Too Human

Too Human

Game developer Silicon Knights sought to create a sprawling narrative epic in the late ’90s. With norse mythology woven into a sci-fi universe, Too Human was set to feature an immersive open-world, rich storytelling, and an addictive blend of combat styles. None of this would turn out to be true. The massive game (split across four separate game discs) was meant to be part of a trilogy, but a lukewarm kickoff ruined any plans for a sequel.

Too Human was just not a fun time. The simplistic gameplay mechanics meant that there was no way to control the camera, which would gyrate and wiggle around unpredictably during combat. Getting too close to walls would result in glitchy visuals, and the level design was surprisingly milquetoast.

Minimal secrets and side quests made the otherwise beautiful world feel one-dimensional, and it was pretty easy to breeze through the game in one sitting, considering you’d respawn right where you die. Critics harshly reviewed the game, and Silicon Knights never moved forward with the game’s sequels as a result.

The Order: 1886

The Order: 1886

From the creators of God of War, The Order: 1886 was set to be Ready at Dawn’s new foray into crafting a franchise of their own. The environments of gritty 1800s London were gorgeous and foggy and musty, and the narrative and character arcs were well constructed and compelling.

But The Order: 1886 lacked any sort of multiplayer, and the short single-player story petered out like a wet fart, leaving many of the arcs unresolved. It seemed to be a purposeful decision, as Ready at Dawn planned to release many sequels to the game. But enthusiasm for the game quickly faded as a result of its limp single player, and any follow-up was never spoken of again.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Mass Effect and its parent studio BioWare had both been long renowned for crafting stunning gameplay and breathtaking stories stuffed into a fully realized galactic open world. The story behind the original trilogy was the stuff of legends, but Mass Effect: Andromeda was a laughing stock.

BioWare simply set its sights too high with the fourth game and failed to materialize the vast open galaxies they hyped up. The initial designs required hundreds upon hundreds of procedurally generated planets, but the game had to be scaled down and rebuilt multiple times, resulting in a final product that felt hollow. Any further plans for Mass Effect were permanently shelved as a result of the tepid reception to Andromeda, and let’s not even get started on those harrowing facial animations.

Duke Nukem Forever

Duke Nukem Forever

Duke Nukem has a long history of having both good and terrible entries in the series, but Duke Nukem Forever was hands down the worst out of all of them, and the series never recovered. After years of development, Duke Nukem Forever arrived at a time when the machismo shooter was undeniably irrelevant.

Nukem’s humor was offensive and in poor taste, and the game frankly looked like sh*t. Diluted lighting and muffled character designs made the whole experience feel and look old, and Nukem’s crass womanizing narcissism made players want to punch him in the mouth. Needless to say, the Duke hasn’t returned since.

Call of Duty: Ghosts

Call of Duty: Ghosts

After the monumental success of Modern Warfare one through three, Infinity Ward moved on to a fresh new concept within the Call of Duty realm. But in 2013, Call of Duty: Ghosts proved to be one of the most disappointing entries in the franchise. It had all the fast-paced bells and whistles of the previous Call of Duty entries, but the game felt corporatized and barely added any new features to the tried-and-true formula of COD. As a result, Infinity Ward brought on a new narrative director, and the Ghosts sub-series was canned altogether.

The Thing

The Thing

Computer Artworks had a genuinely fun idea of taking the sci-fi horror flick The Thing and making a sequel to the film in the form of an innovative horror game. The designers tried to add in fear/trust AI workings into the gameplay so that players would become suspicious of whether you or your friends were actually an alien; but frankly, the mechanics weren’t refined enough to be as terrifying as advertised.

Throw in a shoddy control scheme, piss-poor graphics, and a brief playtime, the game received mediocre reviews from the jump. Computer Artworks planned to move forward regardless and make another entry, but The Thing‘s failure nearly bankrupted the company.

Lost Planet 3

Lost Planet 3

The first Lost Planet was well-received. A fun, light-hearted third-person action game, the combat was fluid and versatile, and the frozen world felt full. The game’s second entry was less respected, criticized for its clunky controls and incoherent story, but fun boss battles and other combat highlights kept the sequel from being fully dismissed.

Lost Planet 3, on the other hand, suffocated what little charm the series had and instead put forth a game riddled with piss-poor gameplay mechanics and horrendous acting. The series has been quiet ever since.

Medal of Honor: Warfighter

Medal of Honor: Warfighter

In its heyday, the Medal of Honor series was one of the best historical shooters on the market. Warfighter was advertised as an authentic step up from 2010’s tepid Medal of Honor reboot. The developers worked alongside actual members of SEAL Team Six when developing the game, hoping to add a breadth of realism and grit that COD didn’t have.

Needless to say, the game was a disaster. The single-player gameplay was so choreographed that it never presented any real sort of danger or challenge, and the multiplayer was hollow and consisted of ugly maps and vapid game modes. Not to mention, the game was just composed of low-end ugly graphics. Any further plan for the Medal of Honor series has since been taken out of rotation.