If you think great storytelling in games is reserved for a select few like The Last of Us or Red Dead Redemption 2, think again. Some of the most emotionally resonant, character-driven, or just plain wild narratives come from games you might’ve forgotten—or never thought of as narrative-first to begin with.

Every gamer has that game—the one everyone raves about, the one critics give perfect scores, the one your friends insist will “click” if you just give it more time. But no matter how many second chances you give it, you just…don’t love it. Today, we’re diving into exactly those heartbreakers: the games we desperately wish we loved, but couldn’t.