The Best Games Loved by Players and Hated by Critics

While reviews themselves are ultimately subjective and prone to at least some bias given the author's opinions and tastes, we generally accept game reviews as a sort of guide for what to expect on a new title. Occasionally, the gulf between critical reception and user perception is miles wide, leading to games loved by players and hated by critics, or vice versa. The history of the medium is littered with titles like these; experiences that, for whatever reason, resonate strongly with players and grow to become cult classics after an initial lukewarm reception from gaming journalists. And while it's possible for critics to love a game and players to hate it (just look at the polarizing reception to The Last of Us Part II), more often than not, it's the players who give titles a fair shake where critics otherwise passed over them.

Unsurprisingly, many of the best cult classic games are titles whose mechanics and gameplay resonate strongly with players despite not initially wowing the critics responsible for reviewing them, leading to major discrepancies in their review aggregate scores and user scores or player perception. Still others are games that were generally looked down upon by both critics and fans upon their initial release, only to have a major glow-up in the eyes of players years later. The titles on this list are 15 games that, since their launch and middling critical reception, have grown to become beloved experiences by the fans that play them, spreading the good word of their excellence through recommendation, word of mouth, and positive user scores on sites like Metacritic and the Steam store page.

Updated May 7, 2025

We've gone back and updated some of the entries on this list to reflect those titles receiving modern remasters or announced sequels, further underscoring their place as cult classic titles beloved by their fans.

• Release Date — March 18, 2022
• Developer — Team Ninja
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — Action RPG, Soulslike
• Review Aggregate Score — 72% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 65% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Steam) — 83% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

If we look past the "CHAOS!" memes and the initial knee-jerk reaction to Stranger of Paradise's reveal and demo, it's easy to see that Team Ninja and Square Enix's retelling of the first Final Fantasy is a Soulslike on equal footing with the developer's critically acclaimed Nioh titles. In fact, Stranger of Paradise shares many elements in common with both Nioh and Nioh 2, continuing those games' deep and rewarding gear systems and class customization, making Stranger of Paradise a veritable dream come true for anyone with even a passing interest in buildcraft and min/maxing. Beyond its satisfying gameplay, though, Stranger of Paradise adds plenty of depth and context to the otherwise threadbare story of the original Final Fantasy, and it's a game whose player base knows it to be an incredible action RPG despite its lukewarm review scores.

• Release Date — October 14, 2014
• Developer — Tango Gameworks
• Publisher — Bethesda Softworks
• Genre — Survival Horror, Stealth
• Review Aggregate Score — 68% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 78% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score (Steam) — 84% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

The ingredients were all there for The Evil Within to be a smash success. Directed by Shinji Mikami as the debut title from his then-new studio, Tango Gameworks, The Evil Within saw Mikami return to the survival horror genre he helped popularize with Resident Evil, only with a greater emphasis on genuine scares and psychological horror rather than the camp and over-the-top B-movie thrills of Capcom's flagship franchise. Players and critics alike went into The Evil Within expecting a darker Resident Evil 4, and while there are elements of that dream mixture present in the final product, the game was unfairly compared to one of the greatest games (horror or otherwise) of all time.

In truth, The Evil Within is its own thing entirely, mixing elements of Resident Evil 4's near-perfect third-person shooting with stealth and psychological horror elements to create something that stands on its own merits. While the initial hours of The Evil Within are incredibly hard and present a steep learning curve, those who stick with it know how rewarding the game eventually becomes, standing as a unique and claustrophobic survival horror title.

• Release Date — July 11, 2003
• Developer — HAL Laboratory
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Racing
• Review Aggregate Score — 61% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 81% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — GameCube

For the most part, Kirby Air Ride is a victim of its troubled development cycle. Originally conceived as a late-stage Nintendo 64 title, HAL Laboratory would eventually shift gears for the game to launch on the GameCube, resulting in Kirby Air Ride's visuals and performance not quite stacking up to many of its contemporaries. But while critics were not impressed with the game's technical aspects, a devoted group of GameCube owners made Kirby Air Ride something of a cult classic, despite its low review scores. As racing games go, it's simpler and a little more bare-bones than the GameCube's other great first-party genre title (Mario Kart: Double-Dash!!), but its place as the first LAN-compatible GameCube title and Masahiro Sakurai's final Kirby game cement it as an important, and much-loved, classic on the console.

Update: The Nintendo Direct showcasing the Switch 2 and its software lineup contained the announcement that a new sequel to Kirby Air Ride would be coming to the console at some point in 2026. Dubbed Kirby Air Riders, we didn't get much info other than a brief reveal trailer, but we do know that Kirby creator and Smash Bros. mastermind Masahiro Sakurai will be returning to the director's chair for the first time since the original Kirby Air Ride. Talk about coming full circle.

• Release Date — February 24, 2000
• Developer — Capcom
• Publisher — Capcom
• Genre — Action, Hack and Slash
• Review Aggregate Score — 69% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PlayStation

In general, arcade games tend to get an unfair shake from most critics thanks to their shorter length, more straightforward gameplay, and the impression that they somehow lack the depth and dimension of AAA experiences developed specifically for consoles. But as any fan of run n' guns, beat 'em ups, shmups, or other arcade-centric genres can attest, arcade games are both some of the most challenging and rewarding experiences gaming has to offer, fully delivering on the premise of "gameplay economy" by being easy to pick up and play, but taking thousands of hours to fully master.

The PlayStation was no slouch when it came to home console ports of incredible arcade games, and one of the console's best is Capcom's Strider 2. Mixing 3D environments with 2D character sprites, Strider 2's visuals and aesthetic are as timeless as its razor-sharp side-scrolling hack-n-slash gameplay, and its challenge is just the right level to where players will need to learn the layouts of stages and enemy placements before they're clearing the game on a single credit. The original Strider was a great arcade game slightly outshone by its excellent, proto-Metroidvania NES port, but Strider 2 is an arcade-perfect experience right in the player's living room.

• Release Date — June 9, 2005
• Developer — Grasshopper Manufacture, Capcom Production Studio 4
• Publisher — Capcom
• Genre — Action-Adventure, On-Rails Shooter
• Review Aggregate Score — 74% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 86% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score (Steam) — 91% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2

Suda 51 is one of the more polarizing developers to ever work in the games industry, and the infamous Killer7 is his first title to receive a Western localization, introducing a whole new audience of players to his incredibly offbeat and singular creative vision. While Killer7 is ultimately a pretty straightforward on-rails shooter in a first-person perspective, it's the title's visuals, story, and soundtrack that set it apart as one of the more unique titles on the GameCube and a 6th-generation masterpiece. While critics were mixed on the title at the time of its release, Killer7 (along with just about every other game from Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture) has since earned a massive cult following from players who resonate with its bold and original vision, daring to be as weird as it wants to be and bucking just about every AAA action game trend of the era.

• Release Date — March 18, 2008
• Developer — Sting Entertainment
• Publisher — Atlus
• Genre — RPG, Roguelike
• Review Aggregate Score — 50% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — iOS, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Sega Saturn, Nintendo Switch, Wii

Sometimes, all it takes for the perception of a game to turn around is a greater understanding of its mechanics, and such is the case with Baroque. An action roguelike RPG released at a time when few players had ever heard of that genre combination, Baroque is a boldly original game like nothing else on the PS2. It was originally released in Japan for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation before eventually receiving a localization nearly a decade later to the PS2 and Wii, and it remains a singular experience on either console. Today, action roguelikes with RPG elements are a dime-a-dozen and count themselves as prestigious Game of the Year winners or nominees (Hades, Vampire Survivors, etc.). Baroque is an earlier attempt at the genre that, were it released today, would likely feature critical scores that more closely align with its place as a beloved cult classic among players.

• Release Date — December 16, 1999
• Developer — Sacnoth
• Publisher — SNK, Infogrames
• Genre — RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 60% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 92% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PlayStation

The PlayStation was home to a host of at-the-time misunderstood games that pushed the envelope of standard genre convention, and Koudelka is a prime example of this phenomenon. Part RPG and part survival horror game, Koudelka is technically part of the beloved Shadow Hearts series and is the cult-classic franchise's progenitor. At the time of its release, critics largely panned Koudelka for its story despite praising its RPG gameplay and dark, horror-tinged atmosphere. Players, however, were much more receptive to its mix of genres, going on to make Koudelka a surprisingly successful title in spite of low review scores, paving the way for future games in the Shadow Hearts series. Today, Koudelka is recognized as a pivotal 5th-generation title with an almost universal positive player perception, cementing its place as a certified PS1 cult classic.

• Release Date — April 18, 2009
• Developer — Chunsoft
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 60% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — Nintendo DS

The running joke about the Pokemon series is that, regardless of quality, each entry will still sell millions of units, which has basically given license to Nintendo and The Pokemon Company to churn out game after game without any innovation or improvement to core systems. Naturally, the Pokemon spin-off games are seen as the biggest offenders, and the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games are at the top of that pile. Explorers of Sky is the enhanced version of the two DS Mystery Dungeon titles Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, but it stands out as one that fans generally have a fond appreciation of despite its fairly low critic reception. Most of that love can be attributed to the inclusion of several Gen IV Pokemon, but it's also worth noting that Dragon Quest developer Chunsoft is second to none when it comes to developing compelling RPG dungeon-crawlers.

• Release Date — March 27, 2003
• Developer — Capcom Production Studio 4
• Publisher — Capcom
• Genre — Action, Shooter
• Review Aggregate Score — 63% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 91% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — GameCube

Like Killer7, P.N. 03 is part of a crop of Capcom GameCube titles attempting to deliver unique experiences on the console. Additionally, P.N. 03 is also a shooter, although it swaps Killer7's first-person perspective and Tarantino film atmosphere for a third-person, sci-fi action combat game. While critics would pan P.N. 03 for its apparent shallow gameplay and short length, players generally considered the title to be a throwback to the golden age of arcade shoot 'em ups (shmups), and the title quickly became a cult classic despite low review scores and poor sales. Notably, P.N. 03 is another title from Shinji Mikami, who would later go on to repurpose many of the best ideas from the game in Vanquish, which is largely considered to be one of the best arcade action titles of the 7th generation.

• Release Date — September 14, 2006
• Developer — Clover Studio
• Publisher — Capcom
• Genre — Beat 'Em Up
• Review Aggregate Score — 73% (Mixed or Average
• User Score (Metacritic) — 92% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PlayStation 2

One title that's almost guaranteed to show up on any list examining games that players loved and critics hated is the now-legendary God Hand. The third title on this list from famed developer Shinji Mikami, God Hand is the director's modern-day take on the classic beat 'em up. While the title would ultimately end up being Clover Studio's final game and both a critical and commercial failure, God Hand's over-the-top action and quirky comic elements proved to resonate strongly with players, resulting in the title ending up as one of the many cult classics on the PS2. Today, perception toward God Hand has shifted to the title being recognized as a sort of misunderstood masterpiece, with many of the outlets that originally slammed the game pulling a 180 to claim it as one of the best games on the PS2.

• Release Date — June 1, 2010
• Developer — Obsidian Entertainment
• Publisher — Sega
• Genre — Action RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 63% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 72% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Steam) — 83% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Like Bethesda and BioWare, Obsidian Entertainment is an incredibly talented RPG studio whose games each have their own distinct identity that makes them obviously theirs. The first original IP from the studio, Alpha Protocol is at once similar to BioWare's Mass Effect and its own thing entirely, borrowing the third-person shooting action RPG gameplay but setting it in a modern-day spy thriller rather than a futuristic sci-fi space opera. While Alpha Protocol is not without its jank, it does bear the trademark excellent writing and compelling quest design that all of Obsidian's titles share, and it has since gone on to be viewed as an interesting and worthwhile cult classic RPG in the years since its initial cool reception from critics. For proof of how loved Alpha Protocol is, just look to the efforts made toward preserving the title and seeing it relisted on Steam.

• Release Date — February 23, 2010
• Developer — Access Games
• Publisher — Ignition Entertainment
• Genre — Survival Horror
• Review Aggregate Score — 68% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 81% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score (Steam) — 66% (Mixed)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360

While love for David Lynch's Twin Peaks is practically universal now (especially in the wake of 2017's The Return and the auteur's recent passing), 2010 was a very different time. Quirky, off-beat esoteric sci-fi and horror certainly had their adherents (for proof, look at Remedy's Alan Wake), but the pop culture zeitgeist had yet to shift to a point where properties like Twin Peaks had become part of the mainstream.

It was in this period that Hidetake Suehiro (colloquially known as "Swery") began developing and then released his love letter to Twin Peaks with the open-world survival horror game Deadly Premonition, and the results were predictably polarizing. Deadly Premonition holds the Guinness World Record for being the most polarizing video game between critic and fan reception, making it a perfect candidate for this list. And, like many of its fellow titles here, it has since gone on to become a cult classic.

• Release Date — April 26, 2019
• Developer — Bend Studio
• Publisher — Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Genre — Action-Adventure, Open-World
• Review Aggregate Score — 71% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• User Score (Steam) — 92% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 4

While a lot of games loved by players and hated by critics are titles that gain a cult following and appreciation in the wake of their release, some games see a hard dividing line drawn between their critic and fan reception at launch. Such is the case with Days Gone which, like Deadly Premonition, is an example of the gulf between gaming journalists and the average player. While most major review outlets slammed it for being too formulaic and familiar, player sentiment couldn't have been further skewed in the opposite, praising the title for its story, gameplay mechanics, unique approach to open world traversal, and impressive "horde" battles with hundreds of zombies. Players may love Days Gone, but the sad truth is that the game's cool critical reception is likely why we'll never see the sequel that Bend Studio unsuccessfully pitched to Sony.

Update: Interestingly enough, the Days Gone Remastered release was revealed shortly after this article originally went live, showing that even Sony knew the franchise had some unrealized potential. Since the release of the remaster (which happened to coincide with the anniversary of the release of the original Days Gone), the title has been steadily inching closer to achieving a critical response that matches player sentiment about the game. Ultimately, Days Gone Remastered is helping the title achieve a second chance to make an impact and potentially opening up the path to a sequel.

• Release Date — April 27, 2010
• Developer — Cavia
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — Action RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 67% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 86% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Square Enix's Nier is an interesting title in that its polarizing reception is partially due to its localization. Notably, Nier is a spin-off from Square Enix's Drakengard series, and it would release as two separate titles. The first of these is Nier Replicant, which would originally be Japan-exclusive before receiving a modern remake in line with NieR: Automata. The other is Nier Gestalt, which is an alternate story featuring different characters.

What Western players in North America know as Nier is actually Nier Gestalt, and critics would essentially misunderstand its story and gameplay despite it resonating strongly with fans of the Drakengard series and action RPGs in general. Thankfully, despite poor critical and commercial performance Square Enix saw fit to localize its sequel, NieR: Automata, which is commonly understood as one of the greatest games ever made.

• Release Date — March 11, 2004
• Developer — Capcom Production Studio 1
• Publisher — Capcom
• Genre — Action RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 68% (Mixed or Average)
• User Score (Metacritic) — 75% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PlayStation 2

Although Capcom's Monster Hunter is now one of the studio's most successful franchises, it might surprise you to know that the series was critically panned in its initial outing. In fact, the poor critical and commercial performance of Monster Hunter in the West is the prime reason why North American players missed out on several series entries until the franchise made its way to the Nintendo DS and 3DS. But while critics in the West would fail to see the appeal of Monster Hunter's core gameplay loop, the title would prove to be a massive hit with Japanese players, going on to spawn dozens of sequels and spin-offs all while retaining a cult following of Western players who would ultimately help the series experience a renaissance with Monster Hunter World.