Was there ever a game you hated? A game you loathed so much you wanted to break the controller? Something that made you angry? But despite all the flaws, you continued playing the game for some reason unknown?
The Non-Fiction Gaming crew has and they’re here today to share some of their experiences.
2048
Aidan B
Mobile gaming is something I have conflicting feelings about. On one hand, it has generated a massive increase in the size of the gaming market. On the other, however, the games are either laden with ads or outright terrible.
Having micro-transactions and full-screen ads rammed down my throat is enough to put me off 90% of the mobile market.
One recent attempt at relieving boredom on train rides spawned a love-hate relationship with this particular game. ‘2048‘ involves sliding numbered blocks around a grid and when two of the same number come into contact, they add together. The point of the game is to turn blocks of 2 into a block of 2048.
With nary any instruction and strategy that requires more effort than a 5-minute distraction is worth, I don’t know what to think about 2048. It’s that devilish combination of infuriating and addictive.
Sort of like trying to beat the first Wizpig in Diddy Kong Racing.
Final Fantasy VIII
KRS 2
If you have read my article where I have essentially spent 1500 words shiving Grand Theft Auto V, you might think THAT would be the game that I hate but couldn’t stop playing. I didn’t hate GTA V though, I was just bored really.
No, the game that springs to mind when I think of something I couldn’t stop playing despite hating is Final Fantasy VIII. When I was a teen I would rant about how much Final Fantasy VIII sucked. To anyone who would listen. I would complain that Squall was an unlikeable moody bastard and was being antisocial for no good reason, that the music sucked (except for three tracks), the battle system was stupid, all the characters who weren’t Squall were boring and ended up all having the same backstory (spoiler alert).
I think there were more complaints but the point is I constantly ragged on the game. About the only thing I admitted to liking was Laguna and his small sections of story. But for whatever reason I played through the game multiple times and to this day, FFVIII is one of only three Final Fantasy games I have finished (the other two are V and VII).
I have however reassessed my feelings towards FFVIII by replaying it a couple of years back and I decided I don’t hate it anymore. A lot of my complaints as a teen certainly have elements of truth to them, but I will admit that I was a little too hard on the game.
League of Legends
Wilson Tang
League of Legends is a game that I have been playing on and off for almost 3 years now, ever since I started playing it back when I was starting senior high school.
The hate, the threats of reporting and the denoting my skill for the slightest screw-up has taken a toll on me, mentally and, physically (smashed everything in my house…). Hence why I approach heated feuds with sarcasm or I just limit what I say online since logic and facts are too much for people to handle.
I really like the game, they have the right idea of drawing the player back for more and there sure are some satisfying moments in the game, especially when playing on a team with mates.
League of Legends, it’s a game that relies heavily on community. I sometimes wonder what could, would or should we do to solve this grand question.
You may remember Jenova Chen, Cofounder and Creative Director of Thatvideogamecompany, for developing the PlayStation exclusive Journey, released back in 2012.
I mention him is because during 2013’s D.I.C.E. Summit conference, he gave a talk, “Emotion Oriented Interactive Entertainment”. He talks about the process of designing Journey and it’s interesting that he ran all these tests, as he was trying to stamp out hate between players.
The final product is the Journey that we see (or play) today. Communication is done via small pings and noises. I know Journey and League of Legends are on totally different levels of communication and that they are of different genres, or that it’s just in our nature to rebel or bicker and so forth.
Opinions vary and I totally understand, but what if LoL could do the same (somehow…)?
We might see it one day, if people can make games with minimalist mechanics and still create a pleasing aesthetic overall. As a game design student, I love seeing new ideas which can be put in an interactive format which we see at game-jams and indie game meetings.
But going back to League of Legends, Riot Games is currently testing a new system for more effective banning so we might see a better community in the end.
So tell us reader. What games have you kept playing even though you hated it on some level? Are you guilty about your Candy Crush addiction?
Let us know in the comments!
