10 Failed Xbox 360 Games That Became Cult Classics
They may be classics now, but not at the time...
Microsoft may be a tech giant, but no one knew how things would turn out when the billion-dollar company shifted gears, and threw their hat into the gaming world. (I mean, look at Apple's Pippin.) Fortunately, things worked out, since their debut console, the Xbox, was a triumph.
Just to emphasis Microsoft's success wasn't a fluke, the follow-up proved to be among the best gaming systems ever. Not only did the Xbox 360 sell over 80 million units, it gave birth to some of the most influential titles, including Saints Row, Forza, Fable II, and the Halo sequels. Left 4 Dead, Gears of War, Dead Rising, and Mass Effect were only available on the Xbox 360 originally, but were quickly ported to other systems, since they were too frickin' good to remain exclusives.
Although some Xbox 360 titles are renowned as classics, things were very different at first. Certain games didn't have enough promotions to get our attention. Others were let down by piracy. Some gems tanked, purely because they came out at the wrong time. Because these Xbox 360 games are so beloved, it's a damn shame they initially failed.
10. The Saboteur
Pandemic Games have been behind lots of greats, including Destroy All Humans!, Mercenaries, and Star Wars Battlefront (not that one).
But after seeing the success of Ubisoft's open-world action titles, Pandemic decided to give it a go, creating The Saboteur. The game follows an Irish racer-turned-spy during World War II, who's tasked with quashing Hitler's regime in Paris.
The Saboteur takes the best elements from Grand Theft Auto and Assassin's Creed, blending stealth, parkour, driving, and shooting with astounding effectiveness. But if there's any factor that stands out, it's the art design. Throughout your playthrough, you'll see German-controlled regions layered in black, white, and red, while liberated areas are slathered in vibrant colours. This inventive aesthetic constantly reminds the player which areas have yet to be freed, giving you more incentive to explore and kick some Nazi ass.
When a solid game doesn't do well, there's usually some underlying reason, like it came out at an inconvenient time or it wasn't advertised enough.
Sadly, there's no definitive explanation why The Saboteur wasn't a hit, save for the fact gamers just didn't gravitate towards it. This is a shame, since Pandemic Games closed up shop shortly after, making their swan song's failure all the more heartbreaking.