10 Awful 3D Video Games That Should Have Stayed 2D

Oh boy.

Mask of Eternity – the eighth instalment in the classic point-and-click franchise – might be the most pointless (get it?) attempt to transition a series from two to three dimensions, changing just about everything about the game in the process. For one thing, the game implemented combat mechanics, doing away with point-and-click elements almost completely, as well as the cartoonish illustrations that had characterised previous entries.

As a direct result, the game looks terrible, and has aged appallingly. At the time, technological limitations prevented it from achieving what it wanted – the draw distances are particularly terrible – and the emphasis was placed on combat instead of narrative, resulting in a more superficial, shallow experience seriously lacking in terms of depth.

King’s Quest V – released almost a decade earlier – is still a stunning game, complete with a richly detailed environment for players to immerse themselves, and is absolutely brimming with personality.

Unfortunately, Mask of Eternity is more concerned with innovation for its own sake – and while the attempt was certainly admirable – the result was easily the weakest entry in the series.