10 Ways Video Games Keep Lying To You

You know when a friend is telling you about some prestige TV series you haven't seen? And inevitably, at some point in the conversation, they'll say something like, "The first season isn't great but if you can grit your teeth through it then the rest is so worth it?"

Have you noticed that the same kind of thing has been happening with games?

As developers get more ambitious, their games end up feeling more like a proof of concept for a sequel. Or that the first game is the foundation and the sequel is the entire rest of the house.

Obviously, you hope a sequel builds upon an original, but this disparity feels like it has become intentional. Destiny, Anthem, Marvel's Avengers - all games that were released in a state that felt more like a pitch than a complete product - a very expensive pitch that needed to make its money back before the rest of the game could be implemented.

To put it more succinctly, too many games today are hyped relentlessly and then released as glorified "early access" titles, without the label.