10 Failed Xbox 360 Games That Became Cult Classics

What happens when Team Ninja put together an action-adventure title, based on China's most influential story, with a script penned by Oscar-nominated writer, Alex Garland, and Andy Serkis playing the lead? You get Enslaved: Odyssey to the West - one of the best games on the Xbox 360.

Because of the superb voice cast, flawless gameplay, beautiful cut-scenes, immersive soundtrack, and magnificent story, Enslaved felt like it was born to become a lucrative, multi-entry franchise.

According to Namco Bandai, that was the idea. If it sold over a million copies, Enslaved was sure to become one of their hottest IPs.

But after a month, the game only sold 800,000 copies. If you think that sounds disappointing, Namco discovered three months later that their data was incorrect, and they had sold less than half a million in total. After a year, Enslaved only generated 730,000 sales, convincing the studio to abandon plans to turn it into a series.

Much like Lost Odyssey, Enslaved suffered due to its branding. The game's central inspiration, Journey to the West, has been a pivotal part of Chinese culture for the last five centuries. Unfortunately, the beautifully crafted saga has never really taken hold in the Western world.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a treasure, but its lack of recognition may have doomed it from the very beginning.