Adventure games are probably the most archetypal kind of video game out there – and arguably the most popular as well. God of War: Ragnorok and Metroid Dread are just a few recent examples that have gone on to achieve recognition in the gaming industry.
But in a world with games such as Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, there are some adventure games that have gone on to become reviled by critics. Some are well-known for all the wrong reasons, while others have a few good traits.
Batman: Dark Tomorrow
Batman: Dark Tomorrow featured the famous Gotham City caper in his attempt to stop Ra’s al Ghul’s evil scheme. It was going to be a realistic take on the Batman series, but things were scaled back as development rolled on.
As a result, Dark Tomorrow came with a plethora of issues upon release, such as funky controls, a frustrating camera system, and appalling combat mechanics. The two saving graces of this Batman video game were the in-game cinematics, as well as the story which was written by comic book writer, Scott Peterson, and anime screenwriter, Kenji Terada.
Ride To Hell: Retribution
Ride to Hell: Retribution spent almost six years in development, originally intended to be an open-world video game. When it was finally released in 2013, it strongly resembled a Playstation 2 title – even though it was released for the seventh-generation consoles.
Featuring a lackluster soundtrack, way too many quick-time events, and repetitive broken gameplay, Ride to Hell: Retribution was an absolute slog to get through. The awfully yet entertaining dialogue came with some pretty terrible voice acting, and the way that the women were presented in this game has been viewed as offensive.
Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness
Developers had big plans for Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. Not only did they want to start a new trilogy in the Tomb Raider franchise, but they also wanted the game to realize the potential that came with being on a sixth-generation console. Unfortunately, those ambitions were never realized.
Marred by development problems that caused two delays, Angel of Darkness ended up having abysmal controls, a poor combat system, and a fair share of glitches. The gameplay was also derided, and many critics even found it to be outdated. While the game’s narrative was a high mark, Angel of Darkness ultimately shattered any hopes of a new trilogy for Lara Croft.
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
Unlike other games in the series, Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust didn’t have any sexual content or even Larry Laffer himself as the main character. Instead, it followed Larry’s nephew, Larry Lovage, as he helped with his uncle’s movie theater while also uncovering a sabotaging mole from a rival studio.
Despite having celebrity voice talents such as Carmen Electra and Artie Lange, Box Office Bust was a panned game thanks to its mindless gameplay and mildly unresponsive controls. The humor certainly didn’t help matters as much, as there were unfunny sex jokes at nearly every turn.
Balan Wonderworld
A SEGA game directed by former Sonic the Hedgehog programmer, Yuji Naka, some folks had high hopes for Balan Wonderworld. However, the game has turned out to be a total flop, with its soundtrack being one of the very few things that the critics enjoyed.
Balan Wonderworld was notorious for having one-button gameplay, which in itself made the gameplay pretty bland. The costume mechanic left a lot to be desired too, as many of the abilities are repetitive. Not only that, but regardless of what costume the player is wearing, jumping is impossible!
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
The Atari 2600 was a very controversial gaming console, as its highest-selling game – Pac-Man – was seen as a massive failure. Another title that had also failed on the Atari 2600 was E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, based on the famous Steven Speilberg movie.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial was rushed in time for Christmas 1982, being made in only five weeks, and it showed clearly in the game’s poor quality. The gameplay, while basic for its time, was very confusing, and the graphics were found to be “primitive.” Not only did E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial tank the Atari 2600, but it also tanked the video game industry for a few years as well.
Superman 64
Aside from being a terrible game, Superman 64 also has an awfully amusing title – “Superman: The New Superman Adventures”. It stars the titular DC hero himself, as he tries to save his friends from a virtual reality version of Metropolis that was created by the all-powerful Lex Luthor.
The controls were very difficult, as the game required the player to press forward on the joystick to make Superman fly. The glitches made the gameplay even more frustrating, and there were also plenty of bugs to be found. As for the world itself, it looked very uninspiring due to the outdated graphics.
Link: The Faces Of Evil And Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon
Released on the same day, these two Zelda games are perhaps proof as to why the Phillips CD-i system ultimately failed. A side-scroller much like Zelda II, Faces of Evil and Wand of Gamelon were initially well-received at first but time hasn’t been kind to them as the years went on.
The gameplay for both games was awfully monotonous, and the poor quality of the CD-i controller didn’t make things any better. The game’s animated cutscenes are perhaps the biggest offender, with many finding them low-quality (if not a bit entertaining). Some cutscenes were even notorious enough to become Zelda-based internet memes. That’s where many folks get the most enjoyment out of these games.
Sonic The Hedgehog (2006)
Sonic ’06 was intended to be a franchise reboot, but since it was rushed in time for the holiday season, it sadly didn’t live up to the expectations. The game turned out to be an unfinished mess, with glitches, long loading screens, and questionable controls.
The camera system in Sonic ’06 was found to be frustrating, as it made the level design confusing and caused the game to be even more difficult than it already was. Some critics had issues with the convoluted story, which had plenty of plot holes and even included the infamous scene of a human kissing Sonic.
However, a few gaming publications have defended Sonic ’06, such as Game Informer. The game sold well initially, according to SEGA, and the debuting Silver the Hedgehog went on to appear in future Sonic titles.
Sonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric
Sadly, it seems that the Sonic franchise isn’t immune to having poorly-received games. Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric was a Sonic spinoff that got negative feedback as far back as E3 2014 when a demo was released.
Much like Sonic ’06, Rise of Lyric was littered with bad controls, an irritating camera system, and several glitches. The platforming and level design was seen as low quality, and the game’s combat was awfully simplistic. On the plus side, however, the TV series that was based on the game was actually enjoyable.
