15 Games That Overcame the Odds to Become Successful

Wolfenstein: The New Order

To be clear, Wolfenstein (2009) wasn’t a bad game. It wasn’t an amazing game, but it wasn’t terrible. However, it also felt like it didn’t quite embody the essence of what made the classic shooters so great. So when MachineGames revealed Wolfenstein: The New Order in May 2013, there was excitement but also some concern that the franchise was slipping further away from its core identity, embracing a more cinematic, triple-A approach.

On release in 2014, those fears turned out to be unfounded. While The New Order did have a more heavy-handed story and cutscenes, the fast-paced high-octane action was more pronounced than ever. It was an adrenaline shot for fans, offering unforgiving difficulties and numerous approaches for slaying zombies. Of course, having a good story with a strong mission design, compelling characters, and a fresh new direction didn’t hurt either.

Wolfenstein: The New Order sold well enough and received some acclaim from critics. Along with establishing MachineGames as a big deal in the FPS space, it received sequels like the standalone expansion The Old Blood, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus and the (admittedly terrible) Youngblood.