10 Video Games That Ignored The Industry (And Became TIMELESS)

Helldivers II did so many things that should've made it totally commercially alienating to newcomers and die-hard fans alike.

For starters, it was a belated sequel to a niche action game, taking almost an entire decade to come to market. 

Moreover, it did the thing almost no sequels do - it changed the gameplay perspective from top-down to third-person. Naturally, this presented a massive risk of turning off everyone who loved the original game.

Then there's the live service aspect - given that live service titles started struggling en masse in the months leading up to Helldivers II's release last year, it seemed like yet another perilous feature on which to hang the game's success.

And of course, the game also dared to launch for a mere £35 - a risky commercial gambit which could've backfired spectacularly were the game only a modest seller.

But Helldivers II defied so many obvious red flags to become one of 2024's most popular games, selling more than 15 million copies and swiftly silencing its many pre-release nay-sayers.

For all the mega-budget live service flops as of late, it was a trip to see a well-made AA game with a fun co-op element and clever marketing surpass them all.