belt. And so, we kept our expectations low. It’s a good thing we did as it completely blew everyone’s minds. Combat was so good, it kept us itching for the next fight. The environment was so haunting, we couldn’t wait to explore every dark corner. We could go on and on, gushing over the inventive gadgets and clever Easter Eggs that showed the developers were diehard fans. But more importantly, it forced superhero games to evolve for the better.