Team Talk | What’s the biggest game you’ve never played?

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After sharing fantastic franchises that we finally took the time to discover last week, this week we’re discussing the very biggest games that still remain in our piles of shame.

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by Sam Sant

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@SlamShotSam

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by Team PTC

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@pass_controller

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Sam | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

I have a long list of unplayed classics to choose from, but settling on Ocarina of Time was actually pretty easy, since it’s objectively the greatest if reviews are anything to go by. This undisputed Nintendo 64 banger still holds the title of most critically - and perhaps also commercially - revered videogame ever. Considering games are my favourite entertainment medium and consuming entertainment is my preferred pastime, it’s a bit of a travesty that I haven’t played it in all honesty.

The main reason it passed me by was my lack of an N64 growing up, or even access to one, but to put it down to just that would be passing the buck. I’ve owned the 3DS version for several years, after all, though wrapping my huge hands around the unergonomic original model which I own quickly causes a crippling sort of cramp. That might sound like a lame excuse when it comes to skipping potentially the best game of all time, but that’s exactly the point - I don’t want any distractions to hamper the long-awaited experience.

Stick that bad boy on Switch, or gimme a 3DS XL for peanuts, and I’ll be there like green on Tingle!

Chris | Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption was almost perfect (except for that one achievement), so it seems reasonable to assume that a sequel would be just as good, if not better. I’d like to think, in that case, that there are many possible reasons for why I’d have skipped over Rockstar’s latest entry.

If I were to really analyse myself, I might come to the conclusion that huge sandbox games require a significant time investment to get the most out of, and that’s pretty intimidating. We all want to feel like we've got our money's worth from whatever purchases we make - I mean, you wouldn't buy Babybel cheese and not eat the delicious wax, would you? No, because you aren't a crazy person. In the same vein, it would be wasteful to buy Red Dead Redemption 2 and not get lost in it for, say, 18 hours at a time.

Alternatively, I could’ve come to the realisation that almost every game I purchase is later given away by a digital storefront or subscription service, sometimes mere days after the cash has left my wallet.

So, is it real life getting in the way? Do I have poor time management skills? Am I a shameless cheapskate? Yes, but I did also forget it existed as soon as the advertising stopped...

Liam | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Incredible. Sumptuous. Immense. Sequel. These are just some of the words used to describe what many people regard as the pinnacle of modern gaming: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. I wouldn’t know, however, as I’ve never actually played it.

There’s really no reason for me not to rectify that, because it can be found cheap as chips these days, and despite the many distractions of modern life I still find time to play other RPGs, even if they’re not as celebrated… such as Fallout 76.

It’s not like I’m completely unfamiliar with the game’s characters and setting either. I know of Geralt, Dandelion, Yennefer and co. from the books, and I even dabbled in The Witcher 2, though I admittedly never got past the part where you fight the weird salamander-dragon-type-thing on a bridge.

Unlike Fallout 76 though, which I expected to be rubbish and was pleasantly surprised to find wasn’t, if I played The Witcher 3 now I’d be going in with how good everyone says it is on the mind. Knowing that, I’m not sure I could keep my lofty expectations in check.

That’s probably a terrible reason not to try it, but then I like Fallout 76, so what do I know?

James | The Elder Scrolls

Anyone who's been following my Team Talk entries of late might be beginning to notice a pattern. A few weeks ago, I told you about how I struggled to get into the sprawling world of Red Dead Redemption 2, and now it's time to turn our attention to a fellow gaming legend in Skyrim.

While I've dabbled in Bethesda's work with the most recent Fallout titles, The Elder Scrolls games have always eluded me because, frankly, they’re intimidating. Countless others have enjoyed them for hundreds of hours - playing out entire virtual lives encompassing marriage, real estate and the like - across not just Skyrim, but Oblivion and Morrowind as well.

It's not that fantasy doesn't appeal, as Dragon Age and The Witcher have been popular pastimes of mine over the years, but something about the sci-fi side of Bethesda Game Studios’ brand of RPG seems altogether more accessible.

Is there a way for me to begin this epic quest after all these years? It's not as if it’d be difficult to get hold of, given the number of platforms the game has been released on now… but where to even begin? With so many expansions and ways to play, surely nothing can live up to the perfect picture others have painted for me, right?

Skyrim is definitely still worth experiencing, as Sam discovered when he first played the game in VR form.

Rob | Metal Gear

Before I get into my pick, I have to say that blaming a gross case of shovel-hand for missing out on the #BestGameEVA is a bloody outrage! AN OUTRAGE, I TELLS YA! Stop playing all those JRPGs you love so much and get your anus to Hyrule, Sam!

… Now, onto my own heinous confession, which PlayStation chums should probably strap in for. I, Bobby Holt, have never played a Metal Gear game.

“But our Bob,” I hear thee protest, “Kojima is LORD!” Thanks for filling me in, I’d never heard that before...

To add a little context: I didn’t own a PS1 until after its demise, likewise with the PS2, and it was pretty much the same with PS3, except I got one of those when The Last of Us came out right at the end. But - and it’s a big one - I did purchase Ground Zeroes in a sale just before the initial announcement of Death Stranding, and this is where my problems began.

I’d loved the look of Ground Zeroes, as well as big brother Metal Gear Solid V, so with all the critical acclaim I was (as we say in SAAFAMPTUN) well up for it, mush. Then that nonsense Death Stranding trailer dropped, which, along with the daft name, tarnished my desire to sample dear Hideo’s work.

Here's the offending trailer in all its glory.

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What's the biggest game you've never played? Share your shameful secrets in the comments below.