Sony has a lot of great games that have become a hallmark of its PlayStation consoles, but it’s not without its failures. Recently, the game Concord has attracted a lot of attention and has become a symbol of failure among exclusives, much like how players seek out new experiences at places like Stay Casino login but sometimes find their expectations unmet. In this article, we will take a look at the 10 worst PlayStation exclusives that failed to meet expectations and became the subject of criticism among gamers and journalists.
Forspoken
Release date: 24 January 2023
Developer: Luminous Productions
Platforms: PC, PS5
Forspoken failed due to poor optimisation, as well as monotonous and boring gameplay. The studio Luminous Productions, which took on the project, failed to create a unique and exciting experience for players. The game had a large open world, but many players found it empty and aimless, which did not allow them to find exciting tasks or activities.
Haze
Release date: 20 May 2008
Developer: Free Radical Design
Platforms: PS3
This sci-fi shooter was supposed to promise something new thanks to original concepts and interesting game mechanics. However, when players received Haze, they were disappointed. The game, which tried to compete with successful projects such as Halo, turned out to be short and boring. The main feature of the game—hallucinogens that improve character skills—could not save the situation. A short campaign, boring shootouts, and a poorly developed plot were the main reasons why Haze failed to find its audience.
Ridge Racer
Release date: 17 December 2011
Developer: Cellius
Platforms: PS Vita
The Ridge Racer series has been associated with PlayStation since its early days, and almost no console has been without a new instalment. However, the exclusive version for Vita, developed by Cellius, was a complete failure. The game was sold at full price, but in fact, it resembled a demo version with limited content, which basically repeated the previous parts. Despite the fact that the game had branded elements such as drifting and addictive gameplay, buyers refused to buy a ‘piece of cake’ and pay for additional content.
Lair
Release date: 31 August 2007
Developer: Factor 5
Platforms: PS3
Lair was actively used to demonstrate the capabilities of the PlayStation 3 at the beginning of its career. However, despite the impressive graphics and ambitious ideas, the lack of quality gameplay quickly killed this game. The developers relied on innovative motion control, but at that time, this technology was not yet perfect. Players noted that the controls were inconvenient and even annoying, which made the game difficult. As a result, despite the relatively interesting plot elements, Lair received cold reviews and became an example of how great ideas can fail due to poor implementation.
Knack
Release date: 15 November 2013
Developer: Japan Studio
Platforms: PS4
Knack tried to become a flagship for PS4, drawing attention to the new console. The game had an interesting mechanic that allowed the character to change his abilities and size. However, despite all the efforts, players and critics were quick to point out that Knack was just another platformer with no unique features. The game failed to meet expectations as a benchmark, as there were much better projects, such as Killzone Shadow Fall. As a result, Knack was forgotten, and the sequel, released four years later, failed to restore its reputation.
The Order: 1886
Release date: 20 February 2015
Developer: Ready at Dawn
Platforms: PS4
The Order: 1886 impressed players with its beautiful graphics and stylish steampunk atmosphere, but quickly turned out to be a failure due to the short and boring plot. Players spent a lot of time in dialogues and simple exploration of the environment, while the action scenes did not stand up to any criticism compared to already popular projects. The Ready at Dawn studio was unable to realise the huge budget, and the game remained unfinished, never receiving the planned sequel.
Destruction AllStars
Release date: 2 February 2021
Developer: Lucid Games
Platforms: PS5
Destruction AllStars offered players the car battles that had previously been a great success in the Twisted Metal series. However, the novelty quickly disappointed players with its cartoonish design, ill-conceived games, and intrusive microtransactions. Online modes were not exciting enough, and the gameplay itself quickly bored players.
Fort Solis
Release date: 22 August 2023
Developers: Fallen Leaf, Black Drakkar Games
Platforms: PC, PS5
Fort Solis is another example of a game that failed to live up to its ambitions. Instead of an exciting storyline and gameplay, players received four hours of boring wandering around beautifully designed locations with a search for notes and minimal interactivity. The presence of famous actors such as Roger Clark and Troy Baker could not save the project from failure.
Quantum Error
Release date: 3 November 2023
Developer: TeamKill Media
Platforms: PS5
Quantum Error tried to combine the genres of shooter, firefighter simulator, and horror, but due to the lack of proper implementation, the concept was only on paper. Players noted a boring plot, ridiculous bugs, an inconvenient checkpoint system, and terrible artificial intelligence. Many publications included Quantum Error in the lists of the worst games of 2023, recognising it as an undeserved failure.
Concord
Release date: 23 August 2024
Developer: Firewalk Studios
Platforms: PC, PS5
Concord became the worst of all the exclusives released on PlayStation. Sony decided to compete with the popular game Overwatch, but it did it extremely negligently. Firewalk Studios, although composed of experienced employees, had no successful experience in creating games, and after eight years of development, Concord was released with messy gameplay and poor marketing. The game received negative reviews from critics and players alike, and sales totalled only 25 thousand copies. For $40 for a game that looked like it was free, consumers did not see any benefits. As a result, the project was closed just two weeks after its release.