Some games are downright disappointing. However, just because the implementation failed doesn’t mean the concept was flawed. Some of these highly anticipated games were let down with poor performance, but that doesn’t mean the design principles and structure behind them were terrible.

It is a fact that the gaming industry is growing every day, encouraging many companies and creators to enter the market and try their hand at creating their own unique video games. Players have a veritable feast of alternatives today, thanks to all the new stars entering the field.

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Underperforming games with the brightest concepts

5) Two Worlds II

Publishers: TopWare Interactive, Zuxxez Entertainment

It makes sense to say that the gaming industry is full of aspirations. Designers and developers continually seek to push the boundaries, taking pre-existing concepts and amplifying them to create outlandish new adventures.

Two Worlds II is a good example of this, with several innovative mechanics and extremely creative gameplay for its time, but it was hampered by poor development implementation.

The game has a lot of rough edges, but it has a lot of great concepts, like a comprehensive crafting system and an intriguing magic mechanic that lets players compose and develop their own spells.

Two Worlds II failed to be a truly outstanding open-world outing due to poor voice acting, awful graphics, bugs, animations, and a myriad of other issues.

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4) Balan Wonderworld

Editor: Square-Enix

Balan Wonderworld is a perfect example of contemporary games that fall under the category of great ideas and horrible presentations. It was billed as a 3D gaming adventure with immersive sandbox areas similar to those seen in blockbuster hits like Banjo-Kazooie and the classic Super Mario 64.

Balan Wonderworld seemed to develop into a visually impressive experience with good gameplay components based on previews and images. However, when the game first came out, it was a minimalist, silly adventure with a host of flaws and extremely boring and tedious gameplay.

With over 80 distinct costumes to locate and unlock, the idea of ​​the game was fantastic, but each outfit only had a two-button control scheme that included jumps and a base skill.

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3) Dark Void

Editor: Capcom

This game seems generic beyond healing at first glance, but its deceptively simple appearance is based on a truly amazing concept. Dark Void is a jetpack-focused shooter that combines foot and aerial combat. This is another Capcom property that has passed away.

Unfortunately, the game’s instability was too much to handle due to a bad plot and uninteresting tasks. Dark Void may have flaws, but it tries to blend on-foot combat and flying into one smooth experience. A vertical cover can also be used to create a high quality multiplayer game. Games like Dark Void deserve a second chance.

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2) Infected

Editor: Majesco Entertainment

Infected was a PSP-exclusive zombie shooter. It brought zombie mayhem to handheld years before Left 4 Dead and Dead Rising. The game contains simple third person shooter gameplay. However, the Infect the World mechanic is what makes this a series worth revisiting.

Players can infect other players’ games by playing with them online and having their characters switch zombies. From there, the “virus” can spread to other players, causing a worldwide epidemic.

It’s a unique social aspect that works well with the game’s concepts and has a lot of potential. It makes perfect sense to resurrect this series, whether on mobile or a specialized handheld, in our more connected world.

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1) Wild Star

Editor: NCSOFT

Over the years as a publisher, NCSOFT has amassed a remarkable library of MMOs, the Guild Wars series and Blade & Soul being two notable examples. However, not every game they worked on turned out to be a success.

A great example of this is WildStar, an ambitious Sci-Fi/Fantasy MMORPG with some fantastic concepts, compelling gameplay and a very humorous look. WildStar seemed like the complete package, with one of the most comprehensive and revealing player housing systems ever implemented in an MMO. The game seemed to have it all, and it actually developed a cult following.

However, the creators chose a subscription-based approach at the time of release, similar to what MMO giant World of Warcraft was doing. They couldn’t persuade players to ditch Blizzard’s already massive release, and the game was quickly converted to a free-to-play format.

Unfortunately, the switch to free-to-play couldn’t undo the damage, and the MMO eventually broke down due to a tedious and macabre adventure experience combined with a pretty bad story.

To note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinions of the author only.

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