Games that aren't as good as you remember

[Ugley_Matt]

Its not the GFX that kills older games, but the older style game play can be very hard to get over. I never played HL2 when it came out so when i went back to try it out i found it very disappointing as i was used to what it ironically inspired. Similarly i tried KOTOR but couldn't get on with it either.

Its the same with classic movies, its not the lack of colour, but in some cases the pacing that just jars with people used to the modern 'speed' of films today.

 

[this_is_gav]

Formula 1 Grand Prix, Grand Prix 2, 3 and 4. They were all staples of my youth, playing them most days since I got a PC. F1GP and GP2 were solid for their time, but whenever I revisited them I just though "urgh, is this what I used to play solidly?". GP2 was especially disappointing when I went back to it during the GP3 era - I didn't remember it being so two dimensional (obviously it was 2D, but the rose-tinted glasses added so much).

They weren't helped by iRacing's predecessors Indycar 1 & 2 and when I found Grand Prix Legends in 2001 it was like an overnight the nail in the coffin for Microprose's series and I can't say I played them more than a dozen times after that. GPL was still something I played up until a couple of years back, but not competitively since about 2009 - I still love watching some of my replays back though! It didn't age graphically, but it still felt the business.

 

[Jacksonn]

Another Vote for World of Warcraft - I am still currently playing it, but it's worlds apart now from the good times I had at the end of Vanilla, and during The Burning Crusade. Most of that is that the social side has moved on, seems a lot harder to meet people and become involved in it, in the way you used to (instant group finders, more solo content etc).

I just don't feel there is any social side now, vanilla days you knew everyone.. Who did and didn't have a mount

 

[cheesyboy]

Generally, I find games are every bit as good when I go back to them. They just look worse than I remember.

Only exception I can think of was GTA: VC, which remains the last GTA I've played, but going back to it the controls seem terrible. To be fair, if I put the time in I would probably get used to that and enjoy it as much as ever.

Good games stand the test of time, IMO.

E: possibly, it helps that I never play sequels (not deliberately, I just never end up doing so)- so I don't have refined versions of past games making the originals seem crap.

 

[Duke]

N64 goldeneye, never look back

There was so much love for this but at the time I remember thinking it looked awful.

 

[Gregster]

Vanilla HL for me. I remember at the time thinking "Wow!" but firing it up now it looks tired. Gameplay is still there though and with some mods, it can look sweet.

I got an Amiga Emulator some time ago and I should have just left them alone. Memories were ruined sadly

 

[Nedb37]

I used the Ultimate Texture Mod 0.2, but I believe newer versions are now out - IIRC this was found on the ModDB site. I also used Universal Widescreen Patcher v1.03, details of which can be found be found on WSGF.

I can't confirm if these work on the Steam version as I still have a retail copy, it's the only thing I keep an optical drive for.

Many thanks, will give it a look!

 

[Radec]

I find it so interesting in the way out minds recall memories and warp them each time.

I fired up Metroid II on GBA yesterday, and was surprised at how plain it looked... I knew it was green, but thought it had more detail!

 

[TommyV]

WoW

 

[lokiss]

GPL was still something I played up until a couple of years back, but not competitively since about 2009 - I still love watching some of my replays back though! It didn't age graphically, but it still felt the business.

GPL just never gets old, all about the experience and feedback from what you're playing, only thing that's surpassed it since has been dirt rally.

So nicely polished from the original release though if you were on it back in 98, amazing community.

 

[Doco]

I find it so interesting in the way out minds recall memories and warp them each time.

I fired up Metroid II on GBA yesterday, and was surprised at how plain it looked... I knew it was green, but thought it had more detail!

I find this interesting myself, where playing a more recent game in a franchise can affect your memory some what of the older games, I know I went back to a game and was surprised how much the graphics differed from what I thought, I've no idea what he game was but I remember mentioning it to a friend so I'l get back here if I remember the title.