The 10 Most Polarizing Games of the 8th Generation
Top 10 Most Polarizing Games of the 8th Generation
Top 10 Worst Games of the 7th Generation!
Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re counting down our picks for the 10 Most Polarizing Games of the 8th Generation. These games aren’t necessarily the best or the worst the last generation had to offer, but they did manage to create a rift between fans and critics and even the industry itself. What games did everyone love that just didn’t grab you? Let us know down in the comments.
“Death Stranding” (2019)
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To say the hype for Hideo Kojima’s first title after parting ways with Konami was high would be an understatement. First shown off at E3 2016, no one quite knew what this new title was going to be, and more trailers only fueled the speculation and confusion. What gamers got was unlike anything they expected. Dubbed “The Delivery Simulator” by many, most of your time in the game is spent running packages across a beautifully destroyed America while trying to avoid Cthulhu-esque nightmares. While many were turned off by the game’s unrelentingly slow pace, those who stuck with the title came to appreciate the creator’s unwavering vision and unique multiplayer integration.
“Days Gone” (2019)
Sony was riding something of a hot streak with their Playstation exclusives leading up to the release of “Days Gone”. And while the game didn’t completely derail the success Sony had up to that point, many felt the game was far more generic and safe than previous first party offerings. Critics called out the game’s weak story and characters as well as the repetition of the main story missions and side activities. Still the game managed to develop something of a cult following amongst gamers and a large number of vocal fans still claim it to be one of the PlayStation 4’s best offerings.
“Fortnite” (2017)
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Love it or hate it, the popularity of the “Battle Royale” mode started here. Inspired by the success of Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, Epic games took the 1 vs 100 mode and combined it with the game’s original tower defense mechanics to create something entirely new in the genre. The mode’s overnight popularity as well as Epic’s inclusion of the relatively new “Battle Pass” feature sent shockwaves through the industry, leading many developers to tack on the mode to their games in hopes of having the same success. Fortnite’s immense popularity however was also what split the gaming community. Over-saturation and the constant stream of merchandise flooding the market drove many gamers to find their Battle Royale fix elsewhere.
“Destiny” (2014)
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Prior to the release of Bungie’s shooter Destiny, hardly anyone had ever heard of the term “live service game”, but never doubt Activision when it comes to finding ways to make you part with your hard-earned cash. Gamers were understandably excited for Bungie’s newest project and all that excitement culminated in two words: “Grimoire Cards”. Gamers expecting to find a moving story and deep lore similar to the developer’s previous efforts were instead instructed to put down the controller and go online to find the majority of the game’s story. Coupled with an empty world, excruciating load times, and the promises of “every gun tells a story” completely non-existent, many gamers abandoned the game before the first of many promised DLCs even had a chance to drop.
“No Man’s Sky” (2016)
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Chalk this one up to poor marketing and broken promises. From the game’s initial reveal and constant stream of new footage, gamers drooled at the thought of having an entire procedurally generated universe to explore. Considered by some to be the modern Peter Molyneux, Hello Games’ founder Sean Murray was constantly in the public eye showcasing a title and promising features that were either not available or outright never existed. Upon release, the gaming community unleashed their wrath on Hello Games for the game’s disastrous presentation and repetitive gameplay. While Hello Games eventually turned the title around with constant updates and “No Man’s Sky Next”, for many gamers it was too little too late.
“Fallout 76” (2018)
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A new Fallout game set at the earliest point in the universe’s timeline? You have our curiosity. The new Fallout is an online multiplayer game, letting us explore with friends? You have our attention. Sadly, all that anticipation was lost once we finally played the game. A bug-riddled mess with no NPCs and a barely there campaign, players quickly turned against Bethesda for clearly releasing the game before it was finished. Bethesda didn’t help matters by announcing Fallout 1st, a $100 subscription service for a full-priced game that included features that were promised to players before 76 even launched. The game still maintains a player base, but interest has all but faded since the release of what should have been an easy win for Bethesda. Sometimes Todd, it doesn’t “Just work”.
“Call of Duty Infinite Warfare” (2016)
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Oh how the mighty have fallen flat on their face before even making it across the starting line. Once considered to be an unstoppable juggernaut in gaming, fatigue quickly began to set in on gamers when the newest title was revealed back in 2016. Yet another entry in the beloved series pushing the franchise to a futuristic setting and finally sending players into space, the game was immediately hit with a negative outcry from fans and the reveal trailer remains one of the most disliked videos not only for the series but on YouTube altogether. While the game still sold well, the return to World War II the following year was heralded as a return to form and might have just saved the franchise from the ire of die-hard fans.
“Metal Gear: Survive” (2018)
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Konami, what did we ever do to deserve this? After forcibly parting ways with series creator Hideo Kojima, Konami wasn’t about to let their most lucrative franchise waste away on pachinko machines. Completely ditching the series’ stealth mechanics and recognizable characters, the game dropped players into a zombie infested world in which they literally had to survive. Boring combat, poorly implemented new mechanics and none of the mainstays that made the franchise the legendary series that it is, not to mention the audacity to charge gamers $10 for a second save slot, just proved how out of touch Konami is with gamers and puts all future prospects for the series in jeopardy.
“Star Wars Battlefront 2” (2017)
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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, this game marked what will hopefully be the beginning of the end for micro-transactions. After promising all upcoming DLC and new maps would be free, gamers quickly found out where EA planned to recoup their losses. With egregious and predatory micro-transactions, oh sorry “Surprise Mechanics”, applied to nearly every facet of multiplayer, EA was put in the hot seat in numerous court hearings for what many considered to be online gambling aimed at minors. The resulting backlash to the title was so severe that Disney even contacted EA and demanded the mechanics be stripped from the game just before launch. While Dice should be commended for turning the game around over the last couple of years, there’s no forgetting what it was in the beginning. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few Honorable Mentions:
“Pokemon Sword & Shield” (2019)
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Fewer Pokemon and a Lack of New Innovations Disappointed Many Gamers
“Terminator: Resistance” (2019)
Players Found Much More to Love in this Throwback Shooter than Critics Did.
“Left Alive” (2019)
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Great Art Direction Wasn’t Enough to Sway Critics, but Gamers Still Found Plenty to Love
“Umbrella Corps” (2016)
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Literally No One Was Asking for an Esports Game Set in the Resident Evil Universe.
“The Last of Us Part II” (2020)
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As the follow-up to what many consider one of the greatest games of all time, the stakes were understandably high for the sequel. Despite much of the gaming community being skeptical of the new title being necessary at all, the game garnered almost universal critical and commercial success. However, many took issue with the game’s treatment of some key characters and others accused the game of trying to push a social agenda. All of this culminated in many of the creators and even actors receiving death threats via social media, which is never okay. Yet even amidst all the controversy, the game still managed to top many news and gaming outlets’ Game of the Year and Game of the Generation lists.
