"Well, just five more minutes..." Top 10 Long-Term Constructions
"Time doesn’t like to be wasted." Henry Ford.
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Time is the most unstoppable force in the observable part of the universe and also the cruelest concept within it. Without its passage, any movement would be impossible, yet at the same time, this passage kills everything it touches...
However, today we will talk about more mundane things. About long-awaited games. Yes, yes, those "They postponed it again?!" and "At this rate, it will never be released" games. Some of them were eagerly awaited. Others, not so much. For some, people prayed, while others were cursed in advance.
But they were released. Despite everything.
10th place: [Dragon Age: Origins](/games?search=Dragon Age: Origins) (2004-2009)
Not long ago, at E3 2004, the game [Dragon Age](/games?search=Dragon Age) was announced. Essentially, that is where the bloody details of this game’s saga end: there were no delays, no intrigue. As the first game in the series, it was not particularly awaited, unlike Oblivion, which had been in development for about the same amount of time.
But on October 13, 2009, the game was released, literally a year after it received the addition "Origins". DAO turned out to be a game that emphasized "quality" and claimed many semi-forbidden tens from numerous reviewers. True quality often requires time, so one can only rejoice that [Dragon Age](/games?search=Dragon Age) had enough of it.
9th place: Wolfenstein (2004-2009)
If we disregard a two-week delay just before the release, everything went quite peacefully here as well. But the hyped name did its dark work: the game was awaited. Not without skepticism, but with hope. And it was being developed. And developed. Rather mysteriously, it must be noted: almost no one really knew anything about the game until the very end.
What is most amusing is that, in the end, the castle of Wolfenstein was not actually in the game. It certainly appeared somewhere far on the horizon. And both the story and the gameplay turned out to be equally mediocre. In summary, not a failure, but "the series is no longer a cake".
8th place: [Halo 2](/games?search=Halo 2) (2002-2007)
An amusing story happened with [Halo 2](/games?search=Halo 2). Amusing, but at the same time sad and instructive. The story of the "friendship" between hardware producers and game developers.
The funny thing is that Halo 2 was predicted to be the "flagship of Windows Vista." Yes, the OS hadn’t been released at the time, and therefore there was hope that something good would come out of it. And here was such a cool game!...
They wanted what was best, but it ended up like always. In 2004, the game was released on Xbox. And Windows Vista went “back for revisions.” And then again. And again. And Halo 2 was gathering dust — indeed, it’s a crime to release a flagship outside the functioning army! Thus, it turned out that the game reached mouse and keyboard devotees only in 2007, when, essentially, it was no longer needed: the graphics were from around 2002. A five-year gap even for that period is a real chasm...
7th place: [Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth](/games?search=Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth) (1999-2005)
The first screenshots of this game, based on Lovecraft's literary classic, appeared back in late 1999. At the same time, the game was announced for PC and PlayStation 2, with the release date proudly proclaimed as "Q3 2001." Closer to E3 2001, it became clear that the game was only "70% ready." Overall, not too bad, if that was indeed true. But from there the game began to be endlessly postponed, and in 2002 the publishing company came under the ownership of JoWood. Which, to put it mildly, wasn't particularly interested in continuing development. But it was "70%!" And fans would kill.
In the end, a simple maneuver was employed: the developers moved under Bethesda’s wing. The PlayStation 2 version had to be canceled, while an Xbox version was to be initiated. As a result, console gamers saw the game in October 2005 (remember the "70%"?), while it only reached PC in March 2006. However, the game turned out to be quite good, that must be acknowledged.
So it goes: publishers fight, and in the end, players suffer.
6th place: [S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl](/games?search=S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl) (2001-2007)
I don’t even know if there’s any point in saying anything here: in the CIS, everyone was watching closely and hardly anyone didn't pray for this game.
However... wait, they were only following it towards the end. Did you know that initially players were supposed to be handed not merely Zona and mutants, but actual teleportations and Aztecs? It was to be titled "Oblivion Lost."
Fortunately or unfortunately, within a year they dropped that idea and adopted what was closer to them: Chernobyl, Pripyat, and, once again, mutants... At that time, the name appeared. With dots, yes. Their secret meaning is simple and mundane: the developers failed to obtain rights to use the word "stalker" in the title. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost was supposed to be released by the end of 2003.
In May 2003, the game finally obtained a publisher: THQ. They grabbed their heads and slapped on a "normal" name (which would stick with the game until the end). Meanwhile, the game was postponed to 2004. By the way, with the help of the publisher, it was from that point that people started to take notice of the game.
Due to the transition to a new renderer... yes, that’s right, another delay. To 2005. During this period, most of the locations that ended up in the game were "born."
By September 2004, the developers already had a "virtually fully functional" build of the game. This is where the major problem of the game, which began on the first day of development, was uncovered: the entire game world was functioning on "life simulation." Yes, it was cool. Yes, it was probably one of the most "free" games of the genre in history. But it was pointless. So, the verdict was simple: a plot was needed!
And, in connection with this, another delay. At this point, even THQ lost their cool slightly, declaring the release date as "When it’s ready."
In the end, the game was scheduled for Q1 2007. A few months later, the date became more concrete: March. And on March 20, the game was finally released. However, just a few days before this, it was leaked online.
But that did not prevent the game from becoming a hit. Whether deservedly so is another question...
5th place: [Truckers 3: Conquering America](/games?search=Дальнобойщики 3: Покорение Америки) (2001-2009)
For nine long years, 2000 km of virtual Californian road was constructed. The reason for such sluggishness is banal: "Truckers", as well as games in general, are not a primary priority of the developer company. Hardware and software for TV, engines for auto simulators, and other things occupied their minds for a long time.
In 2005, the game was showcased at E3, GamesCom and other similar events. By 2009, a demo version was promised, but fate had it otherwise. By the end of the year, the game was finally released.
It was received ambiguously. On one hand — excellent physics and overall elaboration. On the other — some monotony to the process and numerous small shortcomings. The latter accumulated so much that the game had to settle for an average rating of 6 out of 10.
4th place: [Half-Life 2: Episode One](/games?search=Half-Life 2: Episode One) / [Half-Life 2: Episode Two](/games?search=Half-Life 2: Episode Two)
"We’re a big company! We’re the flagship of the industry! We’ll release episodes every six months!"
That’s how [Half-Life 2](/games?search=Half-Life 2) was envisioned by the comrades at Valve. But either the technology turned out to be prehistoric or there were too many projects, ultimately, "every few months" turned into "every few years." The interval between Half-Life 2 and the second episode was a good three years (2004-2007). And we’re still waiting for the third episode.
Not enough steam in their valves, it seems.
3rd place: [Team Fortress 2](/games?search=Team Fortress 2) (1999-2007)
For many readers, the dark past of [Team Fortress 2](/games?search=Team Fortress 2) may come as a revelation.
There were no scandals. Well, almost none, if compared to other long-awaited games — it was a rather specific product, from it no one expected much. It spun at E3 1999 (!), won a couple of awards (Best Online Game and Best Action Game), and showcased under the subtitle "Brotherhood of Arms" and continued development. In 2000, Valve announced the release delay due to the game being shifted to the engine now known as Source Engine. One could assume that soon after this, the development team was shifted to [Half-Life 2](/games?search=Half-Life 2) and the project ended up in a semi-frozen state. Until 2004.
Experienced gamers will recall what happened that year. Of course, the epic data leak occurred, including a beta of [Half-Life 2](/games?search=Half-Life 2). That’s how the public learned about "Team Fortress 2: Invasion." However, only a small amount of code and a few models were stolen. Nothing particularly critical.
Valve’s marketing director (Doug Lombardi) promised to provide new information about [Team Fortress 2](/games?search=Team Fortress 2) "right after the release of [Half-Life 2](/games?search=Half-Life 2)." Need I say that this did not occur? Thus, the game slipped into a third conditional development cycle and once again vanished into the shadows until 2006, when it finally came to the "finish line."
Later on, the company stated outright: the game followed the typical path of all long-awaited projects. "We developed 3-4 different games before making the final version." Well... the result was worth it, wasn’t it?
By the way, does anyone want to buy a couple of hats?..
2nd place: Prey (1995-2006)
Oh, this is a long and sad story... hmm. However, you are currently reading a post about long and sad stories, so why not...
Once upon a time, in a far-off 1995, the game Prey was announced and developed simultaneously with [Duke Nukem Forever](/games?search=Duke Nukem Forever) by 3D Realms. After some disputes, literally six months into the development, the game had a story that would remain almost unchanged until its release, with the main idea being: portals. Yes, that was pretty cool back then. At E3 1997 and 1998, the game enjoyed great success, especially against such a hit as [Duke Nukem 3D](/games?search=Duke Nukem 3D), which they developed as well.
But after E3 1998, development was halted. The technologies could not adequately implement the portals. As a "gimmick" — sure. But making them work as the basis of gameplay was unsuccessful.
In November 1998, the team attracted a technical programmer, Corrine Yu, to refine the engine and possibly solve the issue. Unfortunately, just a year later, he left the company and Prey fell into deep hibernation.
In 2001, 3D Realms began to wobble. In connection with this, they decided to revive Prey. The rights to the development, concepts, and the newly acquired engine that powered [Doom 3](/games?search=Doom 3) fell into the hands of Human Head Studios.
Until 2005, there were only rumors. But soon a teaser emerged. In 2006, a release date was announced. And on June 28 of that same year, the game was finally released.
But unfortunately, it was delayed on all fronts. Graphically, in storyline, in gameplay. The game contained interesting ideas, but they had either already been developed in other projects or were in the works. For instance, just a year later, the game Portal would be released.
But in comparison to the next game, Prey could be considered the benchmark of rapid development...
Forever First: [Duke Nukem Forever](/games?search=Duke Nukem Forever) (1997-2011)
He went to chew gum and whip enemies’ behinds. But the gum ran out fifteen years ago, and the enemies grew old.
By the end of the previous millennium, Duke's game series could confidently be called cult. But years passed, delays occurred, delays... 3D Realms was slowly but steadily fading away. And it collapsed. On May 6, 2009, the company ceased to exist. But the legend could not just disappear: the flag was taken up by 2K Games and Gearbox Software. And after almost a decade and a half, the game finally reached store shelves.
Strictly speaking, for many years now, this game was awaited not because "It’s Duke!" It was awaited because it was awaited. Awaited for the sake of waiting. If there ever existed an equivalent in the gaming industry for "I will do it after the rain on Thursday", it was the "release of Duke Nukem Forever". When the game went "gold", probably no one believed deep down that it would actually release. DNF could no longer "just come out." The game became the benchmark for "the ideal game that should be awaited".
That’s why the game was received ambiguously. Few people knew what they were waiting for Duke for. And probably, no one knew what to do now that he had come out.
DNF turned out to be a mammoth. "The last bastion of the nineties," "a greeting from the past," "old school."
And Duke does not care what others think of him. He knows he’s still cool. And he’s ready to personally shoot everyone who disagrees.
***
And, as is customary in such articles, at the end comes a deep and unexpected conclusion.
Drive quietly – it’s no guarantee you won’t grow old.
P.S. The top is compiled from the author’s personal memories. To all who wish to join in the nostalgic recollections, as well as those who remember any other epic long-awaited games — rays of goodwill.