Not my thing! 5 games we just can’t get into –

We all know what it’s like to watch a trending game take the world by storm and still leave you uninterested. Maybe you’ve tried that game and just, despite putting in the time and effort, can’t connect with it on any significant level. I know I’ve experienced that a few times, so here are a few popular games that I just can’t get into.

5. Escape from Tarkov

There is just something about extraction shooters that just doesn’t do anything for me. Maybe it’s the fact that all your hard work can be wiped out in moments and reduced to nothing. Whatever the situation, it is not limited to just Escape from Tarkov, as I found it very challenging to join the hordes who constantly flock to new extraction shooters or want to bask in established series that add modes with extraction mechanics. Personally, I prefer that there is no significant progress to strive for, as is the case in battle royales, or that I instead have progress that stays at the end of the game, like almost everywhere else.

4. Elden Ring

I’m quite vocal about my stance on action RPGs and the design styles that basically became the gaming world’s most popular trend after the debut of Dark Souls. Despite people telling me time and time again how excellent and groundbreaking FromSoftware’s fantastic RPG is, I just can’t get over the encounters and setup that is designed to frustrate and the overall story structuring that is often seen in this genre where nothing of significance is explained and the intricacies are often treated as a second thought. I’m sure there are many compelling parts of Elden Ring, but I, for one, enjoy my time with video games and the last thing I want while trying to relax after a long day is to spend several hours being farmed by one of the many bosses.

3. Stardew Valley

The king of life simulation titles? I have no doubt that this is the case for many, but for me there is just something about this game that makes me uninterested. On multiple occasions I have returned to Stardew Valley convinced that this will be the time I fall in love with it, but each time I am left with the same impression and experience, one that often leads me to put the game down and not return to it. I appreciate what Stardew Valley has done for this part of the gaming world and also for indie developers as a whole, but this does not change the fact that when it comes to life-sim titles, Stardew is often at the bottom of my go-to list.

2. Counterattack

Although I consider Counter-Strike to be the gold standard for what a competitive shooter can and should be, this style of shooter has never appealed to me. It’s not just CS, it’s newer additions to the fold, such as Valorant and Spectre Divide. I don’t have the patience and focus required to maintain perfect crosshair placement and hold the correct angle until my opponent gives in and makes a mistake. I prefer to sprint around the corner with firearms at the ready and see how many enemies I can take out before they pull me back – you know, the Call of Duty experience. So yes, I am personally more of a fan of arcade shooters, hence the challenge of adapting to Valve’s titan.

1. FIFA/EA Sports FC

Are they often the biggest games of the year? Absolutely. But that doesn’t change the fact that I can’t (and won’t) find the time of day for EA’s soccer series. Granted, that’s mainly for two reasons. The first is that I don’t think many sports titles do a good job at actually simulating the sport on which they are based, with the exceptions of golf and perhaps tennis. The second reason is that I find it very challenging to keep spending money on a series that sees only minor improvements on an annual basis and yet has the audacity to sell for a full, premium price tag and effectively reset the microtransaction-focused mode and ask fans to continue buying loot boxes full of insignificant digital cards to succeed in a pure pay-to-win experience. It’s madness.

How many of my choices agree with you? Do you agree and find yourself in a similar place when trying to connect with action RPGs or FIFA/EA Sports FC projects? Let me know in the comments and share which popular game you just can’t play despite trying.