20 Video Games With Cut Content That Change EVERYTHING

Even when a video game is overstuffed with content, it's likely a whole batch of levels, mechanics, and storylines ended up on the cutting room floor. A lot of hard work is put into every game, so it's disappointing when any part of it gets the chop.

Of course, content being removed isn't necessarily a sign it was bad. Elaborate characters, intricate side-quests, and ambitious gameplay may get scrapped due to time constraints, technical limitations, or narrative pacing. 

Now, if a random boss or subplot gets axed, it shouldn't be a big deal. However, there are certain discarded features that would've drastically affected how the game turned out if they remained.

Occasionally, traces of these lost ideas make it into the final product, giving players a glimpse into what might have been. Through data-mining and interviews with developers, the curtain is pulled on the creative process, showing how certain titles almost went into a totally different direction.

For better or for worse, the 20 entries on this list could've been perceived in a whole new way if the developers stuck with the original plan.

One of that many aspects that defined BioShock is its focus on relationships and inner conflicts. You get so invested in these characters, you genuinely care when you're betrayed, learn the truth about the protagonist, or have to execute an innocent person.

Ironically, BioShock almost went into the opposite direction, since it was going to focus more on monstrous characters rather than human ones. Although Splicers and Big Daddies would've been a part of this model, arthropods called Aggressors would've also been a prominent enemy. The protagonist would encounter giant insects called Queens, which could generate other nasty creatures.

Now, one critter-themed element that made the cut was the sea slugs, since they're the source of ADAM, which fuels your power. At key points, you need to decide how much ADAM to extract from the Little Sisters, giving you a choice whether to save or kill them.

But originally, the Little Sisters were the sea slugs. However, the developers worried players wouldn't connect with slimy molluscs, compelling them to tweak them into something more presentable. They toyed around with making the Little Sisters resemble monkeys, chipmunks, frogs, and even crippled dogs, before finalising on a more human design.