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Over the years, video games have become an essential medium for storytelling. When done right, they can immerse and influence readers on a deeper level than alternative media such as books and movies. The combination of setting, characters, music and player interaction can come together to create truly unforgettable experiences. Titles like The Witcher 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are heralded as some of the greatest and most immersive gaming experiences of all time.



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However, not every great title is subject to the same reaction from fans. There are plenty of well-told, gripping stories that, for one reason or another, ultimately don’t resonate with anyone who picks them up. This leads to a lot of great titles being scorned more than they deserve.

10 The Life is Strange series puts a nice focus on coming-of-age relationships

The life is strange series, mainly developed by Dontnod, gets a lot of hatred from players. Most of these complaints have to do with the game’s writing, which many players say is too crappy, and others note that the characters feel too archetypal, making them difficult to invest.

Beneath the surface, however, life is strange series is a wonderful series that focuses on adult character relationships. For those who find themselves resonating with Max, Chloe, and the other residents of Arcadia Bay, life is strange is a poignant and emotional journey.

9 Dark Souls gets hate from newer players for being too hard

Even widely acclaimed titles can’t escape the ire of a certain section of fans, and many more casual gamers can’t get into the dark souls series. The main reason for this is that people just find the games too difficult, which is frustrating when games are meant to be a fun and relaxing hobby.

There’s nothing wrong with a series that decides to focus more on its hardcore audience, though – the ones that will be beaten by a single boss for hours before savoring that sweet win. And the most recent Soulslike, Elden Ring, offers newer players a plethora of ways to delve into the genre.

8 Fortnite is only hated for its young fanbase

Some games end up with a bad reputation – not because of the content and quality of the game itself, but because of the way the fanbase comes across to those not interested in the game. This is exactly the case with Fortnite, which became a worldwide phenomenon when seemingly every living child played the game or watched streams for it.

Many people felt that they could not even escape the mention of Fortnite, which ended up leaving a sour taste in their mouths regarding the game in general. As for cartoonish battle royale games, Fortnite is actually a lot of fun in a group – especially with the addition of the No-Build mode.

7 No Man’s Sky has been trying its best to improve since launch

When No Man’s Sky first launched, it’s no wonder the majority of gamers didn’t want to bother giving the title a shot. Hello Games promised much more than they could deliver, and many of the features mentioned were completely absent from the game at launch. It was also super buggy.

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Since then, however, Hello Games has made every effort to make things right, leading to No Man’s Sky closer to the great adventure players were promised. Rather than simply giving up after it was deemed a failure at launch, the team stuck with it and made No Man’s Sky a fairly enjoyable experience.

6 Watch Dogs Is Unfairly Compared To Grand Theft Auto V

It’s always a sad day when a game receives negative reviews from fans, especially when most of their disappointments stem from unrealistic expectations. That’s what happened with Watch Dogs. It was released too soon after another open world game Grand Theft Auto V. As result, a lot of comparisons were made and many felt that the first one was not up to the mark.

However, for players who can watch watchdogs as his own experience without comparing it to a juggernaut like GTAV, there is much here for them to enjoy. It is an exciting experience that combines technology, puzzle solving and stealth to create a unique open world experience.

5 Cyberpunk 2077 is a victim of overhype and a messy launch

When Cyberpunk 2077 first came out, it’s safe to say gamers were less than impressed. Exciting and expected features were eventually scrapped and the game didn’t run nearly as smoothly as it should. Crashes and terribly low frame drops were reported, even on more expensive machines.

Ever since The Witcher 3 was developed by the same studio, gamers had incredibly high expectations for Cyberpunk 2077, but the launch fell short of just about all. However, like nobody’s air, the company has brought a ton of bug fixes and patches for the game to make it a more enjoyable experience.

4 Pokémon: Sword And Shield is an experimental stepping stone for Nintendo

Since it was the first mainline Pokémon entry on the Switch that wasn’t a remake, fans had high hopes for Pokémon: sword and shield. With beautiful games like Breath Of The Wild by taking full advantage of the Switch’s capabilities, many were eager to see what Sword and shield would bring to the table.

Players eventually felt that more could be done to improve the quality of the games, but Sword and shield are fun in their own right if players see them as experimental springboards for games like Legends: Arceus and the soon-to-be-released Generation 9. The two pieces of DLC released for the games – the Armored Isle and Crown Tundra – show what the games are really capable of, and they’re much better received by fans.

3 Shenmue made Quick-Time events popular in gaming

Although the Shenmue titles have a cult following, there is a vocal group of players who feel that the games are bogged down by their controls, slow pace and mediocre voice acting. Considering how the first two titles came out in the late ’90s, this is understandable, but there’s still a lot to love about the series.

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What makes the Shenmue series is really special is how it essentially pioneered several concepts that later became incredibly popular in the gaming field. These include expansive, open-world environments with tons of things to do, and the quick-time event system, which became popular thanks to Shenmue.

2 The Borderlands series still offers mindless, looter fun

Borderlands 2 is not only heralded as the largest border areas title, but one of the greatest looter shooter experiences of all time. However, the rest of the franchise isn’t so lucky when it comes to fan reception. The original border areas is too empty, Borderlands 3s disappointed fans write, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands doesn’t deliver with its DLC, which is usually the most fun part.

Nevertheless, the border areas series offers mindless, cooperative fun for those who want to get a small group together and blast through hordes of enemies for sweet loot. The gunfight feels like it gets better with each new title, and there are constant sales across the franchise, making it relatively accessible.

1 Telltale’s The Walking Dead is a gripping, unforgettable experience

The first season of The living Dead of Telltale was an unprecedented success. It is highly regarded by gamers, despite its sometimes buggy controls. Sadly, the rest of the series fell short of the original season’s standards, at least in the eyes of fans.

Still, players shouldn’t be so quick to discredit the rest of the series. Even season three, considered the worst due to its focus on a group separate from Clementine, has a lot going for it when it comes to emotional moments and character building. The last season manages to pull it all together and wrap up players’ seven-year journey with these characters in a compelling way.

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