The Dreaded Afterthoughts

[Zera]

Ever had those? If your wondering what I am talking about, these are thoughts you get after you have played and/or beaten a game, usually negative to the core. Ever had these? Ever played a game you thought was so epic and awesome in your first playthrough, just for you to realize that the game was not that good. As much as I hate to admit it, Kingdom Hearts 2 will be my example. I thought the game was dramatic, had awesome action, and had great production value. But when I actually thought about it, that just covered up what it was lacking. The new story added on was pretty much pointless(Advent Children), you only needed to press the x button to win your battles, there are no exploration in the worlds whatsoever,. and all the extra battle techniques(magic,forms) were completely unnecessary, besides heal of course. It ruined my day when I realized this but it was bound to happen eventually

 

[Andy Chalk]

I've never run into that myself. I've been disappointed by games as I play through them; Icewind Dale 2 and Dungeon Siege are two great examples of games that I had high hopes for (particularly Icewind Dale 2) that turned out to be mediocre, dull affairs, but that was immediately apparent. What you describe sounds more to me like Half-Life 2, a game described by an awful lot of folks as having a deep, engrossing, awesome, etc., story, but which in fact has very little meat on the bone if you set aside the awesome gameplay and look at the story itself.

 

[ccesarano]

I've never run into that myself. I've been disappointed by games as I play through them; Icewind Dale 2 and Dungeon Siege are two great examples of games that I had high hopes for (particularly Icewind Dale 2) that turned out to be mediocre, dull affairs, but that was immediately apparent. What you describe sounds more to me like Half-Life 2, a game described by an awful lot of folks as having a deep, engrossing, awesome, etc., story, but which in fact has very little meat on the bone if you set aside the awesome gameplay and look at the story itself.

I'm kind of the same way on both accounts. When I begin a game that I expected to be great and it turns out to be mediocre, I realize it as I play through. There are plenty of games, though, that I find to be pretty over-rated, even if it is by a bit. Half-Life 2 is certainly a great game, but it's also pretty formulaic. The formula just happens to be pretty fun. When it comes to story, its mostly the execution that is excellent, though the story does seem to have little material to it.

 

[Admonished]

I can't say that I've been too disappointed by games I've anticipated. I'm pretty critical about the games I buy and the only game I've ever truly regretted buying was (ugh) Romanancing Saga. I believe due to the fact that I'm not a huge fan of graphics (not to say they aren't important) it helps to prevent me from leaping at games that only "look" good.
(Hah Andrew Hah)

 

[GrowlersAtSea]

I tend to have my doubts about a game either while I'm playing it, or right before I buy it.

It sounds weird but even when I'm feeling the need to get a new game, and have a specific game in mind, I can often find myself at a game store, in front of the game, just staring at it. Pick it up, read the back, walk around a bit, come back to it, pick it up, bring it half way to the counter, bring it back. I can spend absurd abouts of time deliberating a purchase.

As a rule though, once I buy, play, and finish a game, the opinion that I formed during playing it stays put. I tend to take my time on games (it's usually safe for me to double whatever the expected playtime is on a game), I spend a lot of time looking at little details, saving and loading to try different things, and just enjoying it. It's rare I just want to get through a game so I can finish it. So I usually have plenty of time to think about a game while I'm still on it

I really can't think of any games that in retrospect were not what I thought of them when I was playing them, and really distance (in this case time) often makes the heart grow fonder, and many games I look back on I have warmer feelings about.

 

[GloatingSwine]

I've never run into that myself. I've been disappointed by games as I play through them; Icewind Dale 2 and Dungeon Siege are two great examples of games that I had high hopes for (particularly Icewind Dale 2) that turned out to be mediocre, dull affairs, but that was immediately apparent. What you describe sounds more to me like Half-Life 2, a game described by an awful lot of folks as having a deep, engrossing, awesome, etc., story, but which in fact has very little meat on the bone if you set aside the awesome gameplay and look at the story itself.

I always get the feeling that Half Life 2 does have a deep and engrossing story but no one is telling me what it is. There are just hints at what's been going on since the first game, and who and what everyone is and was, and what their motivations are, but Gordon doesn't get to stand still and ask anyone what the hell has been going on, because he can't speak.

 

[The Irrelevant Gamer]

I have the strange ability to thoroughly enjoy a game, but later pick it apart for all of its flaws, which makes it really hard for me to recommend games to friends. I'll tell them something I played was a lot of fun, but then go on to explain all of its deficiencies too.

Yesterday I was accused of being overly critical of movies, and that probably applies to games too, but I don't believe there is such a thing because I spent fours years in college learning to be critical of literature.

Only a few of my favorite games are immune to this hindsight.

 

[Kronopticon]

Oblivion.















I dont want to say any more, but i will, as you probably feel i should at least contribute something. well... the start is tedious, but eventually builds up to a rolling gameplay where you enjoy unabashadly killing everyone after saving it, then you finish it. and realise. that. sucked. no offence to the people that enjoyed it, but i didnt like how real it was, as, personally, i dont like reality, which is why i play games, so i can fantasize about being them afterwards, e.g. Sonic, or, Dante, or even Aang. but afterthoughts made me realise how crap that game is.

another game i had bad afterthoughts for, was probably... Zelda: Ocarina of Time. yes, you heard me correctly, it is indeed a good game, but on review, most of the game is tediously wandering around hyrule field, and i also thought, isnt there an easier way of getting to the end bit, so i can just do that. instead of doing the whole, character-background filler, so i can just do the awesome last bits, and watch the last awesome cutscene, before i go and do naughty things to my naughty blow-up thing for the last awesome time.

last awesome.