The Bad Parts That Almost Ruined These 20 Great Games
When Fallout 4 was finally revealed back in 2015, the internet breathed a collective gasp. Here it was, another chance to get back into the world we all knew and loved, in all its shiny next-gen glory. And in many ways, Fallout 4 added several improvements to the series such as full voice acting and updated shooting mechanics. Unfortunately it also brought a new base building mechanic which was janky, ugly and shoe-horned into the game at every avenue.
Assassins Creed Origins is a fantastic game, the best in the series in years. Bayek, the game’s protagonist, is quite possibly my favourite video game character of the last few years, setting a new precedent with rock solid motivations and genuine charm. It’s odd then, that the game decides to hide all of this under one of the most confusing and overwhelming openings of an open world RPG ever.
Batman: Arkham Knight was the perfect way to finish the genre-defining trilogy. It gave us a fully realised Gotham City and a whole new way to traverse it in the form of the Batmobile. As well as offering the car configuration which allowed Batman to speed through the streets, there was also a tank configuration which allowed him to blast away his enemies with reckless abandon.
The Uncharted series is undoubtedly one of the best in gaming. The visual fidelity, character building bad parts and set pieces on offer here are unmatched and culminate in a near perfect experience. The series has always struggled in one area though, combat. It’s all smooth sailing when faced with one or two nameless goons but given an entire army to fight and things start to get tricky. bad parts
Survival is one of the core themes of The Last of Us. From the outset the game pits the player against near insurmountable odds. By limiting ammo, outnumbering the player and forcing them to acavenge for supplies, The Last of Us exudes a brutal and unforgiving vibe. That is until the game’s bad parts final level. After learning that Ellie is to be killed, Joel goes on a one-man rampage to rescue her. He goes from resourceful every man to assault rifle-wielding super soldier in an instance as he guns down wave after wave of enemies. This set-piece stands out like a sore thumb in a game which places so much agency on stealth and resource management and ultimately feels forced as a result.
Breath of the Wild The motion controlled shrines in which the player must guide a ball through a maze and into a hole are fine on the face of it. Problem is, when in handheld mode, it is incredibly difficult to accurately control the ball without moving the whole console. These bad parts shrines were frustrating to say the least and showed a distinct lack of planning on Nintendo’s part.
Dark Souls is brutal, that’s nothing new. It’s also fair, requiring the player to learn attack patterns before conquering its fiendish bosses. The Bed of Chaos then, just doesn’t feel very Dark Souls. With its random attacks the fight devolves into an RNG affair, one which has had players rage-quitting ever since.
The first BioShock is a modern masterpiece. It features one of the most completely realised world in Rapture and manages to exceeds both an action game and as a horror. The whole game is about experimenting with different weapons and plasmids, seeking out different combinations and using them to progress. The last few hours of the game are a rough time. After an awesome twist, the player is sent backtracking through the world to modify themselves and become one of the game’s iconic Big Daddys. What follows is a drawn out ending filled with bad parts over the top boss fights utilizing weapons and abilities which the player has literally just acquired. It’s a strange departure which the series chooses to double down on, basing the entire sequel on it.
The Mass Effect trilogy is one of the best in gaming. From the aesthetic to the weapons, every part of it feels futuristic and new. Everything except the Mako space buggy that is. Handling like a bumper car on ice, the Mako buggy made planet excursions a real hassle, hampering what is otherwise an amazing spacefaring adventure.
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Fallout 4 - Base Building
When Fallout 4 was finally revealed back in 2015, the internet breathed a collective gasp. Here it was, another chance to get back into the world we all knew and loved, in all its shiny next-gen glory. And in many ways, Fallout 4 added several improvements to the series such as full voice acting and updated shooting mechanics. Unfortunately it also brought a new base building mechanic which was janky, ugly, and shoe-horned into the game at every avenue. Preston Garvey and his constant requests for help with settlement missions and the horror show which was the Benevolent Leader trophy marred what was an otherwise great game, so here's hoping Bethesda leaves base building on the cutting board next time.
Assassins Creed Origins - The Opening Hours
Assassins Creed Origins is a fantastic game, the best in the series in years. Bayek, the game's protagonist, is awesome, setting a new precedent with rock solid motivations and genuine charm. It's odd then, that the game decides to hide all of this under one of the most confusing and overwhelming openings of an open world RPG ever. The player is immediately thrust into a fight with characters they haven't been introduced to. Bayek already has a tonne of skill and is also sporting a beard and a full head of hair. Over the initial 3 hours or so the game throws enemy after nameless enemy at the player, simply expecting them to get a hang of the new controls, systems and setting. The game finds its groove eventually but looking back, the beginning of Bayek's epic tale feels like a fever dream of mixed messages and unnecessary deaths.
Batman: Arkham Knight - Tank Missions
Batman: Arkham Knight was the perfect way to finish the genre-defining trilogy. It gave us a fully realised Gotham City and a whole new way to traverse it in the form of the Batmobile. As well as offering the car configuration which allowed Batman to speed through the streets, there was also a tank configuration which allowed him to blast away his enemies with reckless abandon. The latter lead to several lengthy extended tank combat segments in which players had to defeat wave after wave of unmanned drones. This could not have made you feel any less like the caped crusader and also lead to a seriously underutilised cameo when Deathstroke turns up only to jump into a tank which you must then battle. The final nail in the coffin was the tank platforming sections of the game which lead to many broken controllers and smashed TV screens.
Uncharted 3 - Ship Graveyard
The Uncharted series is undoubtedly one of the best in gaming. The visual fidelity, character building and set pieces on offer here are unmatched and culminate in a near perfect experience. The series has always struggled in one area though: combat. It's all smooth sailing when faced with one or two nameless goons, but given an entire army to fight and things start to get tricky. One section in Uncharted 3 highlighted this in a way which showed just how under par the shooting mechanics were when compared to the rest of the game. The Shipyard is a veritable gauntlet of impossibly accurate snipers, rocket launcher-wielding maniacs and everyone's favorite video game trope - swimming. Unnecessarily long and uncharacteristically difficult, the shipyard halts the pace of an otherwise stellar experience.
The Last of Us - Hospital Scene
Survival is one of the core themes of The Last of Us. From the outset the game pits the player against near insurmountable odds. By limiting ammo, outnumbering the player and forcing them to acavenge for supplies, The Last of Us exudes a brutal and unforgiving vibe. That is until the game's final level. After learning that Ellie is to be killed, Joel goes on a one-man rampage to rescue her. He goes from resourceful every man to assault rifle-wielding super soldier in an instance as he guns down wave after wave of enemies. This set-piece stands out like a sore thumb in a game which places so much agency on stealth and resource management and ultimately feels forced as a result.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Motion Control Shrines
Breath of the Wild earned near perfect scores all around when it released last year. The game took the series in a bold new direction, offering a true open world filled with secrets and wonder. Many criticized the game for its replacement for the traditional dungeons found in previous games. Shrines were mini-puzzles which tasked the player with using what they had learned out in the world to earn Spirit Orbs. The majority were clever bite-sized challenges which were challenging without being too difficult. Others, well others had motion controls. The motion-controlled shrines in which the player must guide a ball through a maze and into a hole are fine on the face of it. Problem is, when in handheld mode, it is incredibly difficult to accurately control the ball without moving the whole console. These shrines were frustrating to say the least and showed a distinct lack of planning on Nintendo's part.
Dark Souls - The Bed of Chaos
Dark Souls is brutal, that's nothing new. It's also fair, requiring the player to learn attack patterns before conquering its fiendish bosses. The Bed of Chaos then, just doesn't feel very Dark Souls. With its random attacks the fight devolves into an RNG affair, one which has had players rage-quitting ever since.
BioShock - Becoming a Big Daddy
The first BioShock is a modern masterpiece. It features one of the most completely realised worlds in Rapture and manages to exceed as both an action game and as a horror. The whole game is about experimenting with different weapons and plasmids, seeking out different combinations and using them to progress. The last few hours of the game are a rough time. After an awesome twist, the player is sent backtracking through the world to modify themselves and become one of the game's iconic Big Daddys. What follows is a drawn out ending filled with over the top boss fights utilizing weapons and abilities which the player has literally just acquired. It's a strange departure which the series chose to double down on, eventually basing the entire sequel on it.
Mass Effect - The Mako
The Mass Effect trilogy is one of the best in gaming. From the aesthetic to the weapons, every part of it feels futuristic and new. Everything except the Mako space buggy that is. Handling like a bumper car on ice, the Mako buggy made planet excursions a real hassle, hampering what is otherwise an amazing spacefaring adventure.
Kingdom Hearts - Gummi Ship
A few entries on this list are sure to be up for debate, it's only natural. This one though, the Gummi Ship, is UNIVERSALLY hated. Kingdom Hearts forces you to travel via this garish monstrosity for obnoxious periods of time. The gameplay is repetitive, the associated trophies unbearable, threatening to ruin the entire experience.
Dead Rising - Time Limits
Dead Rising's unique brand of zombie-slaying action is pure, stupid fun. Using a skateboard to knock down large groups of the undead while dressed as a giant man baby will never get old - that is until the time limit runs out and you're forced back to the beginning. The game is so perfect as a sandbox experience that it is genuinely baffling that the developers chose to impose an arbitrary time limit on the proceedings. It stretches the game out for sure but discourages experimentation and exploration. Dead Rising 4 got rid of the time limit altogether and allowed players to go wild so perhaps even they realized that players weren't happy.
Pokemon Yellow - Zubat
Pokemon Yellow was the first game I ever played. My memories of exploring Kanto, Pikachu in tow are some of my fondest memories in gaming. What I do not look back on too fondly is one Pokemon in particular, the ever-present Zubat. This pesky bat dominates many of the game's early areas, caves in particular. They single-handedly make long stretches of the game incredibly frustrating, always popping up when you least want them too. Zubat stalked the nightmares of players everywhere for several generations of Pokemon, with the very sight of one enough to send them into a mindless rage.
Shadow of the Colossus - Celosia Colossus
The main draw of Shadow of the Colossus is its titular towering beasts. Even these days the scale of the creatures is impressive, something made even more so by the game's recent remake. One colossus though, eschews the grand scale of the game, instead presenting the player with a somewhat large bull-like creature called the Celosia. Its small size makes it incredibly difficult to grab onto and the way it can keep the player down with charge attacks make it the most annoying colossus by far.
Dragon Ball FighterZ - Multiplayer Lobbies
Dragon Ball FighterZ is one of the best looking games every made. Looking insanely similar to the anime, the game has received critical acclaim for its accesible gameplay and epic cutscenes. One aspect is sending players everywhere into a tizzy. You see, in order to access the game's multiplayer mode, players must first enter a lobby as a cutesy avatar and find a match. As a result, lobbies are often overcrowded, making it incredibly confusing to get into a game. Combine this with the game's lack of a player invite system and you have a recipe for disaster in an otherwise flawless game.
Monster Hunter World - Playing with Friends
Another game with multiplayer woes is Monster Hunter World. When you're able to buddy up with a group of friends to take down a monster, the game is amazing, its just getting there that is the problem. Monster Hunter World's matchmaking systems are obtuse to say the least, requiring players to go through a ton of menus to get going. The difficulty scaling is also out of wack but luckily the game is fun enough to compensate.
GTA San Andreas - Train Chase Sequence
The chase scene that spawned a thousand memes. Perhaps pursuing a train while riding a motorcycle was a little ambitious for a PS2 game at the time but nonetheless this one was a real chore to get through. At least we got to hear Big Smoke berate us with "all we had to do was follow the damn train CJ" over and over.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Wrecked Ship
The Resident Evil series has had a rough time over the last few years. Recent games have placed a focus on action over the survival horror aspects which made the series popular in the 90s. Resident Evil 7 was a step back in the right direction which brought back series staples like resource scarcity and a focus on horror. The game totally falls apart at the end though as it tasks players with escaping a wrecked ship filled with enemies and weapons. So little of the game up to this point involves any kind of shooting so these closing moments definitely feel out of place and show that Capcom isn't ready to give up the more modern, action packed elements of the series just yet.
Crash Bandicoot - Boulder Dash
With the recent N.Sane Trilogy remake, Crash is relevant again. And while certain aspects of the game still holds up, there is one level type that still seems unnecessarily brutal all these years later. I'm talking about the chase levels in which the player must run away from a boulder, a dinosaur, easy enough, right? Not at all. Thanks to the fact that you have to run towards the camera, it is very hard to judge jumps and obstacles. Thankfully, the inclusion of these levels were eventually toned down in later releases.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - The Final Chapter
Kojima's swansong is equal parts epic and disappointing. The gameplay is perfect, a truly impressive culmination of decades of iteration and innovation. The game tells a sprawling tale of voice-activated nanobots and war criminals which, while compelling, is so clearly unfinished. It's well known by now that The Phantom Pain which was released is not the full package. The most glaring example of this is the rushed and confusing nature in which the game ends. It is likely that we will never see the elusive final chapter which is a damn shame given that it was the final piece needed to complete a story which has spanned nearly 30 years.
Underwater Levels
Okay, this one's cheating a bit but seriously, water levels suck.
About the author
Jake Green
A Nintendo evangelist and X-Files super-fan, Jake can be found peddling his gaming opinions online. He has a soft spot for VR and values story-telling in gaming above all else.
