10 Of The Biggest Video Game Trailer Downgrades Of All Time
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10 Of The Biggest Video Game Trailer Downgrades Of All Time
Trailers can make and break a video game, but some stretched the truth so far that the final product disappointed. Which were the biggest downgrades? Marketing is incredibly important in modern times for almost every product or service that is being offered to the public. Video games are no exception to this golden rule — if anything, the sheer number of video games being released on a regular basis mandates the need for upcoming releases to receive as much attention as possible... something that is only possible through novel video game marketing practices. However, in a bid to generate as much hype as possible, some video game companies end up using scummy marketing tactics in a bid to attract as much attention as possible, at the cost of their integrity. While this has unfortunately become quite commonplace, there are some egregious offenders in this regard who have straight-up lied to their consumers by showcasing video game trailers and early gameplay reveals with features that simply weren't present in the final product. Keeping this in mind, here are 10 of the most notable video game trailer downgrades of all time. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY BioShock Infinite
It goes without saying that BioShock Infinite is one of the greatest video games of all time, with a story that is genuinely brilliant in every way. However, even brilliant games aren't immune to marketing controversies, and BioShock Infinite had its fair share of false advertising debacles. The original gameplay trailer that was shown at E3 was impressive in every sense of the word, but the final game had none of the flair and panache on display during this showing. The game is still excellent from a gameplay perspective, don't get us wrong on that... but some of the gameplay features present in the trailer are either toned down or completely absent from the final product. The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt
Speaking of excellent games that still had to lie about their game for the highest level of marketing hype possible, it's time to talk about the downgrade of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. Upon release. players noticed a stark difference in graphical quality and overall gameplay from the E3 showcase. The fact that these minor complaints were completely shelved due to the sheer quality of the end product goes to show just . However, this marketing goof-up should also make us wary of Cyberpunk 2077, which had a similarly mind-blowing early gameplay reveal. Dark Souls 2
Our trio of excellent games is rounded off by Dark Souls 2, which looked beautiful when it was showcased for the very first time. However, upon launch, the game had none of these graphical upgrades and just looked... bland. It didn't help that Miyazaki wasn't at the helm of Dark Souls 2, leading to an experience that most fans have labeled as subpar, which is perhaps a somewhat unfair judgment of . Mass Effect Andromeda
However, when it comes to talking about subpar and disappointing games in a well-established franchise, nothing comes close to the absolutely disastrous launch of Mass Effect Andromeda. Nothing that was promised in the early gameplay reveals came to fruition. The animations were laughably bad, the story was criminally low-stakes, and . BioWare's excuse was that Andromeda took a backseat to their new IP... although that also was a farce in itself. Anthem
To think that a beloved series like Mass Effect was playing second fiddle to Anthem is incredibly hard to fathom, given the fact that the latter somehow turned out to be a worse game. The negative reception of the game was further compounded by the fact that the reveals promised an engaging experience, with Fort Tarsis actually resembling an actual lifelike city and the gameplay being somewhat engaging. Instead, what we got was a shallow experience that did nothing for BioWare's dwindling reputation, marred with boring gameplay, uninteresting visuals, and a host of technical issues. Tom Clancy s Rainbow Six Siege
When it comes to scummy marketing strategies, it goes without saying that Ubisoft games would obviously claim a spot on this list. One of their worst offenders came in the form of Rainbow Six Siege's reveal, coupled with fabricated team talks and gameplay nuances that were — surprise surprise — absent from the final product. Rainbow Six Siege might've sold like hotcakes, but the marketing that preceded it was full to the brim with lies. Tom Clancy s The Division
But of course, Rainbow Six Siege isn't the only Tom Clancy game — or, for that matter, the only Ubisoft game — to be hit with a downgrade. The Division also featured false and misleading advertising preceding its launch. A beautiful post-apocalyptic Manhattan was replaced with your run-of-the-mill drab visuals, coupled with other graphical and gameplay downgrades that took away from the overall experience. Watch Dogs
It would be impossible to mention Ubisoft's visual downgrades without mentioning perhaps the most high-profile visual downgrade of all time in the form of Watch Dogs. The title was revealed to near-unanimous praise, with everyone calling it a visual spectacle. However, upon release, a large portion of the visual upgrades in Watch Dogs was heavily toned down, if not completely nixed altogether. This, coupled with the less-than-impressive hacking mechanic, led to the game feeling like a painfully mediocre experience. No Man s Sky
One simply can't talk about notable video game downgrades without mentioning the debacle that was No Man s Sky. Sean Murray absolutely lied through his teeth in a bid to sell as many copies as possible, although it was understandable given the tenuous nature of the game's development — that's a story best reserved for another day. Upon launch, nothing that Hello Games promised ever came to light. The procedurally generated world was barebones, the exploration was boring, and almost all the features that were promised never came to light.
Watchdogs might be the most well-known case of a video game being downgraded upon release, but Aliens: Colonial Marines has to take the prize of having the most misleading gameplay trailer of all time. Out of all the games on this list, Aliens: Colonial Marines is the worst title by a country mile... but there was no way you could figure that out from the gameplay trailer that showcased what was supposed to be a landmark title.