Having that hype-filled moment of watching a new game reveal that truly catches your eye can be a feeling we don’t get quite as often these days.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, great games are everywhere, and some people just need to try and broaden their tastes a bit if nothing is exciting them at all anymore. But with how many awesome games come out all the time, it does really take somethingspecialto grab the attention of the entire gaming community.
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Whimsical, Ingenious, and full of adventure like Okami.
So, with that thought in mind, I’ve put together a list of 10 amazing games that actually lived up to their hype from their respective fan-bases and delivered far beyond initial expectations.
you may pick a ton of games from the past two decades on this topic,but most of the ones I’ve handpicked are based on my personal experience and the relevance that they’ve maintained well past their release date.
10Super Mario Odyssey
An Adventure Worthy of Accolades
Super Mario Odyssey
Everyone’s favorite wacky and adorable plumber is responsible for one of gaming’s most iconic and beloved franchises, so I just had to mention him, even if it seems slightly obvious.
Super Mario Odysseyis a crown jewel for the3D franchise of Super Mario, being at the top with other greats in the series likeMario GalaxyandMario 3D World.
Each of the kingdoms in this game is chock-full of wonder and amazement. It’s no surprise that this game for many (including myself) was one of the reasons why we even bought the Nintendo Switch in the first place.
Mario games are almost always at leastgood,butOdysseyhad the added challenge of needing to be extra amazing to help get the Switch started on the right foot in its launch year. The result was a game that many still consider thebest 3D Mario title of all time.
9Doom Eternal
Rip ‘N Tear
DOOM Eternal
Speaking of more adored franchises,Doom Eternalhad a ton of hype behind it after the success of the series’ 2016 reboot that brought a rejuvenating feel for both veteran fans and newcomers.
While the 2016 entry felt more grounded in style, Eternal dialed up the versatility factor tenfold here, with more emphasis on maneuverability, layered level design, and weapon variety.
It builds upon the excellent foundation ofDoom (2016)to craft one of gaming’s most hellaciously fun shooters, one that pushes adrenaline into your veins if you manage to play it on its harder difficulties.
ID Softwareis credited and worshipped regularly for their creation of the FPS genre, so any game they ever put out in the Doom series will continue to be highly anticipated.
WithDoom: The Dark Ageson the horizon this year, everyone is eagerly anticipating how ID Software will cook this time to elevate it aboveEternal’s already cherished legacy.
8God of War (2018)
We Must Be Better
God of War
Who could honestly forget thatreveal ofGod of Warat E3 2016 when Kratos first walked into frameand had the entire auditorium screaming at the top of their lungs?
While I wasn’t fortunate enough to ever attend that same event, what was memorable was my friends going absolutely nuts during the livestream. It was truly a core memory of my life to see Kratos make his long-awaited return to gaming once again.
That’s just a single major reason forGod of War’shype:Fans wondered for years what the next chapter was in the franchise and, most importantly, whether Kratos truly lived at the end of the third game.
Although it gets some heat over its shoehorned RPG elements, for the time of release,GOW 2018 was truly breathtaking, with its storytelling, direction, and grounded gameplay—all key factors that led to its Game of the Year accolades and winning against a titan likeRed Dead Redemption 2.
Even though I have a soft spot for the OG games, Santa Monica made one of the most memorable titles ever here, one whose hype delivered on all levels on release and made us even more excited for what would be the curtain call inGOW Ragnarok.
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7Mass Effect 2
Back To The Normandy
Mass Effect 2
The Mass Effect trilogy is up there with my all-time favorites, alongsideKingdom Hearts 2and theentireYakuzaseries. It felt right for me to mention everyone’s favorite from it,Mass Effect 2, anRPG sequel that improved on its originalin every way and then some with new (and a couple of admittedly questionable) mechanics.
Developed during Bioware’s golden era, the originalMass Effecthad everything to make it such amemorable sci-fi title. This game would ultimately lay the seeds forMass Effect 2’santicipated arrival a few years later, proving to be one of gaming’s most timeless sequels.
Not only did ME2 introduce several new technical changes,but most importantly, its finale is a full-blown suicide mission with so many diverging elements that can alter the whole setpiece in unexpected ways.
Plus, the paragon/renegade system was improved, and the stakes were higher than ever this time, with the Collectors and the Illusive Man added into the mix as well. You had every right to be hyped for this game, and boy, did it deliver in an explosive way for fans.
6Resident Evil 4 Remake
Leon Still Rules
Resident Evil 4
Heralded as one of the best games of all time and helmed by the ingenious mind of Shinji Mikami and his team, theoriginalResident Evil 4was a masterclass in action horror.
Although it took a riskier approach by abandoning most of the survival elements of previous titles in the series, the game was a massive success. After the well-received remakes of RE1 and RE2,Capcomhad a huge standard to live up to with 4’s highly anticipated remake.
Regardless of howResident Evil 4 Remakedeviated from the original in a few ways, the hype leading into its release proved well worth it, with meatier combat, fleshed-out and reimagined characters, revamped levels, and plenty more that made this remake feel special.
The important thing was that the game didn’t interfere with or disrespect the original’s legacy; it set out to do exactly what a remake needs to accomplish by honoring the original title with its own refreshing changes and improvements.
The Resident Evil community might have mixed opinions nowadays. Still, the overall reception was positive enough for newcomer fans to enjoyResident Evil 4 Remakeand check out the rest of the games in the series.
Torturous Yet So Glorious
Portal 2is and will always stand the test of time to be this industry’sgreatest puzzle game, and although I wasn’t part of the hype leading up to its release, you may be sure it left an everlasting mark on players around the world.
TheoriginalPortalwas innovative, with dark yet comical storytelling and gameplay that made you think outside the box. Plus, you had GLaDOS hilariously taunt and mock you as you made your way through each section, becoming one of gaming’s most memorable villains.
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If you love seeing space fold in on itself, this one is for you.
The core reasons forPortal 2’srightful popularity on release were the game’s new features, mainly the2-player co-op campaignand intricate puzzle details that rejuvenated the puzzle-solving elements like Propulsion, Repulsion, and more.
Even though the puzzle gaming genre has seen some unique mechanics thanks to developers' creative mindscapes,Valve’sPortal 2is still used as a benchmark for modern puzzle titles by various players due to its masterful execution of every aspect, and it absolutely lived up to the hype after the success of the original game as well.
4The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Oblivion And Beyond
The Elder Scrolls series from Bethesdawas already a household name in the industry. Combined withOblivion’ssuccess and insane amounts of marketing,Skyrimwas at the summit of the most hyped video games of all time.
And for a game that infamously had several re-releases across various console generations,Skyrimwas one of the most talked-about things worldwide in 2011. Due to its mile-high popularity, even people unfamiliar with gaming became interested in talking about it.
This game was THEElden Ringfor its time. People called in for sick leave at offices, and teenagers rushed out of high schooljust to go home and amass countless hours into exploring thebreathtaking world ofSkyrimand then talk about it with their pals the next day.
Most importantly,Skyrimalso has one of the largest modding communities of all time, which just goes to show how insane the replayability of this game has been even after more than a decade since its release.
Skyrim had a ton to live up to, and it delivered by being one of the most influential and prolific games of all time.
All Aboard The Rollercoaster To Tahiti
Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstaris notorious in the industry for crafting some of themost influential sandbox gamesthe world has ever known,and it’s only fitting to include what I consider their magnum opus,Red Dead Redemption 2,on this list.
Despite some delays, RDR2 deserved every bit of hype leading up to its release. AlthoughGrand Theft Auto 5was already a monumental achievement and the originalRed Deadwas beloved in its own right,Red Dead 2would receive universal praise for its masterful storytelling and the most dynamic open-world experiences thus far in the industry, boosting it to the top of many players' lists of best games of all-time.
When I thought I had experienced everything from the first few hours, it blew all my expectations out of the water as I got to the end of the journey, bringing an absolute rollercoaster of emotions and cementing Arthur Morgan as one of my all-time favorite video game protagonists.
The cherry on top of what cements it as one of the greatest open-world games of our generation was how ambitious it was by every measure:the intricate details of the world, the secrets, the evolution. They’re all a testament to the game’s esteemed status to this day across various gaming communities.
The Most Unlikely Team-Up Ever
A sequel that honestly provided a fitting end to a trilogy,Halo 3gave us everything from an amazing follow-up story to the cliffhanger ending ofHalo 2and tons of gameplay additions that made its hype worthwhile for a whole generation of players.
What madeHalo 3such a pioneer in the gaming community wasthe introduction of so many new elements, such as the Forge, Custom Games, Theater, and Ranked Matchmaking; Bungie went all out here to ensure they went out swinging.
We also got a fantastic single-player campaign that saw theiconic bromance team-up between Masterchief and the Arbiteras they pushed back against their common enemy despite their opposing backgrounds.
The massive success ofHalo 3is also owed to the popularity of the series' previous titles, and to Microsoft and Bungie’s insane marketing campaigns,which included numerous high-budget ads, stage events, CGI trailers, and more than you could imagine.
This marketing hype train paid off—Halo 3became the highest-grossing video game in a 24-hour period, earning $170 million in the United States.To this day, it still often comes up in the discussion of video games that delivered on their hype in full force.
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1Elden Ring
Time Stood Still In The Lands Between
Elden Ring
You know it, everyone knows it—FromSoftware’smasterpiece,Elden Ring, had the utmost hype out of anything in the current era (well, at least until GTA 6’s inevitable announcement a while back).
Right from its first unveiling at E3 2019, the legendary waiting room for the game was set in motion.With each passing month and year, people would anticipate whether we’d get new information on the game’s development.
And when it was finally released, all hell broke loose asElden Ringwent viral across the gaming landscape and soon became a pop-culture phenomenon due to its overwhelmingly positive reception.
I’ll never forget the entire first month of the release when my friends and I were jaw-dropped by the map size, the secrets we discovered and tallied with each other, and the clips we’d seen online everywhere. The entire gaming community was taken by storm with its release, and you’d even see people discovering new things several months later.
Miyazaki, his team at FromSoft, and George R.R. Martin poured every bit of care possibly into this game, which is still appreciated to this day across many communities and fans. TheShadow of the Erdtreewas arguably one of the most hyped-up DLC releases of all time, too.
Regardless of any recency bias or different views on the game years removed,Elden Ringwill always be remembered as the game that delivered on its hype in the biggest way and set anew standard for open-world RPGs.
