No matter how well-liked (or utterly-despised) a game is, there’s no such thing as a universally correct opinion.
Just about every game has a balance of supporters and detractors, as with just about any other form of media.
10 Guilty Pleasure Games We All Secretly Love
We might not care to admit it, but we have a soft spot for these kinds of games.
That said, there are some prominent games that have managed to accumulate absolutely massive numbers of those who both like and dislike them.
Often, in these cases, there’s something about the game that absolutely hits every mark with a large subset of players, while completely missing every mark with others.
Put simply, these are games that you either love with all your heart or just can’t stand.
10Death Stranding
Every Day Is Leg Day
Death Stranding
If ever there were a game that emphasized the concept of commitment, it’d beDeath Stranding.
Whether you’re watching lengthy cutscenes or just manually lugging yourself across the world, you’re going to need to live with possibly hours at a time with very little happening.
If you’re willing to commit the time and let it suck you in, Death Stranding is a fascinating game to experience.
However, not everyone has the time to commit to something so slow-going, especially if the long string of introductory cutscenes drives them off.
9Monster Hunter
Gotta Play The Long Game
Monster Hunter World
The games of theMonster Hunterseries require what you might call “the click.”
For the game’s fans, things seem to click as soon as they pick up their favorite weapon. At this point, Monster Hunter hits its stride as a bombastic and fun action experience.
However, for those who don’t experience the click, it just seems like an ordinary action game with the needless addition of pursuing prey and time limits.
It can also be harder for solo players to experience the click, as Monster Hunter isbest enjoyed with friends.
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
Fortniteis one of the inescapable juggernauts of the gaming industry at large. There is a statistically significant chance you know at least one person who plays it.
Whether it’s the original Battle Royale mode or its gradually growing slate of other modes and mini games, there’s bound to be at least one enjoyable element for all players.
However, some players may bounce off Fortnite as a whole if they can’t get a Victory Royale in the first few tries, and lose interest in other game modes.
There is also the fact that a large portion of Fortnite’s playerbase is younger in age, and not everyone likes playing with kids.
7Heavy Rain
“JAY-SON!”
Heavy Rain
Just about every game created by Quantic Dream has a hit or miss reputation, perhaps none more so thanHeavy Rain.
Fans of Heavy Rain enjoy its cinematic presentation and some of itsbetter-known plot twists.
However, it’s a very gameplay-lite experience, consisting almost exclusively of quick-time events, which definitely isn’t for everyone.
As for the story, it’s kind of a toss-up whether you’ll love the twists or find them to be hokey and predictable. That’s on top of the rather stilted and robotic character models and acting.
6Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Only Perfectionists Need Apply
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
TheSoulslike genreis basically the poster child of “love-it-or-hate-it,” with its signature punishing difficulty turning away all but the most committed.
Out of all Soulslike games, especially those made by FromSoft, the one with debatably the highest barrier to entry isSekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Sekiro lacks the wiggle room provided by the RPG customization mechanics of its contemporaries.
The game demands absolute and constant perfection from you, and very quickly, but proves exciting and rewarding if you can manage.
If you can’t wrap your head around the parrying and dodging mechanics, though, you’ll bounce off this game like a golf ball on asphalt.
5The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
An Outlier Within Its Franchise
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Most entries in the Legend of Zelda franchise are fairly accessible games, which is probably why it’s lasted as long as it has.
One major outlier to those design sensibilities came about inThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
Here’s Why Majora’s Mask Would Make A Great Zelda Movie Adaptation
You’ve made a terrific film, haven’t you?
While the basic gameplay is identical to Ocarina of Time, the introduction of the time loop and schedule mechanics require an entirely separate kind of engagement that players might not be willing to offer.
It’s also a darker, somewhat scarier game compared to Ocarina of Time, so younger players may not be into it.
4Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077
It’s no secret that the original launch ofCyberpunk 2077was… troubled, to put it politely.
The numerous bugs and glitches magnified what was already seen as a rather middling RPG.
However, the game hasmanaged a comebackfollowing the release of the Phantom Liberty DLC, with the accompanying overall patch helping it gradually work its way up to a Very Positive rating on Steam.
That said, there is still a lot of justifiable reluctance from those who either played the original release or heard about it from friends.
A game can claim to be substantially fixed, but it’s hard to wash away existing bad experiences.
3BioShock Infinite
Good Ol’ Quantum Mechanics
BioShock Infinite
BioShock Infinitehas had a bit of a horseshoe experience in its public reception over the years.
The game was originally well liked on launch, and still has plenty of fans who enjoy its characters and tight combat.
However, the passage of time has brought with itincreased scrutinyof the game’s mechanics and story. For instance, compared to the massive arsenal you had in the older games, Infinite’s two-gun limit is disappointing.
The story’s heavy reliance on surface-level quantum mechanics and multiverse theory also make it feel a bit dense and handwavey, which lessens its overall impact compared to the first game.
2Hearthstone
Just One More Pack…
Hearthstone
Just about any card video game,Hearthstoneor otherwise, requires a particular mindset in its players.
It’s a mindset that many of us acquired in our youths playing Yu-Gi-Oh or Magic: The Gathering.
If you didn’t play card games growing up, something like Hearthstone doesn’t have anything of note to offer you, especially if you don’t like gacha mechanics.
If youdid, though, then it’ll suck you in just as well as any physical card game, especially if you already like Warcraft stuff.
1Disco Elysium
You Need That Disco Spirit
Disco Elysium
Visual novels are another genre that can be rather niche. Not everyone wants a book to go with their games, after all.
Out of all visual novels, though, one of the most love-it-or-hate-it isDisco Elysium.
Disco Elysium’s story and gameplay mechanics are absolutely fascinating, especially if you’re picking up thephilosophical vibesit’s putting down.
However, the sheer variability of the skill and thought systems can be very intimidating, particularly if you’re used to min-maxing characters in RPGs.
All that is on top of more lines of text than the entirety of War and Peace.
Mini Games In Final Fantasy Aren’t For Me, Even If Everyone Loves Them
Mini games and I never clicked, and that’s okay.
