Re-Play: What can't you play?

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This was published 12 years ago

Re-Play: What can't you play?

As a reviewer, Screen Play often has to play games that I'd prefer not to, but there's only been one game in the last 15 years that I have been unable to play: Manhunt.

After a few hours with the violent stealth game, played with the headset that Rockstar recommended so that the director was really inside my head, I just couldn't play any more.

Despite Manhunt's reputation as a "video nasty", kudos should be given to Rockstar for daring to explore the link between entertainment and violence in a thought-provoking manner, and I'm happy to defend any adult's right to be able to try the game for themselves. But I simply found it too disturbing to continue.

Today Screen Play is interested to hear what other games readers find they cannot stomach playing.

I'm sure violence will be a common theme, but there will be many other reasons why gamers hit the off button or actively avoid certain products on store shelves.

For example, do you ever suffer from motion sickness when playing a first-person shooter?

It is common knowledge in game development circles that Japanese people in particular seem to suffer from motion sickness while playing many popular Western games, particularly those viewed from a first-person perspective or games with rotating cameras.

The Japanese penchant for fixed cameras is not only to enhance a game's cinematic atmosphere, it is often to ensure player's don't feel physically ill. If Western developers want their game to sell in Japan, focus testing during development is mandatory.

Another reason for avoiding certain games might include political beliefs, with games like America's Army and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon often criticised for spreading American military propaganda.

Or perhaps you actively avoid certain publishers or developers because of the way they do their business, such as putting profits ahead of creativity, or because you have been burnt by the poor quality of a previous purchase?

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Some gamers even avoid certain products if they feature a particularly zealous form of copy protection.

What games can't you buy or play?

Re-Play is a series celebrating the Screen Play blog’s fifth anniversary. This article was originally published in Screen Play on May 17, 2007.

Screen Play is on Twitter: @screenplayblog

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