From CBR · Mandi Odoerfer · · 1m 50s
10 Most Unplayable Games of All Time
Games that were broken at launch and never improved.
In brief
Games that were broken at launch and never improved. These games had major issues when they launched and remain unplayable today. Originally reported by CBR.
Action 52 Never Earned Nintendo's Seal
Action 52 was a compilation of 52 games on one cartridge but many were barely functional and rarely enjoyable.
“Action 52 is a perfect example of why Nintendo’s Seal of Quality existed in the first place.”
Bubsy 3D Has Awkward Controls
Bubsy 3D's tank controls make navigation difficult and the game is rough to play despite its reputation.
“The biggest problem with Bubsy 3D is the control scheme.”
Far Cry Vengeance Is Extremely Unstable
Far Cry Vengeance has frequent bugs and freezes that force players to restart lengthy sections of the game.
“Frequent bugs and freezes can force players to restart lengthy sections of the game.”
Deadly Towers Has Cryptic Design
Deadly Towers has a terrible translation that makes instructions and clues difficult to understand.
“Deadly Towers has a terrible translation that makes many instructions and clues difficult to understand.”
7th Saga Had Worst Localization
The 7th Saga's North American localization made the game significantly harder by strengthening enemies and reducing stat gains.
“The North American localization made the game significantly harsher by strengthening enemies while reducing the stat gains players receive when leveling up.”
Indiana Jones Infernal Machine Has Glitches
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine has crashes and freezes that interrupt progress throughout the game.
“The N64 version is plagued by bugs, with crashes and freezes capable of interrupting progress throughout the adventure.”
Sonic 06 Is Unfinished and Buggy
Sonic 06 felt unfinished with frequent bugs and unreliable controls that ignored player input.
“The game felt unfinished at launch, with frequent bugs and unreliable controls that could ignore or delay player input.”
Big Rigs Has Broken Physics
Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing has collision detection that barely works and physics that are almost nonexistent.
“Collision detection barely worked, allowing players to drive straight through buildings and even other vehicles.”
Superman 64 Has Awful Controls
Superman: The New Superman Adventures has awkward controls that make Superman feel sluggish and unresponsive.
“It's the opposite of what a superhero game should feel like, with controls that are awkward and unresponsive.”
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Caused a Crash
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was so bad it nearly killed the gaming industry in 1982.
“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial launched on the Atari 2600 in 1982 after a notoriously rushed development cycle.”
All Games Stayed Unplayable
These games had major issues when they launched and remain unplayable today.
“Most games have some redeeming qualities, but these games have always been completely unplayable.”
Why These Games Are Unplayable
These games were broken at launch and never improved with patches or updates.
“Today, games plagued by bugs or a lack of content at release, like No Man's Sky and Cyberpunk 2077, can redeem themselves through patches, but back then, games that were bad at release stayed bad.”
The takeaway
These games had major issues when they launched and remain unplayable today.
