[HeadRusch]

Too early for the 2004 edition of this thread?


THUG2 is definately getting lukewarm reviews. Unless they change the courses to some absurd layout, I'm thinking this series has definately played itself out.


But I'd have to say the most disappointing game for me this year is definately DRIV3R.


Oh my god is this game a disappointment.....is it the moon-gravity that seems to plague your car (but never any of the computer controlled ones)??? Is it the just-plain Godawful running around portions of the game......or...is it the fact that Reflections chose to use what APPEARS to be the lowest resolution available on the PS2??? Probably so they could obtain those fancy lighting effects on the vehicles...................this game, in its night scenes, looks granier and dithered worse than a PS1 game would...!!!


It took me 22 tries just to beat the first mission, where you gotta chase the guy in the red firebird out of the parking lot.....oh brother talk about frustration.


But...you know....thast one of the few games I was looking forward to....


PSI-OPS was a definate surprise, I dig it.........that Terminator Redemption game is in a similar vein, and also not bad. NOt game of th eyear, but not bad either.

 

[FrankJ.Cone]

I have not picked up a game and been disapointed this year. There have been so many great games you can almost pick from a shelf blindfolded and have a great experience.

 

[NoThru22]

Wow, I'd recommend at least reading a few reviews before picking up certain games. All the 3s and 4s pretty much killed any interest in Driver for me. It's not like a movie where reviews can vary wildly. If a game is a technical nightmare, it'll be a pretty universal standpoint.

 

[HeadRusch]

Its a rental.......and most of the reviews centered on the horrible on-foot action, but I was surprised at just how unwieldy I found the driving portion.


Driver was "the" game on the PS that really felt like you were driving around a car, plenty of weight......but in this game, you hit a curb and your car floats around like its on the Moon


EEEK!

 

[ChrisFB]

I have so little time I end up getting game recommendations from referals and reviews which kind of pre-screen the crap and locate those diamonds in the rough for me (although Morrowind in 2003 was picked up without any pre-knowledge and just on the box alone - nice job for me). And even with all that, I don't really get much playing time. Really sucks. As a matter of fact, it's midnight and I have another 3 hours of work ahead of me tonight (yeah - I'm a little irritable right now). A friend next door has the bomb of the bomb which remains unnamed and has been begging me to play some system link. I can't even get 10 minutes in 3 days to take him up on his offer.

 

[Scotty L]

Doom 3 for both categories: Surprised it left me so disappointed.

 

[ragedogg69]

Tony Hawk UG 2 being the most recent game that disappionted me is #1 on my list. Like in the other thread i started, something is/was missing. But I and everyone else cant figure out what is missing. It seems like its the same old game that we have always loved. Or purhaps thats the problem.


Add Fight Night, ALL of the pro football games this year and EA's horrible 720p support in their baseball title this year as notable disappointments for me.

 

[Dgnr8]

Fight Night is the best game for me in '04. Best boxing game I have ever played.


As for the worst thats easy. Doom 3. The constant switching from flashlight to gun bugs me. Halo had it so you could have both on at the same time and this game does not. WTF? Not even in the same category as doom 1&2.

 

[HeadRusch]

I wouldn't consider Doom III a disappointment. Its just not the game we FPS players have become accustomed to playing. Once you tweaked out the weapons damage and replaced some of those chincy sounds, it was a pretty interesting FPS to play, certaily with all the eyecandy turned on.


The constant switching to the flashlight from your weapons was annoying at first, but after you get into the game you learn to appreciate it. In fact after playing with the duct-tape mods for awhile, i dropped them because they basically ruined the atmosphere.

 

[RevGChild]

So far one of the most disappointing for me this year was Fable. As for best in 2004.... well November hasn't arrived yet


Rev

 

[Low Roller]

Far Cry is my favorite game so far this year.

 

[NoThru22]

Gotta love that Barbie Pretty Funhouse.

 

[mobius]

Quote:

Originally posted by Scotty L Doom 3 for both categories: Surprised it left me so disappointed.

Wow, not me. I like Doom 3. I like it better than the much hyped FarCry. BTW, I like FarCry so don't flame me.

 

[Tabasco]

I've been bummed by the crappy Vietnam FPSs for the consoles this year, but by far the biggest suprise was Burnout 3. I've never been much of a racing game fan, but that game absolutely rocked!

 

[HeadRusch]

Agreed, Burnout3 came out of nowhere and smacked me in the head........this game will definately make the top 10 games list of all time on all the consoles, it just got everything right......the ultimate arcade racer.


As for VietNam FPS's, its VietCong or nothing for me......I love VietCong.....

 

[Low Roller]

Quote:

Originally posted by mobius Wow, not me. I like Doom 3. I like it better than the much hyped FarCry. BTW, I like FarCry so don't flame me.

I liked D3 also. The game was very similar to the tons preview gameplay videos released over the last few years. I never quite understood why so many people ripped the game, because these same people were drooling over the preview videos. Those videos are true to the game as a whole, IMO.


Far Cry recieved very little hype at all before release compared to D3. I definately enjoy Far Cry more. Having said that, they are two VERY different games. I can understand why they would appeal to different gamers.

 

[Komoto]

Most Disappointing: Fable

Most Surprising: Gothic 2


Fable...it's one of the very few games I wish I could get my money back. I have hundreds of games, and I'm having a hard time thinking of a bigger waste of my money...and I hate to be cliche, but the only fairly recent disappointment of that scale was...Black and White. I chalk it up as a $90 lesson ($50 Fable + $40 B&W) to remind me to NEVER give Pete Molyneux's company another dime.


Gothic 2. I loved the original, quirky yet a rich world and fun story and interactions with npc. The sequel improved on the original in every way and was a great game. I'm hoping the european expansion pack (the developer is EU...german iirc) makes it to the USA, I want to play through again as a mage, but with the expansion which adds a ton of concurrent content.


I don't count Doom3 as disappointing, it's EXACTLY what I expected.


I was also surprised by Thief: DS because I expected it to be a letdown of a sequel like Deus Ex: IW was. The Thief franchise is one of my favorites and Looking Glass Studios was my favorite development house since Origin crashed and burned with Ultima 9. I was surprised by the fact the game didn't suck, and besides being overly quirky, wasn't too bad.

 

[Komoto]

Quote:

As for best in 2004.... well November hasn't arrived yet

Right. Screw Half Life 2, I'm pumped up for Vampire: Bloodlines. I'm one of the dozen pc gamers who liked the original, and now it's source-engined. Saw a great video of the engine in action, a gargoyle is chasing the player around a temple, the player is on a catwalk around the perimeter of a large room. The gargoyle is smacking the pillars holding up the catwalk, which is crumbling in sections (and would've damaged the character if it weren't a dev in godmode ).

 

[UltimateAg]

Quote:

Originally posted by Komoto I chalk it up as a $90 lesson ($50 Fable + $40 B&W) to remind me to NEVER give Pete Molyneux's company another dime.

Does that mean you won't be purchasing B.C.? I'm a sucker for uniquely creative games--no matter how maddening they can be.


Biggest Disappointment: Was MOH:Rising Sun this year? If so, then that.

Biggest Surprise: Ninja Gaiden, I knew it was going to be good but not that good.

 

[zot23]

Most surprising: Burnout 3. Best racing game I've played in years for pure fun factor. Had no expectations or even knew it was coming out. Bought it, popped it in the xbox, was (and continue to be) blown away.


Most disappointing: DOOM 3. First off the price being $55 was just greedy IMO, there wasn't $55 of content in the game. The flashlight thing was a little annoying, but it did add to the atmosphere. The gameplay though was repetitive and unoriginal. Monster closets were cool in 1994 for the original Dooms, I'm afraid things have moved on since then.


In a way, saying Doom3 was the biggest disappointment in gaming this year is a backwards compliment. It wasn't an awful game, but so many of the game sI played this year were so good it got left holding the bag.