Top 10 Video Games SAVED By Last Minute Changes
#10: Atlas’ Voice Actor
“BioShock” (2007) The mysterious Atlas is the player’s guide to the underwater city of Rapture. Guiding the protagonist Jack through the city via radio, Atlas has a distinctive Irish accent, which he drops upon revealing his identity. However, that wasn’t always the case. The character was originally intended to be voiced by Greg Baldwin, the same voice actor who plays Frank Fontaine, Atlas’ real identity. Although Baldwin planned to use a southern American accent, it would have been easier to see the twist coming, at least for people good at recognizing voices. Karl Hanover, an Irish actor, was brought on, and after test groups liked his performance, the developers “kindly” made the switch.
#9: Including Linked Battles
“Pokémon Red and Blue Versions” (1998) One of the biggest selling points of the original “Pokémon” games was the link cable – an accessory that let players join their Game Boys to trade and battle their Pokémon with each other. However, the latter feature was a surprisingly late addition. Producer Shigeki Morimoto revealed in an interview that Nintendo was insistent on players being able to fight their pocket monsters with each other. He was not enthused with the idea at first, and the original feature had automatic, randomized outcomes instead of live battling. Naturally, that didn’t go over well, and they created the familiar back and forth combat that helped make “Red & Blue” such a success.
#8: The Awful Voice Acting
“Resident Evil” (1996) The original “Resident Evil” game is infamous for having some of the cheesiest, most bizarre voice acting ever in a video game. It should come as no surprise that it was a slapdash production. Although recorded in English, the actors were chosen by their availability in Japan, where it was recorded, not by their talent. In addition, the script was translated directly from Japanese, meaning many of the awkward lines are the result of things being lost in translation. Plus, the actors weren’t given much if any direction, so they just read the lines as they were written. It’s debatable whether or not the voice acting “saved” the game, but it certainly made it more memorable.
#7: Removing the Auction House
“Diablo III” (2012) Most of these changes happened before the game was released – except this one. “Diablo III” was originally released with an auction house feature. This in-game item buying system allowed players to purchase items from the game, either using currency from the game or the real world. For a game series built around loot drops, this felt obtuse to some and even violated some countries’ gambling laws. The outcry forced the developers to redesign a large portion of the game, but after a few years, “Diablo III” was fixed, and the auction house was no more.
#6: James McCaffrey Returning as Max Payne
“Max Payne 3” (2012) Since the “Max Payne” series’ inception, the character has been voiced by James McCaffrey. However, during the development of “Max Payne 3,” Rockstar Games, who had bought the series, announced they were changing the voice actor to someone new to reflect the character’s more mature appearance. Fans balked at the change en masse. While no replacement actor was announced, Rockstar eventually announced that James McCaffrey would be playing Max Payne once again, both in voice and in appearance this time. While the game’s ensuing acclaim could also be attributed to its story and gameplay, it just wouldn’t have been the same without McCaffrey.
#5: Changing the Art Style
“Borderlands” (2009) There are a lot of post-apocalyptic shooters out there. A lot. But “Borderlands” has distinguished itself from the rest with its offbeat sense of humor, as well as its cel-shaded art style. Except, the latter was added quite late in the game’s development. Reportedly, the game was around 75 percent complete when the entire art style was overhauled. This was done to help differentiate it from similar games in the genre, like “Fallout.” While the original more muted look for “Borderlands” might have found success, it was far less eye-catching than the final product. “Borderlands” helped shooters become more colorful again after so much brown and gray.
#4: Battle Royale Mode
“Fortnite” (2017) We can practically hear you in the comments – “What?! How is that possible?! ‘Fortnite’ is the name in battle royale games!” It is now, but that wasn’t the plan at first! “Fortnite” began development as a co-op, PVE game. However, the success of battle royale games like “PUBG” led to part of the team developing “Fortnite Battle Royale” as a free spin-off. The original “Fortnite: Save the World” has since been overshadowed by the “Battle Royale” game mode, which has developed into a massive subculture, due to being free, colorful, and having tie-ins with virtually every property known to humankind.
#3: A New Ending
“The Last of Us” (2013) The ending of “The Last of Us” is one of its most praised aspects – Joel saves Ellie, at the cost of a potential cure for the world. However, the game was originally envisioned with a more happy and less morally ambiguous conclusion. For much of the game’s development, Tess was to be the game’s antagonist, pursuing Joel and Ellie across the country. Ellie’s first human kill was to have been Tess to protect Joel. The two would then have reached San Francisco, where they were trying to rebuild society. Although the new ending changed a large part of the story and was not well-received among early testers, its reception grew more positive over time and now we wouldn’t have it any other way.
#2: Mimir’s Head on Kratos’ Belt
“God of War” (2018) This acclaimed action game had several monumental elements about it that nearly changed in development. While it was tempting to talk about how Kratos’ son Atreus was nearly cut entirely, we’re discussing one of the god protagonist’s other companions. Mimir is a god, who is “freed” from his imprisonment after Kratos cuts off his head and carries it with him attached to his belt. Mimir provides insight, comic relief, and early warning in battle if someone’s sneaking up behind Kratos. And honestly, if Mimir’s head being attached to Kratos’ belt was the idea from the beginning, we’d be more surprised!
#1: Adding Multiplayer
“GoldenEye 007” (1997) Sure, “GoldenEye 007” has a decent single player campaign…for its time. But what everyone remembers about it is its multiplayer. Up to four players duking it out on various maps – it was the premium multiplayer shooter of its time. And yet, this beloved part of the game wasn’t added until 6 months before the game’s release! Programmed primarily by programmer Steve Ellis, the multiplayer mode was created without the knowledge of Nintendo or Rare management. It’s amazing that something so crucial to the game’s success and legacy was added so late and done by basically one man!