E3 2015: The biggest disappointments from 2014

It's easy to get lost in the excitement and the hype machine for E3 2015. There are so many big games to see throughout the week, reminding us all of why we love video games in the first place. But it's always important to temper that enthusiasm to a reasonable degree and remember that not everything can be the best thing ever. In fact, some of what comes out of E3 doesn't even wind up being particularly good.

For today, let's venture back to last year's E3 and take a look at some of the games that received the most hype. These are the games that garnered up tons of excitement, only to fail to live up to expectations. These are the biggest disappointments from E3 2014.

Assassin's Creed Unity

This is like shooting fish in a barrel, since Unity could find a slot on just about any "Disappointing" list for 2014. For full disclosure, I am the one that reviewed this game for Shacknews. So it'll probably sound strange to people that I did not see many of the bugs and glitches that had the gaming world in a tizzy. I bumped into most of the usual Assassin's Creed issues that I've come to expect, like getting stuck on walls at inopportune times, but I certainly didn't see entire face textures disappear.

But let's put that glaring problem to the side for the moment. A big part of the Assassin's Creed Unity hype at E3 involved this vision for two and four-player co-op, with online friends getting together for some joint missions. This did not quite pan out. While I did enjoy that two-players could get together via certain points on the map, the co-op scene was not as active as anyone hoped and the actual four-player missions were pretty humdrum. I liked Unity well enough for its story and for Arno and Elise, but this is a game that could have been so much more than it was.

Battlefield Hardline

There was skepticism with Battlefield Hardline from the very beginning, with Battlefield 4 fans skeptical that the formula could translate to a cops and robbers setting. EA and Visceral tried their best to alleviate the concerns when they launched the Battlefield Hardline beta during EA's E3 2014 press event. Even those that managed to get past the overloaded website or the PSN logjam weren't encouraged by what they saw, with the new multiplayer modes getting mixed reactions.

The final version of the game wasn't much better. Battlefield Hardline featured a linear campaign with a derivative and cynical plot about crooked cops. Even if it wasn't coming off a time when public trust in police was reeling, the story itself was just dull. While multiplayer improved slightly and even featured a couple of engaging game modes like Hotwire, it still wasn't enough to hold a candle to Battlefield 4. Even with Season Pass content rolling out, Hardline is just a shell of what DICE was able to produce previously.

Sonic Boom: Ryse of Lyric

Did I use that "shooting fish in a barrel" cliché already? Because nowhere does that truism apply more than with Sonic the Hedgehog. While other games on this list might have set a high expectation bar, it was hard to generate any kind of excitement for Sonic Boom. It wasn't just that Sega messed with the classic character design that so many were familiar with. DMC: Devil May Cry already proved that classic characters and story can be bastardized while still leading to a fantastic gaming experience. Unfortuantely, Sonic Boom was too much of the former while providing none of the latter.

The Sonic formula was changed to focus on boring platforming sequences, dull combat sequences, and giant worlds with little to no direction provided. There were classic speed sequences at various points, but those were unfortunately bogged down by framerate drops. Yes, the sections that were supposed to focus on Sonic going fast were plagued with frame lag. The game's only redeeming value was the humor, with the characters actually spouting some decent one-liners and jokes. The long losing streak for Sonic was upped by one more when Sonic Boom eventually released, offering little reason to believe things will get better with the next Sonic Boom game later this year.

Civilization: Beyond Earth

When I started putting this compilation together, Steven Wong was quick to chime in with Civilization: Beyond Earth. While he found it decent enough, the E3 2014 presentation showed a lot of potential. But while the Civilization formula got some intruging tweaks, the game's unintuitive Technology Web, iffy Affinity system, and problematic combat sequences didn't quite offer the optimal Civilization experience. Many members of the Shacknews Chatty community likewise found Beyond Earth to be a disappointment.

Of course, Civilization: Beyond Earth is not beyond redemption. A companion game, Sid Meier's Starships, released earlier this year, offering up some unique synergy. Meanwhile, Beyond Earth is set to get its first official expansion, called Rising Tide, this fall. It may have disappointed coming out of last year's E3, but all is not lost for the latest Civilization game.

The Crew

As Steven tossed in his disappointment choice with Civilization: Beyond Earth, Daniel Perez added his own E3 misfire with Ubisoft's The Crew. Paraphrasing his own words, he couldn't understand how Ubisoft and Ivory Tower could take such a cool concept like driving around the continental United States and make it so boring. There isn't a whole lot of reason to play with other cars, the AI is wonky, the story doesn't have a lot of teeth to it, and then there's the currency. While players can earn currency for completing missions or races, it's purposely made into a grind to make way for the game's other currency that tosses in free-to-play-style microtransactions.

With Ubisoft still facing a wave of criticism for Assassin's Creed Unity, it was easy for The Crew to fall under the radar. But this game didn't exact drive out of the garage smelling like roses, either.

The Order: 1886

I'm torn on this one, personally. We actually enjoyed The Order: 1886 here at Shacknews. But with the wave of consumer criticism that came crashing down following its February release, I am compelled enough to include it on this list. Ready at Dawn set out to craft a true blend of cinematic cutscenes and gorgeous-looking shooting sequences, with zero loading sequences in between. In that sense, the studio succeeded and The Order: 1886 remains one of the most dazzling games to hit the PlayStation 4.

But after all of the hype, with E3 2014 among the many events that touted The Order's merits, it's hard not to come out of such a short campaign without feeling slightly underwhelmed. As a first effort, I appreciate what Ready at Dawn was able to pull off. The Order: 1886 looks phenomenal and it's a fun ride. It's just a short one and that's disappointing given what was hyped last year.

Destiny

But if any game deserves the hype trophy, it's Destiny. Nothing came with as much fanfare as the first collaboration between Activision and Bungie, especially at last year's E3, with Destiny taking up ample time at Sony's press conference.

When it finally released, Destiny received some majorly mixed reviews from both press and consumers. Bungie promised a giant toybox with near-endless content to play with and what players wound up getting was repetitive level design, inconsistent loot drops, dull lore, and limited Raid content. Activision and Bungie promised the world and delivered a plastic globe. Steve Watts wasn't about to let me complete this list without including Destiny, having reviewed the game. And judging by the Chatty reaction, many agreed.

Destiny isn't quite finished yet, with a new expansion apparently on the horizon at this year's E3. But if the failure to live up the E3 2014 hype is any indication, there's going to be a lot of hesitation before anyone plunks down another $40 to add to the Destiny experience.

Were there any games from last year's E3 that got you excited, only to leave you supremely disappointed when they eventually launched? Let us know in the comments and keep following Shacknews for all E3 2015 coverage.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?