Top 7 Underperforming RPGs You Won’t Believe Tried to Dominate

Summary

Valkyria Chronicles innovated with the BLiTZ system; struggled commercially due to niche appeal and weak marketing.
Star Wars Outlaws ambitious but high production costs; struggled to recoup investment despite praise.
Neo: The World Ends with You’s niche appeal caused weak sales despite dedicated fans; uncertain future.
Character count: 97

The RPG genre boasts numerous tales of triumph that span over several decades and diverse settings. From fledgling indie creators testing the waters, to veteran studios consistently unveiling blockbusters that shape the definition of an excellent RPG, the genre has a rich history. However, there have been instances where a brilliant game didn’t receive the recognition or praise it merited. These games excelled in execution but struggled in sales performance.

Breaking into the RPG genre with a hit game is quite challenging due to the intense competition and high expectations. Even a decent game won’t become an instant bestseller without exceptional gameplay. However, having a good game doesn’t automatically lead to sales success, as sometimes the quality of the game may not directly correlate with its financial performance in the real world.

7. Valkyria Chronicles

A Military RPG That Lacked Early Success

Sales: ~2 million copies (2016)

Valkyria Chronicles offers a remarkable tactical role-playing game experience through its distinctive BLiTZ system, which seamlessly blends turn-based strategy with live action battles. This game is set in an imaginary World War II Europe landscape, focusing on the heartfelt tale of Squad 7’s struggle against invasion. The game excels in both emotional storytelling and complex strategic gameplay, making it a standout for many gamers. Its captivating gameplay and unique visuals are the primary reasons for its acclaim, and it continues to impress in these areas today.

Initially, the game didn’t perform particularly well due to limited interest at launch. Being exclusive to the PlayStation 3, it faced a small player community, especially in Japan. In its first week, it sold only 33,000 copies there, and around 77,000 in North America within the first month. Poor marketing and a genre with a narrow fanbase played a significant role in these low sales. However, subsequent years brought a remastered version and a broader audience, but the initial release did not create much impact.

6. Star Wars Outlaws

Open-World Star Wars With A Lot Of Ambition

Sales: ~1 million in first month (2024)

In a captivating open-world role-playing game, known as “Star Wars Outlaws,” players assume the character of Kay Vess, a rogue navigating the seedy corners of the galaxy’s criminal underbelow. Featuring both space and ground exploration, along with flexible mission scenarios, this game strives to offer an immersive Star Wars adventure within a richly detailed, open-ended galaxy that emphasizes player choice and freedom.

Despite receiving praise, the large scale and expensive production of this Ubisoft Massive Entertainment creation put immense expectations on its financial performance. Given the significant investment, these lofty expectations were challenging to meet. The game faced challenges due to some negative reviews, and the overall response was a blend of positive and negative feedback regarding both the company and certain game themes. However, it remains an impressive science fiction RPG, although Ubisoft is finding it difficult to recuperate its costs.

5. Lost Odyssey

A Story Of Immortals That Failed To Stick Around

Sales: ~300,000 first month (2008)

Lost Odyssey is a role-playing game (RPG) with turn-based combat that was created by Mistwalker and led by Hironobu Sakaguchi, who is famous for making the popular series, Final Fantasy. Although quality was generally high, it didn’t always translate to commercial success. The story revolves around Kaim, a warrior who has lived for centuries, as he struggles with memories from the past. This narrative is bolstered by traditional battle mechanics and heartfelt short stories. The game was highly appreciated for offering a rich, character-focused experience during a period when the RPG genre was rapidly changing in various ways.

Although the game received positive reviews, it faced difficulties in commercial success, particularly outside Japan. Being launched exclusively on the Xbox 360, which had limited popularity in Japan, its initial sales were disappointing. The numbers fell short of expectations considering its budget and prestigious background. Its choice of platform and traditional mechanics made marketing a challenge as the market trended towards faster, more flashy action RPGs.

4. Neo: The World Ends with You

Too Niche For A Breakout Hit

Sales: ~28,000 first week (2021)

In this fresh take, a fashionable Action Role-Playing Game (ARPG), titled “Neo: The World Ends With You“, functions as the eagerly anticipated sequel to a beloved cult classic. This captivating narrative revolves around Rindo and his companions who are unwillingly drafted into the Reapers’ Game. The game showcases swift combat sequences and an energetic environment, effectively embodying contemporary youth culture. Simultaneously, it preserves the essence of its precursor. Devoted fans lavished praise on every element from the plot to the soundtrack, yet the wider audience appears to have overlooked it.

Sales for Square Enix’s latest release fell short of expectations. They acknowledged that it didn’t perform well commercially, finding it difficult to recover production expenses effectively. Factors such as its niche audience appeal, prolonged gaps between new releases, and less-than-optimal marketing strategies likely contributed to the disappointing sales. This leaves the franchise with an uncertain future, despite the positive reviews it received.

3. Vagrant Story

Too Much Complexity For Its Own Good

Sales: 100,000 first month (2000)

Vagrant Story, initially released for the original PlayStation, is a distinct action RPG often praised as one of the top games of its era. This game takes place in the devastated city of LeÃ¡ Monde and follows Ashley Riot, a Riskbreaker entangled in a web of political maneuvering and supernatural powers. What sets it apart is its grim, mature storyline, skillfully integrated into the real-time combat, ensuring an engaging and satisfying gameplay experience from beginning to end.

Regardless of the accolades and admiration it received, Vagrant Story faced difficulties in commercial success. It had modest sales in Japan, but its reception in the West was lackluster. Its intricacy, absence of common RPG features such as towns or party members, and specialized appeal made it a challenging proposition for mainstream consumers. While it’s cherished by RPG aficionados now, it didn’t achieve broad success at the time of its release. Despite this, its sales never warranted a sequel, yet a legacy and following persist today.

2. Planescape: Torment

A Great Narrative Experience, But Unconventional And Tricky Gameplay

Sales: ~400,000 (lifetime)

A richly story-driven RPG, titled Planescape , is set within the realm of Dungeons and Dragons. In this game, players embark on a journey to uncover the secrets behind immortality and life’s very nature. The narrative delves deep into philosophical discourse and thought-provoking discussions on heavier themes, made even more captivating by its superior writing and intricate character development. However, the emphasis on narrative over action may have hindered its popularity at the time, leading to less than stellar sales.

The game, which underperformed significantly compared to expectations, along with its unique focus on text-based conversations in an unusual setting, proved challenging to promote and attracted a limited audience. However, over time, its popularity has grown and the storyline’s appreciation has become more mainstream. Unfortunately, its initial sales were insufficient, leading to it being considered as a one-time release.

1. Alpha Protocol

High Cost, Low Return Despite A Quality Game

Alpha Protocol aimed to seamlessly combine the intrigue of spy and thriller narratives with the depth of role-playing game mechanics, setting it in a contemporary context. As a secret agent, players delve into global conspiracies via a branching storyline where choices carry significant weight. The dialogue and relationships feel genuine and were quite progressive for its time, pushing boundaries in both narrative movement and player self-expression. It was ambitious in its approach to storytelling, providing a versatile gameplay experience that offered multiple playthroughs and opportunities for individual expression.

Regardless, the game struggled due to outdated visuals and an awkward combat system that felt slow and, on occasion, tedious to engage with. Technical glitches were another significant problem. Although it moved a respectable number of units, when considering the cost of development versus its earnings, it was deemed unsuccessful and fell far short of the publisher’s expectations. It may now be viewed more positively, but unfortunately, that comes too late for the game to recover from its initial underperformance.

2025-05-05 04:14