10 Exceptional Moments In Otherwise Disappointing Video Games
It's not all doom and gloom.
Being a gamer in modern society is inherently disappointing. Just look at how our expectations are tirelessly stoked with game trailer after game trailer, gaming convention after game convention and all sorts of incredulous promises from developers touting their game as the cure for all that is wrong with the world.
With all that, you just have to expect the hype train to crash and burn every now and again.
But even if certain games don’t capture the essence of what we expected and ultimately fall short, we can still salvage some good - the diamonds in the rough, if you will. Amidst a churning sea of disappointment, there can often arrive a shining lighthouse of exceptional moments within somewhat poor experiences.
It is with this sentiment that I'm going to look at some of the game industry’s most disappointing titles - and the surprisingly thrilling or brilliant moments within...
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10. The Deathstroke Fight - Batman: Arkham Origins
With a myriad of Batman’s most dastardly and creative foes on offer, the Arkham series truly embodied the feeling of the caped crusader. And who doesn’t want to go around bashing in criminal skulls and leaving them in a questionable state of ‘living’, truly pushing the limits of Batman’s one rule?
It’s just a shame that by the third entry, Origins, the pool of villains began to wear a bit thin, scraping the bottom of the barrel with the likes of Copperhead and Shiva - neither of which had anywhere near the same widespread notoriety as Two-Face or Scarecrow. Combined with having to maintain the series continuity whilst fashioning a prequel storyline, Arkham Origins fell a bit short of the refined experience that was Arkham City and Asylum.
However, despite the underwhelming nature of the game, it still managed to create one of the best boss fights in the series.
Where City had Mr. Freeze, Origins had Deathstroke. A frantic and fast-paced fight with an enemy that felt equal to the Dark Knight - if not even more powerful - the fight with Slade Wilson is something to behold. A test of the players reactions, response time and split-second decisions, the fight is tense and difficult, with some brilliant quick-time events holding it all together.