Games you just couldn't get into

[Cowboy Curtis]

Kentucky Route Zero
I just found it all a little too abstract for me. Also, there really didn't seem to be a lot there in terms of mechanics (at least the bit that I played). I think I was kind of a victim of the hype around it; so many people hail it as brilliant and it very well might be, but I just can't see it.

Stellaris
I've loved 4X games since the original MOO, but man, they really throw you in at the deep end with this one. If anyone could point me towards a decent beginner tutorial (written rather than a video), I would most likely give this a go again. It looks really deep and interesting once you get the systems down.

Rise of Nations
This one's from way back, but 30 minutes after firing it up I realized I just didn't care for RTSes anymore, no matter how polished.

 

[Zloth]

Yeah, the whole RTS genre gets on my list. I got through the original Command & Conquer but that was it. 4X RTS games like Stellaris and Sins of a Solar Empire do better but still lose out to turn based games. Games like Sword of the Stars that have live action battles seem fine but the whole game? Nope - just doesn't work for me.

Kenshi: I liked it at first but I eventually hit a wall where I needed to get some sort of rare books to advance - and I just didn't want to do that. Oh well, still got almost 40 hours out of the game.

Cities: Skylines: Just didn't have that much fun.

 

[Dan]

Mass Effect. Everyone went on about how great the series was, I tried multiple times to get into it - but never could.

Witcher 3 also barely grabbed me. I've started it so many times, got a few hours into it each time and just lost interest.

 

[DXCHASE]

Yeah, the whole RTS genre gets on my list. I got through the original Command & Conquer but that was it. 4X RTS games like Stellaris and Sins of a Solar Empire do better but still lose out to turn based games.

RTS games AND Turn based games i cannot get into but had 1 game to stand out. Command & Conquer for the RTS genre, back in the day i loved it but nothing ever since has brought me back and Dragon Age for the TB games. I just couldnt get into Divinity or Baldurs gate, i much rather prefer other types of RPGs.

 

[Frag Maniac]

The one that sticks out like a sore thumb recently, especially since I enjoyed Kojima's MGS Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes so much, is Death Stranding. I'd have to say I'm even more unimpressed than I was with Arkane's Prey. Both games have uninteresting monotone black enemies that appear, weird weapons, and a lot of running back and forth, but to make matters worse, Death Stranding's terrain is brutal to travel through.

I loved Mass Effect, especially 2 and 3, and the added content in the DLC was very good too. I also enjoyed the Witcher 3, but I'd have to say Skyrim overall felt like a better game. Like many have said though, Cyberpunk 2077 has not lived up to the hype, at least for me. It had a lot of potential, but there's just too many problems and design quirks. Clothes that make me look like a clown to get good armor stats being just one of them.

 

[Brian Boru]

Everyone went on about how great the series was, I tried multiple times to get into it - but never could

Same here, but different game—the Bioshock series. Yes I know, there goes my PC gaming cred, shredded in tatters. Tried multiple times also because I was supposed to love it, but never could.

This year tried out a Kojima one, with all the hype around Death Stranding—Gears 5 if I recall correctly, the one which opens with a god-awful intro sequence crawling around a hospital, which seems to go on forever. I didn't make it past that, too annoyed with the whole thing. Is there by any chance a mod which bypasses that intro?

[ETA: it's Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain—thanks Frag Maniac ]

That's a general pet peeve of mine—every time I think of starting a new Far Cry game, I decide no, I don't want to spend 20-30 minutes going thru your wonderfully artistic or atmospheric intro time sink.

 

[Frag Maniac]

This year tried out a Kojima one, with all the hype around Death Stranding—Gears 5 if I recall correctly, the one which opens with a god-awful intro sequence crawling around a hospital, which seems to go on forever. I didn't make it past that, too annoyed with the whole thing. Is there by any chance a mod which bypasses that intro?

LOL, you must be short on patience. The game you're talking about is Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Sure it's a long prologue, at least 45 min, but very little of it is crawling around. It's one of the best prologues I've ever played though. Not sure why you threw Gears 5 in there, but it seems you didn't like that one either (or did you mean MGSV?). For me, Gears 5 was one of the best games of the series, though it could have used an Inconceivable mode.

 

[FreezerBurn]

The Witcher 3, Why can't I love you! The other was Elder Scrolls online. It's a great game I just sadly cannot get into it no matter how much I try. But, I've promised myself to give Witcher another go.

 

[Zloth]

...the one which opens with a god-awful intro sequence crawling around a hospital, which seems to go on forever...

With the Burning Man and long-sleeve-kid?? That was fun stuff! Also pretty confusing as it has you design a character then doesn't use it.

I didn't make it past that, too annoyed with the whole thing. Is there by any chance a mod which bypasses that intro?

Doubt it. What's more, I think you re-live it later in the game.

 

[Zloth]

I bounced off the GTA series back in 3. I just flat out didn't enjoy it - except for stealing a fire truck. (Which kinda points the way to Saints Row. Now that was fun!)

 

[Brian Boru]

LOL, you must be short on patience

You're right, old age does that
Thanks for the title correction, and Gears 5 was just a brain holiday—haven't played it.

With the Burning Man and long-sleeve-kid?? That was fun stuff!
…
I think you re-live it later in the game

One man's fun is another man's questioning the meaning of life.

I think you re-live it later in the game

Yuck! You've just killed any remnant of 'give it another shot'—thanks for your pain avoidance therapy

 

[Frag Maniac]

You're right, old age does that
Thanks for the title correction, and Gears 5 was just a brain holiday—haven't played it.

Not to nit pick, but I'm wondering just how legit the age excuse is, because I'm 62, and going through a fair bit of sleep deprivation from noisy neighbors lately to boot. jking

Seriously though, if you like Gears of War, you should definitely try Gears 5, it has some pretty cool stuff in it.

 

[EnSeeGee]

I also have The Witcher games in a will pick up again at some point limbo. I just can't get hooked in a way that'll lead to me wanting to invest the huge amount of time the game requires.

I remember being unable to play The Evil Within because I just hated the controls, which was a shame because I love horror games. Thoroughly enjoyed the second one though!

There a definitely some games where you have to endure a steeper appreciation curve before they click. MGSV was one of those where it wasn't until infiltrating some random enemy base way later on that I realised I was now fully into the game.

 

[Brian Boru]

I'm wondering just how legit the age excuse is

Aww man, busted again! Currently looking for another excuse—anyone?

if you like Gears of War, you should definitely try Gears 5

Had a peek at a video, and it looks too much like straight action for my taste, continuous path clearing. I'm from a strategy background, so I need choice & options in my shooters to keep me interested—Far Cry is my fav franchise for this reason, among others.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Had a peek at a video, and it looks too much like straight action for my taste, continuous path clearing. I'm from a strategy background, so I need choice & options in my shooters to keep me interested—Far Cry is my fav franchise for this reason, among others.

It's no more straight action than the previous titles, in fact it's actually easier to manage in that regard, too easy for my tastes. Which is why I said it could have used an Inconceivable mode.

I'll give you an example, after careful study on what tactics work best, I got through some tough sections of Gears of War 4 on Inconceivable that were kicking my ass. When I got to the boss fight against the Vulture plane though where you're on rails riding the motorbike dodging all it's incendiary and other attacks, it broke me, I was unable to finish. The main problems are, 1), you don't get a checkpoint after blowing the first engine of the plane, and 2), in the 2nd phase, the plane often drops two incendiaries simultaneously side by side, which are almost impossible to swerve around.

The bottom line here, is you can't judge a game by videos you see, you have to play through it to know it, and how it compares to others. Also, the tactics you see people use on YouTube often aren't the best, or even rational. There's also a stealth component in this one that can work well against some of the battles that would otherwise be pretty tough, if you know how to use it. There was really no battle I had trouble with in Gears 5, and my only complaint is it left me wanting more challenge. Even the Matriarch boss many say is too hard to kill can be beaten fairly quickly with sneak attacks.

 

[Brian Boru]

I'll give you an example

Many thanks FM for your explanation & description, appreciate the help

I'll give G5 a shot at some point.

 

[ceaRshaf]

World of Warcraft. Granted I skipped the initial hype and now, a decade later or more I can't find the joy of playing it. My friends always tell me the end game is where it's at, but I can never get there out of boredom. However, I really like the universe.

 

[Pifanjr]

I also couldn't get into Bioshock. I didn't pick it up when it came out, I only tried it after finishing Bioshock Infinite. My mistake was trying it on hard and playing it as a stealth game.

Oblivion and Fallout 3, Those two games taught me i don't like single player RPG's. Group RPG's like dragon age or mass effect, ect.. but the single player ones i just find boring.

The first witcher i liked, but the second i could also never finish. I might try it again though,. It's not that it's horrible, i just find myself putting it aside for other things. I really didn't like the change from the isometric to over the shoulder third person, the potion stacking was also really dumbed down.

X-com. I feel zero connection with my unit and the story is really lacking. I'd much rather play wasteland 2, omerta, Dungeons of Naheulbeuk, battletech, ect.

This is funny, because it's almost the exact opposite of me. I love single player RPGs, but have a hard time with group RPGs. I did finish Dragon Age Origins, but that was despite the mechanics and I couldn't get through Pillars of Eternity.

I also did not care for the gameplay of the first Witcher and gave myself infinite health to get through the game. The second one was much better and I finished without cheating.

Lastly, I absolutely loved XCOM and defeated it on ironman, but couldn't get into Wasteland 2.

 

[Jörmungandr]

Fable there is something about the combat and magic use that refuses to click with me to the point that sometime after the tutorial i get extremely bored of it. Which is a shame because I really like the concept of good and bad and how they implemented it. And the world overall.

 

[Zloth]

@Pifanjr...another can think it's the best thing since sliced bread.

Oh? And am I supposed to believe that this mangling of perfectly good bread is a plus!?

 

[Frag Maniac]

Another that comes to mind that I didn't care for was The Outer Worlds. I made it through one play through, but wound up very bored with it.

 

[Johnway]

Lastly, I absolutely loved XCOM and defeated it on ironman, but couldn't get into Wasteland 2

yeah i kinda didn't think much of Wasteland2 myself. It felt kinda unfinished and basic in areas like some sort of indie unity engine game. Oh wait...

games i didn't think much of? Loads. here are just a few to start:

Dusk. Overhyped in my opinion. its not terrible per say, just not the outstanding game that everyone kept saying. yeah, had its moments, but too basic for my liking and graphically not my cup of tea. This was more for the quake crowd whereas i'm more the doom 2 one.

MGS2. It probably didn't help that i got this for the PC but i thought the game was disappointing over hyped dumpster fire of a game. A cack plot that tries to be impressive/smart by having plot twists numerous characters, bland graphics, fixed camera angle BS and tedious gameplay (coming from someone who loves stuff like thief, splinter cell, dishonored, deus ex etc) i was glad it was short.

What's that? i bought MGS V and i need to play that one? oh why did i do that?

 

[Frindis]

Those romantic vampire puzzle games. I don't have a better word for them, but they pop up on Steam from time to time and I got a few of them through a couple of bundles in the past. I'm a man, so my multitasking abilities are quite slim, which makes RTS games often hard for me. I'm your typical base building bashing idiot that hopes something is done in the correct order and that I somehow can defeat my enemies with brute force. Tower defense games are also not really my cup of tea, but I'm going to try out Toy Soldier and Orcs Must Die as I have heard a lot of good things about them. I think most of my dislike for that genre comes from the flash games I have played.

 

[Pifanjr]

Those romantic vampire puzzle games. I don't have a better word for them, but they pop up on Steam from time to time and I got a few of them through a couple of bundles in the past. I'm a man, so my multitasking abilities are quite slim, which makes RTS games often hard for me. I'm your typical base building bashing idiot that hopes something is done in the correct order and that I somehow can defeat my enemies with brute force. Tower defense games are also not really my cup of tea, but I'm going to try out Toy Soldier and Orcs Must Die as I have heard a lot of good things about them. I think most of my dislike for that genre comes from the flash games I have played.

I don't care for Tower Defense either and RTS games are only enjoyable with friends. Starcraft 2 is the only game where I actually really enjoyed the campaign, though I've never gotten around to doing Legacy of the Void.

 

[Frindis]

@Pifanjr Heard a lot of good things about that campaign and definitely going to give it a go. I did play some Starcraft 2 multiplayer back in the day (Zerg my favorite), which makes me wonder why the hell I never tried out the campaign. I reckon I just got invited by some friends and it went from there.