10 TERRIBLE Video Games (That Revolutionised The Industry)
3. No Man's Sky Became The Poster Child For "Redeemed" Video Games
No Man's Sky has had one of the most fascinating journeys of any video game released over the past decade.
Hello Games' procedurally generated action-adventure game was hugely hyped prior to release, only for players and press alike to express disappointment with the launch day product, which fell far short of the developer's many lofty pre-release claims.
Beyond many promised features - like multiplayer - being absent, it quickly became clear that No Man's Sky was another "wider as an ocean, deep as a puddle" open-world game, where most fun and intrigue was quickly exhausted.
Yet to Hello Games' credit, after a frustrating period of radio silence, they returned with some serious updates to the game which massively improved the user experience, and some seven years later, they're still making the damn thing better.
The likes of base building, vehicles, VR support, multiplayer, a third-person camera, and much, much more were added to the game in the years that followed, ensuring that No Man's Sky's reputation was rescued from the ashes of mediocrity.
But more than that, it proved that even lackluster games produced by small teams can be fixed over time, in turn throwing the gauntlet down to AAA developers who simply released unfinished games and promptly moved onto the next big thing.
Without No Man's Sky being the poster child for "redeemed" video games, it's safe to say that many of the biggest video game turnarounds may not have happened.
In an important way, it changed the culture around releasing inferior products and just calling it a day. And thank God it did.