I remember when Times’ best of issue was just the best movies, CDs, books, and TV shows. I’m looking at the “full list” now. This shit is embarrassing.
The music kind of fits that description, but the gameplay and story really do not.
It’s a pretty wonky list in many places, I think, and Scribblenauts’ inclusion in particular is highly questionable given how awful the controls are. High concept, yes. Fun to play…sometimes, not all the time.
DJ Hero being on the list at all is nuts. Being at #3 feels like trolling.
The music, sure. It is very different in pacing and setting from other Halo titles, and it does have a “mystery” solving component roughly as sophisticated as Arkham Asylum (mystery, that is, not riddle). It’s not in any way conceivable anything but a great tactical shooter, though, and I think to qualify as a noir title of any kind it would have to go beyond that.
Great to see AC2 there. A bit low, though, in my opinion. Sad to see my three runners-up for personal GotY – RF:G, Beatles: RB, and Brutal Legend – all missing. Getting Batman: AA and Borderlands for Christmas and am looking forward to them.
I haven’t played DJ Hero or Let’s Kill Some Folks and Experience Some Poor Man’s Michael Bay Film, but the former’s inclusion on this list seems a hell lot more valid than the latter. Or maybe you don’t understand the appeal of DJ Hero, like I don’t understand the appeal of Let’s Kill Some Folks and Experience Some Poor Man’s Michael Bay Film.
I guess “trolling” means “people who dare to have opinions different than MattKeil.”
Care to elaborate on this?
This is a game that sends a message: Video games have something intelligent to say about contemporary military conflicts.
Amazing how the first sentence completely invalidates the entire article.
Hellooooo Mr. Obvious. :p
Actually I quite like DJ Hero, but something as repetitive and musically niche isn’t even in the running for best music game of the year, as far as I’m concerned. I’d be more understanding of their choice of it if it didn’t continually remix the same songs over and over and if it wasn’t so damned expensive.
In a year with The Beatles: Rock Band, Rock Band Unplugged, Guitar Hero 5, and even Guitar Hero: Metallica, DJ Hero is more a promising dry run for DJ Hero 2, which I expect will be a much better game with more variety and hopefully a lower price point.
As for your hyperbole regarding Modern Warfare 2, I hope it makes you feel totally edgy and cool.
I guess “trolling” means “people who dare to have opinions different than MattKeil.”
Not much of a guess, considering you didn’t even manage to suss out my opinion of DJ Hero.
Then again, I guess I should defer to the standing expert on trolling.
Originally Posted by Jeff Green
Anything with Grossman’s name on it is gonna be a joke. As soon as I read that quote, I knew exactly who wrote it.
Grossman has been writing technology related articles on Times for years now. Usually they are nothing but glamorized BestBuy brochures.
At least we know they’re not just recycling press releases.
What a joke! Reminds me of movies where they are showing one move in a chess game. The player/actor always says either “chess” or takes an enemy piece. Same with this times article.
Man, this is just bad. The copy is terrible, factually inaccurate in many spots, and the list is probably just cribbed from what Grossman thinks has been getting hits on the blogs. Maybe.
Time also has lists for the Top 10 Mistresses and Top 10 Sports Terrorism Attacks. I like to imagine a conference room full of Time editors debating the merits of various terrorist attacks. What are the criteria? Do they honor innovation, craftsmanship, or effectiveness?
DJ Hero is #3? Really?
And is there a single title on there that came out in the first half of 2009? They don’t seem to have much of an attention span…
The AP’s list is a bit of an improvement
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jBVuRptrkPx0hxRzlwhp2Kk1z4pgD9CF64TO1
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
- Assassin’s Creed II
- Dragon Age: Origins
- Batman: Arkham Asylum
- inFamous
- Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
- Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
- Borderlands
- Forza Motorsport 3
- Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
The AP’s list is a bit of an improvement
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jBVuRptrkPx0hxRzlwhp2Kk1z4pgD9CF64TO1
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
- Assassin’s Creed II
- Dragon Age: Origins
- Batman: Arkham Asylum
- inFamous
- Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
- Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
- Borderlands
- Forza Motorsport 3
- Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
One can disagree with the ordering, but pretty much every game on that list is deserving of being in the top 10.
Their honorable mentions are good too
Honorable Mentions: “Shadow Complex,” “Scribblenauts,” “Professor Layton & the Diabolical Box,” “Demon’s Souls,” “Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor,” “DJ Hero,” “The Beatles: Rock Band,” “Rock Band Unplugged,” “1 vs. 100.”
That’s a surprisingly good list.
Yeah, that’s a good list. My only change would be to replace Infamous with Red Faction Guerrilla, or at least include Red Faction in the honorable mentions. I guess all this generosity towards Infamous is really catching me by surprise. But still, it was a good game. At least they don’t have the atrocious Killzone 2 on the list. Now THAT would start to piss me off.
Yea, lack of Red Faction love makes sad, but I’m not surprised.