Quoting the honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger (including his political career), "One more thing; I work alone," this year started with a lot of mediocrity but thankfully didn't end that way. Both solo and multiplayer games were great this year with the usual lacklusters, buttbusters, and a few mind twisters due to microsoft, nintendo and sony all having their consoles out on the market long enough for quality game development. The biggest releases of the year were either sequels or remakes of originals with very few new game franchises and the best games being solo adventures.The most innovating hardware release of the year was Wii Fit and software was Fallout 3.
The biggest pile of old banana peels and three week old used diapers, even though I would of loved to find an EA or a Disney type sing a-long game for your pre-adolescent American Idol to blast their undeveloped vocal cords with, was at first hard to think of. I pondered long and hard what had happened this year and remembered that I should probably go a tried and true direction; based from a movie in which the movie was as equally if not more vile - Jumper: Griffin's Story.
A question which I heard from the PAX (penny arcade expo), that took place in August, was how feasible and/or motivated developers and publishers are to invest so much time and money into games that make the same amount of profit as the more novel games such as Guitar Hero which take very little development at all to create.Compared to last year, there were a lot more quality games released, a huge boom from the end of October through the Christmas season, but compared to my teenage years of gaming and overlooking my collection vs the old days, the collection seems smaller and not filled with as many gems.
It hurts to reflect on the fact that the gaming industry is so large in comparison to when I was a child and therefore should really be producing one gem after another. My latest generation console collection looks like a handful of starlets hidden among piles of pleasure themes and get rich quick schemes. This worries me about the future years when most games don't give the appeal to even play through them more than once and can be completed in just under 20 hours or only breaking them out if others are around to play with you when these days working in the family is usually done by both parents and should be by all thirteen and older children. In the end it's all in the power of the dollar and what you spend your cash on to influence the profits of the companies that choose to create quality thumb mashers or drink coasters so take heed with what you throw your cash towards.
With the new year comes a new rating system to put a quantification from whence only subjugated feelings and ideas are now truncated into numerical form. Ratings will be on a scale of {-10 to 10}, {-10} being the worst like ET the Extra Terrestrial and {10} being reserved for games that need to go next to the bowling trophies and the baseball signed by relief pitcher "the Mad Hungarian" Al Hrabosky.
Ratings are based on what I presented in the Fallout 3 review:
- Difficulty and Reward - Is the game hard but rewarding when accomplished?
- Learning and Yearning Curve - can anyone learn after about 2-3 hours of play and will people want to play it
- Tingling the senses - Controls, graphics, sound: feels good, looks good, sounds good yet doesn't tax a system it's played on
- The rug tying the room together - Storyline, depth, cut scenes, loading time, monotony, violence, humor, packaging, properly debugged prior to launch, total hours of play, possibility for sequels/expansions, etc
Here's what I bought, how far I got, and what I thought of the games in 2008 in autobiographical order for each system:
360
I was very happy with the year end releases available for the 360. Again issues with choosing 360 or PC versions happened on a couple of occasions almost always ending with the PC as the flagship. The 360 only selections were solid and Microsoft has in my opinion exceeded Sony in the console market for good games due to their prices for their console and availability of developer tools since the old beastly Xbox original days.
Best purchase on the 360: Fable 2
Worst purchase on the 360: Operation Darkness
# of games beat vs unbeat for 2008 on the 360: 5 v 4
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 - {rating: 4.5} It's odd to say but this game didn't really feel like its original journey into Las Vegas. It felt more like following people into Atlantic City just for the weekend. The high neon glare environment was missing from most of the game and it puts you back into what felt like an older Rainbow Six game. On the upside the progression/unlocking content and ability to customize your character really made for some nice additions. Too bad 1 and 2 weren't just one gigantic game. Overall a good game but the first was better. Took about 20-25 hours to fully complete.
Battlefield: Bad Company - {Rating: 4} If you like laughing at, not with, Larry the Cable guy, the single player game can be quite enjoyable but very short for the full price of the game. Controls are the oddest I've seen for a FPS in a while and the AI is usually way too tough if the minimap didn't exist. Multiplayer, which I have seen videos for but have not tried myself, looked fun or at least would be with a free month of Xbox Live. Completed the single player in probably 8-12 hours of play.
Grand Theft Auto IV - {Rating: 7} Thug life. It's hard to express how surprising GTA4 was in its self-conflicted main character who really seems to fall into his criminal life rather than aggressively seeking and blooming into a random killing lunatic like the other GTAs. Supposedly two different endings from a major turning point can be obtained but the ending I received was so good I didn't want to go back and change anything I had done. Out of all of the GTAs this was probably the best done as far as missions and their tie in with relationships and the storyline. A couple improvements to the gun play portions of the game still didn't fix the problems I still had with the usual aiming and maneuvering and it still felt like a Rockstar game. It took about 30 hours to complete and was well worth it to play through once.
Too Human - {Rating: 3} Great to look at, different idea of controls, a good mix of diablo and other classic mixed play types, and Norse mythology, this game sadly falls short of anything beyond the 20 hours it takes to beat (way too short for RPG) and really isn't for everyone. It's best described like this: She at first had me at with her good looks then I started to get to know her and found out it was only skin deep. I broke up with her without trying a multi-partner type relationship that she suggested, and she left telling me that I'd come crawling back after a year or two to try the relationship again since she was set on building a business that was much like a franchise.
Mercenaries 2 - {Rating: 5} Never playing Mercs 1, Mercs is a GTA with a military backing that doesn't really give the side quest push GTA dangles out in front of you. The game makes up for it in air strikes and hijacking helos. Almost everything can be destroyed and can be with quite devastating weaponry such as carpet bombing or satellite guided missiles. This is a great one time through game since the story really seemed like it wasn't there. Took about 15 hours to complete and yet was fun the entire time. [Previous Review]
Operation Darkness - {Rating: 1.5} Another turn-based small group strategy game from Atlus taking place in a WW2 setting. Goes from easy to accomplish to damn near impossible within one level. Has issues where you get a "game over" happening due to small miscalculated line of sight or unforgiving enemies that are extremely overpowered in comparison to your characters. Probably only appealing to those that played Tactics Ogre, I have yet to finish this game and just get pissed when I think about trying to.
Infinite Undiscovery - {Rating: 4} Where have all the RPGs gone? This was the first decent classic medieval type RPG out for the Xbox. Taking the gameplay type from FFXII this was a nice change from the old stop and fight random encounter RPGs. A very odd storyline and characters that I first thought were just bad translating voice jobs, this game takes a ton of time on cutscenes. Gameplay isn't near as good as FFXII but it's been 2 years since that game was released and this is a reminder that tri-Ace is still creating games with Squaresoft, including the great Star Ocean series (due out quarter 1 of 2009). [Previous Review]
Fable 2 - {Rating: 8.5} Aw, I if I had a kid I would want it to be a little British kid. A great solo or co-op RPG this game's biggest fault was being released too close to so many other quality games. And with that fault came my inability to sit down and play through more than 10 hours so far but I've watched my wife play through over 25 hours and enjoyed just listening to the humor and culture that only Lionhead puts in games. Guess I'll have to make my wife sit down again for tea and crumpets during the holiday season with me so I can finish it. [Previous Review]
Fable 2 - {Rating: 8.5} Aw, I if I had a kid I would want it to be a little British kid. A great solo or co-op RPG this game's biggest fault was being released too close to so many other quality games. And with that fault came my inability to sit down and play through more than 10 hours so far but I've watched my wife play through over 25 hours and enjoyed just listening to the humor and culture that only Lionhead puts in games. Guess I'll have to make my wife sit down again for tea and crumpets during the holiday season with me so I can finish it. [Previous Review]Tom Clancy's End War - {Rating: 6} "Breaker, Breaker 1-9 this here's Rubber Duck. Wait, what do you mean you don't understand that command?" Utilizing a peripheral that used to be used for trash talk about chocolate milk and pwnage, End War does an excellent job implementing a strategy game on a console while still keeping the game fun and enjoyable to watch and play. Voice commands are simple and can be quickly given even if after every command a couple random expletives are added. I played the demo for about 5 hours and have played the single player campaign for about 10 hours. I am keeping this game on the back burner for after Fable 2 and Fallout 3. When that day comes I'll crank the Warren G and happily yell WMD. [Previous Review]
PC
Another year where there were few PC only games, as it has been the trend for the past 5-10 years. I also switched over from my years of Windows 2000 use to Vista and built a new computer just for the occasion. Also got a large usage out of my iMac and started on new adventures with technology based on a different operating system other than one from Microsoft. It almost ended up that the comps were used outside of games more than using them for what they do best. Almost.
Best purchase on the PC: Fallout 3
Worst purchase on the PC: Conan the Hybordian Adventures
# of games beat vs unbeat for 2008 on the PC: 3 v 2
Worst purchase on the PC: Conan the Hybordian Adventures
# of games beat vs unbeat for 2008 on the PC: 3 v 2
Crysis - {Rating: 6.5} How much did you spend on your computer? Keep it upgraded? No I mean with the latest of the latest. No even better than that. Well guess what, I've got a game that will prove to both of us if you are lying or not. Medium settings? Ha, you did lie to me. An overall short game, 15 hours at most, this game, if you can find a system that can handle it, is the best in looks and physics to date and probably will be for quite a while. Let's just call it the new test standard to replace Unreal Tournament, Counterstrike, and Castle Wolfenstein. Completed and good for the one time through or to test your new drivers/video card.
Company of Heroes + Opposing Fronts (expansion) - {Rating: 7} Need any more games about WW2? Even one that's been out for a while? Well you should need one mo
re and this would be the one. A strategy game focused on smaller squads and combat tactics such as line of sight, elevation, terrain effectiveness of armor, traps, artillery, air strikes, gun emplacements, etc., this game was a nice change from the old steam rolling with gigantic numbers strategies. Storyline and cutscenes along with the map actually felt like progression through the timelines of real portions of WW2. Took about 30 hours to complete the original and an addition 15-20 for the expansion along with a slew of random runs against just the computer. Quite a blast the entire time.
re and this would be the one. A strategy game focused on smaller squads and combat tactics such as line of sight, elevation, terrain effectiveness of armor, traps, artillery, air strikes, gun emplacements, etc., this game was a nice change from the old steam rolling with gigantic numbers strategies. Storyline and cutscenes along with the map actually felt like progression through the timelines of real portions of WW2. Took about 30 hours to complete the original and an addition 15-20 for the expansion along with a slew of random runs against just the computer. Quite a blast the entire time.Conan: Hybordian Adventures - {Rating: -2} High hopes. What could of been something of great decapitation and splendor instead was riddled with bugs and choppy gameplay. Soloing was fun but felt the same no matter what class was chosen. Amazing detail but lack of good endgame fun made this one a month of finding out that jumping into a game right when it's released, instead of waiting and reading reviews, may have to be adjusted accordingly in the future. Garbage after 1 month of play.
Warhammer: Age of Reckoning - {Rating: 4} So then I did wait for some reviews and this time it was worth it to find out how good the game was. Lots of PvP focus this is one of the first MMOs that feels pretty good to just jump on and play for a little bit instead of hopping on and waiting around to see what's going on for the night. If you loved the Warhammer universe this might be the game for you. I'm just not sure this will actually stand the test of time vs WoW. I have since cancelled my WAR account after the release of WotLK due to the cost balance of having both and only playing one. [Previous Review]
Spore - {Rating: 6.5} I did well in art class or at least that's what my art teacher told me. She said I was very good at rendering already created objects into my own creations. Well good thing EA made a game for anyone who parked their toshie in art class to create something out of the depths of their minds. You know that place in your head in between the taste of blue cheese, old episodes of Simon and Simon, and farfrompuken bumper stickers? Read my in-depth review if you want to know a little more than my ramblings. Few PC games can gather a crowd to switch off and play without a multiplayer environment. Not entirely done with the single player game, I tend to find myself just playing with the creator modes. If you can dream it, you can evolve it in Spore except for the damn baseball field I want.
Farcry 2 - {Rating: 7.5} While blasting Toto's "Africa", I found myself unjamming the lovely Mac 10 in the best 1st person shooter since Crysis. Taking me about 40 hours to complete, the action is always fun but the story is hard to remember or follow with similar character names and large gaps of time spent roaming the countryside. The 1st person action and graphics in this game are big strong points but I'm not sure that it is worth replaying the whole thing over to try to see if other endings can be achieved. Well worth the one time play through just remember to bring the bug spray.[Previous Review]
Fallout 3 - {Rating: 10} Bert the Turtle hopefully prepared you for what is one of the best games to come out in almost 3 years. If it's not the beautiful landscape, butler robots, empty bottle scavenging without the 10 cent refunds, or gruesome dismemberments, then it has to be taking in large enough doses of radiation to regenerate crippled limbs. One thing that I failed to mention in my previous review but really helped in making a good judgement of Fallout 3 was the fact that the game really did not have much hype prior to release (HALO *cough*cough*) unless it was searched for. This helped keep judgements and enjoyment of the game for those that actually took a chance and played it. A must play for elderly to children alike, this will be a game that other game companies will either copycat or be compared to for years to come. About half way through this game, I'm not intending to rush this at all. [Previous Review]
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - {Rating: 5.5} Well thankfully one company is out there consistently making great quality games and that company is Blizzard. It's really hard to find many faults with the products they produce and if you are playing MMOs, the odds will say you're playing WoW. And if you're playing WoW, the odds will say you probably bought this expansion within the first week of its release. And since we all love gamblers and statisticians, make sure you also go out and hug your neighborly financial advisors and home loan providers for all their hard work they've done the last few years. Well maybe things will change since this was an election year and many gamblers went out there and voted. Remember, always bet on black, oh, excuse me African-American. [Previous Review]
Wii
Nintendo is by far the best company at making games to sit next to someone and play together. Now not necessarily needing to be sober to do so, the Wii also gives much enjoyment just watching others play games as it does actually being the player. This year added to one more in the multiplaying arena but really has lacked quite a bit in the solo play compared to its first year on the market.
Best purchase for the Wii: Mario Kart
Worst purchase on the Wii: Animal Crossing: City Folk
# of games beat vs unbeat for 2008 on the Wii: 0 v 3
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn - {Rating: 3.5} Sequel to gamecube's path of radiance, more of the same with no real big changes overall compared to it's counterparts. I really enjoy these turn based grid strategies but they are not for everyone. Only made it about 1/2 way through the game and got distracted by other releases so I can't say much more about the entire game.
Super Smash Bros - {Rating: 5} Sequel to gamecube's smash bros. Great multiplaying fun with a very neat single player side scrolling adventure. Tons of unlockables and many hours to make your hands bleed. Pikachu your face, pikachu your ass, pickachu your balls into outer space. So much stuff to unlock I have gotten side tracked to actually finish the single player adventure but I find myself passing out controllers for this one on the weekends when people find their way over to my house.
Wii Fit - {Rating: 5} Cost is a bite in the wallet but the piece of equipment is amazing. Will probably be implemented later into some other innovative games in conjunction with the normal controller. The fitness game included is laughable in it's blunt honesty and seriousness of how it portrays your image (wii self image) and is unforgiving in your failure to improve your body and health. Great way to torture those that already are self-conscious or show off your balance while drinking alcoholic beverages and doing yoga stances. Does not have an end to it but has additional games and activities to be unlocked.
Super Mario Kart - {Rating: 6} Another in a line of sequels from gamecube classics. It comes with a nice little miniature kart steering wheel that makes you feel like you are at the family fun center. The same one that has the miniature golf course with the windmill that spins but is missing half a blade and has the funny smell of three week old pizza and popcorn. The game is a lot like the original and just as fun with even more tracks and characters to choose from. If you are going to race with someone else this is the game that everyone can enjoy. Also doubling as a great DUI benchmarking game, I have yet to make it very far within this game but again another in multiplaying fun.(Wife's Purchase) Animal Crossing: City Folk - {Rating: 3} A great teaching tool for showing children what real life will feel like as long as you make them play it for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Not very much of an improvement whatsoever, this game is only going to appeal to those who have not played the previous versions. But another ironic sutblety is the fact that this feels like a metaphor for switching from one job to another (original to sequel) and feeling the same constant grind of day to day work even if it is a "new job". [Previous Review]
Games I didn't spend the money on or never rented but I should of:
Ninja Gaiden 2, Call of Duty 4, Gears of War 2, Dead Space, James Bond 007: Quantum Solace, Left 4 Dead, Mirror's Edge, Personal Trainer: Cooking
2008 memoranda
- Total new games purchased: 22
- Best 1st person shooter: Farcry 2
- Best RPG: Fallout 3
- Best Strategy: Tom Clancy's End War
- Best Multiplayer game with friends in the same room: Mario Kart
- Best Multiplayer game with friends across the world: WotLK, WoW
- Biggest surprise of the year: Fallout 3
- Approximate hours spent playing games in 2008: 2007.5 huh that rounds to 2008 (60% being WoW)
- # of new games beat: 8
- # of unfinished single player games: 7
- # of new games without a single player storyline: 7
- # of controllers broken: 1 Wii controller and 1 mouse
- System played the most: 360 (not counting time on computers)
- Biggest real world event missed while playing games: Election of President Obama
- # of times playing games pissed off the wife: 156
- Average # of extra applications running in the background while playing computer games: 4 (2 internet websites, iTunes, calculator)
- # of new songs listened to while playing various games this year: 2157
- # of days the lawn should of been cut but was instead pushed off an extra day due to games: 20
- Biggest hopeful for 2009: Resident Evil 5
- # of approximate phone calls received while neck deep in something requiring concentration on too many subjects at once: 300
- Last indescision I need solved before the end of 2008: Nuggnuts.com vs Whoppervirgins.com
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