Games don't tend to age as gracefully as works from other mediums such as books, plays, or films. Great stories may age like fine wine, but hardware limitations make it hard to return to certain gaming classics. Some games fell short of what they set out to do on the gameplay front, but made up for that in other areas.

RELATED: 10 Video Games That Are More Story Than Game

Other titles managed to be well-regarded in their initial release, only for their gameplay to become obsolete with the shifting sands of time. While these games aren't much fun to actually play, the characters that inhabit them may drive players to press on regardless.

10 Horace's Eponymous Hero Deserves A Better Game

Horace Game Cropped

This narrative-heavy 2D platformer from Paul Helman and Sean Scaplehorn has a lot of charm. Horace puts players in control of a small sentient robot whose child-like naïveté is starkly contrasted with the humans, who have different agendas and prejudices.

The plot is akin to films such as Short Circuit and Being There, with a robotic being going on a decades-spanning journey, befriending several characters and learning the nature of humanity in the process. If only the platforming matched the quality of the writing, as the physics aren't accurate enough for the Herculean tasks the game imposes on players.

9 Dogs Bower Bolsters Blue Stinger's Campy Humor

Blue Stinger Dogs Bower Santa Suit Cropped

Blue Stinger for the Sega Dreamcast earned its share of ire for its spotty controls, dreadful vocal performances, and frustrating design. However, it found a new life thanks to its gruff and ludicrously named secondary protagonist - Dogs Bower. From the little cackle he makes when picking up items to his tendency to shout "gotcha!" when selected, this character excels at tickling those funny bones.

Just when players think they've seen everything, Dogs manages to find a way to catch them completely off guard by putting on a Santa suit in one scene and taking a bath with his comrade while a monster is on the loose in another.

8 Deadly Premonition Idiosyncratic Detective Earned It A Cult Following

Director Swery65 has built a reputation for delightfully oddball titles that are held back by a few technical and gameplay flaws. The game that put the developer on the map was the hybrid of open-world and survival horror, Deadly Premonition.

Although the game's mechanics are very unpolished and much of it is highly derivative of other works such as David Lynch's Twin Peaks, Detective Francis York Morgan's idiosyncratic personality stuck a cord with gamers during its initial 2010 release. Despite its polarized reception, the game acquired a cult following that paved the way for its sequel.

7 Mr. Bones Is An Uneven, But Interesting Title

Mr. Bones Sega Saturn Cropped

Before Rockstar San Diego made a name for themselves with their Red Dead titles, they used to be known as Angel Studios. One of their earliest works was an unconventional Sega Saturn title known as Mr. Bones. The gameplay shifted from level to level with platforming challenges, rhythm sequences, and even a section where players had to tell jokes to placate an angry guard.

RELATED: 10 Best Sega Saturn Games Of All Time

Unfortunately, the duds greatly outweigh the genuinely fun levels. On the upside, the title character is very likable thanks to a tongue-in-cheek script and a lively vocal performance by Fitz Houston.

6 Skullmonkeys' Presentation Outshines Its Rudimentary Platforming

skullmonkeys Cropped

The Neverhood was well-received by most publications, but it floundered financially. Faced with the changing demands of the gaming market, its sequel, Skullmonkeys, represented a massive departure from its graphic adventure roots to deliver an action platformer.

Given Doug TenNapel's history with titles such as Earthworm Jim, the shift didn't sound too bad on paper. Unfortunately, dull gameplay and frustrating trial and error design make it hard to recommend. It's a shame because while the tone is considerably more cynical, it still boasts The Neverhood's unique brand of comedy and endearing protagonist, Klaymen.

5 Oddworld Munch's Oddysee Is Held back By Repetitive Design

Oddworld Munch's Oddysee Cropped-1

Munch's Oddysee attempted to take the formula established in the first two Oddworld titles into the third dimension. However, lovable underdog Abe played a secondary role in this adventure, shifting the focus to a new hero – the eponymous Munch.

RELATED: 10 Video Games With The Best Social Commentary

The last of an aquatic species known as gabbots, Munch learns that the eggs of his kind are enjoyed as a delicacy known as gabiar – the last can of which is being sold in an upcoming auction. The social satire and storytelling is so strong that players may be willing to slog through the repetitive running, collecting, and tossing that plague the game's samey levels.

4 MedEvil Has Aged Like Its Decomposed Hero

MediEvil for the original PlayStation won the hearts of players during its initial 1998 release for its dark comedy, creative puzzles, and action platforming. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to this title. While the narrative and humor still hold up, the game's combat is as clumsy as its resurrected hero.

Players' best tactic is to flail wildly and hope their foes keel over before Dan does. The game's lack of checkpoints and frustrating camera certainly doesn't help. Despite his lackluster titles, Sir Daniel Fortesque has earned his place in the gaming Hall of Heroes and may hopefully gain a title that's truly worthy of his greatness.

3 Legacy Of Kain Defiance Talks Better Than It Fights

The Legacy of Kain games have always been lauded for their complex narratives and morally ambiguous protagonists. However, even among its ardent fans, the gameplay of those titles is rarely brought up with as much reverence.

Defiance tried to shake things up a bit with a revamped combat system that took more than a few cues from Devil May Cry, but it only showcased the series' most significant drawbacks, such as the camera. Despite this, Kain and Raziel are still compelling anti-heroes whose witticisms and Machiavellian manipulations compel players to see their titles through to the end.

2 Pathologic Does Its Job Too Well

A character from Pathologic pointing into the distance

Pathologic takes players on a harrowing journey that drags them to the depths of depravity and forces them to make tough moral choices. Players choose from three characters with their own agendas, strengths, and flaws. These poor souls are then tasked with exploring a small rural town afflicted with a deadly plague.

Detractors say that the game does its job too well by sacrificing fun for the sake of making players feel the characters' desperation and dread. As a result, combat is sluggish and largely luck-based, resources are very scarce, and the plague that causes health to decrease is ever-present.

1 Dragon Age II's Writing Shines Above Its Many Faults

Dragon Age II was widely regarded by fans and critics to be a bit of a disappointment with the limited character customization, lengthy loading times, and revamped combat facing the most scrutiny. However, for all the game's faults, its writing was certainly not one of them.

Bioware games have always had a gift for crafting compelling characters bolstered by verbose and colorful dialogue, and Dragon Age II proved to be no exception. Many players professed their love of the silver-tongued rogue, and unreliable narrator Varric, whose relationship with Hawke can vary depending on their choices.

NEXT: 10 Shooter Protagonists Better Than Master Chief, Ranked