10 Garbage Games Everybody Bought Anyway

If there were any justice in the world, gems like System Shock 2, Grim Fandango, Okami, and the recent Alan Wake 2 would've made a killing in sales. After all, critical success should go hand in hand with commercial success.

But not only do masterpieces like these fail to get the attention they deserve time and time again, there are a plethora of games that make bank, despite being absolutely garbage.

It's difficult to believe customers will spend £50 or more on pure tripe, especially when there were obvious signs it was going to bomb. If the project suffered multiple delays, the promotions looked poor, and the embargoes weren't lifted until the eleventh hour, it's sensible to wait until the reviews are out before forking over some hard-earned cash.

Of course, there are times when the gaming community came to their senses in the nick of time. Even though Skull & Bones and Mortal Kombat 1 generated buzz, bad word-of-mouth caused the public to put away their wallets, which led to both properties tanking.

However, there were times when the hype was overwhelming, causing consumers to buy certain games in droves, regardless of their quality, or lack of.

Serving as a Xbox One launch title, Ryse: Son Of Rome looked like it had potential. With its remarkable visuals, high production value, emotional depth, and powerful soundtrack, Crytek's hack-and-slash seemed destined to become the next big thing.

Despite showcasing the Xbox One's power, Son of Rome was all show and no go. Based on the insultingly brief story mode, simplistic narrative, the disruptive QTEs, and uneven combat system, this hunk of junk left a lot to be desired. The multiplayer option was so lacking of anything distinctive or imaginative, it's a wonder why the developers bothered with it in the first place.

Also, Microsoft knew they had a misfire on their hands since they were caught paying Machinima Inc. to give Son of Rome a glowing review. (That's pretty embarrassing.)

With all that said, people still bought it. Although Crytek CEO, Cevat Yerli, deemed the Ancient Roman epic an epic failure, Ryse was purchased or downloaded over a million times, making it a best-seller. It didn't make a major impression with critics but there's no question Son of Rome Rysed (sorry) to top in terms of sales.