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Most polarizing video games and why?

Posted: July 9th, 2019, 10:24 pm
by Sonicx9
I know I tend to do controversial/negative post on this site, but wanted to do something original that has not been brought up enough in the video gaming space called "Most polarizing video games and why?" and before you ask, what does "Most polarizing video games and why?" mean it basically means that a game is polarizing by having 3 different perspectives where the people who love it, people like/or enjoy it but can admit about it flaws and problems or being flawed, and those that despise and hate it. If you want a good example this being part of this YouTube video explains it best.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh0qWtY ... tu.be&t=32

Anyways here are two games that are my "Most polarizing video games and why?" and both ironically enough from this current gen/8th Gen and you can see why I generally think it the most polarizing console gen just with these games alone and along with other games from that gen, but don't want it to be over 9000 paragraphs long. So I will keep it short and sweet.

The first game that comes to mind is Batman: Arkham Knight, as it is one very polarizing game with 3 different perspectives those that love it, namily the metacritic critic reviews and some user reviews here and their: https://www.metacritic.com/game/playsta ... ham-knight, those that did like the game, but admit it flaws is problems such as GameSpot and Destructoid reviews being much lower than everyone else and where not as crazy about it as the others, and heck even The Video Game Critic review of Batman: Arkham Knight was polarizing in itself where it fits on not one but two perspectives which I will get too soon, he had it as a C+ game similar to the lower scoring GameSpot and Destructoid reviews being around that scale as a C+ grade is kind of a low 70 range on Metacritic scale and certain users. Or those that despise and hate the game or where very disappointed with it such as The Video Game Critic initial review on a regular C grade which is like a mid 60s on Metacritic is like a D range on this site coming off of the high bar/standards of the previous Batman: Arkham games namely Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, and certain users namely the infamous Batmobile segments and or the hot mess PC version launch which BTW was the first big game heavily affected by the then new Steam Refund policy which resulted in it being removed for several months only to come back still being a hot mess. But the fact it took a whole years worth of patch updates and fan mods to make the PC version worthwhile was too little too late as the damage was done and people gave up by then. Although some of the games problems on PC where a side effect of the engine it was using which I will do a separate topic about the engine later code name "Notable video games that were ruined/hamstrung by using the wrong game engine used to make it moments?" on the Video Games General forums soon. Or these videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MImf-cfmNjg and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HOK63VvJgg and https://youtu.be/7hkiE2a4BzM?t=3068 at the end part. Sorry for the long first one but I had a lot to say about this one.

And for my second game, and I know I have beaten it to death with it controversies and mixed rep is Yooka-Laylee, where like Batman: Arkham Knight is very polarizing in itself are maybe even more so as every time people bring up this game on the web, controversy comes out of it and it very reminiscent to the current political environment (I am not bringing politics in the topic, but for those vaguely familiar with the game and the current political environment you might understand what I am talking about as ironically the game did get released during that said current political environment so it not a surprise their.) It has 3 perspective those that love it, namily some of the higher critic scores like Game Informer review: https://www.gameinformer.com/games/yook ... eview.aspx and some fans/players out their which do exist mind you. Those that did like the game, but admit it flaws examples some of the metacritic critic reviews: https://www.metacritic.com/game/playsta ... ic-reviews and certain fans/players out their or even the critic himself on the site did review it getting a surprisingly high B- grade for a game that so polarizing and mixed as most people such as myself saw this one getting more in the C range or even at worst a high D range, and the fact that critic fell in the middle is shocking considering divided nature of the game itself. And those that flat out those that despise and hate the game or where very disappointed with it such as this infamous review: https://web.archive.org/web/20170407155 ... ee-review/ or certain videos like these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeU1bSsLerM and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8Jzloqqe2s and https://youtu.be/kdNXGjto8uk?t=2157 at this point of the video, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgrRjo3Wdcg. And a lot of Yooka-Laylee polarizing hate comes from many things such as the infamous JonTron scandal, Team17 and Playtonic’ blocking and censoring people for refunds after the now infamous JonTron scandal: https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2017/03/y ... ads/26997/, or the controversy of using Unity Engine which was not well suited for a ambitus large scale game as Unity only works well on simpler 2D games like Cuphead and Hollow Knight or simpler/smaller scale lower budget 3D games like Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, because if you are indeed creating a ambitus large scale game these days it "Unreal Engine 4 or die" I will later do a separate topic about this later code name "Notable video games that were ruined/hamstrung by using the wrong game engine used to make it moments?" on the Video Games General forums soon as the Unity engine may have lead to many of the games problems as if it was Unreal Engine 4 it maybe would have gotten a better rep as it a terrible idea using Unity for ambitus large scale games as look at why ReCore on PC and Xbox One became a mess, it was using the wrong engine and boy does it show.

Anyways, sorry for the long post as there was lots to be said in the topic that would have not been done without speaking it properly, but now it your guys turn to name "Most polarizing video games and why?"

Re: Most polarizing video games and why?

Posted: July 10th, 2019, 7:16 am
by Voor
I may be wrong, but what about Mario Sunshine and Wind Walker?

Re: Most polarizing video games and why?

Posted: July 10th, 2019, 9:51 am
by Crummylion
From this generation, I'd say Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Both games with decent to great mechanics, but some aspects whether predatorial microtransactions or time crunch put those games up to question. RDR2 even seems like a great game for gamers, just a living hell for those who made it. I mean, the things these brought are still going on, with countries all over banning loot boxes and game devs coming out about their bad experiences, even with Bernie Sanders of all people coming out with a legislation to unionize game development. Don't wanna get too political, but if the government is involve in any way, it kinda is controversial.
EDIT: reread the OP and seemed I skimmed a bit too much, oops. Disregard the Battlefront 2 bit then, that has no place here. But I feel RDR2 is of discussion as opinions ARE mixed, ranging from boycotting over poor work management, the game being the best game ever, to it just not living up to the old Rockstar games where exploration and replayablity was a key feature, and instead made its mission structure more linear in ways. The impact the game made is also noteworthy.
Another game I'd say was a mixed bag for people would be Metal Gear Solid V. On one hand, both journalists and Kojima fans tout this as the best game ever, some journalists deem it as sexist for its depiction of one of its characters, while MGS fans called it an unfinished and repetitive disappointment of a game, deeming the MGS franchise better off without Kojima.

Re: Most polarizing video games and why?

Posted: July 10th, 2019, 12:40 pm
by DrLitch
Dead or Alive Series -> Deeper than you think for this fighter. Main source of controversy is the in game content and depiction of female characters. A work collegue found out I had this game in my library (he was around my house and was snooping around). He was furious - he mentioned it to me and I went off at him for snooping around my house. The next day I had a complaint filed against me at work . The complaint showed up on my yearly evaluation and it was uncomfortable having to defend myself.

Shenmue -> To some this is one of the greatest games of all time, to others a complete grindfest and exercise in boredom. The "could have been" Sega Saturn version is fascinating given it is running on 1994 hardware. If you have not seen the demo, Youtube it. As a game though on Dreamcast, my comment is "you pour and I will knock back the shots".


Sonicx9 wrote:The first game that comes to mind is Batman: Arkham Knight, as it is one very polarizing game with 3 different perspectives ...

And for my second game, and I know I have beaten it to death with it controversies and mixed rep is Yooka-Laylee....


Batman Arkham Knight: Came hot on the heels of Asylum and then City, both highly revered with Asylum occasionally showing up on top 100 lists. The third act always was going to be disputed - copy the old formula and get slated for rehashing assets, or try something new and get a section of fanbase triggered. My main beef with Arkham Knight was that it ran horribly. Terrible port to PC and the Xbox game had some major stutter - at least on my console....

Yooka Laylee - I feel this one is underated and is an awesome game.

Re: Most polarizing video games and why?

Posted: July 10th, 2019, 6:52 pm
by Edward M
Most Polarizing game of all time might be Minecraft. Some people love it as a virtual lego set. Other people find it to not be video gamey enough to be fun. I mostly fall into the second category. I just can't get into it.

Re: Most polarizing video games and why?

Posted: July 10th, 2019, 7:16 pm
by ActRaiser
DrLitch wrote:Dead or Alive Series -> Deeper than you think for this fighter. Main source of controversy is the in game content and depiction of female characters. A work collegue found out I had this game in my library (he was around my house and was snooping around). He was furious - he mentioned it to me and I went off at him for snooping around my house. The next day I had a complaint filed against me at work . The complaint showed up on my yearly evaluation and it was uncomfortable having to



Good thing he never found your copy of DOA: Beach Volleyball. :D

What an idiot. I can't imagine how he worded the complaint.

"I snooped into a coworkers belongings and found the equivalent of a risque PG13 movie."

Re: Most polarizing video games and why?

Posted: July 10th, 2019, 8:23 pm
by Voor
I don’t get it. I would think it would only apply to acts/behavior done during or at work. That doesn’t make sense. You could have very well had a large stack of “adult films” on your coffee table.

Perhaps this argument spilled over at work? That’s the only thing I can guess

Re: Most polarizing video games and why?

Posted: July 11th, 2019, 12:36 am
by DrLitch
ActRaiser wrote:
Good thing he never found your copy of DOA: Beach Volleyball. :D

"I snooped into a coworkers belongings and found the equivalent of a risque PG13 movie."


DOA Beach Volleyball? That game is a hoot and it is still going strong. Not really my cup of tea though.


Voor wrote:I don’t get it. I would think it would only apply to acts/behavior done during or at work. That doesn’t make sense. You could have very well had a large stack of “adult films” on your coffee table.

Perhaps this argument spilled over at work? That’s the only thing I can guess


Very wise of you - it did spill over at work. Next day there were a couple of words said prior to complaint being filed (no doubt written the night before and edited the day of submission). To put more context on it: On the day in question we had a party and some work collegues were at my house. This guy decided to snoop around and he took off on me over some of my possessions - my video games like Dead or Alive, my posters in the gaming room (Characters like Jill Valentine, Lara Croft in her classic attire, and so on...), and a chest high safe that was locked and well hidden in my closet. He wanted to know what I had in the safe. I escalated first by being rude and dismissive. He took the approach "you do not want to show me because you have guns, what will your work collegues think of you when I tell them...". My wife decided to give him a piece of her mind eventually asked him to leave or she would call the police. He then called my wife the C-word, made some threats. It was when he started prodding his finger towards her face that I read him the riot act. The meat and potatoes to his complaint was bullying (verbal abuse, aggressive gestures) and neglegent behaviour towards female employees for "having in my possession materials that could be deemed discriminatory". He also considered the party as being "workplace oriented" due to the presence of several team members and cited that work was discussed informally. Nothing came of it of course, a drama queen can manufacture drama from nothing.

Re: Most polarizing video games and why?

Posted: July 11th, 2019, 12:45 am
by Matchstick
DrLitch wrote:Nothing came of it of course, a drama queen can manufacture drama from nothing.


At the risk of derailing this entire thread, Litch, I do have an honest question for you. Was it even worth having that job, knowing you had to work around people like that? Not sure how the dude was at work, but man, I can only imagine having to show up to the office or whatever each day and see that schmuck, especially after what he said to your wife. Do you even still have that job? Does he still work there? Did anybody in the building actually like working with a guy like that?

I can only imagine the complaints that showed up on *his* yearly review...

Re: Most polarizing video games and why?

Posted: July 11th, 2019, 8:38 am
by ActRaiser
That guy is a grade A idiot. Guns are perfectly legal. He clearly has a few screws loose. Sorry, man.