Top 10 Anticipated but Disappointing Video Games

“Infinite” promised to reignite the beloved crossover fighter series, but unfortunately didn’t deliver. Fans were eager, but the game fell short in key areas. The character models and animations were criticized for their lackluster visuals compared to older entries. The roster, which seemed promising, lacked fan-favorite characters. Deadpool, Wolverine, Phoenix Wright, Dante, and Jill Valentine among them. This absence left fans feeling like the game didn’t capture the series' full essence. Additionally, the story mode was lacking compared to prior titles. While it added some new mechanics, it didn’t live up to the high standards set by earlier entries, leaving many disheartened.

The revival of the “Star Wars Battlefront” series was met with immense excitement, fueled by stunning graphics and the promise of epic space battles. However, neither installment delivered. The 2015 release was criticized for a lack of content and features, with few maps and game modes compared to the PS2 originals. Its sequel initially promised a deeper gaming experience but was released with controversial microtransactions and a lackluster progression system. While its visuals and sound design were sublime, the gameplay and lack of content let it down. The series struggled to capture the expansive experience fans of the classics had hoped for, leaving many feeling the hype overshadowed the game.

There was a lot of buzz surrounding these remasters, promising updated graphics and gameplay enhancements for Rockstar’s classic trilogy. Unfortunately, the final product left a lot to be desired. It was littered with technical issues, including glitches, poor character models, and inconsistent textures. Overhauled controls and gameplay changes also didn’t resonate with fans of the originals, who felt the charm of the classics had been lost. The release was also plagued with bugs and performance problems, undermining the nostalgic experience completely. While the intention was to celebrate Rockstar’s iconic trilogy, the execution led to widespread criticism, and a sense that the trilogy had missed its mark entirely in delivering a “definitive edition”.

“SimCity” was highly anticipated to be a modern revival of the classic city-building franchise, but unfortunately fell short of expectations. It promised an updated experience, with enhanced graphics and new features, but its launch was a trainwreck. It included a persistent online connectivity requirement, creating massive server problems for EA and making it virtually unplayable at release. Additionally, all the new features, such as the regional gameplay system, were underdeveloped and failed to deliver the depth fans hoped for. The resulting game was a simplified simulation, with reduced city sizes that disappointed those hoping for the expansive, intricate city-building experience of prior entries.

The long-awaited threequel was a dream come true for fans of the cult classic. Announced after a 14 year hiatus, it was eventually released 18 years after the series’ last title. The game generated immense hype with promises of a faithful continuation of its story and gameplay. However, upon release, players were met with outdated graphics and clunky mechanics, which failed to evolve from the series’ original entries. It also featured slow pacing and repetitive side quests, all contributing to a lackluster gaming experience. Despite its nostalgic value and the effort to stay true to its roots, it struggled to modernize the series, leading fans to feel like it didn’t live up to the expectations set by its legendary predecessors.

“Fallout 76” was one of Bethesda’s most anticipated releases, marking the franchises first foray into MMORPGs. Disappointingly, its launch was riddled with issues completely hindering its potential. Promised as a vast open-world experience featuring a rich, post-apocalyptic environment, the game was instead plagued by bugs, performance issues, and a lack of meaningful interactions. The game’s heavy focus on multiplayer and microtransactions were criticized, especially when coupled with a terribly implemented progression system. Additionally, traditional NPCs were made absent, making players feel disconnected from the story and world. Bethesda have since tried to address many issues with updates and expansions, but the initial launch has tarnished the game’s reputation forever.

Sold as an immersive horror experience in the “Aliens” universe, this FPS remains one of the biggest betrayals in modern gaming. The final product was unable to provide any of its promises, falling short of expectations and disappointing fans worldwide. The game faced a disastrous release, being plagued with lackluster graphics, outdated mechanics, and constant bugs. Enemy artificial intelligence was criticized for being monumentally ineffective, and the game’s overall design lacked any of the tension and atmosphere from the Alien movies. Additionally, promised features like co-op multiplayer failed to deliver on their potential. It was also delayed multiple times, and had a nightmare of a development cycle. Needless to say, Gearbox still haven’t earned back everyone’s trust after this fiasco.

The PS2 was a revolutionary era for gaming. The “Tony Hawk” games were more than worthy of nostalgia, being some of the best skateboarding games ever made. In 2015, “Pro Skater 5” was released - a potential resurgence of the beloved series. Unfortunately, it hit nowhere near as hard as 3 and 4. It’s the last major release in the series, and that’s because it was terrible. Fans hated it, giving it low scores across the board. Somehow, it looked worse than the PS2 games, with bugs that made it nigh on unplayable. Thankfully the first two games were remade, doing the series more justice than 5 ever did.

Anticipation was stratospheric for this title, promising a vast, procedurally generated universe with endless exploration and discovery. Upon release, it immediately became clear that it fell short of its ambitious claims. Players quickly learned it lacked many of the features shown in trailers, such as multiplayer interactions, and diverse planetary systems. The game's procedural generation, while impressive, created repetitive and shallow content, as opposed to the rich, varied universe promised. Despite its rocky start, developer Hello Games has since released a plethora of updates greatly improving the game. Now, the title features most of what was promised. Despite this, the initial let down left a lasting impact on its reputation, making it a classic example of anticipation versus reality.

“Anthem” was expected to be BioWare’s bold leap into multiplayer shooters, promising an expansive world, intricate plotlines, and groundbreaking gameplay. It failed, obviously. Its ambitious mech-suit combat and open-world environment were full of repetitive missions, a lackluster story, and severe technical issues. Bugs were rampant and it included serious performance issues. It featured none of the depth and variety promised, with many finding the world empty and the loot system uninspired. Despite its strong marketing, “Anthem” completely failed to live up to the hype, with BioWare delivering arguably its worst title ever. Although an overhaul “Anthem NEXT” was planned in 2020, this was scrapped entirely, with many of the games issues still persisting.

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