Computer games you shouldn't play

[fable]

A while back I posted a topic about the games we're all waiting for. (In fact, it's buried probably on this page, or the next. Feel free to add to it.) Now, here's the reverse side of the plug nickel: the games you've played already that aren't even worth the code they're imprinted on. What have been the worst games you've ever played? What games would you warn away people from? And what was it about these games that earned your undying enmity--or at any rate, your disgust?

One of my least favorites was Ultima Ascension, or Ultima IX. It was, in a sense, a betrayal of the series, and everything Garriott had done before in it. The non-linearity, intensely personal, highly configurable character and parties of the old Ultima RPGs had been replaced by a one character, first person action game that was completely linear, with braindead AI, and completely focused on activities in puzzles. Never mind the bugs; I objected in advance to it being sold as part of the series, when it wouldn't appeal to any of the series audience. Garriott, ignoring this (as he always has) proceeded to invite destruction, and his old players howled back their anger at him.

Your turn.

[Mr Sleep]

Myst - I spent ages going around doing all the tasks, but it was so boring and so mundane, the graphics were impressive at the time however they just didn't make up for the appaling waste of space that is myst. However this was possibly the first game i purchased on my PC, so i was inexperienced

[fable]

@Sleep, avoid Schizm. It's a new Myst clone, advertising its superior graphics in yet-another puzzle-laden, empty world.

[Mr Sleep]

Originally posted by fable:
<STRONG>@Sleep, avoid Schizm. It's a new Myst clone, advertising its superior graphics in yet-another puzzle-laden, empty world. </STRONG>

I shall, and while we are on the subject, avoid Riven and Myst 3, not forgetting real myst, all pre-rendered all boring

[fable]

Originally posted by Mr Sleep:
<STRONG>I shall, and while we are on the subject, avoid Riven and Myst 3, not forgetting real myst, all pre-rendered all boring </STRONG>

How do you feel about The Longest Journey? Or the humorous graphical adventures that Lucasarts did until recently?

And just to keep this on topic--I also declare a Nithing, and turn a horse's head on a pole against Zeus. Sierra's latest brainchild based on the old Caesar III engine pretended to be an RPG, but was completely linear; and if you accidentally spent 10 hours building a part of a given city in an area where they planned to drop a ravaging monster from Greek legend, you were SOL. There was no flexibility in their game model, and you could easily lose dozens of hours of play not from making a bad decision, but from failing to predict where they were going to unload the next disaster on you.

[Mr Sleep]

Originally posted by fable:
<STRONG>How do you feel about The Longest Journey? Or the humorous graphical adventures that Lucasarts did until recently?
</STRONG>

Haven't got around to obtaining the Longerst Journey yet, certainly on my wish list though

The lucasarts games have been hit and miss with me, i am a huge fan of Grim Fandango (anyone know where i can get the soundtrack? ) however i only really like the second Monkey Island, the 3rd and 4th were certainly decent, however they didn't quite capture the excellence of the second

[fable]

Originally posted by Mr Sleep:
<STRONG>Haven't got around to obtaining the Longerst Journey yet, certainly on my wish list though

The lucasarts games have been hit and miss with me, i am a huge fan of Grim Fandango (anyone know where i can get the soundtrack? ) however i only really like the second Monkey Island, the 3rd and 4th were certainly decent, however they didn't quite capture the excellence of the second </STRONG>

Really? I thought the second Monkey Island was the only near-dud in the bunch. Grim Fandango, though, had superlative artwork. A really masterful game. What a shame it didn't sell especially well.

Another bomb hath come to mind: The Ring. This was a French graphical adventure that appeared about a year ago, with a designer who'd been a power producer in the French movie and tv industry. He talked Big and Serious, and turned out a game that had some nice backgrounds, a few good video sequences, and virtually no gameplay. (How do you feel about choosing at random a corridor for your character to travel, only to be told "Your character walked into a locked door and died. Reload, or quit?") The big selling point was about 30 minutes of Wagner's orchestral music from his 4-opera Ring Cycle. I'd sooner listen to it in the original, and I'm no diehard Wagner fan, either. This game sucked, bigtime.

[CM]

I have a quiet a few in my drawer.

1. Deadlock 1 and 2 - they sucked.
Never figured out how to play them.
Got both as a present.

2.Seven Kingdoms - sucked so much i never finished the tutorial.

3. Rising lands - never passed the first level.

All strategy games.
Come up with more later.

[Aleldar]

Chess, the computer cheats.

[Delacroix]

Originally posted by Fas:
[QB]
2.Seven Kingdoms - sucked so much i never finished the tutorial.
[QB]

Totally agree, Seven Kingdoms stinks. Unplayable.

Rage of Mages 2- Good for torture people. The game is simple and boring.

Soul Reaver- Terrible! A masterwork of unplayability. The Camera-views of this 3d game is very confusing, and inutile.

[dragon wench]

Any games created by Dream Catcher are quite bad. Games like Atlantis, The Sacred Amulet, or the Crystal Key......

decent graphics but weak, entirely linear, storylines.

[Vinin]

prince of Persia 3d, man i loved the originals but then I got this and it was so boring....

Unreal, when u try to cash in on the quake and halflife craze its boring.

Seven Kingdoms, I wholeheartedly agree its a horrible game.

Wargasm, just plain horrible

And some other ones too, i cant remember all their names as I try to forget the bad games.

On a gaming note, has anyone played Settlers: Fourth edition? Im a big fan of the entire series and have played settlers 1-3 and wanted to know if this one was good. So any comments on Settlers: Fourth Edition?

[fable]

Originally posted by dragon wench:
<STRONG>Any games created by Dream Catcher are quite bad. Games like Atlantis, The Sacred Amulet, or the Crystal Key......

decent graphics but weak, entirely linear, storylines.</STRONG>

That's pretty much a criticism of graphical adventures in general. They're by far the most linear type of game out there, but some of them work by virtue of humor. I don't care how bizarre the puzzles are in Sam & Max Hit the Road or the Monkey Island series, for instance, or how linear they are: I laugh. Long, and hard.

[Weasel]

Originally posted by Vinin:
<STRONG>
On a gaming note, has anyone played Settlers: Fourth edition? Im a big fan of the entire series and have played settlers 1-3 and wanted to know if this one was good. So any comments on Settlers: Fourth Edition?</STRONG>

The last game I played was Settlers 2 Gold Edition. If three and four are anything like it...it would have to be a good game to get.

[Quark]

I enjoyed Deadlock, but I do agree that it was very complicated.

Let's see ... avoid Myst and every game like that (they are NOT adventure games). Avoid anything with the title eXtreme (if you don't understand, find a way to read the PCGamer reviews of those games). Other than that, I don't really buy games I don't like. Guess I'm lucky.

[Gruntboy]

I hated 7 Kingdoms too

[Tamerlane]

Kingpin and Soldier Of Fortune

Two very average FPS that openly promoted violence in its extreme form.

I know people who were drawn to purchasing the game based on its shock factor.

A bit sad when marketing gimicks are deemed to be more important than gameplay.

@ Fable, I second you about Ultima XI. I've long misplaced the CD box and only use the manual when trying to draw monsters.

Found some use for it in the end at least

[fable]

Black & White was another disaster. Reviewers loved it, especially the kind of reviewer that spends one hour on a game before venting an expert opinion. It *did* have great, genuine AI for the creature you controlled, but Bullfrog didn't have anything else to offer; so they did what they normally do, only with far less subtlety: they made it into a micromanagement clickfest, with braindead villagers who didn't know enough to eat when hungry or leave burning houses. Disaster of a game, IMO.

[Mr Sleep]

Originally posted by fable:
<STRONG>Black & White was another disaster. Reviewers loved it, especially the kind of reviewer that spends one hour on a game before venting an expert opinion. It *did* have great, genuine AI for the creature you controlled, but Bullfrog didn't have anything else to offer; so they did what they normally do, only with far less subtlety: they made it into a micromanagement clickfest, with braindead villagers who didn't know enough to eat when hungry or leave burning houses. Disaster of a game, IMO.</STRONG>

Actually it was Lionhead not Bullfrog.

Well it was bad, however the new and upcoming creature isles expansion set looks like it might rectify ther problems.

[ 11-07-2001: Message edited by: Mr Sleep ]

[fable]

Originally posted by Mr Sleep:
<STRONG>Actually it was Lionhead not Bullfrog.
</STRONG>

Same designers from Bullfrog, though.