5 games that gained popularity years after release

Throughout the years, we've seen games of all types released across various platforms. While many saw a less-than-stellar reception on release day, this could be due to the titles falling prey to poor marketing or making a mess on their launch date.

Whatever the reason, many failed titles eventually ended up gaining traction over the years. These titles have now become some of the most memorable and recognized names to date.

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Here are 5 games that got a second chance at success

5) Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017)

While the visuals, gameplay modes and online-play received a thumbs up, other elements of this 2017 Star Wars first-person shooter were panned by gamers and critics alike. Acting as a sequel to the 2015 original, this rebooted entry became infamous for its pay-to-win design on release. A focus on lootboxes, microtransactions, predatory progression design and even a lackluster single-player campaign brought a lot of trouble to publishers Electronic Arts (EA). Thankfully, developer DICE had been addressing player feedback and has rectified many flaws over the years, resulting in an FPS that isn't half bad even today.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is available on PS4, XB1 and PC.

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4) Psychonauts

Released back in 2005 by developer Double Fine, Psychonauts is a quirky 3D ation-platformer that takes place in the world of psychics. Playing as a kid named Raz, he flees from his family of circus performers to a summer camp for Psychonauts - a group of spies who use their powers to battle threats.

A creative design that quite literally explores the psyche of many NPCs, great writing, and tight platforming gameplay makes it a must-have even 17 years later. Back then, Psychonauts flopped despite a positive response from critics, leaving the future of the series in jeopardy.

But thankfully, a cult following brought it into the mainstream spotlight, which led to a modern sequel "Psychonauts 2" in 2021 after much anticipation.

The original Psychonauts is available on PC.

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3) Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Another old classic, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, had the misfortune of releasing on the same day as the acclaimed Half-Life 2. That, coupled with the fact that developer Troika Games faced troubled development due to having to work with the unfamiliar Source Engine, resulted in the final product being an unfinished and broken mess.

With an atmospheric sandbox, rich writing, and complex RPG mechanics, this vampire game set in the World of Darkness universe saw a rise to fame thanks to a dedicated fanbase, which gave rise to many Vampire spin-offs and an upcoming successor – Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is a PC exclusive RPG.

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2) Okami

A swansong title for the PlayStation 2, Okami was developed by Capcom's now-defunct Clover Studios (whose key staff went on to form Platinum Games). While this third-person action-adventure gained heavy inspiration from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series, it presented that design with a fresh and unrecognizable coat of paint. Its iconic sumi-e artstyle, unique playable wolf character and a host of innovative abilities made for an experience like no other.

Coming to the end of a legacy console's lifespan hurt sales, but publisher Capcom did not give up, from its many HD remasters to a surprise handheld successor in the form of Okamiden.

Okami HD is available on PC, PS4, XB1 and Nintendo Switch.

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1) No Man's Sky

Launched in 2016 No Man's Sky was panned across the internet for being super ambitious thus, failing to deliver. The final product lacked many of the promised features, leading to significant controversy.

However, developer Hello Games' passion towards the project ensured No Man's Sky made the greatest comeback from disaster in the history of gaming. It has seen a dozen or so major updates since launch, each improving the experience significantly with new introductions like enhanced base building, smuggling and more.

No Man's Sky is available on PC, PS4, PS5, XB1 and XSX|S. Nintendo Switch will receive its version next month.