10 Underhyped Video Games That Blew Everyone Away

The Non-Hype

When the original Witcher was released back in 2007, it had all the makings of a niche title which wouldn't break outside of its core fanbase.

Released exclusively on PC by little-known Polish developer CD Projekt Red, The Witcher further walled off the mainstream by being adapted from a series of acclaimed Polish fantasy novels which few in the English-speaking world had ever heard of.

As a result the game was released to a totally muted air of excitement, and few expected it to move the needle much at all.

The Big Reaction

Driven by strong reviews which praised the RPG's high level of immersion, The Witcher overperformed and sold over 1 million copies in its first year, prompting CD Projekt Red to release an Enhanced Edition the very next year, which similarly sold well.

This unexpected critical and commercial success not only saw the release of two highly acclaimed sequels in the years that followed, but also ignited worldwide interest in the source novels, and more recently led to the creation of a Netflix live-action series.

Though the original Witcher might seem a tad clunky by contemporary standards, it was so far and above what anyone expected, and paved the way for the developer to thoroughly outdo themselves with the third game, which is often cited as one of the greatest video games of all time.