Top 5 Games Stuck In Development Hell We’re Slowly Starting To Forget About

Things don’t always go according to plan, and in the gaming industry, this has been a common occurrence since the inception of the concept. Over the course of the last decade or so, we’ve had grand announcements of notably good-looking games that have gotten nowhere, which leads one to assume that these titles have been stuck in the unfortunate “development hell.”

This term is an insinuation that hints at a game’s troubled development, a situation in which a game plan is either not made, not being followed, or simply does not exist in the first place. I’ve rounded up some of the most exciting games that are seemingly suffering from this unlucky fate in this piece in an attempt to reminisce and ponder the “what could have been.”   

You Cannot Know When These Titles Will Be Coming Out

You know, this article is a couple of weeks short, given how Nintendo finally took the plunge to make Metroid Prime 4 official, another title that was super troubled with its development and announced at E3 2017. That’s 7 whole years, mind you. 

Anyhow, make sure to post a comment down below if you wish to make an addition to this list.  

1. Beyond Good And Evil 2 

Ubisoft’s Beyond Good and Evil is likely the champion of games caught in a bad development cycle, and there’s no argument around this, I’m telling you. Do you know when this title was first shown off to the world? A whopping 16 years ago, beating even the previous record set by Duke Nukem Forever for being radio silent for a proper release date.

And then just like Metroid Prime 4, the title was announced for the second time 7 years ago at the event of E3 2017, igniting hope anew in the hearts of aspiring players, though in vain yet again. The developers have been fairly quiet after that, though it was made official that the project’s Creative Director, Emile Morel, died last year in 2023 at the age of 40. 

2. Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic Remake 

Aspyr is a Star Wars veteran and a long-time player in the gaming industry, so it’s nothing short of a tragedy that one of the most anticipated games ever in the franchise isn’t just coming out, nor is there any positive news that could point at something hopeful for fans. Knights of the Old Republic’s original release dates back to 2003, with multiple sequels and other iterations coming in the years later. 

However, back in 2021 when Knights of the Old Republic Remake was shown off in teaser format, the entire gaming world erupted. Since then, however, numerous updates have only pointed toward the rendition’s downfall, with even Aspyr taking the boot and Saber Interactive hopping in its place. This one’s in a massive grey area, honestly speaking, so let’s just hold out hope that things go positively. 

3. Little Devil Inside 

Back in 2020 when PlayStation Showcase showed off Little Devil Inside, people marveled at the concept of the project, thinking that this is probably the next big thing in the gaming landscape, even though the initial reveal of the game is 9 years from now.

Little did we know that Little Devil Inside by Neostream isn’t coming out anytime soon. At its core, this is a third-person action-adventure game with free-form and survival-focused elements intertwined. 

The folks over at r/LittleDevilInside have done a decent job keeping up to speed with all tidbits, gameplay sequences, and everything of the sort. Better check that sub out for more insight. 

4. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

With the first Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines failing to hit home in terms of doing commercially well, Paradox Interactive is now seemingly hell-bent on making a drastically more capable sequel that will fill the gap left by the first title in the series. but as per its initial reveal 5 years ago, the latter was clearly out of the question. 

Although Bloodlines 2 does have a release window of “late 2024,” we still can’t put our finger on it quite yet, and considering how the series’ first game went on to become a cult classic, I don’t suppose The Chinese Room will be able to capture lightning in a bottle for the franchise’s second time. 

5. BioShock 4 

The BioShock series of first-person shooting video games mixed with horror elements is probably going down in the history books for its eminence, so it’s only fair to say that the hype for BioShock 4 — a title that was subtly confirmed all the way back in 2019 — is a little too much. However, it’s been 5 years but no significant updates have been rolled out, dictating the title’s future. 

I sense trouble.