gaming Biggest Lost Potential in Gaming

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,907]

Every game or system that is ever made has all sorts of potential, sometimes hidden. Some games/systems hit that potential and others, while possibly still being great, doesn't quite hit what it could have. This could be anything, so the subject is fairly broad. 

What games/systems do you think were lost potential? 

Here is an example from me: Eat Lead; The Return of Matt Hazard. A game that takes place in a game, where you play as a washed up game character out of his prime. The game is littered with all sorts of jokes about other games and video games in general. That should be awesome! The lost potential is that the game itself sucks, really bad. It is plagued by terrible design, terrible control, frustrating gameplay and it is just boring. That really sucks too. How awesome would it be to have a game now that makes fun of the gaming industry and the game itself is also great? It would be really fun. 

[Megas 27,852]

Almost any game that gets cancelled

Biggest offenders being Megaman Legends 3, Starcraft Ghosts, Silent Hills, and Scalebound

[Altscar 49]

Battlefield: Hardline. It went completely dead on online multiplayer after a few weeks of launch.

[Scrubbed user 3,417]

Assetto Corsa. A sim made by a very small team located in a pit garage at the Vallelunga circuit in Italy. They really had something during it's Steam Early Access days, but it started falling short soon after version 1.0. They also decided to partner with 505 Games to release it on consoles. It was there that it really lost it's way. It still lacks basic features that other sims have had for over a decade. It lacks a lot of content, but modders have been able to fill the gaps. The physics engine still isn't up to par with the most hardcore sims. It also doesn't help that Stefano Casillo goes off on anyone who even has any kind of constructive criticism of the game, even banning that person from their forum.

[cmarston1 5,960]

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the infamous Mighty No 9 yet.

For a Kickstarter campaign that seemed to have everything going for it at the beginning, it is really depressing just how much went wrong with it.

I don't think I have ever seen a game that has left more people disappointing than it in recent memory.

Edited May 29, 2017 by cmarston1

[Floofie 799]

Battleborn. That game probably could've been successful, but it released at the worst possible time.

 

[Denim&Venöm 19,620]

Wrestling games were my bread and butter. I say 'were' because everything from WWE has released from Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 though to last years 2K17 feel like steps backwards compared to earlier titles. The story and career modes are dull, boring, repetitive slogs. The graphics are starting to lag behind in terms of quality. Every feature added on has another taken out. Create an arena and create a female wrestler were brought back, but then create a finisher was taken out and create a championship has not returned. The beloved general manager mode has yet to make a comeback. And features that made games back in the PS2 era so critically acclaimed have yet to make a come back. Like brawling from the ring, to the back stage area to outside the building. 

Another gripe is that the games are moving a lot closer to simulation based. I get that they're steering towards realism. But all that does is cause the games to be slow, muted, tedious processes. Infusing a bit of arcade style speed and fluidity would come a long way. We're here to play WWE, not watch it. At least they got one aspect of the simulation part right: the play by play commentary. It's just as nonsensical, apathetic, and mind numbing to listen to as the real thing. Maybe out of all the things to get accurate, that shouldn't be one of them. 

And some of these issues can be linked back to the games aging engine. It needs a complete overhaul. But with an annual release schedule, it's not likely. And frankly I don't think WWE cares about making the next great game. Release the same game as last year, just with an updated roster to get a taste of that sweet holiday season cash. Rinse, repeat.

The technology exists to make a great wrestling game that even non-fans can like. Both WWF: No Mercy & WCW/nWo: Revenge for the N64 blew peoples minds, and still does to this day. And Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain for the PS2 has mechanics and features that have aged well to this day. Yet like for their programming, WWE learn all the wrong lessons from their past, and blindly march forward, settling for the status quo. 

[Vocal Analyst 665]

21 hours ago, Denim&Venom said:

Wrestling games were my bread and butter. I say 'were' because everything from WWE has released from Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 though to last years 2K17 feel like steps backwards compared to earlier titles. The story and career modes are dull, boring, repetitive slogs. The graphics are starting to lag behind in terms of quality. Every feature added on has another taken out. Create an arena and create a female wrestler were brought back, but then create a finisher was taken out and create a championship has not returned. The beloved general manager mode has yet to make a comeback. And features that made games back in the PS2 era so critically acclaimed have yet to make a come back. Like brawling from the ring, to the back stage area to outside the building. 

Another gripe is that the games are moving a lot closer to simulation based. I get that they're steering towards realism. But all that does is cause the games to be slow, muted, tedious processes. Infusing a bit of arcade style speed and fluidity would come a long way. We're here to play WWE, not watch it. At least they got one aspect of the simulation part right: the play by play commentary. It's just as nonsensical, apathetic, and mind numbing to listen to as the real thing. Maybe out of all the things to get accurate, that shouldn't be one of them. 

And some of these issues can be linked back to the games aging engine. It needs a complete overhaul. But with an annual release schedule, it's not likely. And frankly I don't think WWE cares about making the next great game. Release the same game as last year, just with an updated roster to get a taste of that sweet holiday season cash. Rinse, repeat.

The technology exists to make a great wrestling game that even non-fans can like. Both WWF: No Mercy & WCW/nWo: Revenge for the N64 blew peoples minds, and still does to this day. And Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain for the PS2 has mechanics and features that have aged well to this day. Yet like for their programming, WWE learn all the wrong lessons from their past, and blindly march forward, settling for the status quo. 

Sadly, I wish Yukes could change the engine, as it would make things flow better and look superb.

It still boggles my mind that Here Comes The Pain and Day Of Reckoning still remain the quintessential titles gameplay-wise, while SvR 2006 was the pinnacle in terms of depth and content... I haven't enjoyed a WWE game outright since 2K14 and wish that WWE would just expand the titles and give them more to do. Universe Mode has so much potential but is let down by the fact it isn't a bare shell when you start it, making its tagline of 'It's Your Universe Now' seem redundant.

Wrestling games alongside Sonic were my gaming childhood, and to see them go into mediocrity is quite depressing.

[Angle Alastor 3,805]

i would say is companys that we trust...it gets harder and harder for fans of the games they love from the companys they make for example....no mans sky was going to be the biggest hyped game of the year but brings us huge dissapointments and lies so what im trying to say is we like our gaming companies but its getting harder and harder to trust them with the promises they bring us.

[Meson Bolt 2,649]

Pretty much every Sonic the Hedgehog game, but especially Sonic '06. That game possibly could've been good, but sadly the team was rushed far too much and pushed the game about six months before it was actually completed.