Summary
It’s no secret that Capcom is one of the most admired and successful developers in the video game industry, being the brains behind some of the most well-known franchises on the planet, includingResident EvilandStreet Fighter.However, while it’s always an exciting occasion when a new Capcom is on the horizon, there have been a few times when fans weren’t quite as excited about a new release as they usually would be, only for the game to then surpass all expectations upon release.
Fan expectations can be lowered due to a few different reasons, such as the last game in the series leaving a bad taste in their mouths, or the marketing for the new release being very weak and lackluster. Still, as poor as a game might initially seem on the surface, there’s no better surprise than picking it up when it is released just to find out it’s actually much better than expected, and it’s these games this list will be taking a look at today.
The legendaryResident Evilseries had been going through a rough patch before the seventh mainline entry was released. SinceResident Evil 5, it became clear Capcom was prioritizing action over horror, and when the sixth game came out, it felt like the final nail in the coffin for any hopes of making a return to thesurvival horrorroots of the series, that is, untilResident Evil 7was finally released.
After Capcom revealed that the slow and spooky Kitchen demo was actually a trial ofResident Evil 7, fans jumped for joy at the implication that the series would finally, after all these years, be taking notes from the horror genre once again. It’s hard to emphasize just how pessimistic many people were aboutResident Evil’sfuture by the time 6 rolled around, but with anticipation of a sequel being at an all-time low, Capcom still managed to knock it out of the park by giving fans an amazing new entry.
A common sentiment that was thrown around before the release ofDino Crisiswas it would be nothing more than aResident Evilclone which wouldn’t be able to replicate the horror factor of that series, especially with no zombies being present. While the game certainly borrows heavily fromResident Evil, such as with its fixed camera angles and tank controls, it still managed to do enough different to genuinely surprise people, leading to the game amassing a dedicated fanbase who are still around today, many years after its initial release.
To everyone’s surprise, Capcom managed to make thedinosaursjust as, if not more terrifying than zombies, thanks to their fast movements and attacks, and the fact they can follow blood trails left behind by Regina. The game also came with an interesting story that took a page out of the sci-fi genre to create something fresh and unique for players to enjoy, surpassing all expectations of the doubters who saw it as a simple cash grab.
WhileKunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddess, a brand-new IP from Capcom, was announced in 2023 and then officially released a year later, there wasn’t all that much marketing surrounding the game. Outside of a few mechanic trailers here and there, there wasn’t all too much out there to get fans excited, which ended up creating the feeling that this may be a low-budget title that wouldn’t be quite as interesting as other Capcom games.
However, this ended up being very far from the truth, asKunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddesshasturned out to be one of Capcom’s most unique and experimental games in many years, combining high-speed action withtower defensegameplay. As players set up their defenses and upgrade units throughout the day, they will then be tasked with holding off a horde of spirits and demons at night who only become more ferocious as the game goes on. Pair this with a compelling story and a gorgeous art style, andKunitsu-Gamiwould prove to be a game that subverted everyone’s expectations when it was released.
WhenStreet Fighter 5 wasreleased, it was severely lacking content, with the story not being available, and even the classic arcade mode being left absent. Though the game did steadily improve as time went on, many fans assumed Capcom would simply attempt to make the next game more functional and packed with a little more content, but the developers went above and beyond by introducing modes and features no fan could have ever seen coming.
Not only doesStreet Fighter 6feature a World Tour mode which is essentially an open-world story for newcomers to the series, but it also includes incredibly in-depth combo trials, two controller styles, and even an entire Battle Hub where online players can hang out before entering a match. Clearly, Capcom learned its lesson after the shaky launch ofStreet Fighter 5and decided to blow players away with the next entry, which is a huge step up over its predecessor.
A remake of one of the most beloved games ever made is always going to get people excited, butCapcom’s reimagining ofResident Evil 2turned out to be miles better than anyone could have ever imagined. One way the game impressed players was through its zombies, which might just be the most realistic ever seen in a video game with how they stumble around in random directions and lunge at the player whenever they get close.
While some fans of the original feared that Capcom wouldn’t be able to capture the same feeling of intensity and horror due to the third-person angle, the developers decided to make full use of the cramped corridors of the R.P.D and other environments to replicate it perfectly. Even with the immense amount of hype going into theResident Evil 2 Remake, Capcom still managed to catch fans by surprise with just how well it came out, with some even claiming it to be the superior version when compared to the original.
It’s quite baffling to look back at the first trailers ofHaunting Groundnowadays. With electronic music playing in the background and jarring cuts to random characters, it was a game largely shrouded in mystery when it was first revealed. While it was clearHaunting Groundwas going to be a horror game, it was also planned to be released just a few months afterResident Evil 4, which, for many people, was the ultimate modern horror game that had revolutionized the genre with itsthird-person viewand tight controls.
It’s therefore no surprise people weren’t really expecting all that much fromHaunting Groundnow thatResident Evilhad taken over the horror genre, but the game itself turned out to be a fantastic horror experience with some genuinely innovative mechanics. While Fiona, the main protagonist, can’t attack by herself, she does have Huey the dog by her side who can help her out along the way, and who she can form a bond with to obtain different endings. The vulnerability players feel when jumping intoHaunting Ground,along with the eerie environments and disturbing enemies, made for a game that ended up being much better than many had anticipated.
Back in the 1990sand early 2000s, when Capcom was coming out with all kinds of weird and whacky fighting games,Marvel vs Capcomwas one that stood out to people. However, while the idea of mixing these two universes sounded great on paper, the first game was only limited to 15 characters and the core gameplay was a little rough around the edges, making it seem like this would simply be a one-and-done experiment.
Rather than abandoning the series though, Capcom decided to go all-out forMarvel vs Capcom 2, creating what is often considered one of the greatest fighting games ever made at a time when fighting games had started losing some of their steam after home consoles began taking over. Bumping the roster up to a staggering 50+ characters and making the gameplay much more fast-paced and tightly focused allowed the game to get its hooks into players from the moment they booted it up, and it would even be re-released on modern consoles in June 2024 for new fans to enjoy too.
BeforeDevil May Cry 3would go on to become critically acclaimed and touted as one of the best character-action games ever made, fans of the series were stuck withDevil May Cry 2which, it’s fair to say, wasn’t all that well received. The clunky controls, easy difficulty, and emotionless Dante, who seemeda little too edgy for his own good, all contributed to the second game being universally panned, with many believing the series was more or less finished after Capcom had forgotten what made the original so great.
Considering these sentiments, it came as a shock whenDevil May Cry 3turned out to be not only good but amazing in terms of its combat, giving players the option to flick through Dante’s styles, which added tons of variation to the core gameplay. Speaking of Dante, the main protagonist was given much more flare and charm this time around, and the rest of the cast also stands out for how much they develop throughout the journey, especially Vergil. Needless to say, this was a massive leap in quality nobody could have expected after what was seen inDevil May Cry 2.
