The Rage-Quit. It exists in all challenging pursuits. It’s the bane of sportsmanship and personal growth. But damn does it feel good sometimes! Even if the instant regret overwhelms when a tennis racket, controller, or friendship pays the price. And if you quit in a rage, chances are you’re done with whatever challenge you were facing. At least for a while. Even without raging though, sometimes you’ll quit something quietly. Maybe out of disappointment; maybe out of boredom. And yet, every so often you’ll circle back and wonder why you ever stopped in the first place. Usually with new resolve. I think the love you wind up having for that game or challenge can be the strongest kind.

The first session I played of Horizon: Zero Dawn was full of promise. By the time I got to the game, it had gained tons of fans and notoriety. Hell, it went toe-to-toe as an open-world archery game against Breath of The Wild. But the very first Watcher I came across continually dominated me. An enemy that was meant to be served to you on a platter as tutorial meat. It would have been like repeatedly dying to the first Goomba in level 1-1 in 1989! Long after Super Mario Bros. had been dissected by all of your friends. That little monster brought me as close to rage-quitting as I ever have. Which, in my case, consisted of whisper swearing so my kids couldn’t hear, closing the game, and then whisper swearing again when I saw that I’d had it on my hard drive past the refund window.

Thankfully, the incredible design of that raptor-like machine beckoned me back a few months later. I’d been playing a little D&D with friends, and it occurred to me that maybe if I just got into the world of Horizon, the game would reveal itself. Sure enough: as soon as I found the thrill of timing a slide into Horizon‘s switch grass and biding my hunt, I was hooked. It became one of the only games I have ever and probably will ever earn a platinum trophy for.

How about you? What game on the top of your charts started out as something you hated? Something you bounced off of and were surprised to enjoy on the rebound or on further consideration? Tell us in the comments how it won you back; or join us at the Boss Rush Discord.

Featured Image: Asteroid Base/Super Rare Games