Topic: Unpopular Gaming Opinions

@Th3solution Star Trek: Encounters (PS2). The theme pasted on top of what is largely a budget twin stick shooter completely won me over. Its not a good game, it abuses the theme, but I love it.

And probably Michael Jackson: The Experience HD (Vita). Been a while since I played it, but its a good rhythm game with incredible music! But also Michael Jackson 😂

@Th3solution
Enigmatis the ghosts of maple creek.

It's a hidden object point and click. I enjoyed my time with it so much I bought the sequel (which is rubbish). Maybe I was in the right frame of mind, picked it up on the store for £3 or so change in my wallet.

It's very chilled, the location map is relatively small, the puzzles are decent and the story is enjoyable. The hidden object bits in between are the weakest part of the game. I would recommend it! Just make sure it's the only one you play the length of the game is perfect.

@Th3solution Project X Zone on 3DS is a car crash of an SRPG but all the characters together in one game is still pretty cool. I’m a sucker for rhythm games so probably the Miku games as well, considering I genuinely don’t really get the whole Miku thing. I just like the gameplay.

@Th3solution I'm not embarrassed to play anything. Entertainment is entertainment, and doesn't require any mental gymnastics to justify.

Putting that aside, while I typically avoid "casual" games like the plague, I LOVE Peggle. Love love love it. Fully completed the game on my 360. Played it to death on my laptop. And, if I'm being BRUTALLY honest, I can't deny that getting to play Peggle 2 was one of my motivations for buying a PS4. It's obviously one of my Platinums now. If a Peggle 3 ever releases, I'll be buying it.

With that said, the mobile game ruined the game design to 'encourage' the purchasing of microtransactions, so screw that noise!

It's also probably worth mentioning that I really liked Gal Gun: Double Peace. I believe the PS4 version got a... 3/10 on pushsquare? It's a deeply stupid game, but also a very fun and well-designed rail shooter.

The sequel wasn't nearly as much fun, unfortunately.

@Ralizah Peggle 2 is sublime! Absolutely loved getting the Platinum in that game. Definitely don't play many games in that genre but got it on sale for like 3 bucks and figured what the heck. Fell in love with it as well.

@redd214 The gameplay loop is crack. I can spend hours trying to perfect a level. Also really enjoy the various powers each character can give you, and there's a not shallow level of strategy that goes into mastering the different abilities and recognizing which ones are proper for mastering a given level.

Also purchased and completed the DLC, of course. I wish they'd release more.

@Ralizah yeah I was surprised by the amount of strategy involved. I remember a few stages took me hours to beat lol. Hope we get more too, I'd even double dip on a Switch version of 2 as it would be a perfect game to play handheld. But alas EA

@Kidfried I mean, it is and it isn't.

It is in the sense that the game, at bottom, is about shooting balls at pegs and watching them bounce around until they reach the bottom.

It isn't in the sense that mastering the game requires an understanding of timing, how to adequately angle shots to establish or maintain high multipliers, how to properly utilize your power-ups, how to strategically target certain parts of the field to accomplish certain goals, etc.

It's not a super deep game or anything, though. At bottom, it is basically Pachinko: The Video Game. That either appeals to you or it doesn't, I think.

I'm surprised we haven't had Peggle 3, that would be fun. Maybe the 2nd one didn't sell enough?

EA is too busy bleeding people dry with the unfair mobile game to actually publish another real sequel.

@Th3solution I've had a think and I'm not sure if I class any games I play as guilty pleasures. I'll have a look over the games I've played, but I don't totally get what there is to be ashamed of.

That reminds me. I've owned this game for years and never played it. For shame~

(possibly NSFW)

@Ralizah That’s what you call tactical thumb placement.

I wish I'd owned this in college when I was taking that psychology class where the professor had us go out and do something weird in public so that we could record the reactions.

@JohnnyShoulder I think around here (the circle of trust that is the Push Square forums) there is no judgement and we all realize that this is a hobby done for fun and to each their own. I think we rib each other in good natured fun, but most of us are cool with whatever anyone else wants to play or watch. But there are certain games with a stigma, and that the average outsider would scoff at. For example, someone out there on this forum plays Fortnite 40 hours a week and has spent $500 on Fortnite DLC bundles and skins but is ashamed to admit it. I know you’re out there somewhere! Who are you?! Epic games is making billions somehow! 🤨

It’s kinda like how no one will admit that they eat at McDonalds because it’s considered so classless, yet somehow they sell a bazillion burgers every year. 😂

But yeah, some people buy into the stigma of a game more than others. I’ve never felt judged on here for liking Telltale, but I know lots of people probably think I’m crazy for wasting my time and money on them. 😅

@Th3solution I had a Grand Big Mac for dinner like the philistine I am. Admittedly, I do now have a rager of a sore stomach. I’d like to think this is the equivalent of spending £80 on FIFA and getting a bunch of Crewe Alexandria players, Roberto and a ‘legend’ Filip Šebo.

@KratosMD Agreed, the issue with Telltale was the over-saturation. The games were coming out fast and furiously, and just running the same engine out there every time with nary a new tweak except for the plot. They seemed to deliver good stories usually and so I enjoy them (I still have a few left in the backlog to get to - including the final season of TWD). The issue also is that other developers (like Dontnod) took the recipe and improved on it. The lack of innovation was part of Telltale’s undoing, along with the over saturation.

But other games certainly lack innovation and recycle the same basic engine and gameplay out each release, yet continue to sell like crazy. I just think that there are now derogatory preconceived notions about the story-heavy, light-on-gameplay, “interactive movie” monikered games now. What was initially enjoyed and felt to be a fresh take on video gaming is now considered boring and stale.

@Th3solution Nobody seemed to like the Back to the Future one but I really enjoyed it. The Sam & Max games are brilliant too but I remember playing the originals at my uncle’s house so it’s partly nostalgia. I reckon the over saturation is what got them, slapping a different logo over the same game will wear people down after a while.

@Th3solution Yeah I still don't get it, sorry. Maybe I'm not wired to think that what way. I play what I like and I don't really care if it doesn't hold up to anyone's lofty standards. I would hope no one is that judgemental on here. So what if someone plays X game for X amount of hours, we don't know their personal circumstances and they could be doing it to escape whatever they have going on. /rant over

@KratosMD I dunno the first Walking Dead Season I would probably put in my top 10 of last gen games and I can't what they do with the next season on The Wolf Among Us. Tales from the Borderlands has to be one of the most well written video games recently. Buy yeah generally speaking people don't tend speak of them in such high regards as they used. I think the quality got quite mixed towards the end and people were not so forgiving of the clunky and buggy engine. I also think most are fed up of the episodic format and the variable length between episodes.

I am strangely concerned that the rumoured backwards compatibility of next-gen consoles will mean we get less remasters because even though I have to buy games a second time - or third, fourth, fifth etc. on Nintendo consoles - I love having a remaster or a pack of remasters. Kingdom Hearts 1.5 etc. with multiple games, nice little themes and stuff - I like them.