Games That Could Have Been Amazing

[666thHeretic]

I liked GTA IV, but in the next one they need to bring back the ``go anywhere, do whatever`` feel of the old games. Spore would have been better if they had made the game phases more complex--they`re all so simple that they get boring quickly. Stalin Vs Martians if the gameplay had at least been decent (the title alone should explain the appeal otherwise, but it`s apparently unplayable).

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Perfect Dark Zero.

Why Rare? Just why? You really are nothing without Dr Doak.

 

[Doug]

Spore, obviously the idea is great but they somehow managed to fuck it all up.

You beat me too it...

Its a shame, it really is. The released version was barely a fraction of the massive, hyper adaptive joy implied by the old E3 video - dumbed down creature creation (along with a stupid and abitary skill-point thing), dumbed down city making, dumbed down civ phase, dumbed down Space phase (along with madenning stupid colonies - seriously, is your starship the only one they have?).

*sigh* yeah. Will Wright is a genius game designer. I just wished that EA would give him the freedom he needs to make his games. They dumbed everything down so it would appeal to a bigger audience so they (EA) could sell it to more people.

Now I'm all for simple games, but what they did to spore was just uncalled for. Though I'm almost half expecting the rest of the game to come in the endless expansion packs like the sims.

Why can't they just make games awesome without marketing effecting everything?

*goes back to independent games*

Well... no, I don't think they will, to be honest.

The creature and building systems are completely screwed to be honest. The in original E3 demo, there was no stupid abitary number system. Having 4 legs would make a creature run faster IF the physics said so - under the current system, the whole 'creative' side of things has been screwed as having more than 2 legs or more than 2 arms grants no benefit at all, and costs DNA points. Same with mouths, limbs, and the add one things - "You like that mouth piece? Tough crap, it has low stats. You like that add on piece? Again, tough crap, it has low points."

It completely killed the creativity and deep, and the same was true of the building/city system. "You want a tech-city with interconnecting pipe work? Tough shit, it follows a completely fixed grid that isn't particularly well planned out. Same with space colonies, so every colony is effectively on the same plan no matter where in the Universe!"

Also, the planets seemed so bland and samely. All the same size with very similar terrain. And on top of that, only 9 species of plant and 9 species of animal per planet, with the actual creatures looking like ants from space and being totally ignorable... *sigh* it seemed like so much more fun in the original E3 - at least that wasn't dumbed down generic crap and had flavour and personality. Terraforming seemed as if it'd be a careful process of introducing plants and letting them spread across worlds over time indeed of the instant spread and the generic T1, T2, and T3 scoring system.

 

[Valentine82]

Overlord. I liked most of it, but more customisation wouldn't have hurt, and, oh yes, CLEAR ROUTES TO WHERE YOU NEED TO GO! It took me three hours to work out that damn Forest place. >.>

Wow and I thought Overlord was too Linear.

Anyway... Spore, Will Wright's Mona Lisa... Only unlike DaVinci and the Mona Lisa Will Wright actually considered Spore his masterpiece when he finished it in 2006. Then EA came in. "This is too complicated for gamers" "We need to make it more colorful" "It would be cute if..."

Now look at it. What EA did was a crime, it was the equivalent to taking an Artist's best works, his masterpiece, and ripping it apart before his very eyes. Actually, scratch that, it's not the equivilent of doing that because that is quite literally what EA did.

And Poor Will Wright, he's bound and gagged under contract to only say what EA approves him to say about the games he works on. Now we know that look on his face during Spore's last few months of production wasn't simply fatigue, I'd be disappointed and angry too if I were in his position. Wait, actually I think that sums up how most people who played EA's Spore felt anyway.

 

[Madaxeman101]

Assasins creed could have been better if it wasnt so fucking repetitive

 

[Valentine82]

Assasins creed could have been better if it wasnt so fucking repetitive

Yeah they should have named it "Action Creed" instead of Assassin's Creed. If they had included more realistic assassinations and focused less on the fast paced action elements, it could have left you feeling like a stone cold killer instead... Well, come to think of it, that might have been "too complicated for gamers"

 

[electric_warrior]

assassin's creed...poor combat and unimaginative missions.

While I agree on the mission part, Poor combat? Really? For me it was the most stylish sword-combat ever used in such a game. Easy to control and really stylish (Once again). It looks, and feels, like you are kicking arse while using it.

What's your idea of 'great' combat then, if not this?

a game where despite the fact there are 7 enemies they don't attack you one at a time. it was too easy, i thought the point of the game would be to avoid combat like in hitman or something and combat would be something to be avoided through stealth.

what however turned out to be the case was simplistic lock on combat where scores of guards could be eliminated because of their inability to attack you simaltaneously.

stylish; yes, fun; a little, repetitive; definitely, boring; yes, bad; yes.

 

[kristus]

Prey. What a tragic disappointment that game was.

 

[Doug]

Anyway... Spore, Will Wright's Mona Lisa... Only unlike DaVinci and the Mona Lisa Will Wright actually considered Spore his masterpiece when he finished it in 2006. Then EA came in. "This is too complicated for gamers" "We need to make it more colorful" "It would be cute if..."

Now look at it. What EA did was a crime, it was the equivalent to taking an Artist's best works, his masterpiece, and ripping it apart before his very eyes. Actually, scratch that, it's not the equivilent of doing that because that is quite literally what EA did.

And Poor Will Wright, he's bound and gagged under contract to only say what EA approves him to say about the games he works on. Now we know that look on his face during Spore's last few months of production wasn't simply fatigue, I'd be disappointed and angry too if I were in his position. Wait, actually I think that sums up how most people who played EA's Spore felt anyway.

*sigh* I miss E3 '06 Spore. I loved the look of that. And I wouldn't say I hate the released Spore, its just... well, it could have been SO GREAT, and instead it was completely 'meh'... well, aside from the cell stage, that was pretty fun, but its also the shortest stage with the least parts for customization, heh.

 

[xxnightlawxx]

Spore, obviously the idea is great but they somehow managed to fuck it all up.

agreed 100% it was fun but way to repetitive

 

[Davey Woo]

See I'd like to go with the flow and say Mirror's Edge and Spore but I can't.

See I recently started playing both Mirror's Edge and Spore again, and I was expecting to get bored very quickly, but I didn't. The thing is, both games are actually pretty brilliant, in my opinion.

I set an agenda for everyone here, go find your copy of Mirror's Edge (If you still have it) and play it again. It might not be the same for you, but I forgot how fun the game was to actually play, with the running and the spinning and the jumping and so on.

 

[savandicus]

Age of Conan had so many MANY good things going for it, some of the ideas were absolutely brilliant when i heard about them. If its alive in 3/4 years and has had that much time to improve and get rid of all the millions of game breaking problems then it would be an amazing game.

 

[Dys]

Dawn of war 2. Yes relic, realeasing post game free DLC did help valve curb piracy on TF2, it was very well executed Releasing a game with only a handful of multiplayer maps and infinate bugs, however, is a less well executed strategy.

 

[Doug]

Age of Conan had so many MANY good things going for it, some of the ideas were absolutely brilliant when i heard about them. If its alive in 3/4 years and has had that much time to improve and get rid of all the millions of game breaking problems then it would be an amazing game.

Very wishful thinking, I believe

 

[Doug]

See I recently started playing both Mirror's Edge and Spore again, and I was expecting to get bored very quickly, but I didn't. The thing is, both games are actually pretty brilliant, in my opinion.

How'd you not find the Spore Space phase boring? Or the creature/tribal/civ phases abit shallow and a tad dull?

 

[Jade Rotaski]

I have to go with Mirrors edge too, I'm not saying its not good but it;d be so much better if you could actually CARRY a gun with you while running you know keep one on your belt if you encounter armed police whip it out and shoot back while dodge rolling. That would be cool.

 

[pompom8volt]

Killzone 1?

 

[Duck Sandwich]

Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Awesome concept. A multiplayer co-op beat-em-up where you play as a bunch of heroes with kickass powers and fight through several awesome buildings/worlds/dimensions, while upgrading and customizing your heroes' powers as you progress through the game.

Too bad the fighting system sucked. Slow, dull combos, unbalanced powers, overpowered blocking, and game-breaking glitches.