The quality of video games these days is undoubtedly increasing every month or two, but there are some games that actually go in the opposite direction. Buying a game that is $40-60 and then realizing it was nothing but a waste of time and money can get pretty frustrating. In this feature we present to you the games this generation that actually made you just want to bang your head against a wall wondering why you bought these games in the first place (in no particular order).
Note: This list might not include your favorite games but you can always mention them in the comments section below.
Terminator Salvation
Release year: 2009
Terminator Salvation, released in 2009, was a very good way to fool gamers in to buying this game and, at a full price of $60. The game had a lot of issues including staggering frame rate, bland characters and no reason as to why are you shooting the terminators in the game. This game was a poor attempt of recreating the blockbuster movie that was released at the same time.
Army of Two
Release year: 2008
I will state this before I start describing Army of Two. Some people actually liked this a lot due to the co-op functionality. But I was one of the “unfortunate” ones that thought otherwise. Army of Two back then was a great idea, where you and your friend could get along, shoot some enemies and finish the game in 4 hours. Excuse me! What did I say? 4 hours? Yes sir, the game was just 4 hrs, all that at a full price of $60. Couple that with uneven shooting mechanics and repetitive game play elements- this game a worthy entry in this list.
Haze
Release year: 2008
Touted as a “Halo Killer” by many PlayStation 3 fans (there was Resistance back then), Haze was nothing but one of the majorly screwed up games of 2008. The game had a plethora of glitches, PlayStation 2 type visuals and inconsistent artificial intelligence. There goes another “Halo Killer” down.
Stormrise
Release year: 2009
Stormrise is terrible, plain and simple. Do not buy or play it. It’s a shame that this game is so lousy; it had so much potential pre-launch. This is why games like this should have a demo or beta. Had there been some way to know how bad this game was going it would either A) Save myself and others from wasting their money, or B) Force the developers to put more effort into actually making the game workable. Do not by any means buy this game.
G.I. Joe:The Rise of Cobra
Release year: 2009
Why do they always have to release a game based on a simultaneous movie release? Oh well… I don’t know the answer either. Well let me tell you something that you might be interested in. The game had downright pathetic graphics and game play. Its just another example of making good money on the basis of a movie, while compromising the quality. Sorry…they were not the “Real American Heros”.
Lair
Release year: 2007
Lair was arguably one of the most hyped PlayStation 3 games since 2006. Rather ironic- “The bigger they are, the harder they fall”. One of the major reasons why this game flopped after so much potential was that developers rushed in to it, since the PlayStation 3 did not have too many great games back then. Even though the developers did a great job of making a handbook on how the “play” this game, it was too late.
Too Human
Release year: 2008
Oh! Well if some of the PlayStation 3 fans are yelling at me and thinking, “Lair? Why the hell is Too Human not listed?” Here we go then. Too Human was one of the most hyped up Xbox 360 exclusives of 2008. But it was nothing but a waste of time and energy for us. A common criticism I had was the death sequence where a Valkyrie collects the player’s body as being too long. It was nothing but frustrating and annoying for a player. Too Human was under development for almost a decade (since it was first announced in 1999), and after 10 years, we get a flop and an underachieved game. Sad, isn’t it?
Sonic Unleashed
Release year: 2009
To be honest with you guys, I was really anticipating the game back in January, 2009. I was sure that with time Sega would rekindle the franchise and hopefully it will be fun again to play the Hedgehog we have loved and grown with. The game was combat heavy and the unwanted day to night sequences which forced you to change your game play was not welcomed by the gamers. The game still went on to sell 2.45 million copies…Gosh! That is some”waste” of money!
Ninja Blade
Release year: 2009
Ninja Blade was a decent attempt at stealing Ninja Gaiden’s thunder, but falls short on everything it tries to do. But then again who will want to waste their time and play this game (well, we did so that we can review it). Ninja Blade can deliver some epic moments and some moderate thrills; but minor glitches, a lot of clichés, and way too many quick time events make this game derivative and annoying. If you’re not sure, rent it, if you hate ninjas, Ken definitely won’t change your mind, and if you’re a pirate fan…maybe they’ll make Pirate Blade?
Spider Man 3
Release year: 2007
Spider Man 3 was…just like the previous games. It had nothing new to offer. The single player mode gets done with in a flash, the graphics were disappointing and had tons of glitches. Another game based on a super hit movie and another classic case where video games based on movies go horribly wrong.
Dark Void
Release year: 2010
Dark Void is easily the first game of 2010 where we have wasted our time and money. We are still playing this game (check out for the full review soon) and we are pretty confident that it won’t be getting a great score. The game had promise but that is the only thing it has. It tries to mimic Gears of War at certain stages but fails to replicate it.
Alone in the Dark
Release year: 2008
The game saw two releases. One on the Xbox 360…it did not work out for them. A few months later on the PlayStation 3…it still did not work out for them. Alone in the Dark had shabby controls and vexing technical flaws; if the developers had put in more effort back then it could have made our time and money worth it.
James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game
Release year: 2009
Avatar is easily one of the most amazing films that I have ever seen. Too bad the video game rip off is a big letdown. The game had boring game play, boring set piece battles, poor story, lousy vehicle controls, bad shooting mechanics and lacked multiplayer. In other words- stay away from it.
Vampire Rain
Release year: 2007
The name sounds scary. But unfortunately, the only scary thing about this game is the gameplay- and not in a good way. Ripping game play elements from Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell to kill vampires. Wait a second…did I say vampires? Yes I did. Okay I guess you got the idea then. Vampire Rain is an amazing example on how to waste your time and money.
Quantum of Solace
Release year: 2008
Another game based on a movie and another poor attempt at making a movie based video game. As EuroGamer rightly put this in their review: “How can it possibly fail? As it turns out, by being dull, repetitive, unchallenging, ruinously linear, and one of the shortest full-priced games ever.” Sorry this 007 is just another way to make your balance to 000.