As part of my displaced game challenge for the month of March, I have been tackling some open world games from my backlog. Nearly none were as highly anticipated (for me) as Fallout 3.

From everything I’d read and seen of the game, I just knew I’d love it. I have the game of the year edition, as well as the game of the year game guide.

I was hyped and ready.

But then things went off the rails. Sometimes they do that.

I fully understand some games (I’m looking at you RPGs!) take a while to get into. The set up for a huge story takes time. So when I started Fallout 3 I noticed I was sort of…bored. And I am never bored. But I thought, hey! Keep on trucking and you will see what all the fuss is about!

So I kept on trucking.

And after four hours or so, I just didn’t get it. I wanted to get it, believe you me, but it never clicked for me.

And this was disappointing.

Even now, I want to like it. I want to suddenly be driven to pick it back up and magically understand what I was previously missing. Even posting the images to this piece got me excited all over again. But then I remember the slow moving. The conversations that confused me because I had no idea what people were talking about. The combat that left a bit to be desired. The plodding nature of figuring out all these systems.

I even sat down with the game guide for an hour or so just trying to give myself a leg up on whatever I was missing.

All it did was make me sleepy.

The whole thing is rather confusing. Every bit of evidence (except for what I’ve actually played) seems to prove to me that I would love this game. The art, the story, the whole glorious package. So sure was I that I would love Fallout series, that I actually bought not only Fallout New Vegas (the Ultimate Edition, no less), but also the Fallout New Vegas game guide.

So, as you see, I was sure I would love these games. And I’m still sure I want to. I just don’t seem to be able to.

I have had multiple people explain the wonders of the Fallout series to me, and I’ve been right there with them in excitement.

I just can’t seem to stick the landing when it comes to my enjoyment of the game.

Does it mean I will stop trying? Heck no.

Something remotely similar happened when I finally played through Gone Home. From everything I’d seen and read, it seemed like something I would quite enjoy. The reality was a bit different.

(moderate spoilers)

Perhaps because of what I’d read of the game (and this could be entirely my misunderstanding), I had an idea of what would be at the end. I figured it would be of a more macabre nature. And when I finally ascended into the attic, it wasn’t remotely what I expected.

I wanted to have enjoyed it more than I did. I’m not really sure what to do about that.

I sort of feel like it’s just me. That part of me doesn’t round out the math equation of what it seems I might like and what I will actually like. I don’t know if there’s anything to be done about that.

One day I will go back to Fallout 3 and force myself (if I have to) to get further along in it. I feel compelled to give it just one more fair shake. I need to do that for myself.

Are there any games you’ve thought you would enjoy but then didn’t? What did you do? Did you play through it anyway? Did you put it aside after a stretch? Let’s talk about it. I’m all digital ears.