15 Most Disappointing Video Game Sequels Of The Decade (So Far)

6. Thief

The Thief reboot didn't quite mark the return to former glory fans of the series were hoping for. Featuring mostly dumbed down gameplay compared to its predecessors and an incredibly generic gruff and gritty story, this reshaping of the popular stealth franchise came out the gate already in many players€™ bad books. With less creative level design than previous instalments, this entry into the series felt immeasurably more restrictive in its gameplay. The smaller maps themselves could have provided intoxicating tightly-knit and risky gameplay if executed right, but in the end these tiny and often linear pathways felt mostly unimaginative and limiting when it came to how the player could sleuth their way through them. Which is a shame, because Deus Ex: Human Revolution proved that a classic series like Thief could be rebooted and streamlined for a mainstream audience without losing its inherently hardcore charm. Throw in a multitude of bugs and glitches and 2014€™s Thief reboot failed to attract new fans to the franchise while also alienating those who were hotly anticipating a return to form for this revered series.
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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.