Gaming history is littered with titles that launched in less-than-stellar condtion. Games can fail, whether crushed by hype, launch-day bugs, or simply by being misunderstood. Time, perspective, and a few gigabytes of patches can work wonders. These games improved over time and deserve a second chance.
1 No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky deserves a second chance because it recovered from a disastrous launch. This is an obvious entry, but it isn’t about delivering what was promised but about where the game is today. If No Man’s Sky was released as-is today, it would be a worthy Game of the Year contender.
It lets players build elaborate bases, run a town, oversee minions, assemble a fleet of starships, and so much more. Developers Hello Games just keep adding to the reasons that people should pick up No Man’s Sky again.
The first 10 minutes is the only part that feels like a bit of a slog, and from there it’s like a game released yesterday. To put it into perspective, it was worth returning to a few years after release, and it’s so much better today. It’s easy to see why the game has such a strong fanbase.
2 Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 has undergone a significant transformation since it was first released. Patches and updates have addressed many technical problems, and the game looks very different than it once did. Night City feels much more alive compared to cities in some games released today, like Starfield. The core gameplay loop, combining first-person shooting with RPG elements and impactful player choices, works a lot better now.
Beyond the main story, Cyberpunk 2077 has a lot of side quests and gigs that means there’s no shortage of things to do, making it feel far less linear. The Phantom Liberty expansion adds even more content, and even a VR mode players can try for free.
3 Starfield
Starfield was another victim of hype and expectations, particularly due to its $70 price tag. However, Bethesda has done a lot to make the game better. Post-release patches have addressed many of the early technical issues.
When played without thinking about where the game “should” be, it’s actually a really fun experience. The biggest downside is a reliance on loading screens but otherwise the ship customization, base building, companions, and the storylines outside the main missions are very interesting.
Also, there’s a lot of content in Starfield. The game has handcrafted quests, procedurally-generated planets, lots of locations to discover. The beginning is a real slog, but players who can make it through will find a lot to do and very little to hold them back. This is like Fallout 4 in space, and it is a lot more fun than many will remember.
4 Dragon’s Dogma 2
Despite all the bad, there’s a lot to like in Dragon’s Dogma 2. If played in a way that mostly ignores the main story and accepts the oversights, it’s a lot better than everyone makes it out to be. The original Dragon’s Dogma is beloved despite its poor story, and the second game improves on nearly every aspect of the original. That’s the important thing to focus on: it is a lot better than players give it credit for.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an RPG, but it is great when players focus on the randomness and the strange changes that can happen during gameplay. A lot of the performance issues and crashes have been worked out, so it will be a lot easier to get through. It’s not a great RPG in terms of story, but it’s a great one for sandbox gameplay.
5 Batman: Arkham Origins
While initially dismissed as a rehash of Arkham City riddled with bugs, Batman: Arkham Origins deserves a second look, especially when viewed through the lens of other live service superhero game releases. Players craving the familiar, refined Arkham formula will find it here, polished by patches and time.
The combat is still fluid and satisfying, and the story is solid, especially compared to Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and Gotham Knights. This was made by a team that understood what made the Arkham games and Batman great, and it shows.
Batman: Arkham Origins‘ Christmas Eve setting lends a unique atmosphere, blanketing Gotham in snow and imbuing the story with a sense of festive urgency. Moreover, the story centers around a younger, less experienced Batman and offers a fresh perspective on the character’s development and relationships with familiar allies and enemies.
6 Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
Middle-earth: Shadow of War deserves a second chance now that its aggressive microtransaction system is a relic of the past. The core gameplay loop of dominating and manipulating orc armies is genuinely fun. Building an army of grotesque, hilarious, and surprisingly complex orc captains is a unique experience, and the Nemesis system creates dynamic rivalries and alliances that constantly evolve.
Thanks to player-unfriendly decisions by Warner Bros., this may be the only time we will see the Nemesis system in action for a while. This game hooks players for tens of hours just on its core gameplay. Without the pressure to spend money to accelerate progression or preserve prized followers, it’s easy to appreciate the combat and army management.
7 Fallout 76
Fallout 76 deserves a second chance because the post-apocalyptic Appalachia it offers is now a genuinely enjoyable and expansive world to explore. Updates and expansions have transformed the experience by adding NPCs, meaningful storylines, and challenging new quests that have breathed life into what was once a barren wasteland (and not in the good Fallout way players have come to love).
Players can now experience a more traditional Fallout narrative within the online multiplayer framework, forming communities, building elaborate settlements, and teaming up to tackle challenging events.
The game now performs better, the crafting system has been reworked, and there’s a greater variety of weapons and enemies. This is a game that people still think poorly of because of the launch, but Fallout 76 now provides a compelling reason to venture into the wilds of West Virginia. Fallout fans should not hold back, especially with the game being included with Game Pass.
8 Final Fantasy XIV Online
Final Fantasy XIV was remade as A Realm Reborn and deserves immense credit for being a title that recovered from a disastrous launch to become one of the best MMOs on the market. What makes it worth a second chance today is the sheer depth and polish of the experience. The storytelling is phenomenal, and there’s a great narrative across multiple expansions that rivals single-player RPGs.
The job system offers a lot of flexibility, letting players seamlessly switch between classes and roles on a single character. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn lets players experiment, which removes the need to resort to alt characters. Even more than that, it’s one of MMOs you can play solo. This game sheds the skin of the past because the FFXIV of today is a testament to the power of second chances.
9 Assassin’s Creed Unity
Assassin’s Creed Unity’s redemption arc didn’t happen over night, but now all the bugs and glitches are finally fixed. The parkour system, refined and fluid, makes moving through revolutionary Paris a joy. The city is detailed and dense, and it feels more alive than in later games. The story isn’t the strongest that the series has to offer, but it is arguably better than those seen in modern Assassin’s Creed titles.
It’s one of those games where going back and seeing how much it has improved can make you wonder why it ever was considered bad in the first place. It’s only outdone by Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and if it had been released in this state when it first launched, it wouldn’t have been the catalyst for a drastic change in the franchise.
10 Mass Effect Andromeda
Mass Effect Andromeda has been significantly improved by post-release patches, that fix many of the issues that greatly hurt the game on release. The way to enjoy it is by forgetting how great the previous games were and just treating it like its own game. It’s not a great Mass Effect game, but it’s a decent sci-fi game.
Andromeda‘s vast, explorable galaxy is brimming with intriguing alien races and is a real joy to explore when given the chance. While the narrative is average at best, it’s still pretty fresh overall, and the backstory that the game touches upon is genuinely intriguing.
Combat feels like Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect had a baby; it’s fluid and dynamic, even compared to today’s games. Overall, it’s a worthwhile experience, especially at the low prices it’s sold for today.
If you own one or more of these games, it might be time to dust off the disk or reinstall your digital copy and rediscover what makes them great. If you don’t, you’ll be pleased to hear that many of these can be picked up cheap either on sale or on the second-hand market.
