Games that didn't live up to the hype.
- Thread starter Valentine82
- Start date
Recommended Videos
Kingdom Hearts 2. It's like, halfway into development, someone at Square turned around and saw the rabid fanbase following directly behind the KH train, so from that point on they did their best to make it play like a Hollywood movie. That first battle with the Twilight Thorn pissed me off so much--you hardly get to fight! It's all "Press Triangle for a random supermove this new strange player somehow knows!" If they had just let you FIGHT the thing instead of jumping around like a freaking monkey, the battle could have been over in half the time.
And the rest of the game was like this too! For every heartless and nobody, there was some "Press triangle to gain the advandage!" BS just around the corner.
Not to mention how dumbed-down it was. At the beginning of every mini-boss, boss, or closed battlefield situation there was a little marquee at the top of the screen that said something to the effect of "Defeat the enemy!" DEEEER. Why didn't I think of that? I was GOING to sit down with this silver things with spikes for hands and have a spot of tea, but now because of that tip I see that wouldn't be such a good idea. Thanks KH! -_-
And I think the final boss sequence illustrates all of these problems the most. Between pressing triangle to chop buildings in half and the constant tip hanging in the corner that tells you EXACTLY what you should be doing, it doesn't even feel like that much of a boss fight. Your hand is being held the entire way, the road to the end being pointed out in bright letters every step of the way.
In KH 1, you had to get everything done with what you already had. Sora didn't randomly learn supermoves or techniques to bash certain heartless to death, you had to take the abilities you've learned and apply them to the situation. Like that Clock Tower Phantom bonus boss--you had to figure it out for yourself. There wasn't a support character shouting "Look at the color! Use Fire!" Or "Cast stop on the clock!" There wasn't a marquee telling you that you should "Defeat the enemy!" It was a puzzle you had to solve. And the same thing with the final boss sequence: every new stage was a new puzzle you had to solve for yourself. In KH2, every puzzle is solved by either pressing triangle when the green symbol pops up or by glancing up at the marquee the game gives you.
Not to mention, it was much less immersive overall. In KH 1, there were little things that went that extra step that made you *feel* like you were that boy on screen. The way it shows him opening doors and whatnot. In KH2, they felt the need to do little cartoony black in and black out transitions between rooms that really get on your nerves. Plus, the worlds were usually quite sprawling and fascinating. I can't count the hours I've spent in Wonderland and Hollowed Bastion just running around, figuring out their secrets. In KH2...it's all pretty linear. Maybe some curves here and there, an extra cave that way, but otherwise there's nothing that's big enough to really explore. And I noticed a lot fewer puzzles as well, which adds even more to the exploration factor.
KH2 in my opinion became a fan game, and a huge disappointment. I hope Birth By Sleep and other future sequels will be better... (I won't be playing the new DS game because I don't have a DS and I don't feel the need to buy a new $100 console for one game).
And the rest of the game was like this too! For every heartless and nobody, there was some "Press triangle to gain the advandage!" BS just around the corner.
Not to mention how dumbed-down it was. At the beginning of every mini-boss, boss, or closed battlefield situation there was a little marquee at the top of the screen that said something to the effect of "Defeat the enemy!" DEEEER. Why didn't I think of that? I was GOING to sit down with this silver things with spikes for hands and have a spot of tea, but now because of that tip I see that wouldn't be such a good idea. Thanks KH! -_-
And I think the final boss sequence illustrates all of these problems the most. Between pressing triangle to chop buildings in half and the constant tip hanging in the corner that tells you EXACTLY what you should be doing, it doesn't even feel like that much of a boss fight. Your hand is being held the entire way, the road to the end being pointed out in bright letters every step of the way.
In KH 1, you had to get everything done with what you already had. Sora didn't randomly learn supermoves or techniques to bash certain heartless to death, you had to take the abilities you've learned and apply them to the situation. Like that Clock Tower Phantom bonus boss--you had to figure it out for yourself. There wasn't a support character shouting "Look at the color! Use Fire!" Or "Cast stop on the clock!" There wasn't a marquee telling you that you should "Defeat the enemy!" It was a puzzle you had to solve. And the same thing with the final boss sequence: every new stage was a new puzzle you had to solve for yourself. In KH2, every puzzle is solved by either pressing triangle when the green symbol pops up or by glancing up at the marquee the game gives you.
Not to mention, it was much less immersive overall. In KH 1, there were little things that went that extra step that made you *feel* like you were that boy on screen. The way it shows him opening doors and whatnot. In KH2, they felt the need to do little cartoony black in and black out transitions between rooms that really get on your nerves. Plus, the worlds were usually quite sprawling and fascinating. I can't count the hours I've spent in Wonderland and Hollowed Bastion just running around, figuring out their secrets. In KH2...it's all pretty linear. Maybe some curves here and there, an extra cave that way, but otherwise there's nothing that's big enough to really explore. And I noticed a lot fewer puzzles as well, which adds even more to the exploration factor.
KH2 in my opinion became a fan game, and a huge disappointment. I hope Birth By Sleep and other future sequels will be better... (I won't be playing the new DS game because I don't have a DS and I don't feel the need to buy a new $100 console for one game).
Far Cry 2, and Too Human.
Anyone who says GTA IV just doesn't like it over personal taste as most people got pissed when it wasn't like the previous game in the series. DAMN them for doing something new with their long running product!
Anyone who says GTA IV just doesn't like it over personal taste as most people got pissed when it wasn't like the previous game in the series. DAMN them for doing something new with their long running product!
Resident Evil 5, just finished it on the PC. Let it be clear I liked RE4 as much as anyone else, even though I played the shity PC port. And here I had a graphicly outstanding, well optimized with functional controls of a sequel that just happend to suffer from the rare case of the "very good meets very bad" dessease. Seriously people complain about Assassin's Creed's design decisions, let me just reply to that with THE NINE SQUARES OF DEATH.......and your partner's fetish for pistols.
EA Sports NHL series.
Every year, it's "We've got great new features!" and every year it is a roster upgarde and some fresh paint on the menus.
Is it any wonder they've given up putting a PC version out? People grew sick of getting the same thing over and over...
Every year, it's "We've got great new features!" and every year it is a roster upgarde and some fresh paint on the menus.
Is it any wonder they've given up putting a PC version out? People grew sick of getting the same thing over and over...
FF IX (and on)
Halo 3 (2 was a close contender)
Mass Effect
most of the Lord of the Rings games
Skate 1 & 2 (as the disclaimer says, not bad but overhyped)
Freelancer
Though I do wonder, does it matter to you whether its company hype or word of mouth hype?
Lots of friends sang Mass Effects praise's for the first week of owning it... so I sadly started playing it just as they all decided it was a big waste of time...
Halo 3 (2 was a close contender)
Mass Effect
most of the Lord of the Rings games
Skate 1 & 2 (as the disclaimer says, not bad but overhyped)
Freelancer
Though I do wonder, does it matter to you whether its company hype or word of mouth hype?
Lots of friends sang Mass Effects praise's for the first week of owning it... so I sadly started playing it just as they all decided it was a big waste of time...
I did.Citrus Insanity said:
As for me, Sands of Time. Seriously, I played the first few levels and it didn't seem anything more than a faster paced, more limited version of Tomb Raider. Not bad but not exactly the innovative, genre bending classic so many have made it out to be.
Spore a MILLION TIMES.
Force Unleashed, what total crap.
Now for the newest one, Scribblenauts.
No really, the puzzles we're so simple, most objects did the same thing, and the control was horrible. After a few hours the novelty just wore right off. I really wanted to like it, but I just didn't. The entire game could be finished using nothing but black hole and wings.
Force Unleashed, what total crap.
Now for the newest one, Scribblenauts.
No really, the puzzles we're so simple, most objects did the same thing, and the control was horrible. After a few hours the novelty just wore right off. I really wanted to like it, but I just didn't. The entire game could be finished using nothing but black hole and wings.
Indeed.quack35 said:
I feel it to be pretty much true, with a few exceptions. Then again, this is something so subjective that y'know, I can make that kinda statment
Yeah, it's kinda sad how great games like Batman: Arkham Asylum get hardly any hype... yet are great, and games like Spore and Too Human get loads of hype, and yet are bad and mediocre (respectively).