The Biggest Gaming Disappointments of 2014

With technology, artistry, and industry trends changing on a nearly monthly basis, each new year in video games proves that it’s nothing if not a fluid medium. Overblown controversies, divisive marketing strategies, worthwhile conversations, and extreme highs and lows are par for the course. 2014 was no different, but there’s no denying that several things failed to turn out the way we here at Game Rant hoped they would.

It’s important to note that our choices for the most underwhelming, distressing, or simply off-the-mark are far from the only candidates. Every consumer will have their most and least favorite moments or properties of the year, and could name several trends or debates that they either defended passionately or avoided altogether. But for us, this list of broken (or simply misunderstood) promises remain with us.

Without further ado, here are our choices for The Biggest Gaming Disappointments of 2014:

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Grand Theft Auto Online

There’s no question that Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V was one of the best games on the market when it first released in 2013. But for players hoping to see the series take a step forward into the new multiplayer-focused world we now occupy, it was Grand Theft Auto Online that held the real promise; the promise of succeeding where prior Rockstar multiplayer had struggled. Unfortunately, a troubled launch was just an appetizer for the lengthy wait ahead.

And wait we did. For no part of GTAV was a more refreshing surprise than the in-game Heists, which made the addition of online Heists – complex jobs to be carried out with friends – the top multiplayer selling point for many. And after Online Heists were promised on a nearly monthly basis, we sit a year later unable to play the one mode with friends we always dreamed of. And the release still isn’t even close. But hey, there’s next-gen versions, right?

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The Delays

Delays for highly-touted AAA games are nothing new, but 2014 was a year downright filled with them. At present 5 of our 12 Most Anticipated Games of 2014 have been delayed out of the calendar year entirely, with even more coveted games joining them in February – the “new October”. Given the number of flawed or troubled launches 2014 also saw, it’s likely that fans would be willing to wait a bit longer – but they’ve likely had enough of absurdly ambitious launch dates in the first place.

If 2014 had gone the way that developers and publishers initially pitched to consumers that it would, we would be lost in not just the top-selling games of the year that was, but games like Evolve, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The Division, Batman: Arkham Knight, Battlefield Hardline, Mad Max, Quantum Break, The Order: 1886 and more. Getting publicity early may have its uses, but this year proved fans would rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed.

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Assassin’s Creed Unity

We don’t like to kick a franchise when it’s down, but even Ubisoft has conceded that they dropped the ball with the release of Assassin’s Creed Unity, the series’ first foray onto a new consoles generation. Our issues with the game had more to do with its narrative and design shortcomings than technical glitches or connection issues, but there’s no denying that the game felt the wrath invited by claiming it to be the biggest, boldest, and most ambitious game in the series to date. What consumers got instead was one of the most broken.

The shockingly refreshing and inspired Black Flag released the year previous may have as much to do with Unity‘s disappointment as anything else, but whatever the case, releasing Unity in the form Ubisoft has damaged the brand in ways that only time will truly reveal. The high hopes dashed won’t be enough to kill this franchise – but it’s proven enough to stop all momentum in its tracks.

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So… This is Next-Gen?

After console manufacturers Sony and Microsoft kept gamers waiting longer than many felt was best, the end of 2013 brought with it enough promises and lofty goals and features to make it almost seem worth the wait. Using vague language and imaginative wording, the Xbox One and PS4 were touted as much for what they made possible as what hardware they contained within. Better visuals, better story, better online integration – and best of all, developers who had been hard at work on making the most of each system for years.

Now with the first year of the newest consoles in the books, it’s becoming clear how much consumers were sold on potential, not products. Promised features are still under contruction, disastrous launches for games intended to show the power of the system’s online architecture, shuttered studios charged with creating original content, and no-brainer features still absent altogether.

Unfortunately, those problems seem to have spread to the games themselves; more integrated single player/online experiences led to even more flawed features, while games like NHL 15 ended up slashing entire modes and standard content just to make its next-gen release. Other games simply shipped with issues intact. In other words: not what anyone had in mind when discussing “next-gen” gaming.

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Destiny

There are sure to be plenty Destiny fans who scoff or spit at the idea of Bungie‘s online shooter disappointing in any way; the stunning dedication of the lasting player community confirms as much. But the masterminds of Halo did their job marketing the game: the most pre-ordered new IP in history became the best-selling new IP in history, and Activision made their investment back (and then some) immediately while PS4′s flew off store shelves.

But then people got to playing the game and realized that it was no Halo successor in ways that deeply mattered to many of Bungie’s fans. With a bare-bones story, and empowerment replaced with the endless questiong and grind of just about any other MMO players had experienced before, the true nature of Destiny became clear. It makes sense from a business standpoint, but the reviews alone showed that it was far from the “genre-reinvention” promised.

In hindsight, advertising the game as a well-built, addictive FPS MMO maintaining most of the genre’s trappings and strengths would have been more accurate – but that also wouldn’t have attracted the audience Activision was after. Plenty of new players were brought into the fold, and Destiny is successful at what it does. But the impression was given that it would do much, much more. And when all is said and done, the loftiest expectations – though justified – can lead to the most tragic disappointments.

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A disappointment doesn’t have to be a failure to let some people down, but what were your biggest personal disappointments from the last year in video games? Was it your most coveted releases being delayed into 2015, or an ambitious game that stumbled despite the developers’ enthusiasm? Let us know in the comments below.

Follow me on Twitter @andrew_dyce.

The Biggest Gaming Disappointments of 2014

‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ Patch 4 Coming Monday

It would be a massive understatement to say that Assassin’s Creed Unity under-performed last month, and has continued to be in the recovering phase of its post-launch process. Several patches and updates have been released by Ubisoft, which implemented fixes to improve overall performance and remove bugs, like the one that makes faces disappear. When the developer/publisher last discussed the upcoming update – the fourth patch, in fact – it said that most of the remaining fixes would be dealt with.

To those that bought the game at launch and were unable to fully enjoy the game, this can only be seen as good news. Or more good news since Unity players are also getting free games and DLC.

Fortunately, the wait for patch 4 won’t be a long one, as Ubisoft revealed on its Live Updates community page that the patch is set to release on December 15 for all platforms. Come Monday, players may finally be able to get back to spending time with Arno or their fellow co-op assassins.

“We expect that Patch 4 will be released next week on Monday, December 15 across all platforms. This patch will address issues with stability and performance as well as online matchmaking and connectivity (among other fixes and improvements).”

Down in the comments, Ubisoft partially reassured that the coming fixes will “help meet peoples expectations,” while neglecting to specify how. The specifics about the contents of the patch and what it aims to fix won’t be completely known until a detailed list is posted the day of the patch’s release.

A bit of a curious move, since last week a small list of ‘top priority issues’ revealed that the dev seeks to resolve game crashing, companion app problems, and Error CE-34878-0. That particular error has become quite the nuisance to PS4 player who have experienced game freezes and crashes after loading their save. Perhaps the company doesn’t want people to see what fixes are/aren’t coming, and suffer more backlash from unhappy gamers? Only time will tell.

Its been a little over a month since Unity debuted and introduced its problems to the world. After what will be four patches, it would be incredibly unfortunate if some people still ran into game breaking bugs. Hopefully, after the 15th, we can all move on to another game.

Assassin’s Creed Unity is out now for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Details regarding the free games will come at a later, currently unknown, date.

Source: Ubisoft

‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ Patch 4 Coming Monday

‘The Crew’ Launch Trailer Highlights Open World Racing

This year has featured many highly anticipated games, some of which came from Ubisoft. After a strong start to the year, Ubisoft caught a lot of heat for the problems that came with the Assassin’s Creed Unity launch last month. After a better showing with Far Cry 4’s launch, and numerous updates and fixes to Unity, it looks like Ubisoft may be back in the good graces of gamers. And just in time too, since The Crew gets its release this week.

In preparation for the launch of The Crew, Ubisoft has released a new trailer for the game that shows off some of the excitement and locations players can expect while playing.

The trailer opens with a Ford Mustang GT rising out of the desert and driving full-bore across the sand. A city rises up from the ground, encasing the Mustang GT in an urban cage. The artistic change from sand to asphalt signifies the game’s ability to provide almost any type of terrain possible to players in a seamless, open-world environment.

In The Crew, players will face off against each other as they race through city streets, back-country dirt roads, highways and open fields. Many of the major cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City have been recreated for gamers to enjoy and explore. Players will have access to dozens of vehicles, which they can upgrade and tune to their heart’s desire.

Over the last couple weeks, gamers have had the opportunity to participate in closed and open betas of The Crew. While players were fairly limited on what they could do in the betas, they were treated to a few different types of races, as well as the full open world. Many gamers took the opportunity to drive from one end of the map to the other to test the size of the world and were pleased with the 1900 square miles of drivable area.

After having been postponed not once but twice, gamers have high hopes for The Crew. Ubisoft has promised players that the game is ready to go and won’t be like the launch of Assassin’s Creed Unity. With the holiday buying season in full force, there’s no doubt the team at Ubisoft is working tirelessly to make sure they make good on that promise.

The Crew will be available on December 2, 2014 for PC, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

‘The Crew’ Launch Trailer Highlights Open World Racing

Ubisoft Details More ‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ Fixes

Although there was an initial burst of excitement for Assassin’s Creed Unity heading into its release last Tuesday, that enthusiasm sure dissipated quickly. Gamers were hit left and right with many problems, from significant performance issues to matchmaking problems to some things that are hard to even explain.

And while it took a while for Ubisoft to respond, the developer has since shown a concerted effort to improve their major fall release. They created a blog dedicated specifically to Assassin’s Creed Unity updates and have been actively providing AC Unity owners with new information both about upcoming patches and known issues with the game.

This weekend, Ubisoft revealed what’s in the pipeline for Assassin’s Creed Unity update #3, which looks to be one of the game’s most substantial yet. Whereas past updates and fixes were focused on ironing out the little things, this upcoming update addresses known issues with gameplay, AI, and matchmaking in co-op.

Ubisoft splits their update into five key categories and outlines some of the fixes that are coming players’ way, but those aren’t necessarily the only fixes on the way for the patch. Since the developer doesn’t yet have a release date for the update it’s possible that more could be added. Still, see the current list of fixes below:

• Gameplay: this includes bugs like Arno getting stuck on certain areas of the map (including a few more hay carts), problems with getting into/out of cover, character animation bugs, and general camera problems


• AI Crowd: in this category are problems with NPC animations, crowd events, and crowd stations, NPC navigation issues, as well as bugs related to NPCs detecting Arno’s activities in various situations


• Matchmaking Connectivity: this covers a number of issues related to co-op play, including bugs with joining games in-progress and problems that happen during host migration


• Menus HUD: fixes in this category will address missing details in certain menus, problems with some of the mission objective and co-op update pop-ups, localization inconsistencies, as well as some of the issues with menus and pop-ups overlapping each other


• General Stability: this includes fixes for a number of crash situations we’ve identified in both campaign and co-op modes.

What isn’t in update 3 are any fixes that address the game’s frame rate issues on next-gen consoles. Mileage seems to vary by user, but a large contingency of gamers has reported significant frame rate drops while playing Unity. In some cases, those drops occur during congested open world portions, but some have even reported problems with the game’s cutscenes. It also appears that the Xbox One version of the game runs better than the PS4 version, for whatever that’s worth.

All in all, there’s a good-not-great update on the way, one that is sure to alleviate some of gamers’ bigger issues with AC Unity. However, the fact that we are now looking at a third patch and Ubisoft is still talking about future updates speaks volumes about the kind of condition in which the game launched. Lucky for them two other major games also had release day problems.

It’s somewhat comforting that Ubisoft is trying to keep gamers aware of what they’re working on and letting them voice their frustrations, but with a little more development time maybe this all could have been avoided. We’ll keep you posted when Ubisoft reveals a date for this next patch.

What issues would you like to see addressed in this or a future update? Has the poor performance of the game convinced either not to purchase or to return AC Unity?

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Source: Ubisoft

Ubisoft Details More ‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ Fixes

Ubisoft Details Upcoming ‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ Fixes

One title in a multi-game series, Assassin’s Creed Unity had high hopes riding on its shoulders from both the publisher and fans of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. While Ubisoft struggled to diffuse the controversy surrounding the game’s lack of playable female characters the rest of the game’s content had a strong appeal.

Unfortunately, on the technical side of things Assassin’s Creed Unity has caught some serious flack. Several weeks before the release date, the publisher announced that the game would run at 900p/30FPS (frames per second), which not only frustrated gamers but saw some ask if Ubisoft’s Xbox partnership was the reason for the downgrade across all platforms.

With a fiery debate over Assassin’s Creed Unity‘s graphics burning bright, the flames were only stoked once the game launched and uncovered a slew of problems including server connection errors and drops in frame rate in the process. Looking to calm the complaints (and improve dropping stock prices), the Unity development team has now detailed the fixes that they are currently working on.

The four issues that they’ve outlined are as follows:

• Arno falling through the ground.


• Game crashing when joining a co-op session.


• Arno getting caught inside of hay carts.


• Delay in reaching the main menu screen at game start.

The dev team says that we can expect fixes for these to be rolled out in the next update.

They also add that they are “already looking into many of the other issues” that Unity players have reported, including the following:

• Frame rate issues.


• Graphical and collision issues.


• Matchmaking co-op issues.


• Helix Credits issues.

Despite all eight of these fixes being high priority, it does seem somewhat odd that Helix Credits issues are being prioritized over connection issues. But when real money – as much as $100 – is involved it makes sense.

Furthermore, there doesn’t appear to be an explanation as to why the game’s day one patch didn’t solve these issues either. The massive 1GB patch listed frame rate and texture issues in the things that it claimed to fix so it is perhaps understandable that gamers are disgruntled at the Unity team’s efforts.

There are lots of things to fix with this one so we’ll keep you posted as soon as those updates roll out.

Source: Assassin’s Creed Blog

Ubisoft Details Upcoming ‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ Fixes

‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ Review

Despite quickly becoming one of the most well-defined AAA game franchises in years, there’s no question that Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag came as a bit of a surprise. Swapping a sprawling city for the open seas, it boasted a scope and innovation few expected from what was seen as a stopgap – filling in while the series jumped to Xbox One and PS4 the following year. That promised leap forward has arrived in the form of Assassin’s Creed Unity.

Developed in secret by Ubisoft Montreal for years, and calling on a game engine essentially built from the ground up, to say there is pressure to deliver would be an understatement. That’s partly due to the setting, finally bringing the series’ blend of swordplay and stealth to the long-demanded French Revolution. And though Unity returns to the streets and structures of past adventures, it’s taking a risk all its own: picking the lone city of 19th Century Paris and sticking with it.

Just how well the game delivers on its new setting and hardware is a difficult question to answer. From a technical perspective, it lives up to the hopes of looking and feeling like a step forward for the franchise, while keeping its core mechanics intact. The developers themselves put expectations in check by explaining why they limited their graphical output (the PC version is another story entirely). Though it won’t be dropping jaws of established fans, Unity still throws the occasional visual punch – particularly during cinematic cut-scenes.

In hindsight, the soaring claims of a bigger, better, and more impressive evolution of Assassin’s Creed may end up doing the game a disservice to some. Because once the new characters, new setting, and new mission design lock into place, it’s impossible to overlook the fact that this is still classic Assassin’s Creed at its core.

The combat, traversal, and overall missions are all what’s expected, with the added ability to cling to cover (and the long-awaited opportunity to descend as smoothly as ascending). Part of that is likely a case of not ‘fixing’ what’s clearly working for thousands of fans. But it also seems due to Ubisoft expecting players to learn for themselves just how much has changed, and use it – or ignore it – as they choose.

It’s a strange challenge in an age when the more immersive, open-ended, and nuanced a game world is, the more praise it tends to receive from ‘hardcore’ players. When ‘hand-holding’ has become a dirty word, showing what tools the player has at their disposal carries a stigma. But the solution Ubisoft has arrived at leaves something to be desired.

To make the issue clear, simply look to Arno’s first open-ended assassination mission seen in a previous walkthrough centered on the Notre Dame Cathedral. Instead of simply sticking to stealth until the target present themselves, players are able to steal a set of keys, tail a suspect to find the details of the meeting, enter through a locked window, and carry out the kill. But players will only be shown a quick glimpse of the keys, the conspirator, and the target – it’s up to them to put the pieces together.

That formula may seem like an admirable one – emphasizing creativity over mandatory objectives – but it’s one that existing Assassin’s Creed fans simply aren’t used to. The problem is compounded when actions carried out before an armed confrontation can tip the scales in the player’s favor. But without being told exactly what’s required/optional/recommended, how it modifies the mission at hand, or how many steps are involved, a tutorial or two (or three, to be honest) is needed.

If that sounds like an unfair description, remember: this is still a game where the deadly protagonist can’t move through doors or windows unless the developers have allowed it. In an action title where ‘escape the area’ means ‘find your way to the one window left open for this explicit purpose,’ expecting players to analyze a battlefield and its variables with any sense of mastery seems foolhardy.

The series has long been criticized for reducing every mission to fleeing combat or simply rushing a target with clumsiness not befitting an ‘assassin,’ and Ubisoft clearly made it a priority to support more styles of play. The problem has been addressed, with few missions simply ending once detected. But if groundbreaking changes are added – and players aren’t entirely aware – then gameplay will continue to default to the path of least resistance.

There are still elements of the game with which critics will take issue: traversal mechanics that still fall short of intuitive, and enemies that attack on sight to name a few. But Ubisoft has made some admirable calls as well. The graphical boost is just as evident in the game’s cut-scenes, where the writing and performances have never felt so restrained, or scarce; as if the developers decided any attempts to steal the spotlight from Paris and its bustling population would be a futile effort.

In a franchise long defined as a story-driven experience, players may be surprised to see less emphasis placed on the core narrative of Arno Dorian and his Templar love, Élise de la Serre (for the first half of the game in particular). In truth, Unity takes more plot/motivation/backstory short-cuts than Black Flag; but where that game relied on outside plots and mechanics to balance the scales, Unity does not. Arno is an Assassin through and through, but beyond mere vengeance, I can’t really tell you why.

The same is true of the modern side of the story. Though Ubisoft may have granted the demands of many by doing away with the soaring modern conflict in favor of history, their answer lacks the odd inspiration seen in Black Flag, leaving the main story to take up the slack. That’s a task it’s ill-equipped to achieve, but if the graphical boost to the cut-scenes – bringing subtle performances to life like never before – is a sign of where Ubisoft’s priorities lie in the future, we look forward to seeing them put to use on a grander tale.

With a shortage of memorable Ezio-esque scenes or supporting characters, it’s the supporting content that handles the responsibilities of scratching the itch. Whether solving street crime, infiltrating Templar operations or aiding the Marquis de Sade in his quest for lecherous supremacy, there’s never a shortage of tasks at hand. And adding online friends to the mix only sweetens the deal.

Those hoping to take part in a well-planned, well-executed and balanced strike may want to prepare themselves for disappointment. The pieces are in place for a satisfying team-based game mode (with players acquiring unique items and gear for their co-op counterpart throughout the main campaign), with cooperative missions integrated into Paris with as little fictional holes as possible.

Unfortunately (or luckily, depending on your personal play style) our experience with co-op more often than not resulted in comically poor stealth, leading to all-out mayhem. Where enemies have gained enough competence to defy the ‘let’s just kill every soldier and make the mission easier’ plan of attack in single player, multiplayer makes it just as feasible as ever. It’s not necessarily a complaint, since the humor and excitement it makes possible is obvious. But some time may be needed for those players keen on specializing their Assassin and finding team-based efficiency to rise above the crowd (and finding which microtransaction upgrades are really worth the price).

All things considered, Unity isn’t quite the new standard some will hope for; the first step onto new hardware has brought plenty of rough edges (meaning glitches, technical hiccups and bugs), and arguably more complexity than is successfully communicated. But it’s Ubisoft’s style to invest in the future, and Unity represents a new foundation for multiple games to come. By turning Paris into a thriving playground – paired with a story that favors subtle over ‘epic’ – the future of the franchise seems brighter.

Brighter than Unity‘s ambitions, perhaps, since the sacrifices made on the story front are clear. But it’s still an impressive sandbox, and does its setting justice. Rough edges or no, Assassin’s Creed Unity is a technical step forward, and likely a title every fan who’s made the leap to next-gen will want to see for themselves.

Assassin’s Creed Unity is available now for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_dyce.

Our Rating:

3 out of 5

‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ Review