Games That Turned Out Different Than Expected

**Shredder** · 01-21-2009, 12:55 AM

Have we discussed this topic yet? I was thinking about the most anticipated games thread and thought how sometimes games turn out different than we expect. Don't we all have that game you looked forward to forever only for it to be disappointing, or that game you thought would kinda suck or weren't sure about, but it turned out to be one of your favorites?

Here's a couple of mine to start things off. I can think of a lot for each, but these come to mind right now.

Better than expected: The Phoenix Wright series and Professor Layton. I didn't think these games would suck, but also didn't expect them to become some of my favorite games on any system, either. Bring on Layton 2!

Disappointing game: Riven. As a huge Myst fan, I had big expectations for this one, but couldn't really get into it the way I did with Myst. I'll have to play it again sometime and give it another chance, but it just felt so different.

*Mecha Cow* · 01-21-2009, 06:11 AM

Well, I haven't played it yet, but I don't think the new Prince of Persia lived up to anyone's expectations.

As for me, Valkyria Chronicles was a huge surprise considering the art style led me to believe it would be another crappy anime RPG. Elite Beat Agents I bought on a whim, and it turned out to be one of my favorite games ever. Then again, I didn't know what to expect from that one in the first place.

~~Leo656~~ · 01-21-2009, 08:51 AM

:::trots in with a cane:::

Forgive me, I haven't bought a new system since the original XBox. They don't call me the Old-School Icon fer nuthin'! But anyway, yeah, nothing new, sooo....

GOOD: Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee for Gamecube was a lot better than expected. I picked it up with my Christmas gift cards and was pleasantly surprised.

Metal Gear Solid 2 was WAY different than I expected, but I wasn't as bothered by it as most people.

BAD: Pac-Man for Atari. When I was 5 I didn't notice the difference from the Arcade... by the time I was 8, I wondered if I had somehow been born blind...

WWE Wrestlemania 21 for XBox. The closest thing to an un-playably broken wrestling game since WCW Backstage Assault. And my copy of WCW BA crashed a lot f*cking less than WM21, I'll tellya that fer nuthin'...

*Voltron* · 01-21-2009, 12:57 PM

For me, it's the Mega Man X series. After the first one, the others just seemed so lack-luster and underwhelming. The bosses were lame, the powers were lamer, and I just never made a connection with it the same way I made with MMX1 or the original MM series.

Peanut · 01-21-2009, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leo656

Forgive me, I haven't bought a new system since the original XBox. They don't call me the Old-School Icon fer nuthin'! But anyway, yeah, nothing new, sooo....

Yeah, cause the original Xbox is old school as sh*t!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecha Cow

Well, I haven't played it yet, but I don't think the new Prince of Persia lived up to anyone's expectations.

This, backed up by this.

One game that still stands as the game to completely kick me in the ass is Viva Pinata. I never thought that game would turn out to be one of my favourite games of all-time, but it did! Heavenly Sword was another one that blew me away without me having any expectation for it to even be decent.

As far as disappointments go, No More Heroes is one of the big ones, simply because I thought it would be full of action and insanity the whole way through, instead of those bits being book ended by terrible "jobs".

I also remember being really pissed off at Yoshi on the NES. I thought I was going to be getting some kind of awesome Mario-esque platformer starring Yoshi, and it turned out to be a below-average puzzler.

**ThirdMarioBro** · 01-21-2009, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peanut

I also remember being really pissed off at Yoshi on the NES. I thought I was going to be getting some kind of awesome Mario-esque platformer starring Yoshi, and it turned out to be a below-average puzzler.

Ha-ha, that game freaked me out as a kid. I thought it was going to be a Yoshi platformer, and got a puzzler instead. Didn't leave the best impression, but Tetris Attack made up for that a few years later. Funny story: My best friend's NES froze up while playing that game. It froze up all the time. Scary thing was, when it froze up, we left the room. Five minutes later, we came back in with it still frozen and half scrambled. We were talking about something, then out of nowhere the game unfreezes and continues playing itself with a garbled screen. Scared the sh*t out of us. We picked up the controllers and finished out match.....then it started blinking. That toaster oven had a mind of its own.

But hey, the fact that it and Yoshi's Cookie weren't platformers is what prodded Miyamoto into making the best platformer ever made. It's name needn't be spoken.

*Cure* · 01-21-2009, 05:56 PM

Anyone remember what Red Steel was supposed to be? lolololololz.

Peanut · 01-21-2009, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCure

Anyone remember what Red Steel was supposed to be? lolololololz.

A piece of sh*t? I don't remember many here thinking it would be anything besides a piece of junk.

**Barkworm** · 01-21-2009, 10:18 PM

I remember how we thought that its graphics would look "next gen" after the first screens were released. ROFL!!!

Peanut · 01-21-2009, 10:28 PM

You mean TMB?

**Barkworm** · 01-21-2009, 10:34 PM

Let's pretend I do.

愛 · 01-21-2009, 10:39 PM

Has this section just become one big game of make-believe?

*Storm Wolf* · 01-22-2009, 02:35 PM

I'd have to say Okami surprised me. The game didn't get much of a push...in fact when I bought it I'd never even heard of it.

Awesome game though! Absolutely loved it! My only complaint (a VERY minor one) is that there is a lot of dialog. This is fine the first time as you are interested in the story, but when you just want to play it seems to go on forever!

I liked Overlord. I really had little to no expectations and bought it on a whim. I was surprised to find it challenging and quite fun.

I find Assassin's Creed a bit of a disappointment. Not because it's a bad game, but I think I bought it thinking it was something that it wasn't. Beautiful game...just not my "type" I suppose. I find myself not being able to get into it.

*Voltron* · 01-23-2009, 10:19 PM

Shen Mue turned out much better than I thought it would be. Still hoping for 3 to come out. . .

*KROW* · 01-24-2009, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leo656

WCW Backstage Assault.

Oh, lord, if that isn't a classic turd. I still have no idea why the wrestlers had fairy hands. And this game actually made me hate the Wolfpac theme. Ugh.

Well, now that I'm thinking about the N64, I'd have to say that Donkey Kong 64 was a disappointment. After the raucous fun I had playing the DKC series, I expected the 64 version to rock even harder. But instead of a natural platformer with impressive graphics and great gameplay, we get polygon monkeys, a wonky camera, and the need to have pinpoint accuracy while playing, not to mention it became a full-on fetch quest. Ick.

Also, being a fan of Tolkien-esque/Salvatore-ian fantasy novels, Baldur's Gate II for the 'Cube was a bit of a letdown. The fact that it was your classic dungeon crawler didn't phase me, since that's basically what it was supposed to be. So anyone playing it with something else in mind would be immediately disappointed. What put a bad taste in my mouth was how short it was. Three acts/chapters/whatever? That's it? What had me coming back for more was really the option to play as Drizzt Do'Urden.

Another disappointment was Overlord. I guess the only thing I found wrong with it was it seemed less carefree carnage and more puzzle-solving. Puzzle-solving is fine, no question. But the game just seemed seeped with strategy which took away from the fun of it. Hopefully the impending sequel will have more polish.

Well, on the other side of the spectrum, I can't say much. Basically, every other game I've played (that I can remember) was a blast. Mass Effect, Fable II, Viking, Conan, Oblivion, Fallout 3... All lived up to their expectations with just very minor and petty grievances. But, if I had to pick one, I'd say Bioshock. I thought it was going to be another FPS with tough AI and no fun at all. I popped that in on a whim and had such a great time whacking crazies in the head with an ice wrench and shocking the hell out of Big Daddies and just getting soaked into the story. It was very well done and I'm glad I took a chance playing it.

~~Leo656~~ · 01-24-2009, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peanut

Yeah, cause the original Xbox is old school as sh*t!

Hey watch it man, when I was a kid I had Pong with those goofy-ass paddles!

But yeah, Mary and I always lament the fact that in the near future the XBox-era WILL be "the good ol' days". And I actually hate my XBox. I play Gamecube way more. Since Nintendo products actually work when you turn 'em on...

OT, I know... sorry, I like to rant.

01-21-2009, 12:55 AM	#1
Shredder Admin/Layton Apprentice Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Isla Nublar Posts: 481	Games That Turned Out Different Than Expected Have we discussed this topic yet? I was thinking about the most anticipated games thread and thought how sometimes games turn out different than we expect. Don't we all have that game you looked forward to forever only for it to be disappointing, or that game you thought would kinda suck or weren't sure about, but it turned out to be one of your favorites? Here's a couple of mine to start things off. I can think of a lot for each, but these come to mind right now. Better than expected: The Phoenix Wright series and Professor Layton. I didn't think these games would suck, but also didn't expect them to become some of my favorite games on any system, either. Bring on Layton 2! Disappointing game: Riven. As a huge Myst fan, I had big expectations for this one, but couldn't really get into it the way I did with Myst. I'll have to play it again sometime and give it another chance, but it just felt so different. __________________ "Well, actually, I always wanted to be a writer. Being a ruthless conqueror was my second choice." --Shredder, Take Me to Your Leader

01-21-2009, 06:11 AM	#2
Mecha Cow Gorgeous and modest too Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 3,699	Well, I haven't played it yet, but I don't think the new Prince of Persia lived up to anyone's expectations. As for me, Valkyria Chronicles was a huge surprise considering the art style led me to believe it would be another crappy anime RPG. Elite Beat Agents I bought on a whim, and it turned out to be one of my favorite games ever. Then again, I didn't know what to expect from that one in the first place. __________________

01-21-2009, 12:57 PM	#4
Voltron Handsomest Boy in School Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: The Realm of SJW Posts: 4,642	For me, it's the Mega Man X series. After the first one, the others just seemed so lack-luster and underwhelming. The bosses were lame, the powers were lamer, and I just never made a connection with it the same way I made with MMX1 or the original MM series. __________________ I AM FOR ACTUAL! . . . and the White Savior. . . and the Right Hand of God. . .

01-21-2009, 05:56 PM	#7
Cure Y'all need Jesus Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: New Jersey Posts: 8,938	Anyone remember what Red Steel was supposed to be? lolololololz. __________________

01-21-2009, 10:18 PM	#9
Barkworm Draconian leftist ruler Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 6,759	I remember how we thought that its graphics would look "next gen" after the first screens were released. ROFL!!! __________________ Make ****, not kill!

01-21-2009, 08:51 AM	#3
~~Leo656~~ Banned Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: nWo Country Posts: 27,703	:::trots in with a cane::: Forgive me, I haven't bought a new system since the original XBox. They don't call me the Old-School Icon fer nuthin'! But anyway, yeah, nothing new, sooo.... GOOD: Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee for Gamecube was a lot better than expected. I picked it up with my Christmas gift cards and was pleasantly surprised. Metal Gear Solid 2 was WAY different than I expected, but I wasn't as bothered by it as most people. BAD: Pac-Man for Atari. When I was 5 I didn't notice the difference from the Arcade... by the time I was 8, I wondered if I had somehow been born blind... WWE Wrestlemania 21 for XBox. The closest thing to an un-playably broken wrestling game since WCW Backstage Assault. And my copy of WCW BA crashed a lot f*cking less than WM21, I'll tellya that fer nuthin'...

01-21-2009, 10:28 PM	#10
Peanut Second Gear Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: The New World Posts: 15,422	You mean TMB?

01-21-2009, 10:34 PM	#11
Barkworm Draconian leftist ruler Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 6,759	Let's pretend I do. __________________ Make ****, not kill!

01-21-2009, 10:39 PM	#12
愛 Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 7,449	Has this section just become one big game of make-believe?

01-23-2009, 10:19 PM	#14
Voltron Handsomest Boy in School Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: The Realm of SJW Posts: 4,642	Shen Mue turned out much better than I thought it would be. Still hoping for 3 to come out. . . __________________ I AM FOR ACTUAL! . . . and the White Savior. . . and the Right Hand of God. . .