r/videogames • u/ririaliali • 1h ago
Discussion / Question Games/franchises that I theoretically like everything about... except actually playing them
- Pokémon
I love the world, characters, and creature designs of Pokemon. It's such a fun series to imagine fan works for; I would come up with a fake region with its own lore and characters and Pokémon in a heartbeat, because this franchise leaves so much up to the imagination and has infinite potential for stories based on the behaviors of Pokémon and how society and people's lives would be structured around them. It's a shame, then, that nearly every Pokemon game I've tried has bored me to death, be it SoulSilver, Platinum, X, etc. (I haven't tried any of the games past USUM, so take this with a grain of salt).
It's not even necessarily a turn-based combat problem, as I love games like OMORI, Yakuza: Like a Dragon/Infinite Wealth, Expedition 33, and the Persona series; it just feels like there is so much potential that these games aren't living up to, and the creative drive I have about it is a desire to make something more in-depth and engrossing out of it. Being a game for children doesn't mean the writing has to be boring, and I think it would benefit greatly from some modernizations in its UI and combat. The games I listed above manage to make turn-based combat feel really good, and putting aside the real-time elements of E33, it mostly comes down to snappy menus, few pace-breaking text boxes, and some amount of visual flair.
From what I've heard, aside from the technical flaws, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet actually do a pretty good job making the Paldea region and its residents into something rather interesting and engaging, so I might want to check those out at some point.
- Minecraft
This one is entirely a me problem, I think. In theory Minecraft should be my forever game, with endless creative freedom to build whatever you desire, not to mention the theoretically endless enjoyment of playing with friends. I love knowing about Minecraft, I love seeing others play it, but I have never really enjoyed playing it myself. I don't have an essay for this one.
Do y'all have any games like that?
2
u/Sufficient_Bad_4160 1h ago edited 1h ago
I can't think of a specific game right now, but this has happened to me so many times. I'll find a game set in a world I'm really interested in, featuring really good looking characters, deeply written, beautiful romances, immersive storytelling, meaningful choices, and a world that makes you feel like you're actually living in it. A game where the political conflicts, cultural details, events, and relationships between characters all come together to create an incredible experience. Something that makes you want to explore every corner of the world, learn more about its history, and get emotionally invested in the characters and their stories.
And then I find out it's an isometric strategy game or a mobile game.
2
u/StunningBag9008 1h ago
It was Resident Evil, but now that the games are releasing on the Switch 2 with better fidelity, I have no excuse.
2
u/Youwillseemycomment 1h ago
Assassin’s Creed. An Assassin open world game with a semi decent story and lots pf sandbox potential yet I wanna throw up after an hour of playing any of their recent games.
1
u/Montexe 43m ago edited 39m ago
There are plenty of fandoms like that. Even the SEGA president said there are lots of fans who never played their games, only watched someone else play it.
I've met a Silent Hill fan once, who haven't played a single SH game, but knows everything about them. I don't get it, but different strokes for different folks, I guess
1
u/MrNeatSoup 40m ago
I love everything about the Guilty Gear series but I am absolute dog shit at fighting games and always will be.
1
u/ririaliali 33m ago
same bro, I love the idea of fighting games but committing SO much time to learning just one game’s mechanics is just too much for me 😅
1
u/nyssaR 18m ago
Knights of The Old Republic 1&2. Revan and the Jedi Exile and the Mandalorian Wars and the whole shebang are gold mines of in-depth writing and worldbuilding. I'm still so attached to saga even though I'm not a Star Wars person generally except for early seasons of The Mandalorian and Rogue One-Andor. but I just cannot be arsed to replay the games, they become tedious as I get older.
1
u/Ill_Conversation7806 17m ago
Fire emblem, i love the story and characters, but chess gameplay isn't for me as someone who loves platformers and action rpgs
3
u/Its_Smoggy 1h ago
Im the same with minecraft - I know this is going to sound so pathetic, but i just cant get over trees floating after you've destroyed the base. That just drives me too insane I can't play it because of that.