10 Awful 3D Video Games That Should Have Stayed 2D

Golden Axe – the classic arcade beat ‘em up – is an undeniable classic, spawning three sequels between 1991 and 1993, all of which are remembered with a great deal of fondness.

Somehow, it took fifteen years for the series to make the transition from two to three dimensions, which is surprising when you consider how easily translatable the core concept actually seems, consisting of not much more than hacking and slashing, and kicking and stabbing.

Regardless, in 2008, Secret Level and SEGA managed to screw just about everything up with the release of Golden Axe: Beast Rider – the much anticipated continuation of the classic saga – which managed to disappoint everyone, from newcomers to long-time fans. For one thing, the game was incredibly derivative, bringing almost nothing whatsoever to the table, and borrowing the vast majority of its ideas from other, superior games, like God of War.

The result was just another mediocre hack-n-slash, which somehow reduced the combat system of the originals to a mindless, button-mashing chore, simultaneously robbing the series of any sense of personality whatsoever.

Inexplicably, the game also made the decision to intensify the violence and explicit sexuality, distancing a considerable portion of their audience in the process, a portion which might have been more susceptible to the undemanding, overly simplistic gameplay and immature sensibility.