i think people are far too hasty to place the blame on others instead of themselves when it comes to older games.

[blossom357]

"i tried playing a well-loved game from 2001 for the first time in 2025, but i'm not nostalgic for it like everyone else, so i didn't like it." in my experience with games and books etc, the real culprit is often impatience. if something has a reputation for being One Of The Best, i tend to have this expectation it will impress me more quickly. this is a mistake. you need to meet a game where it's at, try your hardest to pretend it's a new release, to forget any praise you've heard about it. you may still end up disliking the game, and that's a valid opinion to have, but nostalgia is a lazy rebuttal, which doesn't even attempt to address why reviewers and players liked a game on release. there can't be nostalgia attached to a new release.

 

[reakain]

I do agree to a point, but I definitely don't want folks to treat it like a new release, either. One thing I've come across is that people will judge a gaming classic by what is standard for games today rather than for the era when it was made. It's a thing that happens a lot with books and movies too, where folks will go in with expectations based on modern standards.

If those non-modern aspects make it unenjoyable for them, that's fine and reasonable, but I think it's still important to keep trends of a game's era in mind when starting up a classic game. (If nothing else it's another way to help manage expectations)

 

[Miles]

When lots of people say the game is amazing, you go in with much higher expectations, meaning you're a lot more likely to be disappointed.

 

[X y b e r - S k u ll]

I think a big part of this problem as well is people refusing to see or engage with games on their own terms. I'm not sure if this kind of attitude is downstream from the homogeneous nature of a lot of modern games and people subconsciously not wanting to break away from what they see as "normal". I just think it's a really restrictive way to look at games and a way to deny yourself some genuinely great experiences.

I'll give you a personal anecdote; I used to be one of those guys who could not play classic Resident Evil games. Resident Evil 4 was the gold standard to me and I just could not do anything with games that had tank controls. It wasn't until I really sat down with Resident Evil Remake and looked at it as it's own thing, emptying my mind of any comparisons and strictly adhering to what this game was presenting me with. I ended up walking away with a brand new love and appreciation for the game and went back and played the PS1 games and Code Veronica (Though Resident Evil 4 is still my favorite one lol). I guess what I'm trying to say is; never limit yourself and go into things with an open mind.

 

[χKai]

I happen to like being that older person playing on an NES and staring intently at the TV as the zoomers and newgens watch me in confusion over what is so great about it.

 

[reakain]

I think a big part of this problem as well is people refusing to see or engage with games on their own terms. I'm not sure if this kind of attitude is downstream from the homogeneous nature of a lot of modern games and people subconsciously not wanting to break away from what they see as "normal". I just think it's a really restrictive way to look at games and a way to deny yourself some genuinely great experiences.

I'll give you a personal anecdote; I used to be one of those guys who could not play classic Resident Evil games. Resident Evil 4 was the gold standard to me and I just could not do anything with games that had tank controls. It wasn't until I really sat down with Resident Evil Remake and looked at it as it's own thing, emptying my mind of any comparisons and strictly adhering to what this game was presenting me with. I ended up walking away with a brand new love and appreciation for the game and went back and played the PS1 games and Code Veronica (Though Resident Evil 4 is still my favorite one lol). I guess what I'm trying to say is; never limit yourself and go into things with an open mind.

Oh, I like this addition a lot!

It kind of reminds me about some of the different discussions around what makes a "good" game and intentionally difficult and clunky aspects as intentional design.

Is [X] thing in this game just bad design? Is it a result of the standards or limitations of its time? Or is it an intentional choice in order to put the player into the right state of mind or thought process, nudging them towards playing the game in a particular manner?

 

[RETRO-VETRO]

When something’s hyped as “one of the best,” it’s easy to expect instant brilliance, but that expectation can actually block you from seeing what made it special in the first place. I’ve learned that older games often need a different kind of patience. They weren’t built to impress in the first five minutes, they unfold slowly, sometimes awkwardly, but with intent.

 

[Redwall Muzyczka Redwall Muzyczka Redwall Muzyczka's icon]

That's why I let the games themselves do the talking: I remember scratching my head pretty hard at games like Half-Life (which I first played in 2006) and Sonic CD (2003) because they genuinely didn't look or feel like the very best gaming had to offer, but then I allowed myself to actually play them as they were and became rapidly addicted to both.

The secret is to just enjoy the game you are playing in a vacuum -- if it's a good game, it will shine through.

 

[X y b e r - S k u ll]

Oh, I like this addition a lot!

It kind of reminds me about some of the different discussions around what makes a "good" game and intentionally difficult and clunky aspects as intentional design.

Is [X] thing in this game just bad design? Is it a result of the standards or limitations of its time? Or is it an intentional choice in order to put the player into the right state of mind or thought process, nudging them towards playing the game in a particular manner?

Exactly, it's also why it kind of frustrates me every time FromSoft would release a new Souls game and the inevitable discussion of "Why can't these games have easy modes?" always pops up. People just seem to refuse to even try and understand those games. I've always been against difficulty options in games, I much prefer when developers make a game specifically tuned a certain way, I feel that really helps to engage with them and learn from them.

Only exceptions I'll give to that rule is stuff like Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix with options like Critical Mode (Best way to play that game IMO).