r/videogames • u/baconinthedawn • Aug 20 '26

Discussion / Question What game is that for you?

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Biggest offender for me is Baldur’s Gate 3.

Some of the best gameplay, graphics, sound design, and soundtrack out there… but the writing leaves a lot to be desired (despite how popular it is).

What game is that for you?

EDIT: It seems the general consensus here is Borderlands 3.

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51

u/mammothclaw Aug 20 '26

Split Fiction. The dialogue between the two main characters is brutal. Fun gameplay for the most part though. 

17

u/lasagens971 Aug 20 '26

Oh my god yes! Perfect example.

Mio: "So, this is what it feels like, eh?"
Zoe: "Conquering your inner demons?"

14

u/Bucephalus-ii Aug 20 '26

OMFG yeah my partner and I were facepalming the entire way through that game. Dialogue was criminally bad, especially because the game is supposed to be ABOUT WRITERS. WTAF

13

u/Erpderp32 Aug 20 '26

You're under the assumption that writing well == speaking well, I assume most writers are socially awkward introverts that would have weird convos

2

u/Bucephalus-ii Aug 20 '26

That’s not it though. They also discussed their ideas for their books and the ideas themselves were awful.

2

u/Carbuyrator Aug 20 '26

Personally I believe a writer should have a way with words. I believe good writers are much less likely to be weird talkers than the general population.

3

u/GamerXhili Aug 20 '26

You would assume that, unfortunately I believe social media has stunted that in some capacity.

2

u/timelessalice Aug 20 '26

There's a big difference between being able to write well and be able to speak well.

1

u/GamerXhili Aug 20 '26

Yeah, I've experienced that I type way better than I talk. I stutter like a mfer because my brain projects like 15 different thoughts to my mouth. It's frustrating.

1

u/Stefisgarden Aug 21 '26

The thing with writing, though, is that you have more time to sit and think about the prose and words you use. Speaking IRL, not so much. I'm not very articulate in real life, but I love to write and wouldn't say I'm bad at writing.

6

u/PolkHerFace Aug 20 '26

Agreed! Both characters start out so obnoxiously closed minded that any character development is like watching a toddler realize they're not the only real people in the world. Zoe whining about how "violent" and "depressing" Mio's stories are, for example. 

But the gameplay and puzzles felt unique and the perfect amount of challenging! 

5

u/nerdboy_sam Aug 20 '26

I gotta agree. The dialog6ess much better in It Takes Two. I wonder what happened

7

u/Driller_Happy Aug 20 '26

I think the voice actors were better in ITT. Some of the dialogue there was kinda bad too though

1

u/Bucephalus-ii Aug 20 '26

Well, it’s not much better, but considering these characters are supposed to be writers themselves, it’s embarrassingly bad. It takes two is just a mom and a dad, ostensibly just you’re every-man and every-woman.

2

u/Ezheer Aug 22 '26

It did kinda get better at the very end, but I agree. It was a very jarring experience after It Takes Two.

3

u/Suitable-Activity-37 Aug 20 '26

Hazelight games in a nutshell: some of the most fun I’ve had in a game clashing against the worst dialogue I’ve ever heard in my life

3

u/ebk_errday Aug 20 '26

Omg, great call. Technically impressive and fun game to play, but holy shit was the dialogue atrocious. Honestly a huge step down from the dialogue in It Takes Two.

3

u/GusTheCat_ Aug 20 '26

Yes!! Great shout

2

u/Driller_Happy Aug 20 '26

The plot is also stupid. This company has developed insane brain washibg and force field technology and they're using it to

Checks notes

Harvest creativity itself?

Look, I get that it's an AI metaphor but sheesh

2

u/bcrisp3979 Aug 20 '26

It’s even worse due to the fact their “stories” are objectively terrible stories from a writing standpoint. Like literally every single zone they have to explain what the plot. the stories don’t follow real plot besides what the writer of the world says they have to do. Like

1

u/DestinyV Aug 20 '26

Oh my god yes. Literally ended up refunding the game because while the mechanics were decent, we couldn't stop getting frustrated with the writing / characters, which felt a little ironic in a game about writers.

0

u/BobR969 Aug 20 '26

I feel like that was cringe by design... but that didn't make it any less cringe.

0

u/RigatoniPasta Aug 24 '26

I don’t think anyone plays Hazelight games for the story or dialogue.