Games You Don't "Get"

[Jez]

Ever get a game that you just can't enjoy no matter how many of your friends and peers love it and no matter how much critical praise it has garnered? What are some examples of games in your collection which you have tried over and over to love but instead can't stand playing it?

A recent example for me is Fez - I bought it in the XBLA Christmas sales and with the very strong critical and user reviews I was pretty sure I would at least somewhat enjoy it. Instead I found it incredibly bland and playing it even for 10 minutes is a complete chore.

Another older example for me is Heavy Rain which is cited as innovative, gripping and intense. Instead I found it to be a huge waste of my time with awful controls, with the majority of actions depending on quick time events. I still think of it as the worst PS3 game I've ever played.

I'd be interested to hear of other people's stories :)

[Cewsh]

I loved Heavy Rain, and I actually bought my PS3 just for it. I really don't mind the concept of quick time events, I just always hated how they were shoehorned into games to make you pay attention during cutscenes. I liked the way the story was laid out, and I love how atmospheric they made things by simplifying the controls as much as possible. It made a crime procedural feel almost like Silent Hill because you had such limited options, and things in the story were so subtly off. It was a really different gaming experience and while it could have been better, I very much appreciated how far it pushed the envelope.

Then again, I adored Indigo Prophecy too, until it went from an incredible game to an unbelievable failure in the third act.

[MMH]

Always Call of Duty for me. I can see how the main story stuff would be good but the online stuff is horrendous. So confusing.

I have never really understood Gran Turismo either. Looks brilliant, loads of nice looking cars and tracks but they all seem to race like attached with string.

Oh and Mortal Kombat. Absolute garbage. All of them.

[Cewsh]

I've always liked the single player on Call of Duty much more than the multiplayer.

[Mark Hammer]

I used to be obsessed with CoD multiplayer so I definitely understand the appeal. But I don't "get" how people are still into it after all this time when year after year it's the same game with the same bullshit exploits/cheating.

[Mark Hammer]

I've always liked the single player on Call of Duty much more than the multiplayer.

That is very odd imo. Single player is so vanilla and boring. I did like the one where you had to snipe the guy while accounting for the wind (Modern Warfare 1 I think?) but for the most part it always left me wishing I was playing multiplayer.

[Cewsh]

That is very odd imo. Single player is so vanilla and boring. I did like the one where you had to snipe the guy while accounting for the wind (Modern Warfare 1 I think?) but for the most part it always left me wishing I was playing multiplayer.

I really liked the story for Modern Warfare 2 that had you fighting off troops in the neighborhoods around DC and in the city itself, mostly because that's where I lived for years and they captured it well enough to make it a surreal experience. Mostly the single player stuff is just the equivalent of a popcorn action movie where you do the shooting, and there's definitely a place for that sort of thing for me. A 4 hour long, fun shoot 'em up is great sometimes.

The multiplayer is just basically the single player, except taken way too seriously. The actual mechanics of the game aren't amazing to begin with, so when all you're left with is the gameplay, the other people who play Call of Duty games, and some oddly broken matchmaking rules, it isn't a pleasant experience.

Conversely, I love Halo multiplayer, and could completely do without the single player.

[chatty]

Thought heavy Rain was decent the first time round but i couldn't be bothered to try and do it again.

probably Resident Evil 5 & 6 for me (although I've never ventured into six that far so it might get better. Not sure if they are highly rated but they dont have nothing on the old ones. Four was good though, it was a refreshing change but they could never capture it with the predecessors.

LA Noire - the interrogation parts just annoyed me to where I stopped playing it.

[Kdestiny]

I loved Heavy Rain, and I actually bought my PS3 just for it. I really don't mind the concept of quick time events, I just always hated how they were shoehorned into games to make you pay attention during cutscenes. I liked the way the story was laid out, and I love how atmospheric they made things by simplifying the controls as much as possible. It made a crime procedural feel almost like Silent Hill because you had such limited options, and things in the story were so subtly off. It was a really different gaming experience and while it could have been better, I very much appreciated how far it pushed the envelope.

Then again, I adored Indigo Prophecy too, until it went from an incredible game to an unbelievable failure in the third act.


I think they have another game coming out this year.

I would have to say Borderlands. Just not a big fan of it like everyone else seems to be.

[Cewsh]

Yep, it's called Beyond and stars Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe. It looks completely incredible.

[Jez]

I would agree on L.A. Noire as well, I had to force myself to finish it since I was so bored by the end. Another game I don't get but still enjoyed is Red Dead Redemption. It won GoTY on here so I picked up the GoTY edition with all the DLC and while I did like it I just felt a bit "meh" by the end and was glad to be moving on to something else.

[Kdestiny]

LA Noire was a great game until the ending really, broke my heart.

Red Dead is fantastic though

[Cewsh]

My only issue with Red Dead is that I had zero interest in the story missions when I could be galloping across the plains, so I just never bothered to finish it. I have the same issues with GTA games.

[Jez]

My issue with Heavy Rain's quick time event style gameplay is that it never really feels like you are "playing" the game, instead it feels like an interactive movie. I realise that this is intentional so if I am judging it as a movie instead of a game then I find the acting average, the story is full of plot holes and the running time (for a movie) is way too long. A lot of other games' stories (which are actually trying to be video games) are much better in my opinion and since Heavy Rain relies so heavily on narrative I was left hugely disappointed.

[Cewsh]

My issue with Heavy Rain's quick time event style gameplay is that it never really feels like you are "playing" the game, instead it feels like an interactive movie. I realise that this is intentional so if I am judging it as a movie instead of a game then I find the acting average, the story is full of plot holes and the running time (for a movie) is way too long. A lot of other games' stories (which are actually trying to be video games) are much better in my opinion and since Heavy Rain relies so heavily on narrative I was left hugely disappointed.

Oh, I agree. The story was ultimately a disappointment and it is not a complete game by any stretch of the imagination. I just love it because it's a an experiment into something that will ultimately be completely incredible. On the PS2 and the PS3 they ran up against hardware restrictions and studio deadlines that prevented them from really pulling off this massive, unprecedented idea. They say they've nailed it with Beyond, but Heavy Rain is amazing as a kind of rough draft of the greatest game ever made.

[Jacknife]

World of Warcraft. Tried it for like 30 minutes, could not understand the appeal of it.

[The Rick]

Minecraft
Gears of War

[Mark Hammer]

Red Dead Redemption (aka Grand Theft Cowboy) was a beautiful game. Worth every bit of the accolades it received.

[JP]

Ico

Tried playing it first time around and it simply did not resonate with me at all. Left it a few years and after the insistence of some of my friends gave it another go and found it to be magnificent.

Really struggled with Okami too.

[The Rogerer]

Both of those. Okami has the leaden introduction, and Ico I tried three times over the years and could never get into.

[Olympus]

Street Fighter and Tekken for me. I keep trying them, I try to like them, I try to get better at them, but it always ends up with a huge disappointment.

Most recently was Tekken Tag Tournament 2. I couldn't even get through the Fight Lab tutorials.

[Fanny]

Ecco the Dolphin. What, the fuck.

[chatty]

Street Fighter and Tekken were both great back in the day but all the latest ones have been dire. Sometimes they just need to let go and move on but the name value represents big bucks so they just rehash them over and over.

I wish they would try and do a Resident Evil in the old style where they are puzzle/story adventure games but just update them so they are a bit more fluent to control. The new ones are so poor but they just wont give up on the name. The movies are terrible as well, as are 95% of the spin of games they produce.

I can't stand the new WWE games either, used to love back in the day: Warzone to Smackdown 2 then they started to slip.

[Matthew]

i am not sure about that. the newer tekkens have just gotten better. sure, i'd like to rock tekken 3 now and then. but the new one shits all over the likes of 1 or 2.

street fighter has gotten lamer over time

[stylepoints]

I would agree on L.A. Noire as well, I had to force myself to finish it since I was so bored by the end. Another game I don't get but still enjoyed is Red Dead Redemption. It won GoTY on here so I picked up the GoTY edition with all the DLC and while I did like it I just felt a bit "meh" by the end and was glad to be moving on to something else.

I loved LA Noire for what it is. Detective Phelps is such a strong character. Maybe one of the best characters ever. Tremendous storytelling in that game.

Also, if you can't recognize the genius that is Red Dead Redemption then my mind is officially blown. One of the best gaming experiences ever when you account for the online aspects. I bought it shortly after it came out and still play it often, at least several sessions a week. Oh yeah, have I mentioned I'm top 100 on a few rdr leaderboards? :D

[chatty]

I got Tekken 6 and thought it was terrible, I haven't played Tag 2 yet but i thought the first one was the best game in the series.

I thought GTAIV was rubbish, I'm hoping that they improve with V, I think the bland lead character didn't help the game and the city was pretty dull as well. SA was amazing though so it had a lot to live up to.

[Matthew]

i don't really see a difference between the tekkens. just slight improvements. like 6 had many customization options, but in the end was the same product and plays the exact same way as previous entries.

[Hero!]

Sonic, any of 'em - I just don't really get the appeal. GO FAST AND COLLECT RINGS...ok?

Infamous - I'm actually not sure I dislike this game so much. I just found it super fucking dull and it just couldn't keep my attention.

Bioshock 2 - Sorry, I don't like the mechanics of the fighting system. I know people love it, but I just don't care for it. Maybe if I played the first game I'd like it more.

[Cewsh]

You really can't play Bioshock 2 without playing Bioshock 1. 2 is basically an expansion pack.

Would you kindly play it?

[stylepoints]

I thought GTAIV was rubbish, I'm hoping that they improve with V, I think the bland lead character didn't help the game and the city was pretty dull as well. SA was amazing though so it had a lot to live up to.

The day I bought gta4 I was driving home and told my.friend.I didnt think I'd like the main character. He then told me it.was one of the best main characters in a gta game. He was right. Nico Bellac(sp?) is one of the most likeable characters there is. His broken english is a treat. Great job they did with Nico. My favorite GTA main character so far. Funny thing is I thought id hate him at first. Listening to Nico call for a cab while he's drunk has me laughing out loud every time. "YELLOW CAR!", lol.

Now Luis from BoGT, he's just terrible. Completely bland.with no likeable qualities whatsoever.

[Dreyski]

I never got many 'serious' racing games since the days of Stunt Car Racer and Lotus Esprit Challenge on the Amiga. Never played Gran Turismo and I'm not sure I'd enjoy it either.

[Hero!]

You really can't play Bioshock 2 without playing Bioshock 1. 2 is basically an expansion pack.

Would you kindly play it?

Mail me a copy? :)

[Cewsh]

PM me your address and I absolutely will.

[JP]

Not a case of 'getting it' or not, for me Red Dead is massively overrated. Far too simplistic and generic for the praise it gets.

[Stringer Bell]

Wow, I love Fez. It's one of the first XBLA games I've purchased in a long time and I think it was totally worth it. Very immersive, visually amazing, and unique. Reminds me of the Katamari series.

Portal is one that I never got. I wanted to, but meh. It wasn't for me.

[Cewsh]

I think you're the first person I've met who didn't enjoy Portal.

[Stringer Bell]

I dunno, I had the Orange Box, and it just didn't appeal to me at all. Seemed bland compared to all the raving everyone was doing. For puzzle games, I'll take Fez any day.

[VHS]

I don't "get" why Halo is such a powerhouse. Everything about it screamed generic fps and it still does.

[Cewsh]

It pretty much is a generic FPS. They've just stayed ahead of the curve by creating multiplayer that is accessible and fun to play.

[Grimario]

It pretty much is a generic FPS. They've just stayed ahead of the curve by creating multiplayer that is accessible and fun to play.

I think it depends on the age of the gaming crowd, surely? There was a plethora of accessible and fun to play multiplayer FPS games on PC when I was gaming in my misspent youth. Halo just pretty much did it on console bigger and better than anyone else had.

[Vice]

To me, Halo is very unique because the art and design is so wonderful. There are so many areas where it's bright and stunningly gorgeous, then you can go into a Covenant ship and be amazed at all the itty bitty details of the construction of it. It has an incredible scale while not being so big that it's barren. There's just life and personality everywhere. There's a lot of violence, but not too much of it in the sense of blood flying everywhere (especially at the screen, etc.), shifting from a colorful almost cartoon-like feel with the Covvies, to a very movie-esque feel with the Flood. And in 4, the Prometheans are a bit generic in design, but they fill the areas so well, and their animations have a lot of personality. All the controls are so damn smooth, too. Vehicles are always a hoot and a half to operate, and they all control very well and the transition from running to driving is flawless. I find a lot of FPS games to be jarring in many aspects.

I can definitely understand it not being everyone's cup of tea, but marvelous worlds have been created.

[turdpower]

Tiger Woods. Golf is the one sport I have never "got", I've played it a few times, but I never watch it.

I love a "boring" sport; cricket and snooker I could watch all day.

But why do people keep buying the Tiger Woods games every year? They never change. The game is basically as good as its ever been since 2003. Brian Lara Cricket is a fine example of a sports franchise not taking the piss; a new game every few years when some radical changes have actually been made.

Fifa has the same problem to be honest, but I don't like golf.

[Funboy]

Racing games that aren't Mario Kart.
Fighting games (Tekkens etc) generally disappoint/get tedious.

Of others mentioned - Red Dead Redemption for me felt like half a game. I think we should have played as a young, impressionable Jon Marsden who was whoring, gambling, terrorising and robbing banks/trains. Then in a cut-scene meets a girl/has a kid and tries to get out of the bandit lifestyle only to be screwed by his mentor and only then should he needed to have "redeemed" himself and start winning people over, helping on farm, catching bandits etc. That was my one gripe. Loved the setting/gameplay/characters; just thought we missed a big chunk of a game.

Of the big games out - one I just simply didn't get into was Assassins Creed. First one was really boring, and just never got into the series since. I imagine I'll pick them up one day (and they'll prob be very good) but I just have no desire to play them at the moment. Dishonoured similarly was bought, tried and quickly put aside. May try get back into it.

[Vice]

If you thought the first Assassin's Creed had any sort of potential, but was bogged down by repetition and a little bit of clunkiness.. play Assassin's Creed II. It makes the original seem like a tech demo by how polished and refined everything is, and basically Ubisoft took all the good stuff that people loved and turned the volume way up, and almost all the lousy shit that everyone hated was tossed aside. It's everything people wanted the first Assassin's Creed to be.

[Jimmy Zero]

Beyond Call of Duty, I don't get first person shooters as a gaming genre. They are just no fun for me, whatsoever.

Also, the Madden series.

[Hero!]

Sports games in general. Modern wrestling games are also shit with their shitty controls, DLC bundles, and crappy graphics. There's a reason Ive only played WWE 12 twice, yet I log in at least a few hours on Smackdown 2 every month.

[maxxmisery]

Gears of War

I just can't get into them, I've tried so many times but can't do it.

[blackening]

I can understand how Gears could be boring for some people. Its essentially shoot from behind cover until the bad guys are dead then move on to the next area but I love it. I love the multiplayer of Gears 3. So different from Call of Duty. Its probably my favorite series even though the newest one is kind of shit and the multiplayer is basically Gears of Duty.

[Atty]

Infamous. GoldenEye.


My only issue with Red Dead is that I had zero interest in the story missions when I could be galloping across the plains, so I just never bothered to finish it. I have the same issues with GTA games.

I have that issue with GTA, but with Red Dead, I loved it so much that I kept doing the story. Then I'd go a-galloping. And bear hunting.


You really can't play Bioshock 2 without playing Bioshock 1. 2 is basically an expansion pack.

Would you kindly play it?

I tried to rep this but it wouldn't let me.

[Cewsh]

It's the thought that counts.

[Kyle_242]

Great topic.

First one that comes to mind is Angry Birds. I know hardcore and casual gamers alike who fell in love with this game. I sunk a few hours into it, and lost interest fast. Just not for me I guess.

Heavy Rain is definitely up there too, but I don't really see it getting universal praise. Everyone seems to have some sort of problem with that game, even those who like it.

Never understood GoldenEye, or Halo, but I've never been a console FPS guy either.

More recently, Metal Gear Peace Walker. Still don't understand why that game was so highly regarded, it was more of the same except with really annoying boss fights.

[Jez]

I totally agree on Angry Birds, I have tried the original, Seasons and Rio (I only paid for the original) and I lost interest very very quickly. Most people describe it as addictive but I'd much rather play PvZ or Jetpack Joyride on my phone.

[JP]

I don't understand how anybody can't get Goldeneye. You and three mates, Licence to Kill, Pistols only = everlasting joy.

[Olympus]

It did result in a lot of hilarity at the time, but I personally don't think Goldeneye aged well at all. I played it a few months ago and it was miserable.

[Hero!]

I totally agree on Angry Birds, I have tried the original, Seasons and Rio (I only paid for the original) and I lost interest very very quickly. Most people describe it as addictive but I'd much rather play PvZ or Jetpack Joyride on my phone.

Angry birds is my "taking a shit" game, no doubt. Couldn't see myself just playing it for funsies, though.

Although, I will admit, playing it on a tablet vs a phone makes it hella more fun.

[Mark Hammer]

I actually became very addicted to Angry Birds for a while. Spent many hours trying to get 3 stars on all the stages. Then I woke up one morning and realized I couldn't give a shit and I haven't played it since.

[Atty]

That sounds like my experience with World of Warcraft. Played it like crazy for a month or two then just didn't care.

[JP]

My problem with WoW is that I played LOTRO first and found it to be much more rewarding so it never truly clicked with me.

[GeezaTap]

My most recent one was Far Cry 3 - I think I would have preferred it it was a third-person shooter, which I suppose goes against the whole point of the thing.

Also never understood serious sim games - used to watch my flatmate play them and it felt like he was doing a 2nd cyber-job running the Starfleet Federation.

[Dreyski]

It did result in a lot of hilarity at the time, but I personally don't think Goldeneye aged well at all. I played it a few months ago and it was miserable.
Not really the point though. At the time there was very little like it (and I think it's better than Doom or Quake 64) and it was pushing the boundaries of what was technologically possible at the time. Might as well say Jet Set Willy hasn't aged well.

[OD50]

Fallout 3.

Oh, and that weird N64 game were you had to plant seeds water flowers and stuff, can't recall the name..

[Dreyski]

Harvest Moon? Didn't care for it myself either.

[Mark Hammer]

I thoroughly enjoyed Harvest Moon for the SNES. Never played the N64 game though.

[Mark Hammer]

I don't understand how anybody can't get Goldeneye. You and three mates, Licence to Kill, Pistols only = everlasting joy.

That was definitely my favorite way to play. Closest thing that coms to that is One in the Chamber on the CoD games. I loved the feeling of anxiety you'd get knowing you can't afford to miss the one shot you have.

[Matty C]

Every RPG I've ever tried, mind you I'm due to give them another go when I have more free time.
Angry Birds for sure. Its nothing that hasn't been done before to me. :dunno:

As for some mentioned previously, I loved Heavy Rain and Red Dead might be my favourite game of this gaming generation. Both seem to really strike people one way or the other though, as has been said.

[Kyle_242]

Heavy Rain and RDR and two pretty polarizing games, of which I'm on the opposite spectrum of each.

I can certainly understand some of Red Dead's criticisms (although a number of them are criticisms about open-world games in general, so it's not totally fair). But I thought that game captured the atmosphere of the Western genre perfectly, right down to the ending, AND the "real" ending. Might have to do something with my love of Western movies, but it remains one of my favoritest games ever and I hope it gets a next-gen sequel.

We really need another thread for me to run into spoiler-heavy territory on my problems with Heavy Rain. Let's just say that the story had massive, massive problems. But at the same time, I "get" it...I understand what the game was trying to do, and looking back, it really did give me a pretty cool experience. I forget all about many of the games I play, but I remember almost every little details about Heavy Rain after only one playthrough. And it's sparked a constant internal debate with myself about whether seemingly useless in-game mechanics (PRESS X TO JASON) are silly and should never exist, or serve its purpose in immersing the player. I'm still not sure.

[Cewsh]

I thought it was a statement about how important those small details really are, that I was way more emotionally invested in that story then I should have been. The tense moments were really, REALLY tense, and the twist was so stupid, and yet completely floored me. It was weird. It's like my logical side and emotional side were playing a completely different game.

[Chris]

The Killzone series would be a big one for me. I actually completed Killzone 2, but only because a friend was playing it around the same time and I wanted to see it through. But at no point did I really look forward to playing it, or was really impressed by any part of the game. With Killzone 3, I gave up after about 45 minutes. I just find the games completely and utterly bland. It seems to get by on its visuals, while the gameplay is uninspired and cliched. I didn't find the single player to be exciting or engaging, and the multiplayer doesn't come close to COD.

I also don't get the argument that Uncharted 3 is better than Uncharted 2. It completely baffles me. Uncharted 3 could be absolutely infuriating at times. In terms of controls, the aiming could be terrible and the melee system was a nice idea executed terribly. Let's face it, when you got into a fistfight with one of the big goons, it was the exact same combination of moves every single time. If it was a protracted fight, you'd end up pressing the same buttons more than once and therefore you'd be doing the same thing over again. You can argue that Batman's moves in Arkham City are limited, but there are so many combinations that it can be forgiven (and since you control what moves to do, you can spice things up rather than doing the same stuff all the time). But in Uncharted, you're locked into having the same bloody fight every time.

Then there's the gameplay. Repetitive and annoying most of the time. The camera could be very uncooperative at times. The game forces you to use certain guns in certain situations, thereby making it pointless for you to build up your ammo when the gun you planned to keep is suddenly discarded. How many times did you jump on something, only for it to collapse and you're desperately hanging on to something? Then there's the enemies. Not only do they swarm you with a ridiculous mini-army on umpteen occasions, but the hit detection was atrociious. I remember several times where I unloaded bullets into someone's chest and he kept coming like the Terminator. I do it again a moment later, and then he decides to die.

Finally, the story. In Uncharted 2, the opening was immense. You're immediately sucked in to the game. In Uncharted 3, the first few chapters are boring, and most of the puzzles are bunched into the middle of the game. Uncharted 2 was far better in giving you variety and keeping you engaged throughout.

Overall, I think Uncharted 3 is saved by some top visuals, a handful of good set-pieces and environments and the fact that it has characters I care about thanks to the terrific voice acting. But Uncharted 2 was on a completely different level.

[Matthew]

for me: most rpgs

find them mad boring

[Jay]

I also don't get the argument that Uncharted 3 is better than Uncharted 2. It completely baffles me. Uncharted 3 could be absolutely infuriating at times. In terms of controls, the aiming could be terrible and the melee system was a nice idea executed terribly. Let's face it, when you got into a fistfight with one of the big goons, it was the exact same combination of moves every single time. If it was a protracted fight, you'd end up pressing the same buttons more than once and therefore you'd be doing the same thing over again. You can argue that Batman's moves in Arkham City are limited, but there are so many combinations that it can be forgiven (and since you control what moves to do, you can spice things up rather than doing the same stuff all the time). But in Uncharted, you're locked into having the same bloody fight every time.

Then there's the gameplay. Repetitive and annoying most of the time. The camera could be very uncooperative at times. The game forces you to use certain guns in certain situations, thereby making it pointless for you to build up your ammo when the gun you planned to keep is suddenly discarded. How many times did you jump on something, only for it to collapse and you're desperately hanging on to something? Then there's the enemies. Not only do they swarm you with a ridiculous mini-army on umpteen occasions, but the hit detection was atrociious. I remember several times where I unloaded bullets into someone's chest and he kept coming like the Terminator. I do it again a moment later, and then he decides to die.

Finally, the story. In Uncharted 2, the opening was immense. You're immediately sucked in to the game. In Uncharted 3, the first few chapters are boring, and most of the puzzles are bunched into the middle of the game. Uncharted 2 was far better in giving you variety and keeping you engaged throughout.

Overall, I think Uncharted 3 is saved by some top visuals, a handful of good set-pieces and environments and the fact that it has characters I care about thanks to the terrific voice acting. But Uncharted 2 was on a completely different level.Excellent post.

:yes:

I've seen a number of people say that Uncharted 3 is better than Uncharted 2, which I just can't understand at all - your post summed up my thoughts and feelings on the matter perfectly.

Truth be told, I'd have the original Uncharted over Uncharted 3.

[Grimario]

for me: most rpgs

find them mad boring

When life is as exciting as yours, you don't need RPG's to escape to.

[Tempest]

Pretty much any Final Fantasy or Call of Duty game. Just don't get the attraction.

I've had Far Cry 3 since release day and just can't get into it at all.

[Matthew]

When life is as exciting as yours, you don't need RPG's to escape to.
dude i am up to here with your shit