10 Groundbreaking Video Games That TOTALLY Missed The Mark
5. Haze
Having your game dubbed a "Halo-killer" by video game journalists before it's even released seems like an inevitable path to disappointment. Free Radical Design, developers of the popular TimeSplitters series, found that out the hard way with Haze.
The 2008 Playstation 3 game uses the unique concept of soldiers who inject themselves with Nectar, a steroid-like drug that boosts their reflexes and stamina, but can leave them in a trance-like hallucinogenic state if used to excess. Unfortunately, it also suffers from a short campaign, AI issues and a lacklustre multiplayer mode.
This is one of the cases where too much hype can ruin a game that has obvious potential. Had it not been directly compared to Bungie's well-established Halo series, the Haze IP may have had a chance to rectify its mistakes over time, either with software patches or subsequent instalments in the series.
Instead, it was snuffed out and forgotten at the first sign of trouble.