The 5 Most Disappointing Games of 2015
By Jasmine Henry 26 December 2015
Although 2015 was a year filled with gaming highs, the year also had a considerable amount of lows too. Game Rant looks at the year’s biggest gaming disappointments.
2015 was a real stand-out year for the games industry, with plenty of high points that impressed and wowed gamers. Not only did Microsoft’s Xbox One go backward compatible, letting people keep playing their Xbox 360 games even if they pack the console away, but highly anticipated sequels like Fallout 4 and Halo 5 also finally released.
However, 2015 had its fair share of disappointments as well, with some games failing to deliver on their promises or even function on a basic level. Here are Game Rant’s choices for the most disappointing games of 2015.
Batman: Arkham Knight on PC
Billed as an explosive conclusion to an incredible trilogy, Batman: Arkham Knight did manage to be just that…but only on PS4 and Xbox One. The PC version of the game was marred by severe technical issues that made the game almost unplayable. In fact, the PC build was so problematic that publisher Warner Bros. Interactive pulled it from sale and began to offer refunds.
Looking past allegations that Warner Bros. knew that Batman: Arkham Knight PC was broken, many were glad to see the game return some months after its initial release date. Sadly, that relaunch wasn’t without problems and it still took several patches to get the game right.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5
After Shred and Ride (two Tony Hawk games that used a plastic skateboard peripheral as a controller) ultimately failed to revolutionize the skating franchise, fans were pleased to hear that a series reboot, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, was in the works. But pre-release gameplay looked rough, with graphics that looked dated for a current-gen release and gameplay that featured odd quirks.
Those concerns didn’t disappear at launch either when the current-gen version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 was filled to the brim, almost comically, with bugs and glitches. Needless to say, whatever shot the Tony Hawk franchise had at making a comeback was soon crushed by fan disappointment.
The Order: 1886
While Sony is the first to admit that the PS4’s holiday line-up didn’t look so hot, The Order: 1886 was among a slate of early 2015 games that was to make up for that void. The game’s revisionist Victorian setting may have looked absolutely phenomenal, but many critics and fans agreed that it was all style over substance.
In addition to being criticized for its generic gameplay and shooting, most people pointed to the game’s incredibly short length as its biggest disappointment. In fact, the controversy surrounding the game’s length was so loud that it sparked an industry-wide debate regarding how long all games should be.
Evolve
With giant monsters and teams of players being working together to take down those hulking, player-controlled beasts, the right execution could have made Evolve of one the most popular multiplayer titles of the year. But sadly, it fell well short of the mark.
Not only has the game been called out for bland maps and stale gameplay, but the lack of a playerbase has also proved to be a thorn in its side. Evolve‘s playerbase sank like a lead balloon not long after launch and despite Turtle Rock Studios best efforts things haven’t gotten better.
Godzilla
After 2014’s Godzilla brought the giant prehistoric lizard back into the limelight, many were surprised that the Godzilla video game, which was released on PS4 this year, also managed to let people down.
The biggest gripe people had with Godzilla were the graphics, which some said looked more like they were ripped from the PS3 or even the PS2 era. Moreover, players weren’t fond of the level design or the movement, which, in a game about stomping around as a giant monster that knocks down buildings, is a pretty egregious offense.
Do you agree with this list of big video game disappointments? Which other games failed to live up to the hype? Leave a comment and let us know.
