Games that are popular on this site that you can't understand why.

[James Joseph Emerald]

I really don't get the love for the Half-Life series. The second is little more then a mute protaganist hurtling inevitably towards glory because... well, because.

"Inevitably towards glory" ? You've played HL2 to the end, right?

And I seriously doubt those are the only differences you can find; more like they're the only differences you're willing to see.

Half Life 2 & Episodes

I did not find them to be the best. It bothered me a bit. People all claim how marvellous they were...and the story. People say it was good....Well, first of all, Gordon was a terrible character. Flat silent protagonist. None of the other characters were particuarly appealing, either. It was ahwile ago I played it, yet I remember it not making any particular impression. I did not find the guns or anything revolutionary, after I get over the novelty of OMG GRAVITEH GUNZ, they were not particularly amusing. And the crowbar animations are silly. The enemies were also bland and uninspired.

I agree. I posted this in another thread, but it's probably even more applicable here:

I never understood why everyone loves Portal and Half-Life 2 so much.

Portal was pretty good. But it was so short and high concept, it never really had enough time to do anything wrong. It was entirely founded on gimmickry, and the only reason people liked it is because the game ended right before the gimmick started getting old. It never would've been successful if it was the length of a proper game. It's more of an extended minigame.

Half-Life 2 is the one I really don't understand though. It was decent. But not great. Maybe it's because I didn't play Half Life 1, and so didn't have rose-tinted nostalgia glasses, but I found it boring and irritating. The story was confusing, and cliché, and seemed somehow distant. The characters were underdeveloped, with the vast majority of dialogue dedicated to telling you what to do and where to go. There were very long stretches of time which was spent running or driving around, repetitively fighting hordes of identical dudes, with no real purpose or objective other than "keep going forward". The combat was dissatisfying, since the weapons were all predictable and inaccurate, and you spent most of the time just trading bullets with the enemies and then scavenging medpacks afterwards. The AI really wasn't that good: you could stand in a doorway and shotgun enemy soldiers as they came through, one at a time, and they wouldn't stop until they all died. The only interesting part of the game were the physics puzzles, and most of them were so simple you could hardly call them puzzles. More like 'obstacles to blast with your grav gun'.

I just don't get why everyone loves it so much.

 

[T-Bone24]

I just plain didn't like Oblivion. I must have played it too late or something, but I could not get into it. Completely overwhelming, functional-at-best combat and just plain bad voice acting. The animations were stiff and awkward, it just yanked me out of the game world any chance it got.

I also didn't like Braid. I didn't like the puzzles, the art style, the music and the story was just dumped on you, through reams of text.

But, I can appreciate that some people would like these games, you go right ahead. People have different tastes, don't attack the games you don't like. I saw someone a few months back who said that Fallout 3 was the worst game ever made. So, uh, don't do that.

 

[tehroc]

Im going to say this and ou are all probably going to want to lynch me...

Spoiler: Suspense!

I believe that Starcraft the original was just a basic RTS and not all that it was hyped up to be

Please dont kill me...

I thought Earth 2140 (my favorite RTS) was a better game then Starcraft. Starcraft hadn't advanced the genre any further then Dune 2000 did. Earth 2140 brought some new innovation like unit design.

I dont see why Mass Effect is so heralded here. The only good thing the series has for it is lore involved. Sure the graphics were good, but in this gen all graphics are good (I grew up during the pre2600 days so it all looks good compared with what was). The AI was pure shit and the gameplay just the most basic of gears of war clone. The story was soso (only one, the second's single story arc was lame).

 

[sunburst]

I was going to say some overly open-minded bullshit about always being able to understand what other people enjoyed about games I disliked, but then I remembered Grand Theft Auto IV and was filled with hateful rage. That game is terrible. Vice City is one of my favorite games of all time, but GTA4 completely fucks up everything that made Vice City great. Driving around the city is annoying, gunfights are boring and the game constantly gets in the way of all the fun while setting a tone that's gritty and realistic and just plain dull. I cannot wrap my head around why every game reviewer and their dog gave it a perfect score. Even San Andreas was better, though it also sucked. I know several thousand people have already said this exact same thing several thousand times but I think saying it once more can't possibly hurt.

 

[DazBurger]

Portal for me. Found it kinda dull and repetitive.
I liked the various things such as the turrets and GLaDOS, but the gameplay... It has potential...

 

[theSovietConnection]

I really don't get the love for the Half-Life series. Well, I won't be ignorant, I get the love for the first Half-Life, but the problem is that it was good, or at least revolutionary, as far as the first game is concerned. The second is little more then a mute protaganist hurtling inevitably towards glory because... well, because. Which sounds an awful lot like Halo to me. Really, with the second game, I only found three major differences between it and the Halo series.

1. Master Chief talks.

2. Half-Life 2 remains in the first-person perspective.

3. Gordan Freeman was never formally given military training.

"Inevitably towards glory" ? You've played HL2 to the end, right?

And I seriously doubt those are the only differences you can find; more like they're the only differences you're willing to see.

You're the only one who can stop the alien incursion, for reasons that aren't really explained. You just are.

A faction of the alien alliance has turned over to your side.

You're a power armoured dude everyone loves.

For some reason your melee attack is ridiculously overpowered.

You disappear only to inevitably reappear later (we all know the MC isn't gone for good, makes Microsoft too much money).

Zombie-alien hybrids.


Maybe you saw more in it then I did, hell, I wouldn't doubt you did, as HL2 never drew my attention much at all, so there probably is a lot I didn't see. But all I really got from it was another Halo style shooter that went a little heavier on the narrative and a lot heavier on the physics puzzles.

 

[Sparrowsabre7]

Psychonauts, come on, it was a really boring kids game.

I agree Psychonauts but I wouldn't say it was a boring kids game. I liked the dialogue but the gameplay was pretty mediocre. Bad platforming, dull fights, powers way too limited.

 

[Sparrowsabre7]

I really don't get the love for the Half-Life series. Well, I won't be ignorant, I get the love for the first Half-Life, but the problem is that it was good, or at least revolutionary, as far as the first game is concerned. The second is little more then a mute protaganist hurtling inevitably towards glory because... well, because. Which sounds an awful lot like Halo to me. Really, with the second game, I only found three major differences between it and the Halo series.

1. Master Chief talks.

2. Half-Life 2 remains in the first-person perspective.

3. Gordan Freeman was never formally given military training.

"Inevitably towards glory" ? You've played HL2 to the end, right?

And I seriously doubt those are the only differences you can find; more like they're the only differences you're willing to see.

You're the only one who can stop the alien incursion, for reasons that aren't really explained. You just are.

A faction of the alien alliance has turned over to your side.

You're a power armoured dude everyone loves.

For some reason your melee attack is ridiculously overpowered.

You disappear only to inevitably reappear later (we all know the MC isn't gone for good, makes Microsoft too much money).

Zombie-alien hybrids.


Maybe you saw more in it then I did, hell, I wouldn't doubt you did, as HL2 never drew my attention much at all, so there probably is a lot I didn't see. But all I really got from it was another Halo style shooter that went a little heavier on the narrative and a lot heavier on the physics puzzles.

Frankly more narrative and a finely crafted world is mostly it for fundamental differences, but I really got inot the world and story and cared what happened. If that's not your cup of tea fair enough =) It's not gooing to be everyone's, but I liked it a lot.

 

[Blue Musician]

Fallout 3, Oblivion, Morrowind, Call of Duty...

Too many games to list actually...

 

[capin Rob]

[HEADING=3]Fallout 3[/HEADING]

*ducks head between shoulders and runs from the room while screaming: "I just don't get it! It's not that great!*

*Pulls out Knife* You die here!

OT: I don't think I've played any games that get hyped on this site thatI don't think are good

Exept TF2. MW2 Is Soooooooooooooooooooooo Much better

 

[Boxinatorizore]

Im going to say this and ou are all probably goin to want to lynch me...

Spoiler: Suspense!

I blieve that Starcraft the original was just a basic RTS and not all that it was hyped up to be

Please dont kill me...

dont worry i agree.

I agree.

Now, we'll do our last stand where? I'll bring rifles, could you bring ammo?

i vote the Taj Mahal.

Ok, I'm coming too. I like RTS games, but got turned off Starcraft. Far too much hype. I'll bring M&M's.

Cool, we are getting a full counter force, we could probably (dare I say it) TAKE ON THE WORLD

Or at least until we hit Korea, that's like their national pass-time

We need to recruit people from other sources... like FarmVille. Wait, that's crazy talk. I might as well drown myself under a wave of Zerg now, than do that!

Anyway, I'll still bring M&M's. They can be devastating as projectiles if you don't know they're coming.

I'll summon anima!

Spoiler: For those of you who don't know who it is

Lets see them take on that!

You'll stand no chance against my carrier rush.

 

[Sparrowsabre7]

I was going to say some overly open-minded bullshit about always being able to understand what other people enjoyed about games I disliked, but then I remembered Grand Theft Auto IV and was filled with hateful rage. That game is terrible. Vice City is one of my favorite games of all time, but GTA4 completely fucks up everything that made Vice City great. Driving around the city is annoying, gunfights are boring and the game constantly gets in the way of all the fun while setting a tone that's gritty and realistic and just plain dull. I cannot wrap my head around why every game reviewer and their dog gave it a perfect score. Even San Andreas was better, though it also sucked. I know several thousand people have already said this exact same thing several thousand times but I think saying it once more can't possibly hurt.

I agree except I feel all GTAs were too restrictive, I just wanted to mess around when not doing missions but the game tells you "no! You do this and I will punish you for it"

That's why I love Saint's Row 2 =3

 

[Edorf]

Modern Warfare two. Its too damn hard to play online and it looks like a pretty average fps to me.

Modern Warfare 2 is getting slaughtered around here, what you talking about? ;O

I only liked the start of Fallout 3 (When you're in the Vault or Bunker or whatever it's called).
Why I didnt like it:
1. I didnt find the story to be very good
2. The combat system is just too random, I hate to let 'chances' decide for me.
3. The aiming without the combat system was horrible and I went out of bullets after killing one or two of them crazy mutants.
4. I also guess the factor that I like my RPGs to be set in a medival setting pulls in.

 

[Harlemura]

Final Fantasy VII.
Sure, it was a good game, but everyone says how good the story was and how well the characters were presented and stuff. It's probably down to the fact I'm used to modern games, but I can't pay attention to a story if it's all through text boxes.
Made it mucho el boringo, to me.

 

[Nazz3]

I dont know whats popular on this site.

But I guess Half-Life 2 (I really didnt like the combat, though the storytelling was great), Mass Effect 2 (It was kinda meh)

 

[Reg5879]

Mine would be every Valve game. Oh well, if you lot get fun out of it, good for you.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

Starcraft. Honestly, it just seems like Age of Empires in space with less stuff.
TF2 and FFVIII I could never get into after the hours I put into them trying to enjoy them.

Oh, and its not a game but a band... I cannot figure out why some many people on this site are obsessed with Dream Theater. The music is good, but their vocalist is one of the most horrid things I've ever heard and completely ruins the music...

 

[Rarhnor]

Spoiler: I will probably be massacred for this but

I don't think Portal is that good. I found it too easy, too short and mostly not funny. Granted, I did find the ending sequence cool with some funny lines, the song was great and the game has some of the best audio cues I have ever... heard? But ultimately I was quite disappointed with the game.

This.

Except, I found some of it funny. Overall though, it was a game that didn't really offer you anything else, than it displayed. It didn't suprise me at any points. Entertaining to go through once, but I never felt like playing it again.

 

[John47]

Psychonauts, come on, it was a really boring kids game.

prepare to die halo fanboy

 

[Optimus Hagrid]

Spoiler: I will probably be massacred for this but

I don't think Portal is that good. I found it too easy, too short and mostly not funny. Granted, I did find the ending sequence cool with some funny lines, the song was great and the game has some of the best audio cues I have ever... heard? But ultimately I was quite disappointed with the game.

I'm curious - how close to the game's release did you play it?

I played it about 4-5 months after the Orange Box was released. By that time, I knew of the existence of Still Alive, but I had not heard it, and I avoided spoilers for HL2:Ep2 and Portal before I obtained it.