Mark IsaacsonChristmas Gaming Ideas - What Not to Buy...
December 16th 2007 00:29
Ok so I've told you all the fine points for making this Christmas the best for any gamer (well, almost any), but now it's time to tell you what NOT to buy ... because, let's face it, there's so much terrible, terrible stuff out there that just doesn't deserve to be looked at.
With every Halo, there's a 'I want to be just like it', and Blacksite: Area 51 is this years perfect example. It's a typical FPS that brings nothing new or exciting, and for the same amount of cash spent, you can have a far more enjoyable time playing said Halo 3 or Bioshock, among others. It's like a cheap Gears of War clone with little meat to the bones. As is Clive Barker's Jericho, another shocker of a release that had so much potential.
There's been a number of movie based titles released this year, and many have fallen by the wayside. Spider-Man probably came off the worst, with both Spider-Man 3 and Spider-Man: Friend or Foe receiving critical pans. It's a shame, really, considering SM2 was one of the better movie based titles I've ever played. Meanwhile, TMNT, Beowulf: The Game, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Transformers are all ones to avoid, although to be fair Transformers isn't that bad ... it just could have been so much more.
For any kids out there, try to stay clear of Viva Pinata: Party Animals and Mario Party 8. Both titles fall short of the real party experience ... or any party experience, for that matter. The Nintendo DS, meanwhile, has a ton of really bad games, being that its the easiest console to develop for. In fact, the DS probably has more rubbish on it then any other console right now, which is a shame.
Anyway, those to avoid on the handheld includes the Mega Man Star Force series (poor Mega Man, forgotten within the modern world), The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night which doesn't do the series justice, and every brain training or sudoku game that rips off from Dr Kawashima ... yeah, they're bad. Trust me.
Finally, two of the years most disappointing titles. Need for Speed Pro Street, an unusual decision by EA to strip the entertainment value from the franchise and replace it with ho hum racing; and Hellgate: London, a modern take on Diablo (by people who worked on said Diablo) which doesn't really capture said Diablo's level of fun.
There's much more out there, but that should help you avoid any unwanted surprises on Christmas morning. Of course, you may still enjoy one of the above games ... maybe ... who knows ... but I wouldn't risk it.
With every Halo, there's a 'I want to be just like it', and Blacksite: Area 51 is this years perfect example. It's a typical FPS that brings nothing new or exciting, and for the same amount of cash spent, you can have a far more enjoyable time playing said Halo 3 or Bioshock, among others. It's like a cheap Gears of War clone with little meat to the bones. As is Clive Barker's Jericho, another shocker of a release that had so much potential.
There's been a number of movie based titles released this year, and many have fallen by the wayside. Spider-Man probably came off the worst, with both Spider-Man 3 and Spider-Man: Friend or Foe receiving critical pans. It's a shame, really, considering SM2 was one of the better movie based titles I've ever played. Meanwhile, TMNT, Beowulf: The Game, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Transformers are all ones to avoid, although to be fair Transformers isn't that bad ... it just could have been so much more.
For any kids out there, try to stay clear of Viva Pinata: Party Animals and Mario Party 8. Both titles fall short of the real party experience ... or any party experience, for that matter. The Nintendo DS, meanwhile, has a ton of really bad games, being that its the easiest console to develop for. In fact, the DS probably has more rubbish on it then any other console right now, which is a shame.
Anyway, those to avoid on the handheld includes the Mega Man Star Force series (poor Mega Man, forgotten within the modern world), The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night which doesn't do the series justice, and every brain training or sudoku game that rips off from Dr Kawashima ... yeah, they're bad. Trust me.
Finally, two of the years most disappointing titles. Need for Speed Pro Street, an unusual decision by EA to strip the entertainment value from the franchise and replace it with ho hum racing; and Hellgate: London, a modern take on Diablo (by people who worked on said Diablo) which doesn't really capture said Diablo's level of fun.
There's much more out there, but that should help you avoid any unwanted surprises on Christmas morning. Of course, you may still enjoy one of the above games ... maybe ... who knows ... but I wouldn't risk it.
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