Another year, another list of disappointing video games for folks to steer clear of. It’s mid-2021 so far, and there are already a ton of such games to strike off a list. Some were surprising to many, while others were quite predictable.
Although the world seems well on its way to recovery, there will surely be some more of these titles on the way further down the year. So, for now, here’s a shortlist of those games that have been deemed the most disappointing of the bunch so far.
'Werewolf The Apocalypse: Earthblood'
Board games becoming video games is a fairly popular trend in the gaming industry. But if titles like ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ have taught the masses anything, it’s that this doesn’t always go smoothly. The latest was ‘Werewolf The Apocalypse: Earthbound,’ an RPG that crashed and burned due to a culmination of clunky combat, a repetitive mission structure, and a bland protagonist.
'Taxi Chaos'
It’s almost impossible to accept ‘Taxi Chaos’ as a true spiritual successor to the classic ‘Crazy Taxi.’ While the game appears to pay homage to its predecessor, it possessed neither the spirit nor the success to do so. The art style and crazy driving felt somewhat bland in comparison. Therefore, it won’t scratch that nostalgic itch for ‘Crazy Taxi’ fans as promised.
'Evil Inside'
When the infamous ‘P.T.’ (playable teaser to the canceled ‘Silent Hills’) was unleashed upon an unsuspecting player base, it sparked an internet phenomenon that inspired many imitators to act as spiritual successors. Unfortunately, ‘Evil Inside’ landed itself at the bottom of the barrel with its weak jump scares and ridiculously short campaign mode.
'Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance'
When one thinks of "Dungeons & Dragons," they think of glorious memories of stomping out demonic hordes across c dungeons. So when fans heard that the popular ‘Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance’ was getting a spiritual successor, they couldn’t be more ecstatic. Unfortunately, ‘D&D: Dark Alliance’ was an unmemorable experience due to horrendous AI, glitches, and terrible design choices all around.
'Balan Wonderworld'
This one truly hurt considering it was conceived by Yuji Naka, the mastermind behind the ‘Sonic’ franchise and ‘Night into Dreams.’ Much like its predecessors, ‘Balan Wonderworld’ was a platformer filled with charm. But it lacked any brilliance to be one. A disjointed narrative, uninspired gameplay, and bland content culminated into a boring platformer; something a visionary like Naka shouldn’t be known for. What a shame!
