Your 5 most disappointing games, 2008-2012

[Assassin Xaero]

Duke Nukem Forever - I was quite looking forward to this, but it turned out to be a horrible abortion of a project, Call of Duty MW2 with Duke Nukem skins. Thankfully I didn't even touch the damn thing.

Wait... so you're calling the game MW2 with DN skins, and saying it was horrible, yet you never played it? Then how could you know any of that?

You don't have to play a game to get a general idea of what it's like. That's what gameplay videos and reviews are for.

So, then I can just say all anime is utter shit because I saw a commercial of it and it looked stupid, right? DNF is only like MW2 in the sense that it is an FPS game. Most people, like you, just jump on the band wagon for hating for whatever reason when they never even played it. If they actually played it and disliked it, that's fine, I can see many reasons why. Or if they chose not to play it because he is a sexist jerk, then I can understand that, too (I don't play MMO's because I don't believe in paying each month to play a game). But if you are saying it is horrible when you never played it, then your opinion on it means absolutely nothing and really discredits anything you say about any other game.

I bought and played both MW2/MW3 and Crysis 2 just to make sure they were as bad as they looked. Crysis 2 is slightly better, but so far, still no where near as good as the first.

 

[MammothBlade]

I disagree.As far as I'm concerned you can't form a proper opinion on something without experiencing it yourself.For example if I had just gone by the reviews of Alpha Protocol then I would never have played it and as a result I would have missed out on one of my favourite games this gen

Reviews save me from playing games based on features I know I won't like. I actually read reviews thoroughly, looking for a general idea of what the game's like. If there are real dealbreakers, the game isn't even worth a look. You can decide based on a trusted reviewer or two, that's what they're for. I'm not going to waste any time playing a game that is clearly not going to be what I'm looking for, when there are so many more suitable games out there.

 

[MammothBlade]

Duke Nukem Forever - I was quite looking forward to this, but it turned out to be a horrible abortion of a project, Call of Duty MW2 with Duke Nukem skins. Thankfully I didn't even touch the damn thing.

Wait... so you're calling the game MW2 with DN skins, and saying it was horrible, yet you never played it? Then how could you know any of that?

You don't have to play a game to get a general idea of what it's like. That's what gameplay videos and reviews are for.

So, then I can just say all anime is utter shit because I saw a commercial of it and it looked stupid, right? DNF is only like MW2 in the sense that it is an FPS game. Most people, like you, just jump on the band wagon for hating for whatever reason when they never even played it. If they actually played it and disliked it, that's fine, I can see many reasons why. Or if they chose not to play it because he is a sexist jerk, then I can understand that, too (I don't play MMO's because I don't believe in paying each month to play a game). But if you are saying it is horrible when you never played it, then your opinion on it means absolutely nothing and really discredits anything you say about any other game.

I bought and played both MW2/MW3 and Crysis 2 just to make sure they were as bad as they looked. Crysis 2 is slightly better, but so far, still no where near as good as the first.

That's different, you can't generalise and judge all anime as you can one game. Let's see, there were plenty of other features I really disliked from reviews and gameplay footage. This about sums it up:

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/06/duke-nukem-forever-review-barely-playable-unfunny-and-rampantly-offensive/

I admit calling it "horrible" is a little harsh off the bat without having played it, but I can still hold a negative opinion of DNF. Negative being that I personally don't want what it has to offer and it seems bad.

 

[MetalDooley]

Reviews save me from playing games based on features I know I won't like. I actually read reviews thoroughly, looking for a general idea of what the game's like. If there are real dealbreakers, the game isn't even worth a look. You can decide based on a trusted reviewer or two, that's what they're for. I'm not going to waste any time playing a game that is clearly not going to be what I'm looking for, when there are so many more suitable games out there.

If you're willing to write something off based on someone else's opinion without actually trying it yourself then who am I to argue.Just seems silly to me

 

[Assassin Xaero]

Duke Nukem Forever - I was quite looking forward to this, but it turned out to be a horrible abortion of a project, Call of Duty MW2 with Duke Nukem skins. Thankfully I didn't even touch the damn thing.

Wait... so you're calling the game MW2 with DN skins, and saying it was horrible, yet you never played it? Then how could you know any of that?

You don't have to play a game to get a general idea of what it's like. That's what gameplay videos and reviews are for.

So, then I can just say all anime is utter shit because I saw a commercial of it and it looked stupid, right? DNF is only like MW2 in the sense that it is an FPS game. Most people, like you, just jump on the band wagon for hating for whatever reason when they never even played it. If they actually played it and disliked it, that's fine, I can see many reasons why. Or if they chose not to play it because he is a sexist jerk, then I can understand that, too (I don't play MMO's because I don't believe in paying each month to play a game). But if you are saying it is horrible when you never played it, then your opinion on it means absolutely nothing and really discredits anything you say about any other game.

I bought and played both MW2/MW3 and Crysis 2 just to make sure they were as bad as they looked. Crysis 2 is slightly better, but so far, still no where near as good as the first.

That's different, you can't generalise and judge all anime as you can one game. Let's see, there were plenty of other features I really disliked from reviews and gameplay footage. This about sums it up:

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/06/duke-nukem-forever-review-barely-playable-unfunny-and-rampantly-offensive/

Just from the first paragraph it was obvious how biased that reviews was going to be, and from the first page, it basically just tries to find the one controversial part and pick on that the whole time. All the rest of them were just "I didn't find this funny". He also said it plays like a cover based shooter... uhh... I never once had to take cover? I could play DOOM like a cover based shooter and that doesn't make it one. But whatever, if you want to had a game based on a biased review and not ever play the game to form an opinion for yourself, go for it.

 

[MammothBlade]

Reviews save me from playing games based on features I know I won't like. I actually read reviews thoroughly, looking for a general idea of what the game's like. If there are real dealbreakers, the game isn't even worth a look. You can decide based on a trusted reviewer or two, that's what they're for. I'm not going to waste any time playing a game that is clearly not going to be what I'm looking for, when there are so many more suitable games out there.

If you're willing to write something off based on someone else's opinion without actually trying it yourself then who am I to argue.Just seems silly to me

Let's put it this way, reviewers play bad games so their readers don't have to. The real silly thing is expecting people to waste their time playing every game regardless of negative reviews.

 

[MetalDooley]

Let's put it this way, reviewers play bad games so their readers don't have to. The real silly thing is expecting people to waste their time playing every game regardless of negative reviews.

No deciding a game isn't for you based on reviews is fine.I've done it myself plenty of times over the years.Writing something off as one of the most disappointing games of the last half decade without trying it for yourself based solely on other peoples opinions is silly.See the difference?

 

[JEBWrench]

Can I put "everything by Rockstar since San Andreas except Red Dead Redemption" and call it a day? Or do I have to put Kingdoms of Amalur on the list too?

 

[MammothBlade]

Just from the first paragraph it was obvious how biased that reviews was going to be, and from the first page, it basically just tries to find the one controversial part and pick on that the whole time. All the rest of them were just "I didn't find this funny". He also said it plays like a cover based shooter... uhh... I never once had to take cover? I could play DOOM like a cover based shooter and that doesn't make it one. But whatever, if you want to had a game based on a biased review and not ever play the game to form an opinion for yourself, go for it.

Yes, that is subjective, but then, the humour is an essential part of the Duke Nukem game experience so an analysis of what comedy it has to offer certainly has a place in a Duke Nukem review.

But look at these gems:

As for the levels, remember when you could walk around in Duke Nukem 3D, exploring the environments, finding items, and locating the path needed to get ahead? That's over and done with. Duke Nukem Forever is one long corridor. You shoot your way through it, then there's a joke about a penis, then you shoot through another corridor?and then maybe you backtrack!?and then someone says something with curse words in it because that's edgy. With no exploration, no sense of joy at discovering something, there's no real way to forge your own path in the game. It's all point A to point B.

Duke, the biggest, baddest-ass warrior that Earth has to offer, also turns out to have his limits: he can carry only two weapons at a time, Halo-style. No matter what you're shooting, you'll wish for something else

Ok, some people might like those features, but that's the point where I consider it bad.

 

[MammothBlade]

Let's put it this way, reviewers play bad games so their readers don't have to. The real silly thing is expecting people to waste their time playing every game regardless of negative reviews.

No deciding a game isn't for you based on reviews is fine.I've done it myself plenty of times over the years.Writing something off as one of the most disappointing games of the last half decade without trying it for yourself based solely on other peoples opinions is silly.See the difference?

I was personally disappointed - after waiting for a fresh entry to Duke Nukem, it horribly upset my expectations.

 

[Erttheking]

5. The Force unleashed 2
4. Brink
3. Fable III
2. Borderlands
1. Mass Effect 3

 

[FootloosePhoenix]

I can't remember when some of these came out, exactly, but they're probably close enough. Not all of these games are necessarily shit, but disappointment was certainly felt on a large scale towards them. In no particular order:

LittleBigPlanet
It was cute and fun for awhile, but the novelty wore off relatively quick. The multiplayer was downright unplayable for me and the level designer...well, I just don't like level designers, but apparently it also wasn't good by level-designer standards. I'll still pick it up and play through a level on a very rare occasion for mindless fluffy fun, though.

Final Fantasy XIII
I said that not all of the games on my list are shit, but this one sure is. I just loath the entire thing, aside from some of the characters. There is no fun to be had in this game, just a lot of running down long corridors and mashing auto-battle. The game's story also makes me want to bash my head against a wall, despite the fact that I have a very high tolerance for any Final Fantasy-style overly-dramatic silliness. I also disliked the asshole of a final boss, though that's just an egg in the cake.

Skyrim
Oh, Skyrim. So much potential, so little realization of it. Skyrim isn't a bad game by any means, but it wasn't what I was hoping for at all. The emphasis is too heavy on the action for my tastes and it felt extremely watered-down in its actual RPG elements. I can't take playing it for very long anymore; more often than not I simply choose to play Oblivion instead for a real Elder Scrolls fix.

Mirror's Edge
This game looked like it had a promising concept, though really I never would have played it if my sister hadn't bought it. As it turns out, running through linear levels in first-person just isn't my idea of fun.

inFamous 2
Before I go anywhere with this, let me just say I think inFamous 2 is a solid game and I enjoyed myself immensely playing it the first two times. Partly I'm putting it here to round off my list, but it did leave me with severe disappointments in certain areas. First of all, I wasn't pleased with the departure from the overall style that was established by the first inFamous. Yes, there were still comic book cutscenes and all that, but even though the graphics were undeniably better, i2 felt generic in comparison. Second, the game's karma didn't improve in the original's very one-dimensional approach at all. In fact it made it worse in some ways. I have a plethora of other nit-picks, mainly about the plot and execution of Cole MacGrath's character, but I could go on all day about this.

Mainly my discontent with inFamous 2 is that, in my unpopular opinion, it's not as good as the first game. Nevertheless there were still a lot of things I liked about it, particularly the game's vastly different and entirely satisfying Good and Evil endings. Plus it was just downright fun, which is what counts, so I'm a little unnecessarily harsh on the game at times.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Metal Gear Solid 4, definately. Somehow worse than Metal Gear Solid 2. A fucking achievement if there ever was one.

Resident Evil 5 was a disappointment, too, but it is soon to become a game I'll be looking back to fondly with the release of Resident Evil 6.

 

[CannibalCorpses]

Skyrim...boring simple and easy to break
Fable 3...so easy it was tedious to play
Mass Effect 2...over simplified and barely a story
Dragon age origins...boring combat
Assassins creed 2...no challenge just more of the same

These aren't the worst 5 games i've ever played but the total lack of difficulty on them all is shamefull and deserves special mention. Graphics and story over gameplay is never the way to make a good game

 

[alphamalet]

5) F.3.A.R.
4) Splinter Cell Conviction
3) Skyrim
2) Grand theft Auto 4
1) Dragon Age 2. Fuck this game

 

[MetallicaRulez0]

Mortal Kombat
Black Ops
Dragon Age 2
Skyrim
The Old Republic

 

[Vivi22]

3) Just Cause 2- Overly Complex controls killed this game hard. Too bad, this game actually seemed somewhat decent actually. oh well.

Maybe it's because I'm playing it on PC, but I didn't find the controls overly complex at all. Easily the best sandbox game I've played in years.

 

[Baralak]

3) Just Cause 2- Overly Complex controls killed this game hard. Too bad, this game actually seemed somewhat decent actually. oh well.

Maybe it's because I'm playing it on PC, but I didn't find the controls overly complex at all. Easily the best sandbox game I've played in years.

I play on PC with an Xbox controller, and the controls are really, really simple. Not the most elegant, but simple and certainly functional.

 

[Vivi22]

I play on PC with an Xbox controller, and the controls are really, really simple. Not the most elegant, but simple and certainly functional.

Yeah, I couldn't really speak to using a controller since I've never played it with one. It was a friend of mine who got me interested in it though after he played it on the Xbox. He absolutely raved about it, and this is not a man who would tolerate even the slightest bit of annoyance from the controls. I'm usually pretty picky with this stuff, but he's even pickier than I am, and we've both played games we hate because of bad controls alone. I simply assumed the controls translated well onto a controller since he never mentioned any issues. In fact, when I told him I got it on PC he was concerned at first that it wouldn't play well with a mouse and keyboard at all.

 

[themind]

Diablo 3: Point and click died for me with this game.

Mass Effect 3: The ending, oh the loathing.

Fable 3: You can place the controller on the floor, make a pizza from scatch, do your laundry, go to work, and when you get home you still would not have died in combat. POS.

Dragon Age 2: The first one was tedium personified. This game has one of the most anti-climatic, broken storylines in a sequel that I ever saw.

Skyrim: I expected far too much, I freely admit, but I expected this to be a GOTY candidate. It was not.


I would add Duke Nukem: Forever, Final Fantasy, and Max Payne to this list if I had had any pre-conception that they would have been good games, but when your expectations are lower than a mole hole, it's unfair to lump them in with games I thought had a shot at greatness.