Are there games that you tried but just couldn't get into because they feel outdated? Games that, in theory, you would enjoy, but don't because the controls, graphics, writing, or mechanics just don't feel good anymore. Games that, compared to today, just don't hold up to your standards.
I recently tried playing Heroes of Might and Magic III, and I realized that a lot of the invisible language used through game design from that era, I do not understand. There are many things that the game didn't explain, and I assume they were just understood by players. Not only that, but I imagine there was a lot of crossover between video games and board games back then, so maybe that language was used as well. I ended up downloading a manual and putting it on my second screen and I get it and played it, but it just wasn't for me.
I also dropped Mirror's Edge, but this time it was because of the graphics. It looks and feels great, but the graphics give me a headache. There is way too much bloom, and for some reason, there are some parts that look like the imaginary lens has been covered in Vaseline. This didn't bother me before, but my eyes are not used to it anymore.
There are also games like the first two Tony Hawk Pro Skater games that I can't fully get into because they're missing mechanics from the later games. The levels and controls feel great, but they don't feel complete without those mechanics. It keeps me from enjoying the games as much as the others.
Please share yours!
Persona 1 and 2. As a Persona fan I see some people saying how great they are, and the story does seem interesting, but I can't deal with that map movement, battle system and endless random battles.
Really, any RPG with random battles is a little harder to get into compared to overworld monsters you can avoid or target at your own pace.
Even as a kid growing up with that stuff I hated the random battles.
Same. I used to play some fantasy RPG with random battles. Me, being like 9, realized that you can escape, and if you fail you can try again. Well, I started skipping all battles, and somehow ended up in a boss fight that was level like 25, and I was about 12. I didn't have any earlier save, and I couldn't go back.
It was some game about going on a pilgrimage.
Sounds like Final Fantasy X, but it really depends on how old you are. It has a Flee skill which allows you to instantly escape nearly any battle. Lots of new/young players abused it because they thought “hey, less battling.” But then they were horribly underpowered for the bosses.
And yes, it features a pilgrimage as a main plot point.
If you’re interested, the PC remaster has some nice added features. You can up the speed to 4x, enable auto-attacks, enable a “boost” mode that gives you a full heal every turn, etc… And if you install the Untitled Project X mod, you can enable exp gains for characters on your bench, so you don’t even need to swap out characters for them to receive exp. It takes a relatively grindy game, and turns it into one where you don’t need to grind at all. Giving exp to benched members means you spend less time on each battle, and you don’t end up with any characters who are underpowered because you never use them.
I remember I struggled with my first play through because I rarely used Wakka or Rikku. And those are two out of three characters who can fight underwater. Near the end of the game, there’s an underwater boss fight that was basically a brick wall for me. All because those two characters weren’t leveled up enough.
Good tip, but it was definitely mot FFX. I remember starting in a village, on a sort of peninsula, being sent out on a pilgrimage for whatever reason, going north. It was definitely not 3D graphics.
EDIT: After a lot of searching, it was probably "Legend of Heroes 2: Prophecy if the Moonlight Witch", but I am not too sure. It's the closest I could match from my memory. It is almost 20 years ago lol.
EDIT2: It is definitely it.