Sorry to top SuperPeach and/or A for uber-bumping, but I was thinking about starting a thread with this exact topic... and decided I should search for an old one first. Lo and behold!
So anyway, I'll be sticking with PS2/3 games that have a story mode I haven't completed for now, since I had today off from school and I've been going systematically through my PlayStation library. However, Mirror's Edge put me off of it for a while. Which reminds me: In somewhat particular order...
Mirror's Edge
Reason: Well, the combat's absolute [dukar], for one--I was stuck for ages on the part in Chapter 6 where you have to vault up to the catwalk and disarm a guy. I finally got past that today, only to get stuck with a capital "S" on the part where you get out of the back of a truck and have to eventually take out some seemingly immortal guy at the end of a hallway. I've been doing some (admittedly rage-fueled) thinking, and in a certain way, this may be the worst game I've ever played, or at least the most disappointing. Why? Because it looks great and has such an innovative gameplay setup, but it squanders it all with disorienting controls (motion-sensing is worthless, by the way) and ridiculous fighting segments. You can't invest yourself in a game based on the exhileration of fluid movement, with a running plot and dialogue, if you're dying and restarting every five seconds (usually because the game decided not to color something important red this time, or made you get gun-slapped to death by a cop). The original Sonic games were frustrating, but at least they were only 2D. A bad game that's just crappy all around is one thing, but when potential like this is mucked up, it's just sad.
Half-Life 2 (The Orange Box)
Reason: I'm positive I *****ed about this before (to no response, but that's understandable), but I'm stuck on the part in Nova Prospect (or however you spell it) where you're supposed to be shooting out those big ships right after you get past the guard towers. To boot, I'm pretty sure I'm stuck in one of those situations where, since you made the mistake of carefully auto-saving at the wrong time, the game basically says "oh well, tough [dukar]" as you attempt to take down a major group of enemies on a minimal reserve of health (which had me stuck on God of War for some time). I've gotta to be honest, I don't know why so many people apparently like this game--I mean, yeah, even the Orange Box port is kind of old by now, but the graphics are just really drab and samey, the gameplay's fairly repetitive, the vehicle controls are a nightmare (though that may be intentional) and I will never understand Valve's apparent phobia of showing the protagonist's limbs. Yes, I bought it on the PS3, but I doubt that a kickass PC and an updated copy would solve all my problems.
Fallout 3
Reason: ...Intimidation, I guess. A guy I know at school let me borrow it (for some reason, he and/or his brother bought it, despite not owning a PS3), because I had naturally been curious about it for a little while. I got to about where I was running around that first city you go to, and... well, I guess I could strike it up again, but I'm so busy these days that I just don't know how much I could get into it. This is why I also shy away from Bioware and Rockstar stuff--I may turn up my nose at the popularity of weightless "casual games", but the fact of the matter is that I am more prone these days to give Rock Band 3 a quick go instead of Dragon Quest VIII (more on that later). I just don't have as much time to invest in big games as I used to! I mean, a really long Zelda would be one thing, but from what I've seen so far, there's an element to games like this that would leave me totally lost if I even took a week or two "off". Am I wrong?
Rachet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Reason: General disinterest. I got this because I knew this series was pretty popular, and I figured a bargain copy of one of the more recent titles would be the best way to see what all the fuss was about. Consensus? Well, it reminded me how much I wasn't into (non-Mario) 3D platformers anymore, specifically where the amount of collecting is concerned. I liked the tone and aesthetics, but I got the feeling there were a million things going on I was supposed to "get" from the previous games. This might be another one I'll give a go later, though--I can't even remember where I last was. Actually, I might be able to, but I can't describe it very well: Running around on planetoids, collecting pieces of something for some guy.
...See what I mean?
Dragon Quest VIII
Reason: Like Fallout 3, only I know for a fact that this game will take a long time. I got it because I liked RPGs and the Dragon Quest series (it's a childhood thing, and not a totally logical one), but after dying on the first boss pretty quick, I realized I was about as in the mood to grind out a JRPG on my home TV as I would be to try to do WarioWare challenges over and over in the same setting. I think I'll stick to portable RPGs from now on...
Kingdom Hearts I and II
Reason: For the first one, it's disinterest plus discontent (The sequel, I just haven't played because I'm not playing the first one). I bought this along with a bunch of other acclaimed PS2 games in a short span after getting my PS3, because I'd tried some of the sequel when my friend was over and--let's be honest--it's an irresistable premise, even if you hadn't heard all the good reviews. However, I've come to realize that despite how much I fawn over Japanese art and culture... I can't stand JRPG characters, or at least Squeenix ones, or at least Final Fantasyish ones. Also, as I'm sure you all know, the controls and camera are questionable. Last I recall, I was just starting Wonderland... does it get better? I mean, besides the Little Mermaid section--I've heard about that one.
I think I had a night terror after one of the last times I played it, and my cat once freaked out and attacked my other cat at the sound of Donald Duck quacking in one scene, so maybe it's just cursed.
Mega Man: Anniversary Collection
Reason: Wait, can I count this? Well, in any case, I got the PS2 version so I wouldn't have to worry about a memory card--and as it turns out, the game is notorious for having lag on HD TVs that makes it literally unplayable. Of course, I could turn it down to a lower resolution (in fact, the first time I tried it was on my grandparents' heavenly-looking widescreen Sony TV, as opposed to the fat clunker I have at home, so maybe I'm worrying about nothing), but I suppose playing old Mega Man games has taken a backseat to playing new, non-Mega Man games (which, really, are the best kind of game).
Beyond Good and Evil
Reason: Stuck on this one part where you're sneaking past guards near a conveyor belt--and besides, the gameplay wasn't really doing anything new for me. The same guy who gave me Fallout 3 let me borrow this one, and this is another case of a game I'm sure I would've enjoyed more if I got it sooner to when it came out. Maybe I'll give the HD-make a try instead?
Meanwhile, SoulCalibur IV is also gathering dust, because I'd played SCIII when my friend was over, and I thought this house should own at least one "real" fighting game. Well, what do you know, aside from my brother making a version of me with Voldo's frame, I've gotten practically nothing out of it.
