Video Games for People Bad at Video Games
For someone who has had a weekly stream for over a year now, I’ve realized I don’t actually talk about video games much. Some of that is because with my work schedule, by the time I’m able to play a game, let alone complete it, the general discussion has typically moved on. Also, as Adventure Brodeo provides ample evidence of, hand-eye-coordination is not my friend, so there’s only so many games where I can see the endings.
That said, I do love video games and have since spending hours and hours on my childhood NES. Enough that I’ve found some games that are enjoyable and feel like full experiences, even if your skill levels could have you playing alongside Steve and I. This isn’t to say these games don’t have the option for more challenge if you want that, only that you can enjoyably play through on the easiest mode and still have a sense of completion.
Diablo 3
A good kickoff for anyone who likes the option of an escalating challenge, Diablo 3 has tons of harder modes available, ones where you can keep the same character and continue growing, not to mention an option where that character dying is a permanent loss. But before you get to that level of danger, there’s the base mode, which is substantially less difficult.
Most of the power you need in Diablo 3 can be accomplished with time. If you end up underpowered for a particular challenge, which doesn’t happen too often in the first place, then it’s a simple matter to grind for gear and levels until you’re better prepared. Class selection can also play a large factor in it, allowing you to focus on automated attacks or blasts that require minimal aim. Best of all, if you hit a really hard wall, you can have a friend jump in with their character. That will up the challenge somewhat, however having another player should be more than enough to offset it.
On top of the manageable challenge level, Diablo 3 has a lot of content, and while it won’t be our biggest game on today’s list it absolutely offers hours and hours of gameplay. There are also seasonal challenges and heroes, though to be honest I haven’t messed with those much thanks to the aforementioned busy schedule. Point is, if this one is up your alley, there’s a good bit of it to enjoy, including an expansion from a few years back.
Kingdom of Amalur Reborn
I played the absolute shit out of this game when it first released back on the PS3. An open world RPG with a super-customizable progression and combat system was up my alley, pand the layout of everything made the game’s locations feel huge. Plus there was so much to do in it, so many skills, quests, items, factions, etc. This is the one that snaked Diablo 3 for biggest game, because I have personally seen how many hours can be sunk into Amalur with still loads left unexplored.
From a challenge perspective, it offers different modes so you can tailor your experience, and the sheer amount of power your character gets means there’s almost always options at hand. That only grows more true as you explore and unlock abilities, allowing you to refine the combat style to one that best fits your preferred tactics. The toughest part will, funnily enough, likely be the beginning, since there are several weapon types that have to be found further in the world, temporarily limiting play style options.
I will add one caveat to this particular title: it’s a much better experience on the latest generation of consoles. I tried it on the Xbox One, and the amount of loading screens combined with how long each took got extremely frustrating very quickly. An SSD Drive in the mix makes worlds of difference in terms of enjoyability.
Rogue Legacy
Changing things up a tad, here we have a roguelike, a game where failure is an established part of the process. You play a character battling their way through the castle, gathering gold and other bonuses, until the character dies. You then choose a new character, the last one’s child, and can use the gold and bonuses to make that character, and all who will follow, stronger. With every death, you move closer to getting more power, as well as have ample time to practice with the skills already earned. Failure never feels too frustrating on these, because it’s an inherent part of the process more than a reminder that my thumbs don’t remember which button is for jumping.
One of the reasons I really enjoy this game, aside from all the fun of the design and combat, is that it really does allow you to progress at your own pace. I got my teeth kicked in by the first boss a few times, so I focused on exploring for a while instead, gaining power all the while. By the time I decided to go mess with that first boss again, it was my turn to kick some teeth, or would have been if that particular boss wasn’t just a giant eyeball. The process didn’t feel like grinding either, because that exploration was essential to other aspects of the core gameplay.
This is also a game that can scale the challenge, if you enjoy it enough to want more. After beating it, there’s a tougher version unlocked, and that continues every time you overcome all the challenges. It’s a throwback to platforming goodness, down to the pixel art style and frequent character demises.
Hope that offers some fun entertainment options for my fellow dexterity/skill challenged folks out there! If there’s any games you found fulfilling but beatable, feel free to toss them out in the comments.