Thursday 11 December 2008

The best games of 2008 I won't be playing

1. Left 4 Dead

I don't know what it is, but I have never enjoyed a Valve game. I don't include Portal in the mix, as it was developed by another team, just the Half Lifes and now Left 4 Dead. I find them to be rather sterile and unsatisfactory. Their games often feature design decisions that baffle me. Left 4 Dead is a case in point: It's loose controls and twitch mechanics feel like something from 10 years ago. If it wasn't for the Zombies - another overrated cliché - I really don't think it would get the critical acclaim is has.

2. Call of Duty - World at War

I'm so done with Call of Duty games. The series' obsession with war glamorisation, in all its gruesome violence, is bordering on outright vulgarity. The message in the original Call of Duty - and to a certain extent Modern Warfare - is completely lost on the masses of teenagers gleefully murdering each other in multiplayer areas.

3. Resistance 2

The first game was mediocre at best. The flagship shooter on the PS3 for many months, it was carried on the shoulders of fanboys to a height the sequel could never match. Essentially more of the same, it has been interesting to see how PS3 owners have been more critical and less forgiving second time around.

4. Animal Crossing - City Folk

Nintendo is establishing a reputation for releasing very flimsy sequels to much loved franchises. Mario Kart Wii and Super Smash Bros Brawl were sequels barely distinguishable from their predecessors. Animal Crossing - City Folk is its predecessor: a port of a DS game, ported from the Gamecube, ported from the N64. Any good will for Nintendo's Wii has all but vanished for the enthusiast gamer now.

5. Mercenaries 2 - World in Flames

I purchased Mercs 2 with good intensions. It looked like fun, people seemed to like it, and it would fill the void left post GTA IV completion. Unfortunately it was a good awful mess with clumsy controls, terrible dialog and a poor game structure. Two hours was enough to banish it to the back of the CD wallet for good.

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