It’s a tough path to go through when developing video games and consoles. However, it never helps to cut corners in order to get your product out on store shelves. We’ve seen a wide range of gaming consoles and video games released into the wild which suffered from a number of issues both technical and visual.
We’re looking at some of the latest video game titles to have released into the market that were ultimately massive flops with complaints from both critics and fans alike. These are just a few of the latest so we’re always interested in hearing what video game flop that you still can’t get over today by leaving us a comment down below.
#10 Godus
- Developer: 22Cans
- Publisher: DeNA, 22Cans
- Platforms: PC, iOS, Android
- Release: September 13, 2013
If you’re familiar with Peter Molyneux then you know that he can make some bold statements with his upcoming video games. Sometimes these promised features don’t make it into the final release and while a lot of development studios are guilty of this, it’s a real bummer for gamers who were eagerly waiting for the video game release.
Godus was a video game under Peter Molyneux’s studio 22Cans. The video game plays out a bit like a tycoon simulation title where gamers can build up a land and control its inhabitants, much like playing a god. However, the game failed to meet a few features and since its release, the PC release was only available as an Early Access title on Steam. There was even a bit of a controversy that dealt with a winner of a contest based on Godus where the winner would receive a cut of the money when the game released, but it never panned out.
As it stands, Godus is still an Early Access title on the PC platform while both Android and iOS have their own versions with in-app purchases. For gamers who backed this title on the Kickstarter campaign, it’s looking like you may never see the full video game launch on the PC platform.
#9 No Man’s Sky
- Developer: Hello Games
- Publisher: Hello Games
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
- Release: August 9, 2016
No Man’s Sky has become a running joke as of late with gamers reminding themselves not to get hyped over an upcoming video game release due to the failure that was No Man’s Sky launch. This game was beyond hyped as everyone knew exactly what it was and the game was even being showcased on national television programs.
Development team Hello Games introduced players with a game that contained endless possibilities. Overall the thrill of this game was the countless planets players could fly to and explore its landscape, fauna, and wildlife. Because this game was so large, it would be impossible to really find other players and that means everyone was working together in order to discover all of the planets and wildlife to input information in one giant almanac.
The problem was that this game was missing a long list of promised features such as planetary physics, access to other player interactions and massive fleets. As a result, the game was quickly dropped by so many players but since then the development team has been updating the game to not only include those features but other exciting aspects to keep players interest.
#8 Star Wars Battlefront New Series
- Developer: EA DICE
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
- Release: 2015 – 2017
Star Wars Battlefront is an iconic franchise that’s been around for a while now and while we had two solid installments from years ago, EA’s latest releases to reboot the franchise has been anything but stellar. EA is not always looked highly upon by gamers around the world and when Disney struck a deal with the company to deliver Star Wars video games, there were plenty of upset gamers.
One of their first big releases was Star Wars: Battlefront which potential players were interested in initially but it came with its share of downfalls. For starters, there was no single-player campaign mode and the developers left out space battles which were another key component to the franchise previously.
The sequel to this reboot was also hit with some controversy. While the development team did add a single-player campaign, it featured a new big issue, microtransactions. This was one of the big titles highlighted at the time due to the number of microtransactions that the developers flooded the game with. Gamers quickly took online to complain of the various purchases that players would have to make where otherwise they would be forced to a few limitations and grinding to get particular items. There was such an outrage that even governments got involved with The Belgian gambling regulator doing their own investigations regarding the loot boxes and gambling tendencies that the game featured.
#7 Assassin’s Creed Unity
- Developer: Ubisoft
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
- Release: November 11, 2014
Assassin’s Creed is a video game franchise staple that’s been going strong for years now. We’ve been receiving installments practically yearly with Assassin’s Creed Unity being one of the latest releases that came out in 2014. The video game was set in Paris during the French Revolution while maintaining the open world environment to explore that the previous installments were known for.
Leading up to the launch Ubisoft alerting fans that the game would be released with a 900p resolution across all platforms which started up debates that the game’s potential was lowered in order to match the Xbox One. Of course afterward, it was claimed that it was due to the number of NPCs and AI within the game which would be able to perform at a locked 30 frames per second.
The game also released with a number of visual bugs that made its rounds online. Gamers quickly poked fun of Assassin’s Creed Unity as being a bit broken from its initial launch.
#6 Mighty No. 9
- Developer: Comcept, Inti Creates
- Publisher: Deep Silver
- Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, X360, XBO, PSV, 3DS
- Release: June 21, 2016
Mighty No. 9 was a game developed under Comcept and Inti Creates. The video game was set to be a spiritual successor to the long beloved classic video game franchise, Mega Man. Much like the classic franchise, the video game was an action platform title where players take control of an android that must fight off a series of rogue robots causing havoc.
Overall, Mighty No. 9 released with poor reviews. Critics found the game didn’t have the real charm the gamers enjoyed from the Mega Man franchise. In the end, it’s just a mediocre title that tends to feel a bit repetitive leaving players uninterested.
#5 Aliens: Colonial Marines
- Developer: Gearbox Software
- Publisher: Sega
- Platforms: PC, PS3, X360
- Release: February 12, 2013
Aliens: Colonial Marines was a title that was first being kicked around by development studio Check Six Games where it was initially being developed for the PlayStation 2. A year after development started it looked as if the game was scrapped. During an E3 showing, it appeared that the gameplay suffered from slow frame rate and according to rumors it seems that the development team found the game to not be suitable for the PlayStation 2 hardware. The game would later be picked up again in 2006 after the video game rights for the Aliens franchise was purchased by Sega.
Development wouldn’t really take off until 2007 with Gearbox Software among other development studios picking up the pieces for Aliens: Colonial Marines. For the most part, it seems that the same overall gameplay remained untouched however when the title finally launched in 2013 the reception for the game was poor. Most found Aliens: Colonial Marines to be filled with bugs and subpar graphics leaving it to be a game worth dropping over a decade again after the project was originally scrapped by Check Six Games.
#4 Mass Effect Andromeda
- Developer: BioWare
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
- Release: March 21, 2017
The latest installment of the Mass Effect franchise, Mass Effect: Andromeda, takes place hundreds of years after the events of Mass Effect 3. Set within the Andromeda Galaxy, players take on the role of an N7 Special Forces soldier, more specifically, a Pathfinder.
These Pathfinders are an operative task force that is in charge of discovering new planets for the Human species to colonize. While the game might not have been the most successful titles to launch within the Mass Effect franchise, the title is relatively cheap now, but again don’t expect it to top the original Mass Effect trilogy.
There’s nothing too drastically wrong with the game in my opinion, but Mass Effect Andromeda did suffer with a number of graphical issues along with some odd facial animations that made for some hilarious videos. You can check out our compilation of glitches in the video posted above.
#3 Mass Effect 3
- Developer: BioWare
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Platforms: PC, PS3, X360, Wii U
- Release: March 6, 2012
The Mass Effect series was well beloved by fans and critics alike. This doesn’t come to much of a surprise as the game franchise was developed under the care of BioWare who has brought out a number of great RPG narrative journeys to consoles and PC platforms over the years. Players were introduced into a new sci-fi journey where you’ll step into a new galaxy filled with aliens and other creatures battling a new threat.
Much like other deep narrative RPG journeys, there was a series of choices available for gamers to pick and each seems to play a role in the game. So as expected, plenty of hype was building around the third and final installment of the trilogy, Mass Effect 3. As gamers went through the game it would be clear that the ending is what made this title flop for others who didn’t already purchase a copy.
Remember how I noted that the game franchise has a number of choices that players can choose? We’ll the ending seemed to toss a lot of those choices out of the equation leaving a ton of gamers unsatisfied.
This was such a huge deal that gamers took online and protested BioWare, demanding that the development team deliver a new ending. Even the Better Business Bureau stepped in and sided with the fans. After the backlash that BioWare received with Mass Effect 3, the development team released a free DLC which help expand on the ending.
#2 Yogventures
- Developer: –
- Publisher: –
- Platforms: PC
- Release: Cancelled
Yogscast is a popular YouTube channel that caters millions of subscribers. The creators of Yogcast revealed a Kickstarter project that promised an open-world sandbox video game known as Yogventures. There were even big promises of developing content that was requested by fans of the Yogscast YouTube channel. With their massive following, Yogscast was able to get their video game funded with a total of $567,665 pledged.
Since Yogscast were not developers, the game went into development under the studio, Winterkewl Games. After delays, Yogventures was finally revealed to be canceled alongside the closure of Winterkewl Games. Backers didn’t receive a refund for their pledges but instead were given the rewards promised along with a redeem code for the game TUG. This was definitely a disappointment for gamers who were hoping to get the game but unfortunately, it flopped before it could even make it to marketplaces.
#1 Duke Nukem Forever
- Developer: Gearbox Software
- Publisher: 2K Games
- Platforms: PC, PS3, X360
- Release: June 10, 2011
Duke Nukem is well-known as the franchise has been around for decades. However, one long running joke within the industry was Duke Nukem Forever. This was a video game that was constantly delayed after set to release in 1996. Fans and developers alike seemed to poke fun at it, but instead of being canned, this game refused to die.
It wouldn’t be until years later back in 2010 that the game would really pick up in development under Gearbox Software. For a portion of time, it looked like we may receive another worthy entry into the Duke Nukem series but that was all dashed away in 2011 when the game finally launched.
After years of development, Duke Nukem Forever released as a subpar video game that felt like it belonged to the previous console generation.
