4. Okami (2006)
Okami was a rather stunning and unique title set at some point in classical Japanese history. It enjoyed resoundingly positive reviews upon its release, receiving 90% + aggregate Metacritic scores and being named Game of the Year in 2006 by IGN. However, despite Okami's extremely high standard, it flopped unceremoniously and it's original PS2 release to this day has only shifted 630k copies, netting itself the accolade of 'Least Commercially Successful Winner of the Game of the Year Award' in 2010's
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition. Okami is a wonderful game, which is often compared to Zelda in its tone and execution. However, with its traditional Japanese setting and design it might have proved a little too artsy to have been picked up by mainstream audiences, who often seem content in occupying their time with whichever standard FPS clone is currently dominating the marketplace. It's a shame. Okami really did offer a unique, innovative and vibrant gaming experience and its disappointing failure is probably an indicator as to why game developers are often so reluctant to try something new.