Making a video game is hard, especially for those who want to bothproduce good artand make enough money to keep a roof over their heads. Popular wisdom attests that a good game, by the nature of its quality, will get good reviews and sell well. That game then goes on to influence other developers until there is a beautiful ecosystem of worthy titles, all competing for a gamer’s attention.
However, this isn’t always the case, as sometimes games that have been massively influential and have garnered wide critical acclaim have been known to put studios in the ground. Whether it’s a case of bad timing, bad marketing, or just good old bad luck, not every finely-cut gem has a chance to glitter in the sun.
The originalSystem Shock, now a cult classic with a well-received remake, was mistaken by audiences asaDoomcloneback when it was first released, despite having plenty of ideas and features to distinguish it from the shooter.System Shock 2integrated RPG elements into its gameplay (something new at the time), something that many later games (for example, Arkane Studio’sArx FatalisandDishonoredand Frictional’sAmnesiaandSOMA) would attempt to emulate.
System Shock 2’s influence on first-person shooters and immersive sims is hard to state. Its design philosophy can be seen in Ken Levine’s later work at Irrational Games,Bioshockin particular, but a more recent example of a game trying to recapture its creative spirit and atmosphere is Arkane’sPrey.
While it is still a divisive title today,Shenmueis often hailed as groundbreaking, having pushed the boundaries of what games could achieve storytelling and world-building-wise. However, despite its ambition and innovation, the series never became a big hit. The game’s detailed environments, including life and social sim elements, real-time weather systems,fully realized NPCswith complete backstories and schedules, and interactive mechanics, were revolutionary. This revolution did not come cheap, asShenmuewas the most expensive game ever made at the time.
Unfortunately, the audience for a slow-paced, slice-of-life experience (a massive divergence from its action-oriented contemporaries) wasn’t quite there, andShenmuewas ultimately viewed as a commercial failure. Besides being a game that featureda 3D open-world citythat debuted before the likes ofGrand Theft Auto 3, its influence on the highly popularYakuzaseries is fairly self-evident (althoughShenmueis admittedly a lot less explosive and violent).Shenmue 2and3saw better sales but nothing to catapult the series to mainstream success.
Most gamers will probably associate Ness withSuper Smash Bros., as he is among the original roster of fighters in the franchise. However, aseven Nintendo games can fail to sell, some gamers may still be surprised to know that he stars in his own trilogy of games that weren’t popular enough to get a Western port.EarthBound(orMother 2in Japan) sold very well in its country of origin, but due to Nintendo’s bizarre (and incredibly expensive) marketing mishandling, it utterly bombed in North America, which prevented a European release.
EarthBoundhad a “This game stinks” tagline to accompany a scratch-and-sniff feature on the box, which likely prompted would-be fans to dismiss the EarthBound as unserious or a joke game. Despite the lack of an official translation of the original or sequel,EarthBoundhas influenced many game developers across the world, most notably indie gems likeUndertaleandLisa the Painful.
While other influential flops eventually became cut classics, thisJurassic Parktie-in gamenever found its place due to its unfinished state and general bugginess. InTrespasser, the player has no bullet count for their gun and instead has to listen out for their avatar’s vocal assessment or count. There is no health bar; instead, there is a damage-indicating heart-shaped tattoo “diegetically” located on the player character’s chest.
While this unique take on UI is interesting, its most significant contribution was a universal and realistic physics engine, one of the first of its kind, which inspired many games with worlds grounded in realistic physics. WithoutTrespasser, there would beno Half-LifeorFar Cry.Trespasser’sdesign pillars seemed to stipulate that control and immersion would never be taken away from the player. As such, the story is delivered via audio narration rather than cutscenes or text,makingTrespassersomewhat responsible for the “audio log” fad of the 2000s and 2010s.
Planescape: Tormentmay be widely celebrated as a classic now, but when it was first released, for whatever reason, it did not resonate with audiences. Despite its initial launch into obscurity,Planescapewent on to become a beloved game in RPG history, influencing inXile in their spiritual sequel,Torment: Tides of Numinara, and the Estonian art collective ZA/UM withDisco Elysium. Like those games,Planescapeoffers manymore ways to progress besides combat.
Through the Nameless One, players can engage in deep, well-crafted dialogue, solve the burning mysteries scattered throughout the fantasy multiverse’s lurid landscape, and make choices that affect the story’s outcome. Unlike many otherD&Dadaptations,Planescapeemphasized nuanced storytelling and morally ambiguous choice over traditional RPG tropes or power fantasy cliches, which could explain the general lack of audience excitement.
