5 Games That Flopped But Can Do Better With A Sequel
In this list, we’ll look at some games whose future looked promising before they were released. However, these games failed to captivate the players and thus failed to perform how the publishers thought these games would. To make things interesting, the games that we’ve chosen for this list will not only be the games that were flops but also the games that can bounce back and make things good for them once again.
Meanwhile, before we jump to the section about the games that can make a comeback with a sequel, let us look at games that turned out to be successful a second time.
Games that made a comeback with a sequel
Taking on the example of games that failed the first time they were released but made a very good impression on players the second time around, Destiny 2 is one such game. When Destiny was announced, players were surely hyped about a game coming from the developer of legendary Halo; Bungie had all the support they needed from the industry. However, the game failed to garner much attention and flopped. Meanwhile, we’re all aware of the second time Bungie came around with Destiny 2; the game is a massive hit with millions of players worldwide.
Another example we can take is Titanfall. While the original game was not a flop, its sequel was way better overall and elevated the franchise in many ways. Created by the co-creators of Call of Duty games, Titanfall introduced players to an engaging and advanced combat, and Titanfall 2 seemed to cultivate the same by going the extra mile.
Also, would you believe Fortnite was not very successful when it first launched? Yes, Fortnite was almost a flop when it first came out; however, the developers surely have turned the tables in the game’s favor. Fortnite went from being an almost flopped game to one of the most played games out there.
On a similar note, let’s jump to the part about the games that didn’t perform the first time around as they should have but have the potential to do better with a sequel.
5 flopped games that could make a comeback with a sequel
1. The Order: 1886
The Order: 1886 is a beautiful-looking game that shouldn’t have flopped. The game features an alternate Victorian-Era London where you play as a member of a centuries-old elite order of warriors fighting against an ancient enemy and determining the course of history.
The Order: 1886 definitely has the potential to be a great game, the setting, the graphics, and even the story is nice. One can even go on to say that no game has the right to look this good, but The Order: 1886 is undoubtedly one of the best-looking games you’ll ever come across. However, The Order: 1886 also proves that looks aren’t everything.
Almost everything (apart from the looks of this game) can be criticized. The way the story flows, the narrative, and the gameplay doesn’t stick together. While the game’s environment is surely beautiful, it somehow feels empty. The gameplay is easily predictable; the Lycan fights are boring, with the same moves over and over again.
Meanwhile, since we’re here to talk about the flopped games that can do better with a sequel, we believe The Order: 1886 can surely do better another time around since the game has a proper setting; it just needs to refine the storyline, hopefully with a linear progression and better overall combat experience with less running after the in-game trophies.
2. Duke Nukem Forever
If you’ve not even heard of Duke Nukem, you surely have been living under a rock. However, Duke Nukem Forever is a game that has become infamous for being the worst title of a franchise to have ever been brought to life. As for the reason why Duke Nukem Forever is an all-time flop game? Well, for starters, the game faced years of development hell and development drama, with the initial developer leaving the project in shambles.
One can even say that the ‘forever’ in Duke Nukem Forever stands for the forever development phase; because it took that long for the game to actually come out. After 3D Realms left the project, Gearbox Software took the project midway and made the game what it is today.
However, the long development phase is the major contributor to the game not being able to perform like its predecessor, which sold 3.5 million copies worldwide. From bland shooting mechanics to outdated humor and bad graphics, Duke Nukem Forever was a massive flop game.
That being said, the game did good years later after its release in terms of overall sales, or at least that’s what the publisher, 2K Games, reported. Lastly, we believe the Duke Nukem franchise can surely come out to shine with a new game based on the latest engines and current-gen graphics. For the ones who can’t imagine Duke Nukem coming back to life, think about Doom Eternal!
3. Anthem
Another game that shows us that looks aren’t everything. Anthem is a game that is a beautifully designed action RPG. Even before the launch of the game, Anthem was hyped and set to be a big game, taking on the likes of Destiny 2, Borderlands 3, and The Division 2. One of the reasons why Anthem flopped can be attributed to its competition when Bungie decided to make Destiny 2 free-to-play.
However, the reason why Anthem flopped can’t just be attributed to the competition going free-to-play. One of the main reasons for Anthem’s failure is its repetitive gameplay. Surely the game has come up with creative combat ideas. Such as introducing flying combat suits that fire missiles. However, there’s no real weight to the combat; it feels overall plain in addition to the bugs the game faced at launch.
To sum up Anthem in a few words, it would be like, that the game takes players on a wonderful journey but fails to inspire players to come back for more. Meanwhile, after all its flaws, Anthem surely has the potential to do more and correct its mistakes with a sequel, depending the publisher is betting on the game’s sequel to work.
4. Marvel’s Avengers
A game that has nothing to worry about the storyline. With an already established great storyline, all Marvel’s Avengers had to do was engage players in a great combat experience, much to the likes of what we see in MCU movies and Marvel comics. At that, Marvel’s Avengers failed miserably, so the game turned out to be a flop.
Marvel’s Avengers features gameplay with the same moves over and over again, which contributes to a bland combat experience. The game feels like grinding tirelessly with the same set of moves to get to a point where you repeat the process all over again. Moreover, the mediocre grind also doesn’t have much in terms of loot.
The most disappointing part about Marvel’s Avengers is that the story and the characters, the game overall, holds the caliber to be one of the best AAA games out there. Furthermore, to back it up, Square Enix’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a far more engaging game than Marvel’s Avengers in almost all terms, whether it be combat, linear storyline, playthrough, and good use of characters.
Again, as we said above, Marvel’s Avengers is a game with great potential, and it will not be surprising if the developer decides to launch a sequel along the lines of Guardians of the Galaxy or Marvel’s Spider-Man; we sure hope they do!
5. The Last Express
The last flopped game on this list is The Last Express, which is not exactly a flop unless counted commercially. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard about this game; since it came out way back in 1997. The Last Express was a flop game commercially when it came out. However, not long after, the game was made available on iOS and Android.
While there’s nothing wrong with The Last Express, the game can be said to be before its time. If the developers were to make The Last Express with the current-gen capabilities with improved graphics and better strategic gameplay, we’re sure The Last Express would be a success.
One of the best things about The Last Express is its beautifully designed environment. It won’t stand much if you compare it to the games that came after it, but for a game released in 1997, The Last Express surely holds out on its own. While we have no complaints about The Last Express, a sequel to the game based on Agatha Christie’s novel the Murder on the Nile could revive and turn games into a series, which we’re sure many thriller fans would be interested in playing.
Summing up
While we’re sure that there might be other games that deserve to come around a second time apart from the ones listed here. Some failed due to production issues, while some failed due to being a downright disappointment. Whatever the case may be, we believe some flopped games out there do deserve a second chance at wooing players.
That being said, let us know what games you think deserve the recognition they never got. Lastly, let us know what game you feel deserves a second chance from the list.
