8 Popular Video Games That Fell Apart After Incredible Openings

3. Bioshock Infinite

Coming after one medium-changing instalment and a sequel hardly anybody played, Bioshock Infinite was supposed to be the 'return' of that Bioshock quality we associated with the 2007 original.

Though, even in the run-up to release we saw numerous prototypes and trailers showcasing a version of the game that - in retrospect - clearly never made it to store shelves. No, the release version of Bioshock Infinite started exceedingly well, introducing a number of mysterious plot threads and characters ("Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt"/the Lutece twins), only for the closing revelations to contain some of the most haphazard and forced rug-pulls in gaming history.

Where to begin?

Firstly there was the 'interaction' between protagonist Booker and the game's villain, Comstock, which ended with Booker killing him in a cutscene and not receiving any answers. Then the various dimension-hops give you combat arena after combat arena, the story taking a backseat until it's revealed that Booker IS Comstock, the resultant supposed-to-be-mind-blowing finale taking you on a walk through the fabric of time and space itself, literally showing that the series could have infinite sequels, or none at all.

We even had a non-reveal of just what the hell Songbird was. It could be gleaned from environmental clues that the building-sized creature was a different-universe take on a Big Daddy, but that didn't explain its gargantuan size.

By the time Infinite closed out, yes, it had some grandiose ideas and concepts, but were they tied together with any modicum of confidence? Hell no.