7 Disappointing Console Launch Titles

When Perfect Dark released on the N64 in 2000 it took the winning fps formula of its spiritual predecessor GoldenEye 007 and perfected it to give Rare another top selling game. A sequel was inevitable, coming to fruition in 2006 after Microsoft bought Rare and put them to work on a launch title for the upcoming 360. Despite being received well upon release most found it underwhelming and did not meet the expectations the company or the franchise were capable of.

When it comes to mascots, PlayStation haven’t been as consistent as the likes of Nintendo, but when first revealed Knack was looking like it could be the poster boy for this generation. And with Crash Bandicoot producer Mark Cerny on board as director it had every potential to do for the PS4 what Crash did for the PS1. However, whilst gamers and critics liked the concept, they were not as keen on the gameplay or story.

With every new generation comes more power and more advanced and realistic graphics and Ryse: Son of Rome was no exception. Initially developed by Crytek as a Kinect-only title for the Xbox 360 it went through several redesigns before ending up as a third person hack and slash game. With stunning visuals and engaging story this was set to be a killer app for the console, but simple and repetitive gameplay left many wanting more.

The Nintendo Wii was a watershed moment for gaming with the Japanese company designing a console that would appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike utilising a unique controller making games more accessible. The potential for innovative interactivity was vast and Red Steel looked to take advantage of this using the Wii-remote to control your katana and the nunchuck accessory for firearms. Unfortunately the clunky controls didn’t quite live up to expectations making sword-fights in particular slow and unimpressive.

Cartridge games were always limited compared to CD-ROMs putting consoles a few steps behind PCs, but the Sega CD promised to change all that. With its ability to produce full-motion video graphics, its most anticipated title Night Trap was set to revolutionise gaming. However, with very basic gameplay and badly acted scenes it didn’t live up to the hype and remains one of only a few FMV style games. In later years however it has become a cult favourite among fans.

With Kinect packaged in with the Xbox One console it was expected there would be plenty of games to support it. Upon launch the first of these would be Fighter Within, a fighting game that utilised the peripheral and allowed gamers to feel like they were actually throwing punches and fighting their opponents. That wasn’t quite the case however, with Kinect failing to register various movements and making many feel rather silly in front of their TV. Some now consider it to be one of the worst video games of all time.