It goes without saying that, if we are going to pay a huge chunk of our disposable income to play a game, we want that game to be good.
We want a polished, thoughtful, and memorable game that appeals to fans and newcomers alike. Which, as any gamer will know, isn’t something you can guarantee in the world of gaming.
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There is safety in buying games with great reviews, set formats, and established catalogs. But, without risk, there is rarely innovation. But equally, with innovation comes a whole load of jank.
That being said, jank doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Jank can be endearing, funny, and interesting. Which, if nothing else, makes the games in question memorable. Some games allow for this jank, and arguably are better for it.
So, in defense of janky games, here are some fine examples of games that are wonky in places, but we still love them anyway.
10Elden Ring
Put Those Foolish Ambitions To Rest
Elden Ring
A bold start, I know. But hear me out on this one.
Elden Ring is undoubtedly an amazing game, one of the best of all time even. But, that doesn’t mean that this game doesn’t come loaded with a whole stack of jank. In fact, all FromSoft souls games have jank, but due to the open-world format, Elden Ring had more than most.
Granted, a lot of this has been slowly but surely patched out, but on release, this game had that quintessential FromSoft wonkiness in areas that fans have adored for well over a decade now.
The game is polished where it matters, offering refined combat, traversal, and visuals. But, on the flip side, you have bosses that can be completely cheesed or bypassed in silly and surreal ways.
Yet what some gaming fans would see as mistakes, the souls community sees as fun little features to seek out and exploit. Souls games don’t fight fair, so why the hell should you?
9Sonic Heroes
Three’s Company
Sonic Heroes
When it comes to janky but inexplicably enjoyable Sonic games, you’re pretty spoiled for choice, in all honesty, as the Sonic series has been cursed with a string of games that have gone big and underdelivered in comparison to the retro 2D titles of old.
Sonic Adventures 2 was a very close second in our books, but for us, the pick of the bunch has to be the broken but beloved classic, Sonic Heroes.
This one offered a blend of fast-paced action and methodical platforming in a 3D format, which was still something yet to be perfected by the Sonic franchise, and Sonic Heroes aimed to do this with by having you control the famous trio at once.
It was clunky, cumbersome, and temperamental when moving at pace. Yet, thanks to some redeeming qualities, many still look back fondly at this Sonic outing.
ThankfullySonic titles have since upped their game, but for a while, this level of quality was the best we could hope for.
8The Last Guardian
Who’s A Good Boy?
The Last Guardian
Remember what I said about jank and innovation going hand in hand? Well, when it comes to games made by Team Ico, that couldn’t be more the case.
With games like Shadow of the Colossus and Ico effectively crafting games unlike anything seen within the medium before, it was inevitable that things would be a little askew in places, but by and large, these games were refined and polished treasures.
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The same can’t quite be said of The Last Guardian, which is a game that pretty much defines the term, flawed gem.
There are so many unique ideas on offer here, especially concerning the AI present as you command, or try to command, your reluctant companion Trico.
However, a lot of the time, your strange doggo won’t behave as they should, leading to silly and frustrating moments. Yet, if you stick with it as many did, you’ll find that this game is just as charming and profound as Team Ico’s other works.
7Dragon Age: Origins
Where It All Began
Dragon Age
Dragon Age as a series is enjoying a return to form of sortsthanks to the success of DA: The Veilguard,and many feel that this success is mainly due to the departure fromthe series' CRPG roots.However, despite the inherent jankiness of the original DA game, it remains my personal favorite by a distance.
To say that the combat is far from intuitive would be putting it mildly, and to say that the visuals weren’t even on par with the standard at the time of release would also be a little too kind. Yet, despite these clear flaws, we all adored this Bioware fantasy RPG.
This was mainly because the Bioware ‘storytelling with consequences’ approach was alive and well, making each relationship, encounter and choice feel like it had weight and relevance.
It’s a game with amazing moments, but equally, one with a lot of pain points to endure. However, if you want to play the Dragon Age game that best represents a true RPG experience, then this is the one.
6Mass Effect
It’s Mako Me Crazy
Mass Effect
Oh, what the hell? If we’re going to talk about Bioware jank, we might as well talk about Mass Effect while the going’s good.
Just to be clear, we are only making reference to the original Mass Effect as the second and third atoned for a lot of the sins of the original. But alas, even with a Legendary Trilogy Remaster, the first game remains a rather janky affair.
I could talk about the bland and repetitive level design and the rather dated, lackluster combat. But really, there’s only one thing anyone ever talks about when referencing Mass Effect 1’s jank: the Mako.
These vehicular-based missions were about as bad as it gets. The thing basically had tank controls, and even if you could get over the poor controls, none of the planets you roamed in this thing were actually worth exploring.
The Mako missions effectively kept you back from what made the game special. The characters, the RPG elements, the choices, and the epic quests. But yet, if you ask any fan, they’ll tell you that ME1 is still well worth playing to this day.
5STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Welcome to the Zone
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
I hear you; you want something fresh, new, and loaded with jank. Well, consider your wish granted, as we need to talk about the Eurojank smash hit, STALKER 2.
Despite being a game that has been marred with a litany of bugs,technical issues,graphical irregularities, progression-blocking bugs and more,it still managed to attract more than 100,000 playerson launch, and has kept that pace up since, more or less.
It’s a game that shoots for the stars with some of the most audacious, alienating, and atmospheric open-world design you’ll find in any game on the market. But due to this ambition, you’ll never have to wait long before something happens, and you’ll ask yourself, ‘Was that a bug or a feature.’
Heck, I personally got a blast from the past playing this one, as I was treated to a real retro bug, which was so stupid that it was endearing. An honest-to-goodness T-pose. I missed you, old friend.
It’s hardly surprising that many folks have made allowances for this jank, as Shadow of Chornobyl was very much cut from the same cloth, but in this era of safe-as-houses games saturating the market, it still warms my heart to see.
4What Remains Of Edith Finch
As Cursed As The Family
What Remains of Edith Finch
I always get myself in trouble talking about this beloved indie darling, but here I am again, sullying its good name. But, if you look deep down inside yourself, you have to admit. This game is just a patchwork quilt of janky gameplay concepts.
Don’t get me wrong, its a rather atmospheric game, a very emotive game, and one that tells incredible stories in microcosm. However, the medium with which they present each story of the Finch family members is via a janky vertical slice that feels like a half-baked idea.
Whether it’s the absolutely ludicrous section where you tumble down a hill controlling a Shark, the segment where you fly a kite in a storm, or control a little baby playing in the bath. Each feels like a cumbersome and bumbling attempt at gameplay.
I must hammer home; the emotion and storytelling present in each scene are top-notch. But, if any of these ideas were fleshed out into real games, they’d be bargain bin fodder, and that’s being kind.
Skate & Destroy
Skating games have always had a penchant for silliness. Whether it be the THPS series' arcade-style gameplay as you spine transfer down the side of skyscrapers, or enjoy OlliOlli’s vibrant on-rails experience. However, I don’t think anyone would argue that Skate 3 is the epitome of virtual skating stupidity.
Skate 3 is a game that is still beloved by fans today for its blend of down-to-earth and realistic skating controls, married with the absolutely farcical physics engine that allows you to launch yourself for miles, backflip with ease, and much more.
Naturally, this loose physics engine has been utilized by players to offer some of the most surreal gaming clips of all time. Such as theever-fruitful thread of ‘Atheists, explain this’ clips.
It’s a game that doesn’t buff out its sharp edges, and it’s all the better for it, offering a skating experiencethat remains one of the finest in existence.
2The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Have You Seen Armand Christophe?
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
I promised myself that I would only include one Bethesda game on this list because, quite frankly,Morrowind, Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas,andStarfieldcould have easily slotted in here. However, when it comes to jank, there’s just no competing with Oblivion.
This is largely down to the Radiant AI system that is baked right into the bread of this title, and while it was revolutionary at the time, it makes returning to Cyrodill today a tough ask.
NPC conversations would often be hilariously surreal and awkward exchanges, Imperial Guards would often fight random citizens of the city for no reason, and that barely scratches the surface in terms of the genuinely ridiculous stuff this game has to offer.
Yet, when you strip away the silly AI, underneath, you’ll find some of the coolest questlines in TES history, you’ll enjoy one of the finest gaming soundtracks of all time, and you’ll get to explore some of the most memorable RPG locales on record.
As I said, Oblivion in today’s modern era is a tough ask, but try it at least; it might surprise you.
1Super Mario 64
Mario Walked So Others Could Run
Super Mario 64
Then, finally, we have a game that effectively forged a path for all 3D games that would come thereafter. But, in doing so, they had to act as pioneers, blindly dancing to the beat of their own drum.
It’s indisputable that they achieved massive success in doing so, but without a blueprint, jank was bound to be present.
Playing Super Mario 64 today, especially if you are not of that era, will feel completely alien, as the movement tech feels unlike anything that came before or after, yet somehow feels incredibly robust and fluid once you get the hang of it.
Then you also have the camera operated by Lakitus, who never quite knows where to be in relation to the mustachioed plumber on screen.
Yet despite these clear flaws, Super Mario 64 remains one of the most popular platformers in existence and has a thriving speedrunning community, has memorable moments that still feel special in reference to what’s on offer today, and is still considered a seminal, bucket-list game.
It’s fair to say that without Super Mario 64, gaming wouldn’t be where it is today, so even if it is a little janky, do play this one and pay homage to a piece of gaming history.
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