10 'Next Big Thing' Video Games That Failed Miserably

7. Killzone

How to kill a franchise in the eyes of the public with just two words? Brand it the "Halo killer".

In reality, Guerrilla Games' brown n' grey shooter had about as much chance taking down the Halo of the early 2000s as a mouse's fart would knock Superman off course. It wasn't that gameplay was fundamentally broken or anything (aside from making you switch to grenades, anyway - something Halo had made a one-button thing), but everything about Killzone came with this weirdly glum, morose feel that actively discouraged you progressing any further.

Even the various ranks of the almost-iconic Helghast blurred into one after a few minutes, and when gameplay never extended out of the barest refinements on 'point at enemy, shoot enemy, reload, repeat' over four instalments, it was time to throw in the towel.

Thankfully, although it would take them over a decade to realise, Sony finally freed Guerrilla from putting out aggressively average FPS campaigns, letting them move onto Horizon Zero Dawn with much better results.

Because go on, name one thing you like(d) about Killzone. I'll wait.