Can You Think of a Video Game That Made You Stop Playing for a While?

There are some games out there that can truly make a person question their sanity—or even their sanity. For me, it was Mortal Kombat II in the arcades. Anyone who's played it knows that the first few matches are usually a mild challenge, but then it really cranks up the difficulty levels to defeat you. Cheap throws blocking everything you do, and counterattacks that utterly wipe you out within seconds. More than once, I was sorely tempted to smash my fist through the monitor or pound the control panels to plastic scrap but I stopped myself and walked away from the machine before I did anything that would have gotten me banned from the arcade and possibly charged with property damages!

At one point, I went over three weeks without playing it, yet it was one of my favorite games ever! But that's the thing about video games—if you rip your hair out over them, they can hold a special place in your heart.

The Descent of Destiny

One such game that's made me feel that same way is Destiny. For me, it was not about the gameplay or the graphics, but about the community and the game's management. It started with a community that was SO negatively reacting that instead of the forums being a mix of praise, anger, happy posts, questions, etc., like a healthy game should be, it was pure anger, page after page, post after post. And how did the company usually respond? By doubling down and doing absolutely as much of what was making people mad as possible. It was like a game of chicken in reverse; every problem they faced, they made it worse.

There's more to it than this. For me, the straw that broke the proverbial camel was Rift. There were multiple prior events that combined to make this the "bugger up" it was, but the bottom line was that I DESPISE Rift. I'll just go play another mode, right? Not on your life. Rift was another one of those "Oh yeah, we'll show YOU guys!" things. By December 2022, they removed virtually every single matchmade mode and replaced them ALL with Rift. Iron Banner, Crucible labs, Comp—virtually everything was Rift. When I realized they'd done this despite the community's frustration, I realized that it was the beginning of the end. I haven't played the game in almost a year.

Checking the Steam Player Count Graphs

To really get a feel for how things have been for the last couple of years, just check their Steam player count graphs. You can see plain as day when they do this stuff, and what the long-term result has been. It's quite telling. If this was a game I'd dropped 40 bucks on, I'd just laugh and move on, but it's not. Those of us who played it consistently have probably dropped half a grand to a grand worth of cash into that franchise with all its stupid "season passes," "bonus content," and extra this and that. For that money and our long-term support, all we get is frustration.

It's why the folks who got laid off have had a lot to say about management. If this was a game I'd dropped money on, I'd just laugh and move on, but it's not. Those of us who played it consistently have probably dropped half a grand to a grand worth of cash into that franchise with all its stupid "season passes," "bonus content," and extra this and that. For that money and our long-term support, all we get is frustration.

Post on the company's own forums because we're so frustrated and kind strangers have to tell you, "Bro, they don't even read their own forum here. Post it on Twitter if you want them to see it."

The Relief of Returning to Other Games

The truth is, it's been nice going back to older franchises and playing other games. In these games, I can play what I want, when I want. They aren't constantly breaking stuff, and the game isn't kicking me every half hour. If I don't like something, they're not forcing me to do it anyway. Best of all, they're not raping my wallet for a hundred bucks every time I turn around. Everyone wins, everyone's happy. It's been nice!

But, as my friend says, it's a bittersweet situation. It's like moving on from an ex-partner who, no matter how much you loved them, can't change how they treated you. It's hard, but you know it's the right choice for you in the long run. So, live and learn!