10 Video Games That Got Terrible Reviews But Were Actually Great

Bionic Commando came as part of Capcom’s efforts to reboot the NES-era franchise, starring Nathan 'Rad' Spencer with his bionic arm. Employing now defunct developer Grin, this project first began with Bionic Commando Rearmed in 2008, remaking the original NES game to critical and commercial success.

Developed alongside Rearmed, Bionic Commando released in May 2009 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, ditching 2D platforming for a grittier 3D action-adventure. Taking place 10 years after Rearmed, we find Nathan freed from imprisonment after the “Great Bionic Purge” to fight a terrorist threat that unleashed an earthquake on Ascension City.

Let’s get one thing out of the way though. Yes, the now infamous plot twist that Nathan 'Rad' Spencer’s wife was living in his arm was completely crazy, we’re not here to defend that and its story left much to be desired.

This certainly didn’t help reviews and poor sales tanked the chances of a further 3D sequel (Though we later received Rearmed 2) but it proved to be a genuinely fun title that offered solid action mechanics, making good use of Nathan’s bionic arm and provided a fresh take on an old franchise. As such, its certainly worth revisiting.