Top 20 Guilty Pleasure Video Games'
Guilty pleasure games are those titles we keep returning to, even though they might not be critically acclaimed or are considered flawed for various reasons. Here are some popular guilty pleasure games that many gamers can't help but enjoy:
1. **Shadow the Hedgehog (2005)**
- This spin-off from the Sonic franchise features Shadow the Hedgehog using guns and exploring darker themes, which many found odd for a Sonic game. Despite mixed reviews, it has a dedicated fanbase.
2. **Deadly Premonition (2010)**
- Known for its quirky characters, bizarre story, and clunky gameplay, this survival horror game has a cult following due to its unique charm and memorable experience.
3. **Octodad: Dadliest Catch (2014)**
- A game where you play as an octopus trying to live a normal human life, with intentionally awkward controls that lead to hilarious situations. It's not perfect, but it's a lot of fun.
4. **Hatoful Boyfriend (2011)**
- This dating sim where you romance pigeons is as strange as it sounds, but its quirky humor and surprisingly deep story make it a beloved title for many.
5. **Resident Evil 6 (2012)**
- Criticized for its shift towards action over survival horror and convoluted story, it still has fans who enjoy its intense action sequences and cooperative gameplay.
6. **Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)**
- Often referred to as "Sonic '06," this game is infamous for its bugs, poor controls, and confusing plot, yet some players find it entertaining in a "so bad it's good" way.
7. **Mortal Kombat: Special Forces (2000)**
- A Mortal Kombat spin-off focusing on Jax, this game is criticized for its poor design and gameplay, but some fans of the franchise still enjoy its campy nature.
8. **Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013)**
- Despite its reputation for disappointing graphics and gameplay, some fans of the Alien franchise still find enjoyment in its atmosphere and cooperative play.
9. **Duke Nukem Forever (2011)**
- After a notoriously long development cycle, the game was released to poor reviews. However, some players appreciate its crude humor and nostalgic value.
10. **Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (2004)**
- Part of the controversial Leisure Suit Larry series, this game is often criticized for its crude humor and shallow gameplay, but it has its share of dedicated fans.
11. **Two Worlds (2007)**
- Often compared unfavorably to "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion," this RPG has clunky mechanics and cheesy dialogue, yet some players love its open world and unintentional humor.
12. **Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (2003)**
- Known more for its fan service than its volleyball mechanics, this game has a niche audience that enjoys its lighthearted gameplay and visuals.
13. **Earth Defense Force 2017 (2006)**
- A game where you fight off giant insects and robots with cheesy dialogue and graphics, it’s loved for its simple yet addictive gameplay and over-the-top action.
14. **Postal 2 (2003)**
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1. **Shadow the Hedgehog (2005)**
- This spin-off from the Sonic franchise features Shadow the Hedgehog using guns and exploring darker themes, which many found odd for a Sonic game. Despite mixed reviews, it has a dedicated fanbase.
2. **Deadly Premonition (2010)**
- Known for its quirky characters, bizarre story, and clunky gameplay, this survival horror game has a cult following due to its unique charm and memorable experience.
3. **Octodad: Dadliest Catch (2014)**
- A game where you play as an octopus trying to live a normal human life, with intentionally awkward controls that lead to hilarious situations. It's not perfect, but it's a lot of fun.
4. **Hatoful Boyfriend (2011)**
- This dating sim where you romance pigeons is as strange as it sounds, but its quirky humor and surprisingly deep story make it a beloved title for many.
5. **Resident Evil 6 (2012)**
- Criticized for its shift towards action over survival horror and convoluted story, it still has fans who enjoy its intense action sequences and cooperative gameplay.
6. **Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)**
- Often referred to as "Sonic '06," this game is infamous for its bugs, poor controls, and confusing plot, yet some players find it entertaining in a "so bad it's good" way.
7. **Mortal Kombat: Special Forces (2000)**
- A Mortal Kombat spin-off focusing on Jax, this game is criticized for its poor design and gameplay, but some fans of the franchise still enjoy its campy nature.
8. **Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013)**
- Despite its reputation for disappointing graphics and gameplay, some fans of the Alien franchise still find enjoyment in its atmosphere and cooperative play.
9. **Duke Nukem Forever (2011)**
- After a notoriously long development cycle, the game was released to poor reviews. However, some players appreciate its crude humor and nostalgic value.
10. **Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (2004)**
- Part of the controversial Leisure Suit Larry series, this game is often criticized for its crude humor and shallow gameplay, but it has its share of dedicated fans.
11. **Two Worlds (2007)**
- Often compared unfavorably to "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion," this RPG has clunky mechanics and cheesy dialogue, yet some players love its open world and unintentional humor.
12. **Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (2003)**
- Known more for its fan service than its volleyball mechanics, this game has a niche audience that enjoys its lighthearted gameplay and visuals.
13. **Earth Defense Force 2017 (2006)**
- A game where you fight off giant insects and robots with cheesy dialogue and graphics, it’s loved for its simple yet addictive gameplay and over-the-top action.
14. **Postal 2 (2003)**
-
Transcript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the video games that we
00:11always end up coming back to, despite being less than stellar for a variety of reasons.
00:25Number 20 Octodad, Dadliest Catch
00:35Rage games are nothing new.
00:36That being said, when one has mechanics as... nebulous, says Octodad, playing it starts
00:41to become an exercise in masochism.
00:43Moving said octopus papa around each stage is a tug of war with the controls.
00:47At any moment, he can randomly decide to trip over his own tentacle and force you to start
00:51whatever task you've been given right from scratch.
01:00So why do we find it so hard to hate?
01:03Because it's just so dang charming.
01:05So long as you try not to imagine how Octodad and his human wife started a family.
01:13Number 19 DMC, Devil May Cry
01:23A complete rehaul and reimagining of Dante was always going to be a risky endeavor, especially
01:27given how diehard DMC fans are about their favorite devil hunter.
01:31The result was met with much outrage.
01:33Gone was the pizza-eating, cocky son of a gun and replaced with a tryhard stick in the
01:37mud who looked like he should be fronting an edgy rock band.
01:45That being said, the combat was actually pretty good.
01:48Over time, this iteration has become something of a black sheep, originally unwanted but
01:53now gradually accepted.
02:00Number 18 PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
02:11In hindsight, this was never going to measure up to the likes of Smash Bros.
02:14The combat wasn't as intricate, matchmaking and online play was far from smooth, and overall
02:19just felt clunkier than its big brother over at Nintendo.
02:22What it does have in abundance, however, is novelty.
02:31The fact we could have Kratos, Raiden, Cole and Colonel Raddick go up against the likes
02:35of Nathan Drake, Sly Cooper, Parappa and Sackboy is the best kind of crazy.
02:40While many lament the loss of what could have been, those that embraced All-Stars for what
02:44it was still had a whale of a time.
02:53Number 17 Truck Simulator Series
03:03Simulator games as a whole have slowly come into their own, with a few turning out to
03:06be legitimate gems.
03:08Truck Simulator sits somewhere in the middle, it's just driving a big rig across the country
03:12dealing with traffic.
03:19Whether you play by the rules of the road or not is up to you.
03:22While that might sound barebones, those that want a more zen-like experience without actually
03:27having to get behind the wheel have come to appreciate this style of gaming, with the
03:30likes of the Euro Truck and America Truck Simulator games serving as standouts.
03:43Number 16 Fight Crab
03:52What happens when you pit a bunch of crustaceans against each other, arm them with every weapon
03:56imaginable and let them go to war?
03:58The best kind of craziness.
04:00Given how the physics in this game are practically non-existent, don't expect much strategy or
04:04style when it comes to combat.
04:13It's all about indulging in the wackiness, with no guarantee that your crab will be the
04:17last one standing, given how much of a free-for-all every battle tends to devolve into.
04:22Only one to be appreciated by those who don't take their gaming too seriously.
04:33Number 15 Crash Bash
04:41As a Crash Bandicoot game and as a party game, it's fair to say that Crash Bash falls well
04:45below the bar in both categories.
04:47It ranks as one of the weakest in the franchise, mainly due to how it only has a set number
04:51of minigames to its name, which are constantly recycled aside from a change of location and
04:55a coat of paint.
05:04It can get really repetitive really quickly, and yet for 90s kids, especially those who
05:08hadn't experienced what Mario was offering, this was a fun little distraction.
05:12Besides, being able to play as the villains for the first time was a neat gimmick, as
05:16was the bloodlust when it came to trying to best your friends in Polar Push.
05:24Number 14 Mass Effect Andromeda
05:34Does it live up to the original trilogy in any shape or form?
05:37From a story perspective, absolutely not.
05:40The plot, the supporting cast, the world-building, it all felt woefully inferior compared to
05:44Mass Effect 1 through 3.
05:46Given what we now know about so-called Bioware magic, it makes a little too much sense.
06:00While we'd recommend newcomers the legendary addition at the drop of a hat, we won't completely
06:04disregard Andromeda, on account that its combat was actually, shockingly, great.
06:09The sense of elevation, the frenetic pace of each firefight, we honestly wouldn't mind
06:13if they took some inspiration from it as the franchise moves forward.
06:23Number 13 Enter the Matrix
06:32We would say this game was ambitious for its time, but in the same way the Matrix sequels
06:37were, trying to do and say too much with the result being far less impressive and shallower
06:41than the creators intended.
06:46Still, back in the day, gamers adored bullet time, and for those that didn't know what
06:53Max Payne was, Enter the Matrix offered nothing but bullet time.
06:57The two campaigns were diverse enough to offer some level of replayability, and while by
07:00today's standards it plays as clumsily as it looks, there is some joy to be had from
07:05shooting enemies in slow-mo while attempting to run up walls.
07:08For the full Matrix experience, be sure to play this while wearing shades and a trench
07:12coat.
07:20Number 12 Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
07:29Nowadays the likes of characters from other mainstream media taking part in Mortal Kombat
07:33video games is all too commonplace.
07:35But before MK entered its second golden age with the 2011 reboot, it was still finding
07:40its feet and thought to win back dwindling fans by pitting the likes of Scorpion against
07:44Batman.
07:52Was the combat fun?
07:53Sure was, until you realized the violence and gore had been drastically watered down.
07:57It unfortunately wore out its chance to become the next big thing pretty quickly.
08:01The way we see it, MK vs. DC walked so Injustice could run.
08:14Number 11 Lollipop Chainsaw
08:22Cheerleaders, chainsaws, zombies, this game knows exactly what it is and relishes every
08:28moment of chaos and satire that unfolds along the way.
08:31Not surprisingly given how it was penned by James Gunn.
08:34For those willing to come along for the ride, carving through undead bosses based on a certain
08:37style of music makes for a great time, though that's not to say it's flawless.
08:47The combat isn't the slickest, the minigames are a waste of time, and depending on your
08:51sense of humor, some of the gags and characters aren't going to land.
08:55Still, if you're in the mood for blood-soaked silliness, you could do a lot worse.
09:04Number 10 Alpha Protocol
09:15Who wouldn't want to be a super spy?
09:16Snipe down the hero villain, uncover an immense conspiracy, charm a variety of beautiful and
09:20deadly femme fatales with a silver tongue, Alpha Protocol gave us all of that.
09:25In many ways, its branching dialogue options is one of the deepest in its genre.
09:28It's just a shame everything around in terms of combat, customization, and the overall
09:32story didn't live up to this one shining mechanic.
09:43Hopefully this can serve as a blueprint for a similar and superior IP down the line, but
09:47for those that have always wanted to play a secret agent who saves the world while seducing
09:50a bulky German mercenary, have at it.
09:57Number 9 Shadow the Hedgehog
09:59Ah, Shadow, the edgiest character in Sonic's canon.
10:08It was only a matter of time before he got his own game, and what did Sega do?
10:12Doubled the edge, but not only offering branching paths where Shadow would either become a hero
10:16or embrace his Dark Legacy, but also let him use guns.
10:25Watching the Dark Hedgehog freeze time before shooting down soldiers with a rocket launcher
10:29somehow occupies both the realms of awesome and cringe at the same time.
10:33It's endured surprisingly well, especially compared to the likes of Sonic 06, plus that
10:38soundtrack slapped.
10:50Number 8 Resident Evil 6
10:59As a Resident Evil game, this is one of, if not the worst out there.
11:03There's little to no scares, it plays like a generic action game and jumps the shark
11:07so many times across its three campaigns that it's downright unrecognizable when compared
11:11to its predecessors.
11:12We can't blame fans or casuals for despising it.
11:15In so many ways, it's the anti-Resident Evil.
11:26And yet, it's for those very reasons that playing through to the end is almost worth
11:31it.
11:32Experiencing Capcom's lowest point via Leon running away from a zombie dinosaur is certainly
11:36Given how the franchise has never been stronger, we can now comfortably enjoy its flops as
11:40well as its triumphs.
11:50Number 7 Hatoful Boyfriend
11:52Yes, it's the pigeon dating sim.
12:02Yes, it's still weird, and yes, it's more enjoyable than a visual novel has any right
12:06to be.
12:07Taking place in a school where everyone else is a large bird while you are a human girl,
12:11you're tasked with… what else?
12:14Forming relationships and finding that special sunbird.
12:26The crazy thing is that the writing, characters, and sense of humor is surprisingly on point.
12:31Don't be shocked if you find yourself on your fifth replay lost in the Hatoful Boyfriend
12:35iceberg with no way to escape.
12:46Number 6 Vampire Knight
12:56The glory days of light gun games came and went by the turn of the century.
12:59Take away the hardware of an arcade cabinet and the overall fun is drastically reduced.
13:03That applies to House of the Dead, Time Crisis, and especially Vampire Knights.
13:07Does that mean we'd still play it if you handed us a light gun?
13:10Of course we would.
13:18This is the best kind of cheesy Sega insanity, horrendous dub included, as a pair of gun-slinging
13:23vampire hunters shoot their way through a castle full of elemental bloodsuckers.
13:27The fact it can be beaten in less than an hour is probably a bonus, depending on how
13:31much you pour or adore this dialogue.
13:37Number 5 Katawa Shoujo
13:47This is something of an oddball entity.
13:50Another visual novel, only this one has a story centered around your character being
13:53diagnosed with a heart condition and sent to a specialized school filled with other
13:57students who have their own set of medical conditions.
14:10Considering this touchy subject matter and the even more touchy-feely R-rated scenes,
14:14this thing could have been a power keg.
14:16However, due to being approached with tactfulness, sensitivity, and some genuinely interesting
14:21characters, it certainly makes for a more charming experience than a crass one.
14:32Number 4 Earth Defense Force Series
14:34If the old monster movies from the 1950s about giant creatures attacking the Earth can be
14:47categorized as guilty pleasures, then the same logic can be applied to these video games
14:51that revolved around the same idea.
14:53You stand as the last line of defense against an onslaught of giant killer bugs attacking
14:57our precious blue planet.
15:06So grab your bazooka and get ready to blow them into a million pieces over and over and
15:11over again.
15:12Considering the amount of sequels it's received, it must be doing something right.
15:24Number 3 Deadly Premonition
15:34The undisputed king of weirdness.
15:36With janky controls and gameplay that feels like an afterthought, you'd think there
15:40was nothing this game could offer to entice players.
15:42While every criticism may be valid, Deadly Premonition is still a door to this day.
15:54Perhaps it's the way the mystery unfolds, how much the characters and the world develop
15:58if you're willing to explore, or maybe it's the thrill of breaking through the game to
16:01complete it.
16:02Whatever the reason, this supernatural head-scratcher is an enigma that defied the odds and will
16:07likely never run out of defenders.
16:15Number 2 Dead or Alive – Extreme Beach Volleyball
16:24The X isn't just for show.
16:26The only reason anyone had the faintest interest in this spin-off series is the jiggle physics.
16:31Taking the already incredibly busty roster of female fighters, putting them in even skimpier
16:35attire and having them throw themselves around while playing volleyball is pure eye candy.
16:39The devs knew it.
16:40The fans knew it.
16:41Here's the thing.
16:42It's actually a pretty fun volleyball game.
16:44With decent mechanics.
16:54Whether you're diving in head-first to enjoy the view or work on your spike, at the very
16:58least you won't be disappointed.
17:00Can't say the same about your immediate family, though.
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17:25Number 1.
17:26HuniePop
17:27It's one of the funniest games in recent memory, and it's about hooking up with every
17:37female character you come across.
17:39It perfectly meshes dating sim elements with tile matching, and you use it to get each
17:43member of your harem into bed.
17:45Loudly, might we add.
17:50Yes, HuniePop is as raunchy as they come, and it knows it.
17:57It's a celebration of all things naughty in the gaming scene, while also making fun of
18:00each of its aspects.
18:01You know what you're in for, so might as well embrace it.
18:04Just make sure you're wearing headphones.
18:10Which game do you stand by despite its flaws?
18:13Let us know in the comments.
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