8 Video Games That Faced Development Hell (And Turned Out AMAZING)

Not every troubled game turns out like Duke Nukem Forever.

by Josh Brown
Overwatch tracer
Blizzard

Unlike movies, when a game enters development hell, there's a good chance it will eventually release in some form. Whether it takes five years or ten, even the most plagued projects from throughout the industry have made it to shelves after a bit of tinkering, often overcoming massive changes in technology and trends in the process.

That doesn't mean they end up being any good though. For the most part, these storied titles (like Duke Nukem Forever), which suffered through more "will they/won't they?" drama than a 90s sitcom, limped onto shelves with black eyes and broken bones, feeling immediately dated and nowhere near up to competing with the most recent releases.

Occasionally though, developers have been able to pull off the impossible, and drag a game out of development hell to critical acclaim and financial success, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

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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.