Whenever a new video game is announced, developers and publishers tend to make huge promises that inevitably raise fan expectations to absurd levels. Of course, most of the time they can deliver on their promises and offer a high-quality product that does not disappoint, but unfortunately, this is not always the case.
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Experienced gamers have experienced this many times in recent years: a company announces a new game and immediately starts promising that it will be so groundbreaking, change absolutely everythingjust so the final product doesn't live up to the hype. The following ten games are examples of this, which is a real shame because some of these titles are actually pretty good, but their reputations were ruined before they could even come out.
Daikatan
A promise that was not fulfilled
In the 1990s, John Romero, John Carmack and their company id Software pretty much dominated the PC gaming landscape, largely due to the release of Wolfenstein 3D and Fatetwo of the most influential FPS games ever made. Despite their success, Romero left id Software in 1996 and joined Ion Storm to work on their next game: Daikatana sci-fi shooter with an ambitious time travel premise.
The hype around Daikatan was extremely high and was made worse by the game's infamous press ad campaign. Unfortunately when Daikatan it finally came out in 2000 and was quickly panned by fans and critics alike for its lackluster graphics, uninspiring weapons, confusing story, and frustrating enemy AI. What was next Fate ended in disappointment.
Black and white
An extremely ambitious project
Before Black and white Molyneux and Lionhead Studios have marketed it as this massive god simulator that will be incredibly ambitious and implement elements from both. Populous and Dungeon Keeper. Players from that era are certainly not to blame for feeling the excitement Black and whitebecause the idea of a simulation game where they take control of a god overseeing the growth of humanity was actually quite unique for its time.
Fortunately for them, Black and white it ended up being a very good title that got rave reviews, but wasn't nearly as revolutionary as its creator thought it would be. In fact, most players today don't even know this game even exists.
Fable
Unfulfilled promises were his ruin
Fable
- Released
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September 14, 2004
- ESRB
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M For Adults 17+ due to blood and gore, language, sexual content, alcohol use, violence
A few years after release Black and whitePeter Molyneux started working Fablean action RPG exclusive to the original Xbox. To this day, seasoned players still recall the fascinating promises made before its release, such as being able to plant an acorn in the game and see it grow into a tree in real time, or being able to do absolutely anything with no strings attached.
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Needless to say, when Fable finally released in 2004, players quickly discovered that most of the promised features and mechanics were nowhere to be seen. truth be told Fable is actually a fun, inventive and unique RPG, but the audience's expectations were too high, leading to many of them finding it a huge disappointment. However, some of these ambitious ideas were explored in later entries, such as Fairy tale 2.
Herpes
The infamous “Halo Killer” that never reached its goal
While the rivalry between PlayStation and Xbox was evenly matched in the mid-2000s, there was one specific area in which Sony was slowly falling behind: first-person shooters with a heavy online component. After all, the Xbox brand was home to Halo franchise that took the world by storm during this generation.
Ubisoft and Free Radical Design tried to turn the tide of this battle Herpesa new FPS title that was exclusive to the PS3 and according to the press at the time had the potential to be the next big thing, hence many calling it “Halo Killer.” Unfortunately, this ended up hurting the game more than anything else, as it made players' expectations extremely high, only to find out on launch day that Herpes was actually a pretty generic FPS that couldn't be held a candle to Hello 3which was released a year ago.
Spore
A whimsical little game that didn't have the impact most people expected
Spore
- Released
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September 7, 2008
If there's anyone who undoubtedly changed the gaming industry forever, it's Will Wright, who with Maxis designed and released game-changing PC titles like SimCity and The Sims. So when they announced that they were creating an ambitious new simulation game called Spore which was supposed to allow players to create a new life form and control it as it evolved over millions of years, players around the world were understandably very excited.
However, when Spore finally came out on PC in 2008, it didn't end up with the impact most people expected, mainly because its actual simulation game got tiresome and repetitive very quickly. Of course, it's still a very fun and inventive game that's bursting with personality, and many people still use its character creation tools to bring their most bizarre and absurd creations to life.
Brink
Another original FPS with a unique twist
The late 2000s and early 2010s were defined by the massive popularity of FPS games with online multiplayer modes, and many aspiring developers were desperate to get a piece of this pie. One of them was Splash Damage, a studio with previous experience with franchises such as Fate, Wolfensteinand Halo who worked on the original FPS IP titled Brink.
With its distinctive art style and fluid parkour-like movement, Brink quickly caught the attention of most gamers, but unfortunately was never able to live up to the huge amount of hype it gathered. Like many of the other titles on this list, it's actually a pretty solid game with many positives, but it's also been heavily criticized for its technical issues, poorly executed ideas, and disappointing multiplayer. Brink failed to build a loyal player base and has now been forgotten by most people.
Watch Dogs
The biggest example of how deceptive game trailers can be
Today it may sound strange, but the original Watch Dogs took the industry by storm when it was revealed at E3 2012. Not only did it look absolutely amazing for its time, with graphics that were far more advanced than anything else on consoles up to that point, but the concept of an open-world sandbox game like GTA in which players could hack and take control of various devices, was brimming with potential.
However, when Watch Dogs finally, two years later, players quickly discovered that the game looked nothing like its famous debut trailer, not to mention that its hacking mechanics were situational and superficial and didn't elevate the gameplay as much as they expected. It turns out that Ubisoft used enhanced PC footage to promote the game, meaning it was never meant to look as impressive as it did in that infamous opening trailer.
Order: 1886
A beautiful PlayStation 4 exclusive that no one remembers
The PS4 lacked any strong exclusives in its first few years, which is why the announcement Order: 1886 quickly created so much hype. Developed by Ready at Dawn (studio behind PSP God of War games), this was supposed to be a steampunk-themed third-person shooter focused on a group of monster hunters fighting against vampires and werewolves.
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Unfortunately, PS4 users were disappointed Order: 1886 when it finally came out in 2015. Truth be told, the game looked absolutely beautiful and perfectly showcased the power of the console, but the gameplay was far too simplistic, mundane and lacking any real challenge, not to mention it was extremely short, with a main campaign lasting just 7 hours.
No Man's Sky
What started as a huge disappointment has taken an incredible arc of redemption
That cannot be denied No Man's Sky has gone through what has to be the most incredible and inspiring story of redemption in gaming history. When it was announced at E3 2014, it was heavily marketed as a huge, near-endless game where players will be able to explore an infinite number of galaxies, each with its own flora, fauna, resources, etc. This ambitious premise quickly captivated players who didn't hesitate to pre-order and/or buy the game on day one.
Unfortunately, No Man's Sky It ended up being a huge disappointment for most people, due to the many bugs and glitches, the repetitive gameplay loop, and the lack of any substantial content. However, Hello Games has managed to improve the game over the years by releasing several free updates and expansions. Current version No Man's Sky it has exceeded initial expectations and has amassed a huge and loyal player base as a result.
Anthem
BioWare's sci-fi RPG could have been so much better
Anthem
- Released
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February 22, 2019
When Electronic Arts revealed BioWare's latest project, Anthemat E3 2017 it quickly caught the attention of most gamers as it was basically an open world RPG with gameplay that featured flying exosuits called Javelins. People were undoubtedly very impressed with the footage shown, to the point that many started calling it “unofficial”. Iron Man game”.
Anthem it finally came out in early 2019, and while it boasted highly detailed graphics and satisfying flying mechanics, it failed to resonate with audiences for one big reason: it was a live-action multiplayer shooter instead of the exciting sci-fi-themed single-player RPG that most players were hoping for. Anthem failed to meet EA's sales expectations and therefore ultimately canceled development on all future updates in 2021.
A sequel to a video game that came out too soon and killed the franchise
These video game sequels tried to capitalize on the success of their predecessors, only to falter and stall their franchise's momentum.
