this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2026
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Numen: Contest of Heroes is a game that sits at about 50% recommended on steam. I beat it years ago and really enjoyed myself, but I knew it was a unique fit for me. I only say “bad” so that we have common ground, but I value that experience.

What are “bad” games you enjoy?

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[–] Essence_of_Meh@lemmy.world 13 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

These might be closer to mediocre than BAD bad but I don't expect too many people to mention them so why not.

  • Drakengard 3 - action adventure game with dated graphics (even at the time of release), terrible performance on the original hardware, huge amount of asset reuse (including whole levels) and writing that can range from childish, crass and annoying to extremely emotional. It's rough but it's also my favourite Yoko Taro game.
  • Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2004, PS2) - alright gameplay, decent voice acting, meh story and levels. It's not terrible but based on the opinions I've seen it seems like I enjoyed it a bit more than most. Pretty cool drum & bass soundtrack.
  • Kane & Lynch (both games) - most people didn't like these games due to rough feeling gameplay and presentation (especially in the first game), I can't help but love it. I feel like all of the elements combine in a coherent and extremely raw experience which might not be "fun" or "polished" but for me it just works.
  • Kao the Kangaroo (2000) - extremely basic mascot platformer with (mostly) dated visuals, linear levels and some annoying enemies. Sequel might be an improvement but I still prefer this ugly duckling over anything that came after.
  • Oni (Bungie's action game from 2001) - it has huge empty levels, basic presentation, pretty mediocre story and uneven difficulty curve. It also has a great hand-to-hand combat system which makes those issues easier to swallow. Pretty good Ghost in the Shell game.
  • Scarface: The World is Yours - GTA clone set after an alternative ending to the 1983 movie with Al Pacino. Pretty ugly and rough around the edges but it also has some fun mechanics (empire building, customisable mansion, money laundering, ability to bribe cops and more). A competent experience, even if it didn't reach the heights of GTA or Saints Row titles.

Edit: I remembered another one!

Trespasser - physics based action-adventure game from 1998, intended as a sequel to The Lost World: Jurassic Park movie. It has extremely weird and wonky control scheme where you interact with the world by moving your hand - as in, you physically move it with your mouse, no simple "press button to do things".

  • You want to open the door? Cool, use your hand.
  • You want to make yourself a ramp using a plank? You know how physics work so go ahead.
  • Interacting with keypads? Just push the buttons.
  • Want to attack something with melee? Pick up an object and swing manually.
  • You want to aim your gun? No crosshair, move the barrel in the general direction of your target and pray it'll work.

It's not super intuitive but it does work pretty well once you get the hang of it. Heck, I even managed to throw a 3-pointer at the court in the residential zone! Man, I wish I still had my Twitch account...

The game also went with a "no hud" approach so no ammo count (only vague call-outs by the character like "about 5 shots") and to check your health you had to look at the tattoo on your chest (it changed depending on your HP). Also no gun reloading cause your other arm is broken and your character can't do it one handed, I guess.

It was unfinished, extremely ambitious (both in terms of planned features and implemented technology) and has a bunch of problems. It's an interesting and very unique experience, worth a try even today in my opinion. It's also the only piece of Jurassic Park media I actually care about and I wish it was easily obtainable in official distribution again - come on GOG, you can do it!

[–] kender242@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Oni was fun, but did not age well. By the time I finished the game I had enough combat moves to make it feel interesting, then the game ended.

[–] Essence_of_Meh@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Absolutely! It's a very flawed game and a pretty rough experience, even with the Anniversary Edition fixes and mods. I'm still not sure what makes me go back to it but for some reason I end up doing just that every few years. It's one of a few titles I'd like to see in a remastered or (slightly) modernised form. Not that it's going to happen but one can dream, right?

[–] kender242@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

You know, now that I think of it, Mirrors Edge Catalyst kinda scratched that Oni itch a while back. Another underrated game that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Still waiting for Oni 2

[–] Essence_of_Meh@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

Catalyst missed the mark for me. Between locking the moves behind skill tree, larger focus on combat and slightly reworked art style it just didn't grab me the way the original did. It's not all bad and I still want to play it to completion some day but it was kind of a disappointment nonetheless.

Still waiting for Oni 2

Best I can do is the leaked early build of the project attempted by Angel Studios. It's rough, obviously unfinished and Konoko looks a bit different but it has a somewhat working combat system you can play with and a bunch of levels to run around in. It's also prone to crashes but that's to be expected.

[–] imetators@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Oni - a certified classic/hidden gem. Bungie cooked there. Just not with the level design and plot of the game.

[–] Essence_of_Meh@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

I think the general idea for the plot and world at large is pretty good (there are some interesting and rather grim details in the background), it's just that Bungie missed the mark with how to write and present these things to actually hit the mark. It was also rushed out the door due to business shenanigans which cemented the end result.

[–] VerseAndVermin@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Kane and Lynch 2 was an amazing experience with a friend. We talk about it as much as Gears of War for all of its impact. Reflecting now, I still think it has style.

[–] Essence_of_Meh@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It has great style! I love how much the leaned into the found footage/internet video aesthetic, as well as how they decided to go for a more naturalistic approach in regards to game ambiance (environmental sounds, diegetic music etc). It's such a unique experience in video games, especially bigger published ones.

[–] VerseAndVermin@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Yes! Plus there is the ::: naked run ::: level where we squealed our way through it. A hot take to: the online was fun and under appreciated from what I remember.

Edit: I don’t know how spoiler tags work.

[–] Essence_of_Meh@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

They really went all in with setpieces that felt like a serious crime drama. I never got to experience the multiplayer (co-op or otherwise) but what I've seen looked cool. I wonder if they're people playing it these days.

For spoilers it's:

<spoiler_name>

[–] VerseAndVermin@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I remember even back then that the amount of people playing was the issue. It had this "fragile alliance" mode where you all would do a heist, collecting money as you went. The players with the most money "won" by the end. You could turn on your allies and try to take theirs and get to the getaway, but you could also not and then split everything 50/50 from all who make it to the getaway. Pretty sure you could even bribe the driver/pilot with a 50/50 offer to leave early and abandon everyone else. Or something like that. It was a lot of fun and certainly unique in its time. I actually got inspired and just found a video. Good times.

[–] DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz 2 points 4 days ago

My favorite mechanic of the online mode was that if you betrayed everyone, you were marked as a traitor for the next match you played. Teammates were always sus of one another regardless lol