10 Video Games That Made Expensive Comebacks (And Still Failed)
All that money, and they still couldn't fly.
Reaching the big leagues in gaming isn't easy. Staying on top is much harder. Even though Jax & Daxter, Dino Crisis, and The Legacy of Kain were once considered top contenders, they've all fallen on hard times.
In situations like this, the creators must choose whether they try again... or curl up and die.
But in order to make a comeback, developers can't just toss out a decent game - they have to go big or go home. They need to invest all their time and effort into making the best darn video game possible.
Now, there are plenty of franchises that have stumbled, only to come back ten times stronger: Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat, Metroid, and so forth.
However, going all out doesn't always breed success. Some companies spent a fortune revitalising once-beloved gaming properties, only for them to flop spectacularly. These games didn't just "do badly". They were loathed by critics, failed to make a dime, and bankrupted development teams.
Though a staggering amount of money was put into these projects, none of them received the welcome they were expecting.
10. Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn
Serious question: Did ANYONE enjoy Shaq Fu? The 2D fighting title is now renowned for its unpolished and tedious gameplay. Also, who thought it was marketable to have NBA superstar, Shaquille O' Neal, star in a game where he fights monsters instead of, y'know, plays basketball?
Shaq Fu isn't just bad, it's proof that slapping a celeb's name on a crappy product doesn't improve its quality.
But when a crowdfunding campaign for Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn was set up in 2014, the gaming community seemed to suffer collective amnesia, since thousands of backers were okay with financing a follow-up to this infamous dud.
Even though this reboot reached its funding goal, trouble started brewing immediately. Due to licensing fees, A Legend Reborn suffered massive delays. When multiple ports were cancelled, it was obvious how this needless beat 'em up was going to turn out.
Sure enough, every version of A Legend Reborn received scathing reviews, ranging from 30-54% on MetaCritic. Due to its offensive stereotypes, simplistic combat, and shameful brevity, Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is arguably worse than its predecessor.