10 Unplayable Video Games That Were Released Despite Being Broken
3. Ashes Cricket 2013
Developed by Trickstar
Games, Ashes Cricket 2013 was a disaster, immediately recalled by its
publishers following an unprecedented critical backlash. Unplayable,
fundamentally broken and downright laughable, the game was released for a short
period exclusively on Steam, before being cancelled by 505 Games less than a
week later. To date, it is considered one of the worst games ever made, as well
as an absolute triumph in broken engineering.
How terrible could it have been? In the game, players would stand around aimlessly, performing the same basic functions; character animation was severely limited, making catching and fielding almost impossible despite being fundamental requirements of the sport; controls were seemingly random, as well unfathomable, and numerous features were inaccessible or non-functional. Worst of all, the game was riddled with physics problems, technical glitches and bugs, most of which were downright hilarious.
The backlash against the game was so severe that 505 Games were forced to recall it, offering refunds to anyone and everyone unfortunate enough to have purchased the game. In an interview with the BBC, 505 blamed the developers for their inexperience in handling the development of Ashes Cricket, but honestly, everyone involved should be held accountable for this particular travesty.