I would say a "complete fail" not only requires a game that shows absolutely no sign of the developers trying, but also promised so much. "Complete fail" is a term that, personally, should be used in the same way "colossal disappointment" would be used. There's not many games that, personally, fit that bill, especially when it has to go beyond subjectivity, which means games like "Kane And Lynch: Dog Days" (which personally, was a colossal disappointment) don't fit the bill.
Off the top of my head, I'd say Grand Theft Auto IV was a "complete fail", since it was a game that forgot it's roots and promised so much. Comparing Grand Theft Auto: San Andres to Grand Theft Auto IV is like comparing Far Cry to Far Cry 2, yes the realism was turned up by quite a bit, but realism doesn't make a game good on it's own. GTA IV's story was bland, the characters were plain and everything just felt too normal considering it was GTA, at least compared to the previous game. I'd go as far as to say Saints Row is what GTA IV should of been, a game that's not trying to go for a compelling narrative or realistic gun fights, but a game just trying to have fun. Hell, you can even tell the developers had fun making the game.
Off the top of my head, I'd say Grand Theft Auto IV was a "complete fail", since it was a game that forgot it's roots and promised so much. Comparing Grand Theft Auto: San Andres to Grand Theft Auto IV is like comparing Far Cry to Far Cry 2, yes the realism was turned up by quite a bit, but realism doesn't make a game good on it's own. GTA IV's story was bland, the characters were plain and everything just felt too normal considering it was GTA, at least compared to the previous game. I'd go as far as to say Saints Row is what GTA IV should of been, a game that's not trying to go for a compelling narrative or realistic gun fights, but a game just trying to have fun. Hell, you can even tell the developers had fun making the game.