10 Amazing Games That Actually Lived Up To Their Hype

Having that hype-filled moment of watching a new game reveal that truly catches your eye can be a feeling we don't get quite as often these days.

I mean, don't get me wrong, great games are everywhere, and some people just need to try and broaden their tastes a bit if nothing is exciting them at all anymore. But with how many awesome games come out all the time, it does really take something special to grab the attention of the entire gaming community.

So, with that thought in mind, I've put together a list of 10 amazing games that actually lived up to their hype from their respective fan-bases and delivered far beyond initial expectations.

You can pick a ton of games from the past two decades on this topic, but most of the ones I've handpicked are based on my personal experience and the relevance that they've maintained well past their release date.

10 Super Mario Odyssey

An Adventure Worthy of Accolades

Everyone's favorite wacky and adorable plumber is responsible for one of gaming's most iconic and beloved franchises, so I just had to mention him, even if it seems slightly obvious.

Super Mario Odyssey is a crown jewel for the 3D franchise of Super Mario, being at the top with other greats in the series like Mario Galaxy and Mario 3D World.

Each of the kingdoms in this game is chock-full of wonder and amazement. It's no surprise that this game for many (including myself) was one of the reasons why we even bought the Nintendo Switch in the first place.

Mario games are almost always at least good, but Odyssey had the added challenge of needing to be extra amazing in order to help get the Switch started on the right foot in its launch year. The result was a game that many still consider the best 3D Mario title of all time.

9 Doom Eternal

Rip 'N Tear

Speaking of more adored franchises, Doom Eternal had a ton of hype behind it after the success of the series' 2016 reboot that brought a rejuvenating feel for both veteran fans and newcomers.

While the 2016 entry felt more grounded in style, Eternal dialed up the versatility factor tenfold here, with more emphasis on maneuverability, layered level design, and weapon variety.

It builds upon the excellent foundation of Doom (2016) to craft one of gaming's most hellaciously fun shooters, one that pushes adrenaline into your veins if you manage to play it on its harder difficulties.

ID Software is credited and worshipped regularly for their creation of the FPS genre, so any game they ever put out in the Doom series will continue to be highly anticipated.

With Doom: The Dark Ages on the horizon this year, everyone is eagerly anticipating how ID Software will cook this time to elevate it above Eternal's already cherished legacy.

8 God of War (2018)

We Must Be Better

Who could honestly forget that reveal of God of War at E3 2016 when Kratos first walked into frame and had the entire auditorium screaming at the top of their lungs?

While I wasn't fortunate enough to ever attend that same event, what was memorable was my friends going absolutely nuts during the livestream. It was truly a core memory of my life to see Kratos make his long-awaited return to gaming once again.

That's just a single major reason for God of War's hype: Fans wondered for years what the next chapter was in the franchise and, most importantly, whether Kratos truly lived at the end of the third game.

Although it gets some heat over its shoehorned RPG elements, for the time of release, GOW 2018 was truly breathtaking, with its storytelling, direction, and grounded gameplay—all key factors that led to its Game of the Year accolades and winning against a titan like Red Dead Redemption 2.

Even though I have a soft spot for the OG games, Santa Monica made one of the most memorable titles ever here, one whose hype delivered on all levels on release and made us even more excited for what would be the curtain call in GOW Ragnarok.

7 Mass Effect 2

Back To The Normandy

The Mass Effect trilogy is up there with my all-time favorites, alongside Kingdom Hearts 2 and the entire Yakuza series. It felt right for me to mention everyone's favorite from it, Mass Effect 2, an RPG sequel that improved on its original in every way and then some with new (and a couple of admittedly questionable) mechanics.

Developed during Bioware's golden era, the original Mass Effect had everything to make it such a memorable sci-fi title. This game would ultimately lay the seeds for Mass Effect 2's anticipated arrival a few years later, proving to be one of gaming's most timeless sequels.

Not only did ME2 introduce several new technical changes, but most importantly, its finale is a full-blown suicide mission with so many diverging elements that can alter the whole setpiece in unexpected ways.

Plus, the paragon/renegade system was improved, and the stakes were higher than ever this time, with the Collectors and the Illusive Man added into the mix as well. You had every right to be hyped for this game, and boy, did it deliver in an explosive way for fans.

6 Resident Evil 4 Remake

Leon Still Rules

Heralded as one of the best games of all time and helmed by the ingenious mind of Shinji Mikami and his team, the original Resident Evil 4 was a masterclass in action horror.

Although it took a riskier approach by abandoning most of the survival elements of previous titles in the series, the game was a massive success. After the well-received remakes of RE1 and RE2, Capcom had a huge standard to live up to with 4's highly anticipated remake.

Regardless of how Resident Evil 4 Remake deviated from the original in a few ways, the hype leading into its release proved well worth it, with meatier combat, fleshed-out and reimagined characters, revamped levels, and plenty more that made this remake feel special.

The important thing was that the game didn't interfere with or disrespect the original's legacy; it set out to do exactly what a remake needs to accomplish by honoring the original title with its own refreshing changes and improvements.

The Resident Evil community might have mixed opinions nowadays. Still, the overall reception was positive enough for newcomer fans to enjoy Resident Evil 4 Remake and check out the rest of the games in the series.

5 Portal 2

Torturous Yet So Glorious

Portal 2 is and will always stand the test of time to be this industry's greatest puzzle game, and although I wasn't part of the hype leading up to its release, you can be sure it left an everlasting mark on players around the world.

The original Portal was innovative, with dark yet comical storytelling and gameplay that made you think outside the box. Plus, you had GLaDOS hilariously taunt and mock you as you made your way through each section, becoming one of gaming's most memorable villains.

The core reasons for Portal 2's rightful popularity on release were the game's new features, mainly the 2-player co-op campaign and intricate puzzle details that rejuvenated the puzzle-solving elements like Propulsion, Repulsion, and more.

Even though the puzzle gaming genre has seen some unique mechanics thanks to developers' creative mindscapes, Valve's Portal 2 is still used as a benchmark for modern puzzle titles by various players due to its masterful execution of every aspect, and it absolutely lived up to the hype after the success of the original game as well.

4 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Oblivion And Beyond

The Elder Scrolls series from Bethesda was already a household name in the industry. Combined with Oblivion's success and insane amounts of marketing, Skyrim was at the summit of the most hyped video games of all time.

And for a game that infamously had several re-releases across various console generations, Skyrim was one of the most talked-about things worldwide in 2011. Due to its mile-high popularity, even people unfamiliar with gaming became interested in talking about it.

This game was THE Elden Ring for its time. People called in for sick leave at offices, and teenagers rushed out of high school just to go home and amass countless hours into exploring the breathtaking world of Skyrim and then talk about it with their pals the next day.

Most importantly, Skyrim also has one of the largest modding communities of all time, which just goes to show how insane the replayability of this game has been even after more than a decade since its release.

Skyrim had a ton to live up to, and it delivered by being one of the most influential and prolific games of all time.

3 Red Dead Redemption 2

All Aboard The Rollercoaster To Tahiti

Rockstar is notorious in the industry for crafting some of the most influential sandbox games the world has ever known, and it's only fitting to include what I consider their magnum opus, Red Dead Redemption 2, on this list.

Despite some delays, RDR2 deserved every bit of hype leading up to its release. Although Grand Theft Auto 5 was already a monumental achievement and the original Red Dead was beloved in its own right, Red Dead 2 would receive universal praise for its masterful storytelling and the most dynamic open-world experiences thus far in the industry, boosting it to the top of many players' lists of best games of all-time.

When I thought I had experienced everything from the first few hours, it blew all my expectations out of the water as I got to the end of the journey, bringing an absolute rollercoaster of emotions and cementing Arthur Morgan as one of my all-time favorite video game protagonists.

The cherry on top of what cements it as one of the greatest open-world games of our generation was how ambitious it was by every measure: the intricate details of the world, the secrets, the evolution. They're all a testament to the game's esteemed status to this day across various gaming communities.

2 Halo 3

The Most Unlikely Team-Up Ever

A sequel that honestly provided a fitting end to a trilogy, Halo 3 gave us everything from an amazing follow-up story to the cliffhanger ending of Halo 2 and tons of gameplay additions that made its hype worthwhile for a whole generation of players.

What made Halo 3 such a pioneer in the gaming community was the introduction of so many new elements, such as the Forge, Custom Games, Theater, and Ranked Matchmaking; Bungie went all out here to ensure they went out swinging.

We also got a fantastic single-player campaign that saw the iconic bromance team-up between Masterchief and the Arbiter as they pushed back against their common enemy despite their opposing backgrounds.

The massive success of Halo 3 is also owed to the popularity of the series' previous titles, and to Microsoft and Bungie's insane marketing campaigns, which included numerous high-budget ads, stage events, CGI trailers, and more than you could imagine.

This marketing hype train paid off—Halo 3 became the highest-grossing video game in a 24-hour period, earning $170 million in the United States. To this day, it still often comes up in the discussion of video games that delivered on their hype in full force.

1 Elden Ring

Time Stood Still In The Lands Between

You know it, everyone knows it—FromSoftware's masterpiece, Elden Ring, had the utmost hype out of anything in the current era (well, at least until GTA 6's inevitable announcement a while back).

Right from its first unveiling at E3 2019, the legendary waiting room for the game was set in motion. With each passing month and year, people would anticipate whether we'd get new information on the game's development.

And when it was finally released, all hell broke loose as Elden Ring went viral across the gaming landscape and soon became a pop-culture phenomenon due to its overwhelmingly positive reception.

I'll never forget the entire first month of the release when my friends and I were jaw-dropped by the map size, the secrets we discovered and tallied with each other, and the clips we'd seen online everywhere. The entire gaming community was taken by storm with its release, and you'd even see people discovering new things several months later.

Miyazaki, his team at FromSoft, and George R.R. Martin poured every bit of care possibly into this game, which is still appreciated to this day across many communities and fans. The Shadow of the Erdtree was arguably one of the most hyped-up DLC releases of all time, too.

Regardless of any recency bias or different views on the game years removed, Elden Ring will always be remembered as the game that delivered on its hype in the biggest way and set a new standard for open-world RPGs.