15 Divisive Video Games That Deserve More Love Than Hate

However, Chrono Cross is one of the most intelligent, complex, and innovative JRPGs of an era known for such JRPG experiences. Even if you go into this game with zero expectations set by Chrono Trigger (a remarkable feat), it will take you hours to really feel comfortable with Chrono Cross’ shockingly deep gameplay and complex narrative. Even the game’s creators admitted that they may have gone too far by trying to challenge players in as many ways as this game challenges players. Yet, it’s that very quality that helps make this such a truly special gaming experience. 

8. DmC: Devil May Cry

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that my love for DmC is probably the biggest gaming hill that I will die on. More accurately, it is probably the biggest gaming hill that I will be killed on by a legion of Devil May Cry fans who seemingly hate this game and everything that it represents with every fiber of their being. To be fair, I understand that DmC changed quite a few things about the franchise (to say the least) and that things got pretty bitter between those fans and members of the game’s creative team at one point. 

However, as someone who only casually enjoyed the prior Devil May Cry games (*shock*) I not only respected Ninja Theory’s desire to do something different but genuinely loved what they came up with. While DmC‘s gameplay was certainly simpler than what we saw in previous Devil May Cry games, it offered a finely tuned and enjoyable action experience that was significantly more enjoyable than what numerous other genre titles bother to offer. More importantly, its world design and excellent story penned by Alex Garland (yes, that Alex Garland) would have almost certainly gotten more love if they weren’t associated with the Devil May Cry name. 

7. Death Stranding

When writing about Death Stranding, our own Bernard Boo asked the question “Do Games Need to Be Fun to Be Good?” It’s a seemingly strange question, yet it taps into the heart of the entire Death Stranding discourse. Death Stranding throws a variety of seemingly insurmountable obstacles in your way and then forces you to slowly (so, so slowly) find ways around and through them. Imagine a walking simulator game on an open-world scale that also offers numerous opportunities for you to fail in the most uneventful ways. It can be a lot. 

While I do think that there are times when Hideo Kojima’s worst creative tendencies get in the way of Death Stranding’s brilliance, there is so much about this game that is indeed absolutely brilliant. Few titles tie their gameplay to their broad narrative themes as well as this one, and fewer still are bold enough to do it in a way that requires the sacrifice of traditional gaming pleasures. Yet, when you do succeed in this game, it not only feels rewarding because of the punishments you endured along the way but because of the ways those successes allow you to appreciate the bigger (and more important) picture of the entire experience. 

6. Assassin’s Creed 3

While Assassin’s Creed 3 received fairly positive reviews, the game’s public debut revealed the extent of its divisiveness which continues to define the game’s legacy to this day. Though many of those fan criticisms rightfully pointed out the game’s numerous bugs, much of the backlash centered around the game’s various departures from franchise norms (another recurring theme on this list). Some fans didn’t like Connor as a protagonist, didn’t like the game’s slow narrative build, didn’t like the game’s subversive ending, and even didn’t like AC 3’s defining feature: its unique American Revolution setting.