Most Disappointing Games I've Played Part 2

Last blog gave a handful of my most disappointing games. Part two is the last half of games that I was disappointed with.

Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku

I had high hopes for this game. Being that it was a DBZ game (back in early 2000, DBZ was like Barbie for dudes and some gals.) I kinda figured that it would be awesome. Be that as it may, LoG was an RPG, which I don't mind playing, but the collision detection was completely off. You only got to play as Goku, which is a plus, but many wanted to play as Vegeta or Piccolo. Add to the fact, the game ended at the Frieza saga and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai was around the corner and you have a recipe for disaster. I played LoG 3: Buu's Fury and it was a step-up in the right direction (or wrong depending on you point of view). Needless to as, Legacy of Goku, FAIL!!!

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

I loved Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and when Ubisoft announced Warrior Within, I had some high hopes for it. Sadly, WW took everything I loved about SoT and went all dark and emo. Add some confusing use of time travel and the Prince being emo and there's a recipe for bigger sales but at the cost of alienating the ones who put the original on the map. The only saving grace of this game is the platforming. At least Ubisoft didn't tinker with that. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, FAIL!!!! At least Two Thrones redeemed the Prince and gave us some hope that Assassin's Creed would be awesome (which it wasn't to me).

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2005/2007

Two games Kennedy?! Sure, why not. Smackdown v Raw had a lot of pressure to live up to. Arguably one of the better wrestling games, Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain, was billed as one of the deepest wrestling game (in terms of wrestlers and match types) since WWF No Mercy (one of the best wrestling games period). For one, the rosters on SvR were shrunk down (i.e. no Brock Lesnar, fewer legends, and fewer wrestlers in general). The graphics weren't that great (compare to HCTP), and they added commentary (which in wrestling games is needed, but not with my music).

In the case with SvR '07, it felt rushed. Granted it was coming out on Xbox 360, PS2, and PSP, I think Yuke's could have polished the game a little more. Loading issues with Create-A-Wrestler were fixed, but you would get commentary issues. For instance, a match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H would have a commentary about Mr. Kennedy (Not me, the former WWE wrestler). Smackdown : Just Bring It, had some horrendous commentary (Chris Jericho was GREAT the other day!!!), but I could live with that. Having another wrestler being mention without being in the match, eh, not so much. SvR '10 may be the entry the series needed to get me back in it, but after '07 enough was enough (and it was time for a change. R.I.P. Owen Hart).
Smackdown vs. Raw 2005/2007, FAIL!!!!

Enter the Matrix

You knew this would be on a list. First, everyone assumed that you would be playing as Neo (sadly, Ghost and Niobe were the main characters). Second, the use of Bullet Time. Bullet Time was done better in Max Payne (an under-rated franchise and I'm looking forward to 3, whenever it's released). Three, collision detection. The one thing in games that developers should get right was done horribly. Finally, the Dreaded Movie Tie-In Game. Anything, movie related should be avoided like the plague (except for Scarface: The World Is Yours and Spider-Man 2). Had this came out after the movie (say 6 months), it would have been an awesome game. Sadly, bugs, shoddy A.I., random performance drops, and bullet time causing the game to freeze. I wish I had my $50 bucks back so I could have bought something else. Enter the Matrix is full of EPIC FAIL!!!!

These are my games of fail/disappointment. Hope you haven't played most of these games, because getting the memory of the games out of your mind is hard to do.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste, as well as $60. Do some research about the game before you buy and maybe you'll be the next me. Later!!!

Most Disappointing Games I've Played Part 1

As a gamer (and also in real life) we have certain expectations that we wish to have fulfilled. Some do come true, but more often than not things come up just a bit short. In the case of video games, your hard earned money is the difference between an awesome game getting a sequel (i.e. Demon Souls or Uncharted) or terrible game getting a sequel. While not all games fall under the latter, they generally granted as disappointing or underachieving. The games that follow are some that I was generally disappointed in (or in some case didn't see what the hype was about the game).

Metal Gear Solid 4

I was very hyped about this game. It's a very good game (in fact it this game forced me to get my PS3 repaired.) I even gave MGS4 the distinction of my PS3 game of the year (if I had the internet and my PS3 working during the Christmas holiday). The thing that made me angry about MGS4 was the way Kojima tried to cram EVERYTHING Metal Gear related into the game. Some things it worked for others, ehh not some much. Without ruining the game, this is for MGS fans only (and I'm an MGS fan) and I could have done a better job writing the script (but that's why I make opinions and not write stories). MGS4, FAIL (even though I bought the Collector's Edition and still enjoy the game, the story fails)!!!

Assassin's Creed

By far the biggest disappointment (or second biggest depending on who you ask) for this console generation. AC had the team of the Prince of Persia trilogy behind this game (which got my attention). Second, many people fell under the spell of Jade Raymond (yours truly was not, despite the fact that gamer girls are hawt) and I wasn't buying what she was selling. Third, the premise behind the story, *****SPOILER******

The main character is an ancestor of the character you're playing as


******END SPOILER*********

Combat was pretty crappy (and you'd think Ubisoft would have ironed out the kinks in PoP's combat system), because once you got the counter the game was broken. Sure scaling buildings in 1300s was fine the first three time you do it, but each time before you could begin a mission (I stuck with it, but it felt forced). The A.I. was stupid, finding flags was pointless, and if I ever see a leper or a beggar again I'm stabbing them to death with the hidden blade. Ubisoft got my money (at $30) and now they've got a sequel. I won't be buying it, even if it gets great reviews, because of the sour taste AC1 gave me. Assassin's Creed, FAIL!!!

Grand Theft Auto 4

The hype surround GTA4 was about as much as MGS4 (maybe depending on which game you preferred). Sure the game is realistic, characters have morality, and you can drunk drive (which I don't condone) something about GTA4 felt hollow. The game looks awesome and everything (and I mean everything) respects physics (even Niko Bellic), but it was more of the been there done that approach. Meaning if you've played a GTA game before then you pretty much know what to expect.

Sure, GTA4 has it's moments (and every game has it's WOW factor moments), but San Andreas was way better than 4 (because of you could make Carl Johnson, protagonist of San Andreas, whatever you like). I've been putting off finishing GTA4 because of the trophies (and I don't plan on starting over anytime soon). GTA4 got tens across the board when in reality, it's not even 9.5 territory, more like 8.8 to 9.3 territory. GTA4, FAIL!!!

Guitar Hero World Tour

After Guitar Hero 3 (I'm not counting Aerosmith because it was a cash-grab), many people complained that GH3 was hard and frustration (which was/still is true). The moment World Tour was announced, people said that GH was copying Rock Band (which is true as well). Rock Band was fun and challenging, GH:WT was an exercise in boredom. A few songs were awesome to play (anything by Muse, Ozzy, heck even No Sleep til Brooklyn was tight), but with games like this you're bound to have a clunker (or ten). Add the fact the drums weren't build well (however if you're one of the lucky ones to get a working drum kit, it rocks), some of the note charts were off, and Rock Band was way better. All major retailers not having Rock Band in stores on Christmas Eve and Guitar Hero World Tour, FAIL!!! Guitar Hero Metallica was great and I'm still not sold on 5 (even though I need a new guitar controller).

Next-Gen Madden

The moment when Madden was announced on next-gen, many people were thinking that the gameplay from the PS2-era of Madden would make the leap forward. Sadly that was not the case. Every year Madden is getting to be progressively worst. Maybe something to do with lack of competition, whatever the case is Next-Gen Madden, FAIL!!!

That's part one stay posted on part two with even more FAIL!!!