10 Failed Xbox 360 Games That Became Cult Classics
5. Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops has been around since 1998 and yet, it's never been the moneymaker it should've been. However, Yager Studios recognised the tactical shooter's potential, and decided to go all in for the tenth instalment, Spec Ops: The Line.
The game was praised for its narrative, vibrant art, and focus on character development. It had the epic set-pieces which gamers come to expect, but it focused more on the psychological struggle that soldiers endure, especially when faced with moral dilemmas.
Unfortunately, The Line couldn't contend with bigger military shooters, like Battlefield and Call of Duty (especially since Black Ops II was released the same year). Spec Ops: The Line was anything but a COD clone, but that didn't stop it getting lost in the shuffle.
Because Spec Ops had been dormant for a decade, Yager Studios hoped The Line would revitalise the IP. Instead The Line was the final nail in the coffin. It sold so abysmally in its first week, it was beaten by Lego Batman 2. (That's just embarrassing.) Although The Line is now hailed as a cult-classic, it's directly responsible for killing the Spec Ops series.