Nov. 18, 2022 will finally see the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, introducing the world to the ninth generation of Pokémon. When a franchise has been growing and developing for so long, it's natural that some players think they missed their chance to get on board, and now it might be too late.
Pokémon is far from the only franchise or game with this issue, with other huge ones including the Assassin's Creed series and Skyrim which both became huge phenomena that not everyone managed to get in on in time. A lot of Redditors felt this way about certain games and these are some of their top picks.
Harvest Moon/Story Of Seasons
Since the very first Harvest Moon game for the Super Nintendo, the Story of Seasons series has turned into one of the top titles when it comes to lighthearted farming games with social and RPG elements. Unfortunately, there's one big reason why Redditors like Bitter_Disaster6446 feel they missed out on their chance to get into the game.
That's the existence of Stardew Valley, the excellent pixel-art indie game that has exactly the same aim but with plenty more player-friendly and quality-of-life features that make Story of Seasons "really hard to enjoy" in comparison. Whilst the Story of Seasons series continues to develop in its own way, it's hard to get invested when both options exist.
Assassin's Creed
With Assassin's Creed Valhalla launching the series to new heights and exciting projects in the works including the intriguingly stripped-back Assassin's Creed Mirage and the mysterious Assassin's Creed Infinity project, there's arguably never been a better time to be a fan of the franchise.
It could also be a little bit too overwhelming for an outsider though. Redditor Kithyen comments that the Assassin's Creed games "look fun but I never got around to playing a single one." The series has 12 main series titles alone, some stretching to well over 100 hours in length, and it would be a lot easier to take it all in if the player has been invested from the start.
Dark Souls
Elden Ring has been easily one of the biggest releases of 2022 and since the game so perfectly lived up to the hype, it's renewed interest in the Dark Souls trilogy that came before it. The devilishly difficult games are often ranked as some of the best action RPGs ever made by fans but it's understandable that some players think they missed their chance to ever enjoy them.
Redditor The_mailmancer is one of those players and comments that since they're "done with my try hard phase," they most likely lost their chance to ever get into a series renowned for its difficulty. Whilst that hasn't stopped many from enjoying Elden Ring, the added drawback of the age and comparative clunkiness of the Dark Souls games mean many will simply accept that they missed out.
Skyrim
With the release of Elder Scrolls 6 seemingly still a lifetime away, it's hard to believe that it's been just over a decade since Skyrim first exploded in popularity, far surpassing Oblivion and Morrowind, and gained the massive status it still enjoys today. When it was at its peak, Skyrim was inescapable so it's no surprise many still recommend it to newcomers to the series.
Redditor xXSkeletonQueenXx was one of those late newcomers and found that, despite having enjoyed The Elder Scrolls Online, they "just can’t bring myself to play them" because "they’re older and more clunky." Even the special editions can't hide the game's age and it sadly means some will never know why Skyrim was as popular as it was.
Skies Of Arcadia
Though things like the Nintendo Switch Online emulator and the higher number of remakes and remasters on the market mean that it's often possible to revisit older games even for players who were far too young to have enjoyed them much at the time, it's still far easier just to play newer titles. For Redditor Mihyei, there's one game they wished they could have enjoyed to its fullest when it was new.
That game is Skies of Arcadia for the Dreamcast, a critically acclaimed RPG about a young air pilot tasked with saving the world from an evil empire, as they "played it but never finished" when they were a child. Lacking the means to revisit the game, they are resigned to never getting the satisfaction of finally beating it, something many gamers can relate to.
Pokémon
Whether it was the first wave of popularity with Pokémon Red and Green, the resurgence thanks to the anime, or even the world-conquering fun of Pokémon Go, few series have offered more chances to get invested than Pokémon. For some, however, this only makes it seem like a more daunting prospect to get into.
That's why Redditor gloopiee admits they're one of the few that the massive franchise hasn't reached, as they put forward "Pokemon" as the game they missed the boat on. Many fans are happy to welcome newcomers and offer tips to Pokémon beginners but, for some, the sheer size of the series will always make it feel inaccessible.
Crusader Kings II
One of the biggest things that can make outsiders feel like they may have missed the boat on a game is when everything seems so complicated that it's hard to even know where to start with it. With its technical language and demanding gameplay mechanics, that applies to the entire grand strategy game genre.
For Redditor SoulFearer, that became clear when they tried to play Crusader Kings II and ended up being "super overwhelmed by everything." Whilst Crusader Kings III is considered one of the better grand strategy games for beginners, every title in the series has a learning curve which means not everyone interested in the genre will be able to pick it up.
Fallout
Often the worst part about the feeling of having missed the boat on a certain game or franchise is seeing exactly why it's so highly rated but knowing it's still too late to get involved. Redditor xisaloser acknowledges that the early Fallout titles are fascinating thanks to "the complexity of the world and the choices," but sadly knows they "will never ever pick them up myself."
When it comes to the level of clunky or dated gameplay a person can endure, everyone is different but the badly-aged isometric gameplay of Fallout 1 and 2 is a step too far for many. Unfortunately, that also means accepting that they missed their chance to enjoy one of the defining RPGs of the genre.
Minecraft
As a video game that's been ubiquitous ever since its release, some may find it hard to believe that there are gamers that have never even touched Minecraft. That only heightens the feeling for Redditors like ruby_nights that they may have completely missed the boat on the creative sandbox game.
After not picking it up when the game first blew up, they say they "just feel too separate from age group who plays it now." Minecraft has no shortage of young fans which has somewhat influenced its image but the endless possibilities offered by the game mean it's one where anyone can have fun playing with friends. Though it remains an insanely popular game, some players think the time to pick it up has simply passed.
Persona 5
JRPGs have a reputation for being absurdly long games and having quirks that basically don't exist outside of the genre so it's no surprise that some think they're impossible to get into at this point. Redditor TheLadderStabber tried their best to get into Persona 5 but admits they "just moved on to other games after playing for fifty hours with no end in sight."
With its uniquely stylish presentation, Persona 5 is an appealing game but not everyone has patience for a game that demands so much of the player's time. Fans of the series will say that the story is more than worth persevering for but, to outsiders, it's hard to imagine how.