10 Recent Video Game Bombs NO ONE Saw Coming

If you can claim that you saw the critical success of Alan Wake 2 coming, then you've probably, like the titular character himself, got some strange supernatural powers. No one had this 13-year awaited sequel to a solid but forgotten action horror game pegged for being a modern masterpiece, yet that's exactly what it was. The game was released to critical acclaim, forming the cornerstone of Remedy's shared universe and cementing itself as one of the finest examples of next-gen gaming. 

Sadly, someone forgot to give this memo to the sales department because Alan Wake 2 sold well below what it deserved. 

Despite being one of Remedy's fastest-selling games, Alan Wake 2 massively underperformed, failing to earn back its development and marketing costs well into 2024, a year after release (as reported by Game Rant). The project's big budget, ambition, and scale saw the need for it to score big to turn a profit, and it failed to do so. Word of mouth, solid reviews, stunning meta-narratives, and unexpected dance numbers clearly weren't enough to convince people to fork out their cash for this one, even though it was worth it.