Playing games you don't enjoy: Anybody else struggle with this?

Trusty Mutsi

Trusty Mutsi

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I was shocked I felt this way, but I just can't seem to get into Mass Effect. I'm 24 hours in, and it's... okay. I keep hearing the story gets VERY epic, so I kinda want to stick it out, but when you give a game 24 hours, how much more do you stick to it? I only have so much time to play, and I don't want to waste it with games I don't like, when I have plenty of games I still want to get into (Fallout 3, I'm looking at YOU.)

The problem for me is: Once in a great while I stick to a game, and it DOES get better, but it's VERY rare. Most of the time if I don't like a game in the first few hours, I won't like any of it. But because of the rare instances where it DOES get better, I'll play a game I'm not enjoying much longer than I should.

And then there's the other issue of me not enjoying a game, but it's very popular, and I keep thinking "I SHOULD like it. Everybody ELSE does!"

Anybody else struggle with this?
 
Dude, I'm totally right there with ya. Believe it or not, with the same game, I've tried twice now to get into it, but it's just not there for me. I've given it even less time; I'm just in the big space station thingy.
The problem for me, it seems that with most Bioware games of this ilk, is that for all the touting of a grand adventure, and massive options in dialog, etc. they all seem to break down to the same formula. Get to new area, and you can either stick with the main quest, or run around for hours solving the various NPC's problems. It just feels like KOTOR I and II, etc, with a prettier paint job.

Dont get me wrong, I love a great RPG, but something between us is missing. :( It's not you, its me. ;)
 
Before I even opened the topic, I thought "yeah, with Mass Effect". Everything I heard about the game made it sound awesome...Space setting, RPG elements, epic storyline, well reviewed, recommendations out the wazoo...so when I saw it for ten bucks at TRU on clearance, I thought "why not". First time in my system, i played maybe a half hour before I got bored enough and put it aside. Month or so later, I try it again, and make it to the end of the first chapter before crippling boredom took hold again. After that, I traded it in, without any regret.

Personally, I just attribute this to a case of "not every game is for every person". The game failed to get its hooks into me, pure and simple. Not to saw it was a bad game, but I have enough games I could be playing that I could be enjoying more to give it all the time it needs to ensnare me, if it would happen.
 
See I totally got into Mass Effect, but games that I'm supposed to love or forever be a noob, I don't get into most of them. I still have a sealed copy of Halo 3 I bought in 2007 that I just never felt the desire to play. And Gears of War, well to me both the first game and its sequel were just meh. I played through the entire first game and halfway through the second I just decided I'd had enough of that. Even Call of Duty World at War, while I played damn near 1000 hours of Call of Duty 4, just didn't interest me in the slightest after 30 minutes.
 
Went back and looked. I'm actually only 11 hours and 19 minutes into it. I must have been looking at the time of day I was playing, which was probably around midnight (24:00).
 
Yeah, it's happened to me a few times. See: me playing 40 hours of Tales of the Abyss and finally just having to drop it due to its fail.
 
I will just put a game down at some point if I'm not having fun. Good reviews and reccomendations may get me to try longer, but I wont stick with something I'm not enjoying.

Never played Mass Effect and probably wont, directly because of two games on my below list of Games most people love that I couldn't stand:

- KOTOR II - I LOVED the first KOTOR game, but this one... WTF? It's not even finished! One of the worst sequels to a game ever. I put about 12-15 hours into this before I tossed it.

- Jade Empire - I played this game right up until the second (and last) end boss fight. I was probably 30 minutes from seeing the end of the game when I turned it off never to play again. The combat is ultra broken and theres no equipment to collect for your characters. I struggled to stay awake during this stinker.

- Assasins Creed - This may be #1 on my list of most overhyped games ever. Shit controls, horrible story, and nothing to really do in the game world. Luckily I only wasted a few hours on this garbage.

- Kingdom Hearts 2 - Never played the first, but the fanbase for these games is large and loud. My wife grabbed the sequel for me as a gift. I sunk 20+ hours into this game so as not to make her think I wasn't appreciative of the gift, but it sucked that entire time. I finally tossed this back in the pile and vowed never again to listen to Squeenix EMO retards and their game reccomendations.


I wish I could have back every minute I spent playing every one of those games.
 
Nope. If I can't get into a game pretty quickly I quit playing it and throw it back on Goozex for the most part.

I spend very little time on gaming these days, and I'm not going to waste it on something I'm not enjoying after I've given it enough time to get used to the gameplay etc.
 
I got into mass effect in a bog way. The game I cant get into is Force Unleashed. the gameplay doesnt inspire me to do anything. So I bypass most of the game by running by the targets just to get to the next cutscene where the only thing that does interest me is... its sad
 
[quote name='Trusty Mutsi']I keep hearing the story gets VERY epic, [/QUOTE]

This is part of the problem IMO. Gamers demand epic, when epic really only refers to the scale and speaks nothing about the actual quality. It takes a lot of copy and paste side missions and content repetition to fill up an "epic" universe. One suggestion I would have with Mass Effect is to skip the Side Missions. Most of them add little if anything to the actual game, and they will make the game drag.
 
[quote name='msdmoney']One suggestion I would have with Mass Effect is to skip the Side Missions. Most of them add little if anything to the actual game, and they will make the game drag.[/QUOTE]

Interesting you say that. At first I was like "WOW!!! There are SO many planets to visit!" and I think I overdid it a bit. Not that I'm focused more on the main quest, it's dragging less.
 
Interesting that this topic in general and the game, Mass Effect, specifically should come up.

Mass Effect is on my play list (after I finish Metroid Prime): for those who like the game, what general advice can you give? My instinct is to make my character Combat/Tech or Combat/Biotics, but I've heard that it's better to go Combat specialized and leave Tech and Biotics to the other members of your squad.

I personally didn't feel very engaged playing the campaign of Halo 3 after quite enjoying the first two. I pushed through to the end for the sake of finishing the trilogy's story, though.
 
I second KOTOR 2 and Assassin's creed.

For KOTOR 2, I'm not quite sure what it was for me. I don't know if it felt like more of the same (I never did like the combat style, but the first game made up for it), or if it was the characters, but something just never inspired me to finish it.

As for Assassin's creed, I got used to the controls so that wasn't really a problem. My problem with is was
at the beginning, you find out the whole thing is a lie and you're in a computer simulation.
It just ruined the whole experience for me and I think I've only played it for an hour so far. Good thing I only bought it for $5 in that recent HWV sale.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Nope. If I can't get into a game pretty quickly I quit playing it and throw it back on Goozex for the most part.

[/QUOTE]

this. most recently , assassins creed. played it, didnt get into it, shipped it back out. why bother playing through a game for hours if you dont like it.
 
I remember when I used to watch anime in the hopes that it would get good later. Then I realized that falling asleep during a show probably meant it was bad, and each season would start with me watching 8 shows and paring it down to 1 or none.

Now I don't watch anime anymore.

Same thing with games.
I actually like Mass Effect but sadly I am just too lazy to put the damn game in and start. And last time when I was really into it, my 360 red ringed.
 
Yup.

I've been very disappointed that I just can't force myself to play KOTOR. I like Star Wars, but the gameplay just isn't enjoyable for me, so I can't keep going. I had heard so many good things about KOTOR and KOTOR II that I bought both on PC without trying them... Same thing with FFXII.
 
Although I've had the issue with wanting to like popular games and not before, it doesn't happen very often. Usually if I'm finding it hard to get into a new game after playing for about an hour, I'll get rid of it.
 
Dead Space was that game for me. I kept playing it because the shooting in the game felt solid, plus shooting limbs off enemies was very cool, but the story didn't grab me and the characters were kinda lame as well as the enemies. It also reminded that I was always playing a game in part because it was so linear. I never lost myself in the game like I did with Bioshock for example.

Maybe in the next game they can open things up a bit more and give the main character some or any personality for that matter. The sound effects were awesome though.
 
[quote name='kilm']I struggle with liking games I know I shouldn't.

Superman 64? Yes, plz![/QUOTE]

LOL! I have that problem too! I actually kinda dug Two Worlds. Although it helped I only payed $5 and view it as a pretty Playstation 2 game :)
 
I gave up on Mass Effect about 12 hours in.

The gameplay just wasn't for me...Mass Effect 2 on the other hand looks like it'd be right up my alley (much more shootery)

There's tons of games I know are popular but I dislike/hate. Games like LBP, the entire MGS series, Gran Turismo, etc I do not like or enjoy.
 
Funny so many people are mentioning Mass Effect, because that game is literally the only case of such a thing happening to me. Several things just bothered me about it, like the lifelessness and emptyness of nearly every environment outside of the citadel, the lack of any feeling of engagement or excitement in the firefights, the lack of squad communication, and feeling like I'm doing chores when I try to go in and upgrade my equipment through the inventory system. There were a couple of things done right, like the ending, and the music, but ultimately I had no feelings for it by the time I traded it in.
 
I'd sure hope you were being paid as a Tester to play games you didn't enjoy.

but all kidding aside; we've all had bad experiences. playing a bad video game is like watching a bad movie or sitcom; or worse, going on a bad date. whether you choose to continue your pain as a masochist is your personal choice.

my advice: move on, don't waste your time, and never look back. [edit: good place to give a shout out to Wombat!]
 
I played Peter Jackson's King Kong once for like four hours straight. Ugh. Then I played it again later for three hours. Mind you, the game NEVER got good and it's like eight hours total.
 
My advice with Mass Effect is just stick to the main storyline. It is very good. I got half way through the game and was trying to do everything and put it down. About 6 months later I started playing again and only did the main storyline and really enjoyed it. I now eagerly await Mass Effect 2!
 
[quote name='kilm']I struggle with liking games I know I shouldn't.

Superman 64? Yes, plz![/QUOTE]

Superman 64 was hilarious. It's the only game where Superman can, by himself, play catch with a car.:lol:
 
I have a lot of games that I really like, but just don't want to keep playing. Like Kingdom Hearts. Basically everyone I've ever met (online and person) thinks this game is so amazing. I really do enjoy it, but it just got too boring for me a few hours in, so now I can't really bother playing more.
 
I have a weird problem where I won't enjoy a game very much, but as soon as someone else in the house starts to play it, I start to really get into it. Fallout 3 was like that. I tried 3 different times to get into it, but just couldn't, but as soon as my roommate starts playing, I got really into it and ended up getting the full 1000 GS on it.
 
Mass Effect was terrible, I don't care what the reviews say. I played it from start to finish because hey this is a Bioware game they won't let me down............ right???? WRONG! It was so stinking boring, go to planet X, drive around ten minutes, fight pirates rinse repeat over and over. By the time the real story started kicking in I just didn't care anymore. The story may have been epic but it was in no way shape or form interesting , something an RPG kinda needs to be.
 
I play games for fun, so if a game bores me or feels like a chore to play I almost immediately quit playing it. There's just no point in playing something I"m not enjoying.
 
ME was SLLLLOOOOOW for the first hour or so..after that it sucked me right in. If you are more than 5 hours in and don't like it then stop.
 
i couldn't get 30 minutes into mass effect! as for assassin's creed i enjoyed it on the 360 but as i'm playing it on the ps3 it really is boring. especially since i got through 7 of the 9 assassinations and now i'm on number 4 and ughhhhhhhhh
 
[quote name='Macheezmo']I have a weird problem where I won't enjoy a game very much, but as soon as someone else in the house starts to play it, I start to really get into it. Fallout 3 was like that. I tried 3 different times to get into it, but just couldn't, but as soon as my roommate starts playing, I got really into it and ended up getting the full 1000 GS on it.[/QUOTE]

I have the same issue. If my brother-in-law comes over with a games and plays it, it's suddenly the most interesting this in the world to me. Grass is always greener, I guess...
 
i usually give up on games if i'm uninterested after 2 hours or so. However, I almost gave up on Fallout after 9-10 hours. I was just getting sick of it, then i just kind of powered through a few hours and something clicked. Now i've put in 100+ hours and it's probably one of my favorite games of all time. Glad i didn't give up! That being said... I liked mass effect, but it wasn't the greatest game. It definitely had it's slow points (a lot of them) and i wasn't crazy about the planet exploration, which was a lot of the game.
 
[quote name='Ravenduo']My advice with Mass Effect is just stick to the main storyline. It is very good. I got half way through the game and was trying to do everything and put it down. About 6 months later I started playing again and only did the main storyline and really enjoyed it. I now eagerly await Mass Effect 2![/QUOTE]

Now that I've focused on the main mission, it IS getting better.
 
For me, it depends on the game. The aforementioned Ass Creed and Mass Effect were both two that I picked up and put down not even 2 hours in. I just couldn't get into them. I feel the same about Gears of War. I played the first level and never came back to it.

I recently did do this same thing with Fallout 3 however. I played it for about 2 hours, thought it wasn't all that, put it on the shelf. About a month later I came back to it and stuck with it. I've now put about 100 hours into it and it's one of the best games I've ever played.
 
[quote name='mang9432']i usually give up on games if i'm uninterested after 2 hours or so. However, I almost gave up on Fallout after 9-10 hours. I was just getting sick of it, then i just kind of powered through a few hours and something clicked. Now i've put in 100+ hours and it's probably one of my favorite games of all time. Glad i didn't give up! That being said... I liked mass effect, but it wasn't the greatest game. It definitely had it's slow points (a lot of them) and i wasn't crazy about the planet exploration, which was a lot of the game.[/QUOTE]

See, this is one of the reasons I DO stick with a game. It just sucks when you do put in the extra time, and still don't enjoy it.
 
Good topic. There have been times where it took a while for a game to "click" with me, but I toughed it out and eventually I ended up having a lot of fun. However, I've found myself less likely to take these risks now that I'm living on my own. See, at that point there is generally a lot more stuff to take care of, and TIME becomes equally as precious a commodity as money.

As a result my game buying habits have changed dramatically. I pass up on deals all the time because instead of thinking about the discount I'm getting, I'm just thinking "how much TIME is this game gonna cost me?" And when you think that way, the OP's issue of actually ENJOYING your games becomes of paramount importance!

Unfortunately I've got a backlog of stuff from my more frivolous CAGging days that I'll probably never get around to now... but it's kinda liberating to realize that I'm not gonna force myself to plod through every one of them!
 
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I think a situation like this has a few reasons of why your opinion does not match most people. I find that when something like this happens to me (I really liked mass effect FYI), its either because I am not in the mood to play that particular type of game or the type of game that everyone loves, I dont share the same appreciation for.

A good example for me is GTA. I enjoy sandbox games and all, but not to the point some people do, and truthfully Ive had GTA4 sitting there almost since it came out (almost because I borrowed it after my brother got it on opening day).

Another thing is that if your not into the type of game, I think it was like the 4th or 5th post that didnt like KOTOR or Jade Empire, theres a good chance you probably wont like this one. Not that you wont but if you didnt like those youll see that the game follows a simlar structure.

And most importantly, for me at least, is the timing. I cant stress this enough just because I have a backlog bigger than what some people own in general, and sometimes Im just not in the mood for a certain type of game. Or I might just not have the time to put into a game to truly enjoy it. RPGs have a tendency to require a large commitment in larger blocks just to keep the story consistent. Many times have I played a game for short periods and not liked them and stopped playing, only to end up going back when I have lots of time and putting the neccessary time and enjoying them completely. This is a case of mood or timing being the case as opposed to the game.
 
Bustuppa and Tankass made some VERY good points. Specifically time being precious, keeping your backlog in mind, and realizing you just might not be in the mood to play the game. I really could just put ME aside and play later. Funny enought though, I'm finally getting into it.
 
Yeah I recently slogged through two games that I really stopped enjoying about halfway through, but dammit I was going to finish them anyway : Mirror's edge and Bionic Commando. The fun factor during those last few missions on each was absolute zero. Both are the kind of games where you often have to make very precisely timed jumps, and I friggin' HATE that, there were many times where I'd try and fail to make a particular jump about 10 times and wanted to hurl the controller through the tv.

But I endured the pain, and I finished them both. Now I've downloaded the Secret of Monkey Island for some relaxing fun. (Now where's that fucking helmet? I've fucking looked everywhere!!!)
 
Warrior Within is the only game that I really disliked while playing, though I've got a few not-so-nice words for KotOR II and Black & White 2.
 
Knights of the Old Republic was a chore, as many have said.

I'm trying to play through Splinter Cell - Double Agent on the PC, but the bugs make it unplayable. I can't even finish some of the missions without having to use cheats.
 
felt that way with mgs4 i beat it but halfway through it i could care less so i plowed through it and then i left it alone. felt the same for gta4 and loztp i enjoyed them at first but the games both became a dull grind and the ending for each was so unsatisfying i couldnt play them anymore ( except for the gta4 mp which is fun).
 
Jesus, this thread should be renamed "Not enjoying games that are awesome."

I can understand an arguement for Assassin's Creed or something, but KOTOR, Mass Effect, and MGS4? Really?

The only time I might play a game I don't enjoy is because my rental isn't up and there are still trophies or achievements to be had. That said, I don't rent anymore, so I rarely play a game I don't enjoy.

I guess I can say inFAMOUS because I beat it on good (and it was epic), but I'm forcing myself to beat it on evil so I can fully complete it and sell it off; that is making me not enjoy it
 
[quote name='lolwut?']Jesus, this thread should be renamed "Not enjoying games that are awesome."

I can understand an arguement for Assassin's Creed or something, but KOTOR, Mass Effect, and MGS4? Really?


The only time I might play a game I don't enjoy is because my rental isn't up and there are still trophies or achievements to be had. That said, I don't rent anymore, so I rarely play a game I don't enjoy.

I guess I can say inFAMOUS because I beat it on good (and it was epic), but I'm forcing myself to beat it on evil so I can fully complete it and sell it off; that is making me not enjoy it[/QUOTE]


lol join the club on infamous.its an awesome game but trying to get the trophies makes it annoying. especially on evil mode because it seems like all the upgrades cost way too much. i was hoping after i got the stunt trophy id be able to skip all the side missions and hurry through it to get my hard tophy and evil finish trophy but it seems like ill have to beat every mission so i can get the evil abilities upgrade trophy. feeling like dk 64 all over again.
 
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