Reappraised and Remembered

Poorly received or forgotten games that went on to see some form of second wind via their reappraisal by members of the gaming community.

Does that mean every game on this list is secretly really good? Not really, but it never hurts to give them a try.

It's important to note that I haven't played every game on this list, meaning that I'm likely to make mistakes and include games that ill-fitting. Let me know in the comments if that's the case, and I'll gladly rectify it.

Is there a game missing from this list that you think would fit? Leave a comment, I'll make sure to add it once I see it!

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed
Altered Beast
Altered Beast
Armored Core V
Armored Core V
Armored Core: Verdict Day
Armored Core: Verdict Day
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Bionic Commando
Bionic Commando
Black Knight Sword
Black Knight Sword
Blood+ One Night Kiss
Blood+ One Night Kiss
Blue Dragon
Blue Dragon
Bodycount
Bodycount
The Bouncer
The Bouncer
Breakdown
Breakdown
Bujingai: The Forsaken City
Bujingai: The Forsaken City
Bullet Witch
Bullet Witch
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Castlevania Judgment
Castlevania Judgment
Chaos Legion
Chaos Legion
Child of Eden
Child of Eden
Crystar
Crystar
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die - Season 1
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die - Season 1
Deadly Premonition
Deadly Premonition
Devil's Third
Devil's Third
DmC: Devil May Cry
DmC: Devil May Cry
Drakengard 2
Drakengard 2
Drakengard 3
Drakengard 3
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
Enchanted Arms
Enchanted Arms
Eternal Sonata
Eternal Sonata
Evergrace
Evergrace
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Folklore
Folklore
Forever Kingdom
Forever Kingdom
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon
Fuse
Fuse
God Hand
God Hand
Golden Axe: Beast Rider
Golden Axe: Beast Rider
Gundam Battle Assault 2
Gundam Battle Assault 2
Gungrave
Gungrave
Gungrave G.O.R.E
Gungrave G.O.R.E
Gungrave: Overdose
Gungrave: Overdose
Gunvalkyrie
Gunvalkyrie
Hard Corps: Uprising
Hard Corps: Uprising
I Am Setsuna
I Am Setsuna
Infinite Undiscovery
Infinite Undiscovery
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Kartia: The Word of Fate
Kartia: The Word of Fate
Kengo: Legend of the 9
Kengo: Legend of the 9
Kuon
Kuon
The Last Remnant
The Last Remnant
Left Alive
Left Alive
Lifeline
Lifeline
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Lost Dimension
Lost Dimension
Lost Planet 2
Lost Planet 2
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
Lost Sphear
Lost Sphear
Maken X
Maken X
Metal Gear Survive
Metal Gear Survive
Metroid II: Return of Samus
Metroid II: Return of Samus
Michigan: Report from Hell
Michigan: Report from Hell
NieR
NieR
Ninja Blade
Ninja Blade
Oninaki
Oninaki
Outcast
Outcast
Perfect Dark Zero
Perfect Dark Zero
Phantom Dust
Phantom Dust
P.N.03
P.N.03
Prey
Prey
Project: Snowblind
Project: Snowblind
Quantum Theory
Quantum Theory
ReCore
ReCore
Red Steel
Red Steel
Red Steel 2
Red Steel 2
Rengoku II: The Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N.
Rengoku II: The Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N.
Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory
Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil 6
Resonance of Fate
Resonance of Fate
Rule of Rose
Rule of Rose
SD Gundam G Generation-F
SD Gundam G Generation-F
Second Sight
Second Sight
Shadow Madness
Shadow Madness
Shadows of the Damned
Shadows of the Damned
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow the Hedgehog
Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day
Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day
Silent Hill 4: The Room
Silent Hill 4: The Room
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog
Splatterhouse
Splatterhouse
Spy Fiction
Spy Fiction
Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor
Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor
Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity
Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity
Stranglehold
Stranglehold
The Suffering
The Suffering
Tear Ring Saga
Tear Ring Saga
Tear Ring Saga: Berwick Saga
Tear Ring Saga: Berwick Saga

8 Comments


7 months ago

Cool list! How is this phenomenon different from a "sleeper hit?" I have a couple in mind (like maybe Dragon's Dogma?) but I'm not sure I've entirely grokked the criteria.

7 months ago

@cowboyjosh

A sleeper hit is when something seemingly unpromising releases but it actually ends up being a well regarded hit. The difference with these games is that they were either lambasted or completely forgotten about on release, only to be rexamined sometime afterwards by other people in the community. Sometimes this results in games becoming cult classics and developing quite a following of their own (Kane & Lynch 2, NieR Gestalt, Deadly Premoniton) but a good amount of games that fall into this list haven't quite seen that same degree praise. In fact, most of these games are still despised by a large majority of the community, with only small subsets of people really vouching for them. My main goal with this list is to help people discover more games like this, and maybe they'll find one they really like!
Here a few suggestions, I just don't know if they would fit your criteria.
You have the redemption stories like final fantasy XIV, no man's sky and cyberpunk 2077. Pretty sure fallout 76 had decent playerbase a few years after launch.

And some others to consider:
- Final fantasy XV
- Call of duty infinite warfare (mainly due to its campaign)
I can't grammar to save my life
one of the best lists on the site. banger ass games

2 months ago

This comment was deleted

2 months ago

@pronounspronouns

thank u bestie <3
Good list. I've only played exactly one game here and its NieR and can confirm, definitely a banger


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