Biggest Video Game Disappointments in 2011
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The games of 2011 that broke our hearts and our wallets.
As I continue on my end of the year round-up, I’ve repeatedly said how 2011 has been a great year for gaming. With so many incredible titles being released across practically all genres and platforms, it’s an exciting time to be a gamer.
However, like every year, 2011 certainly had its fair share of stinkers. There were games that were crapped out by studios looking to make a quick buck, over-ambitious games that fell far short of the mark and games that simply… disappointed.
It’s the third type of title that I want to look at today. For one reason or another, these games failed to live up to the expectations that their publisher had (rightly or wrongly) set with the pre-release hype.
5: Dragon Age 2
Developer/Publisher: BioWare/EA
Why did it disappoint? DA2 is an odd one. Eagle-eyed readers will note that it’s also one of my choices for the 10 most fun games of 2011. Unfortunately, as well as being a legitimately enjoyable game, its disappointments held it back from being truly great.
With copy-pasted identical dungeons, glitchiness, repetitive side-quests and a truly lacklustre ending, DA2 made enough missteps to cast itself in a negative light compared to its predecessor; Dragon Age: Origins.
Worst Aspect: Those copy-pasted dungeons simply weren’t good enough for a developer of BioWare usually outstanding quality. That kind of laziness is an absolute deal breaker that cheapened a game that showed so much promise. Here’s hoping that DA3 will get things back on track.
4: RAGE
Developer/Publisher: id/Bethesda Softworks
Why did it disappoint? Again, RAGE wasn’t a bad game as it showed so much promise but it fell down noticeably in terms of basic storytelling, linear gameplay and a truly terrible PC version.
For such a beautifully crafted gaming environment (provided you played it on a console, not a PC) RAGE was actually incredibly restrictive as it shunted you through a small handful of territories rather than letting you explore anything like other big, post-apocalyptic games like Fallout 3 allow you to do. This straightjacket of linear levels really felt utterly confining after just a few hours of play.
RAGE’s biggest failing and greatest disappointment is that its story is horrendously bland. There isn’t a single engaging character or plot device to speak of and the instead of any kind of resolution, the game simply…ends.
Given that it featured well-crafted combat mechanics, awesome gadgets for the player to craft, a nice mix of mini-games and some solid driving gameplay, RAGE could and should have been developer id’s triumphant return. Instead it was another “could have been great” disappointment.
Worst Aspect: The inability to give any of the action any meaning. I never cared about who I was fighting for, or against, as the game did such an awful job of providing any sense of what was going on, or what the player’s part in events meant.
3: Homefront
Developer/Publisher: Kaos Studios/THQ
Why did it disappoint? With its short campaign, stale gameplay and sluggish controls, Homefront simply wasn’t polished to the standard needed to outshine other FPS titles such as Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3.
Kaos took an interesting and engaging concept for a new type of FPS, layered on the atmosphere cleverly enough, but failed to make the action smooth and engaging enough to convert a good idea into a great game.
Worst Aspect: The controls of Homefront simply don’t make you feel like you’re in a dynamic shooter. It constantly feels like you’re wading through syrup to get to grips with the enemy.
2: Brink
Developer/Publisher: Splash Damage/ Bethesda Softworks
Why did it disappoint? Like Homefront, Brink looked like it was going to be something special as it promised something new with its new Parkour-style movement system. Unfortunately, the smooth feeling of leaping over obstacles and terrain didn’t disguise the fact that when your character landed they would still be in a shooter plagued with technical difficulties, uninspired combat mechanics and truly hopeless AI.
Worst Aspect: Brink’s single-player campaign showcases the laughably bad AI which makes the whole affair something to slog through rather than enjoy completing.
1: Duke Nukem Forever
Developer/Publisher: 3D Realms, Triptych Games, Gearbox Software, Piranha Games (basically, everyone under the sun had a crack at developing this garbage!)/ Aspyr Media, 2K Games
Why did it disappoint? Oh Duke, where do I start? Well, my Duke Nukem Forever review would be a good place to direct readers who want to see a truly withering account of how much someone can loathe a game. There’s enough bile in there to drown a series of small countries.
Practically every aspect of DNF is inexcusably wrong. From the puerile and awkwardly creepy humor to the stale, pedestrian combat, the game is a seedy sack of unrecognizable FPS offal that mashes shooter mechanics together with no rhyme or reason. I cannot cite one redeeming feature of DNF that could save it from being the worst, most disappointing game that should have stayed dead and buried.
Worst Aspect: While every aspect of DNF screams to be criticized, the game’s sheer dullness stands out the most. Linear levels with hum-drum turret sequences, overly simple boss fights and laughable “puzzles” just add up to a bland lump of gaming gristle.
Dishonorable Mentions
So there are the heartbreakers of 2011. Looking forward, I have no doubt that 2012 will hold a whole host of equally disappointing games along with its top tier successes and surprise smash hits.
This list does not by any means include all the awful video game titles of 2011. Not by a long shot. There were plenty of other half-assed attempts at games that were brought screaming into the world this year, so I’d like to give them a DIShonorable mention now.
Please note that most of these games were worse than the ones listed above. However, they weren’t disappointing to me, because I didn’t expect anything of them in the first place:
X-Men Destiny
Spider-Man: Edge of Time
Call of Juarez: The Cartel
Knights Contract
