8 Video Games That Escaped Development Hell (But Shouldn’t Have)

Time In Development Hell: 3 Years

Daikatana is arguably the Heaven’s Gate of games, and like that famous flop an acclaimed creator was showered with money and attention and let his ego get the better of him. Such was the case with John Romero and Daikatana, where the “rock star” designer of Doom and Quake founded a new company to make an ambitious shooter the likes of which had never been seen before.

The trouble was Romero’s ambition far outweighed his ability to pull off his plan, which included 24 levels that were split between the past and present, in addition to dozens of unique enemies and a few AI teammates. Poor organization led to the game being pushed back constantly, and an imfamous ad promoting it - involving John Romero and what he’s about to do to the player - led to a backlash that made Romero a figure of hate and ridicule almost overnight.

Maybe they could have turned it all around if the game had been great, or even decent, but it was an utter mess that clearly needed a lot more work. Romero’s career never really recovered from the fallout, but he was man enough to admit his failings in later interviews.