Side Quest! What is the most disappointing game you’ve played this generation?

Ok, the 7th generation of gaming might not be over yet, but let’s face it, it’s coming to an end really fast. Whether you agree or not, Nintendo is going in the 8th generation with the Wii U this November and everybody expects Sony’s and Microsoft’s new consoles to arrive in the fall of next year. As such, we look back and ask ourselves: We had fenomenal games indeed, but what are the worst or the most disappointing games we’ve played? Now I know that PC gaming isn’t in any generation because it’s pretty much everlasting but looking back at the past 6 or 7 years of gaming, I can’t remember being more disappointed in a game than in Stronghold 3.

Now here’s why! First, I gotta tell you that I’m a big fan of the series. From the first Stronghold to Crusader (and Extreme) to Stronghold 2 and even Legends, I enjoyed all these games. Some were better than others (my #1 is still the first Stronghold) but all in all, I loved constructing castles, taking care of my people and then crushing my opponents. It’s a fairly unique game in the genre because it’s very complex (maybe TOO complex if you look at #2). The main reason I’m very disappointed in Stronghold 3 is because I love the franchise so much and expected greater things from it.

The first and most important thing I hated was the fact that the game felt VERY unfinished. It had lots and lots of bugs, you couldn’t even select certain units, even if I could run games like Crysis, Crysis 2, Max Payne 3 and so on on max settings, the game still lagged like hell even on the lowest ones, the A.I. was incompetent beyond imagining and many many more problems. Sure most of these things were, to a degree, solved in the Gold edition which came out for free for those who already payed for the game but it’s inexcusable for how the game shipped in the first place.

Just a simple example…

Another thing that I was disappointed in was the fact that the game didn’t and STILL doesn’t have a skirmish mode. Sure the first game didn’t have it at all but the other ones all had this critical feature. Let’s face it! You don’t always want to go head to head with an opponent from the real world so a more relaxing option is very important in a genre like this. I also wasn’t particularly fond of the story but it served the game well enough. Another thing was the fact that the game had so few standalone maps. Again, for the strategy genre this is also a critical feature to ensure a high replay value which the game, sadly lacks.

So all in all, the game which is part of a very special franchise to me (I still remember the day my dad came back from a 3 months mission and brought me the first Stronghold game… ahhh, the memories) is a major let down. I strongly think that with more time and a bigger budget, Firefly Studios (the developers behind the franchise) can do great things with the series and this is why I’m still looking forward to their next game, Stronghold Crusader II which is bound to be released next year. So now’s the time for you, my dear readers, to tell us what is the most disappointing game YOU have played this generation! Sound off in the comment section below and remember!

Stay calm and keep on gaming! Vlad Pintea out!

Images: Google