10 "WTF Did I Just Pay For?!" Video Games

The Ultima series might not have the same mass appeal as properties like The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy, but there was a time when it was arguably the best western RPG series on the market.

Sadly, rather than going out in a blaze of glory, it died like a damp firecracker, as the ninth/final installment was the worst of the bunch.

The collective reaction to this game was that it was entirely unfinished, ugly as hell, and full of bugs. You also needed the strongest of PC hardware just to run it. As if the game's broken state wasn't bad enough, it also actively ignored/contradicted lore continuity from the previous titles. That's like slapping long-time players in the face.

Tragically, in a sentiment that's all too familiar for modern gamers, the villain in this story and culprit of the game's failure was EA.

The company infamously breathed down Origin Systems' necks throughout the production of Ascension (as recounted here by The Escapist). They cut their development time, forced them to work with an unfamiliar engine, and pressured them into releasing the game half-baked.

Those loyal players who picked up this game wasted their money on the last installment of a once beloved franchise.