9 Prolific Video Game Developers That Released Absolute Trash
2. Gearbox Software
Credit where it's due, Gearbox isn't entirely to blame for the horrific excuse for digital entertainment that was Duke Nukem Forever. Having languished in development hell for more than a decade under the stewardship of 3D Realms, that Gearbox managed to pick up the pieces and cobble them together to form a playable title was nothing short of a small miracle.
As for Aliens: Colonial Marines: it doesn't get off so lightly. Gearbox frontman Randy Pitchford promised Xenomorph fans an authentic experience of grunts attempting to fend off an extraterrestrial posse of face-eating monstrosities - one that several pre-release demos and trailers supported - but what was delivered was far, far removed from that assurance.
Poor visual fidelity, bland level design and contradictory continuity with the films made Colonial Marines feel more like a cheap knock-off of the experience Gearbox had shown up to that point, and it didn't sit well with, well, anyone.
Gearbox attempted to patch the mess with post-launch updates, but the damage was done. Fortunately for Alien fans, Creative Assembly swooped in to save the day a year later with the terrific Alien: Isolation.