Topic: Unpopular Gaming Opinions

@status-204 Although I do agree that Cloud's harem is a bit ridiculous (I can overlook it) - I don't really understand your complaints with the battle system. I think the blend of action and ATB is amazing - giving you most of the benefits of FF7's ATB (through direct, menu-based commands for all of your party members), but the hack-and-slash is incredibly fluid and fun. Plus the materia and upgrade systems add a lot of versatility - not to mention that each character has their own distinct play-style. This is a much better battle system than FF15 or 12 IMO. I do think the part AI is pretty terrible though - you pretty much have to do everything yourself in this game.

I also think the dialogue is pretty solid. Characterisation was definitely the game's strength - all of the main cast were brought to life in a way that exceeded my expectations.

I'd like to add that the English voice acting was utterly pathetic in BOTW. It's such a half-***ed dub for ZELDA. You think they would try more for ZELDA.

Granted, voice acting added nothing to the game in Japanese anyway. And while I like me some Japanese voice acting, and its way better than the English voice acting, I would be fine if they never had voice acting in Zelda again. Even if its great, it always takes me out of the experience when a game is only sometimes voice acted, even for major cutscenes. No voice acting at that point is actually more immersive, just for the consistency.

@kkslider5552000 Would it be more accurate to say just voice acting in general instead of just English?

I don't know what you're referring to with this question.

If you mean because I keep specifying, that's because the difference in quality from Japanese to English is notable here, and honestly more notable a difference than most dubs nowadays. This is a below standard English dubbing effort, for one of Nintendo's most important and biggest releases ever.

If you mean inconsistent use of voice acting is a problem regardless of language...yes.

Here's one I don't think I've voiced here before.

I don't have a problem with forced motion controls when achieving the developer's vision for gameplay requires them. For example, Super Mario Odyssey has mandatory motion controls, because you can actually direct Cappy's movement in 4 different directions. This requires a 3rd simultaneous directional input in addition to the left and right analog sticks, and the only reasonable way to do that is motion controls. Skyward Sword is another example.

I also find it hypocritical that some of the same people who complain that motion controls are a barrier to accessibility are nowhere to be found when first person games don't offer 3rd person gameplay modes. Honestly, I don't mind either situation. While accessibility is great to have, if a developer makes a game the includes mechanics that require an ability, they shouldn't be criticized for not catering to people with disability (using the term broadly) any more than a painter shouldn't be criticized for not making something that could be enjoyed by the blind.

I say this as someone who will probably never be able to play Cyberpunk 2077 or the Outer Worlds because I can't play in first person without getting a headache and nausea.

The backlash to motion controls were always really stupid. I'm reminded of this video:

@status-204 Haven’t played FFVII R, so can’t comment on your complaints - and you’re entitled to dislike the game anyway - but you made me laugh when you called it a rushed cash grab!

If this is a Square Enix rush job, how long would game development take if they took their time?! 😱

I don't really understand why people get excited for remasters of games they already own, for example the hype surrounding the rumoured 3D Mario remasters. If you haven't played the games before, or if you want to replay them but don't have the old consoles any more, then I get why it would be great, but I would have thought most people on this site would have played most or all of the main Mario games and still have their old consoles plugged in, in which case I'm not sure why people would want to buy the same games again on the Switch. Sure, they'd look nice in HD, and 64 and Sunshine could do with some adjustments to modernise them and improve the controls, but personally I'm happy to just stick with the original games.
I only consider buying remasters of games I already own if they have substantial new features and improvements (which, to be fair, the 3D Mario remasters might still have, assuming they actually exist). I miiiight get Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition some day even though I didn't love the original game. The graphics and new content in that game look great and the improved menus etc might encourage me to actually finish the game. But even then, I'd find it hard to justify paying full price for the same game again.

@Dogorilla Yeah, I've been amazed at the excitement surrounding the Xenoblade remake. Granted, I didn't like it quite as much as most people seem to, but if I want to play it again I have it on Wii. I don't care about upgraded graphics and a new epilogue is not worth $60. I understand if you've never played it before, but most of the super excited people clearly have. As for the Mario ones, I actually don't have a way to play most of them so I'm a little more excited for them (other than 3D World which I do still have and don't need to buy again).

I think its mostly because people just don''t want to pull their old systems out to replay a game. I'm not exactly one of those people, but when I brought out the Wii U to play the final Shovel Knight campaign, it was kind of annoying to plug everything in again. And for some people, it would maybe be significantly more difficult. There are many examples of people being willing to pay for something being more convenient.

I think if I found certain remakes for cheap I'd get them, but that's about it. Though I am very tempted at buying Xenoblade again. And I'm certain I will get Link's Awakening when its cheaper (or if its cheaper, lol Nintendo). But yeah, for me, it would mostly be a waste to spend my money on something I've already played and already own when I could play something new instead.

@kkslider5552000 Yeah that's understandable. I'd also get Link's Awakening if it was cheaper. I'm hoping there'll be a Nintendo Selects range on Switch at some point, and maybe Link's Awakening will be part of it.

@status-204 It very much sounds like we're playing different games, as I had absolutely none of those issues in my 40 hour play-through.

My unpopular gaming opinion:
I really dislike Hollow Knight.

After playing Ori and the Blind Forest (which I loved loved loved!), I wanted to play another 2D-Metroidvania-style game. Obviously if you look for such games on Switch, Hollow Knight is on the top of every list. So I was pretty excited. But from the moment I started the game I really disliked every aspect of it: Art style, music, sound effects, story of bugs in creepy underground world, combat, enemies, deaths etc. I played the game for roughly 1 hour. I had to quit in the middle of it, because I disliked it so much. I came back a few hours later to give it another chance, but the game just didn't do anything for me. I wandered off in different directions, got stuck or lost, and I fought 2-3 bosses, which I always lost and got frustrated. 😕

@dionysos283

Well, if you disliked the art, music, sound effects, and so on — all of which I think are absolutely stellar --, I'm not sure what to say.

It's one of my top 10 games ever. But yeah, it's dark, it's difficult, it's moody and depressing, it's creepy. You'll get lost and frustrated. Just the way Hollow Knight is. We love it because, once you understand how to get around, and once it becomes easier to move through the world, there's deep lore, intense combat, a great sense of mystery and immersion. It's a long, meaty 30 to 40 hour adventure I'll never forget.

On a similar note, people need to chill out about games some times. I'm never going to play Hollow Knight, because I'm not particularly good at games, and more specifically I'm terrible at 2D platformers (I find the NSMB series incredibly challenging).

If you liked Hollow Knight, more power too you. That doesn't mean everyone needs to play it.

Sonic Lost World is actually a pretty decent game, just not a good Sonic game

@Dogorilla I get excited for remasters because the portable nature of Switch let's me play more often. But also because I no longer own older consoles (PS4 Pro and Switch currently) and love having a huge game collection on one card. Admittedly when I got Skyrim again I felt like an idiot. 100+ hours later I'm happy I got it again on Switch.

Anyways to keep to the topic. BoTW. I hate the weapon system and the game always annoy the crap out if me...

I'm mixed on Hollow Knight, it was compelling enough that I pretty much played through the main campaign in about 3 days, but was nowhere near as in-your-face-love-it as most people seem to be for the game. Room design was a little too simplistic and samey throughout certain areas and it felt less like exploring and more like unlocking shortcuts and paths after completing more specific challenges. Boss fights are mostly good, but mostly on the too-easy side of things until you hit late-game and dream bosses (I played through the game with maybe one or two nail upgrades iirc, then pumped after loosing to the true final boss once, but it's a joke with full upgrades). I did go into the game with a lot of knowledge of it and high expectations though, so that might be part of my problem. There are a lot of other Metroidvanias I'd play before it though.

The DLC is good, probably due to the focus on boss fights, but is also way harder than most of the base game and there should have been a better transition to those fights. Nightmare King Grimm is probably the biggest offender, even though I still somewhat like the fight, despite how repetitive it gets. Godseeker is the best and worst of the game. Access to the boss fights and the bindings are good features and a lot of the harder variants are fun, but the way it backloads the game has made it so I doubt I'll be going back to the game for a long time.

Unpopular Game Opinion: A Link Between Worlds wasn't bad, but the non-sequential dungeon design heavily homogenized the entire game to a fault. At the very least, between reusing the overworld from ALttP and making the dungeons only need to be designed for one item, it's a low effort title in the series and doesn't have much to stand on its own with (with the major exception of Mother Maimai's theme).

@Swiftstorm That's fair enough. I can definitely understand a lot of the reasons why people would want to play remasters of games they've already played, I just find it a bit odd when people get very excited about them even if they still have the original game with nothing stopping them from replaying it. Nothing wrong with it, of course, I just don't really get it.

@Dogorilla I don't even think we always get why a re-release is exciting ourselves 😅 That said, I think it is just a hope to relieve some of that joy we had the first time around. And somehow the release is part if that, rather than booting up an old copy with save files and all.

For me it is mainly the portability. I feel like a grown-up being a kid again, when I log off before midnight knowing that I can continue playing on my commute. Like I am cheating the system that was there the first time.

And finally there's something endearing about having all your favourites on one portable system. Still I get why, you don't get it. Sometimes I don't even. 😊

Thanks for your answer