Games are a highly subjective matter. Even the biggest bangers out there can't always please everyone, and I have my fair share of big games that I've tried to start a million times but simply can't get into (looking at you, The Witcher 3). At the same time, there are also games I absolutely love that are incredibly unpopular right now, like Destiny 2. There's no perfect game out there, but if there's one that comes close to that for me, it would be Baldur's Gate 3. And that game is by no means without its flaws.
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There are a couple of titles, though, that often get an eyebrow raise or two when I mention I don't enjoy them. My "hot takes," as people like to say. I'm not claiming these are objectively bad games—in fact, they are incredibly popular for very good reasons, but they just didn't do it for me. Some credentials: I'm a dedicated gamer with three decades of experience and an embarrassingly huge number of hours spent sitting at my PC or at my console. Here's which widely beloved games feel lukewarm to me at best.
The Sims 4
The Nostalgia From Earlier Entries Is Too Strong To Contend With
The Sims 4 is the technological culmination of a beloved franchise. With the base game now free, it's accessible, modern, and the least clunky to play. The build mode is the deepest of all entries, to the point where it's a bit of a learning curve to master it, but so rewarding to play around with. There's a huge modding community and countless creators who have participated in the making of some of the newer expansions, too. With that, it's easy to see why so many people enjoy it and come back to it time and time again. There are simply no limits to it.
That said, it breaks my heart that a lot of the chaos and quirkiness from earlier games are seemingly gone. Maybe it's a question of nostalgia, but the world feels a little too happy and peaceful, and I'm often left bored, craving for something that I can only supplement with gameplay mods. I'm glad The Sims and The Sims 2 were re-released, as I get to revisit the chaotic randomness that first popularized the franchise.
Terraria
A Nice RPG Flair, But Minecraft's Immersion Feels Superior
Many swear by Terraria, and I get why: it has a lot more direction and attractive RPG elements that are nonexistent in its main source of inspiration, Minecraft. Even as a "hater", I can appreciate those details, as well as the cute pixel art style and catchy music. There are a ton of cool eldritch bosses to conquer and items and features, like Wormhole Potions and NPCs, that I personally wish were added to Minecraft. The abundance of mods and the freedom Terraria grants players have solidified it as one of the top games of all time. Thanks to the mods alone, it will likely endure for years to come.
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I think my main issue is that everything Terraria does in 2D format, I feel like I can do and experience in greater depth in modded Minecraft, like RLCraft Dregora. With the former, I'm often very conscious that I'm looking at a screen with a game on it, but with Minecraft, I'm immediately sucked into the game's rich, infinite world that responds to everything I do. Sure, it might be a bit unfair to compare modded Minecraft to vanilla Terraria, but that extra graphical dimension works very hard to Minecraft's advantage.
Undertale
There Is Such A Thing As Playing A Game Too Late
Everyone around me was always hyping up Undertale, insisting that I needed to play it and that it was going to be life-changing for me. Those people probably contributed to my lukewarm sentiments. Yes, Undertale is really creative and inventive. It tells an important story that we can still draw lessons from today, and I loved the music. I also think it was all this even more so at the time of its release. Back then, there were far fewer games that really pushed the envelope in terms of storytelling and meta commentary (save perhaps for The Stanley Parable), and that were truly unique.
However, playing it while living in a contemporary world where I'm spoiled with so much excellent, deep writing and meta commentary among indie and AAA games, it feels just "okay." There's simply so much more competition and goodness, even among indie games, that it was always going to be a hard sell for me. Jumping on the Undertale train this late definitely cost me the magical experience people had with it 10 years ago.
Hogwarts Legacy
A Gorgeous World Left Me Desiring More Depth
The first Harry Potter games were iconic, but clunky, so when I stepped into the world of Hogwarts Legacy, I was quickly charmed by the carefully crafted environments and fun combat that took full advantage of all the famous spells—even the Unforgivable Curses. The attention to detail is staggering, and being able to explore the world on a broom is incredible. Just walking around Hogwarts is magical, as there's always a secret around the next corner waiting to be uncovered with Revelio. There's no question about it: this is the best game the franchise has received so far, the entry everyone was always hoping for.
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I mostly enjoyed my time with Hogwarts Legacy, but by the end of it, I felt like some of the content had become repetitive enough that it pulled me out of my immersion, the very thing that kept me hooked in the first place. I love that there's a huge world, but I would have been so happy with the focus just on Hogwarts and its nearby town, grounds, and the forest, if it meant those locations were packed with truly unique, never-the-same content.
Valorant
The Tactical Shooter Genre Requires The Patience Of A Saint
One of my favorite games of all time was the first Overwatch. It was the most immersive competitive experience, a game that made me many lifelong friends I still game with. Then Overwatch 2 happened, and I lost interest. Valorant, a tactical shooter, rose in popularity, and I naively believed I would enjoy it just as I enjoyed Overwatch, seeing as my friends were praising it. Wrong.
There's no denying Riot has something special here, a hit that became massive enough for a huge esports side. For the right player, the secret sauce of Valorant is addicting: you want to play one more match, have one more thrilling duel, and unlock that gorgeous weapon skin that others will envy you for. It's the same sauce that made the original Overwatch, though a different kind of shooter, so popular.
For me, Valorant's pacing feels off, and fights are over in a matter of seconds, sending me to sit in spectator mode for the next minutes. It's definitely a skill issue, I'll admit that much, but it boggles my mind how much patience is required for this flavor of shooters. Sitting around corners, peeking every once in a while—I can understand where the thrill comes from, but I prefer the cheesy chaos of the first Overwatch any day. Let me spawn in and go again within a few seconds, please.
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