Having left id Software due to creative differences, John Romero staked his reputation (and the future of his new company) on a new first-person shooter IP. After four years of struggled development, the end result was deemed a failure.
Already infamous for an ill-advised ad campaign, a mid-development engine migration, missing release dates, and ultimately launching in a buggy state; Daikatana would further suffer both critical contempt and financial failure.
But what game lies beneath this bad reputation?
Daikatana expects its players to already be familiar with the finer points of FPS. Four episodes span four time periods, offering large levels and unique weapons. Player movement is some of the then-best on offer in the genre. Issues with novel sidekick AI are largely overblown.
While Daikatana is most definitely flawed, there is still an ambitious [and often entertaining] game buried beneath a few layers of frustration. Initial reactions from frustrated critics / consumers have perhaps painted its long-term perception as more "broken" than it truly is.
All said and done, I don't believe that Daikatana [on PC] deserves its reputation as an "all-time worst" contender. While it certainly failed to live up to impossible hype, the pride and passion which drove its creation still shines through in its gameplay.
Suck it down, etc.
I would gladly be your bitch, Mr. Romero. I'd even let you pull my hair~