No Man’s Sky

2016

Wired magazine called No Man’s Sky “the most hyped indie title in the history of gaming”. It became the most influential video game of 2016… but not in the way it was intended. Critics howled, “The worst game of the year”, “Biggest lie of 2016” and “Disappointment of the year”, just to name a few of the kinder reviews. The game received praise for the technical achievements of the generated universe, which contained 18 quintillion unique planets for players to explore. Trouble was they were boring, gameplay was lackluster, the graphics weren’t polished, and the story was repetitive.

However, the game later managed a major turnaround from its disastrous launch and became a great success, much thanks to an active community of fans and the connection between the developers and the gamers.

Additional info:
Wikipedia (and check out this list of other video games with notable negative reception)
The Guardian – good interview with Sean Murray
Rockpapershotgun.com – The Broken Promise Of No Man’s Sky And Why It Matters.
The unexpected success of No Man’s Sky – how the developers learned from their mistakes and made the game a success.