11 Influential Video Games That Have Aged Horribly

The video games industry is one that has grown from nothing to one of the most profitable entertainment industries in the world over the span of five short decades.

As a result, there are a number of games in living memory that have been dubbed landmark titles; whether for their innovative gameplay, for creating a new sub-genre, or for offering a fresh new take on an existing format, and we've all got a favourite that we remember fondly for one reason or another.

But what happens when you pull out your favourite childhood trend-setter, only to realise that playing it now is more of a chore than you ever remembered?

It's undoubtedly a result of the progress that these games themselves helped usher in, but there's something profoundly upsetting about realising a game that helped shape modern gaming now feels like little more than an unplayable mess of poor visuals and cheesy dialogue, or a classic title simply being overshadowed by its own sequels.

Before we start the list, it's probably worth prefacing the entire thing with a gentle reminder that each and every one of these games is a veteran of the industry and deserves our utmost respect.

That said, let's take a closer look at the ways in which these influential titles have aged horribly, shall we?

Mass Effect was the spark that lit a wave of renewed interest in sci-fi and role-playing games, and it did so with a tightly-packed story in a huge, open galaxy filled with choices.

Giving players the choice between not only their style of gameplay but also the personality of the player character was something that encouraged multiple playthroughs, and if you enjoyed playing Mass Effect at release, it probably wouldn't be hard to tempt you to pick it up again today.

Once you do, however, you'll be faced with a game much less polished than you remember it being.

The game's UI is not particularly user-friendly, and the inventory system in particular is difficult to navigate and understand. The combat feels unwieldy and infuriatingly less fluid than that of its sequels.

Therein lies Mass Effect's problem: The amount of effort that went into refining its strengths for the follow-up was so spot-on that it actually made the first game something of a slog to get through in retrospect.

While it's not the worst problem for a game to have, it certainly make replaying this monumental title a dull and frustrating endeavour.