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

Dead Island is best known for its cinematic reveal and is considered one of the best of all time. Detailing the last few moments of an ill-fated family during a zombie outbreak, the trailer was emotional and impactful. It's a shame, then, that Dead Island failed to make a dent compared to its marketing.

There were numerous technical issues that plagued the game. Characters often had poor textures, and controlling them felt sluggish and unresponsive. Combat was inconsistent as there would be times when you could hit enemies and other times when you'd flat-out miss.

The open world was also dull and lifeless, with resources respawning quickly while the game was filled to the brim with fetch quests. Finally, the story was generic and was nowhere as emotional as the marketing promised it to be.

On one hand, developer Techland did not have a hand in the trailer, so they can't be blamed for the advertisement not representing the product well. They can be blamed, however, for how mediocre Dead Island turned out to be.