10 Failed PS2 Games That Became Cult Classics

Sony has been doing this gaming console thing for a while now, but the era that is universally agreed to have been their peak remains the PS2.

While the original Playstation had its charms and definitely cemented them as a serious player on the field, the PS2 proved that Sony were not only to be taken seriously by the distinguished competition, they were to be feared.

Immediately wiping out the Dreamcast by essentially being the superior version of it, the PS2 proved a kingmaker for the company through its then cutting-edge graphics, excellent first-party franchises, and truly insane library of third-party games.

But with such an expansive library, it's only natural that a lot of great games weren't truly appreciated until long after they left the shelves. Whether they were commercial bombs, critical flops, or both, these PS2 games were not shown the love they deserved until after they got thrashed.

Gungrave, the underrated follow-up to Yasuhiro Nightow's sci-fi masterpiece Trigun, got an anime and two video games to advertise it, and it just didn't work. From a story perspective there could be many reasons for this, but in terms of the game, really bad marketing had a lot to do with it.

Fortunately, hardcore otaku have since discovered Gungrave, with its satisfying arcadey gun combat, stylish evasion mechanics and memorable character design, making it very recommendable.

The gun combat is the real reason you buy this game - it would be a rather poor adaptation of a manga called GUNgrave otherwise. While it can get repetitive at times, as tends to be the case with arcade-like shooters such as this, the game isn't too long so it doesn't wear out its welcome, leaving the player more satisfied with the combat overall.

True, the super condensed story does cost the game the more emotional and philosophical writing that Nightow is known for, so this isn't the best version of the story. Besides that, though, Gungrave is an awesome game for what it is.