The worst game you've ever played....

[Neonivek]

It could have been made a lot clearer

They are allowed to have SOME subtly.

[Cathenah19]

Actually likes KQ5 and KQ7.

You're not the only one who likes KQ5 and KQ7. 5 was the first King's Quest game I played, and at the time I did not hate Cedric because I only had the floppy disc version and never heard his voice until years later when I got a computer with a CD-rom drive.

I agree with the amount of wordiness in TSL's episodes 1 and 2, but wordiness is frequently common early in many games when all players have  to be acquainted with the world of the game, whether they have played any of the KQ games or not.

Bringing this back on topic, the worst game I ever played was Sentinel -- Descendents in Time. That game was another of the many Myst clones that were made, but the puzzles were tedious at best and too easy at the worst. The "plot" of the game felt like it was hastily cobbled together at the last minute.

The worst game disappointments I had were King's Quest 7 and 8. Both seemed so far from the perfected format of King's Quest 6 that they failed to meet my expectations. While I still enjoy playing KQ7 at those times when I get the feeling to watch a Disney movie, I cannot bring myself to finish KQ8 because I am lousy at combat and I really hated that game for it. It was especially jarring after playing games in the series like KQ2 that reward you for taking the most non-violent approach, like feeding the lion instead of killing it.

Another disappointment was Myst 5: End of Ages, which should have been called the prequel to Uru since it only seemed to have a tenuous link to the first four Myst games, all of which I really enjoyed for their lonely, scenic atmospheres. Myst 5's characters were laughable at best, though the plot was not intentionally humorous, a certain over-the-top Escher comes to mind, and calling a character in the Myst series over-the-top is significant since Brad Douriff ate all of the green screen around him in Myst 3: Exile. (NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!)

[GrahamRocks!]

Wait, Myst 5 is the prequel to Uru? I thought Uru came before it in the timeline?

[Lambonius]

I never said I hated TSL. 

[GrahamRocks!]

... What?

[Neonivek]

I cannot bring myself to finish KQ8 because I am lousy at combat and I really hated that game for it

Ohh trust me you were spared. KQ8 becomes utterly incompetent once you get to the swamp.

[Cathenah19]

Wait, Myst 5 is the prequel to Uru? I thought Uru came before it in the timeline?

You're correct. Sorry for the error. I played Myst 5 before I played Uru, so I think of it (incorrectly) as being before Uru.

[Numbers]

I never said I hated TSL. 

*head explodes*

[GrahamRocks!]

Butbutbut...! you clearly didn't like it enough to even give episodes 3 and 4 a chance?! What gives, Lambchop? Is it just tolerable then?!

[Lambonius]

Butbutbut...! you clearly didn't like it enough to even give episodes 3 and 4 a chance?! What gives, Lambchop? Is it just tolerable then?!

Hate is such a strong word.  Its existence doesn't keep me up nights or anything.

[GrahamRocks!]

Eh. Fair enough.

[KatieHal]

New goal: make changes to Episode 5 enough that it'll keep Lamb up at night.

[snabbott]

Myst 5's characters were laughable at best, though the plot was not intentionally humorous, a certain over-the-top Escher comes to mind, and calling a character in the Myst series over-the-top is significant since Brad Douriff ate all of the green screen around him in Myst 3: Exile. (NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!)

There are characters in Myst? *only played the first one*

[GrahamRocks!]

Yep! There's Atrus, Catherine, Sirrus, Achenar, Yeesha, Saaveedro...

[Lambonius]

New goal: make changes to Episode 5 enough that it'll keep Lamb up at night.

Just randomly change characters' faces to this during conversations, and BINGO!

[Numbers]

*Has a sudden image of Cedric's head morphing into the Forever Alone face*

[Damar]

It could have been made a lot clearer

They are allowed to have SOME subtly.

Absolutely, subtlety is fine.  Of course this wasn't subtle.  It was straight up obscure and unclear.  And in a situation that the writers knew was going to be controversial to people who liked King's Quest and had strong feelings about Valanice's abilities, that's really a problem.  And don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with controversy either.  The stuff about Mannannan and Valanice and Alexander that I'm too lazy to type into a spoiler tag right now was certainly controversial and I could practically hear the screams of die hard Questers.  But I thought it was an interesting take, and I honestly like stirring the pot a little.  Is it where I'd go with it?  That doesn't really matter because it's not my fan game.

But the issue with Valanice wasn't subtle; it was just unclear.  And I think that's borne out by the fact that in the feedback threads, really no one seemed to get it until it was actually explicitly explained by the head guy.  I mean, if it was just subtle, I'd have expected some know-it-all to put all us clueless morons in our place pretty early on.  It's a major plot point and no one really got it.  It kind of seemed like a writer who knew exactly what he wanted to do, but didn't recognize that it wasn't coming across clearly because it was already obvious to him.  I mean, not to sound arrogant, but I'm really pretty good at picking up subtext, subtlety, symbolism, and formulating theories.  It's quite literally my job, actually.  I'm not exactly a dunce who doesn't get subtlety.  But, whatever.  It's their game.

[Neonivek]

Well I will admit Alexander is probably the character the least in character... but I do accept at least a passible excuse that he is "under duress".

As for what happened to Valenice.

I mean, if it was just subtle, I'd have expected some know-it-all to put all us clueless morons in our place pretty early on.

No, I think it was specifically set up as a mystery for later and to put pressure on Graham to finish his mission. I in no way think it was meant to be solvable as soon as it occurred.

The Subtly comes from the fact that they just didn't tell you and didn't connect the dots when they did the reveal.

As well the assumption that she was under a spell was also a valid one.

I mean, if it was just subtle, I'd have expected some know-it-all to put all us clueless morons in our place pretty early on.

Well there are two clues early on.

If you click on Valanece with Graham he will talk about how strong she is, as well he has dialog with Cassima about the fact that she could usually equal him when it came to dealing with hardship. As well the words of her actions describe a delirious state.

It was very clear early on that what was happening to Valanece was clearly abnormal. Yet until you knew further you could just assume she was written out of character.

I mean, not to sound arrogant, but I'm really pretty good at picking up subtext, subtlety, symbolism, and formulating theories.

Maybe books... but I am pretty good at picking up subtext, subtlety, symbolism, and formulating theories too. It isn't my job but it should be.

Mind you I did something you didn't. I played all four chapters back to back, and when you have a eagle eye view of the story as a while the Valanice Arc is pretty much whole... and ultimately that is what the chapters are, sections of a single game split up.

[LadyTerra]

Worst game I ever played: Final Fantasy 8.  I tend to go heavy on spellcasters in most of the RPGs I play, and that game was definitely not for magic.  The story was also confusing, the characters were irritating at the least, and I'm still baffled that Laguna managed to become el Presidente in any sense.

I know that Final Fantasy 13 is worse, but I'm avoiding that one like the Plague.

[Neonivek]

I'm still baffled that Laguna managed to become el Presidente in any sense

Given how much of a loser he is in his own plotline... Yeah...

He went from someone who was barely able to stand on his own two feet when he gets a little bit stressed. To being someone confident and charismatic enough to become president.

I mean Squall was a loser too but for him it was actually part of the plot and character. It was actually want made the dance scene so endearing and was something he actually had to overcome.