Facebook Files: From Dislike To Like

Steven wrote:

This is sort of an extension of Ishaan’s discussion about how your taste in games have changed over time. So, what game title or franchise have you once disliked, but has since become a favorite of yours? Why is did you dislike that series then and why do you love it now?

 

For me, Dragon Quest would nail that question on the coffin. I once strongly disliked Dragon Quest for its strange art style, retro-style RPG gameplay, and menu based everything system. I tried playing the first three titles in the series and the end result was me being immensely annoyed and displeased with the strange monster designs.

 

Since then, I gave the series another try with the release of Dragon Quest VIII. I’m a huge fan of cel-shaded graphics and I liked the way they were implemented into DQ VIII. I gave it a shot and fell in love with DQ VIII (in my top 5 games of all time). Since the, I’ve played through four older DQ titles and am now playing Dragon Quest IX.

Ishaan wrote:

I’m trying really, really hard to think of a game or series I disliked but actually grew to like later, and I’m coming up blank. I think for me, it’s more coming to appreciate how difficult life is for the creators. Our audience is hard to please and there’s a little too many bitter and cynical people on the Internet that love to complain (loudly) about anything that isn’t in line with their tastes. Something I find infuriating is this notion that every game has to appeal to one’s nostalgia…it’s very hard to innovate when you’ve got so many people thinking this way.

 

That said, I believe we’re seeing more innovation than ever these days. Perhaps it isn’t a category that you’d like for it to be, but I’m sure we’ll get there at some point. So, I’ve gone from my teenage days of disliking conservative innovation to coming to understand and accept it.

Laura:

I can’t think up a game series either, although a few anime series come to mind. The problem is mostly that if I don’t really like the game or series, I generally end up shoving it into the back of my mind, so they usually stay on the “dislike” side of the scale… I’m more of a “like games that others hate”-type…