2023 was an exceptional year for gamers. We received many outstanding releases and at least twice as many decent titles. However, not everything was hanky-dory. Here’s our list of the biggest gaming disappointments in 2023.
Starfield
You know it has been a good year if the game with a Metascore of over 80 and the title of Xbox Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards is on a list of disappointments. However, Starfield is a real bummer for many players, and we understand why. It was the first Bethesda RPG set in an original universe in over 20 years. Moreover, Starfield was revealed in 2018, consequently building the hype.
The game’s director, Todd Howard, described Starfield as the Skyrim in space. And, in fact, it is the Skyrim in space, with all it takes. Critics and fans of previous Bethesda titles find it really enjoyable. Unfortunately, those who were seeking some next-level RPG experience felt disappointed.
The Day Before
The MMO survival horror shooter from Fntastic was a big enigma from the start. However, many players believed that there was great potential in such an ambitious project from a relatively unknown developer. As a result, The Day Before became the most-wish-listed game on Steam. Unfortunately, not everyone was enthusiastic. Some accused developers of taking assets from other games, while others criticized making a commercial game on the backs of volunteers. The game was postponed several times and even disappeared from Steam for some time, officially due to trademark issues. It returned in November with a date for its early access release set for December 7, 2023. Many players doubted that The Day Before would come out, but the game actually premiered.
And it was a disaster of monstrous proportions. The game was panned for its lack of content, original mechanics, and overwhelmingly poor technical condition. The option to buy the game has been turned off, and allegedly, about half of the sold copies were refunded. To add to the drama, Fntastic was shut down just four days after its release. Contrary to what some players believe, we assume that The Day Before wasn’t a scam. If it had been a clever fraud, its creators would have monetized the game’s initial popularity and disappeared instead of trying to release it. Of course, some facts may resurface later. However, for now, it looks like another painful example of why big games require big budgets and big teams, not just a few enthusiasts and volunteers.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
if it hadn’t been set in the iconic universe created by J.R.R. Tolkien, probably no one would have been interested in this game. But its primary concept was to let players experience the beloved story from Gollum’s perspective and cover the gap between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, so it aroused the curiosity of both players and Tolkien fans.
Daedalic Entertainment, known for the successful Deponia series, was tasked to design the game, while Nacon took the role of the publisher. Unfortunately, the development process wasn’t smooth, and the developers complained that they couldn’t realize their vision due to time pressure. As a result, the game seems unfinished, looks ugly, and doesn’t let players feel the magic of Middle-earth. Its Metascore of 34 and User Score of 1.1 speak for themselves. It’s a case where poor sales and negative had severe consequences. After Gollum’s failure, Daedalic announced that the company would close its development department. An apology issued after the failure allegedly was written by AI, rubbing salt into the wound. The statement even contained mistakes in the game’s title, calling in The Lord of Rings Gollum.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Have you played Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League? Yeah, neither have we. Rocksteady Studios, the creators of the fan-favorite Batman Arkham series, revealed their next DC action-adventure game back in 2020. The title that lets players control members of the Suicide Squad, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and King Shark, fighting against forces of Brainiac and brain-washed members of the Justice League, was scheduled for release in 2022.
Moreover, the reason for postponing the premiere wasn’t some technical issues needing fixation. Reportedly, Rocksteady has decided to overhaul a vast part of the gameplay. Consequently, if some new obstacles don’t appear, we will play Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League in February 2024. On the one hand, the lack of the 2023 release is very disappointing, but on the other hand, it’s probably better to give developers more time; hence, they could release a compelling and thrilling title.
FIFA
The news about terminating the 30-year cooperation between FIFA and Electronic Arts was groundbreaking. However, it could have been good for gaming. Obviously, Electronic Arts was about to use years of building relationships and gaining experience to start a new football franchise. A more intriguing matter was what the Fédération Internationale de Football Association would do. The organization dreamed of selling its license to a new developer, probably counting on an even fatter paycheck.
For virtual football fans, it would mean that we could have two AAA football franchises fighting for players’ hearts and wallets. Or three if Konami’s eFootball would get back on the right track. The reality wasn’t as optimistic. EA gave it as EA Sports FC 24, which is good, but it’s a FIFA game under the changed label. And FIFA did nothing. There were no announcements or rumors about negotiations with a developer that could go toe-to-toe with EA Sports. Everything points out that someone at FIFA killed the goose that lays golden eggs by ceasing the partnership with EA Sports. The real disappointment is that it means that without serious competition, there is nothing that can force EA Sports to give us something better than the last installment with updated rosters and a new soundtrack.
Redfall
Obviously, not all 2023 releases were GOTY material. Games like Payday 3 or Forspoken have some edges, but overall, they have failed to meet players’ expectations. Even the universally acclaimed Diablo 4 suffers from a lack of content. However, the biggest disappointment among the games that are not downright broken is Redfall.
Sadly, Redfall’s release was very upsetting. The game seemed underdone and was criticized for dull characters and repetitive missions. Consequently, players avoided Redfall, making its multiplayer modes virtually dead instantly. It’s definitely not what we expected from the new shooter from Arkane Studios, the developer behind Prey, Dishonored, and Deadloop.
Optimization
Even though dozens of good games came out this year, many could have been better. Particularly when it comes to the technical state on the day of the release. Of course, there are people complaining that Alan Wake 2 or Star Wars Jedi: Survival doesn’t run on ultra settings on their Amiga 500. We also understand that it’s way easier to optimize games for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 than countless different computer setups. However, if the game can’t run smoothly on a high-end PC, then something is definitely not right.
Probably the most heartbreaking example of this alarming tendency is The Last of Us Part I. So far, the PC ports of Sony exclusives were technically flawless. Unfortunately, the Windows version of the story of Joel and Ellie lowered those standards. As a result, it became Naughty Dog’s lowest-rated game.
Financial crisis
It’s a real letdown that we’ve got a year filled with extraordinary games, but players have to carefully choose only some of them because inflation and financial concerns force us all to save money.
Furthermore, many developers and publishers have fired dozens of talented and passionate people. Financial struggles also have led to shutting down development studios, including Free Radical Design (TimeSplitters, Crysis 3), Mimimi Games (Desperados III, Shadow Tactics), and Volition (Red Faction, Saints Row).
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