The RPG genre is one of the most contested in the gaming world, and as a result, not every release will meet the developer's or publisher's sales expectations. ARPGs in particular are notorious for having insanely high peaks in quality, but lackluster market performance, often due to their complexity, cost of development, and the crowded nature of the space.
As a result, many great games, even borderline perfect ones, can struggle to make back a sizable chunk of money, often leading to studio closures or a reallocation of priorities behind the scenes. With that said, these games still deliver incredible action experiences that deserved far more attention at the time of release.
Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning
Big RPG, Bigger Problems
- Polished gameplay and a vast fantasy world.
- Enormous development costs.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning earned praise for its fast-paced action combat, flexible class system, and expansive world, giving you loads of freedom to frequently reshape your character throughout the adventure. It reviewed strongly and quickly developed a loyal fanbase thanks to its satisfying gameplay and impressive amount of content, and I would argue it deserves a slot alongside much bigger names in the genre.
Commercially, however, the game became associated with the collapse of 38 Studios. Despite selling more than a million copies, the enormous development costs and financial issues surrounding the studio meant it failed to generate the success needed to keep the company afloat, even with the nigh-perfect ratings.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Sequels Rarely Meet Expectations
- Immersive gameplay expanded.
- Sales fell short of targets.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided refined almost every system introduced in Human Revolution, on top of giving us a far more layered and densely packed world to explore. Prague is an expansive hub filled with alternate routes and hidden secrets, so it can be hard to cover everything in a single playthrough, especially when you consider the sheer number of playstyles that are possible.
As history has shown time and time again, larger franchises aren't immune to failure, and in this case, the expectations were far higher than the actual sales. Some of the problems were attributed to a pre-release marketing controversy, yet whatever the case, money decided it all in the end.
Vagrant Story
A Classic That Arrived Too Late
- Hailed as one of the best RPGs of the era.
- Poor release timing cost it dearly.
Vagrant Story is one of the most distinctive RPGs ever released, with deep weapon customization and a complex and strategic combat system that I still think holds up today. Complementing the gameplay is a mature political narrative that explores much darker themes than its contemporaries, earning it widespread acclaim from critics and players alike.
Unfortunately, it launched near the end of the PlayStation's lifespan as anticipation shifted toward the PlayStation 2, and those complex mechanics also proved too intimidating for many players. With limited commercial appeal and a mistimed release, we were robbed of a potentially generational franchise, but at least we got to experience a snippet of that greatness.
NEO: The World Ends with You
Deserving Of More
- Modernized the original's unique combat system.
- Suffered weak sales due to a narrow reach.
After years of fan requests, NEO: The World Ends with You finally arrived with stylish visuals and an inventive party system built on simultaneous control. There was a lot of early praise for the gameplay, and for many older fans, it felt like a faithful continuation of the original cult classic.
From a monetary perspective, the large audience Square was looking for just didn't show up. It also had fairly limited marketing and a much narrower appeal, making it difficult to reach players beyond its dedicated fanbase, though it is still well worth a go if you are on the lookout for a more unique ARPG experience.
Alpha Protocol
Commercial Failure Turned Cult Favorite
- Advanced, reactive narrative choices.
- Off-putting technical issues at launch.
Alpha Protocol attempted something few action RPGs had ever done by combining espionage, real-time combat, and meaningful player choice. Juggling all those things at once seemed impossible, but somehow, everything from the dialogue choixes to the level design created a degree of reactivity that many modern RPGs still struggle to match.
Those strengths were overshadowed by inconsistencies and bugs at launch that prevented many from seeing the game for what it was. Disappointing sales quickly ended hopes of a sequel, but years later the game has earned recognition as an ambitious and underrated ARPG that simply had an awkward release.
The First Berserker: Khazan
Competing With The Best
- Stunning visuals and visceral gameplay.
- Not enough momentum to hit sales targets.
The First Berserker: Khazan came out of nowhere, positioning itself as a stylish ARPG soulslike that put a heavy emphasis on satisfying and skillful gameplay. Equipped with one of three weapons, you can control fights in a very rhythmic way, parrying, blocking, and counter-attacking with an array of abilities that only get more impressive over time.
Many others and I would consider it just as good as other smaller ARPGs like Lies of P, but those high scores and all the praise never translated into real player purchases. The studio has since been broken apart and moved to other projects, so the future of the IP has now fallen into nothingness like so many other icons of the past.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Icons Can Bomb Hard Too
- An influential RPG way ahead of the curve.
- Unfortunate timing doomed it to failure.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is now considered one of the great early RPGs. The different vampire clans fundamentally change the gameplay, and you will quickly find that a single playthrough won't be enough to see everything that the world has to offer.
Its launch, however, was disastrous. Technical problems, a rushed release, and the unfortunate timing of launching alongside Half-Life 2 severely limited sales, and as a result, Troika Games closed shortly afterward, before they could see their masterpiece become a cult icon.
Banishers: Ghosts Of New Eden
Quality Doesn't Mean Quantity
- Emotional storytelling with satisfying combat.
- Launching during a busy period hurt sales.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden came with a strong, supernatural narrative interwoven with plenty of meaningful moral choices and a fluid combat system that kept the intensity high throughout. The relationship between Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith gave the adventure a solid emotional core, while exploration consistently rewarded curiosity, ensuring that both the world and the story felt equally believable.
Expectations were clearly too high to meet, and after a streak of pretty positive reviews, the actual sales figures fell short of the studio's goals. It was clear that the busy sales period put it behind, and after replaying it recently, I would argue it is yet another example of a near-perfect action RPG that should have had its time in the limelight.