Games you love... but sometimes hate
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Okay, I would have to say that Mass Effect hands down is my favorite series of all time. It has deeply affected me more so than any other game out there has managed to do, as it taught me that video games could be a medium of great storytelling and real heart. I could write entire dissertations on the implications of some of the in game history of this series. However, there is an asymptotic relationship when something approaches perfection where the flaws just seem to jump out more and more.
For Mass Effect 1 I agree with pretty much everything Robot Number V said - inventory is bollocks, the side missions are same-y and the Mako is...the Mako. The combat was also pretty wonky and at some particular points seemed almost unfair. Dat worldbuilding and storytelling though. It's a real shame Drew Karpyshyn didn't stay for the whole series; he's a fantastic writer.
For Mass Effect 2 The side missions were a lot different from one another but it did just feel like a shooting gallery most times. Enter a room, take cover, shoot some mercs. Especially at the beginning of the game, it just felt like I was shooting only mercenaries. I couldn't tell you the difference between Blue Suns, Blood Pack, or Eclipse (other than color) - they were interchangeable to me. And I agree with Rpground on the fact that I missed the Mako missions. They improved everything else so well, what stopped them from improving vehicles? It gave the universe real depth - made it feel lived in and fleshed out with a sense of scale. We just had that god damned scanning minigame instead. Also, did anybody get weirded out with the Terminator at the end? I feel like they wrote that whole 'reapers take on older forms' thing and then just dropped that plot line after that. Hell, in Leviathan DLC the Leviathan says all reapers take on Harbinger's shape, which makes a hell of a lot more sense as they all look basically like Harbinger. All the characters were amazing in ME2 though (except Jacob, of course), and they did a good job of saying, 'look your old squad is gone, here's some new guys'. Which, for me, I really felt like Shepard - I didn't trust these new people, they weren't as good as my old crew - until I started really diving into their stories and mannerisms. But this thread is about things we dislike about our favorite games, so I will get back on topic.
And, yes, Mass Effect 3's ending was awful (at first) then got noticeably better. Not because they changed everything, just because they explained it better. I wasn't one on the Bioware forums spitting vitriol, but I was sure watching it, generally agreeing with the angry populace, and I'm not terribly proud of it. But as I said, when the game is nearing perfection, or at least what you perceive as perfect for you, the flaws stand out so much more. That game, man. The combat was tight, the pacing was brilliant, the quiet moments were just as exhilarating as the violent ones, and it tied up so many conflicts so well! And yeah, I still get a little broken up inside when I think how ham-handed the ending was. For a story that started (and continued!) so strongly, to get that wet slap in the face was a real wake up call. Phoo. For anyone that made it this far in my post, thank you, it was nigh therapeutic to get that off my chest.
For Mass Effect 1 I agree with pretty much everything Robot Number V said - inventory is bollocks, the side missions are same-y and the Mako is...the Mako. The combat was also pretty wonky and at some particular points seemed almost unfair. Dat worldbuilding and storytelling though. It's a real shame Drew Karpyshyn didn't stay for the whole series; he's a fantastic writer.
For Mass Effect 2 The side missions were a lot different from one another but it did just feel like a shooting gallery most times. Enter a room, take cover, shoot some mercs. Especially at the beginning of the game, it just felt like I was shooting only mercenaries. I couldn't tell you the difference between Blue Suns, Blood Pack, or Eclipse (other than color) - they were interchangeable to me. And I agree with Rpground on the fact that I missed the Mako missions. They improved everything else so well, what stopped them from improving vehicles? It gave the universe real depth - made it feel lived in and fleshed out with a sense of scale. We just had that god damned scanning minigame instead. Also, did anybody get weirded out with the Terminator at the end? I feel like they wrote that whole 'reapers take on older forms' thing and then just dropped that plot line after that. Hell, in Leviathan DLC the Leviathan says all reapers take on Harbinger's shape, which makes a hell of a lot more sense as they all look basically like Harbinger. All the characters were amazing in ME2 though (except Jacob, of course), and they did a good job of saying, 'look your old squad is gone, here's some new guys'. Which, for me, I really felt like Shepard - I didn't trust these new people, they weren't as good as my old crew - until I started really diving into their stories and mannerisms. But this thread is about things we dislike about our favorite games, so I will get back on topic.
And, yes, Mass Effect 3's ending was awful (at first) then got noticeably better. Not because they changed everything, just because they explained it better. I wasn't one on the Bioware forums spitting vitriol, but I was sure watching it, generally agreeing with the angry populace, and I'm not terribly proud of it. But as I said, when the game is nearing perfection, or at least what you perceive as perfect for you, the flaws stand out so much more. That game, man. The combat was tight, the pacing was brilliant, the quiet moments were just as exhilarating as the violent ones, and it tied up so many conflicts so well! And yeah, I still get a little broken up inside when I think how ham-handed the ending was. For a story that started (and continued!) so strongly, to get that wet slap in the face was a real wake up call. Phoo. For anyone that made it this far in my post, thank you, it was nigh therapeutic to get that off my chest.
Armored Core, any one. For the older ones, I'd implement a host of things that engage the player more with NPCs and make runs different, allowing affiliation with companies and part rewards from that, along with various hidden missions that only occur when a number of conditions are met (e.g. failed an ambush mission, worked 3 times successfully with X results in another shot at the mission with X as backup, or being affiliated with a certain company and working with a rival AC results in an accusation of sabotage if failure or joint operations if success, changing the plot). For example, I'd have a larger pool of possible allies for every mission, have them progress as you work with them, they all do their own thing from time to time and you can see when they're on a mission, pilots will contact you to work together sometimes by themselves for a pool of missions, pilots will change their ACs over time, much more small talk - NPCs will comment on your AC at the start of a mission, complimenting you for using a similar AC, or deriding you for copying, or commenting if it's the same as the last time you worked together. That sort of thing.
For the more recent ones, I'd keep the team stuff and make the rest more like the old games. Every part is a unique model, the naming system is logical, parts are associated with companies again, tanks can constant boost upwards, removal of the ineffective damage system except for shields, introduction of a number of parts and part types. Also, the fucking server is global. Not Japan where everyone plays and the rest of the world which is like 40 people seperate.
For the more recent ones, I'd keep the team stuff and make the rest more like the old games. Every part is a unique model, the naming system is logical, parts are associated with companies again, tanks can constant boost upwards, removal of the ineffective damage system except for shields, introduction of a number of parts and part types. Also, the fucking server is global. Not Japan where everyone plays and the rest of the world which is like 40 people seperate.
And then to think that in AC1 you couldn't even swim. Whoops!TizzytheTormentor said:
And as an extra little 'fuck you' Ubisoft put a bunch of those lovable retards on the piers who would delightfully shove you off to drown in the ocean.
Suikoden II - One of my favorite RPGs for the PS1, it would be THE favorite but for one thing:
The meta-game of collecting all the stars of destiny. While I don't think this game was as brutal about it as some of the other Suikoden games, if you want the best ending you pretty much go in with this checklist of who to talk to when and with what prerequisites checked. I absolutely loved the concept of the growing castle, and collecting all the stars of destiny but up until that point instead of just enjoying the game it felt kind of like running errands, just doing busywork to ensure I'd have to do less busywork once I got to the actual castle.
Legend of Mana I had a similar issue with to a lesser degree, though it's more convoluted. If you really want to maximize your playthrough, you have to figure up artifact distance from your home, proper spirit levels to get the kinds of results you want, and a bunch of other micro-managing nonsense behind the scenes, fortunately most of it plays no impact on the story so it's easier to ignore.
Final Fantasy XII, I loved most everything about this game EXCEPT for 3 things:
1) The ridiculous trial-and-error boss difficulty that often required specific buffs/debuffs to be cast and managed with no clear indication of what those were.
2) The way some really awesome items, which you could waste an entire license on were hidden in arbitrary chests that let RNGs determine whether you even got the item or not, even if you're aware it's there from a guide, you have to save SCUM A LOT just to get the item (I'm sorry but reloading the game 30 times doesn't spell out to me "50% chance")
3) The license board, it was a cool feature, and at first it let you customize characters to a degree, but around level 40-50 pretty much every character's license board was filled out making everyone an interchangeable hybrid. I would have much preferred specialized characters or a job class system.
The meta-game of collecting all the stars of destiny. While I don't think this game was as brutal about it as some of the other Suikoden games, if you want the best ending you pretty much go in with this checklist of who to talk to when and with what prerequisites checked. I absolutely loved the concept of the growing castle, and collecting all the stars of destiny but up until that point instead of just enjoying the game it felt kind of like running errands, just doing busywork to ensure I'd have to do less busywork once I got to the actual castle.
Legend of Mana I had a similar issue with to a lesser degree, though it's more convoluted. If you really want to maximize your playthrough, you have to figure up artifact distance from your home, proper spirit levels to get the kinds of results you want, and a bunch of other micro-managing nonsense behind the scenes, fortunately most of it plays no impact on the story so it's easier to ignore.
Final Fantasy XII, I loved most everything about this game EXCEPT for 3 things:
1) The ridiculous trial-and-error boss difficulty that often required specific buffs/debuffs to be cast and managed with no clear indication of what those were.
2) The way some really awesome items, which you could waste an entire license on were hidden in arbitrary chests that let RNGs determine whether you even got the item or not, even if you're aware it's there from a guide, you have to save SCUM A LOT just to get the item (I'm sorry but reloading the game 30 times doesn't spell out to me "50% chance")
3) The license board, it was a cool feature, and at first it let you customize characters to a degree, but around level 40-50 pretty much every character's license board was filled out making everyone an interchangeable hybrid. I would have much preferred specialized characters or a job class system.
I'm enjoying New Vegas now but I got it at launch and hated it. I felt like I payed $60 to beta test for them. It crashed to the xmb literally every 15 mins.
Get someone to play it with you. At that level you get better gear more frequently, which was the biggest problem I had in UVHM.SKBPinkie said:
I will join the many others in saying fighting games. My gripe however is when shoddy netcode interferes with online play. This usually aggravates me most when I lose a match to a clearly inferior player simply because the internet decided to fuck me over and of course I can't send them a message because then I'd be a sore loser. Very, very frustrating experience.
About the only time offline play really annoys me is when I'm playing through whatever passes for a story mode (usually to unlock stuff) and the game, rather than have a dedicated story mode for each character, forces me to switch off between many different characters in order to progress. I get that that's their lazy and/or heavy-handed way of forcing me to familiarize myself with (almost) every character but if I wanted to do that I would go through whatever garbage they've cobbled together that resembles character specific move training or challenge mode.
I also hate un-lockable characters. Costumes? Fine. Stages? If you must. Characters? Fuck off*!
*Exceptions are made for boss/super-powered versions of the base cast that I wouldn't ever be playing seriously with anyway; e.g. Unlimited characters in BlazBlue.
About the only time offline play really annoys me is when I'm playing through whatever passes for a story mode (usually to unlock stuff) and the game, rather than have a dedicated story mode for each character, forces me to switch off between many different characters in order to progress. I get that that's their lazy and/or heavy-handed way of forcing me to familiarize myself with (almost) every character but if I wanted to do that I would go through whatever garbage they've cobbled together that resembles character specific move training or challenge mode.
I also hate un-lockable characters. Costumes? Fine. Stages? If you must. Characters? Fuck off*!
*Exceptions are made for boss/super-powered versions of the base cast that I wouldn't ever be playing seriously with anyway; e.g. Unlimited characters in BlazBlue.
I'm gonna keep pestering you until you get the Final Fantasy XII International game because they fixed most of the problems you listed. XDShaun Kennedy said:
Especially the 3rd one since the license boards are split up into 12 different boards and you can't change boards after that, but there is more planning involved as the new boards have pieces out to the side that are only connected when you get a certain Esper, and that can end up giving say your Knight the ability to use Curaga.
As for the special items, the RGN is still there, but for some of them they fixed it. Not to mention that they took out the "don't open these 4 chests" requirement for the Zodiac Spear.
Deadly Premonition.
If you think about it, in the end, because of York, pretty much 1/4 of town was killed, wasn't it?
HEY, THIS GIRL WUS DEADED
I DUN'T LIKE YOU AND I'M A GRUMPY SHERIFF
I'M THE CLUMSY BUT LIKEABLE ASSISTANT SHERIFF
DIS OTHER GIRL WAS DEADED BY A STATUE AFTER HER TONGUE WAS GONED
AND THEN A CROSSDRESSER RUINED EVERYTHING
AND THEN HIS SISTER
KILL THIS FAT GUY
EVERYONE'S DEAD BUT DON'T WORRY 'CAUSE THEY'RE IN HEAVEN YES INCLUDING THE CROSSDRESSER
-end-
I DUN'T LIKE YOU AND I'M A GRUMPY SHERIFF
I'M THE CLUMSY BUT LIKEABLE ASSISTANT SHERIFF
DIS OTHER GIRL WAS DEADED BY A STATUE AFTER HER TONGUE WAS GONED
AND THEN A CROSSDRESSER RUINED EVERYTHING
AND THEN HIS SISTER
KILL THIS FAT GUY
EVERYONE'S DEAD BUT DON'T WORRY 'CAUSE THEY'RE IN HEAVEN YES INCLUDING THE CROSSDRESSER
-end-
If you think about it, in the end, because of York, pretty much 1/4 of town was killed, wasn't it?
Dirge of Cerberus
*flame shield*
I thought it was a good game mechanically but hell if the WRO aren't the worst red shirt army I've ever seen. If emo mc spikehand hadn't fought for them, deep ground would have roflstomped them long ago and it's only AFTER their headquarters gets blown up do they finally concentrate on getting to the bottom of things.
Also, how is it possible to basically let an entire enemy army walk up to and subsequently kick down your front door with nobody noticing before
Also, deep ground aren't free of this, their quirky boss squad consists of a bear thing, a fan service character, and some bloke who wears what looks like the worlds worst orthodontic headgear
Also, Vincent could of at any time he liked strolled into Midgar, told Weiss to stop being an ass and ended the war there
Also, hand gliding into a huge....thing to blow up something else does not constitute a final boss fight
Also, how do the WRO have a huge airship and are able to fly it despite having no idea how it works
Also, the only reason deep ground seemed to have formed is because Weiss got sore because nobody agreed that killing thousands in order to attain the shaky promise of god hood was a good idea. Apparently, there are more jerks in the works than we think.
Also, why do deep ground soldiers wear fetish outfits into battle
Also, how can they see despite having an opaque metal plate strapped to their faces
Also, how is Vincent able to fire bullets the size of your fist and not blow his arm off
And finally, the reason this happened is because an asteroid hit the planet and Weiss thought "I could benefit from this".
*flame shield*
I thought it was a good game mechanically but hell if the WRO aren't the worst red shirt army I've ever seen. If emo mc spikehand hadn't fought for them, deep ground would have roflstomped them long ago and it's only AFTER their headquarters gets blown up do they finally concentrate on getting to the bottom of things.
Also, how is it possible to basically let an entire enemy army walk up to and subsequently kick down your front door with nobody noticing before
Also, deep ground aren't free of this, their quirky boss squad consists of a bear thing, a fan service character, and some bloke who wears what looks like the worlds worst orthodontic headgear
Also, Vincent could of at any time he liked strolled into Midgar, told Weiss to stop being an ass and ended the war there
Also, hand gliding into a huge....thing to blow up something else does not constitute a final boss fight
Also, how do the WRO have a huge airship and are able to fly it despite having no idea how it works
Also, the only reason deep ground seemed to have formed is because Weiss got sore because nobody agreed that killing thousands in order to attain the shaky promise of god hood was a good idea. Apparently, there are more jerks in the works than we think.
Also, why do deep ground soldiers wear fetish outfits into battle
Also, how can they see despite having an opaque metal plate strapped to their faces
Also, how is Vincent able to fire bullets the size of your fist and not blow his arm off
And finally, the reason this happened is because an asteroid hit the planet and Weiss thought "I could benefit from this".
The Legend of Zelda is one of my favorate e video game franchises but the tools you use are always the same or very similar. In every game there will be one or two major difference in the gameplay. But the story is what I play for anyway, so I don't mind much, it would just be nice to have a little difference.
Btw, OOT and MM don't count, because MM is the direct sequal to OOY
Btw, OOT and MM don't count, because MM is the direct sequal to OOY
XCOM:EU/EW- I hate the wonky RNG mechanics, I hate the unrealistic cover and line of sight rules, I hate the fact that satellites are an utter necessity unless you plan on losing, I hate that the game gives the aliens an overwhelming advantage. And I can't stop playing it, which makes me love-hate it even more.
Borderlands 2- UVHM is so unbalanced that it can render previously reliable character builds completely ineffective, and it focuses way too much on slag weapons -- I hate having to prepare my TVHM solo characters for UVHM because it means ditching my favorite builds and wasting precious inventory space collecting slag items. Don't get me started on the last patch that massively increased hitpoint healing for all the bad guys.
Even with all the all the monitor-punching frustration I get from Borderlands 2, I've somehow managed to invest over 400 hours in it. It's like being in a relationship with a wealthy supermodel girlfriend who likes to get drunk and beat up senior citizens.
Borderlands 2- UVHM is so unbalanced that it can render previously reliable character builds completely ineffective, and it focuses way too much on slag weapons -- I hate having to prepare my TVHM solo characters for UVHM because it means ditching my favorite builds and wasting precious inventory space collecting slag items. Don't get me started on the last patch that massively increased hitpoint healing for all the bad guys.
Even with all the all the monitor-punching frustration I get from Borderlands 2, I've somehow managed to invest over 400 hours in it. It's like being in a relationship with a wealthy supermodel girlfriend who likes to get drunk and beat up senior citizens.
I guess Shadow of the Colossus, which I beat for the second time earlier this afternoon.
I forgot how godawful the final boss was, it's just incredibly frustrating for no reason and highlights several of (usually minor) gameplay flaws the thing has. Why does he get up so slow? I mean, it's realistic, but that doesn't mean it's good for gameplay. At least let me mash buttons to get him up quicker. Why am I literally fighting against the camera? The game tries to find a compromise between between being "cinematic" by letting the game try to pick it's own angles, and letting the player have full control. It just doesn't work. It's wonky as f***.
I forgot how godawful the final boss was, it's just incredibly frustrating for no reason and highlights several of (usually minor) gameplay flaws the thing has. Why does he get up so slow? I mean, it's realistic, but that doesn't mean it's good for gameplay. At least let me mash buttons to get him up quicker. Why am I literally fighting against the camera? The game tries to find a compromise between between being "cinematic" by letting the game try to pick it's own angles, and letting the player have full control. It just doesn't work. It's wonky as f***.
Right now, I'm playing a rather old-school game called Baldur's Gate. I hadn't played it before about a week ago. So sue me.
Anyways, it's a great game. Highly addicting, characters that are amusing and decently developed without having to sit down to chat with them, but my God...that difficulty is relentless. It's better after you get enough money to afford decent equipment and revive downed party members, but RRGH!
Plus, the whole "if you die, the game's over" is annoying in a game with a 6 character party. Are you seriously telling me that Imoen doesn't like me enough to bother carrying my sorry ass back to a temple to revive, but she has no issues doing that for crazy-ass Xzar?
Anyways, it's a great game. Highly addicting, characters that are amusing and decently developed without having to sit down to chat with them, but my God...that difficulty is relentless. It's better after you get enough money to afford decent equipment and revive downed party members, but RRGH!
Plus, the whole "if you die, the game's over" is annoying in a game with a 6 character party. Are you seriously telling me that Imoen doesn't like me enough to bother carrying my sorry ass back to a temple to revive, but she has no issues doing that for crazy-ass Xzar?
Dragon Age: Origins. You know what part i'm going to talk about: The Fade. I hate the fade so very, very much and if they had just downplayed it somewhat or made it suck less I'd have loved that game all the more. As it stands that single part of the game makes me go "Ehhhh, I'd love to play this again but The Fade..." and then I put it down again. Other than that, fantastic game.
Also, ME 3 because Circular logic Star Child. I swear i'm going to find a way to Memeify that star child whenever someone is using Circular Logic. :S
Also, ME 3 because Circular logic Star Child. I swear i'm going to find a way to Memeify that star child whenever someone is using Circular Logic. :S
Hotline Miami. The difficulty is horrible and I'm not one for difficulty, but the rest game is just so fucking good that I can overlook it, but not all the time. It's the only game i've ever rage quit at.