Or can we appreciate a flawed game on individual merits? Of course in todays economy not all of us have the luxury of spending our money, or time on something that isn't amazing. But reading todays article on Fragile Dreams got me thinking....
This is a game that when I first saw I really wanted to play, but soon fell off my radar. Until today. After reading todays article I went to amazon and saw that it was available. Then I read some reviews. Most say the same thing a flawed but beautiful game.
Now I have a good job (some may remember I work as a artist in the game industry) so money isn't a big issue. However time is. With great games on the horizion (Red Dead, Redemption, 3D dot game heroes, PoP Forgotten Sands, to name a few) mixed in with my job, planning my wedding, jiu-jitsu, and just life in general time is one luxury I am in desperate short supply of.
So my question is this. Is it worth it to buy a game... that may or may not be flawed in one or many areas to enjoy just one aspect of it?
There are a whole slew of games that have come out in recent memory that I have passed over for one reason or another for the sure bet. Do these "lesser" games deserve a shot? Can we overlook what could be design flaws, ugly art, bad writing, or any other short coming in order to enjoy a stand out?
Games are more than the sum of their parts after all. It's just a shame that we (myself included) pass by what could be enjoyable, if not incredible experiences because a game is not "perfect".
I usually don't love every track on an album I buy, and some movies like say Star Wars Episode 3 can be enjoyed for it's amazing effects if not it's poor story and acting. Why not games? Is it the higher price point of the medium?
I feel I'm rambling here, so I'd love to just stop and hopefully see some insightful comments on how everyone else feels. Is a "lesser" game deserving of our time if it has some other merit to offer if not a all inclusive one?
For me the answer is "yes, but with conditions." First, if I am aware of a game with a critical flaw that still interests me, I may still purchase it, but you can be sure I'm going to wait until it goes on sale. Second, I may still enjoy the game as a whole, but I'm probably going to enjoy it less. Those flaws are going to factor in to my overall opinion.
A good example of a flawed game I still enjoyed was Too Human. This game was almost universally dumped on by critics, but I enjoyed the quirky setting (Norse mythology mixed with sci-fi) and once I got used to the odd control scheme (using analog sticks to actually attack), I actually quite liked it. However, the unskippable death animation in a game where you frequently died was unforgivable and made me want to torture the person who made that design decision.
I've been known to pick up a game based solely on the promise of a unique story or, my personal favorite anything ever, RPG elements. I've found some real gems this way, but also some real bummers. Lost: Via Domus and Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazzard both featured stories I was interested in, but were so shitty beyond the premise that I joylessly played to the end and dumped them off.
If time is at a premium, I usually stick with the sure thing.
I think it depends on how important that one aspect is to you. If it's enough to make you overlook a game's flaws, go for it.
Getting a "lesser" game on sale always helps, too. =)