Like many things in this world, there will be differing opinions on games. One person may enjoy role-playing games while others find them boring, no matter how much praise a certain title has received. Another person may enjoy sports titles like Madden year in and year out without fail. While the very tenet of “differing opinions” is a basic and altogether human quality, it’s still interesting to look back on video games over the years to compare critical and fan reactions. Let’s take a look at 10 games with mixed critical responses that fans still embraced.
Days Gone
Perhaps the most recent example on this list is Days Gone. First revealed at E3 2016, its main calling card was the sizable hordes of undead on-screen that players could battle. It was originally slated to release in 2018 but faced a number of delays before finally launching in April 2019. On Metacritic, it averaged a 71 out of 109 reviews from critics. Some gameplay and world building aspects were praised but critics were ultimately harsh on the game for its mission design, writing, performance and myriad of bugs. While not an outright terrible review average, it was a shock to PS4 players, especially with how revered Sony’s exclusive first-party offerings had become.
After its launch, however, Days Gone attained a relatively strong following with players becoming attached to the characters and the overall world design. Bend Studio would also update the game frequently, adding new challenges, difficulty modes and bug fixes. It eventually became clear that Days Gone wouldn’t be getting a sequel or even a major expansion. Earlier this year, Jason Schreier spoke to sources that revealed a sequel proposal being rejected due to the first game’s mixed critical response and long development period. Nevertheless, a PC version arrived in May and fans have started a petition for a sequel. Bend Studio is currently working on a new IP built on “the deep open-world systems that they have developed with Days Gone” as per PlayStation Studios head Herman Hulst so at the very least, its DNA carries over in some ways.