10/10 Video Games The Public REJECTED

Rule of Rose is one of the games on this list that wasn’t rejected because the internet hated it, it was mostly a victim of its own controversy, coming out at a time where the general public just wasn’t ready to accept a game that dealt with such heavy subject matter.

Punchline’s 2006 survival horror would eventually rise to cult classic status, but outside of those circles it remains largely unknown. Back when moral panic and video games went hand in hand way more often than they do now, Rule of Rose became page six level gossip for supposedly featuring extreme sexual themes, violence, and pretty much every item in the book that would lead someone who had never played a video game to find some pearls to clutch.By and large, these claims weren’t even accurate and by today's standards its themes are hardly outlandish or unheard of in the medium. 

Getting to the reality of the title and not its exaggerated perception, Rule of Rose has fairly rudimentary gameplay mechanics but its story is well worth the price of admission. Protagonist Jennifer has a little dog that gets hurt which is honestly one of the worst parts, and the narrative does feature kidnapping, torture, suicide, violence involving children, and loads of inarguably dark elements. 

All that said, the general public including critics really turned on this one, calling it exploitative and unpleasant, and as a result sales were skewered before it even hit the market. Those who did vibe with it praised its representation of deep psychological horror and compelling narrative that successfully seesawed between the disturbing and emotional. It’s certainly an uncomfortable play but only in the way in which brutal horror movies are an uncomfortable watch. 

Go in expecting a fun time and it’s no wonder many found it distasteful, but as an emotional and rich dark horror tale, it's deeply successful.