Although many names in the space offer top-notch mobile game development services, not every release is well received. In fact, when looking at this booming gaming genre, we’ve been exposed to some horrific titles over the years. Of course, the game-makers themselves probably weren’t intending to upset gaming audiences, but they ended up doing so.
It’s certainly a highly competitive area of gaming. As such, with mobile gamers having a vast array of titles to get through on both iOS and Android devices, standards are higher than ever before. These days, developers are making masterpieces like Pokémon Go with its augmented reality aspect, there are intriguing live casino games like Crash Live and Auto Roulette that clearly do well, while some games like Candy Crush have achieved the type of longevity that every games developer would love to see. Sadly, though, not every release goes to plan.
In order to ensure any aspiring developers don’t make the same mistakes, below is a brief look at five of the worst mobile games ever made.
Forza Street
A title that didn’t last long after it initially came to the fore in 2019, Forza Street’s servers were eventually shut down due to a plethora of issues. While the franchise shone on console, its transition over to mobile was tough to endure for many gamers. The graphics weren’t bad, though, but they were accompanied by a serious lack of gameplay and far too many micro-transactions. In the end, it offered more pain than pleasure.
NFL Pro 2013
Sports games have generally always achieved strong results for developers, although there have been some poor examples over the years. On mobile, one game that fits the bill in that respect is NFL Pro 2013, a shoddy football-themed title that was horrible in more ways than one. From the terrible gameplay to the title’s bad graphics, it annoyed football fans all around the world.
Scarface
Throughout the history of gaming, games have been created following the success of movies. Scarface is an iconic film movie lovers adore, but the game is a classic example of a cash grab. This free-to-play release forced players to make in-app purchases, while it was just a dull experience on the whole. Despite having some features fans of the movie warmed to, it just didn’t provide the same type of entertainment as the movie did. In fact, it just felt a bit lazy.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
Another game based on movies, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery actually managed to gross $55 million in almost three months, but it all came crashing down once players got further into the game. Harry Potter products generally always thrive anyway, but they don’t all hang around. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is another clear example here, although we’re focusing on a somewhat forgotten title in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. The game was boring, the story wasn’t particularly engaging, and the aggressive pursuit of micro-transactions was cheeky. Overall, Potter fans were horrified.
Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad
Released in 2020, Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad’s servers were shut down in 2021. Even huge names like Ubisoft get it wrong on occasions, and a title that promised a lot but delivered absolutely nothing is the perfect case study. After all, Sam Fisher taking on the “Rainbow Six” gang could have been extremely fun, but it turned out to be a total disaster. The game regularly crashed, the 5v5 battles were painfully repetitive, and even the game’s logo caused plenty of controversy at the time of its release and led to the company issuing an apology. It was a nightmare Ubisoft will be desperate to forget.
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