Sometimes, video games are criticised before they’ve even launched. Perhaps a gameplay demo underwhelms, or maybe there’s too drastic a tonal shift, and expectant gamers or critics alike voice their concerns leading to games which possess an element of under-promise. Well, the 15 games on this rundown didn’t have the most sparkling start in life, but they’ve gone on to prove their doubters wrong.
Demon’s Souls
We’re talking the 2009 original not the 2020 remake. Demon’s Souls suffered through troubled development due to unfocused vision before meeting lukewarm reception following its demo reveal, with the most seething criticism decrying a game with unreasonably difficult gameplay and outdated world design. Well, how wrong was that?! Combat and world-building ended up being the very things Demon’s Souls drew acclaim for, establishing the FromSoft blueprint for Dark Souls and beyond.