The games industry has certainly seen its share of massively hyped projects over its decades-long existence. As is the case when it comes to accelerating hype with other forms of art and/or entertainment, major letdowns are almost an inevitability, as various games fail to meet the sky-high expectations of some hopeful gamers.
Even some of the most bombastic, flashy, and well-crafted projects tend to fall at least a bit short of the lofty heights and grand visions of dedicated fans. Still, thanks to things like fan feedback, immense resources, and practiced developers taking the reigns, thereareplenty of examples of studios stepping up to the plate and delivering an experience as great - or evengreaterthan promised.
RELATED:10 Xbox Franchises That Will Likely Never See Another Title
Let’s take a look at 5 examples of gaming letdowns that didn’t quite deliver, in addition to 5 that truly lived up to their hype.
10Lived Up To Hype: Super Mario Odyssey
There was quite a whirlwind of hype surroundingNintendo’s first major 3DMariotitle since 2010’sSuper Mario Galaxy 2- Wii U’s tamerSuper Mario 3D Worldnotwithstanding. And it would have been a tall order indeed to both match the high expectations of fans as well as top that epic virtual adventure that shone so brightly on Wii 7 years earlier.
But the Japanese game giants delivered with yet another stellarMarioplatformer in emphatic fashion. We got a myriad of expansive, colorful open worlds - including the lively New Donk City - along with tons of collectibles, awesome powerups, and exciting gameplay that felt both familiar and new. We even got a neat nod to the classicMariotitles, with some innovative, trippy retro-style 2D platforming sections.Odysseywas very much theGalaxyeclipsing adventure fans were hoping for.
9Didn’t: Sea Of Thieves
While this open-world swash-buckling journey from Rare has since been further refined and fleshed out,Sea of Thieveswas, and still partlyis, a pretty average experience that can feel as empty as the vast seas that surround you.
Though the concept of co-op play centered around sailing and scouring for riches is a neat one, the actual experience falls a bit short from the epic aspirations and expectations a huge pirate-themed adventure like this promised. This was particularly a letdown from Rare, given their solid track record in the gaming days of yore, and their long drought in-between new titles which was building towards this interesting looking project.
8Lived Up To Hype: Overwatch
Blizzard Entertainment, developers of renowned gaming phenoms such asWorld of Warcraft,Diablo, andStarcraft, can be their own worst enemy when it comes to delivering on hype. There seems to be an ever-growing avalanche of expectation partially brought upon by this major studio’s own track record of quality.
RELATED:Which Overwatch Character Should You Main As Based On Your D&D Alignment?
Word of this game had certainly caught the attention of MOBA, FPS, and Blizzard fans as a whole. This hype had particularly become immense following the recent cancelation of their project,Titan, from which a few concepts were brought intoOverwatch. Fast-forward to the present, and this addictive, dynamic shooter has built a massive online community, and has even birthed its own eSports league.
7Didn’t: Fallout 76
While the BethesdaFalloutseries has always been particularly grindy and almost overwhelmingly expansive, there was a certain charm, depth, and overall organic feel to the WRPG epics that wereFallout 3and4. This online multiplayer odyssey promised to be bigger, better, and more in-depth of a project than the more limiting solo-based games that preceded it.
However, the end result felt more like a rushed, buggy, and empty shell of these experiences. The post-apocalyptic wastelands within somehow felt even more lifeless, barren, and uninspired than ever, as did many of the game’s quests.
6Lived Up To Hype: Final Fantasy X
Square Enix (then Squaresoft) had a difficult task on their hands in attempting to top what many gamersstillclaim to be the best RPG of all-time,Final Fantasy VII. While bothVIIIandIXhad proven stellar games in their own right, they still didn’t quite match that memorable epic starring the hero Cloud. And with the promising new tech of the PS2 set to blow gamers away, the hype machine was in full swing for this PS2 debut of the renownedFFseries.
But the studio certainly delivered, providing new, lavish settings, a gripping narrative, interesting characters, and arguably one of the most enjoyable battle systems in RPGs. We even got a minigame known as “Blitzball,” which basically proved fun enough to be a standalone game.
5Didn’t: Spore
Game designer Will Wright was (and still largelyis) a gaming force unto himself, and had been riding high before the launch of the anticipated PC strategy sim,Spore. After all, having produced many hitSimstitles full of enjoyment, this interesting planetary god game was sure to be excellent, right? Well… not so much.
Rather than emphasize building and development aspects and fleshing out these areas,Sporetakes a bizarre “Jack-of-all-trades” approach while not quite excelling with any of them. Though it’s certainly a creative undertaking with its own unique appeals,Sporemakes for an overall convoluted experience that feels segmented and confusing, and at the same time, a bit too simplistic.
4Lived Up To Hype: Gears 5
There had been what you might call some “cautious optimism” coming into the long-awaited launch ofGears 5. Sure, you had the awesome shooters and grand successes of the originalGearstrilogy, though you also had the uncertainty of The Coalition taking the reins from Epic for the Xbox One projects, in addition to the recent dud that wasJudgment.
RELATED:Gears Of War 5: The 10 Best (And Easiest) Maps For Horde Mode, Ranked
Regardless, the developers truly revved this beloved series into full gear with its 5th mainline entry. The game offered a palette of both familiar and new multiplayer modes rife with excitement.Gears 5also offered one of the most captivating campaign modes ever, introducing open worlds and the inclusion of a customizable robot companion. The aesthetics even managed to top the high standards set by prior entries, showcasing some of the smoothest and sleekest visuals in home console gaming.
3Didn’t: Resident Evil 6
This 6th iteration of this iconic survival horror from Capcom certainly has some fans that might cry foul here, especially those that favor the action-based traits ofResident Evil. Yet, at least for the purists who appreciated the more nuanced horror and puzzle elements of older renditions,Resident Evil 6tended to fall flat.
RE6emphasizes more of a basic action-shooter style, which is suitable enough. Yet,Resident Evil 4did this style far better, and this sequel onlybarelyresembles its Playstation predecessors aside from the inclusion of zombies. Thankfully,Capcomwould get the series back on track with the dynamic, horrifying romp ofRE7, as well as the polishedRE2remake.
2Lived Up To Hype: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
We’re just aboutalwaysdealing with some gargantuan, nuclear levels of hype when it comes toStar Wars-branded media, with enough firepower to destroy an entire planet. Even with the series more mixed reception of late, there’s a certain expectation and sky-high imagination from fans when it comes to this space-fantasy epic.
Despite some recent questionable offerings in the gaming realm, in particular, Respawn Entertainment and EA shot for the moon and hit their mark with this immersive, enjoyableStar Warsadventure. The game delivers on the narrative, cinematic, and gameplay front, featuring some thrilling action and satisfying lightsaber combat during its 20-hour odyssey.
1Didn’t: Duke Nukem Forever
This zany FPS was somewhat set up to fail, given the towering expectations of its iconic predecessor, and the endless wait that led many to believe this long-awaited sequel wouldneverbe released. The appropriately titledDuke Nukem Foreverseemed to take an eternity to come out, and just didn’t match the building hype of countless years of development purgatory.
The game’s lengthy development cycle essentially meant this game was going to feel dated out of the gate, compared to the originalDuke Nukemwhich was hugely innovative for its time, helping to pioneer an entire genre. This just felt like a slightly slicker rehash of an old formula, complete with even lamer humor and basic gameplay.
