Every gamer knows there’s nothing worse than a highly anticipated video game that turns out to be a huge mess. All the hopes and dreams created by the trailers are immediately shattered by a faulty gameplay, a multitude of glitches, botched combat mechanics and an inconsistent storyline. And because not all video games really meet their expectation, here is a list of 10 of the most overhyped titles that flopped greatly after their release.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Even though it was much appreciated for its stunning visuals and detailed sceneries, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II was considered a disappointment in terms of gameplay and storyline. Offering way too much monotony when it came to enemy encounters, this installment was considered to be highly underwhelming in comparison with the first title of the series. Both critics and gamers felt like The Force Unleashed II was a waste of time due to its underdeveloped features.
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Considered one of the worst games ever released, Aliens: Colonial Marines is notorious for its glitchy AI and poor plotline. This title gathered all the negative traits a faulty video game could ever have: low-quality graphics, unbalanced gameplay, annoying bugs and a badly implemented cooperative mode. Aliens: Colonial Marines was also slated for its weak storyline, critics considering that it lacks in continuity when it came to the original Alien movie canon.
Duke Nukem Forever
Everybody knows that sequels are usually worse than the originals, but this Duke Nukem title really outdid itself and not in a good way. After being stuck in development hell for about fifteen years, this follow-up to the popular classic gaming title found the recipe for disaster: outdated humor, crude mechanics, cheap graphics and an overall unpolished gameplay that left a bad taste in everybody’s mouth.
Homefront: The Revolution
A reboot of the original Homefront title, Homefront: The Revolution could have been a very good game if not for the pesky technical issues encountered way too often. With a complex open world environment and an in-depth weapons customization system, this gaming title is hindered by a faulty narrative, a dull gunplay and a whole lot of glitches and other problems that simply shadow the other good aspects it has.
SimCity (2013)
Prior to its release, SimCity was surrounded by a lot of hype but soon after it, players and reviewers saw that it had some serious drawbacks. The fact that this Sims series reboot needed a permanent connection to the internet in order to play and save your progress even in single player was the first inconvenience. But the network outages and the difficulties of connecting to the game’s servers were the real deal breakers for many people.
Evolve
Evolve is a game with a very innovative concept and it even received an award prior to its official release but the DLC controversy created around it and the monotonous progression of the gameplay were the factors that scared away its players. The developers sensed the commercial failure and made it a free-to-play title after a while, but it was a little bit too late, many gamers from Steam feeling that Evolve deceived them forever.
Final Fantasy XIV Online
Not to be mistaken with A Realm Reborn, which is an amazing title, Final Fantasy XIV Online was met with a general disappointment. An otherwise promising installment, this Square Enix game was so drowned in technical issues, such as a faulty interface and nonsensical player limitations, that it was impossible to be played without getting immensely frustrated. Everyone felt that this was an incomplete gaming title, unworthy of their time and nerves.
Mighty No. 9
Bound to continue an important legacy, Mighty No. 9 was considered the spiritual successor of Mega Man, or at least that was what the developers wanted to achieve. In truth, this Kickstarter title has been delayed multiple times until its disastrous release that left everyone angry and discontent. A ton of issues have been reported by players and critics alike: the game design, graphics, voice acting and technical performance being all equally flawed.
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky was most definitely one of the most anticipated games of the past decade, it presented a never before seen concept, it had stunning visuals and offered an equally exciting gameplay, in theory, at least. In practice, it offered a meagre experience with not a lot of variety regarding the sceneries, mainly the planets and inhabitant fauna, and it featured an overall sense of monotony. No Man’s Sky also faced legal issues due to its false advertising, so it publicly became the perfect example of a video game flop.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Mass Effect: Andromeda will always be remembered as that game with the horrible face animations and characters that act as if they were plastic mannequins on display. For such an over-hyped title and coming from one of the biggest gaming franchises on the market, this installment definitely didn’t meet its expectations. With a badly delivered story and hilarious character animations, Mass Effect: Andromeda became the inspiration behind a lot of gaming memes.