To start, I haven't played this game myself but I am aware of its reputation.

The release of this game on Good Old Games has met some criticism, mainly that it sucks and doesn't deserve to be on GOG.

The thing is, some people enjoy this game. Many enjoy it ironically, a tiny handful enjoy it unironically, but there is a demographic that is willing to pay money for this.

Isn't the point of GOG to bring us old games that are hard to find anywhere else? Sure, descriptions I've found of this game make it sound like garbage, but nobody is forcing me or anyone else to get it. It's presence on GOG does not damage the overall value of GOG as a vendor of games; it enhances it. An bygone era of gaming history lives on here, great games, budget titles and failures alike.

In the end, what does anyone gain by saying "Daikatana doesn't belong on Good Old Games?" It's presence here isn't taking anything away from those that dislike it, but taking it off GOG would take something away from a little fan base. Besides, people ought to be able to see first hand the result of the legend of John Romero's hubris.

This site is all about nostalgia, and nostalgia is taking care of the fun and game, memories or overall experience no matter how good or bad something is. In case of Daikatana is not bad title, it's not perfect, it's actually just GOOD. Something like 7/10 or 4/5.

Other way how this site works besides good old games shop is to secure these titles in digital form, contain for further digital distribution to allow experience them again to people who meet with them previously or getting first experience with them, and to protect them from eradication, extend their digital lifespan if they aren't abandonware up to be playable on modern PC's as most of them were rather troublesome to work correctly.

After playing this (currently on episode 2) I'm getting System Shock 2 to complete my "project" experience. ;-)

I'd been curious about Daikatana for years so leapt at the chance to give it a try now and you know what? While it's not perfect I am enjoying it. It's an example of design getting too far ahead or being mishandled alongside the technology it's based on. The clunkiness present in Daikatana is similar to the clunkiness of Half-Life 2's vehicle sections and lack of story or exposition. There's still good aspects despite this though. Just as people fawn over Half-Life 2 and spit vitriol over Daikatana I'm finding that an approach somewhere in the middle is appropriate for both titles.

I loved HL2 Episode 2 though, something given more time and experimentation. I do wonder what would happen if Romero was to go back to Daikatana now with access to tech like UE3 and the improved design of companions in games. That and a better thought out pr strategy. It seems that it wasn't so much that Daikatana was a bad game. It's average with some nice ideas and ambition but that it was overhyped, failed to match expectation and the notoriously fickle and self inflated group that is gamers took offence to the advertising strategy that Ion Storm used.

So to gog - please do continue to add controversial titles that were lamblasted by critics. Let the customers decide :)

I found interesting, 8/10 review with lots of accurate analysis:
Daikatana review on Accursed Farms Forum

OK, Daikatana. Me and this game go back some. When I was a lad and Quake was the New Testament (Doom being the old), Daikatana's development was excitingly chronicled in a PC ZONE diary which kept track of all the drool-worthy developments and Ion Storm's wild cache of ideas that just seemed to be endlessly sprouting new possibilities -all of them cool. It was perpetually out of reach, not being released for years but always in my mind.

Then, I kind of lost track of it. It took ages. I couldn't load the demo on my stinky PC and eventually, years later, I just forgot. I remember seeing a bad review and not taking it seriously. Then I read the rest...all of them...I felt how the Lance Armstrong fanclub must feel: gutted.

Now, when GOG had Daikatana I bought it on sight, no question. Surely it can't be that bad?

Well, I play a lot of fiddily old PC games for the nostalgia...I have quite a high tolerance for this and especially for FPS.

However...this game is deeply flawed and highly frustrating. So much of it works AGAINST the player, everything from levels of damage, level design, story, weapons, 'rules' and feel. It's not even that the game is difficult, just tedious. Levels are linear and illogical...but when they're non-linear they're head-bashingly annoying and dull.

I will give it a chance and play through this sucker. It was, weirdly, a big part of my growing up (I found an old school book of mine with the logo scrawled everywhere).

But, yes, big nostalgia trip. Just a shame it's so misjudged.

Daikatana improves quite a bit after the horrible first episode but even at it's absolute best its pretty mediocre compared to other shooters of the period. Realize too that the initial release was MUCH buggier and unstable than the version you are playing now. Loading in particular was a nightmare gamble that would frequently crash.

Some positives I will say about the game:
-The characters CAN be pretty funny at times. Superfly stands out with his hilarious mourning when you die.
-The soundtrack is good, some of it is awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnSr2PTYoXk
Love this one ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d73OZ1D8E-c
-The game has a great variety of enemies and weapons (25 in total not including a few upgrades). Some junkers but some cool ones too.
-While the story is pretty cheeseball at the start it picks up in the later episodes. The twist at the end and the ending itself is quite good.

Finally beat the game. John Romero deserve another shot at first person shooter genre. Game much better than Duke Nukem Forever and Aliens. At least the game always keep you on your toe. Minus the glitchy companions and poor enemies' path finding, the game is good and pretty long. Worth the asking price.