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One of the hottest games right now is Dead Island 2. The zombie game has already amassed 1 million dollars in its launch weekend alone. As fans of the original game know, this was a long time coming. A sequel to Dead Island was announced back in 2014. After nearly a decade of false starts and studio changes, the game finally hit store shelves. For fans, it seems like a miracle the game even exists. The hot seller is far from the only game to claw its way out of development hell, however, and we are looking at ten others today.
10. Alan Wake
Remedy is best known for its Max Payne series. In 2003, after releasing two games in the aforementioned series, the studio wanted to tackle a new type of game. Taking inspiration from Stephen King and David Lynch, Alan Wake was to be an open-world thriller following a novelist. By 2005, the game had taken on a survival horror tone, having players gather resources during the day and survive hordes of creatures at night. The scope of the game grew bigger and bigger, slowing production. Remedy decided the core game mechanics had to be shifted for Alan Wake to ever see the light of day. In 2008, the game was finally released after five years. Alan Wake has since become a cult classic, receiving a remake in 2021, and will have a sequel later in 2023.
9. Resident Evil 4
Before Dead Island 2 became the hottest game, the Resident Evil 4 remake was the hot topic. The remake improved many aspects of the already fantastic game and introduced new fans to the series as well as pleased old ones. Things weren’t always so successful for the fourth RE game, however. In fact, the game spent 6 years in development hell. A fourth title was announced in 1999, with Hideki Kamiya set to direct. According to Capcom producer Shinji Mikami, the game would radically differ from previous RE games. It would be a more stylish action game with horror elements.
This idea would eventually become Devil May Cry. The game went through many different changes, mostly involving the lot. A showcase at E3 2003 showed Leon contracting a disease granting him powers to use against enemies. Eventually, Shinji Mikami took full control of the project as director, releasing the game as fans knew it in 2005.
8. Mafia II
The script of Mafia II was written in 2003, but production officially began in 2004. The game was originally slated for release on Ps2 and Xbox, but it was pushed back after issues with the engine developer. Now gearing up for a release on Ps3 and Xbox360, Mafia II still faced some issues. The studio focuses much of its time on the game’s visual elements, punching gameplay development to the wayside. Not to mention, the story having been written before active development meant the narrative clashed with the gameplay style. A playable build was not ready until 2008, and the game was finally released in 2010 after 6 years in development hell.
7. L.A. Noire
Rockstar Games are now mostly known for the GTA and Red Dead franchises. They are responsible for other games, however, including L.A. Noire. The game was stuck in development not due to issues such as Dead Island 2 but because of how ambitious it was. The game used a high-tech facial capturing system. The system used 32 cameras just to capture the performer’s facial expressions. This gimmick became one of the game’s major selling points, allowing players to read NPC’s faces to determine whether or not they are lying. Because of the game’s ambition, it remained in development for a total of 7 years.
6. Spore
It seems like ambition often holds back games. Such is the case with Spore. The creator of the Sims series, Will Wright, had plans for a game titled SimEverything. The game would allow players to start as microscopic organisms that evolve into various stages. The final stage would allow the player to travel into space. Work started in 2000, with a playable demo being shown in 2005. Fans were eager to see more, but soon issues would arise. When the game fell behind, many features that were promised had to be cut. In 2008, the game, now titled Spore, was released after 8 years of development, even though the final project was far from the promised SimEverything.
5. Team Fortress 2
Nowadays, Team Fortress 2 is known as the gold standard of multiplayer online FPS. However, before it changed the game, it spend 9 years in development hell. The original Team Fortress was a mod for the game Quake. The mod was so successful that Valve gave creators Robin Walker and John Cook the green light to make a standalone sequel. The initial vision was shown at E3 1999. this original build was a military-themed tactical shooter. Things went quiet until around 2004, when source engines had to be changed. In 2006, the game was revealed to have undergone massive changes. Resembling the more cartoony game fans love today, Team Fortress 2 was released free-to-play in 2007. The game is still going strong today, showing that, like Dead Island 2, the delays were worth it.
4. Final Fantasy XV
A game can change a lot in 10 years, which is exactly how long Final Fantasy XV was in development. Square Enix is known for their ambitious projects, and this game was one of the most ambitious to date. The game was set to help form the Fabula Nova Crystallis anthology series alongside FF XIII and FF Type-0. Initially known as FF Versus XII, the game changed hands numerous times. By the time the company had something to show for it, the game barely resembled what it had set out to be. The game was ultimately restarted and finally saw the light of day in 2016. Even though the game was released, it is still somewhat incomplete. The three final DLCs were never released when the game’s director, Hajime Tabata, left the company.
3. Diablo III
Originally announced just a year after Diablo II was released, the sequel spent 11 years in development hell. The game’s major hurdle was when Vivendi, the studio behind the game, closed its doors in 2005, killing the production of the game. After seven further years, Blizzard decided to resume production on the seemingly canceled game, although it underwent some major changes. Diablo III hit shelves in 2012, featuring more cartoony visuals and a heavier emphasis on online multiplayer.
2. Mother 3
Like Dead Island 2, Mother 3 was nothing more than a legend for years. Mother 2, known as Earthbound outside of Japan, became one of the best RPGs of the SNES era. A sequel seemed like a no-brainer, and one was planned immediately. The game was originally supposed to be released on the SNES, but soon plans were put in motion to have the sequel in 3d. The game was set to be released on the Nintendo 64, titled Earthbound 64, before being pushed even further back for release on the Gamecube. Finally, the decision was made to revert the game back to a 2d style and release it on the Gameboy Advance. While the game was released in Japan in 2006, spending 12 years in development, it has yet to see an official release elsewhere.
1. Duke Nukem Forever
When looking at games beginning development and officially being released, Duke Nukem Forever is the best known. Starting development in 1996, it took the game a staggering 15 years before being released in 2011. The follow-up to Duke Nukem 3D was officially announced in 1997, but it took 8 years before any footage was shown to the public. Two years after that, the studio 3D Realms downsized, throwing a massive wrench in production. The IP switched than hands and finally saw release in 2011. The finished project was far different than the one shown in 2005 and massively disappointed many fans. Just goes to show that the case of Dead Island 2 being a hit game is a rare one.