10 Video Games That Tried To Be The Next Big Thing (And Failed)

Daikatana is best known for its infamous advertisement that promised "John Romero would make [us] his b**ch". Now the famed developer is known for working on beloved classics such as Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake which all revolutionized the FPS genre. After leaving ID Software, he set his sights on making Daikatana his next game.

With Romero's impressive credentials, what went wrong?

From a visual standpoint, the title fell flat compared to its peers due to the numerous delays during production. This meant that by the time the game was released, more graphically impressive titles came out such as Quake III Arena and Unreal Tournament.

Another gripe from gamers was Daikatana's AI companions. You see, throughout the campaign, the player is aided by Mikako Ebihara and Superfly Johnson. That all seems fine in concept but the AI for these allies is just abysmal. Playing the game at higher difficulties is a death sentence for your computer-controlled friends and makes Daikatana even harder to get through.

The final game - as well as the infamous slogan - finished Daikatana for good and put a dent in John Romero's career. Thankfully, it was garnered a fanbase through the years with modders improving the game.