Video Game Delays That Broke Our Hearts

Persona 5 is now out in Japan, and that fact has me feeling a bit mixed. On one hand, I’m so glad that the game is finally released and that fans are getting to enjoy it! On my other, much more selfish hand, I’m frustrated that I have to wait until February 14 to play it in English. I’ve actually imported the game, so it’ll be interesting to see if that makes the wait easier or harder.

Either way, I’ve been waiting for Persona 5 for years now so what’s another few months? Plus, it’s not the first time that a game has taken years to finally release after delays or had a lengthy localization time. This made me think about all the other times I’ve had to wait for a video game to come out, and it ended up being a pretty painful trip through memory lane. Since I don’t want to suffer alone, I’ve compiled a list of 10 agonizingly long video game waits!

Check them out below.

I hope you enjoyed my list of 10 of the most agonizing video game waits, either in the past or ongoing. Video game delays are always going to be a thing, so I guess it’s something everyone will have to get used to. Just stay patient and keep expectations in check!

Let me know in the comments below what games were the hardest for you to wait for, and if you ever ended up losing interest in a game completely since it took so long to come out!

10 Agonizing Long Waits

10 Agonizingly Long Waits For Video Games
Aliens: Colonial Marines

Originally announced in 2001 by Check Six Games, Aliens: Colonial Marines was originally meant to be a PlayStation 2 game. After five years of troubled development, this version of the game was cancelled. Later that year Gearbox Studios announced they were now developing Aliens: Colonial Marines and that version spent 7 years in development turmoil, and ended up a mess once it released. I guess the moral of the story is to not use the title "Colonial Marines" in a game since it's a bad name and the game is destined to go through hell in order to release.
Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22

Alright, I probably had no good reason to be excited for Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22, as it was an original PlayStation game released in 2003, but I was young and dumb back then. All I knew is that it was a fighting game (my favorite genre), and I had heard whispers that the game featured a ton of characters from story arcs that were way further than the Saiyan saga. That was enough for me to anticipate it back then. Shockingly, the fighting game which was originally developed and released in Japan in 1995, didn't hold up particularly well after 8 years collecting dust. It was one of my biggest disappointments as a gamer, and I'm still confused as to why it was even localized.
Duke Nukem Forever

The second Gearbox Studios game on the list is also a disaster. They aren't really to blame for this one, though, as Duke Nukem Forever had been in development at 3D Realms for 14 years (spanning back to 1997). Gearbox acquired the rights to the game in 2010, and released it the next year. It wasn't awful, but it certainly wasn't worth over a decade of waiting.
Final Fantasy XV

Final Fantasy Versus XIII was one of the reasons why many gamers bought a PlayStation 3. After an uncountable amount of delays, and a name change to Final Fantasy XV the game is finally set to release this year. It's been a very long wait for Final Fantasy fans, but early impressions have been very positive. Hopefully this will be a feel-good story that shows a game can get out of development hell.
Persona 5

I adore almost everything about the Persona series. From the stellar gameplay systems to the phenomenal writing and soundtracks, I don't feel like there are any other RPGs that are quite this polished. That's why I've been waiting for the series' first HD installment ever since Persona 4 released in 2008. Now, over eight years later the game is finally out...in Japan. Oh, well. A few more months will be tough, but I have a feeling that it will be all worth it in the end.
PlayStation Vita

I absolutely love handheld gaming. That's why the PlayStation Vita's Japan-exclusive 2011 launch was really difficult for me. I actually came dangerously close to spending a lot of extra money and importing a Japanese system (since it was region free), but I never did. Instead, I just read every single news story I could prior to the system releasing February 15, 2012. While the post-launch support has been less than stellar, nothing can tarnish the pure week of bliss I had when the Vita initially launched. It's an incredible handheld, even if Sony doesn't treat it as such.
Tekken X Street Fighter

Remember this? Back when Street Fighter X Tekken (pictured) was announced in 2010, Namco also said they would be creating a Tekken equivalent. It has been six years since then and the title is "officially on hold" according to Tekken head Katsuhiro Harada. I'm not sure if this will ever be released, but I sure hope it does. I'd love to see how the Street Fighter characters would play in a Tekken style. Until an official cancellation, I'll be patiently (and painfully) waiting.
The Last Guardian

It's only fitting that The Last Guardian was recently delayed for one (hopefully) final time. Team Ico's third title has been in development for the entire span of the PS3's life, and it was looking like it would never be released. It's finally coming later this year, so it'll be interesting to finally get to play this game. I hope people will enjoy it, but as you can see long development cycles don't have a stellar track record.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter released came out September 2007 in Japan. It wouldn't release in North America until October 2015. Why the long delay? Well, the first game took five years to come out in North America, and the sequel had an understaffed and troubled localization. The game's script is over 716 thousand words, so it's understandable why it took so many years to finally finish being localized. Now to wait for the third (and final) game so the story can be completed.
Yakuza 5

Despite not being a huge success in North America, Sega had done a speedy job releasing Yakuza games in North America. That was until Yakuza 5, which took three whole years to come out. Once it finally released in North America, most gamers had already moved onto the PS4, but it was as good a reason to boot up a PS3 as any. It's a fantastic game, and really the best Yakuza game yet. Things are looking up for the Yakuza franchise and I can't wait to play future entries.