Unfettered Blather

April 2008 will be known as the month of broken promises. Looking over the releases for this month it seemed like a fine time to finish may ever growing “Pile of Shame” seeing as how the only game I’m looking forward to is the upcoming bundle of SNK games for the PS2.

Can you believe that I was guilted into buying Halo 3 by my nephew and my Brother-in-law? Combine that with a desire to be an early adopter for Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and then finding a great deal on Call of Duty 4, and suddenly I have three brand new high quality shooters. Not only that, but the RPG bug finally bit and I broke down and bought the “poor man’s Oblivion”, also known as Two Worlds.

BEST OF THE MONTH
	#1 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (X360) At a time when I’ve grown jaded of FPS games and the Call of Duty series in particular, I am shocked to discover a game so good that it could top my beloved Guitar Hero II. I have always found the Call of Duty games to be poorly executed, and perhaps this one will yet betray me, but so far it’s been an outstanding game with excellent storytelling. A fine example of what you can do when you don’t bother to copy Halo.
	#2 Guitar Hero II (X360) I held out as long as I could, but with its extended song list and downloadable content I knew I was going to get this for the 360 eventually, even if I did have the PS2 version already. As always, Guitar Hero II proves why it’s still the best in the series and the 360 version is probably the best across platforms.
	#3 Halo 3 (X360) Halo 3 is, like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, more of the same but very well done. Unlike Super Smash Bros, Brawl, and I know that’s a weird comparison, it does not make quite the same leap of giving a lot of new content to the players. Yes, the game looks more polished than ever, there are some new vehicles, a few new weapons, and a continuation of the last story, but I don’t feel the quite same sense of “must have” that I did with Halo 2. A game I largely bought due to peer pressure so I could play with people on-line. A solid game, but starting to feel played out.
	#4 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (X360) Not as good as Guitar Hero II, but still a lot of fun to play. Really, I’m hoping Neversoft gets a better grip on the series moving forward but this was a good freshman effort for them. If nothing else, it has a killer song list. I’ve also moved the Guitar Hero franchise to my 360 simply to take advantage of the technology.
	#5 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (X360) I only buy these games every three or so releases apparently. I’ve just never been a big fan of the games but I occassionally get sucked into them. While I find the gameplay to be a bit overly punishing and the checkpoint system very unhelpful, the overall concept and execution is pretty well done. From what I understand of the previous game, a lot of options have been included that are big improvements. Of the Rainbow Six series, this one has probably done the best to balance realism and entertainment.
	#6 Doom (X360) The X-Box Arcade version of this classic title, I still remember Doom fondly and it’s been fun to see that it is not just nostalgia that makes me think of it kindly. I’m still having just as much fun blasting demons and zombies as I ever did. This game has aged remarkably well.
	#7 MechQuest (PC) Normally I wouldn’t include a game that has not been officially released, but seeing as how they have squeezed about $45 from me so far I figure anything that costs me actual dollars is fair game. MechQuest is a charming little browser based scifi fantasy mecha game. If that sounds convoluted, that would be because it is. MechQuest’s biggest problem is its lack of focus. There are other issues as well, but I saved that for a dedicated post on the game. All-in-all, I did like the game, but it definitely needs more polish.
	#8 Two Worlds (X360) A decent but not great RPG. Two Worlds has an open world concept similar to the Elder Scrolls series (Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, and Oblivion) but it lacks the same kind of focus. Anyone who has played an Elder Scrolls game will appreciate the enormity of that statement.
	#9 Small Arms (X360) A game that desperately wants to be Super Smash Bros., but hardcore with like guns ‘n stuff. I kind of like the Panda with the minigun, I think it’s a Panda anyway, or a skunk. It’s a neat game, not a great game, available on Arcade and fun as a shootie version of Super Smash Bros. Other than that, not much to write home about.

GAME OF THE MONTH Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Stealing the spot that rightfully belonged to Guitar Hero II, Call of Duty 4 was impossible to overlook. Strong gameplay, strong story, excellent controls, good variety in maps, missions, weapon selections, and characters you can actually give a damn about. A game that doesn’t feel obliged to slavishly follow FPS conventions, it does quite a bit that you may not be used to, but always does it well. You still have certain rules that it follows, thus it doesn’t quite achieve a Portal-level of quality and innovation, but this is probably the best FPS game available for the 360 right now where guns are actually used to shoot things instead of opening holes in walls.

BEST SO FAR

1. Portal (X360)
2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (X360)
   Finally, a FPS with a little thought put into it. The decision to take the Call of Duty series in a different direction paid off. The story is controversial and maybe a bit uncomfortable for some, but I love how they tell it and I think they’ve done one of the better jobs of balancing realism and gameplay.
3. Guitar Hero II (X360)
   An unfair competition. Guitar Hero II was my favorite game last year and naturally the 360 version is going to do quite well. Portal still reigns supreme this year. I’m a little sad that the games of last year seem to be dominating this year.
4. Crackdown (X360)
5. Endless Ocean (Wii)
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
7. Halo 3 (X360)
   All complaints about the game aside, Bungie knows how to make a solid First Person Shooter. I’m also thankful for finally giving us an alien weapon that I actually like for a change.
8. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (X360)
   A very strong game but it loses points for some bad design decisions. What keeps GH3 strong and worthy of making the list is the impressive song list and just the usual Guitar Hero style of gameplay. What stops it from debutting even higher is the ridiculous “battles”, the odd and illogical change to some of the gameplay mechanics, and the overall “sexing up” of a game that previously appealled to both genders. An inferior product to Guitar Hero II in every way, only managing to do so well because of some excellent features. Money well spent, but I’m having a hard time ignoring the dings and scratches on this classic ride.
9. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (X360)
   Despite some of my criticisms of the game, it is extremely well executed. While the focus is on the story, there are also other missions called Terrorist Hunts that count towards achieving new equipment that can be used in the main story as well as on-line play.
10. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)

WORST SO FAR

1. Call of Duty 3 (Wii)
2. Road Trip: Arcade Edition (GCN)
3. Carnival Games (Wii)
4. Yaris (X360)
5. Virtual On Marz (PS2)
6. Hexic HD (X360)
7. Pac-Man: Championship Edition (X360)
8. Bankshot Billiards 2 (X360)
9. Small Arms (X360)
   I like the game, it’s well executed, has some good level design, and fun for what it is. However, I can’t shake that its a shallower version of Super Smash Bros. Fewer characters, fewer pick-ups, fewer game types and totally unrecognizable characters. I do like the level design, maybe even more than Smash Bros. since they tend to be high on the annoyance factor. On the regular mission mode they’ve made the game a bit overly punishing, as if they designed it to be something you fed quarters to. This puts a real damper on the fun.
10. Two Worlds (X360)
    I hate the RPG bug sometimes. I bought Two Worlds because I didn’t want to spend the money on Call of Duty 4 and Oblivion at the same time. So I justified this cheaper RPG instead. It wants to be Oblivion so badly that it actually makes me want to play Oblivion. I’ve never experienced that with a game before.

YOU’RE OUT OF THE RUNNING
And now we bid farewell to those games that won’t make either list.

• Doom (X360)
  I love this game and I consider it to be one of the best offerings on X-Box Arcade. However, this is an early FPS in a field that has advanced greatly since it’s original release. There is something oddly humorous in Doom seeming almost “casual” compared to other shooters. It’s pure fun, but there are no fancy gizmos and whatzits to occupy gamers. For me, I still regard it highly, but I can’t ignore its aging technology and limited gameplay in regards to more modern made quality titles.
• Elebits (Wii)
  I’m really pained to see this game go. I don’t think it quite gets the recognition it deserved though I think some of the blame lies within how poorly marketed it was. I maintain this as one of my favorite games and one of the few games that makes good use of the Wii controls.
• Guitar Hero (PS2)
  Possibly one of the best song lists of any Guitar Hero game, it suffers from being the first. Harmonix made a major leap in playability with Guitar Hero II, allowing players to more easily do hammer-ons and pull-offs, I don’t expect anyone who doesn’t play guitar or the games to know what that means, that actually made the game a little more approachable. This was actually a huge change in the learning curve. While I enjoyed Guitar Hero for what it was, so much has been done since it came out. Better multi-player, which is the core of the series to me, better game mechanics, and an ever expanding song list. That doesn’t mean this game isn’t a classic, but I can’t think of any game since released in the franchise that hasn’t moved beyond what the original has done.
• Guitar Hero: Rock the 80’s (PS2)
  The limited song list and lack of bonus tracks really hurts this game. Seen by many as a cheap cash-in for Harmonix before they fled Activision, I couldn’t help but buy it for the 80’s song list. Like any Guitar Hero game, it’s packed full of fun, but not something I would pass up for Guitar Hero II which uses the exact same gameplay mechanics.
• Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (GCN)
  If they had stuck more with the simple yet entertaining missions of the original game this might well still be on the list. The introduction of more complicated and complex mission goals placed this game out of reach from the demographic it originally appealled so strongly to. While I enjoy the game, I liked how anyone from age 5 to 85 could enjoy the original game. Still a high quality title, it lacked the magic of the original despite some of the new features.
• MechQuest (PC)
  You might defend it as being a “Gamma” Release, but what does that mean anyway? I design and develop software for a living, we don’t pull this crap on our customers! Either it’s ready for primetime or its not, but if you’re charging for a game then it’s fair game for critique. I like the game, don’t get me wrong, and continue to play it. It’s just not top ten material and to be honest I don’t see it making it even if they continue to polish it and add content.
• Smash TV (X360)
  Finally off the Bottom 10 list, I actually did like this game. It suffers from its design, which was as an arcade game that was translated wholesale to X-Box Arcade. Simply put, it expects players to feed it quarters obsessively, and the game design couldn’t be more transparent in this regard. On the other hand, I always did like this game even if I never played it beyond the first boss in the Arcade. I kind of enjoyed playing it all the way through at last.
• Viva Pinata (X360)
  This gets massive points for originality but it failed to keep my attention. An excellent game and surely one of the best you could get your kids for any console of this generation. I love this game, the kids love this game, and I think even the dog wishes she had thumbs. An excellent title that just wasn’t quite as excellent as others.
• Uno (X360)
  On reflection I may have been too harsh to this game, but it really is only getting knocked off the list because of the sheer mediocrity of titles like Small Arms or Two Worlds. As a casual game it is ok, but it does tend to have some annoying features that I don’t see as much of in other casual games. On the other hand, if you’re an Uno fan, it’s probably as good a game as you can get in digital form. Take that as you will.

REBUYS

• Seek and Destroy (PS2)
  A fun little tank game not unlike Everything Road Trip. Cheap from the get-go, I had lost my copy some time ago. Found a new one and glad to have it back!

UNDETERMINED

• Half-Life 2: Episode 2 (X360)
  You gotta give me a break here! I bought the Orange Box at a time when I already had a lot of games on my plate. I simply don’t want to get into this until I have either finished Half-Life 2: Episode 1 or gotten far enough into it that I won’t feel guilty for starting this. I will attempt to tackle it next month.

APRIL STATISTICS -
Average Cost: $27.50
PC - 1 Title (10%)
Playstation 2 - 1 Titles (10.0%)
X-Box 360 - 8 Titles (80%)
10 Titles

STATISTICS SO FAR -
Average Cost: $16.34 per game
Gamecube - 5 Titles (6.8%)
PC - 1 Title (1.4%)
Playstation 2 - 10 Titles (13.5%)
Wii - 12 Titles (16.2%)
X-Box - 15 Titles (20.3%)
X-Box 360 - 31 Titles (41.9%)
74 Titles

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