Games You Love That Everyone Else Hates

[Tai_MT]

Brink. On the Xbox 360.

The story wasn't really there, but what was there, I found pretty compelling. I kept hoping there'd be some resolution or something really interesting to be gained from the story, but it ends on this cliffhanger and that kind of made me sad since I was invested in what was going on.

Something else I also liked was that the game only rewarded teamwork and playing the objective. What do I mean? I mean, if you killed someone, you got maybe 20 points. But, if you planted the bomb, kept people off of it, and held it until detonation... 800 points easy. You got more points for picking up downed allies than you did for killing an enemy (a pickup of an ally was generally 50 points). Enemies and allies using your equipment also gave you a lot more points than a kill or straight damage on an enemy.

Basically, the game encouraged players to work together, defend each other, protect each other, go after objectives, and win as a team. It discouraged the standard "Lone Wolf" crap most every single other FPS ever created encourages. In fact, Lone Wolfing was generally penalized.

Now, the AI in the game was pretty terrible, I can admit that. The AI went after useless objectives that didn't much contribute to a win. However, if you ever played a game where half of each team was full of human players... The game got VERY fun and very strategic.

It's a shame so few people actually enjoyed the game. I had a blast getting all the Gamerscore in it and wished I could've kept playing more. However, by the time I'd finished with the Gamerscore, no more humans were playing the game. I was stuck with all the AI. Even on the hardest difficulty setting, the AI rarely poses a challenge and does very predictable things (like using certain routes to get to objectives over everything else, so you can basically just camp).

Honestly, I wish more games punished players who went "Lone Wolf" in an FPS Objective playlist. Though, to be honest, there's an easy fix that isn't a "punishment". Namely, you just don't reward points or "kills" to players who aren't doing so near the objectives.

Oh well. Great game I loved that nobody else even liked. It got basically universal hatred and every review tore it apart.

 

[Churro]

I loved (still do) Vagrant Story. But all my friends hated it - i don't know why. It is a super game

 

[Labyrinthine]

I loved (still do) Vagrant Story. But all my friends hated it - i don't know why. It is a super game

I remember playing it. I think I really sucked at it, 'cause I could never do any real damage to any enemies. They were taking like 1 points dmg per hit, with thousands of health points. Dunno, maybe I'd understand the mechanics better today.

Anyways, the question. I'd say my pick is Castlevania 64 (or Legacy of Darkness). I think it gets some hate from the Symphony of the Night fans, because they would've just wanted another 2d Castlevania. Besides, Castlevania 64 has one of the best soundtracks ever. It's just that some noobs couldn't get past the first stage which is the only place with no music, and concluded the entire game has got no music. Admittedly, it's not a perfect game; there are some serious troubles with the camera, but for me it's the most atmospheric Castlevania game and at least beats that atrocity Lords of Shadow any day.

As for Symphony of the Night, it's not even the best 2D Castlevania IMO. I'd give that to Super Castlevania IV and Circle of the Moon. The latter does everything like Symphony, but better and the card system is awesome.

 

[MrZalgo]

For some reason, I really enjoyed FF8, 13, and 15 quite a bit more than what the reviewers than what the Youtube comments talk about. (Then again, Youtube comments is literal cancer)

I guess if a game gets panned so hard by fans, your expectations get so low that you end up liking a game that is supposed to be hated.

Besides Ride to Hell: Retribution, now THAT is a bad game.

 

[Pern]

Drakengard.

Oh Drakengard... Drakengard, Drakengard, Drakengard...

What a lovable child of horrific level designs, repetitive combat (I hope you like mashing the square button) and questionable development choices. It's a failed attempt at meshing together bland mechanics to form some kind of enjoyable product and it fails stupendously. It's a button mashing Dynasty Warriors + flying combat hybrid that's just not good. At all. But I love it.

I played it when it came out as a kid and despite that, I blindly enjoyed it, firstly because I didn't know any better and secondly, it had a bitchin' dragon to fly.

Why do I like it so much? Because I've never played another game quite like it. The story is convoluted and nothing is explained adequately about the plot, besides "save this place/person or the world is doomed!!!!1one" But there's so much crazy going on, especially toward the endings that it absolutely leaves a mark on you, positive or negative. The main character is a psychotic blood thirsty mute, there's a child eating elf, some incestuous and pedophilia undertones, a section devoted to killing kid conscripts, repeatedly beating of an old (and annoying) man and my personal favorite wtf moment of giant demonic flying demon babies. It's not for the faint of heart. And because of this, it has earned quite a following/fanbase.

Thanks to the popularity of Nier and Nier: Automata, I'm glad to see that Drakengard, the distant predecessor to these other two games, isn't a completely forgotten title and Yoko Taro is still out there producing more crazy, weird and wonderful ideas.

Would I recommend Drakengard to play? Nope. But if you're looking for a hilarious take on the game, I would recommend the Dark ID's playthrough, even if you're unfamiliar. It's really worth a read.

 

[Touchfuzzy]

@Pern

Drakengard is amazing from a storytelling perspective and then straight up garbage as a game. I will never play the game again, even if I love it.

 

[Yulia]

I have quite a few of those, actually)) FF VIII, Rule of Rose, Silent Hill: the Room, Dead Premonition, Prince of Persia (the one with cel-shading graphics)

wtf moment of giant demonic flying demon babies

Yes! Those babies XDDD

 

[bblizzard]

FF8 and FF12 would be the first ones that come to my mind (and were already mentioned xD).

FF8 had this great feel to it, probably because it was so unusual and a departure from the formula. IMO it still had that FF feel to it, but I liked the twists in the battle system and general story structure with missions, SeeD ranking, tests, etc. I do understand why people feel alienated, but I prefer to embrace the odd, because you can learn something new. Plus, that "Squall is dead theory" is awesome (even though confirmed untrue).

FF12 is very much an FF game and I think it's kinda dumb that people give it so much hate just because of the battle system. I do understand that people might not like the real-time-ish combat and all, but they really overdo it. I really enjoyed the MMO feel to the game and the story is probably one of Square's best. It boils down to actually Balthier, Basch and Ashe being the protagonists of the game and Vaan is more like a side character who tags along. But that's what made it so enjoyable. You could see how the complex political events unfolded before your very eyes. And the whole setups with the villains is unlike the other FFs where you basically are trying to either kill a god, kill someone who wants to become a god or kill someone who's already become a god. Ok, in the end it does become a variation of this again. xD But up until the very end I didn't think the villains were evil, but ideologically opposed. This is also shown in some character development of the main characters (mainly Ashe I'd say). It only felt like the villains kinda went too far at the end and not that their intentions were malignant to begin with. That character development on Ashe actually showed how easily it could be to slip and how the temptation is always there. It's a great metaphor for life and the human condition. We constantly struggle with our nature. There is no "winning" or final showdown, it's just a constant battle. And that's ok, that's what life is about, overcoming odds and becoming a stronger and better person in the process.

I would also add Chrono Cross to the mix. It's a good game, it's a horrible sequel. Maybe they overdid it with the number of playable characters, but the game has a charm to it and can stand on its own. It's yet again that weirdness that makes it good. And the technical finesse how they made the accent system? Mind blown. I would love to know how they did that.

 

[Yulia]

Balthier, Basch and Ashe being the protagonists of the game and Vaan is more like a side character who tags along. But that's what made it so enjoyable. You could see how the complex political events unfolded before your very eyes. And the whole setups with the villains is unlike the other FFs where you basically are trying to either kill a god, kill someone who wants to become a god or kill someone who's already become a god. Ok, in the end it does become a variation of this again. xD But up until the very end I didn't think the villains are evil, but ideologically opposed. This is also shown in some character development of the main characters. It only felt like the villains kinda went too far at the end and not that their intentions were malignant to begin with.

Yeah, liked FF XII too for the same reasons. I even liked the battle system)))

 

[bblizzard]

I loved the battle system. That's why I can't wait to play FFXV. xD

 

[Pern]

@Touchfuzzy

It's always pleasant to see others having played it, even if it's awful. If you have the time give Dark ID's let's play a read. It's a funny recap without having to slough through a mess of a game.

 

[Touchfuzzy]

I'll be honest, my hatred of FFXII doesn't come from the battle system, the battle system is actually a logical conclusion of ATB (and it reminded me a lot of Parasite Eve tbh) and quite fun.

My problem with FFXII is that it has all of two memorable characters, Balthier, and Doctor Cid. Everyone else feels like a waste of space (Vaan, Penelo), or an incomplete archetype (Basch, Ash, Fran, etc.)

 

[bblizzard]

I agree that Vaan, Penelo and Fran are a waste of space (even though I think Vaan was supposed to be more of a stand-in for the player). But I actually do like that Basch and Ashe are not stereotypical. It's more realistic. Though real people aren't interesting, characters are. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ So I see why you wouldn't like that.

 

[TWings]

That's a tough one, not sure what everybody else hates and I don't really care either lol.
The only one that comes in mind right now is Suikoden IV. I'm thinking of it because even when I bought it the shop owner asked me twice if I was sure I wanted it as it was a very bad game. That's the only time ever that I've seen someone not willing to sell his products ! That beeing said, I don't exactly love it, but it wasn't as bad as everyone wanted me to believe and I enjoyed it for what it was. Not the best of the Suikoden series, but it had some interesting features despite the maps feeling a bit "empty" once you start mass recruiting (lack of NPC).

 

[Touchfuzzy]

Suikoden IV is a good RPG, but a bad Suikoden. Like, it is the worst of the mainline Suikoden games, but it is still a fun game.

 

[bgillisp]

I'll admit I had fun playing FFXIII-2, but I went into it knowing that the game was pretty strange at times and I wanted an unusual game. I got what I wished for.

 

[Touchfuzzy]

I'm a firm believer that FFX-2 is one of the best Final Fantasy games.

 

[Rei_Venom]

Mine might be a bit childish, but Kingdom Hearts. Most hated it since 3 hadn’t been announced until recently, yet there’s been like 20 titles, but I just fancy that series. It’s too much fun!

 

[GuanyuMaker]

Saga Frontier 1. Wish it was finished before being released or at least the 2 were a continuation of it. I rarely like RPGs with a modern setting but that one got me . Cant read something about it without finding any complains about its interface, conflicting artstyle( sometimes we have draw maps/monster sometimes they are 3d rendered), its unfinished ending , the cut parts , the lack of sense of some plots. Despite all that it looks like it have some love in japan and certainly from me too =)

 

[KrimsonKatt]

I love Final Fantasy XII and XIII and HATE VII. Please don't witch hunt me please...