10 Most Disappointing Games Of The Decade (So Far)

These games fell woefully short of expectations.

Marvel's Avengers
Square Enix

The 2020s have been one of the most challenging periods for the games industry, between the pandemic and brutal layoffs of recent times, but it's also fair to say that more quality games are being released every month than ever before.

Barely a week goes by without a few incredible-looking titles dropping, enough that it's basically impossible for any single person to keep track of them all.

But with hype and excitement comes the prospect of disappointment, because it's simply inevitable that some hotly anticipated games will end up falling way short of the mark.

And as we enter the second half of this decade, the 2020s have thus far delivered their fair share of letdowns amid all the successes. 

As publishers become ever-more conservative about the sorts of projects they're willing to produce - and predictably chase trends that are already on the way out - it's not terribly surprising that we've seen some truly disheartening disappointments over the last four-or-so years.

While these games are all far from terrible, they nevertheless failed to deliver on the expectations players had for them, whether reasonable or not...

10. Alone in the Dark

Marvel's Avengers
THQ Nordic

With flagship survival horror franchises like Resident Evil and Silent Hill soaring to new heights as of late, there was much hope that THQ Nordic's Alone in the Dark reboot would also bring this legendary horror IP back to mainstream prominence.

With Hollywood stars Jodie Comer and David Harbour portraying reimagined versions of original protagonists Emily Hartwood and Edward Carnby, there was plenty reason to be optimistic that a major return to form was on the cards.

And while Alone in the Dark 2024 is certainly the series' best game in more than 20 years, the bar is so low after several dud sequels and spin-offs that it's hardly worth mentioning.

This new take isn't bad, but it's ultimately a relatively uninteresting, by-the-numbers romp hampered by tedious puzzles and clunky combat. 

It's not without its moments, and some fans certainly appreciated its aggressively retro approach to survival horror game design, but with poor sales it ultimately failed to secure a sturdy future for the beleaguered series.

 
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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.