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A Year in Review
A Year in Review
Posted by SmellyMoss on Dec 31st 2008 00:15
What would the end of the year be without a look back at the games from the previous twelve months? Here are my winners and failures of 2008. I've stuck to only games I've played and tried to stick with the big releases with a few exceptions.
To spice things up, I've started off with the Fails of 2008 followed by the Awesome of 2008. In no particular order I bring you...
The Fails of 2008
Mass Effect - EA - PC
Came out on the 360 last year and was alright. Came out on the PC this year and was a little better. Still not nearly good enough.
Super Smash Brothers Brawl - Nintendo - Wii
As with past SSB games, Brawl's multiplayer is both addictive and fun. However, compared to other beat em' ups in the e-sports world, this latest version just didn't pony up. Is that the games fault or the Wii's?
Resistance 2 - Sony - PS3
This game really took advantage of the PS3 and it looked fantastic. However, compare Resistance 2 to other FPS releases in 2008 and the game was a very big disappointment.
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames - EA - 360
I remember seeing a Mercenaries 2 preview back in 2007 and thinking this could be a decent, funny game. The humour and fun was there as were the explosions, but something did seem to be missing. Oh yeah, the fact that it was pretty much impossible to die. Just not challenging at all.
Far Cry 2 - Ubisoft - PS3, 360, PC
Lets all be honest with one another. Ubisoft have been a little disappointing over the past two years and Far Cry 2 did not help what-so-ever. They tried very hard to do something new and exciting. It was much too fast, it was confusing and it was just plain silly.
Mirror's Edge - EA - PS3, 360
Grrrr. Make a mistake, try it again. Make a mistake, try it again. Rinse and repeat. How frustrating is having to repeat the same actions over and over again? However, the concept and game play of Mirror's Edge were pretty awesome for a game trying to capture the essence of free-running.
Rainbow 6: Vegas 2 - Ubisoft - PS3, 360, PC
Charging the full price of a game for basically an expansion pack? Come on! I know publishers are getting greedier by the year, but this was just ridiculous.
GTA IV - Rockstar Games - PS3, 360, PC
More of the same. Queue the sounds of Charlie Brown's parents. Wah wah wah woh wah.
The Awesome of 2008
Left 4 Dead - EA - PC
As most ED'ers will agree, Valve are simply awesome. Counter Strike, The Orange Box - Valve just have it in them to make great games and Left 4 Dead is no exception. Wicked characters, sweet AI, this may very well be the game of 2008.
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning - EA - PC
Finally, it looked as though there was a game that could topple WoW or at least take a nice chuck of WoW's player base away. Warhammer is a solid MMO that has progressed the genre further then any other release this year. I think that Warhammer is one of the most entertaining and gratifying MMO's out there, it's just too bad WoW had to go and spoil that by releasing Lich King. One day Blizzard... one day.
Call of Duty: World at War - Activision - PS3, 360, PC
Not the massive disappointment we all thought it was going to be. Phew.
Mario Kart Wii - Nintendo - Wii
It was great to see Mario Kart back on a console and this version of the game offered both good and bad. It was great that the game stuck with its roots and offered up countless hours of hilarious, chaotic racing. It was bad because skill didn't always prevail over luck. Good racers reward skill.
Okami Wii - Capcom - Wii
Incredible. Okami is a delicious truffle. It tastes and looks yummy. Okami also works wonderfully on the Wii. The game of the year for the Wii.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Konami - PS3
The anticipation for MGS4 was great and the game did not disappoint. Hands down the best game play for a shooter on the PS3 this year. The story also lived up to the hype.
SingStar - Sony - PS3
I've added this one for my girlfriend and her sister. They are as anti-gaming as they come and they can't put this game down. Ha! How do you like them apples? Great graphics and you can download additional tunes from the online store. One of the... stars of 2008. Ouch.
Race Driver: GRID - Codemasters - PS3, 360, PC
When I started to play GRID I couldn't put my controller down. The graphics are amazing and the racing intense. The Simcore community hate GRID's guts, but who really cares what they think?
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Blizzard - PC
Never played it. However, can 11.5 million monthly subscribers be wrong? Too bad it will take a new player the next forty years of their lives to level up enough to fully experience the expansion pack.
Burnout Paradise - EA - PS3, 360
Yes, a Burnout game has made it into the Awesome section of my 2008 Year in Review. Try and argue that the game wasn't fun, refreshing, and addictive. I dare you.
Well, that's all from me folks! Comment below! What gems did I miss? What lumps of coal weren't included?
Oh, and if you're looking for some gaming journalism hilarity, check out Ellie Gibson's That Was The News 2008 year in review over at Eurogamer. She is a right ol' joker.
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Bub said: (Dec 31 2008 at 13:06:13 GMT)
GTA IV - Rockstar Games - PS3, 360, PC in your fails :( Almost everybody i've spoken to said it was indeed more of the same but that same is fantastic gaming.
I didn't think the single player of CoD:WaW even came close to COD4's. It was like playing a MOH title. COD4 single player was one of the best single players next to HL2 and FFVII ive ever played. I suppose the co-op mode of single player was awesome and the multiplayer is great fun. Think WaW should be in a separate section entitled: "failawesome"
Bub said: (Dec 31 2008 at 13:06:33 GMT)
PS - SingStar hahaha, excellent :)
Schu11ers said: (Dec 31 2008 at 15:57:44 GMT)
I’m with Bub on this one. I thought GTA4 was even better than 3 as it dropped some of the annoying functionality. COD:WaW was a little linear on single player but indeed better than expected. Far Cry 2 was my biggest disappoint of the year. Great concept, graphics and audio - unfortunately it was….. boring. The best fun I’ve had in a while was turning on Lips at a Christmas party. Hilarious.
What is the verdict on Guitar Hero 3?
SmellyMoss said: (Dec 31 2008 at 17:57:55 GMT)
Sooo many sequels! Guitar Hero 3 and Rock Band were both excellent games. The problem was that I've only played them for an hour tops. I tried to stick only to games I've played at least a little bit. ie. a few hours.
I'm still not sure if I am just in shock that CoD: Waw wasn't crap.
Largo_npc said: (Dec 31 2008 at 19:42:14 GMT)
I agree with Bub about the COD games, but GTA4 just didn't hit the spot for me. I wouldn't say it was failsworth though. Multiplay was funny as hell, single player was just a bit long winded same old repetitve crap, but was still fun 80% of the time.
Resistance 2 is an awesoem game Online. I'll be honest though, I've not even started Single Player, I just jumped straight into online action and I love it.
Grid is also another awesome game. CM need to release a patch with more Stock Cars in it, other than that, doggies wedding tackle!
The most memorable moment in any game for me this year is in GRID, in a Touring Car race in SP, in 3rd position on the last straight and the rear drivers tire burst on the guy who was in 1st. He just lost control and the car barrel rolled through the air just lifting up enough for me to get underneath it and steal 1st place while the guy in 2nd had to slow down.
It was Epic, I only wish I could have saved the reply.
3MC mD said: (Jan 01 2009 at 15:30:01 GMT)
GTA4 a fail and warhammer online "awesome"? did someone get those mixed up?
warhammer was essentially a carbon copy of world of warcraft, hey, its a tried and tested method which blizzard have found to be a bit of a cash cow, however the lich king certainly didnt help matters, also the feel of warhammer being rushed out didnt do it any favours either. The models were exceptionally limited, the first 6 or 7 swords you obtain were the same model as the one you started with, same went for the armor too. I know its not a maor thing but it doesnt help making you feel like it was rewarding you, the public questing and rvr was a good idea, but it did just feel like another "conan the failboat".
GTA4 had a good story, some great side quests, it looked beautiful and there was always stuff to keep you amused, the dialogue was good and the whole game just felt very expansive and enjoyable.
Just my opinion of course! plus rock band / guitar hero, helping bridge that social / gaming divide.
Ryoga Hibiki said: (Jan 01 2009 at 17:55:26 GMT)
GTA 4 was a fail. There was potential in terms of interactivity, the ability to go into all building, even customisations like cars, van, etc. Earn money doing other things - other than killing. GTA 1 had the ability to sell off cars. But instead they went into the same old route of GTA 3 with improved graphics (but STILL looking cartoony). The ONLY thing I liked about GTA4 was the stylish intro when you first started the game.
Infern0s said: (Jan 01 2009 at 20:48:20 GMT)
Seeing as you reply in here Mike, please read my PM and reply. It's been over a month now. I've resend you the pm just incase you didnt get it the first time.
Sorry for the off-topic post guys, just hard to reach this man.
jahm3z said: (Jan 02 2009 at 16:36:49 GMT)
Why would someone let a tosser large enough to say that GTA4 is "fail" write here? Not more of the same: much more serious and mature gameplay epicly made.
Then Warhammer Online... are you a recovering WoW addict or just never played any other MMO? Still nothing like as good as WoW and although it tried, was still unoriginal.
Far Cry 2 was not a fail. It got some mixed reviews, but most were really highly rated and so very justly so. Was it too hard for you?
/care.
Another annoyance: Left 4 Dead was indeed very fun, but it is impossible to get more than 20 hours out of that game, including the harder difficulties. It just gets so boring, and without a competitive edge (horde is too easy in vs) an online game cannot last.
Contradictions: You're put COD5 above GTA4, then you say GTA4 is a fail because its not original? I lol'd. Then you put SSB below singstar, when they are both the same thing: fun games intended for multiplayer use and not for serious gamers.
Rules said: (Jan 03 2009 at 21:23:06 GMT)
How about Prince of Persia? That wasn't too bad I guess, although the back-and-forth between areas got a bit tedious and the combat was poor, in fact screw it put that in the fail pile lol
Hellgate: London never played it but looked pretty good from the reviews I read
And how could you miss Wii Fit! :D
Noy said: (Jan 04 2009 at 00:16:49 GMT)
I think you've NEARLY nailed that list, gonna have to argue with Mass Effect and Super Smash Bros Brawl; I really enjoy / enjoyed both games!
SSB:B is gonna be a hit when we start getting games going on ED so ner ner ner ner ner!
Noy said: (Jan 04 2009 at 00:17:00 GMT)
Also, GH3 is pure and utter win :)
Mister X said: (Jan 24 2009 at 14:01:22 GMT)
will this year be as good tho? rules i agree about prince of persia, that review on here kind of said it, it was a mixed bag, i didn't like it as much as the dude who reviewed it and even he werent sure hehe
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