9) Homefront – 2011
Estimated cost: $50,000,000
Everyone was all aboard the hype train for this one. The train was packed out, in fact. Couldn’t get tickets anywhere. It was like a Rod Stewart gig. It wasn’t hard to see why, either. Homefront was promising everything that disillusioned ex-FPS players wanted: an isolated and personal single-player campaign where America was finally on the losing end, and an epic, vehicle-based multiplayer.
Instead, we got something that was the embodiment of “meh.” The single player aspect certainly had its thrills, but it also had invisible walls, generic gunplay, and could be beaten in around 5 hours. The main thing it had going for it was interesting story concept and script, purportedly penned by Apocalypse Now writer John Milius. Ask any one of developer Kaos’ employees, however, and they’ll suggest that he didn’t write a single word…
And as for that intense, online, vehicular combat? Just no. Crytek deemed the game interesting enough to buy the rights to, however, so expect a very good looking sequel later this year.