No matter how well-liked (or utterly-despised) a game is, there’s no such thing as a universally correct opinion.
Just about every game has a balance of supporters and detractors, as with just about any other form of media.
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We might not care to admit it, but we have a soft spot for these kinds of games.
That said, there are some prominent games that have managed to accumulate absolutely massive numbers of those who both like and dislike them.
Often, in these cases, there’s something about the game that absolutely hits every mark with a large subset of players, while completely missing every mark with others.
Put simply, these are games that you either love with all your heart or just can’t stand.
10 Death Stranding
Every Day Is Leg Day
- Released
- November 8, 2019
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Publisher(s)
- Sony, 505 Games
- Engine
- Decima
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes! Players will share the same server as Steam and Epic users
- Cross Save
- yes
- Franchise
- Death Stranding
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- PC Release Date
- July 14, 2020
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- November 7, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- September 24, 2021
- Platform(s)
- iOS, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action
- How Long To Beat
- 40 Hours
- Release
- 2022-03-30 (PC)
- X|S Optimized
- no
- Metascore
- 85
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
If ever there were a game that emphasized the concept of commitment, it’d be Death Stranding.
Whether you’re watching lengthy cutscenes or just manually lugging yourself across the world, you’re going to need to live with possibly hours at a time with very little happening.
If you’re willing to commit the time and let it suck you in, Death Stranding is a fascinating game to experience.
However, not everyone has the time to commit to something so slow-going, especially if the long string of introductory cutscenes drives them off.
9 Monster Hunter
Gotta Play The Long Game
- Released
- January 26, 2018
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- MT Framework
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Expansions
- Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
- Franchise
- Monster Hunter
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 48 Hours
- Metascore
- 90
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The games of the Monster Hunter series require what you might call “the click.”
For the game’s fans, things seem to click as soon as they pick up their favorite weapon. At this point, Monster Hunter hits its stride as a bombastic and fun action experience.
However, for those who don’t experience the click, it just seems like an ordinary action game with the needless addition of pursuing prey and time limits.
It can also be harder for solo players to experience the click, as Monster Hunter is best enjoyed with friends.
8 Fortnite
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
- Released
- September 26, 2017
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Publisher(s)
- Epic Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms (except iOS/Mac)
- Cross Save
- Via Epic Account
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- Split Screen Orientation
- Horizontal Only
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- N/A
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Battle Royale, Shooter, Action, Adventure
- X|S Optimized
- YES
- Metascore
- 78
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-4 players (certain modes)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Fortnite is one of the inescapable juggernauts of the gaming industry at large. There is a statistically significant chance you know at least one person who plays it.
Whether it’s the original Battle Royale mode or its gradually growing slate of other modes and mini games, there’s bound to be at least one enjoyable element for all players.
However, some players may bounce off Fortnite as a whole if they can’t get a Victory Royale in the first few tries, and lose interest in other game modes.
There is also the fact that a large portion of Fortnite’s playerbase is younger in age, and not everyone likes playing with kids.
7 Heavy Rain
“JAY-SON!”
- Released
- February 23, 2010
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Quantic Dream
- Publisher(s)
- Sony, Quantic Dream
- Engine
- havok, physx
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
- How Long To Beat
- 10 Hours
- Release
- 2010-02-23
- Metascore
- 87
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Just about every game created by Quantic Dream has a hit or miss reputation, perhaps none more so than Heavy Rain.
Fans of Heavy Rain enjoy its cinematic presentation and some of its better-known plot twists.
However, it’s a very gameplay-lite experience, consisting almost exclusively of quick-time events, which definitely isn’t for everyone.
As for the story, it’s kind of a toss-up whether you’ll love the twists or find them to be hokey and predictable. That’s on top of the rather stilted and robotic character models and acting.
6 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Only Perfectionists Need Apply
- Released
- March 22, 2019
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The Soulslike genre is basically the poster child of “love-it-or-hate-it,” with its signature punishing difficulty turning away all but the most committed.
Out of all Soulslike games, especially those made by FromSoft, the one with debatably the highest barrier to entry is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Sekiro lacks the wiggle room provided by the RPG customization mechanics of its contemporaries.
The game demands absolute and constant perfection from you, and very quickly, but proves exciting and rewarding if you can manage.
If you can’t wrap your head around the parrying and dodging mechanics, though, you’ll bounce off this game like a golf ball on asphalt.
5 The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
An Outlier Within Its Franchise
- Released
- October 26, 2000
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64, GameCube
Most entries in the Legend of Zelda franchise are fairly accessible games, which is probably why it’s lasted as long as it has.
One major outlier to those design sensibilities came about in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
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While the basic gameplay is identical to Ocarina of Time, the introduction of the time loop and schedule mechanics require an entirely separate kind of engagement that players might not be willing to offer.
It’s also a darker, somewhat scarier game compared to Ocarina of Time, so younger players may not be into it.
4 Cyberpunk 2077
Still Some Leftover Bad Blood
- Released
- December 10, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Engine
- REDengine 4
- Cross-Platform Play
- ps, xbox, pc
- Cross Save
- yes
- Franchise
- Cyberpunk
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- Metascore
- 75
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
It’s no secret that the original launch of Cyberpunk 2077 was… troubled, to put it politely.
The numerous bugs and glitches magnified what was already seen as a rather middling RPG.
However, the game has managed a comeback following the release of the Phantom Liberty DLC, with the accompanying overall patch helping it gradually work its way up to a Very Positive rating on Steam.
That said, there is still a lot of justifiable reluctance from those who either played the original release or heard about it from friends.
A game can claim to be substantially fixed, but it’s hard to wash away existing bad experiences.
3 BioShock Infinite
Good Ol’ Quantum Mechanics
BioShock Infinite
- Released
- March 26, 2013
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- Irrational Games
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Franchise
- BioShock
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
- Metascore
- 94
- PS Plus Availability
- Premium (Complete Edition)
BioShock Infinite has had a bit of a horseshoe experience in its public reception over the years.
The game was originally well liked on launch, and still has plenty of fans who enjoy its characters and tight combat.
However, the passage of time has brought with it increased scrutiny of the game’s mechanics and story. For instance, compared to the massive arsenal you had in the older games, Infinite’s two-gun limit is disappointing.
The story’s heavy reliance on surface-level quantum mechanics and multiverse theory also make it feel a bit dense and handwavey, which lessens its overall impact compared to the first game.
2 Hearthstone
Just One More Pack…
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Hearthstone
- Released
- March 11, 2014
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Publisher(s)
- Blizzard
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Warcraft
- Genre(s)
- Digital Card Game
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Just about any card video game, Hearthstone or otherwise, requires a particular mindset in its players.
It’s a mindset that many of us acquired in our youths playing Yu-Gi-Oh or Magic: The Gathering.
If you didn’t play card games growing up, something like Hearthstone doesn’t have anything of note to offer you, especially if you don’t like gacha mechanics.
If you did, though, then it’ll suck you in just as well as any physical card game, especially if you already like Warcraft stuff.
1 Disco Elysium
You Need That Disco Spirit
- Released
- October 15, 2019
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Developer(s)
- ZA/UM
- Publisher(s)
- ZA/UM
- Engine
- Unity
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Stadia
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 23 Hours
- Metascore
- 89
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Visual novels are another genre that can be rather niche. Not everyone wants a book to go with their games, after all.
Out of all visual novels, though, one of the most love-it-or-hate-it is Disco Elysium.
Disco Elysium’s story and gameplay mechanics are absolutely fascinating, especially if you’re picking up the philosophical vibes it’s putting down.
However, the sheer variability of the skill and thought systems can be very intimidating, particularly if you’re used to min-maxing characters in RPGs.
All that is on top of more lines of text than the entirety of War and Peace.
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