Sometimes games have a long cycle of promotion before they release, with an undeniably huge hype train attached. Hollow Knight: Silksong is a good example, as that was announced in 2019 before releasing in 2025. It was almost too big to fail, and while there are some who didn’t find the game enjoyable because of the difficulty, most would say it was worth the wait.
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These games may not look as visually stunning as others, but they more than make up for it in the gameplay department.
These other games had muddier launches. Maybe they were glitchy at first, leading to bad review scores, or maybe they were released alongside something bigger. Whatever the case may be, fans wanted to love these games more, but they may have never finished them for several reasons.
Starfield
Bethesda’s Next Big Franchise
Starfield
- Released
- September 6, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield was the next big project from Bethesda, and it was going to be Fallout in space. A lot of hopes were riding on the game being just as big, if not bigger, than Fallout 4 in terms of popularity, especially since it took five years to come out after it was teased in 2018.
While Starfield launched perfectly fine and some players liked it, it wasn’t the space RPG revolution that many had hoped it would be. Most players probably checked it out and enjoyed the combat improvements and maybe the ship-building mechanics, but most also fell off after a point.
Anthem
BioWare’s Strike Two
Anthem
- Released
- February 22, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
BioWare disappointed many fans with Mass Effect: Andromeda, and Anthem was the next game following that project. Fans were hopeful that this was going to be an improvement, but it was seemingly strike two for the developer.
The launch was fine enough, but what upset fans the most was the content, as there wasn’t much of it, especially in the endgame. What was there wasn’t as compelling as BioWare'sother RPGs to keep players interested, and the road map for updates wasn’t clearly spelled out. The positives were high, as flying with the mechanized suits, called Javelins, gave players a freedom that they had never experienced before, but the lows were way too low to recover from.
No Man’s Sky
Not The Promised Land
No Man's Sky
- Released
- August 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Animated Blood
- Developer(s)
- Hello Games
No Man’s Sky promised the world when it was unveiled in 2013, but the launch was nothing but a very basic space sim with lots of procedural generation. Players could get a ship, fly from planet to planet, and discover new life, but there didn’t seem to be a game behind the scavenging and exploration.
There was no multiplayer, for example, and the action wasn’t all that thrilling. Eventually, with the No Man's Sky Next update in 2018, the game started to shape up into what was initially advertised. By that point, most players abandoned the game. They may have since heard it was good from others, but just never returned.
Cyberpunk 2077
A Bad Launch
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
Cyberpunk 2077 had a rough launch as well, but it’s not because it undelivered on a promise. The console versions on Xbox One and PS4 did not run well, giving everyone a blurry texture overlay as if it were an Early Access game.
It ran fine on PC, and if players were able to buy an Xbox Series X/S or PS5 at launch, then the game looked and ran better, but players still consistently reported crashes after about fifteen minutes of play. It was a lot of nonsense to deal with, which is why many put it down, hoping to come back eventually. They may or may not have done so after CD Projekt Red released a few patches.
Ring Fit Adventure
It’s A Commitment
Ring Fit Adventure
- Released
- October 18, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo, Nintendo EPD
- Genre(s)
- Sports
Ring Fit Adventure was a lot more detailed than anyone imagined for an exercise game from Nintendo. The motion-based technology worked well, leading to players getting a good sweat on, and the game itself was a meaty turn-based RPG with inventive moves to battle monsters.
Much like any exercise routine, it’s a commitment, and not everyone had the stomach to keep playing. It wasn’t the game’s fault so much as it was people falling off a workout routine, as players need the will to keep exercising even if the game itself is fun.
Dead Island
Not Quite The Next Borderlands
Dead Island
- Released
- September 6, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Techland
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Survival Horror
In the early 2010s, players were desperate for action RPGs with co-op on the scale of Borderlands. That’s why Dead Island looked so appealing, and while there was fun to be had, players had to suffer through glitches to get to the good stuff.
The story was nothing to write home about, and the bugs caused everything from save errors to quest snafus. The core gameplay of teaming up with friends, building weird equipment, and beating the snot out of zombies was satisfying, but there were a lot of quality issues to sift through that not everyone enjoyed enough to finish it.
Shenmue 3
Decades In The Making
Shenmue 3
- Released
- November 19, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Shenmue dazzled players on the Dreamcast in 2000 in North America, while the next chapter was soon to follow on the original Xbox. After a long spell of no news, fans gave up hope for a sequel until Shenmue 3 was eventually released in 2019. For better or worse, it was certainly a successor to the franchise, but that’s also why some fans were disappointed.
Shenmue 3 basically ignored video game development over the past two decades, and it was like playing a Dreamcast game all over again. As such, while fans were curious about story progression, they just couldn’t push themselves through a bland adventure that felt dated mechanically.
Death Stranding
Kojima’s Phantom Follow-Up
Death Stranding
- Released
- November 8, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Genre(s)
- Action
Death Stranding was the next big game from Hideo Kojima after leaving Konami, so all eyes were on it. While it was nowhere near a bad game, a lot of people fell off because it was unlike any other Kojima game that came before. It was essentially a walking simulator.
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The story was also harder to understand than expected, the mechanics could literally trip up players if they weren’t careful, and the deliveries that made up the main gameplay loop were long and arduous. Most complaints were solved in the sequel, but everything about Death Stranding was divisive.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Not Quite Skyrim
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Released
- February 13, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Warhorse Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
The promise of Kingdom Come: Deliverance was to give players a giant open-world to explore in a medieval setting without it being fantasy-based. The historical value was riveting, as the town settings and NPCs behaved similarly to hosts at a Renaissance Fair.
However, it was also one of the slowest RPGs to build momentum, as players had to work to get an established spot in society with a good set of gear. This buildup was not something that every player signed up for when imagining that the game was going to be quick to learn, like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, minus the magic.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Not Quite As Impactful
Divinity: Original Sin 2
- Released
- September 14, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
It was a miracle when Larian Studios was able to bring the Divinity series back from the dead with Divinity: Original Sin, giving players one of the best PC-style RPGs in ages. While the sequel, Divinity: Original Sin 2, was just as good, it felt less special. It was proof that lightning couldn’t strike twice to create a cultural phenomenon.
That is, until Larian Studios brought Baldur’s Gate back from the dead as well. It begs the question, would Baldur’s Gate 4 be seen as less special, like Divinity: Original Sin 2, leading to fans falling off faster? Or would the momentum from Baldur's Gate 3 be enough to guarantee another success?
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