The long, overextended winter break has completely bled into this frigged January we’re all going through. Well, most of us, anyways. And that two month stretch of holidays, travel days, snow days, blizzard days, and weekends have given way to a lot of backlog games being played. And some of the things I caught up on were good! Even very good. But there were a few that recently just didn’t do it for me, to varying degrees. And man oh man, were they disappointments to me considering how hyped the internet was for them.

But sometimes critical acclaim and general consensus just aren’t enough to swing me on a game. If I’m not vibing with it, then there’s no amount of shame that can knock me off of my position. I can think popular and good games are in fact bad! Like every “NBA 2K” for the past ten years. And, of course, the following titles I checked out and came away bewildered, vexed, torn, and conflicted about. Or just mad in one case.

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Slightly Disappointing: ‘Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’

I cannot believe Dan Ryckert of Giant Bomb thinks this is just as good as the original and handed it a perfect score. He is out of his mind, and that’s a wild thing for me to say because we agree on like 99% of all opinions about gaming.

This game is… fine. Totally okay. A cromulent time was had by all.

But as the days and weeks go by, I can’t help but put away the good time I had in my mind (I beat it and moved on quickly) and secure a much more firm impression. And that is: The series is over, they kind of shit the bed, and it could have been so much more. And it should have been, but we all know the development hell was too much to overcome. The expectations were massive, and this is a game from 10 years ago stuck releasing at the end of 2025.

It’s the same exact game as the original, but not as visually interesting, there are no new types of gameplay, or unlocks, or gadgets, or beams to shoot, or enemies to fight besides a gigantic wide open desert and a motorcycle to crash into green crystals. That’s it. They had a decade to come up with a new idea, or new gimmick, or ANYTHING, and just made the most boring, vanilla, cookie cutter version of a game they did in 2002, and the only real new addition was it looks gorgeous.

Otherwise, this game is stretched out, thin, not deep. Barren. What other words can I throw at it that hasn’t already been said? I had a good time, but that was purely for the nostalgia and the fizzle of a Switch 2 coat of paint. Too much talking, not enough substance, and the same shooting with lock-on I experienced as a child.

Somewhat More Disappointing: ‘Hell is Us’

For “Metroid Prime 4,” I knew what to do, where to go, and how to play the game. For “Hell is Us,” I barely had a clue where to even begin. This game sold itself on the premise of holding zero hands, explaining nothing, and letting the player figure out everything for themselves.

The problem? The internet exists. And the internet makes guides, maps, and video walkthroughs.

I think this game is a watered down Soulslike for the combat with the same enemy types copy pasted over and over. And everything else is a big ol’ gorgeous map that you get lost in. But unlike “Dark Souls,” where the level design is sublime, “Hell is Us” gets you lost in forests, underground dwellings, and shanty towns.

To solve the puzzles and riddles and quest lines the game tosses your way, you simply explore everywhere, mash the A button through all the menus, and move on to slowly upgrade yourself, but none of it is exciting. Another slick looking game that is very meandering and boring. I don’t get it, and I think every game needs a map from now on. No more map-less games.

Very Disappointing: ‘Terminator 2D: No Fate’

What a waste of money this game is. My anticipation for this was sky-high, and what I got was a lightweight hour-long fan game sold for an astronomical asking price.

The levels take a few minutes to finish, they’re way too easy, and before you know it the whole story is told. The style is perfection, but it could have easily been a YouTube fan project to watch and not an indie game. A real bummer that moving to the right and holding down the trigger falls so flat when it’s tied to the greatest action film of all time.

Being in a truck or on a motorbike? Just move up and down to flashing warnings. Stealth missions? Nope, just mash the buttons until the guards are dead. Otherwise, this game is a flash in the pan without Arnold’s likeness or anything substantive to praise. A major letdown; this should have been $5 tops.

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Image Credit: “Terminator 2D: No Fate”