6 Yrs♥$✓#
TheAutisticGamer
6 Yrs♥$✓#
This is a question I've been thinking about for the longest time. There are games that are just so ridiculous/bad, whether it's the voice acting, the story, the sound effects or games that are just so silly/stupid in their concept and execution that they can become so bad it's good. One example I love to point out is Earth Defense Force 2017, a cult hit that has spawned numerous games over the years with it's incredibly campy vibes and what not.
But, can a game be so good, so critically acclaimed, that it just becomes bad?
I want to point this out. There are such things as games that can be overrated and lose positive critical reception over time like Black and White. But can a game just be so freaking good at the time of it's release that you actually start to hate it? Become jealous of it? You start to spite a game that is amazing?
I've tried to think of games that are like this. One that comes to mind from my teen years is Black Ops II. The game is objectively good, but at the time I hated it. I would want to give it another chance now but the thing rubbed me the wrong way, even though it was a competently made campaign. Here's the thing: I liked the voice acting, I liked the strategy missions, I liked the gunplay, but something was not right and I really started to not like the game. Something I just can't put a finger on.
Has something like this ever happened to you? A Game that's so good that when you play it you hate it?
It's something I have been thinking about for a while. Note I'm not talking about games that are overrated. I'm talking about games generally well received by everyone that once you play maybe 1-5 hours of it, you actually start to not like it because it's just too well crafted?
It's really hard to explain on my end, but I hope you understand what I'm trying to get at.
But, can a game be so good, so critically acclaimed, that it just becomes bad?
I want to point this out. There are such things as games that can be overrated and lose positive critical reception over time like Black and White. But can a game just be so freaking good at the time of it's release that you actually start to hate it? Become jealous of it? You start to spite a game that is amazing?
I've tried to think of games that are like this. One that comes to mind from my teen years is Black Ops II. The game is objectively good, but at the time I hated it. I would want to give it another chance now but the thing rubbed me the wrong way, even though it was a competently made campaign. Here's the thing: I liked the voice acting, I liked the strategy missions, I liked the gunplay, but something was not right and I really started to not like the game. Something I just can't put a finger on.
Has something like this ever happened to you? A Game that's so good that when you play it you hate it?
It's something I have been thinking about for a while. Note I'm not talking about games that are overrated. I'm talking about games generally well received by everyone that once you play maybe 1-5 hours of it, you actually start to not like it because it's just too well crafted?
It's really hard to explain on my end, but I hope you understand what I'm trying to get at.
12 Yrs♥✓#
I mean I kinda low-key hate Celeste, but I don't think that has anything to do with thinking it was too good.
6 Yrs✓#
It's time for wild speculation. Maybe you were tired of FPS games at the time. Maybe you thought it was well made, but you didn't like the characters or the overall tone of the story. There can be games that are a big deal and you feel like you are required to be hyped about it. Forcing people to feel things can have a backlash. Sometimes it's frustrating when you feel like you aren't liking something enough. For games and TV shows, people will sometimes be somewhat disappointed if you have not watched or played the same thing as them because they can't talk to you about it. Plus if you want to experience the story, you have to dodge spoilers online until you finish it.
When something is so bad it's good with a TV show or movie, usually it's funny even if it wasn't meant to be. When a game is so bad it's good, it can also be funny, but it may be fun to play with the exploits and glitches that weren't intended. Either way, you are still offered value for it.
I don't think something similar applies when something is good. There can be a story with excellent world building, interesting conflict, well done action, and tons of polish, but if I don't like the characters or the direction things are taken, I can still dislike it. At some point, I'm probably going to finally play all of these Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Metal of Honor games I've picked up so cheap over the years, but I haven't played Black Ops 2 yet. There may be some less obvious aspect of it that made you dislike it.
When something is so bad it's good with a TV show or movie, usually it's funny even if it wasn't meant to be. When a game is so bad it's good, it can also be funny, but it may be fun to play with the exploits and glitches that weren't intended. Either way, you are still offered value for it.
I don't think something similar applies when something is good. There can be a story with excellent world building, interesting conflict, well done action, and tons of polish, but if I don't like the characters or the direction things are taken, I can still dislike it. At some point, I'm probably going to finally play all of these Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Metal of Honor games I've picked up so cheap over the years, but I haven't played Black Ops 2 yet. There may be some less obvious aspect of it that made you dislike it.
13 Yrs♥F$✓#
It's an interesting concept for something to be considered really bad because of how good it is rather than in spite of how good it is.
I feel like if something is so bad that it's good - it usually means that it's enjoyable despite being poorly made. For me the equivalent and opposite would be that something is un-enjoyable despite how well it's made. This is a very different proposition than something being bad because of how well it's made.
To that end I don't have anything to add for games that are bad, because they're so good. However, I think everyone could come up with games that they didn't enjoy even though there's nothing technically wrong with it (i.e. despite it being good). For me that's basically every first-party Nintendo game - I appreciate that they're well made and excellent games, but I just don't enjoy them and probably never will.
I feel like if something is so bad that it's good - it usually means that it's enjoyable despite being poorly made. For me the equivalent and opposite would be that something is un-enjoyable despite how well it's made. This is a very different proposition than something being bad because of how well it's made.
To that end I don't have anything to add for games that are bad, because they're so good. However, I think everyone could come up with games that they didn't enjoy even though there's nothing technically wrong with it (i.e. despite it being good). For me that's basically every first-party Nintendo game - I appreciate that they're well made and excellent games, but I just don't enjoy them and probably never will.
11 Yrs♥✓#
I feel like if something is so bad that it's good - it usually means that it's enjoyable despite being poorly made. For me the equivalent and opposite would be that something is un-enjoyable despite how well it's made. This is a very different proposition than something being bad because of how well it's made.
I think you've hit the nail on the head there. I would add that for 'so-bad-it's-good' games there's often a charm in the jankiness, whereas for the inverse it comes down to taste and genre preference.
My go-to 'good-but-not-for-me' example is the Mario Galaxy games - clearly fantastic, but incredibly boring for me at least.
Deleted
I will say no. If I don't like it, it's bad. It can be critically acclaimed like GTA5 for example, but I think it's quite terrible game and would never say it's good.
6 Yrs#
Knowbowl
6 Yrs#
As others have mentioned, I think this always comes down to personal preference. If a game is so bad it's good, then a way to figure that out is to see if it has a cult following. If a game just sucks, generally speaking the playerbase will die off. However, if the game is bad but has some charm, there will often be forums and groups dedicated to the game.
On the other hand though, if a game is good, many people will play it (again there's some exceptions to that). If a game is truly "so good it's bad" then many people will hate it, therefore making it a bad game.
So, in short, I don't think these games exist. I think it comes down to personal preference, and certain people not liking more popular games.
On the other hand though, if a game is good, many people will play it (again there's some exceptions to that). If a game is truly "so good it's bad" then many people will hate it, therefore making it a bad game.
So, in short, I don't think these games exist. I think it comes down to personal preference, and certain people not liking more popular games.
9 Yrs♥✓#
As much as I disagree with virtually every opinion that you've shared, I agree. People get mad when I say a game is good or bad instead of wasting time needlessly prefacing every opinion with an explicit disclaimer of "in my opinion, I did not like it."
7 Yrs♥✓#
Son_of_a_Pitch
7 Yrs♥✓#
I was going to say they can’t really exist, since if a game is good/ well made then it’s more people’s preferences (or sometimes people just like to hate popular things) that make them not like it, not the game itself.
That said if any game were to fit this I think Red Dead Redemption 2 might come close. It’s very well made and a good game, with a lot of attention to detail put in. It also tries to be as realistic to life as it can in many ways, which is certainly a novel idea and makes the game immersive, but is also pretty daunting and stressful at times. Although the idea sounds good and some people will like it, we aren’t accustomed to that in games and it also makes it slower for those who don’t want to worry about everything. So I guess that could be a case where an element of the game itself that makes it “good” could actually ruin it for a lot of people who otherwise would have liked the game.
That said if any game were to fit this I think Red Dead Redemption 2 might come close. It’s very well made and a good game, with a lot of attention to detail put in. It also tries to be as realistic to life as it can in many ways, which is certainly a novel idea and makes the game immersive, but is also pretty daunting and stressful at times. Although the idea sounds good and some people will like it, we aren’t accustomed to that in games and it also makes it slower for those who don’t want to worry about everything. So I guess that could be a case where an element of the game itself that makes it “good” could actually ruin it for a lot of people who otherwise would have liked the game.
12 Yrs♥$✓#
I would extend it to a series of games rather than a single game. That the success of one title imparts a particular identity, expectation or tolerance of shortcomings that ruin the prospects of future titles. When core design flaws get inherited due to fear of changing away from something that evidently succeeded, success becomes its own downfall. Shouldn't be too difficult to think of a series' of games that were spawned from innovative titles but proceeded to just play it safe and attempt to make the same thing over and over again with minimal difference.
5 Yrs✓#
Ser_Benton
5 Yrs✓#
I agree with this. Subjectivity should be implied.
6 Yrs♥$✓#
I think it's possible that a game can be so good that it sets a new bar for a genre, making other (good) games seem lacking by comparison.
For example, I think Hollow Knight did this recently. It's hard (for me) to play other Metroidvanias without pining for the quality of Hollow Knight.
For a while, I think Super Mario 64 was so mind-blowingly good as a 3D platformer that many gamers thought 2D was obsolete. Of course, now it's clear there is value to both.
For example, I think Hollow Knight did this recently. It's hard (for me) to play other Metroidvanias without pining for the quality of Hollow Knight.
For a while, I think Super Mario 64 was so mind-blowingly good as a 3D platformer that many gamers thought 2D was obsolete. Of course, now it's clear there is value to both.
4 Yrs♥$✓#
churros
4 Yrs♥$✓#
"but something was not right and I really started to not like the game. Something I just can't put a finger on"
There's a big gap between that and "so good it's bad".
I can relate to the feeling. I'm not much of a Call of Duty person (only played PSX ones, 4 and 5), but I recall liking the first Modern Warfare campaign back in the day.
Fast forward some years and its remaster it's on PS Plus. Decided to give it a try, and I hate it. The game seems to be fine, voice acting, gun control, sound effects, graphics, all pretty decent to great. I hated it because everything felt scripted, and I honestly don't know how I manage to like it back in the day.
To me, "so good it's bad" doesn't make any sense.
There's a big gap between that and "so good it's bad".
I can relate to the feeling. I'm not much of a Call of Duty person (only played PSX ones, 4 and 5), but I recall liking the first Modern Warfare campaign back in the day.
Fast forward some years and its remaster it's on PS Plus. Decided to give it a try, and I hate it. The game seems to be fine, voice acting, gun control, sound effects, graphics, all pretty decent to great. I hated it because everything felt scripted, and I honestly don't know how I manage to like it back in the day.
To me, "so good it's bad" doesn't make any sense.
6 Yrs✓#
Wulfrix
6 Yrs✓#
It's not a philosophical answer on my end but I think this is a recent example that sums up the topic:
Fall Guys is so enjoyable that the overload of players caused the servers to buckle and literally made the game unplayable at times.
Fall Guys is so enjoyable that the overload of players caused the servers to buckle and literally made the game unplayable at times.
12 Yrs♥$✓#
The Witcher 3
It was so good that I pre-ordered it from Gog (the only game I have ever pre-ordered in 35+ years of gaming)... upgraded my PC to do it justice after spending hours trying to optimise it by checking out the graphics and framerate in the same bit over and over and over... played every single side mission I could... and marvelled at the authentic depiction of the complex and characterful world of its source material
I found it to be a fastidiously grim, earnestly depressing and tediously well made open world slogathon that no doubt deserved all the praise it got, but by the time I had finished it after overstaying its welcome, I hated it with a passion.
I’ve never played the expansions even though I picked them up in an early sale, and I probably never will. Just the menu music gives me PTSD. And I’m probably never going to go anywhere near the Witcher universe ever again - I’ve avoided the TV series, and will not read any more of the books that have been translated into English (I own and have read the first 4).
I can’t even bloody play Victor Vran because it’s narrated by the same bloody voiceover artist who plays Geralt of bloody Rivia!
It was so good that I pre-ordered it from Gog (the only game I have ever pre-ordered in 35+ years of gaming)... upgraded my PC to do it justice after spending hours trying to optimise it by checking out the graphics and framerate in the same bit over and over and over... played every single side mission I could... and marvelled at the authentic depiction of the complex and characterful world of its source material
I found it to be a fastidiously grim, earnestly depressing and tediously well made open world slogathon that no doubt deserved all the praise it got, but by the time I had finished it after overstaying its welcome, I hated it with a passion.
I’ve never played the expansions even though I picked them up in an early sale, and I probably never will. Just the menu music gives me PTSD. And I’m probably never going to go anywhere near the Witcher universe ever again - I’ve avoided the TV series, and will not read any more of the books that have been translated into English (I own and have read the first 4).
I can’t even bloody play Victor Vran because it’s narrated by the same bloody voiceover artist who plays Geralt of bloody Rivia!
6 Yrs#
Knowbowl6 Yrs#
You absolutely need to play the DLC. They're pretty much unarguably the best DLC for any game ever. I don't think either ever get as grim as some of the main quests of the base game, so it might be more of an endearing experience for you.