Video games come in all shapes and sizes. Some are decent, some are below average, and some are downright incredible, but regardless of the consensus, there will always be flaws to point out or gripes that often become large talking points among both fans and haters of the game.
However, in some situations, despite the negatives being completely valid, the game as a whole can still be respected as a work of art or an achievement in design. Games like this can have steep learning curves or questionable mechanics that many players despise, but at their core, they remain exceptional experiences that are impossible to hate fully.
Elden Ring
Overwhelming Is An Understatement
- Lack of direction in a huge open world.
- Impressive design and scale that is unlike anything else.
Elden Ring takes the idea of a Soulslike and cranks the scale up by a thousand, throwing players into a massive open world with nothing but a few strands of light to guide them. As impressive as the environments are, many players find the lack of direction to be quite frustrating, especially if they're used to clearer markers or objectives to help them progress through the story.
Another problem players commonly cite is the difficulty. Many are turned away by the more challenging boss fights and lack of easy ways through, like a difficulty slider or an easy mode. Those issues aside, the sheer scope of the game deserves commendation, and despite not enjoying the gameplay loop or the more organic exploration, people can still happily call the game an exceptional work of art.
Pathologic
Frustrating By Design
- Unclear puzzles and obtuse ways to progress.
- Deeply punishing yet incredibly satisfying.
Pathologic is strange, mysterious, and infuriating from start to finish. It's the first in a series that is known for its confusing gameplay loops, and players will find themselves constantly failing and struggling to make any meaningful progress, while not being given any clear routes to follow to change that trend.
For many, the hurdles are simply too high to clear. However, a common sentiment is that behind all the barriers and complexity lies a deeply compelling experience that is truly unlike any other. Pathologic certainly isn't to everyone's taste, yet it still manages to be a memorable playthrough that will have players thinking long after the game either ends, or they give up.
Death Stranding
Gorgeous Yet Strange At The Same Time
- Walking sections that can be tedious.
- Breathtaking narrative and world design.
Death Stranding wears its tedium with pride, not hiding the fact that for a large portion of the game, players will find themselves trudging across landscapes at a snail's pace, with no alternative other than to keep going. The movement and traversal can be incredibly boring, especially later on when players need to march for up to 20 minutes in a single trip.
Walking simulator puns aside, the game's narrative and world really are one of a kind, equal parts philosophical and emotional in ways that few other games have even tried to be. It is fair to be put off by the slower gameplay sections, but the story is beyond excellent and more than enough to outweigh any criticism that players may have from a mechanical point of view.
League Of Legends
Leading The Charge In The Esports Space
- Questionable balance philosophy and toxic player base.
- Frontrunner in the esports space globally.
League of Legends is a name that people associate with many different things. It is both universally loved and hated at the same time, the latter of which stems from the nearly impossible new player experience, constant imbalance, and player toxicity that has only grown worse as time has gone on.
Individual gripes aside, the esports side of the game alone deserves a huge amount of respect. Over the last 15 years, LoL has managed to dominate the competitive gaming world and has remained near the top the entire time. The cultural impact truly knows no bounds, so despite the in-game issues, it is still an exceptional game that defied all odds and became a sensation virtually overnight.
Hollow Knight
Runback After Runback
- Limited fast-travel and few easy routes back to the surface.
- Beautiful environments, each with a distinctive feel.
Hollow Knight is one of those games that is universally loved, whilst being severely flawed in many ways. The biggest issue is the lack of clear direction, combined with the tedious exploration that forces players to enter new areas completely blind, only to have them run all the way back to fully unlock the map.
However, these issues aside, the game is a mechanical masterpiece that is equal parts challenging and satisfying in all the best ways. It also singlehandedly reignited the Metroidvania genre, opening the doors for many more games to enter the space that simply wouldn't have existed without it.
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
