Critically acclaimed games you couldn't get on with

[Jonnas]

It's easily the worst of the 3D ones. Easily.

 

the worst 3d Zelda.

 

Since you've reminded me: Twilight Princess

 

That game was a mess. Sure, it had some good parts going on for it, but the unnecessarily long beginning, the boring lightbug segments, the wasted gameplay potential that was the Wolf Form, the rupee inflation (as it relates to treasure chests), the empty field, the lack of compelling sidequests, the rupee inflation (as caused by the few sidequests that do exist), the silly attempts at making a darker plot (remember the Dark Link cutscene?), the world that just felt disconnected from itself (how do you get to the desert? Teleportation. Lost Woods? Also teleportation), the unfinished final segment (the last two dungeons felt very unfinished) and the tacked-on final boss (I love Ganondorf, but this game has to be his weakest appearance)...

 

Yeah, only a few good things like Midna, Stallord, the sword techniques, etc. prevent me from saying this game sucks.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Since you've reminded me: Twilight Princess

 

That game was a mess. Sure, it had some good parts going on for it, but the unnecessarily long beginning, the boring lightbug segments, the wasted gameplay potential that was the Wolf Form, the rupee inflation (as it relates to treasure chests), the empty field, the lack of compelling sidequests, the rupee inflation (as caused by the few sidequests that do exist), the silly attempts at making a darker plot (remember the Dark Link cutscene?), the world that just felt disconnected from itself (how do you get to the desert? Teleportation. Lost Woods? Also teleportation), the unfinished final segment (the last two dungeons felt very unfinished) and the tacked-on final boss (I love Ganondorf, but this game has to be his weakest appearance)...

 

Yeah, only a few good things like Midna, Stallord, the sword techniques, etc. prevent me from saying this game sucks.

 

It had some of the best dungeons and boss fights in the series, though.

 

I can't agree about the field being empty. The Sky in Skyward Sword was empty. I loved the Dark Link scenes and final boss fight with Ganon.

 

Not sure why TP got so much hate. Even if it's not better than The Wind Waker to some (I think it's better), it's still a good game. Great game, even. Skyward Sword was legitimately a mess. THAT felt unfinished and broken.

[Jonnas]

I can't agree about the field being empty. The Sky in Skyward Sword was empty. I loved the Dark Link scenes and final boss fight with Ganon.

 

The few things that the sky in SS had were cubes and minigames, it was empty, but small. The one thing I remember from the TP overworld (that was much bigger) was a promising long cave with Chuchus that led to more rupees that I didn't need.

 

(I suppose I have more of an issue with how Ganon was written into the game than with the battle itself, which was decent. Beast Ganon was pretty cool)

 

Skyward Sword was alright. Could be better, but it had a clear direction and stuck with it.

[Cube]

Super Mario Sunshine. The FLUDD ruined it, and I felt like it didn't flow as well as SM64 (the only Mario platformer I loved). I didn't just not get on with it, I hated it. Possible the worst game Nintendo have made.

[Retro_Link]

Yes! Mario Sunshine.

Twilight Princess is my least favourite Zelda. Didn't enjoy it, didn't like the vibe.

Starfox 64/3DS is a good shout. Never could really understand the love for the game. I just don't get on with it.

 

In terms of one others haven't mentioned...

 

Uncharted 2. Described as one of the best action adventure games of all time? I just found the gameplay dull and repetitive. And the action sequences too frequent and ridiculous. Nor did I really like the characters it introduced or the story. But I'm in about the 0.01% that thinks this. I loved Uncharted, and Uncharted 3.

 

Super Mario World. There's just something about the game that irks me. It may be I part the visual style, maybe the music/soundfx, I just don't know.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Retro_Link

[bob]

Following on from what others have said, i actually don't 'get on with' all the 3D Zeldas i've played (OoT, TP, SS, WW). I think the thing i don't like about them is the controls. I find it very difficult to play and as a result i've only completed one of the above. Not syaing they aren't great games, but i just can't seem to get through a whole one.

[Dog-amoto]

Super Smash Bros series

 

Cannot tell what the hell is going on. Hate it.

 

Journey

 

Played it, found it to be a bit boring. Yes, it was beautiful and arty and all, but as a game, it was shit.

[nekunando]

Journey

 

Played it, found it to be a bit boring. Yes, it was beautiful and arty and all, but as a game, it was shit.

 

It's nice to find an opinion of Journey similar to my own

 

I reckon I'll try it again some time to see if I can somehow appreciate it more, but I'm not particularly hopeful..

 

For me, though, I reckon Advance Wars is a critically acclaimed game/series that I just can't seem to get into

[Hero-of-Time]

Shovel Knight

 

Decent game, with a great soundtrack, but by no means the second coming of 2D platformers many people hailed it as.

 

Skyward Sword

 

An terrible control scheme, bland overworld, awful companion and the constant pop up messages killed this game for me. Having played more and more RPGs and adventure games with voice acting, the lack of it in the series is also started to drag it down.

 

Bayonetta

 

Tried 3 times ( twice on 360 and once on Wii U ) to get into this game and just can't do it. A really annoying bitch/witch kills the game for me. I can't remember hating a main character in a game so much. I would take MGS2 Raiden any day of the week over this cocky cow.

 

Animal Crossing

 

I just don't get this series and have tried multiple times to understand what it's all about. It's soooooo boring and tedious, especially at the start of the game. You spend most of the day just running around picking up shells to pay off your loan.

 

Pokemon

 

I used to love the series when it first came out but it has done very little to really shake up the formula. The constant adding of new Pokemon didn't make it feel fresh to me but instead made it feel bloated. I often wonder if the games would still sell as well if the cartoon wasn't still running.

 

@Happenstance I bought Persona 4 Golden a while back now and plan on giving it another try at some point. This should make us on good terms again...for now.

[MadDog]

Super Mario 3D World

 

It looks really nice, but it just feels dated. I just had no desire to play beyond world 3 (can't remember where i stopped).

 

Destiny (not really critically acclaimed)

 

I was sucked into the hype after the alpha and beta. It's the most soulless game i've ever played. Technically, it's very good, but not for me.

 

Mass Effect

 

Tried to get into it 3 times but i just stop after a few hours. Tried it on PS3 and PC and i just hate it.

[Oxigen_Waste]

Any game made by Rare. Slightly above average games perceived as great because they were released on platforms that were suffering from software droughts.

 

Animal Crossing.

I understand why people love it, but it just isn't for me at all. It bores me to tears.

 

Mario RPGs (be it Paper Mario, Super Mario RPG or the Mario & Luigi games).

I've completed a few of them, and as awesome as they are, they just can't keep me invested. I don't find them funny or compelling, for some reason.

[MoogleViper]

A surprisingly high amount of my favourite games are making an appearance in this thread. I swear to god if Shenmue gets mentioned them I'm gonna go postal on you bitches!

 

BioShock - I have all 3 of them, picked them up for 360 for next to nothing along time after their release. Picked them up on the basis that they are meant to be incredible. Played the first for a couple of hours. Didn't really get grabbed by it at all. Number 2 and Infinite remain unopened and have never been in my console. Wasn't sold on the first at all.

 

Exactly the same with me. I did not get the appeal at all, and didn't bother with 2 or onwards.

[Nolan]

Any game made by Rare. Slightly above average games perceived as great because they were released on platforms that were suffering from software droughts.

Sounds like you're only talking about the 64 releases. Though I guess Viva Pinata wasn't exactly in a sea of competition, Donkey Kong Country and the SNES weren't in a drought though.

Mario RPGs (be it Paper Mario, Super Mario RPG or the Mario & Luigi games).

I've completed a few of them, and as awesome as they are, they just can't keep me invested. I don't find them funny or compelling, for some reason.

 

I like (seriously) that you say the Mario RPGs are awesome but just not your cup of tea.

[Oxigen_Waste]

Sounds like you're only talking about the 64 releases. Though I guess Viva Pinata wasn't exactly in a sea of competition, Donkey Kong Country and the SNES weren't in a drought though.

 

 

I like (seriously) that you say the Mario RPGs are awesome but just not your cup of tea.

 

They are very good games both mechanically and conceptually, it's just the humour and the story don't do it for me at all, which kills my interest in playing... I've completed PM2 and M&L1 and have nothing but good things to say about them, but it was a struggle. I played a few hours of SMRPG and M&L3 and the same thing happened, so I've since just decided to let them be and stop trying to force it. Awesome games, just not for me at all. Same applied to Animal Crossing, I can definitely understand why they are beloved, it's just not a product I can connect with.

 

Which reminds me that Boku no Natsuyasumi has still not been localized. I really want to play those games, they look like exactly what I wanted from Animal Crossing. =/

 

As for Rare, yeah, mostly the 64 stuff, but to be fair I'd include the DKC trilogy with it. Incredible soundtracks but they're very middling platformers who got way too much love because they looked "good"(still they think they look disgusting). I mean, how in the hell did these games get such a reputation when they were competing with SMW, Yoshi's Island, Super Metroid, Mega Man X, SCIV, SGhouls n'Ghosts, not to mention Sega's stuff like Sonic 2/3, Ristar, Dynamite Headdy, Rocket Knight Adventures, Castlevania Bloodlines... The gameplay in DKC1/2 (never played 3, but completed 1 & 2) was on the same level as stuff like Earthworm Jim or Disney's licensed platformers in that it was decent enough to be enjoyed, but far from the refined experience found in other games.

 

It's the weirdest thing, when it comes to Rare... I played Battletoads, DKC1/2, GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie, Conker and Starfox Adventures and while I had fun with all of them, not one of them stood out in the slightest. Only years later did I realize these games were all made by the same dev. They're like the Ridley Scott of gaming, except they lack the masterpieces to justify their perceived status, imo.

[Dcubed]

They are very good games both mechanically and conceptually, it's just the humour and the story don't do it for me at all, which kills my interest in playing... I've completed PM2 and M&L1 and have nothing but good things to say about them, but it was a struggle. I played a few hours of SMRPG and M&L3 and the same thing happened, so I've since just decided to let them be and stop trying to force it. Awesome games, just not for me at all. Same applied to Animal Crossing, I can definitely understand why they are beloved, it's just not a product I can connect with.

 

Which reminds me that Boku no Natsuyasumi has still not been localized. I really want to play those games, they look like exactly what I wanted from Animal Crossing. =/

 

As for Rare, yeah, mostly the 64 stuff, but to be fair I'd include the DKC trilogy with it. Incredible soundtracks but they're very middling platformers who got way too much love because they looked "good"(still they think they look disgusting). I mean, how in the hell did these games get such a reputation when they were competing with SMW, Yoshi's Island, Super Metroid, Mega Man X, SCIV, SGhouls n'Ghosts, not to mention Sega's stuff like Sonic 2/3, Ristar, Dynamite Headdy, Rocket Knight Adventures, Castlevania Bloodlines... The gameplay in DKC1/2 (never played 3, but completed 1 & 2) was on the same level as stuff like Earthworm Jim or Disney's licensed platformers in that it was decent enough to be enjoyed, but far from the refined experience found in other games.

 

It's the weirdest thing, when it comes to Rare... I played Battletoads, DKC1/2, GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie, Conker and Starfox Adventures and while I had fun with all of them, not one of them stood out in the slightest. Only years later did I realize these games were all made by the same dev. They're like the Ridley Scott of gaming, except they lack the masterpieces to justify their perceived status, imo.

 

The My Summer Vacation series may not have any localised entries, but there is one game made by the same developer (Millennium Kitchen) that is basically a MSV game in all but name that DID get localised...

 

 

If you haven't already done so, check it out! It's a 3DS eShop game (one of the Guild 02 series games). It's a really charming little gem!

[Oxigen_Waste]

The My Summer Vacation series may not have any localised entries, but there is one game made by the same developer (Millennium Kitchen) that is basically a MSV game in all but name that DID get localised...

 

 

If you haven't already done so, check it out! It's a 3DS eShop game (one of the Guild 02 series games). It's a really charming little gem!

 

Oh I have, my friend... making the fact that other Millenium Kitchen projects haven't been localized that much more frustrating. AotFM is one of the best things I've played in the last couple of years.

[Jonnas]

As for Rare, yeah, mostly the 64 stuff, but to be fair I'd include the DKC trilogy with it. Incredible soundtracks but they're very middling platformers who got way too much love because they looked "good"(still they think they look disgusting). I mean, how in the hell did these games get such a reputation when they were competing with SMW, Yoshi's Island, Super Metroid, Mega Man X, SCIV, SGhouls n'Ghosts, not to mention Sega's stuff like Sonic 2/3, Ristar, Dynamite Headdy, Rocket Knight Adventures, Castlevania Bloodlines... The gameplay in DKC1/2 (never played 3, but completed 1 & 2) was on the same level as stuff like Earthworm Jim or Disney's licensed platformers in that it was decent enough to be enjoyed, but far from the refined experience found in other games.

 

I personally greatly enjoyed the DKC trilogy, and they're genuinely some of my favourite platformers from the era (I like the fast-paced gameplay, the well hidden secrets, and the variety in levels).

 

The ones from the list you mentioned that I can't click with are Super Mario World (I just find it to be a bland, "meh", experience. Not bad, but not special, either. Much like the New Super Mario Bros series) and Yoshi's Island (this one, I can recognize the qualities, and I'm sure I could click with it if I had the right mentality when playing it, but for some reason it hasn't happened yet)

[Hero-of-Time]

I can't believe I missed this one off...

 

Fallout 3

 

Possibly the most overrated game I've played. Drab world, shoddy story, ugly to look at and boring overworld made for an awful game experience. I played from start to finish, getting all the achievements and I think I even played all the DLC in the hope that I was simply missing something that others saw in the game. Nope.

 

Just the other week I had it out with a co-worker over this game. He loves it and I hate it. It made for an interesting conversation.

[Rummy]

Oh I have, my friend... making the fact that other Millenium Kitchen projects haven't been localized that much more frustrating. AotFM is one of the best things I've played in the last couple of years.

 

I'm not sure I can comment on how much I enjoyed the game entirely from a gameplay perspective, but it did make me feel something in a way that a lot of games don't. For a short and simplistic game, it was kinda refreshing from that aspect of it. Can't say it's one of the best things I've played, but what it did for me whilst playing made me feel pretty impressed.

[Nolan]

I can't believe I missed this one off...

 

Fallout 3

 

Possibly the most overrated game I've played. Drab world, shoddy story, ugly to look at and boring overworld made for an awful game experience. I played from start to finish, getting all the achievements and I think I even played all the DLC in the hope that I was simply missing something that others saw in the game. Nope.

 

Just the other week I had it out with a co-worker over this game. He loves it and I hate it. It made for an interesting conversation.

 

Did you ever give New Vegas a shot? Yeah it's more of the same really, but it has it's differences, I like the world much more and the story. It is still ugly though.

[Hero-of-Time]

Did you ever give New Vegas a shot? Yeah it's more of the same really, but it has it's differences, I like the world much more and the story. It is still ugly though.

 

Nah. As you said, it looked to be more of the same.

 

I had the same issues with Oblivion. After that and Fallout 3 I didn't even attempt to try Skyrim.

[nekunando]

Championship Manager / Football Manager

 

I've always been into football, whether it be watching or playing, and I've had plenty of fun with football games such as Pro Evolution Soccer and ISS over the years with friends. However, Championship Manager was just always so horrifically boring to me, especially when my friends would suggest starting up a new game together and having to sit through everyone settings up their teams for hours before wasting time bidding on players.

 

Championship Manager 95/96 was probably the first one I ever experienced on my friend's PC and I'm almost falling into a coma just thinking about it..

[MadDog]

Championship Manager / Football Manager

 

I've always been into football, whether it be watching or playing, and I've had plenty of fun with football games such as Pro Evolution Soccer and ISS over the years with friends. However, Championship Manager was just always so horrifically boring to me, especially when my friends would suggest starting up a new game together and having to sit through everyone settings up their teams for hours before wasting time bidding on players.

 

Championship Manager 95/96 was probably the first one I ever experienced on my friend's PC and I'm almost falling into a coma just thinking about it..

 

I literally just finished playing Football Manager. :p

 

I put hundreds of hours into each one. I just love the squad building aspect, meeting the wage budget etc.

 

I also really enjoy building winning tactics, it's really deep and challenging to get a winning formula nailed down.

[Hero-of-Time]

Earthbound

 

I waited years to play this game and once it hit the Virtual Console I bought it straight away. Man, the game is absolute chore to play and probably a product of its time.

 

Every magazine under the sun rated this game highly back in the day but I just don't see the appeal. The inventory system is shocking at the start, the setting is weird and the battle system is broken at times.

 

It does do one thing right and that's the automatic killing of enemies if you are powerful enough. It makes for some easy grinding.

 

I've still not finished the game but i'm determined to beat it. I keep popping in and out of it but my play sessions don't last that long due to the issues I have with it.

[Jonnas]

Earthbound

 

I remember having the same opinion as you, back when I was playing it, even if now I remember Earthbound a tad more fondly.

 

Anyway, just wanted to say to give a chance to Mother 3 at one point, regardless of your opinion of Earthbound. It's a much better game.