It's not THAT Bad

[Charizard Champion#06]

Shadow of the Colossus isn't supposed to be played for the gameplay, it's supposed to be played for the story, the minimalistic art design, and the quiet message it sends throughout the experience.

I partially disagree. While those other things are it's strong points, I still enjoy the gameplay. Riding your horse around the massive world and fighting gigantic monsters is fuggin' exhilarating.

[MetalVictini]

Final Fantasy XII. Yeah, it had its problems, but I really enjoyed it.

[Avenger Angel]

Duke Nukem Forever.

Given, it wasn't nearly as good as the previous Duke games, but it had plenty of great moments that went overlooked. It simply tried to be too much like some other first person shooter games and wasn't enough of the kind of stuff that made Duke great. They really should have stuck to allowing you to carry every weapon, having "stock" health rather than the badly disliked regenerating health, and not make it so linear. If it meant using keycards again with the occasional backtracking through levels, I'd be okay with that. No one ever hated Doom, Descent, and Duke Nukem 3D for that, so there's nothing wrong with it.

Either way, I hope this isn't the end of the Duke Nukem franchise. That would be a shame.

[ForeverFlame]

Final Fantasy XII. Yeah, it had its problems, but I really enjoyed it.

So true. Though most of my love for XII stems from my love for the other Ivalice games.

X-2 wasn't that bad. It had one of the best job systems in a Final Fantasy game.

XIII-2 wasn't that bad either. It had some issues, but it fixed a lot of XIII's major problems and the story was a lot more enjoyable. The ending was also spectacular. I'm glad a Final Fantasy finally went in that direction.

[Jb]

There's no way you guys enjoyed XIII. I hated it so much that I switched its box with a used GameStop game case, so I don't have to be reminded that the most absolute piece of shit jrpg I've ever had the displeasure of playing is laying in my collection.

Though I'm not a major FF fan so might play a role.

[Grim Heaper]

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2: Grimoire of the Rift.

I liked this game, I liked it better than the advance version, why? The protagonist was actually bearable and the updated battle system was much better than before. But could be equally brutal if you don't play properly.

Also, hooray for Ivalice! And Vann wears a shirt in this game, and is recruitable alongside Hurdy, Penelo, Al-Cid and Montblanc.

[Ampy]

I don't care if Final Fantasy XIII gets better later on in the game, there's is absolutely no reason that quite a large chunk of the game should be just straight hallways with fixed amount of enemies.

I remember enjoying Mario Party Advance a lot, but a lot of people seem to hate it... maybe just my nostalgia speaking here though.

[Crimsonlink]

Mario Party games. When you are young and don't know better, those mini games are awesome! When you get older though, they lose their charm.

[Savvao]

Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team Protoman/Colonel

Though I would admit it was my first MMBN game. But I had fun playing this game. The story did suck and the music was awesome. I was very addicted to the battle system and it's missions. I can see why people hated it because it was basically the same thing since the last 4 games. Although I can't argue because I didn't play neither of them. But I think having a team was clever.

Btw I owned the Team Protoman one. Oh I wish I could find it again.

I probably sold it. :3

[Shen Sorein]

There's no way you guys enjoyed XIII. I hated it so much that I switched its box with a used GameStop game case, so I don't have to be reminded that the most absolute piece of shit jrpg I've ever had the displeasure of playing is laying in my collection.

Though I'm not a major FF fan so might play a role.

I don't care if Final Fantasy XIII gets better later on in the game, there's is absolutely no reason that quite a large chunk of the game should be just straight hallways with fixed amount of enemies.

WOw, this is honestly...disappointing. My favorite game of all time (you freakin' heard me) is that despised by people like these? Makes me sad.

Yes, I am personally including XIII in this list (not the first, but certainly gonna elaborate on it), and I did NOT hate the linearity of the game. If you pay some attention to the plot, it makes sense in context. Your characters are l'Cie, and that makes them kill-on-sight targets across the entire PLANET. So what sense would it make to have for the world to be open-ended and you get to enter any area you want at any time when there is a sense of urgency to get your as.s moving because you are criminals on the run, hm? Yes, there could have been a system where the military forces are tracking your movements and is getting closer, but that would have been repetitive and convoluted in practice, so the "limited hallway" thing did not irritate me. Because yes, story does matter to me a crapton, and gameplay matching the storyline even moreso.

Speaking of gameplay, let's get into that, shall we? Good lord, I loved the battle system, it was a breath of fresh air. No, it wasn't my favorite battle system, which is the style used in the Kingdom Hearts main games. This was similar, though, you take control of one lead and have two supporters, and when your supporters go down you can revive them, but when you do down, game over. Sure, made things a bit difficult, but that made it plenty exciting. And it helped the AI was actually pretty intelligent in battle. That's a sentence I never would have thought to say for many games at all, and you all know why. The lack of levelling was another good boon, I kinda liked the Crystarium. Grinding mattered less and it was even moreso a role of strategy and timing in battles. Can't tell you how many tough boss battles I lost all because of being a single second late on using potions. But that's the nature of the game, and it's so cool in my opinion.

As for characters, well...Lightning started off as a Cloud-Strife-with-boobs, so I admit she was not my favorite starting out, but she did eventually start having a personality and I enjoyed getting to bring her out of that shell. Sazh...everyone loves the Token Black Shooter Guy. And boy was he funny...and had the single most shocking scene in the game. An odd combo that worked with his character. Snow? He got annoying with the "HERO!" bullcrap, but he wised up eventually...sorta. Fang? Sexy Aussie chick with a spear, and everything about her kicked as.s. Bahamut, please . Hope? Yes, started off an annoying-wangst character, but after his failed attempt at killing Snow (I enjoyed that scene a ton, by the way), he started getting a LOT better. And Vanille? She...well...she's quirky, sometimes ya like her, sometimes she gets on your nerves. I'm the more forgiving gamer in that category, so I didn't let her ruin the game for me at any time.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Aaaaaand we get to the storyline. Yes, you have to play it through to make sense of it. But it was great, and terrifying. It split up the events leading up to the actual beginning throughout the story, making playing through further to earn those extra story points worth it for some people (like me). Once you got enough of the pieces you could certainly start putting the puzzle together...and then extra stuff shatters the puzzle because the pieces don't fit quite so well anymore and you need extra pieces.

I liked this storyline. There are few storylines I like where the good guys are hunted criminals without a chance in hell of succeeding. That's because most of the time the heroes in those stories pull off escapes or victories out their asses. Not aaaasss true with this one, considering they were purely puppets the entire time and their escapes and victories were a combination of their own skills, granted powers from being l'Cie, demi-godly meddling, and damn awesome luck. And considering the bad guys actually WON, that the good guys, for all their efforts, could do nothing but play right into their hands, was a little terrifying. And yes, their wish was denied. But I don't believe it was really a deus ex machina. They'd had that destiny all those centuries from the Pulse Fal'cie that conscripted them (so to speak). It was a final "f--- you!" from Pulse to Cocoon in a way, for their goal to be so close and yet ripped away from them after they'd been terminated. And it brought humans back to Pulse when the last of them had been killed off many centuries before, so it'd help in the long run, I'm sure.

(For the record, I have not played XIII-2 and might not, dunno.)

The way the storyline was executed was fast-paced at the right moments, and relaxed when I felt I needed a break from running for my life. Of course, oftentimes the "running for my life" part would show up extremely soon after a relaxing part began anyway, so it kept me on my toes. Very little of the story seemed at all out of place in my opinion, once I had all the puzzle pieces in place.

IN CONCLUSION...

No, as much as my arguments might seem, this was not a perfect game, far from it. But it was certainly my favorite game (read: favorite, not best). because of the character development, the insanely fun battle system, the addicting graphics engine, and the storyline I loved to follow to see what craziness would happen next. It was satisfying, to me. I felt a sense of accomplishment by finishing the game, and that alone makes it worth playing for me. If I feel accomplished in a game, it was worth the many hours I put into it.

So I do feel the bad rap the game's gotten is a little undeserved. Everyone wanted it to be another FFVII or something, with the same overused styles and fallbacks: airships, open-world maps, experience and leveling up, and a 'go at your own pace' thing. This one dared to be different, and I am one of the few ones proud to applaud it for this. It was entertaining, sexy to look at with those graphics, and fun to keep going back into.

But I do have one thing to say...wtf were they thinking making Shiva into the Shiva sisters...that come together to form a bike? That really seems a little far to me, even with all the other summons and their 'vehicle mode' options.

[Jb]

So I do feel the bad rap the game's gotten is a little undeserved. Everyone wanted it to be another FFVII or something, with the same overused styles and fallbacks: airships, open-world maps, experience and leveling up, and a 'go at your own pace' thing. This one dared to be different, and I am one of the few ones proud to applaud it for this. It was entertaining, sexy to look at with those graphics, and fun to keep going back into.

This is where I disagree. I've never even played a FF game before(I was a Tales and DQ kid) so I had no prior version to compare it to. I didn't want a FFVII(I have no idea what the hell it's even about), I just wanted JRPG, which I personally feel I didn't get. It doesn't help that better jrps of this gen get overlooked for this crap.(Lost Odyssey, Tales of Vesperia and Eternal Sonata).

[ImAnOKIE12]

Games in general. One time I was buying a game for my Lil bro as a birthday present, and in the checkout line, a lady and her son was behind me, the lady said "Another person wasting money on a video game." I turned around, and said "HA thats funny, cause I know I have money to buy these things, and I dont waste it on drugs like your skinny *** probably does." I Then collected my things, and walked out. Like a bouse.
Btw, I was buying Pokemon black. I mean seriously? Games aint that bad.

[LordLucario21]

I do not get why many Kirby fans dislike Amazing Mirror. Besides the dumb Ai, the game was fantastic. It is actually my favorite Kirby game of all time. Yes, even more than Super Star. Though I do have yet to play Return to Dream Land, so my opinion might change if I play that.

[noobers]

I turned around, and said "HA thats funny, cause I know I have money to buy these things, and I dont waste it on drugs like your skinny *** probably does." I Then collected my things, and walked out. Like a bouse

Why do you enjoy lying on the Internet?

[blaze boy]

I Then collected my things, and walked out. Like a bouse.

How does one walk out like a piece of Women clothing?

[AuraChannelerChris]

Arc Rise Fantasia. Just some of the VA is bad, but the RPG in its core is pretty good and the story IS complicated yet addicting (every single faction, be it government or religious, is connected in some ways).

[Phlogiston]

Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team Protoman/Colonel

Though I would admit it was my first MMBN game. But I had fun playing this game. The story did suck and the music was awesome. I was very addicted to the battle system and it's missions. I can see why people hated it because it was basically the same thing since the last 4 games. Although I can't argue because I didn't play neither of them. But I think having a team was clever.

Btw I owned the Team Protoman one. Oh I wish I could find it again.

I probably sold it. :3

Battle Network 5 was great. The story was lame, yes, but there've always been a lot of holes in the games' plots. It's difficult for me to choose a version, because each one has pretty cool Navis. (ProtoMan has NapalmMan, Colonel has KnightMan. Just as examples.)

<snip>

I think you're taking this a little too seriously.

[pacman000]

E.T. for the Atari 2600 isn't as bad as (almost) everyone says, it just needs some polish. A lot of polish.

[Un0va]

I partially disagree. While those other things are it's strong points, I still enjoy the gameplay. Riding your horse around the massive world and fighting gigantic monsters is fuggin' exhilarating.

Well, yeah, but I mean, the gameplay wasn't meant to be the focus of the game. It was still good, though.

[Ambri]

I don't really understand all the hate on Final Fantasy XIII either. I think the battle system is awesome and the game is great ^_^. I'm currently trying to max out my Crystarium levels in post game and get the Platinum. And the story does make sense, if you've read the database entries which fills you in bit by bit as you go through each chapter. People compare it to other FF Games too much when it tried something different that worked. I loved Final Fantasy VIII as well, even though most people seem to hate that too |D. The Junction system was tricky to use but could be great if tweaked/ redone for another game.

Shadow the Hedgehog's alright too. I'm not just saying that because I love Shadow though; the story was pretty bad and it isn't as good gameplay wise as Adventure 1 + 2, but it isn't unplayable either. Some of the levels are really fun and the Hero/Dark/Neutral mission choices and multiple endings were kind of cool~

Phantom Hourglass is really underrated IMO. It has improved ship travelling than Wind Waker and some great items/weapons, plus LINEBECK.