I think it's okay to put down a game you aren't having fun with. Time is limited, there are too many games and media experiences fighting for your attention. But sometimes if you hold out patience until something clicks, it can be one of the most rewarding experiences.
Definitely! I’ve put down a few games that didn’t click and maybe I’ll come back to, but usually if there’s nothing enticing at all about it and I gave it a shot, I feel good enough to move on usually
I also believe so. Considering I have a backlog has more than a hundred games and I work my 40h a week, being selective is a necessary thing. Although I defend powering through moments that bring the game down because of a thematic reason or because something could be better done, you don't need to complete some games to know that it is something that will not bring any value to you. My latest example has been I Am Setsuna, which I did power through it for 20 hours, but I consider those hours lost. And it was something that I perceived from the first few hours. It helped me to perceive that sometimes, some experiences don't pay themselves back.
Personally I find it more valuable to stick with something until the end even if you don’t like it, rather than jumping on the buffet of endless media and entertainment with the attention span of a mosquito
I actually bounced off of Ocarina of Time the first time I played it. I had been deprived of gaming experiences in my youth and so was accustomed to a relatively narrow range of games on the PC, and Ocarina of Time being the progenitor to a genre of games that was utterly alien to me caused me to have a very hostile reaction to it. I eventually had to put it down because it was affecting my relationship with my partner, who admonished me for continuing to play the game even though everything about it was pissing me off except the story. I saw a RUclips video recently about how the psychology behind acquired tastes. You see, flavor profiles and texture are actually quite simple once you understand them. When you try a new food, or a new type of food, your brain is initially hesitant because it's unfamiliar, which will cause it to exaggerate the unfamiliar flavor, texture, aroma, et cetera, making it seem very unpleasant. But if you keep eating it, your brain will calm down and you'll come to recognize the flavors you like in that food. Well, the same is true of video games. After taking a break, and leaving my stressful day job in search of greener pastures, I deleted my Ocarina save file one Saturday afternoon and started the game again, this time allowing myself time to explore and get to know the game early on. I had a much better time the second time around, and I think my partner agrees that I'm approaching it with a much healthier mindset now, and I couldn't be happier. Ocarina of Time is a _great_ game. I just wasn't giving myself the opportunity to appreciate it.
Interesting! I wish I would’ve known more about this while making this video. It definitely would’ve been valuable information to include. Thanks for sharing!
This is me with Sonic Frontiers. During my first playthrough, I was extremely _frustrated_ with it. I wanted nothing more than to get the story over with and be done... But then I got it on PC so I could try modding it, so I had to play through it all over again. If you go into it expecting it to be _something,_ you miss what it actually is. Yes, there are some games that you might not enjoy. But if there's even a _little_ part of the game you like, maybe keep playing. You might learn to love it as it goes on.
I remember reaching the end of Chapter 6 of Xenoblade 2 and realizing that I still had not made up my mind on if I was actually enjoying the story or not even this far in. If I had not decided, completely on a whim, to turn in all of my Bonus EXP and make my party overleveled by about 20 levels _right_ before the Spirit Crucible, the most annoying section of the game for many, I likely would have put down the game during that dungeon. Meaning I would never have reached the very end and saw the split-second visual that turns the entire narrative on its head, in the best way possible. I marathoned the second half of Chapter 7 all the way to the credits in one sitting, I was that hooked. In that time I've come to appreciate the full story of 2, but my constant worrying of how good it would be when I had low expectations due to the change in tone and direction from the first game prevented me from becoming truly attached in the moment. Side note, I fully enjoyed Xenoblade 3's story right from the getgo unlike in 2, but the end of Chapter 5 in 3 put me in the exact same spell as Chapter 7 in 2, and I marathoned the rest of the story in one sitting. Really cool parallel between my first playthroughs of both games.
A lot of the comments are already missing the point. I completely agree with you. You don't have to continue playing a game you absolutely hate every second of it but never give up on a game because it has a slow start if there is something in it that you like. It's not only games nowadays, peoples attention span and busy lifestyles makes them want to jump from one exciting thing to the next, but that way you are missing out on great experiences that take their time and are more rewarding because of that.
Exactly! We aren’t going to be able to play every game we want to anyway so I’d rather take my time with games and see where they take me. I get that time is a precious commodity (more so than money), but I think our society has started to value quick wins a little too much. I’ve recently tried to slow down a bit in life while being a little more patient in the process and it’s been rewarding so far. I want that for others too.
I really like the TotK segment of this video, because it perfectly encapsulates why the current wave of hate its getting exists at all. Too many people expected it to be what it simply never would be. They had too many lofty expectations and simply couldn't keep them in check, and when the game failed to meet those expectations they blamed the game instead of looking inward. TotK never promised to be anything more than a sequel to BotW, and that's exactly what it is. Too many people went into it expecting the same magic of BotW, but that never was gonna happen. I really appreciate how introspective you are with this. For me, I'm generally really good at keeping my expectations in check. I didn't go into TotK expecting anything, at most I was keeping a mental list of all the things I saw in the trailers I thought looked cool, and I ended up loving it. Skyward Sword is still my favorite game, let alone favorite Zelda, but TotK is a pretty close second place.
Thanks for writing this! It’s nice to know my train of thought on that was appreciated. And that’s great that you enjoyed TOTK so much! I will definitely have to replay it down the road. Skyward Sword is also one of my favorites as well believe it or not
I've described this as "never trust your own negative opinion" If you don't like something assume that you're wrong until you can prove that you understand it well enough
I'll put a game down when it's not living up to my expectations. I bought and played the original Hyrule Warriors because it had fun references to past Zelda games and was marketed as a spin-off. Age of Calamity disappointed because I expected an accurate telling of the war before Breath of the Wild, and I put it down for not delivering.
That’s similar to my experience with age of calamity so I get that. I ended up rolling credits and was disappointed, but the gameplay was a fun enough time overall
Nah, sorry... I've given BotW enough of a shot already. I'm not going to keep playing a game that clearly is not for me, someone who preferred Zelda as it was. But hey, I'm grateful to it. Would probably never have tried Xenoblade if BotW didn't disappoint me so badly.
I like hearing unique experiences and perspectives like this. I’m definitely not saying you should waste time on games you don’t like. If there’s nothing enticing at all, I agree that you should definitely move on.
I think playing games that I don’t like help’s me appreciate the games I do like. I remembered completing the saints row reboot and it was bad. And it made me appreciate older saints row games even more. And I know it’s an unpopular opinion but I love three and four.
Yeah, for sure! I’ve also played newer games that were really good and I was only able to appreciate them because I knew what a bad or mediocre game looked like
I had a similar experience with Xenoblade 2! I got the game because of Pyra and Mythra entering smash bros. And I was slow to play the game due to the combat but the soundtrack and world sucked me in and led me to search up how to understand the combat. It’s become one of my most cherished games!
I forgot to mention this in the video, but I’m pretty sure Pyra and Mythra’s inclusion in Smash was one of the reasons I ended up going back to it. I might’ve forgotten about it completely (at least until XC3) if not for that. Smash Bros really is one of Nintendo’s best forms of advertisement lol
Last year I tried cocoon because it was one of the highest reviewed games of the year, and because it was on game pass. I gave it a shot and it simply wasn’t for me. A lot of people need to realize that even the most critically acclaimed games are not for everyone
I wanted to finish a game but it is bugged and won’t let me do it. Feeling deflated and I am taking a small break for now. But I ditch games all the time
I bought Fire Emblem: Three Houses around October or November last year, and I still haven't picked it up past the first time I played it. I should be good at getting through slow starts though (I am a Xenoblade player after all), and yet the last thing I did was choose which house to teach. I think the problem with it is that I'm way too interested in Xenoblade to play a different Nintendo JRPG now that my standards are so high
I think I am the same, after Xenoblade 2, I won't play Xenoblade 3 for now because of some reasons, but I wanted to play some RPG while I am not going into Xenoblade 3, I played Bravely Default and it was a deception, I was with 18 hours of game and didn't feel as the game did something to me, like how the end in chapter 1 of Xenoblade 2 is amazing and so many details about the story I was wondering and with 18 hours I probably already had seen a plot twist in Xc2, that Malos was an Aegis too, and had already great moments with the game. Bravely Default otherwise, with 10-15 hours of game I was like "It might get good yet" but I lost the hope, playing Another Code Recolection was way more compensator to me. So I gave up and I was like "I am going to play Final Fantasy 12!" But it didn't take too much until I being like "oh... This might not be the thing I am looking for.." So I decided to play Fire Emblem Tree Hopes, because I had a dream I was playing it and it was amazing (Idk why but the dream was in the desert of Torna 😂) but after making a research about the game, my answer was once again, no... It felt as "It is going to be hard playing a Jrpg now, I cannot chose!" Now I am playing Ys8, it is not generic as Bravely Default is, it has something about it, I hope I will go until the end and enjoy it, even though my mind loves to compare it with Xenoblade when it is not even needed, but if even so I am enjoying it so it is really good, just a bit disappointed that the protagonist doesn't speak but ok, at least he is not like Link.
It's funny... I had a very similar experience with Xenoblade 2 as you did. I bought the game shortly after launch because it looked kind of interesting, not knowing anything about the other entries, and I really wasn't feeling it at first (looks like the only big difference between us is that I have always liked RPGs). I wasn't really too into the story (which felt like it wasn't going anywhere at the time), I really didn't like Tora, I wasn't finding the combat engaging, and I had a bunch of other minor issues with the game as well. However, I stuck with the game out of a desire to make the $60 I spent on it "worth it" and... I wound up falling in love with the game in the second half and Xenoblade has become my favorite video game franchise. Xenoblade 3 is my favorite game of all time, with Xenoblade Definitive being my 2nd favorite (I still really like Xenoblade 2, but it's my least favorite of the trilogy). I think that there are a LOT of games that suffer from slow starts, and I don't think that is intrinsically a bad thing. Somewhat related, Steins;Gate is considered to be one of the greatest anime series and visual novels ever made, and yet the vast majority of the fanbase agrees that the entire first half of the story is very slow and can be rather boring. However, that first half slowly builds the characters and story in such a way that when the second half comes around, there are payoffs in spades. That being said, I do think the argument of "well just keep playing, it gets better later on" is not a great one. I think there is no shame in dropping a beefy RPG or something after 10 hours if you're not clicking with it, in the same way that I think it's fair to drop a TV show after a season or so. If a friend was playing Xenoblade 2 for the first time and told me they were thinking of dropping it in Chapter 2, I would totally tell them that the game gets much better later on and I recommend they continue playing. However, if that friend still didn't want to keep playing, I would completely respect that decision. I totally get that you will miss out on some great games and shows doing that, but I generally find that our shared experience with Xenoblade 2 is the far rarer outcome. There are so many games to play now that, more often than not, sticking with a game you aren't enjoying will probably leave you wishing you dropped it and tried something else. It makes the whole discussion a very nuanced one, where the player has to weigh those possible outcomes. But at the end of the day, you're exactly right about at least one thing. If you're having fun, keep playing the game! Just because a game is disappointing in comparison to another game should'nt take away from your enjoyment of it. It's for that exact reason why I don't like granularly comparing games, even ones from the same franchise... I find that it leads to my opinion of BOTH games falling. Not every game has to be a revolutionary, life-changing masterpiece.
Thanks for the comment! I definitely don’t think one shouldn’t drop a game if they aren’t enjoying it. I’ve done that with plenty of games. I guess I didn’t do too good of a job at getting my point across because I was trying to take a firm stance without being too wishy washy, but I think there’s a middle ground. Some games are not going to appeal to an individual at all and should be dropped as a result, but there are also games that may have something more to them than a player may have initially realized such as my experience with Xenoblade 2. The latter is what I was trying to highlight in the video. Believe it or not I don’t typically push any of my friends to trudge through something they don’t like because it comes across as being too demanding and perhaps that’s what I unintentionally did in this video. On a separate note, I’m glad you got into the Xenoblade series!
I’ve been struggling with Rainworld recently. There are many enjoyable moments, but it’s hard, and often I’m forced to repeat the same path multiple times until I can manage to make it without dying. It’s been too easy to put it down and play easier games, more “fun” games, but I need to have some patience and finish Rainworld. I know I’ll regret it if I don’t.
Yeah, fair points. I remember coming back to dark souls 1 after 3 years, giving it a fresh chance, and now I've beaten every soulsborne, dlc included, and was later able to experience my personal game of the decade, sekiro, because of that decision. I was intimidated by the game originally, but when I toughed it out, i truly experienced something special. There was still something so enticing about the games that i felt motivated to push through regardless of not having fun for a while originally. Great video!
The only time me giving a game I hated a second chance was Tales of Abyss. It went from my least favorite Tales of game(this was before Zestiria) and shot all the way to second favorite. What can i say, im a sucker for well written character development.
nope. the premise is failed. playing games is not a job. if the game sucks, i don't have a second thought about dropping it. i used to believe every game needs a chance, but as i grew older, i realized that if you have to put me through an ordeal to get to the "good part", your game sucks. you don't bury the good part behind a bunch of garbage.
I had no other adventure games to play botw was my game I made so many memories with my friends I played it for like 3 years and after it started getting boring I saw Skyrim and I moved onto that and beat it.
There are a good couple of times we're the sunken cost phallacy forced me to put in more time with a game that just wasn't delivering or had a story that wasn't coming together in hopes that it would all mesh or that the parts I liked would return to the focal point. Two in particular made me basically complete the game out of spite, Scarlet Nexus and Stellar Blade. Stellar Blade in particular hurt a lot because I followed Project Eve and had high hopes for it as well as the fact that the core combat mechanics are so good. It's not even that I hated my time with it, it's just looking back at 70 freaking hours and three playthroughs it did not deserve that time, or at least I know I was digging for more "experience" with finishing returns, especially when every new ending exacerbated my problems with the story. And the thing is I'm probably about to do it again. I stopped SMT5 the moment it became clear that A) The story is NOT going to go anywhere satisfying for characters or themes and B) they really expect me to farm 20 goddamn levels in the same area for no reason other than theres no more content and their stupid damage scaling system. But now that Vengeance is coming out I feel like I'd need to finish my current 60 hour playthrough to justify my opinions as well as purchasing the game a second time (if it reviews well that is)
What’s funny is I had a very similar experience with Stellar Blade. It was the first game I platinumed and the reason I went for it was for the same reason, the combat was really enjoyable. The story seemed to be going somewhere semi interesting which helped me along but the accomplishment of that platinum trophy is what really pushed me I think and I don’t regret the time I spend with it. Sure I might’ve obsessed over it a little too much, but it was a neat experience for me. It was also fun breezing through the story with the subsequent play throughs. With that said, I get where you’re coming from. It’s hard to strike that balance between wanting to get your money’s worth and realizing that the game just may not be for you.
Always nice to find another Xeno Fan. Definitely agree that XC2 is one of those games that can really drag in the beginning on a first playthrough, and it can really turn off some people which is a shame. I actually got into the series with XCX which has a similar problem to XC2, but instead of the gameplay, the problem was that the story was pretty slow. Of course, XCX has some of the best movement and exploration in the series (and it was also the game that really got me interested in the science fiction genre) so the weaker story wasn't really as a big of a problem for me. To this day, it's probably the best Wii U original game in my opinion.
There are many games I've dropped that I'd "like" to go back to, and have the a-ha moment of what people enjoy about it. But no matter how much you want me to, I am never going to enjoy Outer Wilds.
For me, that game was hollow knight. I came back tk it several times, and even though I’m not a big fan of some of the gameplay elements, there are a lot of parts that I really enjoy, such as boss fights and bouncing on enemies with a downward slash.
I still have yet to really get into Hollow Knight. I’ll most likely end up finishing it, but for now it’s on the back burner. I definitely feel some untapped potential though which will make me come back to it for sure.
If you feel bored about the game either you are not in the mood to play or the game isn't for you. I always thought I am a RPG fan but does not mean I have to finish all RPGs that I picked up. Also I have to be in the mood to play and finish a game, there are a lot of times that I dropped a game because I don't feel like playing video games or I just have gaming fatigue. I usually do anything else in my free time and when I miss playing that's where I come back and become invested on whatever I was playing before. For me, playing a video game while you feel bored or soulless is a waste time. Also if the game frustrates me and I felt the game difficulty is super unfair, I just drop it because I play to relax not to have a bad time. Most type of games that gets me frustrated the most are Roguelike which are heavy into RNG to give example like Slay the Spire, Skul Hero Slayer (Post-Game), FTL and Dead in Bermuda.
kingdom hearts 2 was my first jrpg i've ever played, if a slow start didn't stop me at 12-13 its not stopping me 10+ years later... that being said i don't think i can bring myself to replay xc2 that beginning was r o u g h, notably because i mashed through the blade and art combo tutorial and thats just a plain bad idea if you want to enjoy the first 100 hours
I totally agree with what you said, For me it was Skyrim i never understood why people loved it so much The combat is wonky but i enjoyed the quest and Story But a game i really hated was dark souls 2 I never played any souls game And jumped in Get three shots by 3 pigs at the start of the game I quit the game immediately Took me about 5 more years to try it again and it clicked
This is a tough one. On one hand: do you want to play a game that you do not enjoy? On the other: should you get influenced by other people's opinion about a media. I will say that if you haven't enjoyed second Zelda title as much might be because it actually is not 10 out of 10 as everyone tries to tell you. Media outlets frequently play games for couple of hours and give it a score. I think you should form your own opinion and stick to it. Don't be afraid to say I did not like this part of the game or this piece of art just because others tell you you should like it. My experience with Breath of the wild was mixed. I even bought the switch to play that game. While the game is not bad and even had some amazing moments I played through most of it. I did finish almost all temples beat the 4 beast bosses and the end boss. For me the whole experience was not what I would call 10 out of 10. The game is around 7.5 maybe 8 in my opinion. Sadly most people would disagree judging by online outlet scores. Stick to your opinion and hopefully you won't get too pressured by online crowds when tou share it.
I don't bother consuming anything I believe is wasting my time. I can't stand such nonsense. There's so many other things I can see and do, it's just not worth my time. Which might be why I dislike most JRPGs, I feel they tend to not respect the players time with so many fetch quests and busy work, rather than just telling a focused story. Not being in the the mood for something is different of course. Which I'd imagine is a difference one can identify. This video on the other hand, I definitely appreciate. 😉
I tried giving a assassin creed series chance but no i disagree with you . Give them inch they give you million miles of misery And made by company who has more allegations than p Diddy
They are certain things I don't Like about Tears of the Kingdom that I thought would have made the game way better. 1 - They should have included cities in the sky and in the underworld. There were too many sky islands and rocks that came from the Hyrule's upheaval and not one was a major town? 2 - Also there were no serious dangers for the people of Hyrule except for the Beaches. Imagine Link helping people get off the Islands or helping them leave the depth. 3 - In my personal opinion I think the Sky islands should have been the past where Link dives off the island it's actually into the present. 4 - Also Link should have been saving 3 Zelda's in this game. Lanaru in the Sky- Zelda in Hyrule- and Twilight Princess below. This game should have had 3 Castles. Again just my opinion.
It's really funny you mention Xenoblade 2. Xenoblade 1 is one of my favorite games ever. I showed my girlfriend and she loves the story and thinks the gameplay is fun lookin. I LOVE Xenoblade! I love Xenoblade 3! It's soooo good! But 2? I hate 2. I tried playing the first game several times and dropped it around the same time. I bought Xenoblade 2 right when it came out. I dropped off it even faster. I hated the game. The game is a little sluggish, the look and style of the game is a bit busy, the music wasn't as good, and the story wasn't as good. When Xenoblade 1 Definitive Edition released I got it and played through the WHOLE thing quickly. It was an amazing experience. I think this is a story, however simple, that everyone should experience. I immediately went to Xenoblade 2 and tried to finish it. I hated it even more. I found even more flaws. I thought it's one of the worst games I've ever played. Spending a ton of time watching tutorials and trying to understand what I was doing wrong. I got pretty far in the game and eventually dropped the game yet again. Yet this time I was about 80% of the way through the game. I didn't understand the combat. I didn't get the characters. I didn't get it. The entire game, I did not get. At that point I was pretty sure I would never get it. Cue Xenoblade 3 getting announced. I decide I need to just DO IT. I had seen the cutscenes on RUclips after I quit. But it was a little confusing without the text cutscenes and gameplay to stitch it all together. I force myself to play the game. At this point, something did click. I finally understood the combat. I feel like I understand the story. I beat the game. I am glad I finally beat the game and experienced it all for myself. Because now I can say, without a doubt.... I still hate it Xenoblade 2 2/10 avoid it at all costs.
yeah, nah, just another person overly critical of xenoblade 2, also xenoblade 2 has the best overall soundtrack of the series and I've played every xenoblade, 1, 2, 3, and x. you're just one of one those xenoblade 1 purists that are the worst part of the xenoblade fandom and start pointless fanwars when the games are literally connected story wise, 1, 2, and 3 are, and expand on the xenoblade lore and 3 makes the games canon to xenosaga. xenoblade definitive edition was literally made to change alvis' key to a aegis core crystal to make xenoblade 1 connect to xenoblade 2 and 3 to set up 3's future redeemed dlc. you xenoblade 1 purists I will never take seriously and you are not even true xeno fans that don't even respect the passion put into monolithsoft's work over the years across the entire xeno series and that xenoblade 1 was always meant to be a xeno game, it literally had the kadomony tropes of persona, animus, and anima from xenogears and xenosaga across all 3 xenoblade games with alvis, zanza, meyneth and the monados, the trinity processor aegis in 2 and 3, and even references to it in the music and weapon titles. the entirety of xenoblade was always meant to be xeno and have the scifi elements you supposedly hate. so yeah, I can't even call you a true xenoblade fan or true xeno series fan, you're just a weird purist.
I don't blame you on not liking Xenoblade 2 at first, it has a very slow start, the slowest out of the entire trilogy, the tutorials are AWFUL (they actively teach you the wrong way to play the game and make the mechanics out to be more confusing then they actually are) and Rex as a protagonist is either annoying at worst or incredibly generic at best. Xenoblade 2 out of all the games in the trilogy is the most uphill battle to really get into right at the start.
It is weird because I got into the combat of Xc2 a lot faster than in XC1, because I already had experience with this kind of gameplay, 160 hours of Xenoblade 1... I just read everything patiently and understood. Though it took until Torna to I understand blade combos 🌚
There is no way on gods mostly blue earth you are using Xenoblade Chronical 2 as an example of a game "getting good" or "being worth it" I truly can not understand the people simping that game Its bad. The whole thing, from start to finish. Its so bad in fact the only half decent defense of the game I have ever heard is someone claiming that its a parody.
I think XC2 fans just found something special about it that a lot of people don’t see for some reason. It was very different from what people wanted in a sequel too, I think. Reminds me of the Star Wars prequels getting a lot of undeserved hate just for being different from what people wanted.
With 80% of game was you in chapter 7? Because If it wasn't the story I would drop in this chapter, because the level design is bad in so many ways in the dungeon of the third Sword. But at least knowing Zeke and Nia better was everything I wanted at the time. But I love almost everything about this game, or it is just that I love so much some aspects that it obfuscates the others. I felt like this game was even better than Xenoblade 1 in some aspects, fortunately I enjoyed it a lot and even Torna
reposting what I typed to the other person for you too xenoblade 2 hater uncoolsponge: yeah, nah, just another person overly critical of xenoblade 2, also xenoblade 2 has the best overall soundtrack of the series and I've played every xenoblade, 1, 2, 3, and x. you're just one of one those xenoblade 1 purists that are the worst part of the xenoblade fandom and start pointless fanwars when the games are literally connected story wise, 1, 2, and 3 are, and expand on the xenoblade lore and 3 makes the games canon to xenosaga. xenoblade definitive edition was literally made to change alvis' key to a aegis core crystal to make xenoblade 1 connect to xenoblade 2 and 3 to set up 3's future redeemed dlc. you xenoblade 1 purists I will never take seriously and you are not even true xeno fans that don't even respect the passion put into monolithsoft's work over the years across the entire xeno series and that xenoblade 1 was always meant to be a xeno game, it literally had the kadomony tropes of persona, animus, and anima from xenogears and xenosaga across all 3 xenoblade games with alvis, zanza, meyneth and the monados, the trinity processor aegis in 2 and 3, and even references to it in the music and weapon titles. the entirety of xenoblade was always meant to be xeno and have the scifi elements you supposedly hate. so yeah, I can't even call you a true xenoblade fan or true xeno series fan, you're just a weird purist.
Love how you went from the strong opening of "You played through the whole game waiting for the ah-ha moment, but that moment never came" then devolved into some waffle about "Just push past slow openings, it'll get good later." Ignoring the fact that slow openings are not and never were the problem, even when it sounded like you were going to talk about those times when it doesn't get good later, you didn't, instead shifting the blame to "your expectations are too high" Here's some actual advice: If you aren't enjoying a game after playing for an entire 2 hours, maybe 4 at the absolute most: You are under no obligation to finish it. The Ideas that it "Gets good later" or that you need to "Lower your expectations" which I now also have to mention, are myths. If you slog through a game that you are not enjoying all the way to the end, the fans of that game will give your opinion the same amount of respect that they would had you stopped playing 2 hours in, that amount being none. Something I know intimately well because all of my attempts to voice my criticisms of have been met with the "You clearly haven't played it" comeback, as if it wasn't already clear enough that playing through to the end was a complete waste of my time, no one even believes me when I say I did. Sure, you pushed through Xenoblade despite not liking the combat because you were enjoying the story, but what about the players who weren't enjoying the combat *or* the story? Your friend said the opening of starfield was slow, but then later said he enjoyed his time with the game from the beginning. Again, the opening "being slow" is never the actual problem, but what about the people who don't enjoy that opening bit? Your answer is the lie that these players' expectations are "too high" To anyone else reading this, I repeat: You are under no obligation to continue playing through a video game you are not enjoying, even if you've only played for an hour. Even if you've only played for 10 minutes. Life is hard. Needing a job to survive is stressful. The world is full of problems. Video games should be a break from those frustrations. If you are not having fun, it isn't worth it.
Sorry this video isn’t what you wanted it to be. However, you’re taking a lot of what I said to the extreme and simply stating that I said things that I never did. I never said we should lower our expectations. I simply told a story of a time when I was overhyping something beyond a realistic expectation. This is something a lot of people have done and I’m providing one way of looking at things based on a specific experience I had with a specific game. I said at least twice (in different ways) that you should not force yourself to play through a game you hate every second of. (This implies that if people don’t like the story and combat of a game, for example, they shouldn’t have to play it.) I even tried to emphasize this point at the end of the video. I get that we all got a lot of things going on in our lives, but the message I was trying to get across is that it’s beneficial to stop and sniff roses every now and then. Yes, video games can be an escape, but they can teach us a lot about life too.
yeah nah, thats bs tarotcard0371. the slow start is definitely the problem when it comes to xenoblade 2, that, the tutorials, the combat not opening up right away, and people getting lost, and people not liking the character designs, the gacha, and the field skills. Those are the reasons every single xenoblade 2 hater has for not liking the game, you act like we aren't aware of it, we are, and we're fine if you don't like the game, but I'm not gonna take you calling it a bad game lying down when you either played it but didn't beat it, or you were overly critical of it like that that one astronaunt reviewer I don't care to remember the name of. xenoblade 2 is a amazing, flawed, good game like every other amazing, flawed, good game in existence, respect that and that people like it and you don't and move on and don't come here spouting some bs argument about how games should be put down after only 10 minutes or 1 hr or anime being dropped after 1 or 2 episodes, I hate those kinds of arguments. just either learn to have patience and give stuff a fair chance or just quit the game or show and move on and respect that people like it, but don't come here forcing your nonsensical opinion of how people should judge games and shows on others, people can decide how they want to experience games and shows for themselves, you should have no input in it nor should a reviewer.
@@infern209x You clearly didn't read what I wrote. I haven't actually played Xenoblade. I can guarantee that I'd enjoy Xenoblade, because I, personally, have no issue with slow openings. I simply asked "What about the people who didn't like the story" Meanwhile, your counter argument that people like me need to " learn to have patience and give stuff a fair chance" is *actual* BS. An hour of gamplay *is* a fair chance. 2-3 episodes of an anime *is* a fair chance. That alone is the length of a movie, and the longest RPG I've played so far has been 120 Hours. If it doesn't get ones attention early on, it will *never* get good later. Games don't "Get good later." No self respecting game developer designs a game with the plan that it will "get good later." You say that "people can decide how they want to experience games and shows for themselves" and that I should respect that, yet, at that same time, you clearly don't respect me, or the way I want to experience games or shows, nor anyone who agrees with me on that subject. You seem the kind of person who considers literal hours of playing or watching before dropping something "judging a book by its cover", and your entire rant was written under the assumption of something that wasn't even true, and, reading my own comment again, wasn't even implied as far as I can tell, so why should I respect you? Unlike you, I actually can respect when people have a difference of opinion from me. Within reason, I'm not going to respect a racist. But you have no respect for people who think differently from you. Because I'm "impatient." and my opinion is "Nonsense" Go away.
@@tarotcard0371 your own argument is bs because guess what, most jrpgs start slowly and don't hook you early on, also alot of the best anime start slow early on. okay want another example, ever watched digimon? digimon savers/data squad is arguably one of the darkest seasons besides tamers but it starts out slow because the first episodes are introducing you to the characters and the real world and dats, then after several episodes you finally get to the digital world arc, then you find out a scientist and the people that work for him are committing mass digimon genocide. literally savers/data squad is the digimon genocide season and the season where a human punches a god. it starts slow but its one of the best digimon seasons story wise. but with your bs 1-2 episode rule you wouldn't know that and would miss out on a good show. That is why your 2 episode rule is a bs argument and does not work for every show, because not every one of the best shows/books/games out there is gonna pick up to the good parts right off the bat, they are meant to be timesinks and you are rewarded for the time you spent.
I think this is just a really bad logic tree. If you arent enjoying a game, you probably wont enjoy the rest of it. You mention that games are more than having fun, but i honestly disagree. You might bring up a game like Pathologic or Dark Souls as examples of pretty brutal and unforgiving game design. But theres a reason these games are so beloved, people think theyre fun. Even though its insanely punishing, people still enjoy it greatly. If someone doesnt like hard games, than its really a non starter. A really easy test is this. If you arent enjoying a game, take a day off from it and cool off. If you come back to it the next day and still hate it, time to move on. And ESPECIALLY dont let other peoples opinions dictate what games you should be playing (which is heabily implied in the video, that if a bunch of people like it, you should soldier through it anyways). Play what you think is fun, and if you arent having fun, move on.
Calling the video bad logic is a stretch. It’s definitely not perfect but it’s just a different way of thinking. Don’t get me wrong, I get where you’re coming from and I even partially agree. However, the whole point of this video was to suggest that sometimes we are a bit too impatient with games in our fast paced society. Therefore, the video was meant to be more of an encouragement rather than a hard, fast rule. I think it varies based on the game and one’s interests. Maybe I should’ve made these things clearer in the video, but I was trying to find a balance between under-explaining and over-explaining.
@@DerajjParallax I just don't think you're understanding, and I'll use Dark Souls as an example, because I'm sure you're familiar with it. Having the "patience" to be able to get through a game segment means you have to actually like the game. If someone gets to The Bell Gargoyles in Dark Souls 1, and gets stuck and has to fight them over and over. Sure, they might need "patience" for it, but that "patience" is only going to manifest if they like the game. It took me almost 40+ tries to beat them when I played. You know why I stuck through it? Because I loved the combat A LOT. If you hate the combat of Dark Souls, you won't have any patience for any boss, you know why? Because they hate the combat, and you have to critically engage with it to beat a lot of the bosses. And if you don't like it, then you're not gonna bother banging your head against the wall over something you don't like. Saying "we are a bit too impatient with games in our fast paced society" is just a cop out for a really bad argument. You know that's not what the point of the vid was. I know that. Everyone knows that. Expecting people to soldier through games that they probably won't like because said game is acclaimed in someway is absolutely asinine. Nobody is going to hard quit Bayonetta JUST because of that scene where she's weak and can't do anything. Nobody is going to quit Windwaker JUST because you lose your sword in that one part. Nobody is going to quit (insert game with slow start i.e., Kingdom Hearts II, Outer Wilds, Morrowind, Disco Elysium etc.) JUST because the start of the game is slow. People will quit these games if they don't like the core mechanics. If someone doesn't care about the writing in Kingdom Hearts II, or the exploration in Outer Wilds, or the combat in Morrowind, or the dialogue in Disco Elysium, then they aren't gonna like the game no matter how long they play it, because a core aspect of the game doesn't click with them, NOT because they "lack patience" for a specific part of them. Expecting them to do so is very toxic, and if you think this way about yourself, I genuinely feel bad for you. Time is precious, spend it wisely on things that soothe your soul. Don't waste your time on something you KNOW you won't like just because it's acclaimed by people.
@@Chockavox nah, its you making a bad argument. if you can't handle games starting slow you shouldn't be playing kingdom hearts or any other jrpg in the first place, because thats a staple in all jrpgs. jrpgs aren't for you, accept it and move on and quit trying to force your mentality on others.
@infern24 To be clear, all the games I mentioned are specifically my favorite games of all time. I can handle it, my entire point is if you don't like the core of the game, no matter how fast or slow the game is going you won't like it. Read better or don't comment please! Thanks!
@@Chockavox what part of I said the games aren't for you and to just move on and respect that people like them, did you not grasp? starting slow is a big part of most jrpgs, they are timesinks and reward you for the time spent, no jrpg is gonna hook you early on with mechanics and story, its not a common thing with jrpgs, as I said, they are timesinks. darksouls is not a jrpg nor are all the other games you mentioned, yes I can read. get a clue
Hard disagree, games should be good from the get go or at least compelling, there are so many games that if it flubs the beginning its not worth your time because there are a billion other games to try. Look at the average gamers backlog, the "it gets good just give it time" is a relic of another time.
I get where you’re coming from. At the end of the day, you gotta do what’s best for you and your time. I personally know I’m never going to get to all the games on my backlog anyway so I’d rather be patient with games that have something compelling about them. If not than yeah, I’ll move on, but I personally think there’s value in a bit of patience for certain games. Thanks for disagreeing respectfully.
how many times do I have to tell you people dogginsfroggins , if you can't take slow starting games, don't play jrpgs, the vast majority of them, even alot of the best ones, start slow, if you can't take that the game genre just isn't for you and quit trying to make excuses for it or how the games are bad for it when you know nothing of the jrpg genre outside of trying 1 or 2 games meanwhile we've had years of playing jrpgs alot of us and know what we're getting into.
@@infern209x What the hell are you talking about? I've finsihed basically all of the FF games, the Dragon quest games, SMT games and Persona games, speak for yourself. Slow can be compelling, just not bad, some games are bad and I drop those. Way to stick your foot into your mouth.
@@DogginsFroggins when we're talking jrpgs we're obviously not talking final fantasy or dragon quest, those are the more mainstream japanese rpgs that do not start slow nor not open up their mechanics right away, you missed my point apparently. I'm obviously talking games like xenoblade, ys, legend of heroes, tales of, and many more, those are the jrpgs I mention, which are in fact a separate genre from final fantasy and dragon quest, they are what we mean by jrpgs, final fantasy and dragon quest are not the same genre and are considered more traditional rpgs. there are multiple japanese rpg genres you know. when we're talking jrpgs we're usually talking the niche highly trope-filled timesink ones. if the only japanese rpgs you've played are final fantasy and dragon quest you have no clue and shouldn't even be debating me on the topic.
@@infern209x bruh you are just gatekeeping and makign pointless divisions to keep a sense of elitism, I've been playing JRPGs since 1990s in all shapes and forms since I was small, more than I can count, so I doubt because I didn't play some game that came out in the last decade I don't understand JRPGs in general.
I think it's okay to put down a game you aren't having fun with. Time is limited, there are too many games and media experiences fighting for your attention. But sometimes if you hold out patience until something clicks, it can be one of the most rewarding experiences.
Definitely! I’ve put down a few games that didn’t click and maybe I’ll come back to, but usually if there’s nothing enticing at all about it and I gave it a shot, I feel good enough to move on usually
I also believe so.
Considering I have a backlog has more than a hundred games and I work my 40h a week, being selective is a necessary thing.
Although I defend powering through moments that bring the game down because of a thematic reason or because something could be better done, you don't need to complete some games to know that it is something that will not bring any value to you.
My latest example has been I Am Setsuna, which I did power through it for 20 hours, but I consider those hours lost. And it was something that I perceived from the first few hours. It helped me to perceive that sometimes, some experiences don't pay themselves back.
Personally I find it more valuable to stick with something until the end even if you don’t like it, rather than jumping on the buffet of endless media and entertainment with the attention span of a mosquito
I actually bounced off of Ocarina of Time the first time I played it. I had been deprived of gaming experiences in my youth and so was accustomed to a relatively narrow range of games on the PC, and Ocarina of Time being the progenitor to a genre of games that was utterly alien to me caused me to have a very hostile reaction to it. I eventually had to put it down because it was affecting my relationship with my partner, who admonished me for continuing to play the game even though everything about it was pissing me off except the story.
I saw a RUclips video recently about how the psychology behind acquired tastes. You see, flavor profiles and texture are actually quite simple once you understand them. When you try a new food, or a new type of food, your brain is initially hesitant because it's unfamiliar, which will cause it to exaggerate the unfamiliar flavor, texture, aroma, et cetera, making it seem very unpleasant. But if you keep eating it, your brain will calm down and you'll come to recognize the flavors you like in that food.
Well, the same is true of video games. After taking a break, and leaving my stressful day job in search of greener pastures, I deleted my Ocarina save file one Saturday afternoon and started the game again, this time allowing myself time to explore and get to know the game early on. I had a much better time the second time around, and I think my partner agrees that I'm approaching it with a much healthier mindset now, and I couldn't be happier. Ocarina of Time is a _great_ game. I just wasn't giving myself the opportunity to appreciate it.
Interesting! I wish I would’ve known more about this while making this video. It definitely would’ve been valuable information to include. Thanks for sharing!
This is me with Sonic Frontiers. During my first playthrough, I was extremely _frustrated_ with it. I wanted nothing more than to get the story over with and be done... But then I got it on PC so I could try modding it, so I had to play through it all over again. If you go into it expecting it to be _something,_ you miss what it actually is.
Yes, there are some games that you might not enjoy. But if there's even a _little_ part of the game you like, maybe keep playing. You might learn to love it as it goes on.
I remember reaching the end of Chapter 6 of Xenoblade 2 and realizing that I still had not made up my mind on if I was actually enjoying the story or not even this far in. If I had not decided, completely on a whim, to turn in all of my Bonus EXP and make my party overleveled by about 20 levels _right_ before the Spirit Crucible, the most annoying section of the game for many, I likely would have put down the game during that dungeon. Meaning I would never have reached the very end and saw the split-second visual that turns the entire narrative on its head, in the best way possible. I marathoned the second half of Chapter 7 all the way to the credits in one sitting, I was that hooked. In that time I've come to appreciate the full story of 2, but my constant worrying of how good it would be when I had low expectations due to the change in tone and direction from the first game prevented me from becoming truly attached in the moment.
Side note, I fully enjoyed Xenoblade 3's story right from the getgo unlike in 2, but the end of Chapter 5 in 3 put me in the exact same spell as Chapter 7 in 2, and I marathoned the rest of the story in one sitting. Really cool parallel between my first playthroughs of both games.
Your love for xenoblade makes me really wish I could watch your first playthrough's of the games.
I wish I had my first playthrough captured
A lot of the comments are already missing the point. I completely agree with you. You don't have to continue playing a game you absolutely hate every second of it but never give up on a game because it has a slow start if there is something in it that you like. It's not only games nowadays, peoples attention span and busy lifestyles makes them want to jump from one exciting thing to the next, but that way you are missing out on great experiences that take their time and are more rewarding because of that.
Exactly! We aren’t going to be able to play every game we want to anyway so I’d rather take my time with games and see where they take me. I get that time is a precious commodity (more so than money), but I think our society has started to value quick wins a little too much. I’ve recently tried to slow down a bit in life while being a little more patient in the process and it’s been rewarding so far. I want that for others too.
I really like the TotK segment of this video, because it perfectly encapsulates why the current wave of hate its getting exists at all. Too many people expected it to be what it simply never would be. They had too many lofty expectations and simply couldn't keep them in check, and when the game failed to meet those expectations they blamed the game instead of looking inward.
TotK never promised to be anything more than a sequel to BotW, and that's exactly what it is. Too many people went into it expecting the same magic of BotW, but that never was gonna happen. I really appreciate how introspective you are with this.
For me, I'm generally really good at keeping my expectations in check. I didn't go into TotK expecting anything, at most I was keeping a mental list of all the things I saw in the trailers I thought looked cool, and I ended up loving it. Skyward Sword is still my favorite game, let alone favorite Zelda, but TotK is a pretty close second place.
Thanks for writing this! It’s nice to know my train of thought on that was appreciated. And that’s great that you enjoyed TOTK so much! I will definitely have to replay it down the road. Skyward Sword is also one of my favorites as well believe it or not
I've described this as "never trust your own negative opinion"
If you don't like something assume that you're wrong until you can prove that you understand it well enough
I'll put a game down when it's not living up to my expectations. I bought and played the original Hyrule Warriors because it had fun references to past Zelda games and was marketed as a spin-off. Age of Calamity disappointed because I expected an accurate telling of the war before Breath of the Wild, and I put it down for not delivering.
That’s similar to my experience with age of calamity so I get that. I ended up rolling credits and was disappointed, but the gameplay was a fun enough time overall
Nah, sorry... I've given BotW enough of a shot already. I'm not going to keep playing a game that clearly is not for me, someone who preferred Zelda as it was. But hey, I'm grateful to it. Would probably never have tried Xenoblade if BotW didn't disappoint me so badly.
I like hearing unique experiences and perspectives like this. I’m definitely not saying you should waste time on games you don’t like. If there’s nothing enticing at all, I agree that you should definitely move on.
I think playing games that I don’t like help’s me appreciate the games I do like. I remembered completing the saints row reboot and it was bad. And it made me appreciate older saints row games even more. And I know it’s an unpopular opinion but I love three and four.
Yeah, for sure! I’ve also played newer games that were really good and I was only able to appreciate them because I knew what a bad or mediocre game looked like
I had a similar experience with Xenoblade 2! I got the game because of Pyra and Mythra entering smash bros. And I was slow to play the game due to the combat but the soundtrack and world sucked me in and led me to search up how to understand the combat. It’s become one of my most cherished games!
I forgot to mention this in the video, but I’m pretty sure Pyra and Mythra’s inclusion in Smash was one of the reasons I ended up going back to it. I might’ve forgotten about it completely (at least until XC3) if not for that. Smash Bros really is one of Nintendo’s best forms of advertisement lol
Last year I tried cocoon because it was one of the highest reviewed games of the year, and because it was on game pass. I gave it a shot and it simply wasn’t for me. A lot of people need to realize that even the most critically acclaimed games are not for everyone
Problem with ToTK is it came out after BoTW. That's it. We went from Skyward Sword to BoTW hence BoTW gets the praise but ToTK does not.
I wanted to finish a game but it is bugged and won’t let me do it. Feeling deflated and I am taking a small break for now. But I ditch games all the time
I bought Fire Emblem: Three Houses around October or November last year, and I still haven't picked it up past the first time I played it. I should be good at getting through slow starts though (I am a Xenoblade player after all), and yet the last thing I did was choose which house to teach. I think the problem with it is that I'm way too interested in Xenoblade to play a different Nintendo JRPG now that my standards are so high
I think I am the same, after Xenoblade 2, I won't play Xenoblade 3 for now because of some reasons, but I wanted to play some RPG while I am not going into Xenoblade 3, I played Bravely Default and it was a deception, I was with 18 hours of game and didn't feel as the game did something to me, like how the end in chapter 1 of Xenoblade 2 is amazing and so many details about the story I was wondering and with 18 hours I probably already had seen a plot twist in Xc2, that Malos was an Aegis too, and had already great moments with the game.
Bravely Default otherwise, with 10-15 hours of game I was like "It might get good yet" but I lost the hope, playing Another Code Recolection was way more compensator to me.
So I gave up and I was like "I am going to play Final Fantasy 12!" But it didn't take too much until I being like "oh... This might not be the thing I am looking for.." So I decided to play Fire Emblem Tree Hopes, because I had a dream I was playing it and it was amazing (Idk why but the dream was in the desert of Torna 😂) but after making a research about the game, my answer was once again, no... It felt as "It is going to be hard playing a Jrpg now, I cannot chose!"
Now I am playing Ys8, it is not generic as Bravely Default is, it has something about it, I hope I will go until the end and enjoy it, even though my mind loves to compare it with Xenoblade when it is not even needed, but if even so I am enjoying it so it is really good, just a bit disappointed that the protagonist doesn't speak but ok, at least he is not like Link.
Me with the Trails of Cold Steel series. I got through some shit to get to the goof stuff haha.
Im so happy you prevailed in beating Xenoblade 2 😁
It's funny... I had a very similar experience with Xenoblade 2 as you did. I bought the game shortly after launch because it looked kind of interesting, not knowing anything about the other entries, and I really wasn't feeling it at first (looks like the only big difference between us is that I have always liked RPGs). I wasn't really too into the story (which felt like it wasn't going anywhere at the time), I really didn't like Tora, I wasn't finding the combat engaging, and I had a bunch of other minor issues with the game as well. However, I stuck with the game out of a desire to make the $60 I spent on it "worth it" and... I wound up falling in love with the game in the second half and Xenoblade has become my favorite video game franchise. Xenoblade 3 is my favorite game of all time, with Xenoblade Definitive being my 2nd favorite (I still really like Xenoblade 2, but it's my least favorite of the trilogy).
I think that there are a LOT of games that suffer from slow starts, and I don't think that is intrinsically a bad thing. Somewhat related, Steins;Gate is considered to be one of the greatest anime series and visual novels ever made, and yet the vast majority of the fanbase agrees that the entire first half of the story is very slow and can be rather boring. However, that first half slowly builds the characters and story in such a way that when the second half comes around, there are payoffs in spades. That being said, I do think the argument of "well just keep playing, it gets better later on" is not a great one. I think there is no shame in dropping a beefy RPG or something after 10 hours if you're not clicking with it, in the same way that I think it's fair to drop a TV show after a season or so. If a friend was playing Xenoblade 2 for the first time and told me they were thinking of dropping it in Chapter 2, I would totally tell them that the game gets much better later on and I recommend they continue playing. However, if that friend still didn't want to keep playing, I would completely respect that decision. I totally get that you will miss out on some great games and shows doing that, but I generally find that our shared experience with Xenoblade 2 is the far rarer outcome. There are so many games to play now that, more often than not, sticking with a game you aren't enjoying will probably leave you wishing you dropped it and tried something else. It makes the whole discussion a very nuanced one, where the player has to weigh those possible outcomes.
But at the end of the day, you're exactly right about at least one thing. If you're having fun, keep playing the game! Just because a game is disappointing in comparison to another game should'nt take away from your enjoyment of it. It's for that exact reason why I don't like granularly comparing games, even ones from the same franchise... I find that it leads to my opinion of BOTH games falling. Not every game has to be a revolutionary, life-changing masterpiece.
Thanks for the comment! I definitely don’t think one shouldn’t drop a game if they aren’t enjoying it. I’ve done that with plenty of games. I guess I didn’t do too good of a job at getting my point across because I was trying to take a firm stance without being too wishy washy, but I think there’s a middle ground.
Some games are not going to appeal to an individual at all and should be dropped as a result, but there are also games that may have something more to them than a player may have initially realized such as my experience with Xenoblade 2. The latter is what I was trying to highlight in the video. Believe it or not I don’t typically push any of my friends to trudge through something they don’t like because it comes across as being too demanding and perhaps that’s what I unintentionally did in this video. On a separate note, I’m glad you got into the Xenoblade series!
This is how I feel about Monster Hunter games and then I suddenly get destroyed by a bear or a monkey
I’ve been struggling with Rainworld recently. There are many enjoyable moments, but it’s hard, and often I’m forced to repeat the same path multiple times until I can manage to make it without dying. It’s been too easy to put it down and play easier games, more “fun” games, but I need to have some patience and finish Rainworld. I know I’ll regret it if I don’t.
Yeah, fair points. I remember coming back to dark souls 1 after 3 years, giving it a fresh chance, and now I've beaten every soulsborne, dlc included, and was later able to experience my personal game of the decade, sekiro, because of that decision. I was intimidated by the game originally, but when I toughed it out, i truly experienced something special. There was still something so enticing about the games that i felt motivated to push through regardless of not having fun for a while originally.
Great video!
The only time me giving a game I hated a second chance was Tales of Abyss. It went from my least favorite Tales of game(this was before Zestiria) and shot all the way to second favorite. What can i say, im a sucker for well written character development.
nope. the premise is failed. playing games is not a job. if the game sucks, i don't have a second thought about dropping it. i used to believe every game needs a chance, but as i grew older, i realized that if you have to put me through an ordeal to get to the "good part", your game sucks. you don't bury the good part behind a bunch of garbage.
Fair argument. I think it’s all about perspective
I had no other adventure games to play botw was my game I made so many memories with my friends I played it for like 3 years and after it started getting boring I saw Skyrim and I moved onto that and beat it.
There are a good couple of times we're the sunken cost phallacy forced me to put in more time with a game that just wasn't delivering or had a story that wasn't coming together in hopes that it would all mesh or that the parts I liked would return to the focal point. Two in particular made me basically complete the game out of spite, Scarlet Nexus and Stellar Blade. Stellar Blade in particular hurt a lot because I followed Project Eve and had high hopes for it as well as the fact that the core combat mechanics are so good. It's not even that I hated my time with it, it's just looking back at 70 freaking hours and three playthroughs it did not deserve that time, or at least I know I was digging for more "experience" with finishing returns, especially when every new ending exacerbated my problems with the story.
And the thing is I'm probably about to do it again. I stopped SMT5 the moment it became clear that A) The story is NOT going to go anywhere satisfying for characters or themes and B) they really expect me to farm 20 goddamn levels in the same area for no reason other than theres no more content and their stupid damage scaling system. But now that Vengeance is coming out I feel like I'd need to finish my current 60 hour playthrough to justify my opinions as well as purchasing the game a second time (if it reviews well that is)
What’s funny is I had a very similar experience with Stellar Blade. It was the first game I platinumed and the reason I went for it was for the same reason, the combat was really enjoyable. The story seemed to be going somewhere semi interesting which helped me along but the accomplishment of that platinum trophy is what really pushed me I think and I don’t regret the time I spend with it. Sure I might’ve obsessed over it a little too much, but it was a neat experience for me. It was also fun breezing through the story with the subsequent play throughs.
With that said, I get where you’re coming from. It’s hard to strike that balance between wanting to get your money’s worth and realizing that the game just may not be for you.
Always nice to find another Xeno Fan. Definitely agree that XC2 is one of those games that can really drag in the beginning on a first playthrough, and it can really turn off some people which is a shame. I actually got into the series with XCX which has a similar problem to XC2, but instead of the gameplay, the problem was that the story was pretty slow. Of course, XCX has some of the best movement and exploration in the series (and it was also the game that really got me interested in the science fiction genre) so the weaker story wasn't really as a big of a problem for me. To this day, it's probably the best Wii U original game in my opinion.
I still have yet to play XCX but I’ve heard it’s really good. Its on my backlog so I’ll get to it eventually lol
There are many games I've dropped that I'd "like" to go back to, and have the a-ha moment of what people enjoy about it. But no matter how much you want me to, I am never going to enjoy Outer Wilds.
I got recommended this video like 5 minutes after I gave up playing sonic frontiers lol
For me, that game was hollow knight. I came back tk it several times, and even though I’m not a big fan of some of the gameplay elements, there are a lot of parts that I really enjoy, such as boss fights and bouncing on enemies with a downward slash.
I still have yet to really get into Hollow Knight. I’ll most likely end up finishing it, but for now it’s on the back burner. I definitely feel some untapped potential though which will make me come back to it for sure.
If you feel bored about the game either you are not in the mood to play or the game isn't for you. I always thought I am a RPG fan but does not mean I have to finish all RPGs that I picked up.
Also I have to be in the mood to play and finish a game, there are a lot of times that I dropped a game because I don't feel like playing video games or I just have gaming fatigue. I usually do anything else in my free time and when I miss playing that's where I come back and become invested on whatever I was playing before.
For me, playing a video game while you feel bored or soulless is a waste time.
Also if the game frustrates me and I felt the game difficulty is super unfair, I just drop it because I play to relax not to have a bad time. Most type of games that gets me frustrated the most are Roguelike which are heavy into RNG to give example like Slay the Spire, Skul Hero Slayer (Post-Game), FTL and Dead in Bermuda.
I liked the first 20 hours of totk but then hated the rest of the game and only beat it out of spite
There is no joy without pain.
W
I eat the cotton candy from my walls
kingdom hearts 2 was my first jrpg i've ever played, if a slow start didn't stop me at 12-13 its not stopping me 10+ years later... that being said i don't think i can bring myself to replay xc2 that beginning was r o u g h, notably because i mashed through the blade and art combo tutorial and thats just a plain bad idea if you want to enjoy the first 100 hours
I totally agree with what you said,
For me it was Skyrim i never understood why people loved it so much
The combat is wonky but i enjoyed the quest and Story
But a game i really hated was dark souls 2
I never played any souls game
And jumped in
Get three shots by 3 pigs at the start of the game
I quit the game immediately
Took me about 5 more years to try it again and it clicked
I knew this was eventually devolve on ToTK 😂
This is a tough one. On one hand: do you want to play a game that you do not enjoy? On the other: should you get influenced by other people's opinion about a media. I will say that if you haven't enjoyed second Zelda title as much might be because it actually is not 10 out of 10 as everyone tries to tell you.
Media outlets frequently play games for couple of hours and give it a score. I think you should form your own opinion and stick to it. Don't be afraid to say I did not like this part of the game or this piece of art just because others tell you you should like it.
My experience with Breath of the wild was mixed. I even bought the switch to play that game. While the game is not bad and even had some amazing moments I played through most of it. I did finish almost all temples beat the 4 beast bosses and the end boss. For me the whole experience was not what I would call 10 out of 10. The game is around 7.5 maybe 8 in my opinion. Sadly most people would disagree judging by online outlet scores.
Stick to your opinion and hopefully you won't get too pressured by online crowds when tou share it.
I don't bother consuming anything I believe is wasting my time. I can't stand such nonsense. There's so many other things I can see and do, it's just not worth my time.
Which might be why I dislike most JRPGs, I feel they tend to not respect the players time with so many fetch quests and busy work, rather than just telling a focused story.
Not being in the the mood for something is different of course. Which I'd imagine is a difference one can identify.
This video on the other hand, I definitely appreciate. 😉
I definitely get that. I think that’s part of what turned me off to RPGs for the longest time. I just had to find the right ones for my taste, I guess
i also did the opposite great games and i didnt finish for some reason like its my favorite game
Ok let me think about it...
No
I tried giving a assassin creed series chance but no i disagree with you . Give them inch they give you million miles of misery
And made by company who has more allegations than p Diddy
They are certain things I don't Like about Tears of the Kingdom that I thought would have made the game way better.
1 - They should have included cities in the sky and in the underworld. There were too many sky islands and rocks that came from the Hyrule's upheaval and not one was a major town?
2 - Also there were no serious dangers for the people of Hyrule except for the Beaches. Imagine Link helping people get off the Islands or helping them leave the depth.
3 - In my personal opinion I think the Sky islands should have been the past where Link dives off the island it's actually into the present.
4 - Also Link should have been saving 3 Zelda's in this game. Lanaru in the Sky- Zelda in Hyrule- and Twilight Princess below. This game should have had 3 Castles. Again just my opinion.
As a massive zelda fan i can agree that the depths was a steaming pile of shit that they did nothing with. $70 my ass.
@@JACG At least give us back Midna and Wolf Link.
I finished few games only so I can tell those games are pure shit
It's really funny you mention Xenoblade 2. Xenoblade 1 is one of my favorite games ever. I showed my girlfriend and she loves the story and thinks the gameplay is fun lookin. I LOVE Xenoblade! I love Xenoblade 3! It's soooo good! But 2? I hate 2.
I tried playing the first game several times and dropped it around the same time. I bought Xenoblade 2 right when it came out. I dropped off it even faster. I hated the game. The game is a little sluggish, the look and style of the game is a bit busy, the music wasn't as good, and the story wasn't as good. When Xenoblade 1 Definitive Edition released I got it and played through the WHOLE thing quickly. It was an amazing experience. I think this is a story, however simple, that everyone should experience. I immediately went to Xenoblade 2 and tried to finish it. I hated it even more. I found even more flaws. I thought it's one of the worst games I've ever played. Spending a ton of time watching tutorials and trying to understand what I was doing wrong. I got pretty far in the game and eventually dropped the game yet again. Yet this time I was about 80% of the way through the game. I didn't understand the combat. I didn't get the characters. I didn't get it. The entire game, I did not get. At that point I was pretty sure I would never get it.
Cue Xenoblade 3 getting announced. I decide I need to just DO IT. I had seen the cutscenes on RUclips after I quit. But it was a little confusing without the text cutscenes and gameplay to stitch it all together. I force myself to play the game. At this point, something did click. I finally understood the combat. I feel like I understand the story. I beat the game. I am glad I finally beat the game and experienced it all for myself. Because now I can say, without a doubt....
I still hate it Xenoblade 2 2/10 avoid it at all costs.
yeah, nah, just another person overly critical of xenoblade 2, also xenoblade 2 has the best overall soundtrack of the series and I've played every xenoblade, 1, 2, 3, and x. you're just one of one those xenoblade 1 purists that are the worst part of the xenoblade fandom and start pointless fanwars when the games are literally connected story wise, 1, 2, and 3 are, and expand on the xenoblade lore and 3 makes the games canon to xenosaga. xenoblade definitive edition was literally made to change alvis' key to a aegis core crystal to make xenoblade 1 connect to xenoblade 2 and 3 to set up 3's future redeemed dlc. you xenoblade 1 purists I will never take seriously and you are not even true xeno fans that don't even respect the passion put into monolithsoft's work over the years across the entire xeno series and that xenoblade 1 was always meant to be a xeno game, it literally had the kadomony tropes of persona, animus, and anima from xenogears and xenosaga across all 3 xenoblade games with alvis, zanza, meyneth and the monados, the trinity processor aegis in 2 and 3, and even references to it in the music and weapon titles. the entirety of xenoblade was always meant to be xeno and have the scifi elements you supposedly hate. so yeah, I can't even call you a true xenoblade fan or true xeno series fan, you're just a weird purist.
Me when I play Elden ring
I don't blame you on not liking Xenoblade 2 at first, it has a very slow start, the slowest out of the entire trilogy, the tutorials are AWFUL (they actively teach you the wrong way to play the game and make the mechanics out to be more confusing then they actually are) and Rex as a protagonist is either annoying at worst or incredibly generic at best.
Xenoblade 2 out of all the games in the trilogy is the most uphill battle to really get into right at the start.
It is weird because I got into the combat of Xc2 a lot faster than in XC1, because I already had experience with this kind of gameplay, 160 hours of Xenoblade 1... I just read everything patiently and understood. Though it took until Torna to I understand blade combos 🌚
There is no way on gods mostly blue earth you are using Xenoblade Chronical 2 as an example of a game "getting good" or "being worth it"
I truly can not understand the people simping that game
Its bad. The whole thing, from start to finish. Its so bad in fact the only half decent defense of the game I have ever heard is someone claiming that its a parody.
I think XC2 fans just found something special about it that a lot of people don’t see for some reason. It was very different from what people wanted in a sequel too, I think. Reminds me of the Star Wars prequels getting a lot of undeserved hate just for being different from what people wanted.
With 80% of game was you in chapter 7? Because If it wasn't the story I would drop in this chapter, because the level design is bad in so many ways in the dungeon of the third Sword. But at least knowing Zeke and Nia better was everything I wanted at the time.
But I love almost everything about this game, or it is just that I love so much some aspects that it obfuscates the others. I felt like this game was even better than Xenoblade 1 in some aspects, fortunately I enjoyed it a lot and even Torna
reposting what I typed to the other person for you too xenoblade 2 hater uncoolsponge: yeah, nah, just another person overly critical of xenoblade 2, also xenoblade 2 has the best overall soundtrack of the series and I've played every xenoblade, 1, 2, 3, and x. you're just one of one those xenoblade 1 purists that are the worst part of the xenoblade fandom and start pointless fanwars when the games are literally connected story wise, 1, 2, and 3 are, and expand on the xenoblade lore and 3 makes the games canon to xenosaga. xenoblade definitive edition was literally made to change alvis' key to a aegis core crystal to make xenoblade 1 connect to xenoblade 2 and 3 to set up 3's future redeemed dlc. you xenoblade 1 purists I will never take seriously and you are not even true xeno fans that don't even respect the passion put into monolithsoft's work over the years across the entire xeno series and that xenoblade 1 was always meant to be a xeno game, it literally had the kadomony tropes of persona, animus, and anima from xenogears and xenosaga across all 3 xenoblade games with alvis, zanza, meyneth and the monados, the trinity processor aegis in 2 and 3, and even references to it in the music and weapon titles. the entirety of xenoblade was always meant to be xeno and have the scifi elements you supposedly hate. so yeah, I can't even call you a true xenoblade fan or true xeno series fan, you're just a weird purist.
Love how you went from the strong opening of "You played through the whole game waiting for the ah-ha moment, but that moment never came" then devolved into some waffle about "Just push past slow openings, it'll get good later."
Ignoring the fact that slow openings are not and never were the problem, even when it sounded like you were going to talk about those times when it doesn't get good later, you didn't, instead shifting the blame to "your expectations are too high"
Here's some actual advice: If you aren't enjoying a game after playing for an entire 2 hours, maybe 4 at the absolute most: You are under no obligation to finish it. The Ideas that it "Gets good later" or that you need to "Lower your expectations" which I now also have to mention, are myths. If you slog through a game that you are not enjoying all the way to the end, the fans of that game will give your opinion the same amount of respect that they would had you stopped playing 2 hours in, that amount being none. Something I know intimately well because all of my attempts to voice my criticisms of have been met with the "You clearly haven't played it" comeback, as if it wasn't already clear enough that playing through to the end was a complete waste of my time, no one even believes me when I say I did.
Sure, you pushed through Xenoblade despite not liking the combat because you were enjoying the story, but what about the players who weren't enjoying the combat *or* the story? Your friend said the opening of starfield was slow, but then later said he enjoyed his time with the game from the beginning. Again, the opening "being slow" is never the actual problem, but what about the people who don't enjoy that opening bit? Your answer is the lie that these players' expectations are "too high"
To anyone else reading this, I repeat: You are under no obligation to continue playing through a video game you are not enjoying, even if you've only played for an hour. Even if you've only played for 10 minutes. Life is hard. Needing a job to survive is stressful. The world is full of problems. Video games should be a break from those frustrations. If you are not having fun, it isn't worth it.
Sorry this video isn’t what you wanted it to be. However, you’re taking a lot of what I said to the extreme and simply stating that I said things that I never did. I never said we should lower our expectations. I simply told a story of a time when I was overhyping something beyond a realistic expectation. This is something a lot of people have done and I’m providing one way of looking at things based on a specific experience I had with a specific game.
I said at least twice (in different ways) that you should not force yourself to play through a game you hate every second of. (This implies that if people don’t like the story and combat of a game, for example, they shouldn’t have to play it.) I even tried to emphasize this point at the end of the video.
I get that we all got a lot of things going on in our lives, but the message I was trying to get across is that it’s beneficial to stop and sniff roses every now and then. Yes, video games can be an escape, but they can teach us a lot about life too.
yeah nah, thats bs tarotcard0371. the slow start is definitely the problem when it comes to xenoblade 2, that, the tutorials, the combat not opening up right away, and people getting lost, and people not liking the character designs, the gacha, and the field skills. Those are the reasons every single xenoblade 2 hater has for not liking the game, you act like we aren't aware of it, we are, and we're fine if you don't like the game, but I'm not gonna take you calling it a bad game lying down when you either played it but didn't beat it, or you were overly critical of it like that that one astronaunt reviewer I don't care to remember the name of. xenoblade 2 is a amazing, flawed, good game like every other amazing, flawed, good game in existence, respect that and that people like it and you don't and move on and don't come here spouting some bs argument about how games should be put down after only 10 minutes or 1 hr or anime being dropped after 1 or 2 episodes, I hate those kinds of arguments. just either learn to have patience and give stuff a fair chance or just quit the game or show and move on and respect that people like it, but don't come here forcing your nonsensical opinion of how people should judge games and shows on others, people can decide how they want to experience games and shows for themselves, you should have no input in it nor should a reviewer.
@@infern209x You clearly didn't read what I wrote. I haven't actually played Xenoblade. I can guarantee that I'd enjoy Xenoblade, because I, personally, have no issue with slow openings. I simply asked "What about the people who didn't like the story"
Meanwhile, your counter argument that people like me need to " learn to have patience and give stuff a fair chance" is *actual* BS. An hour of gamplay *is* a fair chance. 2-3 episodes of an anime *is* a fair chance. That alone is the length of a movie, and the longest RPG I've played so far has been 120 Hours.
If it doesn't get ones attention early on, it will *never* get good later. Games don't "Get good later." No self respecting game developer designs a game with the plan that it will "get good later."
You say that "people can decide how they want to experience games and shows for themselves" and that I should respect that, yet, at that same time, you clearly don't respect me, or the way I want to experience games or shows, nor anyone who agrees with me on that subject.
You seem the kind of person who considers literal hours of playing or watching before dropping something "judging a book by its cover", and your entire rant was written under the assumption of something that wasn't even true, and, reading my own comment again, wasn't even implied as far as I can tell, so why should I respect you?
Unlike you, I actually can respect when people have a difference of opinion from me. Within reason, I'm not going to respect a racist.
But you have no respect for people who think differently from you. Because I'm "impatient." and my opinion is "Nonsense"
Go away.
@@tarotcard0371 your own argument is bs because guess what, most jrpgs start slowly and don't hook you early on, also alot of the best anime start slow early on. okay want another example, ever watched digimon? digimon savers/data squad is arguably one of the darkest seasons besides tamers but it starts out slow because the first episodes are introducing you to the characters and the real world and dats, then after several episodes you finally get to the digital world arc, then you find out a scientist and the people that work for him are committing mass digimon genocide. literally savers/data squad is the digimon genocide season and the season where a human punches a god. it starts slow but its one of the best digimon seasons story wise.
but with your bs 1-2 episode rule you wouldn't know that and would miss out on a good show. That is why your 2 episode rule is a bs argument and does not work for every show, because not every one of the best shows/books/games out there is gonna pick up to the good parts right off the bat, they are meant to be timesinks and you are rewarded for the time you spent.
🎉🎉🎉🎉
I think this is just a really bad logic tree. If you arent enjoying a game, you probably wont enjoy the rest of it. You mention that games are more than having fun, but i honestly disagree. You might bring up a game like Pathologic or Dark Souls as examples of pretty brutal and unforgiving game design. But theres a reason these games are so beloved, people think theyre fun. Even though its insanely punishing, people still enjoy it greatly. If someone doesnt like hard games, than its really a non starter.
A really easy test is this. If you arent enjoying a game, take a day off from it and cool off. If you come back to it the next day and still hate it, time to move on.
And ESPECIALLY dont let other peoples opinions dictate what games you should be playing (which is heabily implied in the video, that if a bunch of people like it, you should soldier through it anyways). Play what you think is fun, and if you arent having fun, move on.
Calling the video bad logic is a stretch. It’s definitely not perfect but it’s just a different way of thinking. Don’t get me wrong, I get where you’re coming from and I even partially agree. However, the whole point of this video was to suggest that sometimes we are a bit too impatient with games in our fast paced society. Therefore, the video was meant to be more of an encouragement rather than a hard, fast rule. I think it varies based on the game and one’s interests. Maybe I should’ve made these things clearer in the video, but I was trying to find a balance between under-explaining and over-explaining.
@@DerajjParallax I just don't think you're understanding, and I'll use Dark Souls as an example, because I'm sure you're familiar with it. Having the "patience" to be able to get through a game segment means you have to actually like the game.
If someone gets to The Bell Gargoyles in Dark Souls 1, and gets stuck and has to fight them over and over. Sure, they might need "patience" for it, but that "patience" is only going to manifest if they like the game. It took me almost 40+ tries to beat them when I played. You know why I stuck through it? Because I loved the combat A LOT. If you hate the combat of Dark Souls, you won't have any patience for any boss, you know why? Because they hate the combat, and you have to critically engage with it to beat a lot of the bosses. And if you don't like it, then you're not gonna bother banging your head against the wall over something you don't like.
Saying "we are a bit too impatient with games in our fast paced society" is just a cop out for a really bad argument. You know that's not what the point of the vid was. I know that. Everyone knows that. Expecting people to soldier through games that they probably won't like because said game is acclaimed in someway is absolutely asinine. Nobody is going to hard quit Bayonetta JUST because of that scene where she's weak and can't do anything. Nobody is going to quit Windwaker JUST because you lose your sword in that one part. Nobody is going to quit (insert game with slow start i.e., Kingdom Hearts II, Outer Wilds, Morrowind, Disco Elysium etc.) JUST because the start of the game is slow.
People will quit these games if they don't like the core mechanics. If someone doesn't care about the writing in Kingdom Hearts II, or the exploration in Outer Wilds, or the combat in Morrowind, or the dialogue in Disco Elysium, then they aren't gonna like the game no matter how long they play it, because a core aspect of the game doesn't click with them, NOT because they "lack patience" for a specific part of them. Expecting them to do so is very toxic, and if you think this way about yourself, I genuinely feel bad for you. Time is precious, spend it wisely on things that soothe your soul. Don't waste your time on something you KNOW you won't like just because it's acclaimed by people.
@@Chockavox nah, its you making a bad argument. if you can't handle games starting slow you shouldn't be playing kingdom hearts or any other jrpg in the first place, because thats a staple in all jrpgs. jrpgs aren't for you, accept it and move on and quit trying to force your mentality on others.
@infern24 To be clear, all the games I mentioned are specifically my favorite games of all time. I can handle it, my entire point is if you don't like the core of the game, no matter how fast or slow the game is going you won't like it.
Read better or don't comment please! Thanks!
@@Chockavox what part of I said the games aren't for you and to just move on and respect that people like them, did you not grasp? starting slow is a big part of most jrpgs, they are timesinks and reward you for the time spent, no jrpg is gonna hook you early on with mechanics and story, its not a common thing with jrpgs, as I said, they are timesinks. darksouls is not a jrpg nor are all the other games you mentioned, yes I can read. get a clue
Hard disagree, games should be good from the get go or at least compelling, there are so many games that if it flubs the beginning its not worth your time because there are a billion other games to try. Look at the average gamers backlog, the "it gets good just give it time" is a relic of another time.
I get where you’re coming from. At the end of the day, you gotta do what’s best for you and your time. I personally know I’m never going to get to all the games on my backlog anyway so I’d rather be patient with games that have something compelling about them. If not than yeah, I’ll move on, but I personally think there’s value in a bit of patience for certain games. Thanks for disagreeing respectfully.
how many times do I have to tell you people dogginsfroggins , if you can't take slow starting games, don't play jrpgs, the vast majority of them, even alot of the best ones, start slow, if you can't take that the game genre just isn't for you and quit trying to make excuses for it or how the games are bad for it when you know nothing of the jrpg genre outside of trying 1 or 2 games meanwhile we've had years of playing jrpgs alot of us and know what we're getting into.
@@infern209x What the hell are you talking about? I've finsihed basically all of the FF games, the Dragon quest games, SMT games and Persona games, speak for yourself. Slow can be compelling, just not bad, some games are bad and I drop those. Way to stick your foot into your mouth.
@@DogginsFroggins when we're talking jrpgs we're obviously not talking final fantasy or dragon quest, those are the more mainstream japanese rpgs that do not start slow nor not open up their mechanics right away, you missed my point apparently. I'm obviously talking games like xenoblade, ys, legend of heroes, tales of, and many more, those are the jrpgs I mention, which are in fact a separate genre from final fantasy and dragon quest, they are what we mean by jrpgs, final fantasy and dragon quest are not the same genre and are considered more traditional rpgs. there are multiple japanese rpg genres you know. when we're talking jrpgs we're usually talking the niche highly trope-filled timesink ones. if the only japanese rpgs you've played are final fantasy and dragon quest you have no clue and shouldn't even be debating me on the topic.
@@infern209x bruh you are just gatekeeping and makign pointless divisions to keep a sense of elitism, I've been playing JRPGs since 1990s in all shapes and forms since I was small, more than I can count, so I doubt because I didn't play some game that came out in the last decade I don't understand JRPGs in general.