Things you DON'T Like About Video Games

[Nobodyman]

Now, I like video games as much as the next person, as I'm sure we all do, but even so there are times when we have to admit there are some things about video games and the video game industry that just gets on our nerves. So here's the thread to discuss them.

Here's something that grinds my gears about video games: when, in order to achieve an unlockable or a bonus mission (or sometimes even advance), you have to perform a long, tedious, and, above all, stupid task. Let's take Kingdom Hearts II for example. Recently, I've been playing the Paradox Titan Cup and in Jiminy's Journal there's a mission where you have to get 10,000 points and finish the cup.

Now, the rules here are that you can only use summons (which you'll need), but no matter how much you do it the conventional way (beating the everloving crap out of the baddies, upfront) you'll never get the 10,000. So, pretty much the only way to do it is to make a Stitch summon and use his Ukelele attack to make the baddies drop a bunch of orbs (without damaging them) and get a bunch of points. The ukelele attack works by continuously tapping the square button and you can use it about 3 or 4 times per summon. So basically what this amounts to is 20-30 minutes of button-mashing while getting points at a horrendously slow pace.

Honestly, what did the game designers have in mind? "Here lets put this extra mission in where it's impossible to do unless you mash the square button for 30 minutes, just to f*ck with the gamers!" I mean, it's not like it even improves your skills at the game. Now, fighting Sephiroth is another challenging…challege, but with that at least it challenges you to work up a strategy in order to defeat him, which, I think, is much more rewarding than mashing a button for 30 minutes. And this is isn't just exclusive to Kingdom Hearts, there are tons of other examples in other games...that are not coming to mind right now.

And I've gone on way too long. But that's my gripe. What's yours?

[Sandai Mera]

hmmmmmm a number of gripes but this one in particular has been getting under my skin alot lately.

Freezing

And what's bad enough is rather than the developer taking the time to fix that they just leave the player (sometimes) to fall back on the game's auto save feature this is most obvious in Spider-Man WOS.

[Buuhan1]

I have no real gripes, only thing I can think of off the top of my head is more nitpicking than anything, and a lot of people probably wont agree with it, and I'm not sure if I really do myself…

Multiple endings. By that I mean you get one ending for beating the game, but to get a more complete and rewarding one, you have to REPLAY THE ENTIRE GAME again. I haven't played many games with multiple endings, and the ones I have generally just involve having to beat the finale boss again. But just the thought of spending all my time on a game only to get a cheap little ending when there's an even better one on the disk will just piss me off.

Luckily there's YouTube.

[DartG]

I get quite annoyed when I have a game that I beat, but to unlock multiple items or new things I have to replay the game, no problem in that department..what really does annoy me when I have to replay it is the fact that I can't skip any of the scenes.

[Kaboom]

I dislike that nobody seems to know how to make a good PC port anymore. Or the disregard and/or stereotyping for PC gaming in general. We'd like to see something other than RTS's and WWII shooters every now and then, please. Give us a fun, well-optimized port of a couple console games to help pad out the time between acually good, unique games like Portal, please. And Lionshead, gimme my damn Fable II already.

[Tizoc]

I dislike Level Grinding, but I dislike these more-
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[Sandai Mera]

@Buuhan1:

I have no real gripes, only thing I can think of off the top of my head is more nitpicking than anything, and a lot of people probably wont agree with it, and I'm not sure if I really do myself…

Multiple endings. By that I mean you get one ending for beating the game, but to get a more complete and rewarding one, you have to REPLAY THE ENTIRE GAME again. I haven't played many games with multiple endings, and the ones I have generally just involve having to beat the finale boss again. But just the thought of spending all my time on a game only to get a cheap little ending when there's an even better one on the disk will just piss me off.

Luckily there's YouTube.

Some games actually let you ride off a save to get another ending.

@Tizoc:

I dislike Level Grinding, but I dislike these more-
EkKjszFWoXU

Underwater levels in old Sonic games?

Another thing I hate

getting nickeled & dime

I gave you

over $400+ tax for your game console (which might break down)
$100+tax for your wireless alternative to playing online
$60+tax for a game

And your telling me I have I also have to pay you once every month or so to ultimately play online against other people, even when both of your competitors aren't asking me to pay a single dime to play online, even worse is that I have to have this paid subscription in order to download certain demos when they hit the streets.

How is this fair?

[Mumbo]

Eh the kind of "gamer culture" always turned me off. A bunch of ravenous pack animals who pounce on fresh meat, tear it to bits in seconds and are never, ever satisfied. I hope you know what I'm talking about.

@Tizoc:

Level Grinding,

Seconded, it always come off as poor game design to me. You should put enough content in the game and plan it out well enough that the player shouldn't have to sit there wandering around and pressing the A button a million times for hours on end. It's lowest common denominator gameplay. Games shouldn't be a chore.

[RuNa]

@Tizoc:

I dislike Level Grinding

I find this quite ironic considering your love for all that is Dragon Quest.

BTW, this is what I was referring to when I said Mother was a DQ clone.

All you do is level grind.

[Nobodyman]

@Tizoc:

I dislike Level Grinding, but I dislike these more-
EkKjszFWoXU

Long and tedious levels that basically repeat themselves?

Anyway, I looked up what Level Grinding meant, and I had know idea that there was a word for that. But yeah, that's basically what I was talking about in my first post.

[Buuhan1]

DG reminded me. I HATE games which doesn't allow you to skip cutscenes. I remember fighting Heartless Riku (the second fight) towards the end of Kingdom Hearts. I kept getting my ass kicked! Took me over 5 tries… But the worst part?

THERE WAS A 5 MINUTE LONG FRICKEN CUTSCENE THAT LEADS INTO THE FIGHT WHICH YOU COULDN'T SKIP! If I heard Sora go "Kairi's... inside me?" one more time...!! Luckily they fixed that in Kingdom Hearts II... not that it fricken mattered cause it didn't have cutscenes like that and it was shit easy.

[Tizoc]

More like I dislike underwater levels, which is ironic since I LOVE the 2nd stage of Sonic 3.
Some underwater stages in games are usually very tedious.
Oh and I like DQ despite all the level grinding, due to its feel.

[NamiGivesMeNoseBleeds]

When games are rushed for the Christmas season.

Games with different endings do you think I want to play a game like Fatal Frame again just for an ending I got a heart attack once I don't want it again.

[captain usopp]

uh, off hand, I have leveling up. I have duke nukem and laura croft. I hate spells that take forever to cast. (FF7 I'm looking your way) I hate how the GBASP came with no spot for headphones. you have to buy an attachment. I hate sports games.

that's all off the top of my head.

[Crossword]

Instant kill spikes being everywhere, especially when used in conjunction with moving platforms and bottomless pits. Megaman Zero, I'm looking at you.

[dirt monkey AL]

In online games, my friends who don't work the hours that I do or are students, HAVE MORE TIME THAN ME TO LEVEL UP. Fucking pricks leaving me behind.

Oh, and I'm glad in Radiata Stories that I can just save at the point just before the game splits off so I don't have to deal with restarting the whole game just for a different ending. I think that's the only game I have with alternate endings though …

[Sandai Mera]

@Tizoc:

More like I dislike underwater levels, which is ironic since I LOVE the 2nd stage of Sonic 3.
Some underwater stages in games are usually very tedious.
Oh and I like DQ despite all the level grinding, due to its feel.

Ugh don't remind me I hate the Hydrocity City levels.

@Crossword:

Instant kill spikes being everywhere, especially when used in conjunction with moving platforms and bottomless pits. Megaman Zero, I'm looking at you.

Aren't the spikes a common site in virtually all Megaman games.

Another thing I don't like is not being able to use a controller for certain PC games really I don't see how people play Max Payne with a Keyboard & Mouse that's just stupid.

[Nobodyman]

@Tizoc:

More like I dislike underwater levels, which is ironic since I LOVE the 2nd stage of Sonic 3.

Maybe it's because of it's kickass music. And the level design was pretty good too.

Anyway, another thing I hate (and I think we all do) is the endless amounts of video games based on movies and TV shows that are just no good. It's only good for parents who will buy them for their kids who will be amused by anything. Basically, it's just a waste of resources and shelf space. Not that there aren't some exceptions to this rule (Goldeneye)

[King_Ty]

lmfao Underwater sonic levels arnt THAT bad. I like the second level of Sonic 2, kickass music! The worst level is the clown level in Sonic 3 and some in sonic cd

anyways i hate games that give me motion sickness…MARIO 64 im lookin at you. Too much running, looping music, etc makes me go crazy.

and that no good games ever come out during the summer time but rather in october- christmas time...wtf

edit: and save points (x-men legends...and all of em)...seriously let me save when i want to fucking save

[Crossword]

@Sandai:

Aren't the spikes a common site in virtually all Megaman games.

Yes, but Zero 2 and 3 had some really nerve wracking moments involving working your way up a vertical stage with moving platforms, and if you didn't jump off at the right moment, you'd be crushed into either the ceiling or spikes. Or controlled falling where if you moved Zero too far in one direction the level will scroll up and bam, spikes. Not fun.

[Gaiyae]

Random game annoyment..

Pokemon..
Why do i have to give my pokemon a HM?
It's incredible annoying to take pokemon with HM's around you all the time.
And some HM's are just a waste of move-set.
Why can't they just enable things like cut, flash and strength at all times.

[King_Ty]

p R e A c H

[Sandai Mera]

@Nobodyman:

Maybe it's because of it's kickass music. And the level design was pretty good too.

Anyway, another thing I hate (and I think we all do) is the endless amounts of video games based on movies and TV shows that are just no good. It's only good for parents who will buy them for their kids who will be amused by anything. Basically, it's just a waste of resources and shelf space. Not that there aren't some exceptions to this rule (Goldeneye)

The Warriors.:ninja:

[DarX]

@Gaiyae:

Random game annoyment..

Pokemon..
Why do i have to give my pokemon a HM?
It's incredible annoying to take pokemon with HM's around you all the time.
And some HM's are just a wast of move-set.
Why can't they just enable things like cut, flash and strength at all times.

strength and surf are actually good moves to have, everything else is completely useless in battle (i'm looking at you flash)

[Sandai Mera]

Flash decreases accuracy (I think).

[DarX]

yeah, it does, but its still pretty useless later on.

[Gravy-Kun]

When a game that looks like an open world is linear (Mario Galaxy looking at you. Can't complete one star mission on another, have to ALWAYS be on this set path.)

When you beat a game.

When fans bash new games because there is something "different" added.

[Sandai Mera]

@Gravy-Kun:

When fans bash new games because there is something "different" added.

Call Of Duty WAW,MK vs DC,GTA 4,& Sonic Unleashed being some of the guilty parties.

[Bounty1Berry]

Games where you have to go through the same level 28 times to complete. (SM64)

Non-trivial load times on old-console adaptations (Megaman anniversary collection).

Games where you spend the time fighting with the camera instead of playing.

[captain usopp]

@Crossword:

Yes, but Zero 2 and 3 had some really nerve wracking moments involving working your way up a vertical stage with moving platforms, and if you didn't jump off at the right moment, you'd be crushed into either the ceiling or spikes. Or controlled falling where if you moved Zero too far in one direction the level will scroll up and bam, spikes. Not fun.

never played the zero series, but I do remember this (spoiler: secret upgrade MMX2)
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[Crossword]

Here's what I was referring to.
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The player speeds through the level and skips some stuff, but I had to be very cautious on those platforms as I don't possess the playing skills of a speedrunner.

This is another good example of annoying spikes, skip to 1:30. I recommend to mute it too, since the uploader put some loud, obnoxious song in. vDg9LtWHDjg

[Tizoc]

I hate that Contra 4 wants me to beat the game in on session or else I will lose Continues T_T
NEVER THE LESS I SHALL NEVER SURRENDER! I SHALL BEAT THIS GAME….SOMEDAY...SOMEHOW!

[Hiroy]

I dunno. I hate anime games that have crap game play, and flashy special cut scene attacks.

[captain usopp]

the first one looks fun to me, crossword, but ya, that second one looks like a bit of a chore with the spikes so close to your head when you jump.

[Mokenda_mint]

Most don't seem to last long at all

[Lazzie]

Horrible fighting game announcers, microtransactions that should have been in the game's original release, and internet fanchildren ruining characters that I used to really like (especially Sonic the Hedgehog and every character in FF VII).

[Monkey D. Hoffy]

@Lazzie:

Horrible fighting game announcers, microtransactions that should have been in the game's original release, and internet fanchildren ruining characters that I used to really like (especially Sonic the Hedgehog and every character in FF VII).

Word Lazzie.

I can totally relate with you regarding the terrible fighting game announcers. It's why I rarely play Street Fighter Alpha 3, SvC: Chaos, and several other fighting games. SFIV is kind of a toss-up, since sometimes it'll add to it, and at other times, it's just really, really annoying.

Tekken 6 is the only game whose announcer that I find easier to deal with than most fighting games.

[The Enigma]

Any instant kill attack. They hardly ever work when used but if the enemy uses the same attack it almost always works.

[Lazzie]

@Monkey:

Word Lazzie.

I can totally relate with you regarding the terrible fighting game announcers. It's why I rarely play Street Fighter Alpha 3, SvC: Chaos, and several other fighting games. SFIV is kind of a toss-up, since sometimes it'll add to it, and at other times, it's just really, really annoying.

Tekken 6 is the only game whose announcer that I find easier to deal with than most fighting games.

SF Alpha 3 is one of my favorite fighting games… except for that damned announcer. Back when I played that all the time with my friends we all hated that bastard. Now when I hear games with unobtrusive or half-decent announcers I can't help but marvel at how not-annoying they manage to be, since I've had so much exposure to the worst.

But another gaming pet peeve - mandatory vehicle segments in platforming games. Sometimes they do it well (the dropship levels in Ratchet & Clank 3 come to mind), but most of the time it hurts me to play it when I should be having fun platforming (the bike levels in Ratchet & Clank 2 come to mind).