Top 10 Most Disappointing Video Game Sequels
-
Duke Nukem Forever
There was basically no way that Duke Nukem Forever could have been anything but a disappointment. A 15-year development cycle meant that the game had to be rebuilt from the ground up several times, and even then it failed to compete with more modern titles.
By the time the game finally came out in 2011, gaming standards had evolved to a point where the childish jokes and lack of distinct gameplay could only be seen as boring.
-
Mass Effect: Andromeda
The Mass Effect series is one of the biggest RPG franchises in recent memory. The original trilogy dominated the last generation of consoles. Despite a few missteps in terms of gameplay and storytelling, the first three games are remembered as a new evolution in role-playing adventures.
The much-anticipated follow-up, Mass Effect: Andromeda, came out in 2017 and was the first game from the franchise to be released on PS4/Xbox One. While fans were super excited prior to the game's release, a lack of new alien species to encounter, a stale plot, and a huge number of bugs led to an experience that's anything but epic.
The game was so disappointing that EA has since put the series on an indefinite hold.
-
Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil 6 tried to expand upon everything that made the series great, but ended up with far too much fluff. With a wide range of characters and separate storylines, the 2013 game had little direction, and everything felt overly complicated.
There's also little in the way of survival horror elements, and the game more closely resembled a generic shooter. With over 30 unlockable weapons, ammo is rarely scarce, and enemies felt more like temporary hold-ups than monstrosities.
The plotlines feature few genuinely scary moments and challenge players' patience more than their abilities.
-
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
In the '90s and early 2000s, Banjo-Kazooie and its immediate sequel established a new standard for platformers. When Rare announced that they were making a brand-new entry for the Xbox 360, excitement quickly began to build.
However, 2008's Nuts & Bolts isn't a classic platformer. Instead, it's a sort of hybrid between a racer and a collection/building game. It's nothing like the other titles in the series, and this departure caught the majority of fans off guard.
While the game is still pretty fun, most were confused as to why the Banjo name had been tacked onto a title that seemingly had nothing to do with the franchise.
-
Driv3r
Released in 2004 for the Xbox and PlayStation 2, Driv3r is the third installment in the highly praised Driver series. The original games managed to create fully realized open worlds that were on the level of blockbuster hits like Grand Theft Auto.
Driv3r was meant to surpass the popularity of GTA by taking sandbox games to a new level, but things didn't quite pan out like that. The final product featured dated gameplay mechanics and an uninteresting story that ultimately went nowhere.
The game also seemed partially unfinished, and many speculated that it was rushed to release before it was ready. In the days before downloadable patches, this type of oversight was the kiss of death for many slapdash games.
-
Killzone: Shadow Fall
Almost every entry in the Killzone franchise has been widely acclaimed, but the 2013 PS4 launch title Killzone: Shadow Fall was not well received. Much of the criticism stemmed from the game's dull story and the shift in gameplay focus that made the title feel markedly different from previous installments.
Many fans felt like it was a tech demo meant to show off the graphical capabilities of the new console, rather than a fully fleshed out experience. While there are some moments of enjoyment to be found in the game, it lacks the cohesive polish of past installments.
-
Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures
When a sequel disregards everything that made the original game so great, you can be sure that fans are in for a terrible letdown. While some reimaginings can feel innovative, fans don't want too much deviation, as a sequel is essentially supposed to continue on from its predecessor.
In the case of Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures, creators swapped out the high-octane maze action for a point-and-click adventure. Players click aimlessly around a slow-moving world as they try to guide Pac-Man through a series of tasks.
Just because the 1994 game was designed for home consoles (rather than arcades) doesn't mean that fans wanted all the addictive elements stripped away.
-
Ninja Gaiden 3
The Ninja Gaiden series is known for its incredibly hard gameplay and complex combat. In the time leading up to Ninja Gaiden 3's 2012 release, many were worried that these elements might be discarded in favor of creating a more streamlined game that would attract mainstream players.
When the game hit store shelves, fans' worst fears were confirmed. The developers removed all of the depth in order to make combat less of a challenge. The messy plot and confusing ending only exacerbated matters, and the gameplay ended up disappointing basically everyone.
-
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
-
Mega Man X7
-
?
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
-
?
Attack on Titan 2
-
The Last of Us Part II
-
Metroid Fusion
-
Kerbal Space Program 2
-
X-COM: Terror from the Deep
-
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
-
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
-
Metroid: Other M
-
Earthworm Jim 3D
-
Wario Land: Shake It!
-
PaRappa the Rapper 2
-
Earthworm Jim 2
-
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
-
Yoshi's Story
-
Halo 4
-
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
