What REALLY Makes a Game Awful?

I'm reading all these posts from Facebook users about the games they hate, as well as our recent posts about the games we hate. It really got me thinking about what can make a potentially fantastic game just miserable. Most would probably agree that the storyline and the gameplay (how it feels to be playing the game, the controls, etc.) impact how you feel about a particular game. If you think about it, if a game doesn't deliver what you want in the first ten minutes, it's all over. A game starting off horribly won't end well for the gamer, no matter the gut-wrenching ending. So, what makes a game frustrating, obnoxious, and everything else that makes you want to walk from it and never return?

Some of you on Facebook weighed in on a question I posed (here's my shameless self-promoting). You all agreed with my previous statements that mostly storyline and gameplay contributes to the overall frustration of a game. However, there's much more to a game than these two things as you all pointed out. I was impressed by the responses I received. In particular, I want to talk about characters and their development which, again, was mentioned by multiple people as I think these two elements are extremely important.

Characters and character developments are huge. I know that I want to have a character I can connect to. I don't want some dull, borderline useless character who does nothing but pillage cities and is self-serving. Characters HAVE to have some sort of depth or internal struggle within themselves. As with any television or movie character, video game characters battle something. They're either working towards a goal, struggling to find out who they are, finding their purpose, or solving something that has plagued them. If you're the test subjects in Portal 2 (mulitplayer mode), you're struggling to solve puzzles and trying to get your counterpart to the next level with you. Even as robots (which admittedly terrify me), they had a great sense of likability about them. They were fun, interactive, and above all else they engaged the gamer. I'm sure that you all can think of a character that you really liked. It may not even be your favorite character. Think of one that you really enjoyed playing as. Got it? Okay. Now, what made that character so special? They had dimension. They had human like characteristics in the sense that they failed somewhere along the lines and are now looking to be redeemed. That being said, a huge factor is redemption. We want our characters to succeed in solving the crime, saving the Little Sisters, rescuing that pesky person that always manages to get kidnapped, and finding new equilibrium (part of Todorov's Narrative Theory about the 3 main parts to a movie, new equilibrium being the last. See, told you I'd bring in theory.).

If there is no struggle, no dimension, no satisfying redemption for the character, identification with the character is gone. In fact, it will never be there to begin with. Most of the "Games You Hate" reviews discuss the frustrations of having a character who just sucks. They might be awful, unoriginal, or characters you find yourself having a hard time to relate to. The point is, if the character doesn't have any redeeming qualities chances are the game won't succeed. If the character doesn't develop and become a different form of who they were at the beginning, the game DEFINITELY won't succeed. Again, let's go back to my movie or television examples. If you have a character who is the exact same from beginning to end, not only is the show/movie not going to make any money, it's going to be a flop with audiences.

In all honesty, I (like you) just want a game to feel original. I want an interesting storyline, an interesting character, development for that character, and some sort of solution. Even if the controls are crappy, I can usually look past that if the game is engaging. However, if the gameplay is awful, the game receives a prompt return to the homescreen where I shut off my Xbox and say goodbye to it forever. I know that for me, these two factors stick out the most. I'm tired of games being thrown out there year after year with the same concept in different areas, ESPECIALLY when the characters suck.

As usual, come join our discussion on Facebook ("Games You Hate") or e-mail us at gamesyouhate@yahoo.com with questions, comments, or ideas on how we can make this site better. Please bear with us in the coming weeks as we have some interactive, interesting ideas rolling out. We're also working on a schedule. If any of you are interested in contributing to the site, again, e-mail us your idea. You don't even have to have anything written yet. How sweet of a deal is that? Just tell us what game you hated and wish to add on our "Reviews" section. We'll work with you to come up with an article and get it posted. Also, if you run your own video game related site, blog, etc. we would love to work with you! Get in contact with us so we can make it happen! Communitas!

Again, thank you to the Facebook users who contributed to today's article. I appreciate you all supporting us and, as always, we value your opinions! You're helping us progress as a site, and we hope that you'll continue to contribute. Thanks!