😱 #1 PS5 EXCLUSIVE with 91 METACRITIC got BURIED by scalpers… #10’s Marvel HEROES flop CRUSHED Square Enix! 💥 10 INCREDIBLE games critics LOVED (85+ scores!) but SALES TANKED—bad marketing, wrong timing, niche hell. You’ll REGRET skipping these hidden gems! Why’d they FAIL? Full bombshell list 👇
As 2025 closes on December 28, the PS5 library boasts masterpieces alongside heartbreaking commercial disasters—titles with sky-high Metacritic scores, critical acclaim, and innovative gameplay that nonetheless bombed at the box office. Drawing from aggregated data, sales reports, and industry analysis, these 10 standouts earned 80+ Metascores yet failed to meet sales expectations, often due to poor marketing, launch timing mishaps, hardware shortages, or niche appeal in a live-service saturated market. Publishers like Square Enix and Sony faced layoffs and studio closures in their wake, while players later discovered cult gems via sales and PS Plus. Ranked by Metascore and cultural redemption potential, here’s the definitive list of PS5’s most tragic underperformers.
1. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Metascore: 91) Insomniac’s dimension-hopping platformer, released June 11, 2021, redefined PS5 showcases with ray-traced portals enabling seamless reality shifts and jaw-dropping visuals. Charming weapons like the Rift Tether, heartfelt father-daughter story, and DualSense haptics earned universal praise—”a technical marvel,” per IGN. Yet it flopped commercially, selling under 4 million units against Spider-Man 2’s 10+ million benchmark. PS5 shortages limited access (only 10 million consoles shipped by launch), scalpers jacked prices to $1,000, and June timing clashed with summer droughts. Sony later discounted it heavily, sparking a cult following.
2. Psychonauts 2 (Metascore: 89) Double Fine’s mind-bending sequel, out August 25, 2021, delivered psychedelic platforming through surreal mental worlds—from chaotic cooking shows to grief-stricken circuses. Platforming prowess, psychic powers, and profound mental health themes shone, with critics hailing it “Tim Burton meets Inception.” Sales tanked below 1 million initially, despite Xbox funding and Game Pass day-one. A 16-year development wait kept it niche; minimal marketing buried it amid Forza Horizon 5 hype. Patches and PS Plus inclusion revived it as a word-of-mouth hit.
3. Returnal (Metascore: 86) Housemarque’s roguelike shooter, April 30, 2021, trapped players in a brutal alien loop with haunting lore, buttery gunplay, and PS5 haptic horrors. Atmospheric dread and highs of boss-crushing builds wowed—”roguelike perfection,” GameSpot said. Commercial failure ensued: under 2 million sold, despite awards. Permadeath frustration, no mid-run saves (added later), $70 price, and PS5 scarcity doomed it. Niche genre alienated masses; Housemarque shifted post-sale to Sony.
4. Hi-Fi Rush (Metascore: 87) Tango Gameworks’ rhythm-action surprise, shadow-dropped January 25, 2023, synced combat to a killer soundtrack in cell-shaded glory. Joyful bosses, witty banter, and seamless beat-matching earned “GOTY contender” raves. Sales flopped under 1 million at launch—no marketing blitz meant it vanished in Starfield/Alan Wake 2 shadows. Xbox closure irony followed; PS5 port in 2024 sparked redemption via PS Plus.
5. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Metascore: 86) Ubisoft’s 2.5D Metroidvania, January 18, 2024, dazzled with fluid combat, time powers, and Persian lore in a vast map. “Metroidvania revival,” critics cheered. Yet sales disappointed, leading to team disbandment by September. $40 price signaled “budget,” 2D shift confused 3D fans, and zero marketing let it fly under radar amid Avatar and Tekken 8.
6. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Metascore: 84) Square Enix’s 2021 single-player epic captured movie banter in choice-driven action, with groovy combat and emotional highs. Awards flowed—”best superhero game,” BAFTA nod. Flop city: underperformed Avengers’ shadow (live-service bomb), generic marketing, odd designs scared buyers. Square sold studios; PS Plus rescue boosted it.
7. Marvel’s Midnight Suns (Metascore: 83) Firaxis’ tactics-card hybrid, December 2, 2022, blended XCOM depth with Marvel hangouts—fishing with Cap, deck-building combos. “Tactical triumph,” reviews gushed. Sales cratered (<1/3 Avengers), turn-based niche repelled action fans, mobile-like marketing, Ragnarok timing. Take-Two shelved sequels.
8. A Plague Tale: Requiem (Metascore: 85) Asobo’s stealth-horror sequel, October 18, 2022, amped rat swarms and sibling tragedy in stunning vistas. Cinematic terror earned praise. Under 2 million sold; $60 price for linear 15-hour tale, Asobo’s obscurity, God of War clash. PS Plus later vindicated it.
9. Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Metascore: 81) Ember Lab’s debut, September 21, 2021, Pixar-esque adventure with Rot companions and rhythmic bosses. Emotional grief tale charmed. Flopped via tiny studio hype, short length, Epic PC exclusivity backlash. Sales recovered on PS Plus.
10. RoboCop: Rogue City (Metascore: 79) Teyon’s FPS, November 2, 2023, channeled movie grit with Peter Weller voicing Robo, destructible foes, upgrades. “Faithful blast,” said critics. Modest sales; niche license, late-year drop amid Spider-Man 2. Cult status grew via discounts.
These flops highlight gaming’s ruthlessness: brilliance ignored amid hype cycles and shortages. Sony’s PS Plus integrations and deep discounts turned many into essentials, but lost billions underscore marketing’s might. As PS5 Pro rises, 2026 could redeem such talents—grab these bargains before they define “regret.”
