Topic: What game has surprised you the most?

Whether it's a good or bad surprise, post it in here. For me I have 2 games. Zelda: BOTW and Bomberman R. Reason being I never played either of these series before, I wasn't even going to buy Zelda but when I bought my switch there was 1 copy of Zelda left so I bought it and loved it, I've completed the game now. (beaten Ganon multiple times) Bomberman I never played before either and to be honest I don't recall ever knowing about the game but my misses had played it before so when a friend of mine came round I asked to play the game on his switch and loved it, went out and bought it myself the next day!

gcunit edit: moving thread from 'Switch' to 'General'.

This is a really difficult question to answer since I rarely buy games spontaneously and inform myself about every game I get to the point of spoiling the story. I guess Tales of Vesperia and Blue Dragon since both of them were spontaneous decisions and amazing ones at that? For a negative one, I really don't know.

Dragons Dogma. I honestly thought the game wasn't for me. Or even that I'd end up hating it to an extent. But actually the game turned out to be the best game (or one of the best) I played of the last generation (excluding a few others that I can't remember right now). But this is obviously in the past.

More recently, I'll say that both Puyo Puyo Tetris and Voez have been very happy surprises. I didn't think I'd enjoy them as much as I have - both were just a way for me to get some usability out of my Switch outside of Shovel Knight and both turned out to be more than worth the purchase.

Shovel Knight on the other hand - I expected to like it, I do tend to gravitate towards 2D platformers, but I almost came out hating it from beginning to end. Was very disappointed, despite how well it had been praised and talked up here on NL.

Recently, Lord of Shadows. I could only stomach two levels before putting it down. That game is awful and it does not deserve the cult status it arguably has.

(Since this is the Switch forum, I'll say Graceful Explosion Machine surprised me for good. Very addictive score-chaser)

Bad games aren't really surprising because it's a slow death. The reason I hold games like Xenoblade in such Torture Prison esteem is somewhat inherently because they don't change and their stories and premises don't surprise me.

Recently I was surprised by how charmed I was by Mr. Shifty. I hate self-aware humor and gameplay-first, gameplay-only ideologies, but I didn't need that game to be anything more than fun whilst hitting things. It did that, and had some surprises even then.

More significantly, four years ago when I bought it having not watched any reviews or trailers besides the score, The Last of Us surprised me and reinvigorated my interest in gaming. That story was so engrossing and utterly physical that it send me into a short existential depression that was only compounded by my playing Journey for the first time a few months after. But of course that's what I put onto the game — the character work and scene writing itself is what deserves accolades.

For me, Mana Khemia (PS2), Pandora's Tower (Wii) and Freedome Planet (PC/Wii U/PS4) were three games I went in with rather "meh" expectations but ended up being on the edge of my seat hooked repeatedly going "wow, when did these games start to kick arse?!".

One was Final Fantasy 15. I didn't expect it to be nearly as "Meh" as it was. I guess it's just a confirmation that the vast majority of JRPG's are definitely not for me, lol.

Another one was Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I went in with pretty low expectations, but it actually surprised me quite a bit. Granted, there's a lot of things that could be improved upon, and I hope they strike a middle ground between BoTW's openness and past Zelda's linearity, as I feel BoTW lost some of what makes Zelda games so memorable by being so open and spreading itself so thin. Still a really good game, though.

ARMS also surprised me, based on what I've played during the testpunch. It looked incredibly boring at first, but actually playing the game showed me otherwise. Super fun game, and one I'm planning on buying eventually.

SURPRISED IN A NEGATIVE WAY

Fallout 4 - Was so excited for this one, but it disappointed me in pretty much every way possible. What a barren, uninteresting, and horribly designed game!

Senran Kagura: Estival Versus - I enjoyed previous games a good deal. They combined fun hack n slashy combat with decent narratives, fun characters, and hefty helpings of cheesecake. This one, though. It wasn't enjoyable on almost any level. Any semblance of a decent plot has been cast to the winds and replaced with hours of tedious and mind-numbingly stupid dialogue and scenarios. Not that previous games didn't have this, but it was often used to lighten the mood and provide a change of pace from their surprisingly serious stories. This... ugh. It's not even fun on a mechanical level, either. It's sluggish and miserable.

The Last of Us and Bloodborne - Not necessarily bad games, but I'll just say this: not all games are for everyone. I let myself get excited about these before I knew what they were like and, well... yeah, they were terrible disappointments. This is more a matter of my lack of research than anything. Won't happen again.

SURPRISED IN A POSTIVE WAY

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - I've written about this significantly, but, yeah, even though I'm a known Naughty Dog basher, I really liked this game. Great combat, surprisingly good story and character arcs... even the climbing, which was the bane of my existence in previous games, ended up not being too bad in this entry.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D - I'm not very fond of OoT, so the fact that I ended up loving this game so much genuinely took me by surprise. It's still the best Zelda game I've ever played. Filled with interesting characters, numerous side quests, a creepy, haunting aesthetic, and inventive gameplay that involves extensively managing time and taking on the identities of the dead.

Velocity Ultra - Started it expecting a mediocre indie schmup, and ended up becoming obsessed with it. One of the most tightly designed and addictive games I've ever played.

Pokémon UltraSun and Pokémon UltraMoon

...Steam wishlist amended.

Steamworld Heist.

I loved Steamworld Dig (but found that it was over all too soon) and I love TBS games, but I bought this with a bit of trepidation (as it looked more like a platformer than the supposed tbs game I wanted) when it first came out. I didn't play it until recently. Big mistake. I've now completed it on pc and 3DS. Again, it's too short, but I really loved it. I'm glad SW:D is getting a second helping, but I'm now hoping SW:H will too.

For me it's not a game that surprised me the most. It's the new Nintendo console SWITCH.

On launch day I bought and loved the N64, Gamecube, Wii and especially the Wii U which I regard as Nintendo's hardware masterpiece, even though it had a messy start and never clicked with the masses (but the first thing got fixed with updates, and the second is not my loss).

However, the Switch is Nintendo's first home console that manages to have issues that no update can fix, and it's missing features that a new Nintendo console is expected to launch with. I'm just amazed at how bad Nintendo got in hardware design and controller design after 30 years of pure bliss and continued advancements and boundary-pushing.

For me the Switch is the biggest disappointment I had with Nintendo hardware since, well, ever. Mind, I have no errors with the console, no flaws, no pixel errors, no faulty joy-cons, screen scratches, or bugs. The problem is with the hardware design itself. My list of positives I can count on two fingers: 1. portability, 2. cartridges instead of discs, while my list of negatives is way too long to list here.

At least the games are of classic Nintendo quality, so even if Nintendo manages to make even worse hardware next generation I might be able to put up with it because of the software.

All in all, I wish Nintendo made a better console than the seemingly rushed Switch. I wish I had a Switch that you could fold like a GBA SP so you can actually bring it out safely without scratching it. One that you can recharge while in table mode. One with actually good controllers that don't slip out of the hands and that don't disconnect. One with Miiverse and web browser (I hate how I can't post Zelda stuff or check the internet on that thing). One with no moneygrabbing online pay service, etc., etc.

You know you have a great piece of gaming hardware when you can put the old one into a box. With Switch though it seems the Wii U lives on for 5 more years next to it.

I think Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii. When I read the length was over 70 hours, I thought I would get bored halfway trough, but the combat was extremely fun and satisfying. Some other RPGs got me bored on the 6 hour mark.

Stein gate. Greatest time travel story ever told. I was happy enjoying the story then BAM. The story becoming very serious and the player was taken on an emotional roller-coaster. It was so much more then i was expecting when i pick this game up.

Little Inferno and Journey are 2 of the most charming games I've played in a long while. Life is Strange kept my attention more than I thought it would.
Splatoon!!! Absolutely abhor 1st or 3rd person shooters, simply not for me! But Splatoon had me from the 1st testfire and I absolutely cannot wait for Spa2oon

Graceful Explosion Machine 100% It's an awesome little game for people who like arcade-y stuff and chasing high scores.

Also, I feel terrible admitting this, but I never played Shovel Knight until now even though it's pretty much everything I love about games wrapped into one package. And yea, obviously, I freaking love it. I'm not really surprised, though - moreso annoyed at myself that I waited so long to try it.

@SKTTR
I can't tell if your post is bait or not, but I'll go for it.

The Wii U was terrible. You want a rushed Nintendo machine? That was it. Looking to cash in on the Wii brand is all that was. That thing needed another year or two in the oven, AT LEAST. It's clear in retrospect that the Switch is what Nintendo wanted the Wii U to be, but the tech at the time just wasn't there, and they knew their steamroll with the original Wii was coming to an end, so they wanted to get something new out there to keep people in the ecosystem. Wii U games, mind you, were fantastic - best of the console generation for sure. The Wii U hardware and OS was garbage.

I'm older and I've gamed on pretty much every console from every brand out there. I even still have my Magnavox Odyssey in the attic lol. But your post is just insane, dude. You've either got some seriously far-out tastes in gaming, or you haven't been around for as long as you're saying you have.

Edit: You said you started with N64, so actually, you haven't been around that long. That explains a lot.

I really like this topic post so I'll post a few good and bad titles
I would recommend looking up these titles on YouTube if you're interested

GOOD

Lumines/Lumines + (PSP/PS2)- I saw this game in a bargain bin in Gamestop for $5. I said what the hell and decided to pick up the ps2 version. I immediately played the game for 5 hour straight and enjoyed every single moment. I then got the psp version for portability and quickly racked up more than 40 hrs in a matter of days. It is hands down one of the best falling block puzzle games created. PERIOD. I honestly think it gives tetris a run for its money. The simplicity of the gameplay along with its very stellar presentation and music create a game that allows you to zen out very easily.

Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes (NDS/PC). Another title I randomly found in a bargain bin in a Gamestop. It's a mix of a matching puzzle game and rpg though it's not like puzzle quest or anything. It was surprisingly fun and rewarding to play. It gets fairly challenging to boot, requiring a fair bit of strategy to progress.

Kid Icarus Uprising (3DS)- I bought the game 4 years ago and played it for about an hour or two. I didn't finish it back then but recently decided to revisit the game and beat it from start to finish. My goodness is that a dang good game. So much content and variety in terms of collectibles, weapons, powers, and unlockables. The humor and music are 10/10. Great boss fights. My only negatives are a few issues with the controls and some of the levels can feel cheap and or longwinded.

BAD

Mutant Mudds (Series) and Xeodrifter (3DS, Wii U, PC)- I know I'm going to sound very harsh but honestly I feel like these games are representative of what a real lack of talent looks like. Both games are incredibly basic with lackluster visuals, stiff controls, and repetitive level designs. They feel like almost no lessons were learned from the greats of the genres they are trying to imitate. Mutant mudds pales in comparison to a game like shovel knight which has much better music, level design, and controls. Xeodrifter feels like a repetitive slog as you go through very small and basic areas only to have to fight the same boss 4 times. Meanwhile games like Axiom verge and Cave Story are made by one guy and are far superior titles than anything Xeodrifter or Mutant Mudds could ever hope to be. Such a waste of time and money.

Kirby Squeak Squad (NDS). I'll keep this one short. Not bad, just mediocre. Doesn't try to do much new and the few ideas that are new are half baked. New powers suck, the bosses suck, the level design is predictable, reuses too many assets and songs from Amazing Mirror and Nightmare in Dreamland and the Triple Rod feels like a heavily gimped version of the star rod.

Paper Mario Sticker Star (3DS) I was surprised at how middle of the line average this game was. Combat feels discouraged because all you get are coins and usually not enough coins to replace the stickers you used. No exp also makes combat feel even more pointless. Confusing/Nonsensical puzzles are everywhere. SO. MUCH. FORCED. BACKTRACKING. No interesting npcs (Toads for Days). Paper thin plot (Pun intended). Finally it just felt very boring to get through. It took me around 25 hrs to beat and after playing it I just wondered to myself why I bothered playing that game at all. It's a game that actively gets worse in my head the more I think about it

@KirbyTheVampire Well, to be fair, FF15 was trying super hard to be a western action open world RPG rather than it was trying to be a JRPG. I mean even the setting and voice actors were inspired by Midwestern US areas and people. That's why I find it so...bleh, for a final fantasy game. I much prefer fantastical robot mechs/future cities/more magical people and places.

The game that surprised me the most has been Fast RMX. I assume we are strictly talking about the Switch.

Good spot - thread now moved to 'General'.

I like this topic, but don't have any great contributions to make at the mo. So for now, I'll have to go with a negative, for Yoshi's Woolly World. I figured, with how much I like Yoshi, and the HD yarn graphics, that I would love this game.

And for a while I did, but whether it's that I have a backlog I'm wanting to get through or not, I'm beginning to dislike this game. Dislike it because it's so samey - gameplay is the same nearly all the way, very few transformations, and the wool-novelty kinda wears off and actually holds the game back by making every level feel too similar, and so the flutterjump mechanic gets real tiresome.

I'm on World 4 and struggling to find the motivation to carry on. The game hasn't got more interesting or fun, they've just made finding the hidden collectibles harder by using scrolling screens etc. I no longer can be bothered aiming to 100% levels because it's become a chore rather than fun, and with a game like this, if you're not going for 100% there doesn't seem much more point in playing it

Yoshi needs a 3D adventure, fast.