And the number of rats and guards in the levels, and I think a few other things.
could be said of the whole list really.
"Are we just going to gloss over the effects of the real money auction house, the lack of offline play, and the long slog through the normal difficulty to get to any gameplay meat?"
I'm sure not. When Diablo III was announced, I was so very, very excited. Then when the baffling, insane decisions about the server requirement and the RMAH came to light (though I feel -much- less strongly about the latter), it became clear I was never going to own Diablo III. And so I don't.
Also: "Is an evocative virtual Hong Kong all it takes?"
Yes.
The latter -should- overshadow any talk of the actual game, because it should have meant nobody buying it in the first place. Unfortunately, we live in a disappointing world where millions and millions of people are apparently okay with games being disposable things you never actually own.
Well this article appears to sum up QT3 very well. Overrated is an out
dated term to describe games that receive more credit than they deserve.
But regardless of whether they or any of you like it, developers work their arses off
to ensure gaming quality is up to snuff, and its like a spit in their
face if you say their games are overrated.
So according to this guy Midnight Club, NFS Most Wanted and TDU are better than Forza Horizon simply because they came first and understand the open world racer. What? so maybe once Playground games produce another few, then QT3 will welcome them with open arms? Forza Horizon is a gorgeoes racing game built for those who love driving.
So everyone gets an A for effort? We're all unique snowflakes? That sort of thing?
It's not a critic's job to make developers feel good. Focusing exclusively on that would be a disservice to readers.
I'll agree with most of the list here. Particularly Diablo 3 - not for any gameplay reasons, but for the DRM.
Also I haven't played Endless Space because I read similar things about the AI. It's a damn shame, sounds right up my alley.
Most overrated reviewer of all time:
10. Tom Chick
9. Tom Chick
8. Tom Chick
7. Tom Chick
6. Tom Chick
5. Tom Chick
4. Tom Chick
3. Tom Chick
2. Tom Chick
1. TOM CHICK
Your Tom's Dick? I guess so, since apparently he yanks you about until you spew all over the comments section.
Come on man, are you really going to make that argument? That developers put their heart and soul into games, therefore we shouldn't criticize them?
It wouldn't only be a disservice to readers, it would be a disservice to developers. If developers don't get honest feedback they are not going to improve their game designs. Criticism is an important part of any creative field.
I think Guild Wars 2 would probably be my primary entry under this category. I tend not to expect much one way or the other from games before release, and studios that provide quality on a regular basis rarely suddenly drop their standards, so I'm rarely particularly disappointed by games. And if anything I think a lot of people around Qt3 and Rock Paper Shotgun are overcritical of a lot of games I've played this year, not undercritical.
So really it boils down to the lavish, almost rabid praise delivered to Guild Wars 2, in particular declarations that it will revolutionize the MMO genre the way that World of Warcraft did back in 2004. Now, make no mistake, I think Guild Wars 2 is a very good game. Polished, varied, gorgeous, and with a great deal of attention paid to eliminating traditional MMO irritants. I think its dynamic events do a great deal to improve on the public quest model that Warhammer Online pioneered and other games such as Rift advanced. And I love how varied and flexible the classes are. But for all that it's a better MMO in a number of ways, I don't think it breaks nearly as far from the MMO mold as the previous Guild Wars, and certainly doesn't represent the claimed paradigm shift. And I think certain core elements are mishandled or possibly ill advised to begin with. For example, the solo storyline quests are often questionably written and paced, and I would not have made them singleplayer-only in an ostensibly multiplayer game (yes, much of the content in other MMOs is -designed- for solo play, but it's not a good idea to force it). And the decision to "eliminate quests"? Well, the ambient hearts are basically just quests you don't have to pick up to start with, and particularly dull quests so far at that. I get that the idea is that they're basically just something to do as you explore and run events, but...I'd really just as soon have a proper story-based quest instead.
Yep, also a good point.
Eh, Journey's not for everyone. I enjoyed it, for the most part, but I can see where others would be put off by it.
Like they should give Peter Molyneux a knighthood or something. That's not such a bad idea - maybe it would embarrass him into making a good game sometime this century.
Wow, you really told him!
I would definitely put The Walking Dead on my list. I read dozens of reviews that gushed how it was the best game story written in years.
Then I finally play it and it's nothing but an adventure game with no puzzles. It's a game that's entirely about story where the writing is mediocre pedestrian cliche that throws rote shock scenes at you in the place of actual character, atmosphere, and tension. GASP! You mean those people were actually cannibals? Chopping through this chain will take too long, I have to hack off the limb! This exact scene has never been done before!
Nothing to do but walk around asking the NPCs how they're doing. Hello, irrationally angry type A stock horror movie character, how you holding up? That is the entire game, something that wandering around the Ebon Hawke in KotR did this better almost 10 years ago. I can name almost a dozen games off the top of my head that did story better as an afterthought.
Something about zombies that just rots expectations.
I wonder if I can get approved for Metacritic with my "Rainbow, Unicorn, Ice Cream Cone" rating system.
Diablo 3 was the worst game I ever sunk 100+ hours into. Diablo 3 is one of about 3 games I ever sunk 100+ hours into.
I was hoping to love Dishonored but I just can't bring myself to make any progress. I don't like the silent, simpish protagonist. Them:"You did it!" Me:"Ok..." Them:"You need to seek revenge" Me:"Ok..." Also, for seem reason all the NPCs look like they were pulled from a Toulouse-Lautrec painting. I mean A+ for artistic merit but not something I want to look at for a long time.