Games that suck but have great aesthetic/atmosphere

SolVanderlyn · Mar 7, 2020

DON'T GIVE ONE WORD ANSWERS

This is Mega Man X7 to me.

This is a bad game. I love Mega Man and I can't bring myself to like this game.

But I think it's the pinnacle of the blocky X series artstyle. The artwork for this game is fire, and new characters like Axl have great designs. I remember looking at artwork for the game before it was released and getting pretty excited to see it in action.

The game has a street level, underground feel to it. Instead of fighting a war you're fighting a bunch of robot thugs and vigilantes. Red Alert is essentially a fringe Maverick Hunter group that doesn't play by the rules, and like the Repliforce from Mega Man X4, the conflict has a bit more depth to it than just putting down robots who have gone insane.

The music can be pretty great at times, too.

I think it's a real shame that the game itself ended up being a major dud, because they were on to something with the aesthetic, here.

Any other examples?

Dest · Mar 7, 2020

Final Fantasy XIII

Etrian Darkness · Mar 7, 2020

Deleted member 19924 · Mar 7, 2020

The Order 1886

Blade Wolf · Mar 7, 2020

Doom 3 would be my answer, it has the best aesthetic & atmosphere for a modern Doom game.
I just love how metal & hellish the color pattern is for the key visual.

Flux said:
The Order 1886

Ding Ding Ding

Shameless_Pineapple · Mar 7, 2020

Journey

spookyghost · Mar 7, 2020

Most Swery games

Ghos · Mar 7, 2020

Pankratous · Mar 7, 2020

Flux said:
The Order 1886

OP said games that suck, not game of the generation contenders.

BAD · Mar 7, 2020

Flux said:
The Order 1886

I really liked The Order but I will admit the aesthetic is definitely its most memorable feature

Odesu · Mar 7, 2020

Flux said:
The Order 1886

I'm of the less than popular opinion that a crazy graphics engine and story with a lot of potential got entirely wasted on boring grey-brown tunnels, alleyways and hallways. There are a few standout vistas and scenes (the harbor comes to mind) but you spend soooo much time of that short, short game looking at impeccably rendered, entirely exchangeable looking tapestry. That game not only suffers from dreadful encounter design, AI & stealth sequences but also from less than stellar art direction imo. Again, I know not many people agree with me on that and I'm entirely OK with that^^

Masagiwa · Mar 7, 2020

I'm sorry 1886 fans.

astro · Mar 7, 2020

Shameless_Pineapple said:
Journey

This thread is going to be fun....

Pankratous said:
OP said games that suck, not game of the generation contenders.

xD

Deleted member 17210 · Mar 7, 2020

Pretty to look at but playing it is just going through the motions with nothing interesting going on other than the visuals.

MrS · Mar 7, 2020

Darkwood

Vorpal · Mar 7, 2020

I'm probably in a minority here, but I love looking at Bioshock. I just don't like playing it at all.

overnightnocturne · Mar 7, 2020

Heavy Rain

Fancy Clown · Mar 7, 2020

Kane and Lynch 2

Vorpal said:
I'm probably in a minority here, but I love looking at Bioshock. I just don't like playing it at all.

100%.

overnightnocturne · Mar 7, 2020

Ghos said:

Heavy Rain and Detroit have really interesting atmosphere but Jesus Christmas they're a chore to play

Dusk Golem · Mar 7, 2020

Oh do I have the game for you!

Rule of Rose almost fits this topic's idea to a T. The story, the art direction, the music, the atmosphere, etc., are actually stellar. Everything about the game is done with some real tact and artistry... Except the gameplay, which is mundane and a bit dull at best and actually frustrating at worst. But there's a lot of good things about it.

BeaconofTruth · Mar 7, 2020

Red Dead Redemption. The playing it part is shit, but the music, the first time you enter Mexico, the whole vibe is kino. You know till the playing it part.

Would post a bunch of horror games as well. Like Doom 3 looked really cool and had some decent jump scares, but again the playing it part was such shit.

GamerJM · Mar 7, 2020

Vorpal said:
I'm probably in a minority here, but I love looking at Bioshock. I just don't like playing it at all.

I've never played Infinite, and everything I've read about it sounds bad, but god does that game look gorgeous.

Video Games Are Dumb · Mar 7, 2020

untitled goose game has some of the best character design I've seen in recent memory and yet I think it plays like absolute trash. It's not even that will design, as a game I mean.

Deleted member 19924 · Mar 7, 2020

Pankratous said:
OP said games that suck, not game of the generation contenders.

I don't think the game sucks (that much) but the actual part where you play the thing doesn't match the quality of what you're visually seeing.

The Unsent · Mar 7, 2020

IMO Resident Evil 7, good premise with Bakers hunting you and good art design, bad over scripted and shallow gameplay.

Dusk Golem · Mar 7, 2020

BeaconofTruth said:
Red Dead Redemption. The playing it part is shit, but the music, the first time you enter Mexico, the whole vibe is kino. You know till the playing it part.

Would post a bunch of horror games as well. Like Doom 3 looked really cool and had some decent jump scares, but again the playing it part was such shit.

Video Games Are Dumb said:
untitled goose game has some of the best character design I've seen in recent memory and yet I think it plays like absolute trash. It's not even that will design, as a game I mean.

♡♪!? said:
IMO Resident Evil 7, good premise with Bakers hunting you and good art design, bad over scripted and shallow gameplay.

I think some of y'all need to play some worse video games and realize the difference between personal taste and actual criticism.

I understand you three may not like Red Dead Redemption, Untitled Goose Game or Resident Evil 7, but you're on a different planet if you'd classify them as games that "suck", even if for your personal taste you didn't like em'.

Joeshabadoo · Mar 7, 2020

Eduardo the Samurai Toaster... Sort of? I mean at the time it was released?

I was such a thirsty Wiiware slut

Elementje · Mar 7, 2020

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
Rain World

Gush · Mar 7, 2020

Doom 3. Love how grimy and horror oriented its visuals are but playing it is a total drag.

Deleted member 46948 · Mar 7, 2020

Kane and Lynch 2 is a good example. The game did a lot of interesting things with its visuals and atmosphere, but it wasn't very fun to play.

eebster · Mar 7, 2020

Red Dead Redemption 2

Catsygreen · Mar 7, 2020

Same for Curse of Darkness.

Squarealex · Mar 7, 2020

eebster said:
Red Dead Redemption 2

nachum00 · Mar 7, 2020

spookyghost said:
Most Swery games

Nah

Raziel · Mar 7, 2020

Catsygreen said:
Same for Curse of Darkness.

This one.
It has such an amazing atmosphere but the gameplay and level design...

The Unsent · Mar 7, 2020

Dusk Golem said:
I think some of y'all need to play some worse video games and realize the difference between personal taste and actual criticism.

I understand you three may not like Red Dead Redemption, Untitled Goose Game or Resident Evil 7, but you're on a different planet if you'd classify them as games that "suck", even if for your personal taste you didn't like em'.

Personal opinion and criticism are generally the same thing. I love RDR as well but anyone can include popular games.

Aurica · Mar 7, 2020

Etrian Darkness said:

This was the first game I thought of. It's gorgeous, and I treated it more like experiencing art than a game I wanted to play and beat (though I did beat it). I don't know if it's controversial, but I didn't think the game was very interesting. It's not bad, but it's sorta dull.

Video Games Are Dumb · Mar 7, 2020

Dusk Golem said:
I think some of y'all need to play some worse video games and realize the difference between personal taste and actual criticism.

I understand you three may not like Red Dead Redemption, Untitled Goose Game or Resident Evil 7, but you're on a different planet if you'd classify them as games that "suck", even if for your personal taste you didn't like em'.

Excuse me, I spent years playing the absolute worst of PSN. Bullfighting Simulators, gawd damn Yorbi Payback's A Bolt. I have played some of the worst games of all time. I'm educated as fuck. Goose Game is a poorly designed, poorly paced, bad game.

If you disagree, fine. But I know what I'm talking about.

Laserbeam · Mar 7, 2020

Hunt: Showdown.

"suck" might be a bit much, but it legitimately is borderline unplayable because the controls are so awful (at least on PS4 and at this moment). That also seems like a thing people have opinions on, but for me, I just can't adjust.

Atmosphere, enemy design and sound are all fucking fantastic, though.

Deleted member 8861 · Mar 7, 2020

I'd say Drakengard, but it's deliberately that way.

Aurica · Mar 7, 2020

♡♪!? said:
Personal opinion and criticism are generally the same thing.

But I think he's saying that they should try to be a little more objective. Obviously Red Dead and RE7 aren't poorly made games (though I really don't love Read Dead 2). I honestly feel hard-pressed to say El Shaddai sucks, but that's because I've played through games like Rogue Warrior. I know shitty games haha. Dusk Golem absolutely knows, too.

Video Games Are Dumb said:
Excuse me, I spent years playing the absolute worst of PSN. Bullfighting Simulators, gawd damn Yorbi Payback's A Bolt. I have played some of the worst games of all time. I'm educated as fuck. Goose Game is a poorly designed, poorly paced, bad game.

If you disagree, fine. But I know what I'm talking about.

But this is also fine. Can't really judge, because I haven't played UGG.

Ghos · Mar 7, 2020

I'm educated as fuck.

Otnopolit · Mar 7, 2020

Blade Wolf said:
Doom 3 would be my answer, it has the best aesthetic & atmosphere for a modern Doom game.
I just love how metal & hellish the color pattern is for the key visual.

Opened the thread to say this! Playing on Switch for the first time as a long time Doom fan and man is this game just dripping with it. That dark art, intense light paired with mediocre gunplay and uninspired level design. Did they really need to put a crane game in a Doom campaign...?

Dusk Golem · Mar 7, 2020

Video Games Are Dumb said:
Excuse me, I spent years playing the absolute worst of PSN. Bullfighting Simulators, gawd damn Yorbi Payback's A Bolt. I have played some of the worst games of all time. I'm educated as fuck. Goose Game is a poorly designed, poorly paced, bad game.

If you disagree, fine. But I know what I'm talking about.

♡♪!? said:
Personal opinion and criticism are generally the same thing. I love RDR as well but anyone can include popular games.

I want to do a bit of an experiment. Tell me your arguments why these games suck at what they're trying to be and accomplish. Criticsm is fine, but what really makes it suck?

What makes Resident Evil 7 suck as a first-person horror-adventure game in comparison to other titles in the field, what are its weaknesses and define it as a game that sucks within it's field? Makes it worse than it competition and other entries beneath its genre label?

What makes Goose Game suck in the field of experimental comedy physics-based games, games focused on player interaction cause and effect for comedic purposes? What makes it suck so much more than the rest of its peers? What does it do worse that define it as an entry that sucks among the rest?

Era of not Yakuza · Mar 7, 2020

Etrian Darkness said:

Aizō said:
This was the first game I thought of. It's gorgeous, and I treated it more like experiencing art than a game I wanted to play and beat (though I did beat it). I don't know if it's controversial, but I didn't think the game was very interesting. It's not bad, but it's sorta dull.

Yeah, I have the same opinion. It was interesting and strange, I liked

Hace · Mar 7, 2020

Dusk Golem said:
Oh do I have the game for you!

Rule of Rose almost fits this topic's idea to a T. The story, the art direction, the music, the atmosphere, etc., are actually stellar. Everything ab out the game is done with some real tact and artistry... Except the gameplay, which is mundane and a bit dull at best and actually frustrating at worst. But there's a lot of good things about it.

This is the best answer. Rule of Rose is awesome until you have to control it. I'd love to see it somehow reimagined with like 90% less gameplay.

Deleted member 679 · Mar 7, 2020

Dusk Golem said:
I think some of y'all need to play some worse video games and realize the difference between personal taste and actual criticism.

But why?

Isn't it better for others to accept that, to them, these are examples of games that suck? Why should anyone subject themselves to worse games just so they can have less unpopular opinions?

This is also a thread about games that suck but have GREAT aesthetic/atmosphere. A lot of the examples of truly horrible shit that no one would disagree also look like complete garbage.

This isn't the thread to bring up asset flips, this is a thread about well made games you hated.

Video Games Are Dumb · Mar 7, 2020

Aizō said:
But I think he's saying that they should try to be a little more objective. Obviously Red Dead and RE7 aren't poorly made games (though I really don't love Read Dead 2). I honestly feel hard-pressed to say El Shaddai sucks, but that's because I've played through games like Rogue Warrior. I know shitty games haha. Dusk Golem absolutely knows, too.

But this is also fine. Can't really judge, because I haven't played UGG.

I'll go one step further and point out I did a entire video about the development of El Shaddai because of how much I love that game. I really do try to highlight the good over the bad. It's not black and white for me, I adore flawed games. But I'm comfortable saying what games outright suck.

Tali'Zorah · Mar 7, 2020

Vampyr. Loved the setting and the atmosphere but just couldn't get into the actual game

Deleted member 37928 · Mar 7, 2020

Control. I hated playing that game but oh man did it have an awesome visual design and atmosphere.

Games that suck but have great aesthetic/atmosphere

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