10 Video Games That Came Back From The Dead

They might have been battered, bloodied and bruised, but they refused to be knocked out.

By Michael Leopold Weber /

There is no medium quite like the wonderful world of video games.

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In any other art form, a botched release, a bad story or terrible delivery would instantly sink your product. There are no day 1 patches, no content updates or graphical improvements, you make it and then you're finished. Video games therefore, are in a unique situation, where death isn't the end.

When a developer releases a game, whether critically praised or broken in every conceivable way, the creative minds behind the product have the unique opportunity to tweak, adjust and drastically shift almost every aspect of the material. Thanks to our ever-connected world, these talented people have the chance of a do-over.

Some of the best games of this generation didn't start life out as success stories. Some were released broken, unplayable or simply empty husks where promises were meant. At the same time, critically successful games have the chance to develop and improve to keep themselves relevant in an ever-changing eco-system.

In 2019 and beyond, if developers and publishers are willing to put the effort in *ahem Anthem ahem*, the release day doesn't have to be the end.

10. Fortnite

This might seem like an absurd inclusion today, but at one time, Fortnite was dead on arrival.

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The game went to beta as a PvE experience. Players would group together to right hoards of enemies whilst building their bases with elaborate traps and other safety devices. The game looked absolutely fine, but hoard mode had already had its day, and Fortnite didn't present anything drastically new other than a child-friendly aesthetic.

Soon, however, video games' cultural impact would change forever.

Epic Games saw the meteoric rise of PlayerUnknowns: Battlegrounds, a PC exclusive Battle Royale game, absolutely tearing up the video game landscape. Fortnite soon became not only the vehicle for the only Battle Royale mode available on console, but it was free and boasted a significantly more polished product with a bolder, aesthetically pleasing art style.

Fortnite soon exploded, not only in the video games world but into the psyche of culture worldwide. You cannot look around now without seeing some Fornite memorabilia, references to the game in other popular culture mediums - or dads "flossing" to try and be cool.

Lord have mercy.

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