10 most diappointing games of this year

[TheRatKing]

It seems that all of the studios have their own little niche that they are too afraid to leave. Bethesda makes FPPARGPs with massive worlds, Bioware is how you describe. It seems developers are lacking in courage, and that is what makes good games great, the courage to make them different and original.

 

[BloodyPuppy]

- Mass Effect. Atrocious combat, and after five minutes it was already obviously completly uninspired. I could already see the typical Bioware storyline unfolding, and I had no wish to sit through the entire mid-game PLOT TWISTSEH and DIFFICULT CHOICEH ON TEH ENDE thing again.

I felt the same way - NOT ANOTHER GODDAMN KotOR CLONE. Bioware proves over and over again that they are completly unable to make other rpg than a party-based epic story, with black&white choices.

I really like KOTOR, but once I played Jade Empire (which I was too bored to finish by the way) I was like, "sooooo... do you guys release a new concept now, or are you just gonna keep rehashing this shit?" Well transmission recieved Bioware.

 

[Dragula]

I quite enjoyed Mass Effect, Jade Empire on the other hand was atrocious with a very broken combat system.

 

[TheLastOutlaw]

The fact that Bioware keeps retreading the same ideas aside...

Why can't they fix the goddamn inventory system?

 

[BloodyPuppy]

The fact that Bioware keeps retreading the same ideas aside...

Why can't they fix the goddamn inventory system?

I don't have any major problems with it honestly, but having a gigantic list with all your items is definitely not the greatest inventory system I've ever seen.

 

[TheRatKing]

Fallout had it . Yeah I agree I much prefer Deus Ex style inventory, where you have both a space limit and a weight limit. It actually balances the game a lot more and makes it more realistic. For example, in Deus Ex, if you ever wanted more than one big weapon in your inventory, you would seriously have to rethink your resources and not be able to take everything you need.

 

[BloodyPuppy]

Fallout had it . Yeah I agree I much prefer Deus Ex style inventory, where you have both a space limit and a weight limit. It actually balances the game a lot more and makes it more realistic. For example, in Deus Ex, if you ever wanted more than one big weapon in your inventory, you would seriously have to rethink your resources and not be able to take everything you need.

Yeah, Deus Ex type systems are my favorite, particularly because in Deus Ex there was never anything I wanted to throw out because I was worried I might need it.

 

[TheRatKing]

Yeah, Deus Ex type systems are my favorite, particularly because in Deus Ex there was never anything I wanted to throw out because I was worried I might need it.

I completely agree. I always brought way more than I needed. I can't count how many times I snagged some ballistics armor or stealth armor and never used it. I worried that I might need food for some side quest (in the beginning of the game there are two instances IIRC).

 

[Jebus]

- Mass Effect. Atrocious combat, and after five minutes it was already obviously completly uninspired. I could already see the typical Bioware storyline unfolding, and I had no wish to sit through the entire mid-game PLOT TWISTSEH and DIFFICULT CHOICEH ON TEH ENDE thing again.

I felt the same way - NOT ANOTHER GODDAMN KotOR CLONE. Bioware proves over and over again that they are completly unable to make other rpg than a party-based epic story, with black&white choices.

Every story they make is the same template. Every. One.

They first did it with BG2 (Baldur's Gate 2), and everyone thought is was teh awesome. Then they did it with NWN (Neverwinter Nights). And KOTOR. And Mass Effect. I didn't play Jade Empire, but I'm fairly sure it was the same thing.

It's not that their writing itself is bad, mind you. There's no mindbogglingly dumb dialogue like, say, Fallout 3 - but their storylines and character arcs are always the same.

It's kind of comparable to writers and ghostwriters: a writer is someone who creatively shapes a story, a ghostwriter is someone who fills in the blanks. Bioware was a writer when they made BG2 - but since then they've just ghostwritten the same story with different details and settings.

 

[BloodyPuppy]

- Mass Effect. Atrocious combat, and after five minutes it was already obviously completly uninspired. I could already see the typical Bioware storyline unfolding, and I had no wish to sit through the entire mid-game PLOT TWISTSEH and DIFFICULT CHOICEH ON TEH ENDE thing again.

I felt the same way - NOT ANOTHER GODDAMN KotOR CLONE. Bioware proves over and over again that they are completly unable to make other rpg than a party-based epic story, with black&white choices.

Every story they make is the same template. Every. One.

They first did it with BG2 (Baldur's Gate 2), and everyone thought is was teh awesome. Then they did it with NWN (Neverwinter Nights). And KOTOR. And Mass Effect. I didn't play Jade Empire, but I'm fairly sure it was the same thing.

It's not that their writing itself is bad, mind you. There's no mindbogglingly dumb dialogue like, say, Fallout 3 - but their storylines and character arcs are always the same.

It's kind of comparable to writers and ghostwriters: a writer is someone who creatively shapes a story, a ghostwriter is someone who fills in the blanks. Bioware was a writer when they made BG2 - but since then they've just ghostwritten the same story with different details and settings.

What was the story of NWN? If I had to guess you probably start out as some normal guy with a somewhat uncertain past or some sort of special quality, and later you are revealed to have a past that directly ties into the main characters motivations and you have to fight the antagonist and in the process of getting to them you slowly discover your past until the big reveal. Also, one of your allies probably betrays you.

I loved KOTOR, but Jade Empire had a pretty sub-par fighting system, and the story was okay I guess, but it wasn't as compelling as KOTOR. Also the open palm, closed fist system was actually more dissapointing than the dark side, light side system of KOTOR, just because the system in Jade Empire could have been so promising with those two philosophies...

 

[TheLastOutlaw]

Yea, Dues EX style inventory was one of the best I've seen as far as realism vs. playability. And I don't deny that Fallout had similar to KOTOR, Mass Effect, Bioware ad nauseum but FO is 10+ years old. Mass Effect can try to keep up a little bit with the times :p

 

[Buxbaum666]

I didn't play any games that were released this year. With the exception being Fallout 3. And it was a disappointment, alright.

 

[Ravager69]

I felt the same way - NOT ANOTHER GODDAMN KotOR CLONE. Bioware proves over and over again that they are completly unable to make other rpg than a party-based epic story, with black&white choices.
Every story they make is the same template. Every. One.

They first did it with BG2 (Baldur's Gate 2), and everyone thought is was teh awesome. Then they did it with NWN (Neverwinter Nights). And KOTOR. And Mass Effect. I didn't play Jade Empire, but I'm fairly sure it was the same thing.

It's not that their writing itself is bad, mind you. There's no mindbogglingly dumb dialogue like, say, Fallout 3 - but their storylines and character arcs are always the same.

It's kind of comparable to writers and ghostwriters: a writer is someone who creatively shapes a story, a ghostwriter is someone who fills in the blanks. Bioware was a writer when they made BG2 - but since then they've just ghostwritten the same story with different details and settings.

Fortunatly for Bioware, they are smart enough to hire good writers for their dialogues, which makes their games enjoyable enough.

As for their games overall, they are way to childish and pompous - always the grand evil and epic heroes, with some "funny" characters thrown in for the kiddies. BTW was Obsidian behind Mass Effect? If so, these guys lost all their creativity somewhere between cloning KotOR ideas.

 

[Alphadrop]

What was the story of NWN? If I had to guess you probably start out as some normal guy with a somewhat uncertain past or some sort of special quality, and later you are revealed to have a past that directly ties into the main characters motivations and you have to fight the antagonist and in the process of getting to them you slowly discover your past until the big reveal. Also, one of your allies probably betrays you.

Nwn had one of the better allies betraying you plot devices. It was more ally goes completely emo batsh*t crazy and starts wearing black armour and blaming you and everyone else for the death of her boyfriend.

Also if I remember correctly you character has no dark secret in his past. He/She is basically just a mercenary/adventurer who gets in over his/her head and ends up fighting an ancient evil.
I blitzed half the game in a GCSE revision week years back so I can't remember too much, only that it got a bit weird near the end and the first expansion pack sorta sucked.

 

[BloodyPuppy]

What was the story of NWN? If I had to guess you probably start out as some normal guy with a somewhat uncertain past or some sort of special quality, and later you are revealed to have a past that directly ties into the main characters motivations and you have to fight the antagonist and in the process of getting to them you slowly discover your past until the big reveal. Also, one of your allies probably betrays you.

Nwn had one of the better allies betraying you plot devices. It was more ally goes completely emo batsh*t crazy and starts wearing black armour and blaming you and everyone else for the death of her boyfriend.

Also if I remember correctly you character has no dark secret in his past. He/She is basically just a mercenary/adventurer who gets in over his/her head and ends up fighting an ancient evil.
I blitzed half the game in a GCSE revision week years back so I can't remember too much, only that it got a bit weird near the end and the first expansion pack sorta sucked.

Hm, well that's a bit better than their usual fare. I still really like Bioware games, but jesus it wouldn't kill them to mix it up a bit.

 

[jamesmcm]

Fallout 3 wasn't a disappointment at all! It was everything I expected it to be and somehow, paradoxically, more!

I think the fact you were surprised it wasn't on this list just shows how disillusioned you are.

 

[rcorporon]

Fallout 3 wasn't a disappointment at all! It was everything I expected it to be and somehow, paradoxically, more!

I think the fact you were surprised it wasn't on this list just shows how disillusioned you are.

Not really. I expected a worthy sequel to Fallout 1 and 2, and it wasn't.

Therefore, I was disappointed.

 

[requiem_for_a_starfury]

Yea, Dues EX style inventory was one of the best I've seen as far as realism vs. playability.

The inventory in Deus Ex wasn't nearly as good as System Shock II's inventory. Though Hidden & Dangerous 2 had a good inventory concept, only let down by having to scroll up and down IIRC.

The most disappointing game for me this year must be Clear Sky, it just fails to ignite the same interest, in me, as Stalker did.

 

[Patton89]

Fallout 3 wasn't a disappointment at all! It was everything I expected it to be and somehow, paradoxically, more!

I think the fact you were surprised it wasn't on this list just shows how disillusioned you are.

Ii just shows that we dont like the game, and the "professionals" like fallout 3, it doesnt mean we are somehow wrong. Bit rude to say that we are wrong because we have our own opinions.

For me, fallout 3 is among the disappointments of the year. Simply, it couldnt live up to its hype, and its title of Fallout sequel. Mediocre game that is overrated, and overhyped.

 

[TheRatKing]

The inventory in Deus Ex wasn't nearly as good as System Shock II's inventory.

IIRC, they were almost exactly the same. Unless System Shock had a weight limit (I don't think it did, but it might have), then it was virtually the same.

Hmm, unless you mean that the items were sized better in SS2, like armor. The armor in Deus Ex was only one square big, while in SS2 they were 4 squares big. Man, I really gotta go play SS2 again.