Half-Life. I don't much like first-person shooters, but this game absolutely puts me to sleep. What's the appeal? I've tried to look up good reviews online to psych myself up but I don't get far before I become bored with it.
Bioshock Infinite. It looks like it's trying awfully hard to be deep and important, and in the process feels about as overblown and pretentious as James Cameron's Avatar. If you're going to send me a message, don't whack me in the face with it every five seconds; incorporate it into the structure of the gameplay or the story in a subtle, gradual way (a great example of this is Phantasy Star II or Xenoblade). The anti-religion theme is also remarkably trite by this point, and if they were going to take that route, I wish they'd done something more interesting with it.
I'll add that I'm sick of games in general aggressively campaigning to be artistic. The last generation was the worst about this, with numerous games feeling more like amusement park rides that led you by the hand through a set of contrived setpieces so they could "send a message" or "develop character." These games appear very much like big-budget, damn stupid modern Hollywood blockbusters.
For the record, I am not talking about artistic games like Braid, Okami, Portal, Cave Story etc., which are fantastic games with a fantastic story and atmosphere. I am talking about Bioshock Infinite, The Last of Us, and their ilk. I don't connect with their stories. I don't understand what's so exceptional about them. And honestly, they don't seem much like games at all, but more like average movies with average interactive components. Bioshock Infinite represents all of this.
And after reading all the articles, all the reviews, all the obsessive shouting about how Bioshock Infinite was artistic, the game seems about as intellectually stimulating and artistic as the Matrix sequels.
Super Mario Sunshine. Several frustrating shines are required to complete the game, the player doesn't get to make many choices, and the objectives can be long and tedious. The two console Marios that bookend it got things right; this game is just a mess.
Final Fantasy X. IX was much better and infinitely more charming; why don't people ever talk about that one?
Elder Scrolls. Just, the entire series, but particularly Oblivion. I don't get why a non-linear open world is so awesome when there's no actual variety to the scenery and ultimately no purpose to the game. Just wander around and do things until... what, exactly? What's the freaking point?!
People rag on linear games so much these days, but honestly I like clearly knowing what it is I have to do. It gives me goals to work towards even while I can still screw around off to the side every now and then.
Oblivion is easily the worst Elder Scrolls game. Its main story provides little motivation to explore, its world is bland and lifeless, and very little of it seems to have been hand-crafted. Towns and quests are decent, but the level scaling makes questing miserable and unrealistic. It also ensures that no matter where you are in the world (which already looks boring), you always feel like you're doing the same thing and never feel like you're getting stronger. It all comes off as a bit silly, like a low-budget renaissance fair version of The Elder Scrolls.
However, your description doesn't gel with my experience of Daggerfall, Morrowind, or Skyrim--particularly Morrowind. Morrowind has more variety in its landscape than you're likely to find in most games. Also, its main quest is one of the more interesting stories I have seen in a game, with deep, complex lore that requires you to remain invested. Early in the main quest, as I wandered into a remote ashlander camp, I truly felt like I was on an alien world. Specifically, I felt like Paul Atreides from Dune first encountering the Fremen. How many games let you experience that?
The games are full of little moments like that. If you need a set of objectives to follow, boot up Morrowind, take the silt strider to Balmora, and start talking to Caius. He'll set you on a linear path you won't soon forget. Perhaps people don't talk about the main quest in this game enough, so you don't feel compelled to follow it, but trust me, it's worth it. It'd be a shame to miss out on the writing itself, which is novel-worthy.
