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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we're looking at video games that got decent critical reviews,
00:09but which players weren't interested in, or downright hated.
00:19But before we get into it, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe
00:24and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:28The Last of Us Part II
00:42Look I'm sure we're all tired of talking about The Last of Us Part II, but if we didn't
00:47include it, I know we'd get comments.
00:50The hotly anticipated sequel landed like an atomic bomb on the gaming community in 2020.
00:56Comments among fans of the first were extremely divided for a lot of reasons.
01:00Some complaints were valid, like a bloated narrative, while others were not, like the
01:05inclusion of LGBTQ characters.
01:08Regardless, there are still a lot of players who hate this game.
01:12Critics, on the other hand, were almost universally aligned in their love for it.
01:17It holds a 93 on Metacritic, and was one of the most awarded games of the year.
01:28Call of Duty Black Ops 4
01:35You could place a few entries from the Call of Duty franchise here, but today we're going
01:40with Black Ops 4.
01:42Released in 2018, it scored in the mid-80s on Metacritic across consoles and PC, with
01:47critics praising the new Zombies and Blackout Battle Royale mode, as well as the standard
01:53multiplayer.
01:54However, being deep into the yearly release model from Activision, many players had issues
01:59with it, collectively giving it a 4.1 on the site.
02:03The biggest issue was the complete lack of a single player mode, but there was also heavy
02:08use of microtransactions and balancing issues within the multiplayer, like a lack of skill-based
02:14matchmaking and longer time to kill, making it more frustrating for casual players.
02:27Deathloop
02:35Fate is probably putting it a bit too strongly here, but there was still a big divide over
02:41the quality of Deathloop between players and critics.
02:44Trapped in a time loop and getting killed over and over again, it tasked you with figuring
02:49out the proper path to success so Colt Vaughn could make it out.
02:54Most critics adored it, leading to a score in the high 80s on Metacritic across platforms.
02:59It was also nominated for a ton of awards and earned Game of the Year from multiple
03:05outlets.
03:06The 6.8 from players tells a different story though.
03:09While that isn't too low, many felt the game grew too repetitive without much opportunity
03:15to deviate.
03:22Mortal Kombat 11
03:31While most loved the rebooted continuity of Mortal Kombat that began in 2011, things seemed
03:38to go downhill in Mortal Kombat 11.
03:41Some players weren't keen on the single player mode's time travel plot with Kronika,
03:46but that was far from the only issue.
03:48Other complaints came from the general structure of progression, which featured way too much
03:53grinding and an over-reliance on microtransactions and DLC.
03:58Then you have the actual fighting, which many felt was unbalanced towards certain characters,
04:03and introduced new unwelcome features like the Fatal Blow.
04:07While critics kindly scored most versions in the mid 80s on Metacritic, the user score
04:12currently sits at a 4.1.
04:20Final Fantasy XIII
04:27Final Fantasy is so huge that every installment gets its detractors.
04:32But with Final Fantasy XIII back in 2009, there were a lot more than usual given that
04:37the game actually sold really well.
04:40While the story went in insane directions like many entries do, the game's structure
04:45was much more linear than previous games.
04:48Given that it's still very long, many felt this made battles repetitive, and being forced
04:53to use a specific party combination or leaders at certain points didn't help.
04:58In general, critics were more forgiving of these shortcomings, with it scoring in the
05:02low 80s on Metacritic.
05:04Bored players gave it a lukewarm 6.3, which is actually kind of low for this franchise.
05:17Assassin's Creed Valhalla
05:26Reception towards Assassin's Creed has gone up and down over the years.
05:31Many thought Origins was a breath of fresh air with its implementation of open world
05:35exploration and RPG features.
05:38But by the time we got to Valhalla, it had shifted towards the negative again.
05:42The biggest problem was Ubisoft's steadfast intent on making the open world far too big
05:48and filling it with an uninteresting checklist, causing many players to feel it was a bloated,
05:54copy-paste job of better games.
05:57Critics weren't that bothered by it.
05:59Valhalla scored between 80 and 84 across all platforms, but players had grown tired,
06:05giving it a very meh 6.0, which is why the following game, 2023's Mirage, scaled things
06:12back.
06:19Artifact
06:26Designed by the creator of Magic the Gathering and inspired by Dota 2, 2018's Artifact
06:32was a digital card game in which players could compete in fantastical battles.
06:36It got a decent amount of praise from critics for the depth of its gameplay, earning it
06:41a 76 on Metacritic.
06:43But players had big problems with its economy.
06:47You already had to buy the game, but you also had to purchase new cards, and many saw it
06:52as an unfair pay-to-win model.
06:55Players voiced their dissatisfaction, giving it a user score of 2.2, and 95% of them abandoned
07:02the game within its first two months, which caught Valve completely off guard.
07:07Artifact was reworked for a 2.0 release, but the damage had been done, and by 2021, all
07:13future plans were scrapped.
07:16Gone Home
07:24The indie darling Gone Home follows Katie, who returns home to Portland, Oregon, only
07:28to find her parents and sister missing.
07:32From there, you piece together the events surrounding a dramatic falling out, uncovering
07:36a coming-of-age lesbian romance, and the rejection of Katie's sister by their parents.
07:41While there were certainly some players against the LGBTQ plotline, others took issue simply
07:47with how it played.
07:48While it was advertised as a quote-unquote walking simulator, that didn't stop them
07:53from finding the plot's delivery boring.
07:56However, it scored in the high 80s on Metacritic, with many outlets being blown away and giving
08:02it perfect scores.
08:03A lot of players felt that was too high, and it currently has a user score of 5.5.
08:09But I said no, there was nothing wrong, I just wanted to say, but I couldn't find the
08:19words.
08:20DMC Devil May Cry
08:21Oh boy.
08:30The decision to reboot the Devil May Cry series in 2013 was seen at best as strange, and at
08:36worst, a slap in the face.
08:39It was strange because it wasn't necessary.
08:42Devil May Cry 4 sold and reviewed well.
08:44It was a slap in the face because lead character Dante's appearance and personality were vastly
08:50altered, causing a huge uproar when the game was revealed.
08:54When it was released, most critics were unbothered by this fact.
08:58And at 85 for PS3 and 86 for Xbox 360, it actually scored just a smidge higher on Metacritic
09:06than the fourth game, which is at 84 for both.
09:10Even though the gameplay was strong, players shunned this reboot, earning it a 5.8.
09:16It didn't sell nearly as well, and Capcom later returned to the original continuity.
09:27Destiny 2
09:34Admittedly, a live service game like Destiny 2 means that reception can fluctuate with
09:38any given update.
09:39But I'm talking about the game at launch, where there was a wide divide between critics
09:44and players.
09:45Many reviewers felt it was a huge step up from the original, with particular praise
09:50pointed towards the new story, as well as gunplay mechanics and multiplayer.
09:54It scored in the mid-80s and earned a lot of nominations.
09:59On the other side, most players felt Bungie hadn't learned from its past mistakes.
10:04That new story was still pretty short, and the modes that were included were bare bones.
10:10Many questioned the need for a sequel, especially a shallow one at full price, earning it a
10:155.1 on Metacritic.
10:25Halo 5 Guardians
10:33Following the resounding success of the original trilogy, which players and critics were aligned
10:38in their love for, Microsoft kept the Halo train rolling.
10:43While some fans definitely had issues with Halo 4, the disconnect between them and reviewers
10:48grew even more apparent with the fifth game.
10:51At an 84 on Metacritic, it received some questionable praise for the campaign.
10:57Most players agreed it was a big step down and the result of misleading marketing.
11:02Critics were more positive on multiplayer too, considering it a nice transition into
11:06the modern day.
11:07But many players saw the shift to more fast-paced mechanics as a disservice to the sandbox orientation
11:13of previous titles.
11:15These negatives led to a 6.4 on Metacritic.
11:23Starfield
11:29Bethesda has fallen quite a bit in the eyes of players over the last decade or so, and
11:35even the release of a brand new IP couldn't redeem the company for many.
11:39With an 85 on PC and an 83 on Xbox, Starfield got a ton of positive feedback from critics
11:46on its gigantic, extensive universe.
11:49Many reviews also praised its level of exploration, leading players to wonder if they had played
11:54the same game.
11:55There are a lot of people who felt utterly bored, which is not the reaction you want
12:00for a game that promises unbound adventure.
12:03This and the frequent technical issues of Bethesda Staple led to a 6.8 on Metacritic
12:09and mixed reception on Steam.
12:22Dragon Age II
12:372009's Dragon Age Origins was an RPG adored by players and critics alike.
12:43Then along came the sequel.
12:46Critics felt the writing and characters were all just as strong as the first.
12:50Many also liked how the pace of combat was quickened, leaning a bit more into action
12:55while still retaining the strategy.
12:57Truthfully, many did point out the negatives, including a lot of reused assets and a much
13:03smaller world scope.
13:05It's just that players were far less forgiving.
13:09Those negatives, along with the battle structure that focused on waves of enemies, made it
13:13a lot less fun for them to play through.
13:16While it earned a 79 on Xbox 360 and an 82 on PC and PS3, the user score sits at 4.7.
13:31Street Fighter V
13:40Another game that critics were far more forgiving of with its shortcomings was Street Fighter
13:46Controls and mechanics were obviously great, and visuals were certainly strong.
13:51The problem was that it launched with barely any modes or characters.
13:55What it did have was a lot of technical problems that made playing online a drag, and plenty
14:00of DLC in place to suck in more money.
14:03Still, for many reviewers, that didn't diminish the positives, leading to a 77 on PS4 and
14:09a 74 on PC on Metacritic.
14:12Reviewers though were pissed, as there wasn't enough here to justify the price tag.
14:17They vocally voiced their displeasure, earning the game a 3.7.
14:22It was best to just wait for future versions when issues were resolved and the roster had
14:27grown.
14:33Diablo IV
14:41It's a common practice now to hate on Blizzard, though the studio hasn't done itself any favors.
14:47The highly anticipated Diablo IV got strong reviews from most outlets, with the Xbox Series
14:53version even reaching 91 on Metacritic.
14:57The story and visuals combined to create a tense, moody atmosphere, while the class-based
15:02gameplay and procedurally generated dungeons made for a thrilling experience.
15:08Critics claimed.
15:09Players, especially long-time fans, were let down.
15:13The same gameplay critics praised is seen by some players as repetitive, with classes
15:17not offering the wealth of options like many other ARPGs.
15:21That's not to mention a lot of bugs and Blizzard's constant reliance on microtransactions, with
15:29the user score now sitting at 2.2.
15:32While of course, it still generates a ton of money, so players must like something about it.
15:47Pokemon Sword and Shield
15:57The Pokemon series receives a lot of criticism from its player base, but so long as they
16:03keep selling well, which they undeniably do, the games aren't likely to change anytime
16:08soon.
16:09When Sword and Shield were announced for Switch, they were the first new mainline entries scheduled
16:14for a non-handheld Nintendo platform.
16:17This made anticipation high, as stronger graphical fidelity, better performance, and new mechanics
16:24were possible.
16:25No such luck.
16:26A lot of players were disappointed, considering them lazy in their design, especially since
16:31many past Pokemon didn't return.
16:33They hold a 4.7 user score on Metacritic, but critics focused on the positives.
16:39Praise was directed at gameplay and exploration of the new open world, leading to an 80.
16:50Evolve
16:55Planned as a huge asymmetrical multiplayer hit, 2015's Evolve placed one player in
17:01the role of a monster, and the others as hunters trying to bring them down.
17:06When it launched, it scored in the mid-70s on Metacritic, with critics praising its premise
17:11and mechanics.
17:13Of course, if you remember how this game crashed and burned, you know players felt differently.
17:18Sure, the setup was cool, but there wasn't a lot to choose from at launch unless you
17:23wanted to fork over more money.
17:25There was a ton of Day One DLC available, with most feeling the base game was overpriced
17:32for what it actually offered, earning it a 4.3.
17:36Many abandoned it shortly after, causing the game to go free-to-play before servers were
17:41shut down in 2018.
17:50Battlefield 2042
17:56To be fair, critical scores on Metacritic for Battlefield 2042, with the highest being
18:03PC's 68, don't exactly signify love.
18:08But compared to what players rightfully scored it, a 2.2, even the 60s are too high.
18:14Players were upset over gameplay changes, but they didn't exactly have time to grow
18:18used to them given the other problems.
18:21Multiple features and modes seen in previous entries were now gone, and 2042 also launched
18:27as a buggy mess that was well documented by the experiences of players.
18:32Critics were kinder and more open to the gameplay changes, though everything else should have
18:36led to lower numbers.
18:38Most baffling was EGM's perfect 5 out of 5.
18:42Updates eventually made the game better, but this was not a pleasant first impression.
18:52Star Wars Battlefront II
19:00Star Wars Battlefront II is a similar situation to Battlefield 2042.
19:05It was also published by EA and scored in the mid-60s.
19:09But again, the user score, which sits at an impressively low 1.8 on Metacritic, shows
19:14there's a fairly big gap between what critics and players will accept.
19:19The brunt of negativity came from the heavy implementation of loot boxes and the need
19:24to grind an absurdly long time if you didn't want to pay for characters.
19:28But fans also weren't thrilled about the story mode, a bait and switch that initially
19:33promised playing as a villain.
19:35The microtransaction fiasco was resolved and updates with new content were given out for
19:39free, making the game better even if certain new characters would launch unbalanced.
19:49Overwatch 2
19:56At a Metacritic score of 79 on PC, Overwatch 2 certainly doesn't match the critical love
20:02of the original, which holds a 91.
20:05However, player hatred, which has earned the sequel a user score of 1.7, is immense.
20:12Through frequent, mostly positively received updates, the first game was in a great place
20:18when Overwatch 2 came in and wrecked everything.
20:21The switch from 6v6 to 5v5 was strange.
20:25Personally, as a former healer, the lack of a second tank made it a lot easier for DPS
20:31heroes to get kills on us.
20:32There was also the switch to a battle pass instead of loot boxes, with new heroes now
20:36locked behind them instead of being released for free.
20:40Blizzard also cancelled the planned PvE story content, which sounded like one of the only
20:46justifications for creating a sequel in the first place.
20:53Know of any other games that critics loved and players hated?
20:57And do you think any of the hate for these games is overblown?
21:00Share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays for more great
21:04gaming videos every day.