We can all remember the game that made us fall in love with a genre, whether it be Pokemon getting us into RPGs, or Skyrim making us love open-world titles. But sometimes, a game manages to take all the good from its genre in a way that could even convert the biggest haters. So today, we celebrate the games that won us over despite their genre, not because of it.
From Halo Wars to UFC, here are the games that we love from genres we hate.
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Hades
Rhiannon Bevan, News Editor
As someone who doesn’t vibe with roguelike dungeon crawlers, the late 2010s sucked for me. Like, wow, cool, the dungeon has now changed its layout completely while looking exactly the same! Sick! But then Hades came along and flipped my perspective on the whole genre. Suddenly, I don’t feel that chucking hours of my time at a roguelike is a waste if I don’t succeed. Hell, sometimes you want to lose so you can go back and chat to Zagreus’ pals some more. More games should find a way to make playthroughs satisfying, even if you suck at it.
Subnautica
Justin Reeve, News Editor
I’ve never been a big fan of survival games, but one that really clicked with me was Subnautica. The first thing that I did of course was to go for the sandbox experience. This actually turned into a great gateway for me to get into the regular gameplay. Having figured out how construction works, taking on the game world became that much simpler, turning the other systems into a little bit less of a chore. I was mastering my environment the next thing I knew.
Hades
Quinton O’Connor, Specialist Writer
I promise I didn’t concoct some dastardly plan to pilfer Rhiannon’s pick, but here we are. I’m not a roguelike person in the least. Except when I am. And that has only ever happened with Hades. I think it’s the vibe, you know? The script is outstanding, the art direction is out of this world. I’m not saying other roguelikes can’t claim the same, but maybe I’m just a sucker for what this one sets out to do — it tackles Greek mythology, and it does so in such effortlessly charming ways.
Halo Wars
Amanda Hurych, Evergreen Content Lead
I’m not super into RTS games. While I prefer the in-the-moment action they give you rather than the staid pace of a turn-based strategy game, there’s still something stressful about having to manage units across an entire battlefield without having breathing room to make informed decisions. So when a new strategy game comes out on the market, I usually look the other way. Except when it comes to Halo. I love Halo. There could be a Halo-themed knitting club, and I’d join it. There could be a less-than-promising-cringe-inducing television show made about Halo, and I’d watch it. Thankfully, both Halo Wars and Halo Wars 2 are not bad at all. The story and music are fantastic, and the simplified structure of typical RTS mechanics makes them easily playable on console. So while I wouldn’t recommend, oh, I don’t know, the television series to a die-hard fan, I would recommend Halo Wars.
UFC
James, News & Photos Editor
I'm not big on sports games. The whole culture around sports has always been off-putting for me, anyway, with macho men in my life telling me to man up and stick the footy on, to stop being so gay and go to the local field to kick a ball around. Doesn't help most bullies were big sports hounds. That anxiety around its culture translates to games and it makes me feel uneasy even touching them, but not UFC. I don't care about wrestling, but I do respect that these stars can take a few right hooks, and I love all things fighting games. It feels like some nice middle ground, especially when you chuck in a whacky character creator for me to lose hours in, bringing my friends to life so we can go toe-to-toe once and for all.