Bad year in Gaming?

[Fightgarr]

Its sort of the case that games are going to be hit or miss like it or not. We're never going to get a LOT of REALLY good games all released periodically throughout the year, just be happy with some good games and stop bitching about it not being a "good year" who gives a shit about a year as long as there are still good games at all.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Its sort of the case that games are going to be hit or miss like it or not. We're never going to get a LOT of REALLY good games all released periodically throughout the year, just be happy with some good games and stop bitching about it not being a "good year" who gives a shit about a year as long as there are still good games at all.

Fair enough, I just saying that the year as a whole didn't seem as good to me as 2007.

How about the PC version of GTA IV? It's got Mods so that should give lasting appeal.

Saints Row 2 also had co-op which is nice for a game like that. I haven't played Fable 2 but people seem to say it lived up to expectations. Gears of War 2, and Resistance 2 seem to please the crowd as well, though I don't really care for either of them.

It's kinda tough thinking of games now that I'm trying to "review the year". I also like Clear Sky more than most people did but the popular opinion seems to be "not as good as original" though I disagree for the most part.

Time to meditate and think up a list.

(Oh yeah, I liked Dead Space too, nothing amazing but hey, threw it in there).

EDIT: WHen was the enhanced edition of The Witcher released? It's not a "new game" but it was one hell of an update and IMO should have honorable mention at least.

I dunno, I just can't have fun with GTA IV. I did like Gears, though. Dead Space as well.

That would make six games wouldn't it?
I liked this year in gaming, MGS4 was amazing and so was valkyria chronicals. There were plenty of good games this year, I dont know why they don't shout about how good this year was.

Okay, so we reached the arbitrary number that I sent out, what does that prove? Anyway, I guess its just a matter of opinion, I found more games that really stuck out to me last year than this, so I see last year as better.

 

[TheNoog]

No way.

As the rest of the economy fizzled away and died like a vodka-MellowYellow, the game industry ate babies and shat out porn. (That's a good thing)

Sure, consoles did not sell as well as in past years, but games were all the rage. Gamestop, the evil bastard, even deserves kudos for not doing as extremely bad as everything else. That's not to say that it did not go down. Check this out [http://quote.morningstar.com/Quote/Quote.aspx?ticker=GME]

Game wise, I thought this year also rocked shit. GTA4 was awesome. SSBB was awesome, until it started to suck, but that took at least a month. Call of Duty: WaW was cool. Fallout 3 was rediculously good. Playstation Home was.... accectable.

So, yeah. 2008. Video games. Win.

 

[Bulletinmybrain]

This year had No More Heroes, Gears 2 and Fallout 3 but thats about it.

Yep because LBP, fable 2, MGS4, Resistance 2, and others are flaming crocks of shit?

(Not to mention LBP scored higher then all of the above, MGS4 tied with one and scored higher then the others.)

 

[CrazyJoe686]

Not to break the flow but I think video games have become the next blockbuster action film type thing. Games, I feel anyways, are being released too quickly and with too many bugs. I wouldn't be able to keep up with all the new releases if it weren't for the internet and most of my friends bragging about the brand new 60 dollar hype-up-the-arse game du jour with such beautiful cinematic graphics you need to need to pick you're jaw off the carpet.

But that's just about all they have. I personally felt there was some great potential this year that failed to deliver (Mirror's Edge, Spore, GTA IV, Dead Space, Haze, etc.) These games fell short in my opinion, lost there fun and became simply an expensive memory, much like action films as of late. Sure, HD resolution and nice special effects are cool, but they don't make a game.

For me, it isn't story, artistic direction or compelling characters that make a game (although they certainly help), it's the ability to produce fun. If a game is "fun", that is enjoyable and provocative, making me want to play it, then I will. If not, I'll most likely drop it on the spot. I've done all to much dropping this year.

However, a few gems stick out for me personally. Left 4 Dead is a very simple but amusing game. I think you'll agree that it certainly does not have the strongest plot line (if one at all) and the characters aren't terribly exciting, but that doesn't matter because it's fun. Fallout 3 as well, it was a bit buggy here and there but it's fun as well. CoD 5 was a little lacking and I find myself still enjoying CoD 4, both the single player campaign with it's clever take on the modern world and the multiplayer, with it's simple formula of win and awesome. I have yet to play FarCry 2 or Gears of War 2 and I don't know how they'll hold up to my scrutiny. Anything where the graphics or "sandbox-style gameplay" are the main selling points tends to set off my pessimism alarm. And of course Tomb Raider Underworld and Sonic Unleashed sucked. What did you expect? Sorry for that novel, I had to get some of the rant out.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

valkyria chronicals.

This one always slips my mind for some reason - despite how fanboyishly in love I am with it. Thanks for the memory refreshment jboking.

Okay, so we reached the arbitrary number that I sent out, what does that prove

err..that there were at LEAST 6 good ones this year! Hell with the amount of time I spent in both LBP and L4D I'd say that this was my fav. year - just like how you like Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed. 2 games that shined above the rest (in our eyes).

 

[Untamed Waters]

Really only one major game I'm looking forward to next year. KuF : II FTW!

 

[Phyroxis]

I think this year was just fine.. I haven't really had GREAT years in gaming, they are all just YEARS in gaming =P

 

[purplehaze32]

Definitely not a bad year - GTA IV, Fable 2, Dead Space, Fallout 3, etc - but 2007 wins my heart (Bioshock, Mass Effect, Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Orange Box, Halo 3, CoD 4, God of War 2, Jeanne d'Arc......)

 

[shatnershaman]

It was a great year of gaming, BUT... 2007 had Mario and Halo. Hard to compete with that.

 

[Pietho]

I agree. I've only seen a handful of games that looked good to me and of them only Sacred 2 and Fallout 3 got me excited enough to purchase them. Everything else, in my opinion, has been either the same old game with different environments or genre's that have no appeal to me at all.

So, yes, a very lackluster year.

 

[Omega87]

I dont really think 2008 was the greatest year for PC gaming. My Xbox seemed to do ok for games this year, but nothing really came out for PC that I honesly wanted to get. Nothing seemed to suck me in in that regard.

Hoping Diablo 3 will change that, but thats still too far off to get too worked up over. =(

 

[Pietho]

It was a great year of gaming, BUT... 2007 had Mario and Halo. Hard to compete with that.

What I find scary about this statement is that Mario and Halo were the high points. Let's face facts, HALO is as innovative as grilled cheese and any Mario title you can name can be placed in the Pointless Hall Of Fame. BioShock, on the other hand, was certainly a highpoint of 2007.

 

[shatnershaman]

It was a great year of gaming, BUT... 2007 had Mario and Halo. Hard to compete with that.

What I find scary about this statement is that Mario and Halo were the high points. Let's face facts, HALO is as innovative as grilled cheese and any Mario title you can name can be placed in the Pointless Hall Of Fame. BioShock, on the other hand, was certainly a highpoint of 2007.

If thats how you see it who am I to disagree, besides its the Holidays.

 

[Sir_Montague]

Fallout 3, Gears 2 (though I hate the franchise), Prince of Persia, Mirror's Edge, Left 4 Dead, World @ War, UT3... And I just have a 360. There were amazing games for other consoles and PC as well... Idk, maybe it's just because I managed to maintain a steady job and used my pay to buy most of the newly released games, but I think it was a great year for gaming.

 

[IndieRocker]

WTF This was a great year in console gaming all of them are getting some decent exclusives and there are some some great multiplatform games

 

[TSED]

I HATE shooters. I do not find them fun at all. If I want to play an action game I'd rather play something like Devil May Cry instead of Halo or CoD or BioShock or what the fregging ever. I can still play them, but they NEED to have something beyond 'being a shooter.' MGS4, Mass Effect, that kind of thing.


In short: last year sucked. It only had a small handful of games and most of them came out that interested me. Every one lauding it as some great year of gaming had me facepalming enough to warrant fear of concussion.


This year, though? Yes. I loved it. Everything from LittleBigPlanet to Valkyria Chronicles and Disgaea 3 to Mass Effect PC to Rockband 2. I'd erase 07's game library over 08's without thinking about it, and I'm pretty sure that the 'worst' thing that'd happen is I'd get money back from games I don't really want.