'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Over the years, there have been games which have enchanted us, thrilled us, got us engaged like never before and at times left us awestruck. However, there have been a fair number of disappointments as well.Most of the disappointing titles were drawn to their fate by misleading marketing campaigns while others plagued by broken gameplay mechanics, bad graphics, poor storyline and everything else that matters. Here's a list of 10 most disappointing games (in no specific order) from the past decade.
#10 Haze
Haze was a game loaded with expectations. Initially considered an answer to the highly successful Halo, it didn’t even come close really. Halo had triggered the first-person revolution, but when the first games labelled with that term were the supremely boring Killzone titles, all eyes then shifted to Free Radical’s Haze to deliver the goods. However, terrible textures, a barely-engaging plot and a damping feel surounding the game was all to be seen in the game, making it one of the biggest disappointments in recent times.
#9 LAIR
The game was expected to be one hell of a fantastic combat-flight sim from the minds behind the Rogue Squadron series. It was expected to be a chance to live out our long-cherished dragon-riding dreams in the most brutal fashion imaginable, and it would cement the PS3’s position as an unmatched powerhouse, capable of delivering experiences that its competition could only dream of. Well, the game looked good enough to match expectations. Everything else about the game was a total waste and the game turned out to be a huge disappointment.
#8 Armored Core V
There was a time when Armored Core used to be the premiere mech-combat series. The popularity of the series continued into the PS 2 era, and custom mechs were only a few years away from being able to duke it out online. Then something happened at developer FromSoftware & HD gaming took a toll on the quality of their games while many of their popular series began to drop sharply in quality, Armored Core being among them. Armored Core IV was the first to hit 1080p and full functionality online, but critics didn’t seem to agree with the approach. It was quickly sent to the discount bin. However, after Demon’s Souls turned out to be a hit, many were hoping for a brilliant Armored Core V. But instead, the game was worse than anything people could think of.
#7 Final Fantasy XIV
For all the great intents and purposes associated with the game, Final Fantasy XIV was a sheer disappointment. The game somehow managed to be a failure in almost every aspect from graphical quality to gameplay decisions to just overall satisfaction. Square Enix was unable to convince gamers to move from XI to XIV, and eventually they had to just scrap the whole thing and start over from scratch. Final Fantasy XI was actually a fairly decent MMORPG by all means. But well, its successor wasn’t really upto the mark and is considered as one of the biggest disappointments of recent times.
#6 Resident Evil 6
Many fans cite Resident Evil 5 as the one that put them off the franchise thanks to a reliance on shotguns and punching zombies rather than white-knuckle-thrill-rides. 6 could not bring in many positives either. The general call was : “Don’t copy Gears of War!”
Resident Evil 4 is still touted as the game that allowed titles like Gears of War to flourish – as previous stop n’ pop cover-shooter Kill & by the time part six rolled around, Capcom had fully embraced this idea. However, the game failed miserably as the gameplay systems put in place through part four were never meant to handle Gears of War-style firefights and flanking manoeuvres, leading to a franchise completely devoid of any identity.
#5 Aliens: Colonial Marines
Aliens: Colonial Marines had a complete lack of a demo or in-game footage in the lead-up to it’s release. It was very telling of a developer not confident in what they were about to put out. According to most people, the game was eventually one of the “unplayable” ones. There wasn’t a good aliens title prior to this and this one made things even worse for the franchise. Eventually, what appeared to be a lack of confidence turned into a full-blown attempt at stealth camouflage, as the final release was barely anything resembling that which was advertised or talked about, with explanations nowhere to be seen.
#4 Beyond: Two Souls
A lot was expected from Beyond : Two Souls once the game was announced. Set to easily remedy the bad voice-acting complaint levied at Heavy Rain by starring Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe, Beyond was supposed to be a deeply emotional and moving experience surrounding Page’s character Jodie as she is forced to grow up whilst tethered to an invisible spirit. The game ended up being an unwelcome return to absurdness for the Heavy Rain director, with the most awkward highs and lows.... the most remarkable one being when Jodie ultimately chooses her life partner from a menu. Enough said!
#3 Devil May Cry 2
Devil May Cry 2 was a sheer disappointment. The game took one of the most responsive, lightning-fast combat systems ever put to game and slowed it down, almost entirely failing to keep the series’ style and character in the process. The game features journeys to a series of bland, black n’ grey cityscapes, along with huge expansive arenas that still had the same small enemies wandering around for the most part. Capcom did introduce a badass wall-run move that let you flip off vertical surfaces to blast demons from above, but it wasn’t enough to save a game whose entire feel just came across as the original game without the fun and personality.
#2 Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever was the second game from Gearbox and hardly anyone expected it to make the list of biggest disappointments. The greatest mark the game managed to leave on the video game industry is the formation of one of its most unsettling terms : vaporware. This game was in development for more than a decade & ultimately, Gearbox snagged the rights, got 2K to publish the experience and put Duke back out on the market. The game was really bad to say the least - mostly a relic of old shooter philosophy wrapped in layer upon layer of bad mechanics and the lamest of jokes jokes.
#1 Too Human
Too Human was expected for far better things than what it delivered after a highly anticipated release. The game based on Norse mythology, boasted of a proven developer who gave us the pioneering Blood Omen : Legacy of Kain as well as the Metal Gear Solid remake, Twin Snakes. Well, seemingly, that did not work in the game’s favour. The game’s marketing campaign was actuallly pretty good as it did manage to create some hype. However, all that the gamers received was a poor combat system with stilted graphics and an ultra-lenghty death animation. Surely not a high-tech viking adventure.
