I am so glad I didn't buy these games.

Last week's column covered the best demos I played from my recent downloading blitz. Now it's time to tear into the disappointing stuff.

I expected a few of these games to be boring, lackluster or cheesy, but others were surprising letdowns.

Let's start with the mediocre and work our way up to the worst.

Delightfully bad: "Forest Legends: The Call of Love" (2013)

I should have known just from the title; even now I can't read it without chuckling. I just wasn't expecting "The Room" of hidden objects games.

Yeah, it's bad, but a funny kind of bad.

The part where you find objects and solve puzzles is actually fun. I don't have a lot of experience with these kinds of games, but it kept me engaged.

One major problem is the text size. It's tiny, impossible to read in places.

If there were a decent story I could probably forgive the text, but this game doesn't have that, either. In fact, this is one of those rare games where less story would have been better.

"Forest Legends" starts out with an introduction where the narrator sounds like she's trying to keep up with the video. We are then tossed into a hodgepodge of visuals. One minute it looks hand-drawn, then it looks like cheap 3D, then it looks like 2D, then we're back to hand-drawn. It's not uncommon for games to switch styles to suit the scene. More dramatic scenes have cutting-edge visuals that look almost realistic, while the rest of the game has a different style. But to switch graphics this often and for such little payoff doesn't make sense. Backgrounds during puzzle-solving sequences are beautiful, but some of the cutscenes are cringe-worthy.

Said scenes are not helped by lousy writing. Get this: A young woman and her forbidden lover are caught in the woods by village guards, so where do they decide to hide? Her room in her house, of course! Because, as she says it, they will never think to look for them there.

Guess who shows up at her door a short while later.

Would I buy it? It's tempting, but no. I tried other games that were far more enjoyable. Maybe I will give this one a go someday, but only if it's still cheap.

Systems: PlayStation 3, iPad, iPhone, PC

• Genre: Hidden objects

• Rating: T for teens and older players due to blood, violence and use of alcohol.

Not up to snuff: "Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch" (2011 in Japan, 2013 in North America)

I almost bought this game once, but now I'm glad I waited. I was drawn to the animation and the promise of an RPG, but there were too many irritating points here to justify buying the game.

The hand-drawn style is adorable and whimsical, calling to mind Miyazaki's movies. In fact, Studio Ghibli, of which Miyazaki was director before he retired, worked on this game.

But the instruction is sorely lacking. The game drops you in an area with no direction. It's never a good sign if you see the Game Over screen on the first fight because the game didn't tell you how to play. When the tutorials finally kicked in, I was nearly dead.

The story — what little of it was revealed — doesn't offer much motivation. A boy loses his mother, cries, and his tear brings a creature to life. We've never seen magical tears before, have we? He takes the creature on an adventure to find a way to bring his mother back to life.

Along the way they meet a leader called Lord High Lord. Enough said.

• Would I buy it? Nope, not with this battle system or story. It lost me at magic tears, Lord High Lord and no instruction.

Systems: PlayStation 3

• Genre: Role playing.

Rating: E for ages 10 and older due to alcohol and tobacco references, comic mischief, fantasy violence, mild language and simulated gambling.

Oops, I died again: "InFamous" (2009)

Someone recommended this series to me once when they found out that I love "Assassin's Creed." I'm not sure why because the two series have nothing in common.

"InFamous" is set in a post-Apocalyptic world, which we just don't see enough of in movies and video games. The difference here is that our hero, who I think is just called "Hero" (creative), has the ability to wield electricity as a weapon and a tool.

It's a cool skill. Too bad the world in which you use it is so muddled.

Maybe it was just the demo, but the instructions were awful. I was told to charge the train, but given no indication of where the charge stations might be located. Several times I accidentally wandered too far away and ended up with a Game Over. I realize that some gamers don't like hand-holding, but a shaded area on the map or a warning that you are straying too far away would have been nice.

When I finally found the stations, there was no clear indication to say that they were charged, so I ended up charging...and charging...and charging.

After the train started rolling, I had to fight floods of enemies. Good luck trying to spot these goons; they blend in so well with the background that I died twice just trying to figure out their locations. It doesn't help that you're up on a train and they are far down on the ground, shooting up at you. Plus, they are moving targets. It was like trying to spot sprinting camouflaged hunters in the woods from atop a water tower. Tough, and not fun at all.

Would I buy it? Absolutely not. The demo gameplay was painfully repetitive and not enticing.

Systems: PlayStation 3

Genre: Action/Adventure

Rating: T for teens and older players due to blood, drug references, language, mild suggestive themes and violence.

Ho-hum: "Castlevania: Harmony of Despair" (2011)

There's a reason "Castlevania" has been around since the classic Nintendo days; it's a distinct concept. Despite high-definition evolution in the gaming industry, this series stays true to its roots and uses graphics that call to mind the early days of gaming. It's a bold, admirable decision.

I've tried to like this series, but I suspect it's an acquired taste. It's so different from most other games on the market today.

The idea of clearing a castle of ghosts, zombies, vampire bats and possessed suits of armor is enticing, and it makes for some dramatic, gothic visuals. The problem is that it's tough to see on a high-definition screen. You can zoom in to different areas, but even then it's a challenge because you can't see what's ahead. It reminded me of "Metroid II" on Game Boy, where you had to take slow steps across a screen lest you run into a foe. That's fine for a smaller Nintendo screen, but not for a PlayStation 3 connected to a 32'' TV. The whole reason for having a TV is for better visuals.

There's a great emphasis on multi-player with this game, which I suspect is why I didn't enjoy it very much. This is clearly the kind of game where competition is better.

Would I buy it? No. It's not a bad concept, but it's not for me.

Systems: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Genre: Platformer/Action/Adventure

Rating: T for teens and older players due to blood and gore, fantasy violence, mild language and mild suggestive themes.

People love this?! "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" (2007)

Confession: I don't have a lot of experience with the "Uncharted" series. I've followed it, read reviews from fans about it and watched TV segments about it.

So when I saw this free demo, I was eager to give it a whirl.

I don't share the fandom's enthusiasm.

Drake seems like a funny, likeable character. He's no dry, stoic Indiana Jones, and that's a plus. The visuals and sounds are lovely as well. The jungle has so much depth and the trees are so detailed that you're excited to explore.

But, like Indiana, Drake has enemies on his tail, and they're loaded with machine guns and handguns. Drake is also armed, but you quickly find out that he's no super hero.

Maybe it was just my demo, but the controls seemed to lag, so aiming and firing before being hit was difficult. Also, the enemy numbers are grossly unfair, and they have a ridiculous amount of health. I shot two guys at point-blank range eight times and they still didn't drop.

When I finally managed to clear an area, more enemies would appear. I thought "Uncharted" was supposed to offer the chance to see exotic locales. Maybe I was wrong, because all I did was fight and die...a lot.

The story didn't exactly soar from the get-go. It opens with Drake and a woman flying over the jungle, when their plane is shot and they need to bail out. Before that happens, they make comments about hoping that the plane has parachutes. Really? You're an explorer and can fly a plane, but you didn't bother to make sure you had parachutes before you left? Isn't that flying 101?

Would I buy it? Heck no, not with titles like "Assassin's Creed" on the market. If I want to fight and see breathtaking sites, I will play one of those games instead.

Systems: PlayStation 3

• Genre: Action/Adventure

• Rating: T for teens and older players due to blood, language, mild suggestive themes, tobacco use and violence.

Heather Stanek is digital desk editor for The Reporter. Contact her at hstanek@fdlreporter.com or (920) 907-7909; on Twitter, @HeatherStanek1.

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