Controversy can be a good thing for a game. By generating discussion before or after launch, you can raise the profile of the game in the eyes of the media and gamers. This increased awareness often translates to more sales. However, sometimes it can go too far.
There are those games that are almost entirely known for the controversy that surrounds them. Whatever its merits and whatever else the game has to offer, its controversial aspects are the most infamous. Even if the games have their own dedicated fan bases that know better, the game is best known for notoriety around just one aspect.
10/10 No Man’s Sky broke many promises
no man’s sky it had an immense amount of hype behind it ahead of its 2016 release date. It promised to be an incredibly ambitious game. Players went in expecting to see a huge and varied galaxy. Developers Hello Games promised multiplayer, huge space battles, galactic politics, and more.
Instead, it was a technically impressive but superficial survival experience, with very few of the promised features. no man’s sky it became one of the most infamous games in history for how little it offered compared to its marketing. It had a huge amount of post-launch support. Today, it has even more features than promised. However, it is still best known for its misleading marketing.
9/10 Star Wars Battlefront II was accused of being a casino
Microtransactions in games reached their point as a topic of discussion in 2017. Many games included monetization through exclusive items. However, these were often cosmetic or non-essential. Star Wars Battlefront II revealed, prior to release, that most of its heroes, as well as many in-game items, were hidden behind purchases.
This caused a strong reaction. In particular, fans were outraged by the amount of playtime it would take to unlock an iconic hero like Darth Vader. The issue became more than outrage, however, with several countries announcing investigations into microtransactions and gambling laws. Battlefront II released without game transactions, but never got over the accusations of being a Star Wars casino.
8/10 Duke Nukem Forever took many years to disappoint
Even before its release, Duke Nukem forever it was infamous. The game spent fourteen years in development, and many thought it would never be finished. Then, after it came out, it became controversial for another reason. It had highly dated depictions of women and people of color, some even more extreme than the original.
Duke Nukem forever he was accused of sexism and racism and found it difficult to refute those claims. Worse, there wasn’t much else to discuss about the game. It was a disappointing first-person shooter that had been left behind by its contemporaries. The controversy was the only thing he highlighted.
7/10 Manhunt was wrongly accused of inspiring a murder
Hunt it was notorious for its realistic and graphic violence. Even many employees of developer Rockstar Games were uncomfortable with the game’s dark tone. It featured the player as a convicted criminal who hunted down other criminals for snuff movies. However, the supposed impacts of him in the real world magnified this notoriety tenfold.
Hunt he was accused of inspiring a murder in the UK. The perpetrator owned the game, and some drew similarities between the murder and part of the game. Ultimately, the police rejected any association between the two. However, it quickly became the highlight of the game.
6/10 The end of Mass Effect 3 eclipsed its series
The first two mass effect The games were considered among the best of all time. They had almost universal love from critics and gamers alike. The third game caused much more of a stir. This is because of his infamous ending. Instead of the flexible, choice-based conclusion the series promised, players simply chose which way to use an arbitrary plot device.
mass effect 3The finale of was infamous for being anticlimactic, nonsensical, and for ignoring most of the events of the series. The controversy was so bad that free DLC was released to make it better. mass effect 3 it has a lot going for it and a dedicated fan base. In the public eye, however, he is still known for the backlash to his ending.
5/10 Six Days In Fallujah has been controversial twice before its release
Six days in Fallujah it was first announced in 2009, before being revived in 2021. The game follows the real-life Second Battle of Fallujah in the Iraq War. Its developers described it as similar to a survival horror game, highlighting the human experience of Western soldiers.
In 2009, Six days in Fallujah provoked the condemnation of many. Criticisms of him ranged from cheapening the horror of a real, recent war to openly promoting that very war. In 2021, he received the exact same sentence. Six days in Fallujah it doesn’t even have a release date yet. His controversy is, by far, the best known about it.
4/10 Postal massacre turned into sport
Violence in video games is one of the hottest topics surrounding the medium. Many game advocates cite the many things people can do besides fight. The game Postcard it was a favorite argument of the other side. In PostcardPlayers controlled an unsung protagonist as he slaughtered his way through his hometown.
Postcard it was one of the most extreme and pointlessly violent games out there. However, its gameplay was average and had little replay value. Unlike other common goals like Grand Theft Auto, Postcard he wasn’t famous for much else. As such, the debates about his violence are his enduring legacy.
3/10 Cyberpunk 2077 was rushed and incomplete
cyberpunk 2077 it was another game with a lot of hype behind it. It adapted a classic and influential tabletop setting, promised exciting and varied gameplay, and had some serious star power in Keanu Reeves. Its launch became one of the most controversial things in all of 2020.
cyberpunk 2077 he had the potential for a great game. However, it felt incomplete and rushed to many. In particular, it was famous for the large number of technical problems that players had to deal with. It performed so poorly on last generation consoles that PlayStation removed it from the PS4 store. The game has improved substantially since then. However, it remains best known for its terrible pitch.
2/10 Fallout 76 was a poor franchise entry
of Bethesda Fall Games have always been controversial, but few caused as much controversy as Fallout 76. The game massively overhauled the Fall experience. Instead of a story-focused RPG series with an emphasis on conversations, it became an action-survival MMO. Most notably, it lacked human NPCs.
The game was criticized as a huge departure from the series for little to show for it. In addition, many accused him of violating tradition and even the themes of Fall. Worse, Fallout 76‘s Power Armor edition delivered inadequate articles. Bethesda replaced a canvas bag with nylon and did not inform customers. It took more than half a year to give customers what they had paid for. these tarry things Fallout 76reputation permanently.
1/10 The Last Of Us Part II made controversial changes to the story
The last of us it was widely considered to be one of the best games ever made. His story was considered art. Player characters Joel Miller and Ellie Williams became gaming icons. The Last of Us Part II radically alter this. Joel Miller died early in the game. The player then spent many hours playing as his assassin, Abby Anderson.
This took place alongside other contentious story elements, such as Joel and Ellie’s relationship breaking down between games. There were review blitzes, general hostility in the debates, and even death threats directed at figures involved in the game. All this cast a shadow over the game, despite a large contingent of supporters.
