Not every game you are likely to play is going to be great, hell, some will be downright terrible. Usually these games have clear warning signs and the savvy gamer can avoid these titles pretty easily. Sadly that’s not always the case and when the hype machine starts working overtime on a game it’s a safe bet that some of us will be fooled. There have been a few titles recently that have been pretty disappointing, that’s not to say they are bad games, not at all, simply that they have not lived up to the expectations that we as gamers and the PR companies have set for them. I’ve compiled a list, here’s my top ten disappointing games.
No.10
Ryse Son of Rome
When Ryse was showcased at the Xbox One reveal I can’t be the only person to get some gamer wood. The absolutely beautiful visuals, mixed with the grotesquely brutal executions were, to me at least, summing up this new generation. When the game was released however we had downgraded graphics, repetitive combat, QTE’s (in all but name), and with a shockingly short and predictable story the game was a let-down. Excellent voice acting and a fun multiplayer still makes Ryse Son of Rome a decent game but it was one of the first let downs of this new generation of ours.
No.9
Shadow of Mordor
I like Shadow of Mordor, let me be unwaveringly clear. I enjoy the hell out of the game, but it isn’t exactly what was expected. We saw a sprawling open world with an in depth “Nemesis” system that would allow players to tackle Sauron’s forces in a variety of ways. What we got was essentially a Lord of the Rings/Assassin’s Creed game. It’s fun and the Nemesis system, while not as decisive as we were lead to believe is still a nice addition to the game. The voice acting is top notch but for me…. It just doesn’t feel like a LOTR title. Mores the pity.
No.8
Diablo 3 (PC)
There are few games that dungeon crawling fans have anticipated more than Diablo 3. After a long hiatus after Diablo 2, Blizzard were set to retake control of the RPG market. The game was hurt by launch day issues that plagued most gamers and the real money auction house was probably not the best PR decision that the company have ever made. To top it off, PC users were forced to always be online. Those three strikes meant that the PC release was one of the most disappointing in years.
No.7
Call of Duty Ghosts
Ghosts came along at a rough time for the Call of Duty franchise, while it still ships more copies than most other games, the “hardcore” gamer was getting sick and tired of the rehashed versions coming out every year. Ghosts promised us unique gameplay with superlative graphics. Sure, it’s a pretty game but the level of detail we were shown in the reveal is never noticeable in-game and the gameplay may as well have been labelled “Call of duty…. With a dog”.
No.6
Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare
I was really looking forward to this game. PvZ Garden Warfare looked silly, outrageous and fun. We were told about smartglass compatibility and customisation options to rival almost any RPG. What we really got was a half-assed online shooter that played poorly and the smartglass compatibility was only usable on specific devices. The customisation options had to be purchased through in-game currency making the grind for a random payoff very underwhelming. The final disappointment for me was when I finally got it home and the local multiplayer consisted of a downgraded version of an offline hoard mode. This was put into a drawer and has not seen the light of day since.”.
No.5
Watchdogs
Watchdogs suffered, as have many of games on this list, from the hype machine. I quite liked Watchdogs, it was fun and the characters you meet in the game interesting enough. Unfortunately for Watchdogs, Ubisoft had a couple of years to build up the following for the game, there’s no way a game can live up to constant hype for that length of time. With a graphical downgrade and shallow “hacking” mechanics: it was never going to satisfy.
No.4
Battlefield 4
Battlefield 4 has had one of the most disastrous launches it is possible to imagine. It was so bad in fact that Dice put all other projects, including the new Star Wars Battlefront, on hold until they could resolve the issues. The glorious 1080p, 60 frames per second HD spankfest that was shown in the lead up to the game was unattainable for most players and as such made this a bitter pill to swallow for a lot of fans.
No.3
Rome Total War
The original Rome was well received, it was a new take on the RTS genre and when the newer shiny version was announced people went bat crap crazy. Huge armies, naval combat and great graphics made this a must buy. Until people bought it. A lot of the issues have been solved with post launch patches but glitches, uncontrollable units and extremely demanding specs meant that the new Rome was not received well. It showed so much promise…. Let’s hope Attila can make it right.
No.2
Destiny
Become Legend. That’s what we were told. A brand new world, a new “shared world shooter” from Bungie. What could go wrong with that? Activision and Bungie were happy to show this game off at almost every opportunity. The game simply didn’t deliver. The storyline was a mess, the economy of the game is never explained and I challenge anyone to name me 5 characters from the game. The minute to minute gameplay is fantastic and visually it is astounding but Destiny has to be one of the most disappointing games I have played in a long, long time.
No.1
Aliens: Colonial Marines
There could never be anything else at number one. Aliens Colonial Marines was a fiasco masquerading as a disaster pretending it wasn’t an embarrassment. Gearbox and Sega showed supposedly in-engine footage and “gameplay” in the run up to launch that would have no bearing on the finished game at all. The claim and boast of “canon” was used and that this would be a true sequel to the Aliens movie. Well it wasn’t, it was a jumbled mess that a supposed ex-employee claimed had been made in three months after several cock ups and Sega threatening to end the project. To top off the horrible misleading there was a blanket embargo until the day of release (except for one review that I read claiming this was the best game ever). Gearbox and Sega are currently being held to account with a lawsuit relating to the misrepresentation and false advertising of the game.
Not every disappointing game is a bad one, some are damn near unplayable but some simply suffer from an early announcement that gives people time to speculate and build up their hopes. These are my top ten, I’m sure more will follow. What is YOUR most disappointing game? Let us know in the comments below.