As a card-carrying PC gamer, I really like immersive sims—System Shock, Deus Ex, Gloomwood, Dishonored—it is a style I am keen on. On the similar time, I am simply so dangerous at them. On paper, Thief’s professional mode with its expanded degree targets is the solution to play the sport, however I simply can’t do it—it is regular or bust for me. In Nightdive’s System Shock, the fight encounters I’ve awkwardly stumbled by way of have far outnumbered my canny tactical coups.
And that is okay! I’ll by no means be “good” at immersive sims, however I will all the time return to the style it doesn’t matter what, and the open-ended nature of these video games makes my uncommon triumphs in all of them the sweeter. I’ve acquired a sneaking suspicion each gamer has one such sport or style they love regardless of being very dangerous at it, and for this E3 season-delayed Weekend query, I polled the PC Gamer employees and boards for their very own struggle-favs.
Is there a sport you’re keen on regardless of completely sucking at it? Listed here are our solutions, in addition to some from our boards.
Lauren Morton, Affiliate Editor: I come again to Dungeon of the Countless 12 months after 12 months for just a few runs at a time. It is a real-time techniques RPG—which they consult with as a rogue-like dungeon-defense, formally—the place you take a staff of stranded sci-fi people by way of ships overrun with creatures, managing buff upgrades, character ranges, and the sunshine out there within the ship every time you open one other door and face one other wave of auto-battler-adjacent fights.
I do not completely suck at it, however I am not, like, nice. And after years of slowly chipping away at it I’ve actually not accomplished as many challenges or unlocked as many ships because it appears like I ought to’ve. And that is alright with me! It is a bizarre type of consolation sport, not one I have to dominate.
Christopher Livingston, Options Producer: Spelunky-4-Eva. I’ve by no means overwhelmed Spelunky, not to mention Spelunky 2. I do not suppose I’ve even come reasonably near beating both sport. I am fairly certain I have never even gotten higher at Spelunky for the reason that first time I performed it. For some purpose, each run I make, it is like my muscle reminiscence has been fully erased. I by no means be taught, I by no means enhance, I all the time die stupidly and horribly.
I by no means even acquired good at reliably killing bats, the wimpiest rattling creatures within the sport. However I like it! I believe Spelunky is likely one of the greatest video games ever made, it simply so occurs I am one of many worst Spelunky gamers to ever stay.
Katie Wickens, {Hardware} Author: All my life I’ve by no means actually been good at video games, shooters particularly. Fallout’s VATS was a lifesaver, actually. I’ve solely accomplished a handful within the almost thirty years I have been a gamer, however the one I maintain going again to regardless of being an enormous scrub is Name Of Responsibility Zombies.
I began enjoying that approach again when Nacht der Untoten was the staple, and I used to be completely horrible at it. I bear in mind a gaggle of pretty Irish guys carrying me by way of Kino, which helped me get to the stage the place I might fortunately path zombies with out freaking out.
I’ve now clocked over 26 hours in WW2 Nazi Zombies and nonetheless have not bloody accomplished it.
Alm: Quite a lot of stay service video games. Because the purpose primarily is to enhance your abilities, I’ve by no means reached a very excessive degree in any of them. CS:GO, I acquired to an OK-ish degree however that took just a few years of being completely horrible. And it is like golf in that I in all probability suck at it once more after not having performed it in a couple of 12 months and a half (I acquired sick of the poisonous group).
Additionally: Hearthstone. I play day by day however I am hopeless at deck constructing and understanding all of the match ups. I am extra of an off-the-cuff participant.
McStabStab: Chivalry 2. I am unable to drag and feint like the extent 100+ gamers on the market, however what’s nice about that sport is for those who’re enjoying for the target you do not have to be the highest frag on the board. Taking part is sufficient to have time and the chaos and confusion of the battles means you do not all the time should be excellent.
Pifanjr: I do not suppose I completely suck at any sport, however I do have weaknesses. My important weak spot is that I hate trying up guides on how you can play, the enjoyment of enjoying video games for me comes principally from discovering all the things myself. Nevertheless, I am additionally lazy and by no means actually get as deep into any sport as the kind of participant who writes guides.
So like Alm, I additionally suck at Heartstone, as a result of I do not need to use another person’s information to make a deck and I do not care sufficient to spend the time to excellent a deck myself. I really like the only participant adventures although.
One other weak spot is that I am dangerous at multitasking, which holds me again in RTS video games, particularly since I do not need to search for construct orders. I cherished the Starcraft 2 marketing campaign, however I acquired slaughtered in multiplayer by early sport rushes.If I might recover from my distaste of guides I might in all probability be loads higher. I as soon as acquired some ideas for Starcraft from a aggressive participant and went from being destroyed by the AI to getting second place in a 8 participant free for all. I misplaced from the primary place due to my dangerous multitasking abilities making me lose my complete air power whereas I used to be distracted.
My different weak spot is my lack of persistence. It is often not too dangerous, nevertheless it’s an issue in turn-based technique video games the place a single mistake will be disastrous, like chess for instance. It is also why I doubt I will ever be capable to end Angband.
BeardyHat: I really like outdated journey video games, however as quickly as I begin having to continuously learn a information on what to do, I lose all curiosity. Lately put about 4-hours into Star Trek twenty fifth Anniversary and acquired to the third or fourth episode, however then was completely misplaced. Seemed-up a information and whereas the stuff you are required to do is not fully esoteric, I am undecided I might have figured it out by myself, however at that time, I misplaced all curiosity within the sport. I would as nicely watch a video of somebody enjoying, which does not curiosity me.
As for video games I really like that I suck at? Most likely RTS video games. Nevertheless, a part of the enjoyable of video games for me is doing nicely or, at the very least, feeling like I am doing nicely, so I chorus fully from multiplayer, as a result of I will merely be crushed.
mainer: ARPGs. Largely older ARPGs, like Diablo 1 &2, Grim Daybreak, Titan Quest, and Sacred 1 & 2. I really like the frantic, real-time fight, the loot gathering and discovering high-level or set-piece tools, constructing and leveling up the totally different characters, and the general ambiance. However I additionally suck at sure issues, like main boss battles.
I discover myself dreading them, combating them extra aggravating than enjoyable, and little or no persistence to combat a boss a number of instances in a row. I am fairly good in mob battles and with most mini-bosses, however these chapter-ending or quest-ending bosses are my bane in ARPGs.
I am additionally not a lot of a “farmer”, the place you must grind sure areas or battles again and again attempting to get higher tools drops. A certain quantity of grinding is inevitable to degree up your character, however I am not good at doing a particular space or battle a number of instances only for the prospect of higher loot.
ZedClampet: I do not actually have a precise reply to the query as a result of if I actually, actually suck at a style, I keep away from it. It is exhausting for me to get pleasure from one thing if I am extraordinarily dangerous at it. If the query is what video games that I am type of dangerous at however nonetheless get pleasure from, then the reply could be just about be all the things that I am enjoying. I am not significantly good at gaming.
Now that I consider it some extra, I do even have a particular reply, and that’s V Rising. I am continuously getting confused with the controls, and but I’ve simply began my third playthrough.
