Games that were cancelled despite gamers' expectations
, by Quentin
Video game development is never a smooth ride. Unfortunately, some titles find themselves abandoned despite being at an advanced stage of development. So we've decided to present a few titles that have simply been cancelled, and which we'll never get to see, controller in hand.
Rayman 4
We're starting with a title that fans are still clamoring to get their hands on. Rayman 4 was the promise of a new 3D game after the incredible third entry. However, it was cancelled in 2006 and Rayman vs. the Rabbids was released in its place.
A far cry from a three-dimensional platformer, this was an excellent party game featuring new characters who later went on to become emblematic: the Rabbids.
A few months ago, however, the prototype files for Rayman 4 leaked onto the Internet, giving fans access to the work in progress at Ubisoft. Here's just one of the dozens of videos you can easily find on the web.
Call of Duty: Future Warfare
We told you about it on the site a little while ago, but the Call of Duty license also made news with a cancelled episode called Future Warfare. Conducted by Neversoft, the game was supposed to catapult us into space to experience our annual dose of supercharged conflict.
However, the game never saw the light of day. It was only recently that we learned of the existence of some video about it. If you missed them, here are 10 minutes of what Call of Duty: Future Warfare might have looked like.
This is Vegas
This is Vegas was developed by Surreal Software. We still remember its announcement and initial marketing campaign. Although it seemed to be at an advanced stage of development and was scheduled for release in 2010 on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, it ended up being cancelled.
The first images were very appealing, and we were even treated to a few gameplay sequences. It has to be said that the idea of a GTA-like experience in America's most legendary city was very appealing. However, publisher Midway found itself in a delicate financial situation... and the game suffered the consequences, leading to its outright cancellation.
Agent
It's always heartbreaking to see a project cancelled, but it's even more so when you discover that it's a game from Rockstar Games. Announced at Sony's E3 2009 conference, it never materialized.
We have very little information about it. We knew it was planned exclusively for the PlayStation 3, and that we'd be plunged into the middle of the Cold War for a counter-espionage experience. But we never got to see what it would have been like once the game was launched. Although Agent was never officially canceled, its publisher, Take-Two, will then abandon the brand in 2018 after renewing it for many years.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Army of the Damned
Pirates of the Caribbean: Army of the Damned was a project led by Propaganda Games, a studio owned by Disney Interactive. Initially planned for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, not everything went according to plan.
In October 2010, we learned the sad news: Pirates of the Caribbean is no more. Yet the initial promise had fans salivating with the idea of an open world in the universe of this great Disney franchise. To console us, we still have a few gameplay images.
Star Wars 1313
The announcement of a Star Wars game is always a major event, and this was particularly the case when Star Wars 1313 was announced, where we were to embody a bounty hunter on the planet Coruscant.
However, in 2013, development of the game was abruptly halted following Disney's takeover of Lucasfilm. Mickey's famous company quickly shut down the LucasArts studio, putting an end to the project. A disappointing decision for many fans.
Which game do you regret most? We haven't been able to list the hundreds of games that have suffered this sad fate since the existence of the videogame world, but please feel free to share your greatest regrets as a gamer on this subject in the comments.