The games you’ll see in this video are games that a lot of us either wanted to play, or have played already. They’re BIG…but somehow they just kind of disappeared from the conversation. What happened to them?
1. Overwatch 2
Overwatch was the hottest game in 2016. It garnered over 50 million downloads and multiple Game of the Year awards. And then...things went stale. This sequel was supposed to be the spark that Overwatch needed to get things back on track. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. First, it promised a PvE story mode with dynamic skill trees…and then it underdelivered with…a seasonal story mission you still had to pay for. Things got so ironic now that players prefer the old gacha Loot Boxes instead of this new Battle Pass system. It just sucks for everyone because new players have to pay real money for better skins.
Jeff Kaplan’s departure didn’t help either. Since then, the team seemed like it was scrambling to do…something. Fixing the GOATS meta, and introducing new characters and events. All of which never addressed the main problem which was, at least for me, that it was basically the same game for 7 years! We were still picking the same heroes, the same meta, and the same seasonal activities. For a while, the competitive scene went stale and player interest dwindled.
It sucks, really. Blizzard literally had this moment in their hands, yet they chose to abandon Overwatch 1 to make room Overwatch 2. The good news is, Overwatch 2 is seemingly getting better this season. The heroes aren’t as overpowered as it was, so the meta has stabilized. The question is: can Blizzard recover?
2. Diablo IV
I know what you’re thinking: this game just came out?! Diablo IV is a great game, don’t get me wrong. It was a step in the right direction for the genre-defining ARPG. The promising endgame content, Lilith, and its dark visual design are just some of the reasons why everyone went nuts over it. But something isn’t sticking. I think it’s that people are sick of the seasonal grind. I know I don’t want to grind for another battle pass and bring it to level 50. Every. Single. Season. I don’t wanna be doing the same Helltides and Nightmare Dungeons in the foreseeable future.
There’s also the balancing issues that just made things less fun. They nerfed necromancers which were so strong and so fun to mess around with in the Beta. Then for some reason, they buffed the wrong class. But as I said, Diablo IV just came out. These early stages deserve the benefit of the doubt. Let’s hope Blizzard manages to increase player retention and add more rewarding content. Right now, though, Baldur’s Gate 3 just came out and I’d really rather play that.
3. Resident Evil 4 Remake
CAPCOM’s latest Resident Evil title sold like hotcakes! It was all the talk for the first half of 2023. Everyone gushed on about how great Leon and Ashley looked, but some were more excited for the familiar scares. The Las Plagas were already terrifying back in 2005. Facing them in high definition was something else.
But like all great single-player titles, especially Resident Evil games, it doesn’t usually last that long. Once the credits roll, there are not a lot of activities for casual players to return to. Hardcore RE fans would challenge themselves with higher difficulties and speedrunning though, but that’s a topic for another time.
Losing players after finishing the game isn’t strange for the RE titles. It happened to RE Village and RE2 Remake. Once its 16 hours or less campaign wore off, we’ve moved on to the next game and there’s really not much to talk about after that. Not unless there are DLCs that could get people talking about it again. The only thing I’m looking forward to in this Remake is the Ada Wong DLC and maybe a Code Veronica Remake in the future too!
4. Wo Long Fallen Dynasty
Nioh put Team Ninja on the map for souls like gamers. It was just the right mix. It’s challenging, it has a fascinating lore, and satisfying gameplay. So it’s only natural for us to expect big things from their latest IP, Wo Long. It isn’t trying to be another Nioh. It didn’t have stances and dodge-and-strike gameplay. More than anything, it’s more like Sekiro.
As much as I enjoy hearing the clanking of metal, it was hard to do anything with some of the performance issues it had at launch. Wo Long’s qi fizzled. And it hardly survived the review bombing on Steam. The sad thing is, it’s not even a bad game. It still sold millions of copies. The poor PC port just left so many eager players frustrated. And this isn’t the first time Team Ninja fumbled a port either. It’s too bad because if you ask me, Wo Long is still a fun romp around Ancient China. More DLCs are still to come, and hopefully, Team Ninja can stick the landing.
5. Atomic Heart
Atomic Heart’s trailers were so good, they got everyone pumped. It even had the Russian Soldier Boy promote it in one of its trailers. And don’t get me started on those Twin Ballerinas. After all that marketing and sexy robots…the game never lived up to expectations.
It was exciting to have a mix of first-person shooting with light open-world elements. Like Russian BioShock with robots instead of Big Daddies…except none of those had much impact in the face of its mediocre story and boring protagonist. Playing as P-3 isn’t as emotionally rewarding as playing, say, Booker DeWitt from BioShock Infinite. He’s just a man on a mission with no emotional weight to its dystopian world.
There was also controversy circling around its political themes, notably with its story being tied to the USSR. Yeaaah. It just wasn’t the BioShock spiritual successor I expected, and a lot of people felt the same way. Sure, it was fun playing around with guns and powers, but that was it. The alternate steampunk Russia can only do so much to keep the thrill going.
6. Destiny 2
If anyone mastered drip-feed Seasonal Content, it’s Destiny 2. I used to love how there’s always something to look forward to every season. Unfortunately, the live service model hasn’t changed much and a lot of players—even longtime Destiny 2 content creators—are getting tired of the grind. Like modern-day Sisyphuses lifting the Traveler’s weight. The shady seasonal model and the hours needed to get that perfect weapon just aren’t worth the hassle anymore. The only thing keeping a lot of players going…is FOMO.
It only got worse with Lightfall, which, according to a lot of Destiny players, was filler content with no huge stakes to its Light & Dark story. Sure, the new subclass was a great addition, but it felt like it was just forced into the story without making a huge fuss about it. I still don’t know what the Veil is.
It seems like Bungie is on the case though. Remedying concerns with state of the game updates and new balancing patches. However, its new season just dropped which added more story beats and seasonal content for months. Not only that, its most-anticipated expansion ‘The Final Shape’ comes out next year. But, who’s to say if enough has changed in their upcoming content. For now, it seems like my Guardian will be stuck doing the same thing again and again.
7. Dead Island 2
Dead Island 2 released in the midst of such stiff competition, that it hardly had a chance. It wasn’t because nobody gave a crap. But when you’re releasing at the same time as another zombie game AND the new Star Wars game, it’s hard to get some time in the spotlight. Although a lot of people were looking forward to playing it, it wasn’t the most punctual of release dates. And by the time it came out, most players were already itching to get their hands on the next big game. It doesn’t mean that the game was terrible though. It sold 2 million copies and it’s a major success after multiple changes in its development cycle.
Right now, there’s just nothing to do aside from messing around with zombies and strolling around post-apocalyptic Hollywood. And like all single-player games, it’s bound to lose steam once you’ve seen the credits roll.
8. Hogwarts Legacy
There was so much excitement (and drama) when we found out we're getting a Harry Potter RPG. I couldn’t wait to step inside the halls of Hogwarts, attend classes, and play Quidditch (which isn’t in the game). The wand-waving and incantations were the main selling point of Hogwarts Legacy. And it was fun spellcasting and exploring Hogwarts’ nooks and crannies. The story wasn’t exactly as revolutionary as the books, but it had characters I’ve grown to love. The most memorable for me being Sebastian and Ominis’ story. Once the magic wore off, people started asking about future DLC plans...that Portkey Games had no plans for.
There was so much potential to expand on its story and characters, and without DLCs to back it up, there’s no reason to apparate back into Hogwarts. They could add more missions for each House. The unique House missions were great, but it felt like they just flew by. Its 15 million copies sold is no joke, so it wouldn’t be crazy to think that something better is coming from them, right? At least give us a Quidditch DLC.
9. Amnesia: The Bunker
Now here’s one that actually hurt me. Compared to previous Amnesia releases, The Bunker had fewer players. Which is sad considering it’s such a good game! Imagine being stuck in a derelict World War 1 bunker being chased by whatever this THING is. There’s a constant dread navigating around this labyrinth of nightmares.
Frictional Games’ latest Amnesia was unfortunately caught in the crossfire between Diablo IV and Street Fighter 6’s release. While everyone was out there talking about Necromancer nerfs and character combos, The Bunker was scuffling out in the corner waiting with a jumpscare. Some critics and gamers are claiming this to be the best Amnesia since the Dark Descent. Whatever Frictional Games is cooking up next, I’m looking forward to it!
10. Wild Hearts
You can’t just play Wild Hearts without saying “Hey, it’s just like Monster Hunter.” When you’re competing with a game as big as Monster Hunter, you’re bound to get a few haters. And that’s exactly what Wild Hearts got. The combat is good enough but the endgame content just wasn’t up to par. After taking down powerful Kemonos, you’d think you’d have newer and more powerful gear to unlock. It doesn’t help that it had performance issues at launch. A lot of PC users complained about the jarring frame rate dips. And while things have improved since then, a lot of players have already skipped it altogether.
Just like many of the games on this list: it’s still so much fun. The cross-play online mode is great for online co-op and the karakuri system, arguably the best part of the game, is something I’d love to see more of. Then again, in Wild Hearts, we’ve seen most of what it offers in Monster Hunter. That’s the danger of making games so closely tied to one another. The comparisons are endless. And if you’re not exceeding expectations, people are bound to choose the more well-established title. The good news is Wild Hearts is still kicking and we’re still getting downloadable content soon.