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2022 has seen a number of video game releases so far. While many have been surprisingly good, others have been outright great. Many games are still talked about even months after their release and might be in contention for a Game of the Year award.
Yet, not all games are released equal. While there have been some good games, others have failed terribly. These games were widely chastised, both by players and critics, for their poor storytelling, bad writing, or just because it was full of bugs upon release.
Regardless of the reasons for their failure, the following video games have become great disappointments amongst all the video game releases in the first half of 2022.
Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.
5 failed video game titles of 2022
1) Crossfire X
No one expected Remedy Entertainment to release such a mundane FPS title, but that was exactly what happened on February 10, 2022. The single-player campaign of Crossfire X seemed to be a title no one was expecting. After playing the game, it became evident why it was hardly even marketed.
While its free-to-play multiplayer component is similar to CS:GO, its single-player story is more akin to Call of Duty, albeit from the early 2000s. The gameplay looks splotchy at best, with an outdated UI, while the story itself is rather dull and uninventive.
In addition, the video game is filled with bugs and glitches, which just adds more points to the list of reasons why players should stay away. Hopefully, things in the Alan Wake 2 department over at Remedy are better.
2) Diablo Immortal
From Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase came Diablo Immortal, released in June 2022. This free-to-play MMORPG is set between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III. The game was originally developed for Andriod and iOS and later expanded for controllers and PC.
Upon release, it became one of the most negatively received Diablo games, largely in part due to its microtransactions. Since it was released on mobile devices, the game earned a lot via this method and has seemingly made a tidy profit.
The tactic, though beneficial, has resulted in a low score for the game on Metacritic.
3) Babylon’s Fall
This action role-playing hack and slash video game was developed by Platinum Games and published by Square Enix. Released on March 3, 2022, the game has received a number of negative reviews. Players have criticized many aspects of its gameplay and storyline, citing unintuitive design and a lack of creativity.
Featuring third-person perspective gameplay, players take control of the Sentinel, who must scale a tower and complete various quests in the structure. The game can be played solo or online in a four-player co-op, with melee weapons like swords and war hammers, or ranged weapons like bows.
Many were disappointed with the repetitive nature of the game, which saw players go through corridors that felt the same and fight enemies of little to no variety. Others found it needlessly confusing as the game's elements are never clearly explained. This video game’s Steam player count dropped to one by May 2022.
4) Postal 4: No Regerts
Postal 4: No Regerts is an FPS video game that has been cited by the developers as being a true sequel to Postal II. It was initially released via Steam’s Early Access program and was fully launched on April 20, 2022 for Windows PCs. Despite the Early Access run, this game has disappointed on several fronts.
Players take on the role of the protagonist from Postal 2, who is accompanied by his spiritual terrier, called Champ. The duo must run errands in order to make money and achieve their goal. Featuring some outdated humor and underperforming gameplay, this is not a game for the current age.
The game additionally features some glaring bugs and performance issues, which render it barely playable. Some games are better left alone in the early 2000s, and Postal 2 is one of them.
5) Chocobo GP
Chocobo GP is a kart racing video game developed by Arika and published by Square Enix. It was released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch on March 10, 2022. Serving as both a sequel to Chocobo Racing from 1999 and a spinoff of the Final Fantasy series, the game features many locations and characters from the franchises.
The title is decent enough in itself with great controls and a vibrant aesthetic surrounding familiar characters from the FF series. However, the game's heavy emphasis on monetization resulted in its downfall. It seems that Square Enix made the same mistake as Blizzard, only this was much worse.
As Chocobo GP is not a free-to-play title, there is no justifiable explanation for the microtransactions, which includes a level of monetization comparable to free mobile games. Square even tried to assuage players by giving them free in-game currency, although it was later found that this free currency would expire after five months, while any currency paid for by real money would last forever.
