We all start a game with hope in our hearts that this time, this might be the one! The game that will consume my evenings and maybe give my life a new meaning. But sometimes reality hits, and after a few hours in, that hopeful sparkle fades, and what’s left is a $60 mistake, and trust me, it’s the worst feeling EVER.
So, here are some games I’ve dropped, and why doing so was not just self-care, but a necessity.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2
Dropped at: Hour 14
Why: This slow-paced storyline killed every desire I had for the game, plus the drama!
Excuse: I wanted cowboy chaos. I got a melancholic existential drama instead.
Don’t get me wrong, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a masterpiece. However, the pace of the story is so slow, and that’s something not everyone will be happy with.
I admire Arthur Morgan’s moral conflict, but the cinematic storytelling left me cold. The times when I felt I was watching a movie were way too many, and that’s a big no for me when it comes to a game.
P.S.: Also, that horse pooping animation was… too much (sorry, not sorry)!
2. The Sims 4
Dropped at: Hour 26 (again)
Why: Spent more time installing mods than playing the game.
Excuse: This time, I will actually play and won’t just build houses.
The Sims 4 and I have a big history. Someone could say that the relationship between me and the game is complicated. Every time I start playing a game, I have a vision in mind.
Last time, I wanted to create a family of farmers, but what I did instead was download a bunch of mods, built one haunted villa, spent three hours dressing a Sim, and then rage-quit because they died trying to make grilled cheese, AGAIN!
Playing The Sims 4 with a target in mind is very difficult. There are so many distractions, especially when it comes to building houses, that without noticing, you will do something completely different. All that is fine if you are not me, with only 3 hours available to spare on my free time gaming. If you know, you know.
3. Aion Classic
Dropped at: Hour 84
Why: Because nostalgia hits different when you realize you’re grinding the same mobs from 2009.
Excuse: I just wanted to fly again and have some fun PvP.
The good old days were probably never that good. The PvP is still sweaty, the grind is still brutal, and my soul left my body after my 8th hour in Beluslan (I will always be a proud Asmodian no matter what) with no mount, no money, and no drop.
At least my tiny little character and her wings looked cute.
4. Throne and Liberty
Dropped at: Hour 4
Why: I logged in ready to be a fantasy hero and logged out feeling like a broke wizard with a stick.
Excuse: I heard “MMO with cool transformations and epic battles.” What I got was a passive skill rotation, 90% auto-pathing, and the realization that every quest was “kill 7 boars, report to Brenda.”
Throne and Liberty has beautiful graphics and a huge world to explore. But that’s not something you can’t find in any other game, and of course, it’s not enough to make you stay. Unfortunately, the game is unplayable for at least 100 reasons.
For me, the reasons were slightly more because I got pissed and I started getting annoyed with everything! I know, that’s totally unfair for the game. But hey, everyone reacts differently to things that trigger you.
Moral of The Story
Dropping a game doesn’t mean you’re a quitter. It means you’re respecting your time and, most importantly, your sanity. Not every title needs to be a 200-hour commitment. Sometimes it’s okay to let a game go and whisper, “You did not spark joy.”
And if you’re still holding on to a game you secretly hate because you might go back someday? Just let it go. What will happen most likely is that once you get back to it, you will hate it again after a while.
What games have you rage-quit, or quietly uninstalled? Let me know in the comments, and let’s cry together for these dead hopes. At the end of the day, misery loves company. If you enjoyed this emotional detox of a post, consider sharing it with a fellow gamer who struggles with some games. We’re all in the same boat, after all.
