The turning point

[RageBurner]

I've been thinking about this lately. Sometimes there are franchises we don't really consider seriously until they mature to a certain point before we deign them worth our time and interest.

In my case it would be Mortal Kombat. I could never really look at it as a real fighting game worth playing before the 6th generation. Until that point, for me at least, the games were ultra violent but just looked so ridiculous and played so shallowly that they felt like something that was played just for laughs (and, really, that's how I considered them until after MK4).

So what about everyone else?

 

[Mr. Daddy]

I've been thinking about this lately. Sometimes there are franchises we don't really consider seriously until they mature to a certain point before we deign them worth our time and interest.

In my case it would be Mortal Kombat. I could never really look at it as a real fighting game worth playing before the 6th generation. Until that point, for me at least, the games were ultra violent but just looked so ridiculous and played so shallowly that they felt like something that was played just for laughs (and, really, that's how I considered them until after MK4).

So what about everyone else?

Funny thing about this is, I've actually had a similar but incredibly frustrating experience with MK. I've always really liked the series' characters, violence, general theme, designs, etc., but until MK11, I hadn't found a single game in the series actually liked playing. On the contrary, I'd actually say I border on great dislike and hate for the general feel of most of the series. Some games like 9 or vs DC at least had some individual characters I liked playing, and at one point I played Deadly Alliance at one point and enjoyed that, but it's been so long that I don't know if that'd still stick.

Unfortunately the most recent game in the series also is one like 9 where, from what I've played, I don't really like the feel overall, which was a huge disappointment, because I was really excited for my favorite ninja, Ermac, coming back.

 

[RageBurner]

Funny thing about this is, I've actually had a similar but incredibly frustrating experience with MK. I've always really liked the series' characters, violence, general theme, designs, etc., but until MK11, I hadn't found a single game in the series actually liked playing. On the contrary, I'd actually say I border on great dislike and hate for the general feel of most of the series. Some games like 9 or vs DC at least had some individual characters I liked playing, and at one point I played Deadly Alliance at one point and enjoyed that, but it's been so long that I don't know if that'd still stick.

Unfortunately the most recent game in the series also is one like 9 where, from what I've played, I don't really like the feel overall, which was a huge disappointment, because I was really excited for my favorite ninja, Ermac, coming back.

I'd say 10 and 11 are the highest points in the series when it comes to it keeping its trademark violence and great story, but being an actual good fighting game, too.

 

[destinyduelist]

I always hated sports game, but a few years ago I absolutely fell in love with the sport of basketball. Not sure why I hated them so much, but since then I've grown to really love 2k11-2k18
I occasionally still play them, I even play the NFL games from time to time too. I understood especially in the case of basketball the beauty of teamwork and the incredible feeling of achieving a victory against impossible odds, basketball and sports in general are something truly beautiful, especially team sports, where playing with your team means everything
Of course this is coming from someone who started playing basketball in general not just watching it and playing games, but it translates quite well into that era of 2k games

 

[marky]

I actually have such cases in both ways.
I stopped taking the Call of Duty series seriously with the release of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. That space fantasy was too much for me to continue taking the series seriously. Since then I don't even keep track of what's going on with it.

I also abandoned the FIFA series with the increasing importance of FUT mode in the game. In fact, the same happened with NBA2K since my favorite modes MyCarrier and MyTeam require either incredible grind or spending real money.

In contrast, the situation has changed in the other direction for The Legend of Zelda series. Until Breath of The Wild, this was for me a series of games that, without a walkthrough guide, you shouldn't even try to play.
Specifically, I was turned away from games in the series on several approaches to several different titles in the series, namely: the original The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Breath of The Wild changed that.

Another case of this was The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.
The first Witcher, although I was obviously previously familiar with the short stories and novel series about Geralt, I didn't like it at all. I never even finished it. The second game changed everything, although it's still clear - The Witcher 3 is the best.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

I've been thinking about this lately. Sometimes there are franchises we don't really consider seriously until they mature to a certain point before we deign them worth our time and interest.

I would say that waiting a franchise to "mature" isn't the best mindset since usually franchises are considered to get less good as time goes on.

Like how Crash post-3 went less good.

 

[RageBurner]

I would say that waiting a franchise to "mature" isn't the best mindset since usually franchises are considered to get less good as time goes on.

Like how Crash post-3 went less good.

True, some regress, but some evolve.

 

[jankusanagi jankusanagi]

I'd say GTA hit a huge turning point when it went 3D ?

Same with Duke Nukem.

 

[RageBurner]

I'd say GTA hit a huge turning point when it went 3D ?

Same with Duke Nukem.

Agreed. 2D Duke was cool for the time and within its limitations, but 3D is where it was at.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

I'd say GTA hit a huge turning point when it went 3D ?

Same with Duke Nukem.

That reminds me of this meme

 

[Jotaro]

my opinion will be, about the graphics difference, in the whole vgames eras instead

what i mean, the turning point in graphics between, ps1 games to ps2, and from ps2 to ps3, is actually gigantic, meanwhile, the ps4 graphic dif, between ps4 and ps5, aint that big of a deal

i still remember, for example back in 2007, when crysis 1 was out or bioshock 1, you felt like, it was a true next gen game, insane hype, and actual texture fidelity for these eras

that's why, i aint impressed anymore with the ps4/ps5 era of games, not only those 8k graphics are just a fake illusion, for making the average gamer, to consume, without will

they also filled with dozens of bugs/broken mechanics, thus resulting to dozens of incomplete games, plus the dlc's pattern/patches

for shame

 

[Graw]

In my case it would be Mortal Kombat.

I didn't like any Mortal Kombat game until IX no matter how much I wanted to like them.

That reminds me of this meme

But Warcraft 2 is the best Warcraft and Final Fantasy 1 is dope.

Tekken 1 and 2 were decent but the third one is where the series really took off. Same with Dragon Quest. The third one is pretty much the game that defined the rest of the series.

 

[LaserMoose]

I’m not super invested in Elder Scrolls, but I’d say that the series fits the bill here. Most of that fanbase can’t touch Arena or Daggerfall within a 20 ft pole.

Personally, I have a hard time playing the NES Fire Emblem games. They’re just a bit too archaic for me. I have a much easier time playing the SNES games and onwards. I love FE7 and Awakening in particular.

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

That reminds me of this meme
View attachment 35624

In WarCraft 2 case its justified its epitome of dogshit that looks good.

In Final Fantasy case yeah 2 is meh and one is barebones but still part of the series history I guess.

 

[RageBurner]

my opinion will be, about the graphics difference, in the whole vgames eras instead

what i mean, the turning point in graphics between, ps1 games to ps2, and from ps2 to ps3, is actually gigantic, meanwhile, the ps4 graphic dif, between ps4 and ps5, aint that big of a deal

Yeah, that's true. It's because graphics pushing has been more or less at the limit for a while now. I still think the largest quality jump is from gen 5 to gen 6, bar none.

 

[ciro64]

The worms franchise has exactly one game

 

[sun0wl]

That reminds me of this meme
View attachment 35624

unsure if i should feel attacked or old or both lmao

But I think the early entries of many of these games were pretty popular in their day; rather than gamers panning them and waiting for the series to "mature" or otherwise become interesting to them as RageBurner described, I think many gamers today just weren't around when the first games were released. And many new/younger fans might not be into the series enough to explore earlier titles, or simply avoid older games completely for their own reasons.

I think this may be especially true for longer running series such as Final Fantasy and TSE; I'm almost 36 and while I've played modern ports of FF1-3 and Daggerfall, playing the originals doesn't really interest me even as a big fan of all the subsequent entries in those series.

 

[RageBurner]

You make very good points. I guess I asked the question from the perspective of one that has known a series since its inception, though I failed to make it clear.

 

[sun0wl]

You make very good points. I guess I asked tye question from tye perspective of one tyat has known a series since its inception, though I failed to make it clear.

Oh yeah I understood what you meant, I thought it was a great question but that image made me think about the reasons behind why it speaks the truth haha. Especially because I've encountered a lot of fans of series lately who won't touch earlier games in the series, even if they're not that bad, just "old"....and when people (even my age) say they won't play anything in a series that isn't current gen, I cry a little on the inside...

 

[RageBurner]

Nei from Phantasy Star II
View attachment 35763

Oh yeah I understood what you meant, I thought it was a great question but that image made me think about the reasons behind why it speaks the truth haha. Especially because I've encountered a lot of fans of series lately who won't touch earlier games in the series, even if they're not that bad, just "old"....and when people (even my age) say they won't play anything in a series that isn't current gen, I cry a little on the inside...

Same, honestly. Old doesn't necessarily mean bad or dated.