booyah_boy
Watcher
I'm going to stick strictly to CRPG's as a list of my console disappointments would span numerous pages.
Easy Choices:
The following list of games are those I despise with self-determined justification.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anachronox - I had great hopes for this game, which was promoted as a blending of the best of console and PC worlds; playing the game made me wonder just which worlds the developers were looking at. Ultimately monotonous, the game begins with a sequence of trivial tasks that do nothing to advance the plot (and can take up to fifteen hours to complete, should you be so foolish as to continue investing your time in it), involving a host of characters whose archetypes are easily inferred and lacking in development, whilst the plot itself is worthy only of an inclusion in a B-grade sci-fi film. Furthermore, the often critically cited "humour" of the title is prevalent only to those who find the following amusing: (a) small, grotesquely muscled characters physically abusing your own; (b) the sort of sarcastic remarks you're likely to hear on an elementary school playground; (c) "cutscenes" that end with swearing robots; (d) drowning kittens. No, you don't actually drown any kittens in Anachronox, but I'm certain I would have laughed more often doing so than playing this game.
Mistmare - Between a shoddy control and camera scheme (the latter of which is incredibly frustrating), graphical issues (including sporadically massive framerate drops and texture overlapping), as well as being set in an overly drab and dark atmosphere (which the inability to increase the gamma occassionally makes all but unplayable) Mistmare appears like a game only midway through its development cycle.
Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader - I was drawn to this title by two distinct things: the unique take on an alternate-reality medieval society, and the Black Isle branding. For those familiar with the more notable BI franchises (Baldur's Gate, Fallout, etcetera) the character and combat system will be instantly familiar, but the sense of nostalgia fails to make up for the glaring shortcomings of Lionheart. A veritable slue of unique and intriguing quests in the initial area (Barcelona) appear to promise more of the same down the road, but rapidly dwindle, leaving the player with the impression that the game was rushed out the door. Furthermore, the frenetic variation in enemy difficulty (which is intensified by their insane speed in the limited resolution screen) demands that you focus on weaponry, leaving aside the more interesting (to me, at least) options of magic and stealth. After a dozen character deaths in the span of an hour, and some major revisions to my character layout, it became readily apparent that the ability to customize your character was not what it seems: choose the wrong skills and you'll hastily meet your end. A grating disappointment from a company with an otherwise superb history.
Dungeon Lords - What more can I say about a game that has already been lambasted for five pages?
Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creation - This was one of the first CRPGs I picked up, and the one that almost turned me away from them. Another entry in the "console-meets-PC" genre, Septerra Core plays like the blatant and poorly executed knock-off of numerous other games (including the Final Fantasy and Breath of Fire series) it is. What's more, it just looks ugly.
Summoner - In short: a click-fest title set within an unoriginal atmosphere and storyline, with characters whose development is sporadic, and, at best, minimal.
Titan Quest - A game set in the rich atmosphere arising from a medley of ancient Greecian and Egyptian mythology would seem to portend something amazing; Titan Quest, however, boils down within the first half-hour to reveal how little substance it truly encompasses. A myriad of "unique" items (read: randomly mixed and matched names and statistics) do not make up for a combat system whose premise is nothing more than "click your enemy, then again, and again, and again, and again...". The developers were obviously fans of Diablo, but while imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, it makes for very dull games. Don't buy the hype.
Difficult Choices:
The following list of games are those which I did not enjoy playing, but could still recommend.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neverwinter Nights - I picked up NWN after having read of the near-legendary status it had achieved. This status, however, did not last very long while playing through the primary campaign. A promising storyline that sparked little more than pages of drivel, ultimately floundering into the same old channels as other fantasy fare, and numerous innovations that were present, but untapped, left me with a feeling of malaise. NWN seemed a title that was made purely as a building block; a stepping stone by which the community could create their own adventures, not a game in and of itself...thankfully, the community stepped up. While I no longer play NWN (and remain heartily disappointed in it, not the least because it requires you to play with a group of characters if you wish to make any real progress), I continue to recommend it on account of the numerous incredible mods available for such.
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic - While citing this game may very well end in some sharp retorts, I'll do so just the same, for one reason: it's bad. Very bad. After reading professional reviews stating everything from "it grasps the Star Wars universe in a realistic manner" to the fanboy cry's of "it's like being a real Jedi!" how could I resist? Imagine then, if you will, my disappointment in a game which locked me into a strictly linear storyline hidden behind a facade of freedom. I was bereft of the ability to attack the guards I wanted, kill the people I wished, or even venture outside the realm of what the developers defined as "good and bad". However, that was not the true disappointment, no...that was the combat system. Here I am, finally having become a Jedi, one of the greatest warriors this fictitious universe retains, and yet I can't seem to kill anyone. Why? I run right up to the guard, swing my lightsaber (you know, the sword that can cut through anything!) right through his chest, and nothing happens. How? Oh, because the combat isn't real, and what I do beyond selecting an enemy doesn't matter. KOTOR is part of the new wave of "cinematic" games that allow you to sit back and watch the action unfold on your screen...but who wants that? I was looking forward to a game in which I'd be able to swing my sword through an enemy, cutting them swiftly in two, fling objects at them with my force powers, and block laser blasts left and right...what I get is a combat system based on behind-the-scenes mathematical computations. It doesn't matter that I dodged the grenade, jumped out of the way of his sword, or was behind the Trooper when he fired in front of him, all that matters is that his number was higher and according to that, he hit me. I can see it now, a whole new era of Star Wars films: "I'm sorry, Luke, but you missed Darth Vader. You see, while you may have swung your lightsaber through the area occupied by his neck, your lightsaber has a base 10 strike, and his armor is level 8 with a saving cast of 4, and while he rolled a 2, he has a dark side bonus of 1 which is 11, so I'm afraid you lose..."
Planescape: Torment - Another inclusion that's likely to earn me some flack, but so be it. I'm hard-pressed to express how I was disappointed in this game, although I know it was something about the combat system, the frivilous "interaction and impact" my actions made, and the overly convoluted storyline (or should I say, "the story that was apparently written by someone who thought themselves very clever") that struck me as most disappointing. Still, Planescape opened my eyes to some new facets of the RPG world, thus I still recommend it to new RPGers. What's more, if a revamped version was ever made, I'm certain I'd try it.
Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption - This was the one game that hurt me the most. As an enthusiast of the incredibly replayable and pioneering VTM: Bloodlines, which fortunately (or perhaps, unfortunately) I played first, Redemption was a crushing blow. Naively imaging that the developers at Troika might have garnered the structure for their game from Redemption, I discovered within it a whole new game...not in a good way. The fact that it involved vampires was great, the premise for the storyline was also intriguing (a Crusader seeking to rid himself of the curse of vampirism), but the combat system, atmosphere, inventory, and even movement were all haphazard. I believe I might have gone easier on Redemption had I not already played Bloodlines, but I'll never really know. All I do know is this: Redemption was a major disappointment.
Oh, also, for anyone who recalls me from the Dot, it's great to finally get over here! I'd also like to thank the many (former?) members of the Dot who were kind enough to inform me of the move in response to my inquiry.
Easy Choices:
The following list of games are those I despise with self-determined justification.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anachronox - I had great hopes for this game, which was promoted as a blending of the best of console and PC worlds; playing the game made me wonder just which worlds the developers were looking at. Ultimately monotonous, the game begins with a sequence of trivial tasks that do nothing to advance the plot (and can take up to fifteen hours to complete, should you be so foolish as to continue investing your time in it), involving a host of characters whose archetypes are easily inferred and lacking in development, whilst the plot itself is worthy only of an inclusion in a B-grade sci-fi film. Furthermore, the often critically cited "humour" of the title is prevalent only to those who find the following amusing: (a) small, grotesquely muscled characters physically abusing your own; (b) the sort of sarcastic remarks you're likely to hear on an elementary school playground; (c) "cutscenes" that end with swearing robots; (d) drowning kittens. No, you don't actually drown any kittens in Anachronox, but I'm certain I would have laughed more often doing so than playing this game.
Mistmare - Between a shoddy control and camera scheme (the latter of which is incredibly frustrating), graphical issues (including sporadically massive framerate drops and texture overlapping), as well as being set in an overly drab and dark atmosphere (which the inability to increase the gamma occassionally makes all but unplayable) Mistmare appears like a game only midway through its development cycle.
Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader - I was drawn to this title by two distinct things: the unique take on an alternate-reality medieval society, and the Black Isle branding. For those familiar with the more notable BI franchises (Baldur's Gate, Fallout, etcetera) the character and combat system will be instantly familiar, but the sense of nostalgia fails to make up for the glaring shortcomings of Lionheart. A veritable slue of unique and intriguing quests in the initial area (Barcelona) appear to promise more of the same down the road, but rapidly dwindle, leaving the player with the impression that the game was rushed out the door. Furthermore, the frenetic variation in enemy difficulty (which is intensified by their insane speed in the limited resolution screen) demands that you focus on weaponry, leaving aside the more interesting (to me, at least) options of magic and stealth. After a dozen character deaths in the span of an hour, and some major revisions to my character layout, it became readily apparent that the ability to customize your character was not what it seems: choose the wrong skills and you'll hastily meet your end. A grating disappointment from a company with an otherwise superb history.
Dungeon Lords - What more can I say about a game that has already been lambasted for five pages?
Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creation - This was one of the first CRPGs I picked up, and the one that almost turned me away from them. Another entry in the "console-meets-PC" genre, Septerra Core plays like the blatant and poorly executed knock-off of numerous other games (including the Final Fantasy and Breath of Fire series) it is. What's more, it just looks ugly.
Summoner - In short: a click-fest title set within an unoriginal atmosphere and storyline, with characters whose development is sporadic, and, at best, minimal.
Titan Quest - A game set in the rich atmosphere arising from a medley of ancient Greecian and Egyptian mythology would seem to portend something amazing; Titan Quest, however, boils down within the first half-hour to reveal how little substance it truly encompasses. A myriad of "unique" items (read: randomly mixed and matched names and statistics) do not make up for a combat system whose premise is nothing more than "click your enemy, then again, and again, and again, and again...". The developers were obviously fans of Diablo, but while imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, it makes for very dull games. Don't buy the hype.
Difficult Choices:
The following list of games are those which I did not enjoy playing, but could still recommend.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neverwinter Nights - I picked up NWN after having read of the near-legendary status it had achieved. This status, however, did not last very long while playing through the primary campaign. A promising storyline that sparked little more than pages of drivel, ultimately floundering into the same old channels as other fantasy fare, and numerous innovations that were present, but untapped, left me with a feeling of malaise. NWN seemed a title that was made purely as a building block; a stepping stone by which the community could create their own adventures, not a game in and of itself...thankfully, the community stepped up. While I no longer play NWN (and remain heartily disappointed in it, not the least because it requires you to play with a group of characters if you wish to make any real progress), I continue to recommend it on account of the numerous incredible mods available for such.
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic - While citing this game may very well end in some sharp retorts, I'll do so just the same, for one reason: it's bad. Very bad. After reading professional reviews stating everything from "it grasps the Star Wars universe in a realistic manner" to the fanboy cry's of "it's like being a real Jedi!" how could I resist? Imagine then, if you will, my disappointment in a game which locked me into a strictly linear storyline hidden behind a facade of freedom. I was bereft of the ability to attack the guards I wanted, kill the people I wished, or even venture outside the realm of what the developers defined as "good and bad". However, that was not the true disappointment, no...that was the combat system. Here I am, finally having become a Jedi, one of the greatest warriors this fictitious universe retains, and yet I can't seem to kill anyone. Why? I run right up to the guard, swing my lightsaber (you know, the sword that can cut through anything!) right through his chest, and nothing happens. How? Oh, because the combat isn't real, and what I do beyond selecting an enemy doesn't matter. KOTOR is part of the new wave of "cinematic" games that allow you to sit back and watch the action unfold on your screen...but who wants that? I was looking forward to a game in which I'd be able to swing my sword through an enemy, cutting them swiftly in two, fling objects at them with my force powers, and block laser blasts left and right...what I get is a combat system based on behind-the-scenes mathematical computations. It doesn't matter that I dodged the grenade, jumped out of the way of his sword, or was behind the Trooper when he fired in front of him, all that matters is that his number was higher and according to that, he hit me. I can see it now, a whole new era of Star Wars films: "I'm sorry, Luke, but you missed Darth Vader. You see, while you may have swung your lightsaber through the area occupied by his neck, your lightsaber has a base 10 strike, and his armor is level 8 with a saving cast of 4, and while he rolled a 2, he has a dark side bonus of 1 which is 11, so I'm afraid you lose..."
Planescape: Torment - Another inclusion that's likely to earn me some flack, but so be it. I'm hard-pressed to express how I was disappointed in this game, although I know it was something about the combat system, the frivilous "interaction and impact" my actions made, and the overly convoluted storyline (or should I say, "the story that was apparently written by someone who thought themselves very clever") that struck me as most disappointing. Still, Planescape opened my eyes to some new facets of the RPG world, thus I still recommend it to new RPGers. What's more, if a revamped version was ever made, I'm certain I'd try it.
Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption - This was the one game that hurt me the most. As an enthusiast of the incredibly replayable and pioneering VTM: Bloodlines, which fortunately (or perhaps, unfortunately) I played first, Redemption was a crushing blow. Naively imaging that the developers at Troika might have garnered the structure for their game from Redemption, I discovered within it a whole new game...not in a good way. The fact that it involved vampires was great, the premise for the storyline was also intriguing (a Crusader seeking to rid himself of the curse of vampirism), but the combat system, atmosphere, inventory, and even movement were all haphazard. I believe I might have gone easier on Redemption had I not already played Bloodlines, but I'll never really know. All I do know is this: Redemption was a major disappointment.
Oh, also, for anyone who recalls me from the Dot, it's great to finally get over here! I'd also like to thank the many (former?) members of the Dot who were kind enough to inform me of the move in response to my inquiry.
.
