5 exciting video games that were canceled

The world of video games can be as unforgiving and unpredictable as it is entertaining. Developers work tirelessly to deliver a product that provides players with an unforgettable experience. Sometimes, this ambition can work to their disadvantage.

There have been several instances where video games have been discontinued halfway into development. On multiple occasions, projects have been canceled while the game is in its final stages of production. This is incredibly disheartening for developers and fans alike.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer.

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P.T. (Silent Hills), Prey 2 and 3 other highly anticipated video games that were canceled

1) Scalebound

Scalebound was a Microsoft exclusive for Xbox One and Windows, scheduled for a 2017 release. It was an action RPG being developed by Platinum Games.

With four years of development and several gameplay and cinematic trailers released to the public, the game garnered a huge amount of hype. However, it was canceled in early 2017.

As a third-person action RPG that allowed players to assume the role of the protagonist named Drew, who is accompanied by a dragon, the game showed a lot of promise.

Players were eager to experience the unique world of Draconis as well as Drew's abilities and weapons after the trailers showcased incredible graphics and game mechanics.

The cancelation came as a shock to many. Scalebound was in the final stages of development and seemed to be an almost finished product judging from the gameplay trailers.

However, the developers conceded that they were not comfortable working with the Unreal engine and failed to develop a game that would be up to their standards.

Despite the cancelation, Microsoft retains the rights to this property, giving people hope that the project might potentially be revived in the future.

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2) P.T. (Silent Hills)

P.T. is an acronym for "playable trailer." It was an interactive survival-horror game trailer developed by Kojima Productions and released by Konami in 2014 for free on the PlayStation 4. It was intended to be an introductory teaser for Silent Hills, an installment in Konami's Silent Hill series of video games.

The game was meant to be played from a first-person perspective. Players assumed the role of an unnamed protagonist who traversed the confines of a haunted house full of supernatural occurrences. Players were required to solve puzzles and brave the jumpscares to make it to the end of the trailer.

Produced by Hideo Kojima and Guillermo Del Toro, with Norman Reedus starring as the protagonist, the game amassed tons of hype among fans of the Silent Hill video games. The trailer itself received praise from critics, and it has now become a part of gaming culture.

After Konami canceled production for Silent Hills, P.T. was removed from the Play Store. The company received a lot of backlash, not only for the cancelation but also for removing the trailer, which was widely loved due to its quality and attention to detail.

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3) Gotham by Gaslight

Before fans were introduced to the masterpiece known as the Arkham series, Batman video games had always been critical and commercial failures.

Despite the rich lore and interesting gallery of rogues offered by DC, developers always struggled to encapsulate a true Batman experience in video games.

Gotham by Gaslight was supposed to be a game based on the 1989 comic of the same name, depicting a Victorian-era rendition of the Caped Crusader. Developed by Day 1 Studios, the game was scheduled for a mid-2000s release and even has gameplay trailers on YouTube to this day.

Gotham by Gaslight was canceled before any major progress was made because the publishing company, THQ, was unable to attain the rights to the character from Warner Bros.

This was a major missed opportunity, as fans were denied the possibility of an enjoyable Batman game, especially with the added spice of being set in the Victorian era.

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4) Prey 2

Prey is a first-person shooter developed by Human Head Studios and released in 2006 by 2K games.

The game follows Tommy, the protagonist, who is abducted by aliens aboard their ship known as The Sphere. It combines supernatural and extra-terrestrial elements, as Tommy invokes his Cherokee heritage to channel his spiritual being and battle aliens.

The first game received a lot of praise from critics as well as fans of first-person shooter video games. Naturally, the sequel had a lot of hype surrounding it. However, it was not to be, as development kept being delayed. After being announced in 2006, production for the sequel was pushed as far back as 2009.

Soon after this, the rights were acquired by Bethesda, who kept the game in development limbo for years. In 2016, Bethesda announced that they were rebooting the series with a new iteration titled Prey. This killed any hope that fans might have had for a sequel, 10 years after the release of the original.

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5) Star Wars 1313

Star Wars is one of the most recognizable names in all of fiction. With a beautifully crafted and lore-rich universe, it has an abundance of characters to portray in video games and other media.

Star Wars 1313 was an action-adventure video game developed by LucasArts. It was supposed to showcase the adventures of an adult Boba Fett, one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars series.

With an emphasis on fast-paced shooting and light saber combat, the gameplay would have been similar to what we now see in modern Star Wars video games.

In 2013, Disney put a halt to all projects under development by LucasArts. This meant that production was also stopped for Star Wars 1313.

With the game still showing no signs of revival, Star Wars fans are incredibly disappointed, having missed out on a game about their favorite intergalactic bounty hunter.