Pix: Videogames that deserve a 2nd chance!!
Intro:
While it's true that games fail all of the time, it's not because they're all terrible to play.
There's various factors that cause such failures.
Usually, only a select few even know that these titles ever existed!
This is sad because some of these games actually were ahead of their times, introducing game changing mechanics that others later popularized.
These games suffered from low sales, killing off any chance of building a franchise.
But, a few have still gone on to achieve cult status.
These titles are now seen as excellent entry points for gamers who are new to survival horror...
A. System Shock 2 -
Seems to have inspired Bioshock & Prey.
Tense, painful crawl thru a derelict space station while trying to outwit a malevolent AI.
B. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem -
Toys with players by breaking the 4th wall thru its game mechanics.
Time/space spanning adventure, jumping from a Persian temple to a French cathedral & finally ending at a Rhode Island mansion.
C. Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason -
Cult classic that failed due to being an exclusive.
Takes place in a derelict ship around the North Pole & uses a "Mental Echo" mechanic to see the crew's memories!
D. Rule of Rose -
Had a limited release & relies on deep psychological themes, rather than just monsters.
Also criticized for it's sluggish controls.
A girl's trapped in an orphanage, with an unfinished fairy-tale book...
E. Forbidden Siren (series) -
Has the rep of being a 'unique' game...
Players are trapped in a haunted valley, evading 'zombies' & going on interconnected missions.
Part 2 was never released in the US but, Part 3 was well received here - just not enough to save its own prequels.
F. Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth -
Actually, this game is a better adaptation of H. P. Lovecraft's "Shadow Over Innsmouth" than the title story!
A detective visits a delapidated mansion & fights cultists, monsters &, finally, the Great Old Ones!!
Innsmouth is a 'joy' to 'explore' - fighting Deep Ones, seeing horrors & learning man's true place in the universe...
Sadly, even good reviews saw this game sink out of sight & mind.
G. Haunting Ground -
Tried hard to recreate the Clocktower formula with a more grounded experience but, still came up short.
The player wake up in a strange mansion - after a car crash!
They befriend a dog - who's trainable to defend & help you survive against the various villains hiding out - inside the building!!
Sadly, the creators over sexualized the female lead & the whole situation became rather 'off-putting.'
H. Evil Within 2 -
While its 1st part sold 4 million copies, it's sequel fell victim to changing players' taste.
This game is a rare open world scenario with well balanced proportions of psychological horror & its highly visceral sense of combat.
J. Cold Fear -
Suffered for being released after Resident Evil 4.
It didn't help that both titles shared similar game mechanics.
A Coast Guardsman boards a derelict ship (How many of these are out there in game land?) to find out what happened to a US Navy Seal Team.
The Navy Seals turn up dead or mutated by an unknown virus!
K. Condemned 2: Bloodshot -
Sequel, banned in Germany, to Condemned: Criminal Origins, where an FBI agent tries to catch a serial killer of serial killers!
Though a decent game, it failed to sell well & killed off its own sequels.
All of the above video games are good enough to deserve a 2nd chance to delight their audiences.
Help make it so!
End.
