Controversy can be a good thing for a game. If it sparks debate before or after release, it can raise the game's profile in the eyes of the media and gamers. This greater awareness often translates into more sales. However, sometimes it can go too far.
There are those games that are almost entirely known for the controversy surrounding them. Whatever their merits and whatever else the game has to offer, its contentious aspects are the most infamous. Even if the games have their own dedicated fanbases who know better, the game is best known for the notoriety around a single aspect.
10 No Man's Sky Broke Many Promises
No Man's Sky had an immense amount of hype behind it before its 2016 release date. It promised to be an incredibly ambitious game. Players went in expecting to see a huge and varied galaxy. Developers Hello Games promised multiplayer, huge space battles, galactic politics, and more.
Instead, it was a technically impressive but shallow survival experience, with very few of its promised features. No Man's Sky became one of the most infamous games in history because of how little it offered compared to its marketing. It did have huge amounts of post-release support. Nowadays, it has even more features than were promised. However, it's still best known to many for its misleading marketing.
9 Star Wars Battlefront II Was Accused Of Being A Casino
Microtransactions in gaming reached their point as a topic of contention in 2017. Many games included monetization through exclusive items. However, these were often cosmetic or non-essential. Star Wars Battlefront II revealed, before release, that most of its heroes, as well as many gameplay items, were hidden behind purchases.
This caused severe backlash. In particular, fans were outraged at how much playtime would be needed to unlock one iconic hero like Darth Vader. The issue became more than outrage, however, Several countries announced investigations into microtransactions and gambling laws. Battlefront II launched without gameplay transactions, but never overcame the accusations of being a Star Wars casino.
8 Duke Nukem Forever Took Many Years To Disappoint
Even prior to its release, Duke Nukem Forever was infamous. The game spent fourteen years in development and many thought it would never be finished. Then, after it came out, it became contentious for another reason. It had hugely dated depictions of women and people of color - some even more extreme than the original.
Duke Nukem Forever was accused of sexism and racism and found it hard to refute those claims. Worse, there wasn't much else to discuss about the game. It was an underwhelming first-person shooter that had been left behind by contemporaries. The controversy was the only thing that stood out.
7 Manhunt Was Mistakenly Accused Of Inspiring Murder
Manhunt was notorious for its realistic and graphic violence. Even many employees of developer Rockstar Games were uncomfortable with the game's dark tone. It cast the player as a convicted criminal hunting other criminals for snuff films. However, its alleged real-world impacts magnified this notoriety tenfold.
Manhunt was accused of inspiring a UK murder. The perpetrator owned the game, and some drew similarities between the killing and some of the gameplay. Ultimately, the police rejected any association between the two. Nonetheless, it quickly became the most notable thing about the game.
6 Mass Effect 3's Ending Overshadowed Its Series
The first two Mass Effect games were considered among the best of all time. They had almost universal love from critics and players alike. The third game caused much more of a stir. This is because of its infamous ending. Rather than the flexible, choice-based conclusion the series promised, players simply chose which way to use an arbitrary plot device.
Mass Effect 3's ending was infamous for being anticlimactic, nonsensical, and for disregarding most of the series' events. The controversy was so bad that free DLC was released to improve it. Mass Effect 3 has plenty to enjoy and a devoted fanbase. In the public eye, however, it's still known for the backlash to its ending.
5 Six Days In Fallujah Has Been Controversial Twice Before Release
Six Days In Fallujah was first announced in 2009, before being revived in 2021 The game follows the real-life Second Battle of Fallujah in the Iraq War. Its developers described it as akin to a survival horror game, forefronting the human experience of the Western soldiers.
In 2009, Six Days in Fallujah provoked condemnation from many. Its criticisms ranged from cheapening the horror of a real, recent war to outright promoting that same war. In 2021, it received the exact same condemnation. Six Days in Fallujah doesn't even have a release date yet. Its controversy is by far the best-known thing about it.
4 Postal Turned Massacre Into Sport
Violence in video games is one of the most hot-button topics surrounding the medium. Many defenders of gaming cite the many things people can do other than fight. The game Postal was a favored argument of the other side. In Postal, players controlled an unnamed protagonist as he massacred his way through his hometown.
Postal was one of the most extreme and pointlessly violent games in existence. However, its gameplay was average and had little replay value. Unlike other common targets like Grand Theft Auto, Postal wasn't famous for much else. As such, the debates over its violence are its enduring legacy.
3 Cyberpunk 2077 Was Rushed And Incomplete
Cyberpunk 2077 was another game with a huge amount of hype behind it. It adapted a classic and influential tabletop setting, promised exciting and varied gameplay, and had major star power in Keanu Reeves. Its release became one of the most controversial things in all of 2020.
Cyberpunk 2077 had the potential of a great game. However, it felt incomplete and rushed to many. In particular, it was infamous for the sheer amount of glitches players had to contend with. It had such poor performance on last-gen consoles that PlayStation delisted it from the PS4 store. The game has improved substantially since. However, it's still best known for its terrible launch.
2 Fallout 76 Was A Poor Franchise Entry
Bethesda's Fallout games have always been contentious, but few caused as much controversy as Fallout 76. The game massively overhauled the Fallout experience. Rather than a story-focused RPG series with an emphasis on conversations, it became a survival-action MMO. Most notoriously, it lacked any human NPCs at all.
The game was panned as a huge deviation from the series for little to show for it. In addition, many accused it of violating the lore and even the themes of Fallout. Worse, Fallout 76's Power Armor edition delivered inadequate items. Bethesda replaced a canvas bag with nylon and didn't inform customers. It took over half a year to give customers what they had paid for. These things tarred Fallout 76's reputation permanently.
1 The Last Of Us Part II Made Contentious Story Changes
The Last of Us was widely held as one of the best games ever made. Its story was considered art. Player characters Joel Miller and Ellie Williams became gaming icons. The Last of Us Part II upset this radically. Joel Miller died early in the game. The player then spent many hours playing as his killer, Abby Anderson.
This took place alongside other contentious story elements, such as Joel and Ellie's relationship fracturing between games. There was review bombing, widespread hostility in debates, and even death threats leveled at figures involved in the game. All of this overshadowed the game, despite a large contingent of supporters.