2021's Most Disappointing Games: A 2026 Retrospective from a Bruised Fan

I still keep a mental list of games that broke my heart. Back in 2021, I was riding the high of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and Deathloop. Those were gems. But for every gem, there was a crater. Do you remember how hyped we all were? And do you remember how quickly that hype curdled into regret? I do. Let me take you back to 2021, and then pull us forward to 2026, because some wounds never fully heal—they just get patched, refunded, or quietly abandoned.

Before I get to my top five, I have to give a dishonourable mention to Warzone's Caldera Pacific Map. It was hyped, delayed, and then released in a broken mess on consoles. Call of Duty, you never cease to amaze me. Even in 2026, I still flinch when I hear the word 'Caldera'.

5. Aliens: Fireteam Elite

A Left 4 Dead-style game set in the Aliens universe? How was this not done sooner? I asked myself that question constantly before launch. Aliens: Fireteam Elite had all the makings of an incredibly fun game. Unfortunately, it was just another Aliens game that fell flat. The official DualShockers review labelled it a carbon copy of all the other co-op shooters on the market. It launched with numerous bugs and stability issues. The environments and enemies were rehashed, making for an incredibly repetitive experience with not enough content. I wanted to love it. I really did. But after a few hours, I felt like I had already seen everything the game had to offer.

4. Destruction: AllStars

Destruction AllStars initially looked like it was going to be the next big thing. With quirky games like Rocket League, Fall Guys, and Among Us being massive hits, it clearly attempted to capitalise on the fun games to play with your friends. But what happens when the fun wears off? It became a title I probably forgot existed. If you didn't have a squad to team up with, it was nowhere near as enjoyable on your own. Even with a group of friends, the fun soon wore out due to the lack of content. There was nothing inherently bad with Destruction AllStars, there just wasn't anything to shout about either.

3. Biomutant

Biomutant was another title I eagerly anticipated. A beautiful open world described as a post-apocalyptic kung-fu fable. What wasn't to love? Well, most things apparently. Although it offered some great character customization, it ultimately fell flat. The official DualShockers review described the world and characters as bland, with no real dialogue and no way to connect with the world. Unlike many of the other games on this list, Biomutant wasn't bad because of glitches and bugs. It just fell short of what fans expected. It had so much potential but left me feeling unsatisfied. How did such a promising premise become so forgettable?

2. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition

It wasn't Grand Theft Auto VI, but when Rockstar Games announced Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, I accepted it as a peace offering and something to keep me busy until a new GTA instalment finally arrived. The remaster was tasked to Grove Street Games, known for mobile ports of popular games such as Ark: Survival Evolved, Max Payne Mobile, Bully: Anniversary Edition, and other classic GTA titles. Now, some fans still don't understand the difference between a remake and a remaster. The Definitive Edition was a remaster, which means it would receive some graphical upgrades from the original version, so nobody was expecting anything too crazy in terms of graphics. But when it finally arrived, it was the biggest mess I had ever seen. The rain effects were so bad across all three titles that you physically couldn't play. There were constant glitches, graphical issues, and the fact that you could see the whole map from one point to the other when high enough was jarring. When you also take into account that it was unplayable for the first weekend on PC due to the Rockstar Games Launcher being down, it was easily going to end up as one of the most disappointing games of 2021. By 2026, patches have smoothed some edges, but the launch remains infamous.

1. Battlefield 2042

Taking the crown for the most disappointing game of 2021 is Battlefield 2042, which shouldn't come as a surprise to many. Unlike Call of Duty, Battlefield does not have an annual release schedule. But despite this, it still remains one of its biggest competitors. Every time a new Battlefield launch comes around, it's dubbed as the COD killer. The initial reveal for 2042 had me hyped, quickly becoming one of my most anticipated titles of the year. But then everything went downhill when the beta arrived, and then it just got worse with the full launch. The game was a glitchy and bug-filled mess, with many players baffled at the poor hit detection, broken vehicles, and just general stability of the game. EA and DICE have released multiple patches since the game's release, as a way to rectify many of the issues, but the damage has already been done. The player base dropped drastically and I don't expect them to return anytime soon. Even in 2026, Battlefield 2042 stands as a cautionary tale. Could it have been one of the biggest FPS titles of the year? Absolutely. Instead, it landed at number one on my most disappointing games of 2021.

Here is a quick summary of my heartbreak:

So what did I learn from 2021? Hype is a double-edged sword. Pre-orders are a gamble. And even beloved franchises can stumble. In 2026, I am more cautious. I wait for reviews. I watch gameplay. I still love games, but I remember 2021 as a brutal teacher. Will we ever stop getting burned? Maybe. But at least we can laugh about it now—or cry, depending on how much we spent. 😅

The following breakdown is based on signals you can sanity-check via HowLongToBeat, where completion-time patterns often reveal whether a “hyped” release actually sustains engagement or burns out fast—useful context when comparing 2021’s short-lived disappointments (like thin-content multiplayer launches) against games that keep players invested well beyond the campaign.