I'm not a PC gamer so I can't comment on everything here, but on a whole, we actually seem to largely agree here! Halo would even be up for most overrated franchise of all time!
so blatant borrowing then? Sure there could be more under the bonnet in a few places, but the decision to go open world was a chance to freshen up the rotting circuit racing.
Not exactly, but why on earth would franchises get whirlwind recognition if the developers didn't do anything right. Every COD hater always thinks that it is overrated, but there's a reason why they are popular. COD may be simple and mindless, but it attracts millions. Sometimes simplicity breeds success.
That's not what I'm saying. Games should be critisized in an effort to convince developers to improve a franchise. But the term "overated" doesn't represent anything more than the ignorance of the time and effort that developers give games. Not that I know anything about any particular developers, they may be lazy and lackadaisical, but there is nothing overrated about what people enjoy.
Ahahahah, what the christ? Crusader Kings II overrated? It has had barely any press, let alone people talking about how amazing it is all the time.
All of this. I'm having a really hard time understanding how people who swear off WoW as a plague can get totally on board the Guild Wars 2 train. I mean, I think it's a well-built game, but I got bored with it just as quickly as I do with every other MMO. The same mechanics with different names.
And success is not synonymous with quality.
If you're going to put something out into the world for public consumption, criticism is inevitable. It happens this way with books, movies, television, comics and every other medium under the sun. Games are no different!
When Chick questions the reception of these games, he's trying to get us to think about WHY we like and support the things we do. This is important for the games industry to stay healthy.
Also, how is 'overrated' an outdated term? The opinion that something might not be as good as everyone says it is doesn't really have an expiration date.
The belief that something is overrated has absolutely nothing to do with how much work went into it, or whether people have fun with it or not. It's a question of quality.
Even though I loved Journey, I must admit Tom Chick makes a good point. Journey got the atmosphere, the controls, even the story, but fell short on gameplay. The fact that you dont really need the other players makes it a bit of a smoke and mirrors thing. I understand that actual puzzles where discarded in favour of accessibility, fearing that frustration would have ruined the experience for some people. That is also true, but it would have made Journey so much more potent for the people who actually put the effort to make it work. It would have made the bonding with the other players that much stronger.
A question of quality? people have different perceptions of what is deemed overrated. So people can debate the quality, which essentially throws out anything that is overrated. Besides there's nothing anyone can do about it being overrated. Of course you probably don't want to or can't do anything about it, but the fact is overrated is an opinion. This opinion is shared through a community like this forum and anyone who has an alternate view is alienated or at least argued with. I personally don't believe in anything being overrated because we are gamers, we should just do what we do without trying to initiate any bias towards a developer or a franchise.
Sleeping Dogs made Most Disappointing *and* Most Overrated? Man, you've got a hate-on for that one Tom :)
...and no, I haven't played it yet - so that's not a value judgement on your critical faculties. And now that I'm re-reading the list, I just realized I haven't played any of these...I must be doing something right.
Wow I disagree with most of these. Something tells me this article is just link-bait.
I get the first point, any medium was made to be critisized. It's just COD happens to get a whirlpool of hatred or the opposite.
You're right there, I think that's what he does, I suppose I just can't see it with some of the games he reviews.
Overrated just doesn't sound respectful to a franchise's success regardless of quality or notoriety. If there is that opinion of something that isn't as good as people say, that's just how you found it. Like I've said there is nothing overrated about one's opinion. If someone doesn't like a game then that's just how they've reacted to it. That doesn't mean their opinion is wrong or the critic's opinion is right. But it does mean that there will be people who love and hate a game in equal measure. Saying a game is overrated is basically your opinion because of what the experience was like to you, not everyone will think the same way.
Dude, you're 100% right in that whether a game is overrated or not is just someone's opinion, as is all criticism.
I mean, to me, the only reason to write about games is because you think you have something of value to say about them. It's well within Chick's right to say a game is overrated, just like another critic could say CODBLOPS 2 is game of the decade or Ocarina of Time is a steaming pile. It doesn't make them right or wrong.
So you're saying that gamers should be like zombies and consume anything and everything that's shoved in their direction?
could care less. other than the mayhem of the first few days, which i wouldn't have dinked around single player anyways even if it had been a flawless launch, i haven't had any problems. all the up in arms over some 'limitation' on playing i've never witnessed preventing me from playing is overrated. same with RMAH. the black market AH has always been there, now it's just in house. you don't want to see better items then you're ever likely to to pick up? then don't fucking go there. i don't like McDonalds. you won't catch me in their drive thru. tough concept.
Yeah, it was the odd-one-out to me. I never heard a peep about anyone rating it at all, being off the radar.
I'm sure I'm not the first to not like walking dead. As you've pointed out, interactive story-side of it is fantastic. But it falls short on considerable player involvement. Admittedly the same is being said by Tomchick here, my response would be that Journey has a large level of discernible freedom despite it's perceived linearity. Either game works for either people. Besides let's rejoice that Farming simulator 2013 didn't make this list, cracking game it was! /s
let's be frank though, there are many gamers who trip over that wire.
would probably benefit them to some degree. Would they play games like Rayman Origins or Okami otherwise? On the flip side that would be very boring. If it's worth getting people to play a wider assortment of games then there is a benefit, but it would be at the cost of individuality.