What are some games you want to like, but can't?

[nemorrhoids]

I recently started up Planescape: Torment again after an extended break. It's a game that sounds directly up my alley: Expansive, deep narrative with heaps of player agency. I played through the first two thirds a few months ago, and enjoyed it well enough but wasn't blown away by it as everyone else seemed to be. The writing was good, but wasn't affecting me in the way I had hoped. The setting was cool, but I found navigating it to be dull and directionless (for the most part). I had braced for the extremely poor combat, but by the point I had stopped the game began to shift more towards combat which is a tedious experience.
But I really want to love the game. It is hailed as one of the greatest games of the CRPG genre. New Vegas is my favorite game of all time, and it shares a lot of Planescape's DNA. But the isometric combat and cryptic navigation has left me cold. I can't love it the way others do, and that stings a bit (I also lost my save file and I do not intend on returning to it as a result).

So Era, what are some games that you desperately want to enjoy but just can't?

 

[Perkin_Warbeck]

I spent about 25 hours trying to like Dragon Age: Origins. It's so well regarded that I thought something must be wrong with me, lol, since I'd liked Baldur's Gate. It's just so boring and uninspired.

 

[Boy]

The Witcher 3. On paper it it seems like a game taylor -made for me, but for whatever reason just can't get into it. It's probably mostly due to the combat. It just don't find it fun.

 

[The Doctor]

Right now: Cyberpunk. I just can't get into it. It's been 10 days, I bought it on day 1, and I'm just 5 hours in cause I get bored so easily. I also hate the main character (male one), can't stand his voice.

 

[Dezzy]

Crusader Kings. It sounds like my thing, but I've tried CK2 and just get lost.
Also Kenshi for the same reason.

 

[TGR Onix]

I feel like it's blasphemous to say this, but I couldn't stand Horizon: Zero Dawn. I got bored and dropped it after 5-ish hours.

 

[eddiemunstr]

Soul Reaver, I dont know what it is but I just cant get into the actual game itself. Its weird because on paper I should love the game, I like the setting and characters, the gimmick of having to kill the enemies with a lethal damage type, getting new abilities to explore new areas you previously couldnt. I've probably started this game 5 or 6 times and always just quit midway for some reason , with the most recent example of this being earlier this year.

 

[Brandino]

Try as might, I just can't get into The Witcher series.

 

[nemorrhoids]

Crusader Kings. It sounds like my thing, but I've tried CK2 and just get lost.
Also Kenshi for the same reason.

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I think Crusader Kings is definitely one of those games where you're not having any fun until you suddenly just are. You don't have to be a master to have fun in it or anything, but the first dozen hours of learning a Paradox game is rough.
I also bounced off of Kenshi. I like the idea of free-form games like that, but its hard to approach a big game like that with little to no direction.

 

[nsilvias]

control, i like the gunplay and art direction but the story, characters, enemy design/encouters, level design is doing nothing for me

 

[GCQ]

Metro Exodus. Really wanted to like it, but just couldn't get into it. Chalk me up for The Witcher series as well.

 

[TheZynster]

Persona............i just can't do it.

 

[nemorrhoids]

The Witcher 3. On paper it it seems like a game taylor -made for me, but for whatever reason just can't get into it. It's probably mostly due to the combat. It just don't find it fun.

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Try as might, I just can't get into The Witcher series.

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Metro Exodus. Really wanted to like it, but just couldn't get into it. Chalk me up for The Witcher series as well.

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Seems like the Witcher is pretty common place. As much as I enjoy Wild Hunt, I totally get being turned off by the gameplay of those games. It can be pretty tedious.

 

[Shard Shinjuku]

Age of Empires/Age of Mythology, I like RTS games but I have never managed to put more than a few hours into any given Age of game.

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

I really love the music, art and animation of Cuphead but I just don't have the skillz for it to be enjoyable to play.

 

[Lobster Roll]

The Witcher 3
Fallout: New Vegas
Red Dead Redemption 2
Death Stranding
No Man's Sky
DOOM Eternal

 

[Necrokey]

Destiny, I love ARPG Loot a Tons and MMO's along with all of Bungie's Halo games so it should be a win but i cant stand its world and its convoluted story. Gunplay is fun but i could not care any less to play it since it just all feels clinical to me.

 

[spacer]

Breathe of the Wild. I love Zelda. I've played all of them, some multiple times through. Ocarina is one of my favorite games of all time. But couldn't play more than a few hours of BotW.

 

[nemorrhoids]

Breathe of the Wild. I love Zelda. I've played all of them, some multiple times through. Ocarina is one of my favorite games of all time. But couldn't play more than a few hours of BotW.

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What turned you off of BOTW might I ask?

 

[Morrigan]

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, 1 and 2. On paper I should love this, especially 2. But they are such mediocre games full of frustrating and baffling design decisions.

 

[Deleted member 59126]

I want to like Resident Evil 7, I'm just too chicken shit to play it.

 

[nemorrhoids]

I want to like Resident Evil 7, I'm just too chicken shit to play it.

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I agree with this, but with horror games as a genre.
Mr. X and Pyramid Head give me near-panic attacks. I just can't push through them.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is so, so, so, so close to being my dream game.

I love just about everything about it.

But the online is utter shit, from latency to voice chat to parties to matchmaking to ranking to lobbies. Just top to bottom the worst modern online experience of any game I've played in a decade.

And for that reason, I just can't get into it. It's not fun to practice. It's hard to get better. It's difficult to coordinate with friends. It's impossible to enjoy a quick game in a min or two and feel I'm getting value. I can't transfer my online skills to local play and vice versa. And again, the ranking system just makes me mad.

 

[woolyninja]

Control for me. I've tried twice now... I like the setting so much I'm going to give it a third chance at some point on the PS5. I think my biggest issue was load times, because it was about a minute after a death and I was dying a bit.

 

[Deleted member 49319]

Horizon Zero Dawn, I gave it at least three tires.

 

[Aranjah]

Dark Souls (3) is the one that comes to mind for me. I like the idea of it, or at least I think I do, but, in short, I'm a combination of too bad and too scared to make much progress. And the one time I tried summoning, I spent the whole time just being invaded, and the invader always beat us both, which turned it into an even bigger waste of time than if I had just brute-forced my way through solo.

 

[jmsebastian]

Pretty much any Bethesda game, I guess. I forced myself to play through the main quest of Skyrim despite it being pretty dead boring. Played a couple hours of New Vegas as well and it just bored me to tears. I know New Vegas is technically Obsidian, but it was published by Bethesda and purposefully made in the style of other Bethesda games.

Really wanted to like Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Zero, but don't care for them. They fail capture the spirit of the original game despite essentially just being remakes of that game.

Tried to get into the Arkham games, too, and found the combat to be very underwhelming. Played through the original Arkham Asylum and Arkham Origins and neither of them felt particularly satisfying. Arkham Asylum was worth it for Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill's performances, at least.

 

[spacer]

What turned you off of BOTW might I ask?

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No proper dungeons, and a terrible weapon durability system. I understand why it's designed the way it is, but it sucks. All it did was make me never use my good weapons and avoid combat whenever possible. It's not fun. The first time I tried shield sledding down a mountain, the shield broke part way down. Haven't touched it since.

 

[cyberninja]

Witcher 3
Dragon Age Origins
Skyrim/Oblivion
Forza Horizon 4
Assassins Creed
Halo

 

[Silvergun-Blue]

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, 1 and 2. On paper I should love this, especially 2. But they are such mediocre games full of frustrating and baffling design decisions.

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I found it almost infuriating how close LoS1 came to being a truly great video game. Like, it'd be even better if the game was just plain average because after I played it I just saw a series of missed opportunities.

My answer is Dishonored. Everything about this game should appeal to me but I've tried multiple times to play it and barely last a couple of hours. What's annoying is that I genuinely can't articulate why.

 

[TheOnlyJ]

I almost made a thread for this but Hades. I love the style, it is responsive, characters are cool...but the combat is a trudge. I get to the first boss on every run and just get bored chipping away at their health. I feel like I never get strong enough to make the bosses worth doing.

I have enjoyed a few other roguelikes but this one just doesnt work for me so far.

 

[TissueBox]

Well, for one...

The Witcher 3, if it weren't for its plodding plot and stiff open world.

Uncharted 4, if it weren't for its mimicry of fanfiction.

MGSV, if it weren't for its butchered production.

The Last of Us Part II, if it weren't for its relegation of its predecessor's narrative subtleties and cohesion.

Watch Dogs: Legion, if it weren't for its stale mission design and dry story.

Breath of the Wild, if it weren't for, well... ah, you know what, BoTW's alright. It wasn't as disappointing as the above and still a strong game. Don't love it, though, although I was expecting to. (Skyward Sword, on the other hand -- now that is one 3D Zelda game I almost adore.)

FFXV, if it weren't for that sordid mess of a second act.

Even so, I'd defend the games above handily if someone were to call them outright disgraces for what I deemed were insufficient or eschew reasons. FFXV is also cheating a bit, as I do genuinely like it. Guilty-pleasure-kinda like, but still.

 

[Deleted member 59126]

I agree with this, but with horror games as a genre.
Mr. X and Pyramid Head give me near-panic attacks. I just can't push through them.

Click to shrink...

 

[knightmawk]

I've tried to like the Assassins Creed games numerous times and the only one I finished was Unity. Every other time I quit before the end. Origins I came close but the grind and level scaling eventually combined to piss me off enough to quit.

I've also bounced off of Neir Automota 3 times. I just fizzle out after a few hours or sessions.

Not the same thing, but I've lost my save after about 10 hours in every Witcher game and just never bothered picking them back up. I don't not like the games, I just can never think of a compelling reason to try again.

 

[jfkgoblue]

Witcher 3, Divinity:OS2 are the 2 games I really wanted to like, but just didn't. Both have been called among the greatest WRPGSs ever and I just don't like them. W3 with its shit combat divinity with its slow pace.

 

[vitormg]

Dark Souls series I guess

 

[KOfLegend]

Breath of the Wild. TLOZ used to be my favorite franchise before it came out.

I just...I can't.

 

[ornery]

Bloodborne

 

[Kawngi]

Souls games
Final Fantasy 14

 

[Combichristoffersen]

BotW. My God it's so fucking boring.

Mario games are meh too.

 

[Deleted member 4869]

The Witcher 3, Final Fantasy XIV, Dragon Quest XI.

 

[tusharngf]

Death stranding

 

[Spiderman]

Fortnite.

 

[JumbiePrime]

Pretty much any online shooter. Warzone, PUBG , Overwatch ECT . My friends sound like they are having a (mostly) blast . I see it on Facebook when they talk about this that or the other and I remember what it was like when I used to play Gears 1 or COD 4 online had also had blast.But now is not then so I just go sulking in corner longing to enjoy these games like they do ..

 

[Deleted member 1238]

I loved the Last of Us 1. I keep trying to get through the Last of Us 2 but I can't. It's just so bland. It feels like a game from 2013, and whenever I sit down to play it I end up wishing I was playing something else. It has to be the worst critically acclaimed game I've ever played.

 

[Eugene's Axe]

Deus Ex MD. I've tried twice but there's something that always makes me hate. I think it's related to the protagonist.
However I always hear about how amazing this game is. Actually I think yesterday I saw another thread praising the game and it's got me curious once again. Might give it another try.

 

[Elfgore]

My life with isometric RPGs and the Deus Ex series. I love watching videos discussing them, I cannot play them though. Pillars of Eternity, Divinity, Baldur's Gate, Disco Elysium, etc. I've tried them all and none click the way they should.

 

[Cyclonesweep]

Dragons Dogma. Its an interesting combat system shrouded with nonsense.

 

[Captain_Vyse]

Witcher III. Really tried to get into it, but it just didn't click with me.

 

[Birdito]

Fall Guys. I wanted to like it so bad, and even after re-installing it a couple times to give it a new chance, I just can't help but get incredibly frustrated when I fail at various minigames. It's just not fun for me, so now it resides in the hidden items in my PS4 library.