Sometimes, video games like Red Dead Redemption 2 or The Last Of Us come along and rejuvenate our love for gaming. Other times, we get bug-infested, performance-riddled, over-hyped releases that make you want to race to the refund option. Here are 24 such games that made players instantly regret their purchase decisions.

1. Battlefield 2042 (2021)

Battlefield 2042 was marketed as a return to modern combat scenarios and a love letter to players who wanted that original Battlefield feel. Instead, players had to pay full price and were treated to bare-bones multiplayer, half-baked systems, and no campaign mode. 

To EA's Credit, developers are still working hard to this date to make sure Battlefield 2042 is updated and upgraded. It even saw an increase in players when offered free to Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus members.

2. Fallout 76 (2018)

Bethesda Studios, well known for making critically acclaimed role-playing games, couldn't hit the mark with Fallout 76. 

Players expected varied characters, a populated world, and an engaging quest line. Their expectations were short-lived as Fallout 76 was plagued with server-side issues, unstable performance, and lackluster content at launch.

3. Diablo 4 (2023)

Diablo is loved by many for being at the forefront of action-adventure dungeon-crawler games. Unfortunately, Diablo 4 couldn't live up to the hype and felt like it was released a year or two too early.

Diablo 4 felt like a grind that didn't end up paying off, no matter how many hours you spent on it. Players weren't impressed with the looting and skill progressions systems at launch. Add microtransactions that many consider to be overpriced on top of all that, and you've got the perfect recipe for disaster.

4. Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017)

Being a die-hard Star Wars fan, this one hits close to home. I, alongside many others, looked forward to using the force in Battlefront 2 but was let down.

Battlefront 2 suffered from uneven weapon balancing and deliberately slowed progression systems at launch. Microtransactions and a lack of content caused the player count to plummet just a few weeks after release.

5. Star Wars Squadrons (2020)

Yet another Star Wars entry that fell short of expectations. Squadrons promised players an immersive virtual reality experience in single-player or multiplayer. 

Unfortunately, Squadrons saw no significant ongoing support from developers to sustain the player base. Players saw no reason to continue playing with an already short single-player experience and limited multiplayer modes.

6. Duke Nukem Forever (2011)

Duke Nukem Forever was supposed to be the pinnacle of first-person shooters in the early 2000s. The only problem is that it suffered from a lengthy development cycle and was released in 2011. 

While Duke Nukem Forever isn't by any means a bad game, it's severely outdated. Controls feel tight, and the overall Gameplay loop feels obsolete.

7. Star Citizen

In theory, Star Citizen is what space simulator fans would ever want in a video game. The developers had ambitious goals for the future of Star Citizen. However, they ended up dreaming too big.

Star Citizen is in early access, and a fully-fledged release still feels like several years from now. As such, players must go through spotty performance, server-side issues, and many bugs with each update.

8. Anthem (2019)

Anthem had an impressive trailer and was set to be BioWare's answer to Destiny. However, players found the game's core gameplay loop repetitive at release.

Players found the looting system tedious and had nothing substantial to do beyond the main quest line. Ongoing support was slow and limited, which led to a steep decline in the player base a few months after release.

9. No Man's Sky (2016)

Few games saw as much hype as No Man's Sky did. It was hyped as an infinite universe for players to explore and interact with. Unfortunately, players quickly realized there wasn't much to do in the game.

While No Man's Sky launched as a bare-bones experience with little to no content, it has since been reworked and added to by developers. The game's current state is how it was initially advertised to be, including multiplayer and various questlines. 

10. Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)

Cyberpunk 2077 generated never-before-seen levels of hype and expectations. Sadly, the game was declared broken at launch, and most players refunded it as soon as possible.

Players encountered performance-related problems, glitches, and game-breaking bugs on its release date. That said, I can personally vouch for Cyberpunk 2077's current state, as the developers have fixed issues and added free content for players.

11. Watch Dogs (2014)

Ubisoft released several trailers for Watch Dogs showing action-packed gameplay and high-fidelity graphics. It's sad that not only could it live up to the hype, but it was also a significant downgrade from its original showcase.

Many features shown in the trailers were missing or present in a much smaller way in the final game. Players felt betrayed when they booted up the game for the first time, and the graphics looked nothing like the trailers.

12. Death Stranding (2019)

Hideo Kojima, one of the lead developers of Death Stranding, has a fanbase of his own, looking forward to every release. This makes it all the more surprising that several players were unimpressed by Death Stranding's release.

Don't get me wrong, Death Stranding isn't a bad game. In fact, many players might call it fun. The real problem lies in the cryptic marketing that led to many gamers expecting Death Stranding to be a high-octane action role-playing game. In reality, it had a slower-paced gameplay loop and a world where players had to walk a lot.

13. Pokemon Violet (2020)

Pokemon Violet was the next big thing for Nintendo Switch owners to immerse themselves in. However, Pokemon fans were disappointed when the game was released in an unfinished state.

Issues at release included crippling performance, several bugs, and glitches. What irked me the most was that Pokemon Violet's graphics looked significantly outdated and subdued by current standards.

14. Call of Duty Black Ops 4 (2018)

Black Ops 4 is a game that Call of Duty fans looked forward to as it returned to boots-on-the-ground gunplay. The problem was that it was released in what players consider an unfinished state.

On release, it was missing a campaign mode and visually did not improve much compared to its predecessor, Black Ops 3. The real kicker was the gigantic push for microtransactions on top of the initial game cost. 

15. Saints Row (2022)

The Saints Row series is well known for its open-world, fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled gameplay. However, with its 2022 reboot, Saints Row received negative reviews and did not live up to the hype.

The fans deemed the franchise reboot a significant downgrade and a boring game. The open world was bland; there wasn't much content when freely roaming, and locations weren't memorable.

16. The Lord of The Rings: Gollum (2023)

Gollum was designed to be an action platformer set in the Lord of The Rings universe. The trailers for Gollum already set low expectations. Players predicted it would be nothing more than a simple platformer.

Despite lowered expectations, gamers were still mind-numbingly bored with what Gollum had to offer. The gameplay was largely uninteresting and highly repetitive. Even die-hard Tolkien fans struggled to finish the already short campaign. 

17. Evolve (2015)

Evolve was developed to be a new kind of player-versus-player shooter that many gamers were interested in. And with some of the Left for Dead 2 makers behind development, what could go wrong?

While Evolve implemented unique mechanics in its gameplay loop, players still found it uninteresting. Infrequent content updates and a lack of gameplay balance also led to its failure in the multiplayer space.

18. Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013)

Aliens: Colonial Marines was stirring up interest from all kinds of gamers when it was revealed. However, the completed game was received poorly and had players rushing for refunds.

Players expecting a first-person shooter in the Aliens universe were disappointed by the game's incomplete state. On top of gameplay issues, Colonial Marines couldn't nail the eerie atmosphere Alien's movies are known for.

19. Far Cry 6 (2021)

The Far Cry franchise has players engage in intense gunfights, drive various vehicles, and hunt wildlife. The core gameplay loop has been the same since Far Cry 2, and players were burnt out.

Sadly, Far Cry 6 not only didn't switch things up but doubled down on mechanics disliked by previous series entries. Enemies felt like bullet sponges, the open word felt largely empty, and new ideas were half-heartedly implemented.

20. Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020)

Valhalla generated much interest because it was the first main Assassin's Creed on new generation consoles. Initial trailers showed a diverse world with breathtaking graphics, but the final release was underwhelming.

While Valhalla had its strong points, it wasn't an Assassin Creed's game. The main quest line was too long and mostly uninteresting for long-time franchise fans. Combat felt clunky and was a significant departure from previous Assassin's Creed games.

21. Marvel's Avengers (2020)

Marvel's Avengers already had a dedicated fanbase way before release. Players made several online forums discussing which superhero they'd play when the game was released.

After Avengers was finally out, players were disappointed by the lack of communication by the developers. It was designed to be a live service game, but content updates were dangerously slow, causing a significant decrease in the player base.

22. Redfall (2023)

Redfall was supposed to be Arkane Studio's next big hit after Deathloop. However, a buggy release and limited content would change that.

At launch, Redfall had several audio and visual glitches. Game-breaking bugs would ruin the experience of most players. Redfall already had high expectations and failed to meet the bare minimum, which led to it crashing and burning.

23. Gotham Knights (2022)

Gotham Knights was seen as a spiritual successor to the Arkham series and had much to live up to. Players expected it to be released with the same level of polish and attention to detail.

Upon release, Gotham Knights had severe performance issues despite being locked to 30 frames per second on consoles. The different gameplay systems were also seen as a downgrade from the Arkham series.

24. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy (2021)

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy included fan-favorite entries remastered for new consoles. To say that players were excited would be an understatement. 

Upon release, The Trilogy was called a mobile game because of its underwhelming visuals. It wasn't long before it was labeled overpriced, and existing players wanted refunds.

Source: (Reddit).