Do you remember when purchasing a new game involved inserting a disc and immediately diving into the action—no day-one patches, no waiting for patches to arrive, just straight-up play? Those times seem like the stuff of ancient history. These days, in the world of AAA gaming, it’s almost surprising when a big-budget title does not involve a large download before you can even begin. As game prices keep increasing, so too do expectations for a seamless, high-quality experience—yet ironically, many big releases now fumble right out of the starting gate.
A Glitchy Beginning
Consider Cyberpunk 2077, for instance. Its 2020 release was nothing short of notorious. Riddled with bugs and performance problems—especially on previous-gen consoles—the game was so unplayable that Sony took it down from the PlayStation Store, something almost unheard-of across the industry. As bluntly summarized by Superjump Magazine, “To refer to Cyberpunk 2077 as buggy would be doing the actual condition of this AAA game a disservice. At launch, it was nigh-unplayable.”
That catastrophic debut was symptomatic of all that is wrong with game development today: promises broken, titles rushed out the door, and the expense of hype.
Redemption Through Relentless Updates
And yet, barely three years on, the story of Cyberpunk 2077 has undergone a radical transformation. Due to regular updates and the release of the popular Phantom Liberty expansion, the game has regained much of the goodwill it had lost. It’s one-time-rollicking-launch is now part of a wider redemption story—testament to how, given sufficient time and toil, even the worst of starts can be ironed out.
As Superjump now observes, “The bulk of online discussion has moved from insulting the game’s buggy, busted, laughable start to wide acclaim for its living, immersive world and interesting, in-depth missions.” Phantom Liberty received numerous awards and ensured the game’s legacy, although some gamers claim it should not have taken years to arrive.
A Pattern of Comebacks
Cyberpunk is hardly the first game to traverse the path of redemption. No Man’s Sky, Fallout 76, and Final Fantasy XIV all dropped to disappointment and criticism—but through updates, reboots, and sheer determination, each found its feet. No Man’s Sky eventually fulfilled its lofty promises with a constant trickle of free content. Final Fantasy XIV was so drastically redeveloped after its initial failure that Square Enix closed down the original and started over as A Realm Reborn, which went on to become a critically acclaimed and highly successful MMO.
These reversals demonstrate what can happen when developers have the time—and the resources—to make things right.
The Pressure Cooker of AAA Development
So why do a great many AAA games come out in such a messy form? The response is multifaceted, but a good deal of it boils down to time, money, and pressure. AAA game development is a costly, high-risk endeavor. Budgets typically go into the hundreds of millions of dollars, and publishers are under a great deal of pressure to get a return on that investment. As Superjump clarifies, “Publishers and developers aren’t given the luxury of another year in the oven. Eventually, the game has to come out, whether it’s ready or not.”
Unfortunately, it’s often developers, not executives, who face the backlash when things go wrong. Understaffed teams, crunch culture, and unrealistic deadlines create a perfect storm for broken launches. And while post-release patches can rescue a game, early adopters are frequently left feeling like beta testers who paid full price.
Can Redemption Erase a Rocky Start?
This brings up a pertinent question: how do we judge games that begin broken but end up magnificent? On the one hand, the post-launch commitment should be applauded. Rebuilding a game in the limelight requires sweat, love, and humility. On the other hand, the initial disappointment never completely goes away. Fans who backed a game right from day one always feel disappointed—and rightly so.
As Superjump summarizes, “Entirely dismissing the complete failure of these companies to release their promised product on time when they claim to do so is a metaphorical ongoing middle finger to the companies’ largest supporters.”
If the eventual product is great, initial failure can become indelibly stamped upon a studio’s reputation. The specter of a troubled launch tends to linger, influencing player expectations—and distrust—for upcoming releases.
Embracing the New Normal (With Caution)
Games today are coming to understand a new normal: one in which big games can change radically following release. That change can be exciting to see, and great to play—but it does require some degree of restraint. Shareholder demands may fuel the AAA market, but for gamers, it’s still about the experience. Whether it is refined and flawless or in progress, the games we play ought to honor our time, our trust, and our money.
Redemption arcs such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy XIV demonstrate that redemption is within reach, but they also illustrate just how broken the system can be. As gamers, celebrating the return isn’t an excuse to forget the shortcomings. It is an effort to demand more from the beginning, while in turn valuing when developers get it right, even if it does take a bit longer than anticipated.