Poll: 2008's Most Overrated Game

[Alphavillain]

I'd go for MGS4 for a few reasons. Firstly, the game engine is really showing its age. It dates from 2001, and hasn't moved on from there at all. I think this is lazy for such a major release. Secondly, the game is short, with loooong cutscenes. Plus, the storyline is not only drawn-out but pretentious. I, for one, got swallowed by the hype at the time of its release, but looking back I can see it has major flws, although it is still a good game compared to so much out there.
I find it odd that so many people voted for GTA4, seeing as it has a much improved game engine, physics are fantastic, the story is actually interesting and it has managed to retain the traditional GTA flavour. It is simply a series which has moved on and created more depth to the experience of playing (albeit by scaling down the playing environmen) rather that drown gamers in cutscenes.

 

[FireFly90]

I would have put Haze on that list, though technicly that game was over-hyped than overrated.

 

[GonzoGamer]

For the most part, the large game review sites seem to be biased towards whoever is paying their bills that day. There are few outlets that give an honest review, most having inflated scores to keep the advertising dollars rolling in. Ratings and hype go hand in hand in this industry.

The obscurish games I can see the point of, if I'm recommended something that I've never heard of and hate it, I have a measure of resentment towards the arsesnipe who recommended it. But No More Heroes aside, the poll is made up of big name games that had big name marketing behind them, so were destined to get big name review scores, no matter how batshit boring they really are.

I realize games are covered differently depending on the marketing push but that would require a much more detailed poll. I don't get to play everything but I did get to play the ones on the poll; amongst others and I wanted to see how other gonzo gamer opinions stacked up.
Some of the games on this list I don't even think are THAT overrated but I know others would disagree.

 

[Aardvark]

I realize games are covered differently depending on the marketing push but that would require a much more detailed poll. I don't get to play everything but I did get to play the ones on the poll; amongst others and I wanted to see how other gonzo gamer opinions stacked up.

In that case, I vote for MGS4, only because Resistance 2 isn't there.

 

[Inverse Skies]

I'll have to say smash brothers, simply because while still being a very good game, it wasn't all I had hoped for and I don't think I'm going to get anywhere near as much time out of the multiplayer as I have the previous titles (prehaps because myself and my friends are a lot older now than we were mucking around with the first two.)

 

[lizards]

BRAWL

Took the brilliant melee, dumbed down the move sets, dumbed down the levels, slowed the game down and altered the mechanics in a million subtle yet damaging ways. Certainly there is a lot more content, but the game doesn't play very well anymore.

Nice work Nintendo, you managed to break the greatest fighting game ever.

A-fucking-men.

...okay, that sounded wrong. I agree though, Melee is the pinnacle of the series, I still can't stop playing it. On the other hand, I got tired of Brawl's bullshit after only a few days.

whats wrong with dane cook
anyway i voted for LBP because im sure that was the game i liked least fable 2...well i didnt like the first one dead space didnt play it but i did play a little over at a friends house and liked it ssbb well i wouldnt say its overrated simply because i even hear hardly anything about it mgs 4 didnt play it and fallout 3 i enjoyed very much and all the others up their i either liked them i didnt play them

 

[Duke Machine]

Definitely had to go with Dead Space...that game wasn't scary in the slightest

 

[Bofore13]

I HAVE to say Gears 2 everyone said it would be sooo much better than Gears 1 but the online mode is still horrible and my friend beat the campaign in less than a week. However since it somehow wasn't on the list I had to say Fable 2.

 

[SimuLord]

I had to go with GTA4 because it wasn't anywhere near the best game in its own subgenre (not for nothing did Saints Row 2 get Yahtzee's GotY award). IGN, Gamespot, Gamespy, and the rest of the enthusiast press couldn't wait to fellate the developers over what a masterpiece of art they'd created, never mind the fact that they forgot to make the game fun. When SR2 came out, it reminded everyone what the word game means in the first place.

 

[thiosk]

Are you joking?

SPORE

seriously, wtf.

 

[DaxStrife]

Brawl. [EDIT] And Spore; I fought so hard to forget about it.
I dunno if "Dead Space" needs to be on the list... I had never even heard of it until I saw it on a rack when picking up Fallout 3.

 

[SimuLord]

It's hard to call Spore overrated when so many people correctly pegged it as crap when it came out.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

Fable 2 and MGS4 were over-hyped, but not really over-rated because they could somewhat back it up.
SSBB gets my vote because I simply do not understand how a single-button spamathon gets so much fan attention. Some people call it fun; yeah, as much fun as having a five year case of blue balls and having your hands amputated.

 

[The Wooster]

Overrated?

No More Heroes. Everyone I know seems to percieve it as some kind of artistic deconstruction of the genre. I played it and it just felt broken.

 

[Ballistic Bum]

I don't personally think any of the games listed are overrated, but some were definitely over-hyped.

 

[Arach]

Fallout 3

It was fun to play, but it's not the best Fallout and definitely not the best RPG out there.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

Fable 2 and No More Heroes where the only two I played, so I have to say Fable 2. Not bad...just muh, and certainly no where near as good as the original.

Which is weird, because Fable 2 was arguable was everything Fable TLC was suppose to be.

If anyone overrated it, it was Peter Molynator himself. Seriously, bravo for being so infusiastic my good man, but if you think Fable 2 has the best story every you've got your so far up your ass you...umm...Ok, can't think of a finish to this.

 

[Magugag]

Fable II. Seriously, Fable II. I got so excited for this game. The developers promised us so much and in the end delivered so little. I wouldn't have had a problem with that lack if not for one thing, and that thing is that I had more fun with the previous Fable. The combat system was anything but revolutionary. They assigned abilities to buttons and let you charge them if you hold them down and thought their combat system was brilliant. What the hell is that? Forget context sensitive kills; if they have that, I didn't notice it. Nothing awesome like swinging on a chandelier or fling a chair at your foe with magic or kicking him off a bridge. They also managed to kill off a lot of the magical feel of Fable. Don't expect to see any fantastic creatures to fight as bosses, save for the trolls which are now frustrating rather than fun. They put a mile high tower in the game and didn't manage to make it feel epic or even open! The storyline was basic, incoherent at times, and left me utterly detached from the entire experience. The dog was the only thing that instilled the slightest emotion in me, and that's very very bad. It's not even that the dog's role in the plot was particularly good; I just have a soft spot for mutts. The game requires you to make moral choices and feel like there are consequences. Except for two decisions (one involving the dog and the other involving sacrificing experience) I never hesitated to simply stick to the path I chose. Having characters you don't feel attached to in a game that's supposed to make moral choices hard is... just not good. The entire game doesn't feel fleshed out enough. The people don't have enough personality, the motives of the characters are rarely clear and don't make a lot of sense, it's like when you're watching a play and very aware that it's a play.

Sorry, that was a rant. I just thought I'd explain my reasoning, and the really frustrating part is that Fable done well would be a truly remarkable game. That realization gets me every time.

 

[Zippy1313]

How about Gears 2?