Top 10 Most Disappointing Games of the 2000s

Top 10 Disappointing Video Games of the 2000s We’re not mad, just disappointed. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our top 10 disappointing games of the 2000s. The turn of the century saw some fierce new competitors entering the console wars, pushing each other for both sales and fans. Yet despite the increased competition for bigger, better, and more innovative experiences, a lot of these hyped-up-games just fell flat on their faces.

#10: “Red Steel” (2006)

The Wii took the world by storm when it first launched, capturing the hearts of hard-core and casual gamers alike. The Wii’s unique control scheme and clever marketing around the use of motion controls were a true leap forward in interactive gaming. Our first entry was heavily pushed as the definitive title to really show off what the system was capable of. Unfortunately, everyone’s worst fears were quickly realized. The game was a perfectly mediocre shooter, while its control scheme, which needed to be absolutely perfect, was just a gimmicky and unsatisfactory replacement for classic analog-stick controls.

#9: “Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex” (2001)

With great level designs, detailed 3D environments, and fast-paced platforming action, good ol’ Crash dominated the market when he made his debut on Sony’s PlayStation, and all subsequent entries just added to his fame. Fans were understandably hyped about his first appearance on a non-Sony console, but it just didn’t do the franchise justice for those first-time players. Levels and gameplay elements were lazily recycled from previous titles, and some questionable camera work made platforming in certain segments an absolute nightmare. It’s definitely not a bad game, but it’s a massive drop in quality from the original trilogy.

#8: “Enter the Matrix” (2003)

Holding up as an all-time classic film to this day, the potential for a parallel storyline to the Matrix Reloaded on home consoles was absolutely immense. It had fans eagerly waiting in anticipation prior to its release. Promising important developments for two new characters in the franchise, Ghost and Niobe, the game ultimately failed to hold up across the board. The controls, and by extension, combat, try to mimic the cinematic moments of the film. These mechanics began feeling repetitive and awkward, and even both of the new main characters failed to become more than secondary sidekicks in the movie tie-in. Fans of the series really have no reason to pick this one up.

#7: “Lair” (2007)

In a world threatened by countless volcanoes and warring factions, players were given the chance to shape the future, while controlling a freaking dragon along the way. Sadly, the game is just not as awesome as the graphics and gameplay make it out to be. The unintuitive controls and very unsatisfying combat make it hard to play through. There are brief moments where flying through the air and dodging projectiles can get your heart pumping, but they’re few and far between. Mostly the game is crammed with countless waves of enemies that offer no real challenge and fall dead the second you lob a fireball in their direction.

#6: “Spore” (2008)

If creating a creature and watching it evolve from a primitive being to a space-travelling hero sounds like a good time, then you understand how excited we were for this one. Instead, we were given 5 lazy mini-games with barley any strategy for the RTS gameplay, not enough action for the adventure sections, and very little depth overall. The game’s progression is so unsatisfying that powering through to the space age takes no time at all, making the achievement meaningless. While some elements are interesting, it just doesn’t make up for everything else that we paid for and didn’t get.

#5: “Sonic the Hedgehog” (2006)

This game is so hated today it’s almost easy to downplay just what a catastrophic failure it really was, but hard-core Sonic fans will never forget. Finding the perfect recipe for driving its iconic 90s platformer into the ground, SEGA gave us dull levels, laughably glitchy platforming, and managed to cram in a love story with Princess Elise that bordered on creepy. These decisions ruined the entire Sonic experience and have earned the game a spot on our list. It’s not just disappointing though, it’s so bad that it set the franchise back a decade, with a stigma it’s still trying to shake off.

#4: “Deus Ex: Invisible War” (2003)

Following up one of the greatest PC games ever made is never an easy task, but it’s only complicated further when developers take everything good about the original and push it aside. While at first glance the game seems like it would fit right into the series, spending a little bit of time with it exposes its glaring flaws. The heavy-handed futuristic aesthetics look cool, but they’re so alien to the original universe that it rips players right out of the immersive world the first entry so expertly crafted. Toss in a lackluster story and add subpar voice acting and dialogue, and you have a game that doesn’t live up to its namesake.

#3: “Star Wars Galaxies” (2003)

MMOs need rich lore and a vast world to suck gamers in, so it seemed like Star Wars would be a perfect candidate for the genre. The game had great potential; it featured an in-depth job system and plenty of non-combat roles for players to take on. Forced to compete with titans like “World of Warcraft”, the developers decided to toss all that aside in favour of a generic and repetitive experience where, ironically, space exploration wasn’t even an option. Iconic environments and characters can only take you so far, and “Star Wars Galaxies” just didn’t have much else to offer.

#2: “Daikatana” (2000)

Back in the 90s, first person shooters were fast paced, twitchy, and exciting as hell. Games like “Quake” dominated the multiplayer scene, and “Daikatana” promised to be the next great entry in the genre, but it fell laughably short. Released three years after its promised date, the game was riddled with major issues like horrendous voice work, bad enemy AI, and lazy level designs. Worst of all was its performance. The game was so fast that consoles just couldn’t keep up, constantly loading segments of levels as they were being played. This crippled both the game and any enjoyment players could gain from it.

#1: Everything by Rare (2000-09)

British game developer Rare was on top of the world in the N64 era, producing hits like “Conker’s Bad Fur Day” and “Donkey Kong 64.” It seemed for a while that everything the company touched turned to gold. However, come the turn of the century, Rare couldn’t hit a home run if they tried, and it got even worse after they were bought out by Microsoft. Whether it was failed titles like “Grabbed by the Ghoulies”, or bringing established franchises like “Star Fox” into ill-received new directions, Rare was off to a bad start. They continued to botch games, focusing on graphics instead of gameplay in the beloved “Perfect Dark” series, and ruining “Banjo-Kazooie” with poorly implemented game mechanics. Rare churned out disappointment after disappointment, making them largely irrelevant to this day.