What Game Genres or Mechanics Do You Just Not Like? Why?

[mattrixk]

Another question asking what games you've never played got me thinking about why I've never played certain games.

Just as there are genres and game mechanics that I love, there are some that just don't do it for me:

• Turn-based combat
• Stealth
• Massive open-world RPGs
• Sandbox

I've never played a Final Fantasy or Pokemon game because I don't like being forced to stand there and take turns hitting each other. I like board games (I've recently joined a Zombicide group and it fills a need within me that I didn't know I had), but this is a videogame. Let me move and attack as I please. If I get hit, I want it to be because I didn't dodge fast enough, not because I had to just stand and take it.

I've watched people play Metal Gear solid, and tried a few other stealth games, and I just don't get the appeal. I'm much more Serious Sam than Solid Snake. I hate having to wait for guards to pass so I can take them out from behind, and sneaking around slowly so no-one detects me.

I had a couple of friends that just vanished into Marrowind, and then Oblivion. I tried, but I just couldn't do it. Don't get me wrong, I love leveling up and gaining awesome new skills and loot, but I prefer games like Diablo and Torchlight.

• Maybe I just prefer the Iso view to the 3rd Person view.
• Maybe I just don't have the time to sink in to games like that (even when I did have time).
• Maybe I just get bored of spending that long on a single thing (I do get bored very easily. I only made it about 2 hours into Skyrim before turning it off and never going back).
• Maybe I just don't like the idea of running off in a random direction until I find something to do.

I have similar problems with sandbox games. When you give me a world to use as I will, my mind becomes an empty void, bereft of ideas. I want objectives from a game. Tell me what to do, where to go, who to shoot. I don't play games to be creative or to make my own fun. That may sound sad, but I play games so I can turn my brain off and just enjoy the ride. If I want a challenge, there are numerous puzzle games I can play, but they are still structured.

So that's me. What about you guys? Does anyone agree with any of my points, or am I an outlier?

[lilbud]

Haven't seen you around in a while, how ya been?

I have to agree with you on open-world games, don't care for most of them. I played Skyrim for like, 6 hours, and I got so bored of it. Everything is the same shade of gray, and the world is empty with not that much to do.

On the other hand, I loved Breath of the Wild. It's drew me in almost immediately, and I ended up sinking about 95 hours into it over the course of around a month or so.

I also don't care for the following:

• First Person Shooters
• RPGs/JRPGs
• MMORPGS
• Tactical RPG games (Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, etc.)
• Fighting Games

FPS: I never cared for this genre in the first place. Every game looked near identical to me and they were just never that fun. One exception: Goldeneye 007 (Wii), it is one of the only I can tolerate.

RPG/JRPG: While I like these games, I never have the time to play them, they demand the upmost of your attention. The games are huge time sinks, but when I feel like playing them, I get lost in them. Just waiting to either pick up a PS4 or wait for the Switch version of Dragon Quest 11.

MMORPGS: Never interested me all too much. I also couldn't trust myself playing those games, I'd waste too much time playing. Though I did love Toontown Online and Club Penguin growing up.

Tactics Games: They bore me due to their repetitiveness. That's it.

Fighting Games: Except for Smash Bros, I suck at them.

I'm also sick of microtransactions and locking content behind paywalls. Companies cutting apart games to make the customer pay more on top of the cost of the game. I'm all for cosmetics being DLC, but taking chunks of the game and making people pay more for stuff that should be included is ridiculous. Also giving those who pay for stuff the advantage (Star Wars Battlefront 2 last year was a good example of this.)

[mattrixk]

Hey @lilbud, I'm doing well, but haven't had much time for gaming stuff lately. General life getting in the way. You?

I'm with you on a couple of these, but the opposite on others:

FPS: I've been playing them since Wolfenstein, so they have a special place in my heart. I much prefer the dumb fun variety (Doom, Serious Sam, Painkiller, Borderlands) to the realistic kind though. I tried a bunch of the Call of Duty and Modern Warfare games, and they simply aren't any fun.

RPG/JRPG/MMORPG: I Love a lot of Isometric ActionRPGs, but I can't get into most of the other varieties. I don't think I've ever played a JRPG.

Tactics Games: Do you mean RTS games and such? I used to really like Red Alert, StarCraft and WarCraft II, but then I discovered that no matter how fun they are, I'm simply no good at them. There's only so many times you can lose at something before it stops being fun.

Fighting Games: Ooh boy... I played so much Mortal Kombat II growing up. If I went through and counted up the number of hours of every game I've ever played Mortal Kombat II is in the top 3 (with General Chaos and the Curse of Monkey Island). If you included all games from a franchise, then Mortal Kombat is the undisputed leader. I was also damn-near unbeatable when playing as Spawn in Soul Calibur 2.

[lilbud]

@mattrixk said in What Game Genres or Mechanics Do You Just Not Like? Why?:

Hey @lilbud, I'm doing well, but haven't had much time for gaming stuff lately. General life getting in the way. You?

I am now a senior in HS and I got my drivers license.

FPS: I do love me a game of Doom

[mediamogul]

@lilbud said in What Game Genres or Mechanics Do You Just Not Like? Why?:

I got my drivers license.

Congratulations! Any prospects on a car? I'll never forget, I inherited my first ride from my grandfather. I couldn't even afford a stereo for the thing, so I built a tape adapter to connect my portable CD player into the 8-Track player. Needless to say, I got all the ladies with that setup. Great times until I tried to sneak out of state one weekend and threw a rod.

@mattrixk

I'm always going to like any game mechanic that's integrated well. What I hate are mechanics shoehorned into a game where they don't belong. For example, platforming and role playing elements have no place in 'Double Dragon'. They weren't in the arcade original and they unnecessarily hamper progression in the NES port. Outside of a few very minor platform jumps here and there, 'Double Dragon II: The Revenge' removes both these dependencies and, in my opinion, is a much better game as a result.

[lilbud]

@mediamogul said in What Game Genres or Mechanics Do You Just Not Like? Why?:

Congratulations! Any prospects on a car? I'll never forget, I inherited my first ride from my grandfather. I couldn't even afford a stereo for the thing, so I built a tape adapter to connect my portable CD player into the 8-Track player. Needless to say, I got all the ladies with that setup. Great times until I tried to sneak out of state one weekend and threw a rod.

Already got one, my granddad gave me his 98' Civic when his health was failing (he had two strokes and wasn't allowed to drive.) So he gave it to me. No CD / Tape Deck, poor A/C, etc.

It needs to be fixed before I can drive it to school everyday. Just to make sure I don't brake down on the way to and from school everyday.

[mediamogul]

@mattrixk said in What Game Genres or Mechanics Do You Just Not Like? Why?:

with General Chaos

That's a game I have on my short list that I'm really looking forward to trying. First and foremost, I really think I'll enjoy the game itself, but recently I become enamored with the art style of the game's creator, Brian Colin, who also designed and did the artwork for 'Arch Rivals' and most famously 'Rampage'. His style is also very similar to Bernie Wrightson's who created one of my all-time favorite 'Heavy Metal' characters, Captain Sternn.

[mat]

FPS, RPG, MMORGS

I can't get into the games. As others have said, many seem to be the same thing with a different name.

I prefer games that I just turn on and play without too much thinking or things that would cause more frustration that is needed.

[mattrixk]

@mediamogul You're the only person I know that's even heard of General Chaos. My favourite thing to do is use the team of 5 machine-gunners and surround the enemy. Also, when you get in a scuffle, if you hold down while punching you can hit them in the balls over and over again. It never gets old (until they shoot you). I didn't know it was the same guy that did the Rampage artwork, but I can definitely see it now that you mention it.

@lilbud Congrats on the license mate. Sorry to hear about your Granddad. My first car was a POS old Toyota Corona. The number plate had the digits "DGY", so I named it "Dodgy", because it was. Among it's many faults was a buggered 2nd gear. I had to double-clutch every time I wanted to go in or out of second. Fun times.

@mat I'm totally with you on the not thinking aspect. That's kind of why I like a lot of the fast-paced FPS games like Painkiller and Serious Sam though. You just run around and shoot everything, without really having to think about it because you don't have time to think, just react.

[VictimRLSH]

Stealth - I'm not stealthy. Give me a game controller, and I am STILL not stealthy.

Modern FPS games - I liked the early ones such as Doom, Alien Breed 3D (Amiga), Wolfenstein 3D. Modern ones are too complicated and get in the way of just having fun.

"Free to Play" Real Time Strategy games. RTS games are actually one of my favorite genres. Loved me some Starcraft Broodwar, Command & Conquer, Napalm (Amiga). The online 'free' versions are designed with ONE thing in mind. Drain your wallet and give pay-to-win players all the free time they can buy.

Most flying games - I suck at these. I FLY, I DIE. Space flyers I do a BIT better at, but still pathetic at them.

[mediamogul]

@mattrixk said in What Game Genres or Mechanics Do You Just Not Like? Why?:

My favourite thing to do is use the team of 5 machine-gunners and surround the enemy. Also, when you get in a scuffle, if you hold down while punching you can hit them in the balls over and over again.

Ha, nice! I've been wanting to finish up a few games to give this my full attention, but I might just go ahead and kick the tires a bit.

[mattrixk]

@mediamogul It's a nice time-waster game. Each round only lasts a few minutes. It can get repetitive at times, as there is little variation in the gameplay, but I just keep coming back to it.

@VictimRLSH I tried a bunch of demos on Xbox360 for games like Modern Warfare and Black Ops and I just didn't get the appeal. I couldn't tell the difference between enemies and team-mates. In one of them I had to spend the first 15 minutes looking at green dots on a screen before I got the chance to actually play the game. They were just full of game mechanics that bored the #### out of me. The only interesting part of any of those demos was when I got to ride a snow mobile down a mountain, and at that point it was more of a racing game than a shooter.

[mediamogul]

@mattrixk said in What Game Genres or Mechanics Do You Just Not Like? Why?:

It's a nice time-waster game. Each round only lasts a few minutes. It can get repetitive at times, as there is little variation in the gameplay, but I just keep coming back to it.

It's funny, that same description would also fit perfectly for 'Rampage'. The guy was certainly consistent.

[mattrixk]

@mediamogul said in What Game Genres or Mechanics Do You Just Not Like? Why?:

It's funny, that same description would also fit perfectly for 'Rampage'. The guy was certainly consistent.

Hah, that gave me a good chuckle. On a semi-related note, that new Rampage movie with the Rock was big dumb fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[VictimRLSH]

@mattrixk I haven't seen it, but I hear nobody tried to eat a toaster. WASTED OPPORTUNITY. :P

[BobHarris]

@mattrixk said in What Game Genres or Mechanics Do You Just Not Like? Why?:

I've never played a Final Fantasy or Pokemon game because I don't like being forced to stand there and take turns hitting each other. I like board games (I've recently joined a Zombicide group and it fills a need within me that I didn't know I had), but this is a videogame. Let me move and attack as I please. If I get hit, I want it to be because I didn't dodge fast enough, not because I had to just stand and take it.

In 1997 I had the same opinion as you. But I always used to read a magazine called The official uk playstation magazine. They quite literally begged us to give this game that was called an rpg (Final fantasy vii) a try. I'm so glad I listened to them.
I like real time fighting games too, but turn based has it's own appeal, especially later on when you have so many strategies at your disposal. Also I like rpgs for their story the most, the fighting is just a bonus.

What I don't like is online gaming. I never really enjoy playing against people I don't know / can't see. And people often are either too good or complete a**holes. I like to progress in a game and have different experiences. Online gaming to me is more like doing the same thing over and over again. Feels like a waste of my time.

[VictimRLSH]

@bobharris Final Fantasy 15 is definitely not turn based. It moves lightning fast too. You START the game with the ability to teleport and freeze time. You need it...

[DanPNE]

Never been a fan of first person shooters bar the odd exception.

I find 'beat em ups' such as Tekken very samey and boring.

Bit controversial but I can only play side-scrolling platform games such as Mario & Sonic in small doses too.

Other than that, i'm willing to give any genre a go bar sports that don't interest me such as NFL and basketball.