Games that were so good they made you despise the whole genre they belong to.

[MysticSlayer]

I sort of think that it is silly to start hating an entire genre because of one game, let alone try to justify it. I can understand someone having particular tastes that one game in a genre manages to cater to very, very well, but I don't see that as a reason to start hating the rest of the genre. It's basically just ignoring all the potential ways that the genre could work because one way worked really, really well.

Well, I don't mean hating as in not touching anything else because this particular game is so great, but more like still playing the genre, but seeing that it's inferior compared to this one game. Although the former also happens with people. Even I'm guilty of it - I haven't touched a single fantasy Action RPG since Dark Souls.

Well, personally, I don't really see a particular game as being objectively superior to everything else in the genre. As an example, I may love Dark Souls, but it doesn't offer quite the same experience as games like The Witcher or Elder Scrolls. If I want to play a tough game with a solid combat system, sure, Dark Souls will always be the first I'd go to out of the three. But if I want a more story-focused game, I'd go to The Witcher; and if I want to relax and explore a beautiful fantasy world, then I'd go to Skyrim. Sure, I'd have my preference (personally, it'd go Elder Scrolls > Dark Souls > The Witcher), but I'm not really going to harshly judge Dark Souls or The Witcher because they aren't Skyrim. All three are going for a completely different experience, so they aren't really comparable. What all three of them have in common, though, is that they offer excellent examples of what an Action RPG set in a fantasy world is capable of, and they are capable of far more than any well-focused game (like all three of them are) is capable of delivering.

 

[happyninja42]

To be honest I think that was more likely because the Thief reboot was just a poor game. I'm not a super hardcore fan of Thief 1 and 2 but I definitely know the reboot failed quite spectacularly to be anything like them.

This, this right here is what I hate most about the reboot. It wasn't a good game, or a bad game, it was a meh game that I'm glad I only played $6 for. At the same time though, it is a terrible Thief game. Although, gotta say the AI is stupid as hell

Yeah, I was so eager for the Thief reboot, but god it was so terrible. You can't jump, you can't freaking JUMP in a Thief game! And only being able to stick your rope arrows in the specific, preordained points, hated that too.

OT: I guess I would have to say that Homeworld, specifically Cataclysm, spoiled me on 3D RTS games having a really good plot, musical score, and mechanics. None of the others (and they are few I admit) really lived up to the high standard that the Homeworld series established in my mind. It wasn't just a good game as far as mechanics went, it was a wonderful story experience too. One of my favorites of all time.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

1. Dark Souls

It made me dislike Action RPGs as a whole because they all make you an OP whirl of destruction, while Dark Souls actually posed a reasonable challenge. Plus, very rarely you see such a well-made combat system where you actually "feel" all of the hits and weight of your equipment.

I think you might enjoy Monster hunter then. No OP whirl of destruction here, unless you go back and fight one of the early monsters with late-game gear.

 

[ninja666]

I think you might enjoy Monster hunter then. No OP whirl of destruction here, unless you go back and fight one of the early monsters with late-game gear.

I actually played Monster Hunter already - the original one on the PS2. I didn't enjoy it much, though. There was literally nothing else to do than fight monsters (and I know how it sounds considering the game's called Monster Hunteer). Some kind of story arc would've made it much better imo.

 

[sageoftruth]

I think Persona 4 may have done that to JRPGs for me. Of course, many people don't need an excuse to dislike JRPGs, but there were some that I tried and turned away from because I could not stop comparing them unfavorably to Persona 4.

Then again, my positive reaction to Shadow Hearts: Covenant may disprove my theory.

 

[Maximum Bert]

None that I can think of my favourite game of all time did the opposite and made me see the genre it belonged to in a new light (one which I previously hated) and while I have never found anything as good it has allowed me to enjoy a lot more games than I would have previously.

 

[Dragonbums]

I mean I never played a game that made me despise any genre. The closest I got to that state was playing Children of Mana on the DS- my first introduction into a JRPG, and was so anally boring it soured my perception of the whole genre until I played Fire Emblem Awakening due to a deal many years down the line.

 

[F-I-D-O]

I've had this happen a couple times.
Persona 4 made me REALLY want to get into JRPGS, because it was so damn good. But any JRPG I tried that wasn't an SMT game just bored me. Persona/SMT have so much to do, and made even the most boring tasks fun. Every other JRPG just stalls out for me. SMTIV also killed Pokemon for me, as I like the tactics/monster system better than the basic rock/paper/scissors pokemon structure.

Last of Us ruined any other story based TPS. I tried Tomb Raider after LoU, and found it to have a bland, uncompelling story with stalling gameplay. They both had similarly floaty control systems (especially noticable given I played Tomb Raider on PC), but at least the characters mattered in Last of Us. I'm no longer interested in narrative-driven TPS, as nothing really compares to the LoU composition (Spec Ops being the sole exception).

Super Meat Boy's made other 2D platforms trivial, even if I still enjoy them. Going through dark world makes other platforming games easy, and makes control shortcuts even more obvious.

I've never been able to get into a RTS since AoEII/Red Alert 2. Something about the slower pacing and dependence on when you attack, over the APM-reliant Starcraft system. Doesn't help that there hasn't been a decent RTS in a while.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Ninja Gaiden Black.

There are a handful of games that I feel I can compare to them, God Hand, Onimusha 2 um... that's about it. But I've yet to play another action game that remotely compares to the quality of NGB, including it's sequels. I hate every other game in the genre, because they're just not good by the standards achieved in Ninja Gaiden. God of War, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, everything else, you all suck. You all suck.

Good shout out to Silent Hill 2, which I have played a handful of games that I think are comparative in writing quality, it remains kind of a hard act to follow.

NGB was my my thought as soon as I saw the topic as well. I can't say I despise the other games in the genre, but NGB has given me essentially impossibly high standards such that I haven't found anything else that truly compares. NGB basically uses a proper fighting game engine as it's base and that just makes it a nearly sublime experience that has left me totally spoiled for years.

 

[Glongpre]

Ninja Gaiden Black.

There are a handful of games that I feel I can compare to them, God Hand, Onimusha 2 um... that's about it. But I've yet to play another action game that remotely compares to the quality of NGB, including it's sequels. I hate every other game in the genre, because they're just not good by the standards achieved in Ninja Gaiden. God of War, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, everything else, you all suck. You all suck.

Good shout out to Silent Hill 2, which I have played a handful of games that I think are comparative in writing quality, it remains kind of a hard act to follow.

NGB was my my thought as soon as I saw the topic as well. I can't say I despise the other games in the genre, but NGB has given me essentially impossibly high standards such that I haven't found anything else that truly compares. NGB basically uses a proper fighting game engine as it's base and that just makes it a nearly sublime experience that has left me totally spoiled for years.

Agreed. It is tough for me to get into other games of it's style. Although I liked God of War, it was fun, but that may be because I love greek mythology. It was solid though.

Basically, I compare all action games to NGB, and none compare favourably. The ai is sexy, the graphics are still sexy, the combat is aphroditey sexiness levels. It is too sexy for every other game.

Thanks for reminding me of God Hand though, I need to find that and play it.

Also, another game that has spoiled me is Diablo 2. I cannot for the life of me get into other arpgs, Diablo just has such a nice feel to it, that nothing else feels right. I played Titan Quest through the norm act (because greek myth), and it just feels meh. Played Path of Exile, didn't like it. The Diablo 3 expansion is fairly decent though, vanilla D3 was not however.

 

[The Madman]

The original Thief series is the golden standard to which I hold up all stealth games and as of yet not a single game has managed to beat it, not even the newer games bearing the Thief name... especially not the new Thief game, it was terrible. Hell even Dishonored was a better stealth game than the new Thief and it's not even a proper stealth title.

Didn't make me hate the whole genre though, I still love stealth games even if none quite match up to the original kings of the genre Thief: The Dark Project and Thief 2: the Metal Age. Just need to temper my expectations a bit is all.

 

[kris40k]

Street Fighter. Starting off at II of course, the first one was almost an entirely different game. Not a huge fan of III but it was playable. Otherwise Street Fighter II through Street Fighter IV Super Ultra Neptunia Climax Explosion Golden Edition pretty much set the stage for what other fighting games have to live up to with me. The Soul Calibre series does hold up pretty well, but I always end up finding so many faults in other games like the Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct, Tekken, etc.

Total Annihilation. Was a fan of RTS's from the Dune II days, but TA pretty much set the bar so high that it was hard for me to get into others, besides the Dawn of War series, but that was just because I am a 40k fanboy. TA's gameplay changed up the genre and others always seemed to be lacking something.

 

[Zontar]

Total Annihilation. Was a fan of RTS's from the Dune II days, but TA pretty much set the bar so high that it was hard for me to get into others, besides the Dawn of War series, but that was just because I am a 40k fanboy. TA's gameplay changed up the genre and others always seemed to be lacking something.

Can't agree more, though Supreme Commander and Forged Alliance where what really did it for me given their being its spiritual successor. Ruined every RTS for me ever since, everything just felt so small and lacking, even the god awful Supreme Commander 2.

Also, Team Fortress 2 for online shooters. The general downturn in quality of the Call of Duty franchise after World at War made me want something else, and TF2 filled that void in a way no other shooter has managed. There just isn't anything like in out there.

Finally: Heart of Iron/Victoria/Europa Universalis for grand strategy. It's a small market I know, but Paradox dominates it for good reason, they don't just lead it, they define it.

 

[Signa]

Total Annihilation and followed by Supreme Commander have ruined RTS games for me. I will enjoy a romp through Sins of a Solar Empire though.

To this day, I still have not played a stealth game as satisfying as the first two Thief games. As far as I'm concerned, they both created and ended the genre. Metal Gear comes really close, but it still isn't the same.

 

[Ishal]

The second I saw the thread, I said to myself "Someone made this thread to talk about Dark Souls".

I thought the same... and when I saw your avatar, I figured you were going to point that out.

Always on point. Had myself a good laugh.

OT: No, OP. I haven't, not yet. And I like Dark Souls as much as the next fanatic. Still doesn't stop me from playing Skyrim or tons of other fantasy RPG games.

Homeworld didn't stop me from playing Sins of a Solar Empire. Wolfenstein: TNO didn't stop me from playing Far Cry 4. Sup Com hasn't stopped me from playing Star Craft or C&C games.

Don't know what to tell you.

 

[Spartan448]

Metal Gear (series): Honestly, I have never found a better stealth game. Yeah, there's Theif, but it just felt like it was missing something. Plus, the reboot was kinda not great. Not to mention there's the whole move away from true Stealth to Stealth/Action (looking at you, Blacklist) which really pisses me off.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengance: I have never enjoyed a spectacle fighter as much as Rising. I mean, just the fact that you can literally cut almost anything in the game was a huge plus for me. The nonstop over the top robot cyborg ninja vs other robot cyborg ninja (or buff US senators) action was just overkill at that point. Pls, Platinum, I can only enjoy this so much before my mind blanks out from all the fun.

Starcraft II: I really, really hate this game. I really do. If it's not fucking Protoss and their bullshit cannon rushes all over my fucking natural, or fucking Terrans and getting fucking Reapers at five minutes, or fucking Zerg and we all know what they like to fucking do. But despite all that, I also really love this game. To use a certain famous quote, I just love it when a plan comes together. Like when my opponent has no detectors and my Dark Templars fuck up their entire base, or when my opponent plants their army next to their wall and everything gets baneling busted, or getting fucking nukes as Terran, because their nukes, those will always be awesome. I've never played a more intense or more enjoyable RTS than Starcraft II, mostly because I haven't played OG Starcraft, but all other RTS that I've played have seemed like absolute trash compared to SCII.

Halo: Combat Evolved. This game was everything a First-Person Shooter should be. Weapons were simple and easy to understand, as were vehicles. The story was simple yet engaging, and the plot twists were appropriately timed and excellently executed. The gameplay was both fun and challenging. And the end of the game, racing a Warthog across the spine of the Pillar of Autumn as literally everything is exploding around you... never since has a final mission in an FPS been anywhere near as intense.

War Thunder. There's really only two other games in this genre at present time (World of Tanks/World of Warplanes) you can take any other game in existance, any one, go ahead, choose. It will still be better than WoT and WoWP combined. War Thunder isn't exactly the best game ever, but it is the best F2P multiplayer WWII combat sim, so yay for winning by niche genre!

Pokemon Generation III/Generation III reboots: There's nothing that really needs to be said about these ones. It's Pokemon. And it's the best Pokemon. Fight me if you want, my Swampert will beat the shit out of any starter you want. Charizard? Waterfall. Typlosion? Earthquake. Empoleon? Superpower. Serperior? Ice Punch.

Ace Combat (series). Oh man. What can't be said about these games? I'm just going to leave this for you all to listen to and tell me that Ace Combat isn't a good series. http://youtu.be/WSuMXlkd5jQ

EVE Online. Hardcore Internet Spaceships. Enough. Said.

 

[Trippy Turtle]

I guess Jak and Daxter killed platformers for me.
As in, why am I playing this platformer when I could be playing an entire game with platforming included.

Other than that though, none.

 

[Fox12]

Absolutely agree on Silent Hill 2. Every survival horror I've played ever since has paled in comparison to SH2. And if SH2 isn't the best game ever, it certainly has one of the best stories ever, within or without the gaming universe of storytelling.

Pretty much have to agree with this. People keep talking about the Citizen Kane of games (such a dumb term) but we hit that bench mark already. It wasn't Bioshock or TLoU, either, though they were decent. It was Silent Hill 2, and much like Citizen Kane in its own time, it wasn't fully appreciated upon its release. It hasn't made me hate anything, though, it just makes me eagerly await the next masterpiece. I fully believe that games haven't even entered their golden age yet, which means that the best stuff is still yet to come. And I'll probably get to experience it!

Dark Souls, sort of. I hated medieval RPG's prior to this, so it's more like this is the exception to the rule. It took me a long time to figure that out, though, since it looks like just another generic fantasy RPG to the outside observer. I guess Yahtzee is good for something after all. The moment he called it a metroidvania game I was sold.

Lord of the Rings and Berserk have ruined my love of most fantasy stories, including Game of Thrones. You research Tolkiens immense academic background and use of language in LotR, and then realize he plotted out the phases of the moon to coincide with different stages of the journey, and it dawns on you that he was a madman. Then you research the insane depth of themes of Berserk, and everything just starts to look juvenile by comparison. The typical fantasy writer doesn't even know that he doesn't even know how inadequate his work is when compared to the masters. Then someone calls Martin the next Tolkien, and you sort of shake your head.

 

[Dandark]

My first entry into the standard base building RTS was with the Dawn of war series and they have ruined most other RTS games for me and it's mainly just because of the units.

It was my first experience with 40K but the units/factions felt so alive and interesting in those games. When I try to play another RTS now the units all feel so boring and crappy. Dawn of war is my defining RTS and I haven't been able to fully enjoy another RTS other than Supreme commander which I enjoy for entirely different reasons.

 

[AuronFtw]

War Thunder. There's really only two other games in this genre at present time (World of Tanks/World of Warplanes) you can take any other game in existance, any one, go ahead, choose. It will still be better than WoT and WoWP combined.

I actually... have a split opinion. War Thunder has better air combat than WoWP, no contest whatsoever. WoWP feels sluggish and dogfights take entirely too long, and grinding up the tiers feels as slow as WoT.

But WoT is a thousand times better than WT on the ground. The tank selection, the group play strategies, the variance of playstyles between the different tank lines... The slower combat adds strategy and planning on a level that makes it feel more involved and complex than your average spunkgargleweewee game. Getting your ammo rack or engine damaged and playing out the entire rest of the match forces you to change playstyle on the fly. That *rarely* happened in WT; if I was in a situation where I was losing major components, I was pretty much dead already. And it was fast, so you also didn't have many situations where it was like "oh fuck, lemme back my ass up outta this firefight." Just blam blam, dead. Wasn't a fan.

My ideal game would be WoT on the ground and WT in the air, with 50% less grind than either of them currently have.