The most flexible cut content in video games

Key Takeaways

• Video games are constantly undergoing censorship and development; enthusiastic developers often lack the resources to complete planned features.
• Fans are interested in content cut from the game, such as the original Halo 2 ending and Dragon Age: Inquisition's War Table.
• Big games like Half-Life 2 and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim had major broken content that could change the player's experience.

Like any other art form, video games undergo constant review and censorship before they hit store shelves. They are constantly changing and evolving during development; not all features make the cut. Unfortunately, either due to time constraints or development difficulties, most enthusiastic developers do not have the time or manpower necessary to implement all the planned features.

Whether it's a mind-blowing level that completely changes the genre or a mechanic that completely changes the game, fans are always curious to see cut content and wonder what could have been. For those who want to learn more about their favorite game, take a peek behind the development curtain to see what might be broken. Here are some of the most transformative hacks in video games.

8 Red Dead Redemption 2

Explorable Mexico

Picture of Red Dead Redemption 2'The development cycle suggests that players will be able to explore areas of Mexico and some time may see the Van Der Linde gang back on the doorstep.

Players can still access Mexico in the game by glitching, but it appears that it should not be a place players can access. It's completely dry, no NPCs, and full of half-assed mountain guards and a single fort. It's strange to think what could have been, and although there are many theories about why it's still in the game – players can't help but wonder what Rockstar has planned for this gun adventure.

7 Halo 2

The original ending

The ending of the first of Bungie'an all-time classic, Halo 2, will be the end of the whole series. Tthe end would be completely different, with Master Chief and The Arbiter taking on recurring villain Truth head-on.

After the battle, Truth dies – and the Ark begins to collapse, leading to the division of games that exist Master Chief must shoot his way. At the end, the player saw the Master Chief outside the famous Mjolnir armor, staring down at the ground as the Covenant led the way. A post-credits scene will show a skeleton in a sarcophagus, revealing that humans are the ancestors of the Forerunners. It was a clearer and more bittersweet ending, but still left some unanswered questions.

6 Dragon Age: Inquisition

The war table

Even as a feature, the Tableau may not bring the best memories to its fans BioWare is the critics' entry into their RPG franchise – it was originally intended to be more expansive.

The battle table will have seen players who have really participated in the mission they started, convincing the dealer and fighting for the first place – but as is the case with everyone. Dragon Age access, time constraints led to the basis of this feature on the cutting room floor, left players on the side of the high level of the mechanism.

5 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Iorveth's great role

Middle man there The Witcher 2 who was completely omitted from the sequel played a major role during the events of the The Wild Hunt. Iorveth can be a recurring character and has an entire questline dedicated to his elven leader.

This character has a very dedicated fanbase who are more than upset about the character being left out of the sequel – but the speed of development has made it a difficult situation. There is no shortage of content cut because of the size CD Projekt Red wins GOTY RPG, but this is a story that fans were happy to see.

4 Half-Life 2

The Air Exchange

Originally, this part of the game was placed between the battle Depot and City 17, which extended the period of life from three to four. It's set on one of the Combine's Air Exchange models, which are drastically altering the Earth's atmosphere for some reason.

No one is quite sure why the Combine is changing Earth's atmosphere. Theories range from adjusting the Planet's atmosphere to make it more habitable for the Combine to large portals drawing life force from Earth. This level would have seen the player go all the way underground to the top of the Air Exchange – then destroy it. A small part is still left for the full release – but it could be a complete game changer for the icon Half-Life 2.

3 Super Mario 64

Level missing

The famous plumber's platforming Nintendo 64 debut it was originally intended to be larger in size. Either from time constraints or equipment limitations, however – the game was cut to just fifteen.

Not much is known about the unreleased level, but it is said to be nearly four times the length of the game – leaving many fans wondering what this beloved entry in the legendary franchise could be. However, this did not stop the designers from making their own levels.

2 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Zelda Gaiden Expansion Pack

The much-loved Ocarina of Time is slated to have two expansion discs after the game's release. One of them was Zelda Gaiden, where you can find more difficult dungeons, completely separate worlds, and completely new stories to complete.

This one is broken mainly because of the failure of the Nintendo 64DD system. This system is an expansion port for the esteemed Nintendo 64 which may extend or completely restore game data. But a combination of lackluster sales and poor critical reception means that, unfortunately, Nintendo will abandon all the projects planned for the system. Not much is known about it Zelda Gaidenbut it was eventually adapted to join the franchise: Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Civil war interrupted content

Skyrim's sidequest, based on the war that developed between the Stormcloaks and Imperials, is too familiar to the experienced. Scroll of the Elders player. However, it was originally intended to have a greater impact on the environment and the way the Dovahkiin explored the world.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim allowing the player to choose their role in the war, and originally, the cut content “Civil War” allowed the player's choice to have a significant impact on the ongoing war. The player can lose the battle in the beginning, which is a feature that made the ax. In full release, whichever side the player falls back on automatically wins – regardless of their performance. There will be a huge clash that could have seen the famous Dovahkiin fighting in the front line to ensure victory for his side. Quests will see players ranging from killing commanding officers to stealing battle plans. This is content that really changed the game, and could have made the Civil War quest stand out a lot more than it did.