What's the one game you think people pretend to like the most?

This weekend's PCG Q&A is a spicy one, inspired by PC Gamer's Andy Kelly putting this out there on Twitter (before being disappointed by the answers, which is just Twitter all over, really). What's the one game you think people pretend to like the most?

[ArchangelMike]

For me it's unfortunately Nier Automata. The hype was unreal about this game, it was supposed to be a masterpeice, a true gem of a game.

And then I played it. *sigh*

I really wanted to like that game, I really did. But I should have never played it. I should have just read the reviews and listened to all the hype, and been content with the idea of it being such a great game. But then I went and played it for myself.

Man, I don't think I've ever been so dissapointed by a game (not even No Man's Sky disappointed me this much). Apart from the combat, nearly everything about that game just screems bad game design. Maybe I've been spoilt by the likes of The Witcher 3, God of War, Fallout 4 - but Nier Automata simple did not do it for me. Don't get me wrong, a blindfolded cyborg ninja chick in a miniskirt is cool and all... but that was about it.

[Snookies12]

So... You never got far enough to understand what made it so highly praised. It's one a lot of people give up on early, because of various reasons. Yet it's a game that absolutely shines in its later moments. It went from being something I wasn't interested in, to being one of my favorite games of all time. (I also dislike that it's constantly just taken at face value "robot chick with skirt" type of mentality. When it's quite frankly so much more than that.)

[TheOptimist]

I second the notion of not even knowing about the game to hungrily wanting all the predecessors to have a port on Steam.

[ArchangelMike]

No I completed the first run through, got into the second and began to struggle with so many design flaws. My goodness, the writing is poor and ham fisted, the level design, the map, the side quests are extremely tedious for no real reason, the gameplay mechanis like the upgrade chips, the implementation of the 15second/30 second buffs, etc etc etc I could go on, but ther is so much that could have been implemented better. When you compare it to other open world games like Horizon Zero Dawn, or other games like Bloodbourne/Dark Souls, it's then you realise that it falls short of what it could truly have been.

[Kados]

So it is Final Fantasy XIII-4? Sorry, but a game should not make the player suffer through monotony for hours before getting decent. If it isn't fun from the start, it isn't worth playing.

[neutralgamer1992]

No a game can't be a master piece if it requires long grind through to get to the great part

[Zenbaby369]

Sometimes the struggle can be what makes a masterpiece so rewarding. Nothing wrong with a game that makes you grind, it just isn't everyones cup of tea.

[Gaming101]

I bought Nier Automata after the rave reviews and I just don't get it. The graphics are from PS3/360 era, since the previous Nier was from 2010 this game got delayed so much you can tell the graphics are basically a 1080p 360 game with some extra polish, but that's not why people like this game. The combat and upgrades are all decent, not bad but not groundbreaking, it did its job. It's trying to be a bullet hell game and a hack and slash game at the same time, and some people like the novelty.
The side quests are everything we hate about side quests. Literally, you are everyone's errand girl/boy. AC Odyssey is the same fetch quest repetitive crap. Witcher 3 did sidequests better than any game ever, with fully fleshed stories that are better than the main stories in a lot of games, quite frankly.
The story in Nier is extremely Japanese, in that it's very weird. It was incomprehensible by the end. It was vague, or at least the ending I got was vague. The character motivations aren't clearly explained, especially A2, I couldn't figure out the true reasons as to why she did any of the things she did in the entire game. It was all a mess. The story tries to be philosophical, which will impress high school students but for those of us who have actually taken Philosophy in post secondary will see it as paper thin, too weird and trying too hard to be an allegory for religion and the meaning of life.

[bouzebbal]

GTA... i really dont get what people like with this series.
it is overrated to the max.

[TheOptimist]

The combat was probably the weakest element in the game apart from maybe side quests. Not because it was bad, but it felt like it lacked depth, but then again, it wasn't very shallow, just not something that comes close to say Devil May Cry or even Bayonetta. But it did have the breadth to cover up, it had hack n slash, twin stick shooting, text adventure elements that kept things fresh. And gameplay is not even its strong suit.

-Best OST of the gen easily
-Some of the best animations
-A story so twisted and beautiful, I remember almost every moment of it
-Really good set pieces for an RPG
-The themes and maturity

Then again, you say you have been spoilt by a game like Fallout 4 which itself isn't a paragon of game design. Kinda confusing there.

[pietro1212]

The combat is one the games highlights. It may bot has the depth if Platinum's other titles such as Bayonetta 1 and 2, but name an action rpg that plays as fast and fluid as Nier Automata?

[Swiftfox]

I'll agree. Nier Automata is the "Emporer's new Clothes" of the generation. People think it's deep and meaningful when it's honestly very poorly executed. From the story to the characters to the premise to the combat, to the overused, overall theme: the game was below average. Just goes to show you just need a soundtrack, plot, and theme from most "adult" 90's anime and you have a hit. What a disappointment.

[goldwyncq]

Nah, that would be Horizon Zero Dawn.

[ArchangelMike]

@Swftfox
This is exactly my sentiment. To top it off why is the game practically in black and white, with a splash of green here and there?

[Livingthedream]

I think infamous second son and horizon zero dawn

[MoshA]

I agree. I like the world, atmosphere, character designs and combat but the story telling felt amateurish. Also the graphics were pretty bad, a lot of washed out textures and I had some technical issues on PS4, i can only imagine the pc port. For some reason the game forces you to play it twice straight away aswell. That should have been an optional NG+.

[DaDrunkenJester]

You only beat it once? The reason it forces you into playing twice right away is because it tells the story from the other bots perspective. Then on the 3rd playthrough you continue the story and things get twisted. To experience everything the plot has to offer you need to play it 3 times. Then you'll understand why people say the plot and story telling are great.

[bigmalky]

It's not the exact same game after the credits though. If you played it, you would know that.

[tontontam0]

You know what I think nier automata is one of the games people "intentionally try to hate" because of the praises it is getting.

[goldwyncq]

It's easily the best Japanese game of this generation along with Bloodborne.

[notachance]

aren't the blindfolded ninja chick just for the first playthrough?
most people praising it probably went all the way until the true ending on the 5th playthrough (not that it's a repeating playthrough, 3-5 are continuation, 2nd is the first but from the view of another character)

Although one thing I would criticised from it is exactly that, shouldn't have broke down the stories to 5 playthrough because most people would just thought it's finished at the 1st one.

disclaimer: I only played 1,5 playthrough because someone borrowed it and have yet to return it to me until this day. Based from what I played it's.. normal? good-ish, but not as amazing as the reviews I read, wanted to go all the way until the 5th ending but first I need my copy back...

[_FantasmA_]

If you have to play a game 5 times for it to git good, then that is a fail. Shouldn't it be good on it's first playthrough? It's like a relationship "hey, I know it didn't work out before, but let's keep trying again and see if we can rekindle the magic on the 5th time." Sorry, but no. The demo was terrible. Shouldn't a demo get me hyped up enough to buy the game. I just don't see the hype. Plus this game goes on sale every other month it seems like, kinda life Destiny 2 and BF5.

[bigmalky]

It's good from the start. It just builds to epic.

And it's not repeating the same game after the credits. Totally new perspective, character and combat style.

[ginsunuva]

Just came here to say the same exact thing.

The Tomb Raider reboot is almost tied though.

[MWH]

Same here. The first Nier although looks like a monkey's butt its story connected immediately and kept me going, Automata on the other hand didn't. I played a little further after you meet the twins in the alien ship when i finally lost interest.

I asked a friend who finished the game we both agreed that Automata's gameplay is good but he added that the story was not as good as the original, not even close. That was the end of it for me, unfortunately, because i was eagerly waiting for it and advising all my friends to play the original.

[neutralgamer1992]

For me it is the Witcher 3, I want to like the game but just can't can't explain

Everyone talks so highly about it so I am in the minority on this one

[KyRo]

I'm with you.

[starchild]

At least you recognize you're the minority. We all have our own tastes. No game is going to appeal to everyone. For me The Witcher 3 is the best overall game experience I've ever had.

[good_sk8er]

I loved Nier Automata, but then again I loved the first Nier, which didn't seem incredibly popular. Amazing soundtrack, great story, varied and enjoyable gameplay. I dont think it takes a while to get good, but it does seem to get better each time you beat it, but I was having a great time from the get go.

Again just because you dont like something doesn't mean people are pretending to, that's just silly.

[DrumBeat]

Journey, or perhaps Flower.

[GameStallion]

I thought journey was def overrated, but the art direction was gorgeous.