Games you want to like but can't

[Qazimod]

Also, Monster Hunter! I've wanted to enjoy it since the PSP games, but my experience has been mixed. I tried Freedom 2 and Freedom Unite, and maybe a bit of the World demo, but it feels massively daunting to me. I feel like I entered the training hall in one of the PSP games and it just dumped everything on me at once and then booted me out into the world.

 

I do like "hunting" gameplay in other series - Freedom Wars cuts straight to the hunts/battles without nearly as much preparation in menus beforehand, I enjoyed bits of Mercenary Kings, and there was once a Destiny seasonal activity that borrowed heavily from hunting games. But I feel like MH is supposed to be played by spending three hours at the base browsing menus and optimising your business affairs for every 45 minutes spent in a hunt. I need some kind of "this is what the game tells you but this is what actually matters most of the time" list.

[englishbob]

Zelda BOTW - just didn't like the constantly breaking weapons. I don't care why it's done, I just didn't enjoy constantly managing weapons all the time, especially during battle

 

Persona - tried them, it's like an actual full time job in hours to get the game started - too much non gaming going on

 

Metal Gear Solids - other than the last big PS4 open world outing, it was too restrictive as a game - and large parts of it spent just watching and reading the screen and trying to make sense of the utter madness of it all. I understand it has it's fans because of this, but it just made my head hurt.

 

To counteract the Soulsbourne stuff - I bought every FromSoft game from Demon Souls on the PS3 onwards and shelved every single one of them, including up to Bloodborne. After a boring evening of gaming I decided to go back to Bloodborne and persevere and try and understand it - and over a long evening it just clicked with me and I finally understood it all. Went back and did the others. Now I can't stand any action adventure title that isn't in a similar mould, just let me get started and playing - no massive amount of cut scenes and dialogue - just playing. The only one I haven't enjoyed on revisit is Sekiro

[dataDave]

6 hours ago, dumpster said:

I've never 'got' Bayonetta. I have 2 copies here, one still factory sealed, not sure why. But despite the Edge 10 I just don't get it.  I find it to be button bashing where I should be doing intricate combos but it doesn't happen - I bash bash bash buttons and I'm completely aware I'm doing it wrong.

 

Take this to the Bayonetta thread. We can start you on the right path with just one combo (PKP). Bashing buttons is an extremely bad habit on this game as really you need to hold buttons down until bullets come out, not tap them frantically.

 

I sat on it for two years as well, but the 'click' process only took ten minutes in the end. You could be sitting on a potential GOAT.

[Protocol Penguin]

Breath of the Wild – just can’t get on with “open world” type games. If it had a sequential story and progression structure like regular Zelda games, I’d have probably enjoyed it immensely. Just the aimlessness and confusion of it all frustrated me, and I couldn’t bear it after a few dozen hours. Hope the sequel has a proper Zelda structure, TBH, or I’m done with this series.

 

Monster Hunter series – played 2 on the 3DS, and the Wii U game, and it made no sense at all, often quite an “anti-game” in how they all felt. Plus I didn’t really enjoy the online discourse of suggesting newcomers track down Monster Hunter players to show them the ropes, because 1.) I’m probably not the only person who doesn’t know a single adult in their offline life who who also plays games, and 2.) that just admits the deficiency in the series’ fundamental games design.

[Corranga]

8 hours ago, Jg15 said:

Another one for Souls Games here. I think if I had the time and patience, like I did 20 odd years ago, these games would be perfect for me. As an old git with little of both these days I just can't be arsed!

This sums it up perfectly for me. Love the atmosphere, love the depth in the controls, loathe the persistent deaths and difficult.

[monkeydog]

Shadow of Mordor & War. I just end up feeling like shit Batman participating in a badly run LoTR larp.

[ChewMagma]

Every single fighting game apart from Soul Calibur 2 and Smash Bros Melee.

 

Every single Metal Gear game apart from MGSV.

 

Outer Wilds.

[Bangaio]

These days for me almost every single game. If I had a machine that could play gt7, forza horizon and virtua racing (switch port) I’d be basically sorted for ever. 

[joffocakes]

Definitely Monster Hunter. When I see groups of pals posting clips of their wee adventures together it looks like incredible fun but even if I did force myself to endure the learning curve until I understood the mechanics I'd very rarely be able to guarantee I'd be online at particular times or for a long enough, uninterrupted period to actually play with folk regularly.

[Made of Ghosts]

Undertale. Some of the meta/spanning-multiple-playthroughs stuff sounds interesting but when I actually played it, I just waddled around very slowly, read some dialogue and played some fairly boring bullet hell minigames. 

[Couch Corpse]

The Last of Us - so much so that I bought the sequel (on sale), thought the first one was dull trudgery.

[Giles]

Elden Ring

 

"You want more games?!! You don't finish the ones you have."

I might vote in the games of the year thread, and it'll be an admission I haven't played it. I want to be part of the gang, yet can't justify the purchase as I'm slowly making my way through Sekiro, which is proving more than a handful with my limited gaming time and skill. 

[dataDave]

Souls games for me because I find the combat to be overwhelmingly dull. Even when I’m playing like a bad ass I don’t feel like a bad ass. Got the Platinum on Bloodborne within 19 hours just to prove the point. I did enjoy that game, but only because it felt like what a modern Castlevania could have been like. I don’t really feel like playing any others, but I did get around 3/4 through Sekiro before quitting due to boredom.

[ChewMagma]

8 hours ago, joffocakes said:

Definitely Monster Hunter. When I see groups of pals posting clips of their wee adventures together it looks like incredible fun but even if I did force myself to endure the learning curve until I understood the mechanics I'd very rarely be able to guarantee I'd be online at particular times or for a long enough, uninterrupted period to actually play with folk regularly.

 

It isn't really the sort of online game you need to exclusively play with friends tbh. Each hunt is very bitesize, 5-15 mins, and you don't really need mega amounts of cooperation or coordination like Destiny or something, you just get into a loop of playing with randoms.

[K]

It’s great to see the “which popular game do you not like” thread getting its monthly outing. 

[Rayn]

I've been a gamer since my first home console clone of Pong back in '79 and have owned almost every popular console ever since. I've always loved gaming and found something to love in all genres but I've found out that popular games aren't always games I like personally. 

 

From the top of my head, popular games/franchises I wish I liked but don't/didn't: 

Sonic The Hedgehog: Never got along with this series, neither the classic 2D ones nor the 3D Aventure ones. Run full speed to get to the goal as quickly as possible and miss out on secrets and loads of rings or take your time and explore and lose a life because the time runs out. Not for me. 

 

Tomb Raider series: On paper it's right up my alley and technically the first couple of games blew me away (PSone) but stiff controls, weird shooting (and the worst gun popping sound ever, for TR1 and 2 at least) and bullet sponge enemies are just some of the things I disliked. One of the worst cameras in 3D games ever too. 

 

Halo series (campaign mode): While multiplayer Halo has always been fun, the campaigns never did much for me. I love FPS games, I love sci-fi and I love a challenge but the Halo campaigns did little to hold my interest going for more than 30 minutes at a time. Endless corridors that all look the same, the same few enemies throughout the game and a art style that's pretty boring (to me). I've completed Combat Evolved on Legendary and did enjoy parts of the campaign, especially The Silent Cartographer, The Library and the final race on the surface of the big space ship but as a whole there were big chunks of the game I found a chore to waddle through. 

[Fargo]

Skyrim. So many attempts on so many formats but it just feels archaic. Not for me at all which is strange because I loved Oblivion. 

[deerokus]

To be fair the last couple of Monster Hunter games have been much more accessible, a lot of those complaints are outdated. The main gameplay loop is an extremely acquired taste though.

[Isaac]

The amount of people saying Outer Wilds in this thread makes me sad.

 

I wish they would implement a way to extend the loop mechanic for these players (maybe an accessibility mode?) as to me, it's one of the most perfect gaming experiences I have ever had. Easily in my top 3 games ever made.

 

One of the only games to ever make me properly cry too, the ending was so emotional.

[Gotters]

49 minutes ago, K said:

It’s great to see the “which popular game do you not like” thread getting its monthly outing. 

 

we do also have a nice variant which is games you keep buying you don't like

 

 

[Vulgar Monkey]

It's an oldie, but the most standout one for me....Company of Heroes.

 

Honestly I'd have probably loved it had I played it on release, but I think recently turn-based tactics games have spoilt me - that plus a lack of time and less patience really steer me away from anything with even the slightest amount of 'apm' emphasis. Similarly the Men of War series, which had a little jank but the ridiculous granularity should be right up my street. (similarly, Wargame).

 

Both CoH and MoW have sequels out soon, so the disappointment is all the greater knowing I'd likely have the same problems with them. I'm hoping the new Jagged Alliance might scratch that itch somewaht.

[ChewMagma]

2 hours ago, Isaac said:

The amount of people saying Outer Wilds in this thread makes me sad.

 

I wish they would implement a way to extend the loop mechanic for these players (maybe an accessibility mode?) as to me, it's one of the most perfect gaming experiences I have ever had. Easily in my top 3 games ever made.

 

One of the only games to ever make me properly cry too, the ending was so emotional.

 

For me it isn't the loop mechanic, it is battling against the controls.

[MarkN]

The Stanley Parable. Tried it after being surprised by how much I loved What Remains Of Edith Finch. Found its whole attitude and approach and brand of humour extremely annoying. 

[Mogster]

On 18/12/2022 at 07:23, Mr. Gerbik said:

Then while I was reading something - whoosh back to the start.

I can totally see why people wouldn't like Outer Wilds, and indeed why you don't based on the rest of your post, but this particular thing shouldn't happen. Time stops while you're reading text unless you go out of your way to toggle the option off in settings, as otherwise it would be really annoying!

[DavidJC]

Returnal for me. I've played a ton of it and actually quite enjoy the core mechanics having got to biome 3 but seem to have got stuck there. It's so RNG heavy and each run can take so long if the shortcut room doesn't appear early that it's rapidly draining the fun from it. 

[merrychan]

Smash Bros. - Not a wind up, I love the capcom and snk fighters but I just can't get into any entry in this series

[Mr. Gerbik]

41 minutes ago, Mogster said:

I can totally see why people wouldn't like Outer Wilds, and indeed why you don't based on the rest of your post, but this particular thing shouldn't happen. Time stops while you're reading text unless you go out of your way to toggle the option off in settings, as otherwise it would be really annoying!

It was in-between reading stuff. I read something, wanted to go back to read an earlier lore entry on another wall to analyze how it was connected and whoosh as I was looking at said wall.

[Monkeyspill]

Dead Rising (and it’s sequel).

I liked the concept but just really didn’t get on with having that strict time limit where you could miss certain events. It felt like you could either have fun and fuck up, or play the game properly, which wasn’t fun. You had to plan it all out on the map and make sure you got to certain places at certain times. Playing it properly was stressful.

[Mogster]

1 minute ago, Mr. Gerbik said:

It was in-between reading stuff. I read something, wanted to go back to read an earlier lore entry on another wall to analyze how it was connected and whoosh.

Ah, fair enough.

 

I imagine a lot of the game probably comes together once the flight controls click, and you can get where you need to go faster. I generally found that I usually had enough time to explore everything in a location in a single loop, unless it was a particularly big place designed for multiple visits. If I ever found myself running out of time too quickly, it was usually because there was a faster route to be found. Finding these felt like opening a shortcut in Dark Souls, only due to the nature of the game it would always have been available had I known where to look.

 

It's such a clever game, but I can definitely see how the mechanics could put some people off. It's the sort of game you'll either love or hate, but if it clicks it's absolutely amazing.

[disperse and recoagulate]

FIFA for me. PES has been destroyed by Konami but FIFA is just garbage.

 

Thankfully I properly bought PES21 days before it was taken off Gamepass and replaced with eFootball 22 or whatever the latest one is, so I'll always have that as the last ever good football game.

 

Also all Pokemon games since Emerald. Bear in mind that came out in 2005, and I guess I'm just stuck in the past. Or had more time to waste hours of my day when I was 18.  I'd love to go mad deep into Scarlet/Violet but just don't have the inclination to.

 

The fact that it's because I'm instead playing Football Manager is probably worth mentioning, mind you.