Sony Almost Nixed The Last of Us
Some of the most popular video games of the modern era were on the verge of being scrapped before they even entered production. Some were too expensive, and others struggled to pass internal reviews. Here are 20 popular video games that almost didn't get made.
1. Half-Life
This iconic video game was close to collapsing several times due to an overambitious engine and a lack of faith from the publisher. Years of rework finally resulted in Sierra being impressed enough to release it to the public, and it went on to redefine first-person narratives.
2. BioShock
The ambition of BioShock nearly led to its collapse. The team struggled with the AI complexity and narrative integration. Publisher pressure to include more action also became a threat. Its eventual success proved that immersive sims could appeal to mainstream gamers.
3. Resident Evil 4
Capcom was forced to restart production for this game four times due to tonal issues. Early versions were nixed for being too supernatural or too similar to prior installments.
4. The Last of Us
This harrowing story about morality and survival had a tough time passing Sony's internal review. The publisher felt that its mature themes would alienate and limit its audience. Some technical challenges on the PS3 also caused a host of problems.
5. Doom
Id Software is mired in moral panic over this game's violence and Satanic imagery. There were also hardware constraints and network code issues. Upon release, its revolutionary game engine changed the industry forever.
6. Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar San Diego had to endure burnout and ballooning budgets to get this game on store shelves. There was also a lot of internal studio turmoil that nearly derailed the entire project. Luckily, it pushed through and became one of the most beloved open-world games ever.
7. Cyberpunk 2077
This game was originally announced in 2012, only for it to be released in 2020. Its massive ambition and engine overhauls led to repeated delays, which were compounded by internal struggles. While it couldn't match its hype upon release, later patches helped redeem it to fans.
8. Final Fantasy XV
This video game spent a frustrating decade in development due to shifts in leadership, technology, and scope. It had to endure a rebrand before finally being released to much fanfare.
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9. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo delayed this game many times because of its physics engine, open-world experimentation, and the requirement that it had to be compatible with both Wii U and Switch.
10. Mass Effect
BioWare's first Xbox 360 title used new dialogue tech and cinematic systems, causing a chaos-riddled development process, which included hardware limitations. The studio feared cancellation, before it would be hailed as a sci-fi RPG masterpiece.
11. L.A. Noire
The struggles this video game had in coming to market can be traced to Team Bondi's perfectionism with facial animation, which ballooned costs. Development dragged on for seven years, and it was nearly canceled along the way.
12. Silent Hill
Konami assigned a team of failed developers to this project and offered no real direction. This experiment nearly got the game canceled during development. Somehow, it became a psychological horror hit and redefined the horror video game genre.
13. Tomb Raider (2013)
Tomb Raider is one of the most popular adventure games of all time, so it's a bit shocking that its reboot was almost canceled because early builds tested poorly. Its darker and more realistic tones worried executives.
14. Destiny
Bungie's first post-Halo project had to contend with internal chaos after its original story was scrapped a year before it was set to launch. The rebuild cost millions, but it proved to be the right choice and worth it in the end.
15. GTA III
Controversy over its violence and protests from politicians nearly sank this game during development. There were also legal threats that the publisher took very seriously. While its open-world sandbox scared off investors, it would go on to change video games and how they are played.
16. Metal Gear Solid V
Kojima butted heads with Konami during this game's development, which led to him being fired. The game actually shipped unfinished, but still found a passionate fanbase and became an action triumph.
17. No Man's Sky
Hello Games' small team nearly lost everything when their studio flooded. They also tended to overpromise and were prone to technical breakdowns. They suffered a ton of backlash along the way and even after release, but years of updates made everything right, and this went from an industry cautionary tale to a redemptive story of triumph for the publisher.
18. Halo: Combat Evolved
Constant pivots nearly sank this game. One complicated change was turning it from a third-person into a first-person, and it looked like this could be its downfall. It was saved by Microsoft's acquisition of Bungie and the decision ot launch it as Xbox's flagship series proved to be genius.
19. Fallout 3
The surprising collapse of Interplay almost killed this series before Bethesda swooped in and bought the rights. Their efforts and reimagining faced severe skepticism, but they would push through, and it didn't take long after its release for it to be branded as a modern RPG legend.
20. Kingdom Hearts
This bizarre Disney-Square collaboration seemed like an impossible venture at first. There were licensing issues and tonal conflicts. The biggest issue the development of this game faced was internal resistance, as executives didn't appreciate its charm. This charm, however, would appeal to gamers, and Kingdom Hearts remains a classic.
