It's difficult for any video game developer to continually produce games that appease fans of that respective series. Each fan has a set belief of what constitutes a good game within that series, and any game that deviates from that identity, or falls below those standards, is met with some pushback. The longer a video game series goes, the more varied those beliefs become among fans. This often results in some entires in beloved video game series being divisive.

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A divisive game doesn't mean it's bad; it just means they're the subject of much debate within a fandom. This could be for story-related reasons such as an unsatisfying conclusion, gameplay elements such as the battle system, or changing too much/little from an established formula. No matter how good a video game series' track record is, none are immune to releasing a divisive entry.

10 Final Fantasy VIII Is One Of Many Divisive Final Fantasy Games

Rinoa and Sqall preparing to embrace in Final Fantasy VIII

With a series that chooses to drastically change things up with every entry, Final Fantasy is known for having divisive entries, even as recently as Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XV. Despite this, the title of the most divisive Final Fantasy goes to Final Fantasy VIII.

FFVIII tells a story about romance. For a romance plot to work, the romance has to feel believable and organic, which some fans felt FFVIII failed. Add in a confusing time compression plot point as well as an easily exploitable leveling system, and this results in the perfect recipe for a divisive entry.

9 Kingdom Hearts III Struggled To Handle The Weight Of Its Objective

Sora, Woody, and Buzz Lightyear use a rocket attack in Kingdom Hearts III

The Kingdom Hearts series isn't known for its cohesive and simplistic narrative. KH is full of vital story entries ranging from mobile games to a prologue found in a remastered collection. Kingdom Hearts III was faced with the monumental task of tying everything together and concluding the Xehanort saga.

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The eagerly anticipated KHIII did see praise for its combat and its Disney worlds, but some fans lamented that the emphasis on those Disney worlds resulted in the lack of Final Fantasy characters and a backloaded narrative. The "ReMind" DLC alleviated some of those concerns, but having to pay money for narrative fixes never sits well with fans.

8 Metal Gear Solid V Wrapped Up The Meta Gear Series On An Unsatisfying Note

Miller and Venom Snake on Mother Base in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

KHIII isn't the only recent game that had to conclude a convoluted over-arching narrative. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain were designed to be the missing pieces of the Metal Gear series by completing Big Boss' ascension into villainy.

MGSV features fun and explorative gameplay, allowing players to approach situations in numerous creative ways, adding immense replayability. However, MGSV's story disappointed some fans with its bizarre twist and sudden ending. Many fans believe MGSV isn't complete, and it doesn't help that an important ending mission was cut from the final product, information that was only revealed through a behind-the-scenes blu-ray released with a collector's edition of the game.

7 Resident Evil: Code Veronica Was Tougher Than Punching A Boulder Off A Ledge

Claire Redfield in Resident Evil: Code Veronica

The Resident Evil series is no stranger to highs and lows. Nearly every mainline entry could be considered divisive, including Resident Evil 4. However, one RE game stands out as more divisive than the rest: Resident Evil: Code Veronica.

Despite lacking a number in its title, Code Veronica is an important story entry in the RE series by reuniting the Redfield siblings and bringing back Albert Wesker. Yet, Code Veronica is a major roadblock when playing through the RE series, as it's arguably the most difficult RE game. It's easy for players to reach a point where they can't progress due to the lack of ammo. While many RE fans embraced this challenge, others didn't feel the story was worth the trouble.

6 Fallout 4 Stripped Away Some Of The Role-Playing In This Role-Playing Series

Player is faced with a few generic Dialog Options in Fallout 4

In 2015, Bethesda Softworks revealed the long-awaited and often leaked Fallout 4. As a bonus, Fallout 4 had a set release date for later that year, which was a refreshing approach compared to waiting multiple years for a release. Despite how easy it was to sink time into the post-apocalyptic Boston, Massachusetts, Fallout 4 wound up dividing Fallout fans.

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Chief among complaints was the dialog system. Many Fallout fans disliked the generic dialog choices coupled with the lack of in-depth skill-checks, things that later returned in Fallout 76. Overall, fans also found the story predictable with a lack of interesting factions and choices compared to Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.

5 The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword Was Exhausting For Many Zelda Fans

Link on top of The Imprisoned in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a unique entry in The Legend of Zelda series. Skyward Sword puts a far greater emphasis on the narrative compared to previous Zelda entries by telling a story that takes place in the very beginning.

Skyward Sword's story and orchestrated soundtrack were met with praise within the Zelda fandom. However, Skyward Sword saw criticism for its motion controls, the overly-talkative Fi, and its pace. While the former two were improved upon through Skyward Sword's high-definition remaster, the latter is still a point of contention. Skyward Sword frequently tasks players with revisiting areas and fighting The Imprisoned boss multiple times, which can make Skyward Sword exhausting to play through.

4 Halo 4 Was A New Era For Halo, For Better And For Worse

Master Chief and Cortana in Halo 4

Halo 3 could've been a perfect close to the Halo series. Bungie left just enough of an opening for a continuation, but still provided a satisfying conclusion in the event Halo 3 was the end of the road. With how much of a money-maker the Halo series is, most expected Halo to continue in some form, which it did in 2012's Halo 4.

Now helmed by 343 Industries, Halo 4 continues Master Chief's story through a new story arc. While the gameplay and multiplayer still saw praise, some Halo fans thought Halo 4's campaign relied too much on extended media, such as books, to better understand character intentions. Halo fans were also divided on the direction Halo 4 took Cortana. Both of these would continue to divide fans into Halo 5: Guardians.

3 Street Fighter V's Comeback Story Isn't Enough To Wash Away The Stigma From Its Launch

Street Fighter V Zangief Bison

In the fighting game genre, how a game finishes typically matters more than how it begins. However, when a game is as content-deprived as Street Fighter V was in its 2016 launch, that negative stigma sticks, no matter how big of a comeback story it achieves. First impressions matter.

Despite SFV winning over many Street Fighter and fighting game fans throughout its lifespan, SFV is still not without its core issues. SFV's online netcode leaves a lot to be desired. On top of that, some SF fans feel SFV's gameplay is limited in creativity and discourages risk-taking through its V-Trigger system.

2 Pokémon Generation VIII Is Controversial, But Many Pokémon Fans Still Love It

Player enters Route 1 in Pokemon Sword and Shield

The eighth generation of Pokémon showed just how much the iconic multimedia series can withstand. Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are undoubtedly the most controversial mainline Pokémon entries to date. Much of that controversy centers around the inability to transfer every Pokémon from previous games in what is now known as "Dexit." This, coupled with dated visuals and reused animations, created pessimism over the state of the Pokémon series for many Pokémon fans.

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Yet, Pokémon SWSH sold in droves, with many Pokémon fans satisfied with the Pokémon game Game Freak released, as well as the first expansion DLC content released for the Pokémon series. For better and for worse, Pokémon will likely continue to divide fans so long as its games sell.

1 It's Not All Sunshine In Super Mario Sunshine

Mario gliding through the water with his FLUDD jet pack in Super Mario Sunshine

Not even the famed Super Mario series is without divisive games. Perhaps the most divisive Mario game is Super Mario Sunshine. After the influential Super Mario 64 seamlessly transitioned Mario to the third dimension, fans were excited about Mario's 3D GameCube follow-up.

When Super Mario Sunshine was released, though, the reception was initially mixed. Some fans were turned off by the over-reliance on the F.L.U.D.D. mechanism in platforming and combat as Mario fans were hoping for a true sequel to SM64. Other fans found that F.L.U.D.D. gave Mario more maneuverability than ever, which is useful considering Super Mario Sunshine is among the most difficult Mario games to 100%, 3D or otherwise.

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