Most Overrated Games of 2008

leveskikesko

leveskikesko

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Which game of 08 didn't deliver as much as the press said it did for you? Keep in mind this thread is in good fun!

For me:

GTAIV - Wow, so much hype for this one. Even big GTA hater me was drawn in by the incredible praise. It was touted as oscar worthy and finally a game that captures the essence of freeroam. Practically every reviewer was giving it perfect scores. In reality, the reviewers were as drawn in by the hype as any consumer was. I think most people found this game to be amazing the first 2 weeks, without really thinking. 2 weeks after reality set in, and we found out that this game was just another case of blah game with an incredible budget. Characters were garbage, gameplay was repetitive....but hey at least it looks technically good....

MGS4 - I really really enjoyed this game, but I still feel cheated. The story while full of awesome action, just didn't feel natural to me. Why? Because it did everything I "thought" I wanted MGS to do, so the plot dropped down to the level of a fan fiction. Even with this in mind, it still probably has one of the best stories in a game, as sad as that may be. The next problem is that it lacks balance, rather than put you in awesome moments, you were brought out to watch a movie. I don't mind the story and I see its place in this type of game, but don't make me watch the most badass action scenes...I want to play them!
 
GTAIV. Never liked the series, but gave it a shot. Liked it better than GTA3, but still quit 21 hours and about half way through the missions. Just too repetitive, and too much doing shit over and over since you can't save during missions.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']GTAIV. Never liked the series, but gave it a shot. Liked it better than GTA3, but still quit 21 hours and about half way through the missions. Just too repetitive, and too much doing shit over and over since you can't save during missions.[/quote]

21 hours?! Strong man! I couldn't stomach much more than 10 hours, though I did enjoy it on some level thanks to hype and playing it with some hyped up friends.
 
Resistance 2 was a big let down for me, I just couldnt really get into it at all. Online was ok but the lag was killing me. I also was very dissapointed in Fable 2, I played through it twice just to see if was me but it sucked even more the 2nd time. Maybe I was just expecting too much from these games.

Like the other posters said, GTA4 turned real boring fast. I still play it just to run people over after a hard drive home from work though.
 
Spore, easily. Sure, creating a creature/spaceship/etc. was fun, but once you finished that, it barely affected gameplay, which was remarkably lacking. The first four stages of life were at best mini-games. None of them required all too much strategy, and each stage could be easily finished in under 15 minutes. The space stage offered a lot more, but even then it was rather simple. You were delegated mostly to "go to planet X, kill/collect Y, come back" quests. I also got really tired of getting distress calls from allies because of ecodisaster/pirates/invaders. I would've been much better off just getting Flow/Civilization/an Actual Space sim than this.
 
Grand Theft Auto 4. Why so serious, Rockstar? Crackdown played more like a Grand Theft Auto game than Grand Theft Auto 4. And the man-dates need to be removed from the next Grand Theft Auto game. Playing Grand Theft Auto 4 was like dating a high-maintenance woman but without the reward. The story, though, was pretty solid. However, things reached the uncanny valley, and, while the game looks good, I thought character faces looked more ventriloquist puppet than human. I cannot believe I bought into the hype. Shame on me.

Gears of War 2. I bought Gears of War 2 because I figured its online multiplayer would be improved. Unfortunately, there are more bugs in Gears of War 2 than on a hobo's scalp, and it kills any enthusiasm I had towards playing the game. I found the first Gears of War to be mediocre, and while I enjoy some small bits in Gears of War 2, including the War Journal and Horde, I find Gears of War 2 to be more boring than the first Gears of War. It is another example of how sometimes popular things are not the best things.
 
Yeah GTA 4 was definitely over rated. I probably got half way through and just got bored of it. If I hadn't played any of the other GTA games before I probably would have played it a lot longer, but it's just too similar.

But for me the most over rated game was Braid. I know most everyone here will probably disagree but I thought it was ass and didn't deserve anywhere near the reviews it received. All you really get is 4-5 hours of average quality puzzles and a terrible story that fails miserably at being deep. Most people might have thought it should have been $10 instead of $15, but I don't think it is even worth $5. I really should have just listened to my hunch from the demo and ignored everybody raving about it.

Spore is another absolutely terrible game that nobody should have purchased. Sim Life is better and Sim Life is crap.
 
I'm surprised that I seem to be in the minority that likes GTA4 more than GTA 3 and GTA:VC gameplay wise. VC still wins for its setting, but I liked how GTA4 streamlined the gameplay and made it easier to not get lost in the city. That was the main reason I never got through the other two games, but GTA4 kept me interested the whole way through. I did take breaks between playing, but overall I found the game to be well worth it, and I rather liked the serious story for a change as well.

My disappointments are MGS4 and Mirror's Edge. Even after I got through the middle eastern desert area in MGS4, it still felt too much like a Call of Duty/Counter-Strike game to me. Plus, I got rather annoyed how enemies kept managing to spot me when I thought I was still a safe enough distance away from them. Not being able to turn off the darn vibrate function on the controller was a big minus as well.

Mirror's Edge turned out to be a gameplay system that I didn't enjoy in the end. Even after playing the demo and enjoying it, I got tired of constantly being shot at in the full release of the game. Adding to my annoyances was when I pressed the jump button just 1 second too late and falling from a ledge instead of leaping off it to the next ledge/roof/etc.
 
I would second the slapping on of a sticker that reads "over-hyped" onto Mirror's Edge---or at least onto the foreheads of various games editors. While I appreciate how it innovates the first-person shooter, it felt more like a proof of concept than a real game. However, it was a good first try.
 
[quote name='DrFoo']

But for me the most over rated game was Braid. I know most everyone here will probably disagree but I thought it was ass and didn't deserve anywhere near the reviews it received. All you really get is 4-5 hours of average quality puzzles and a terrible story that fails miserably at being deep. Most people might have thought it should have been $10 instead of $15, but I don't think it is even worth $5. I really should have just listened to my hunch from the demo and ignored everybody raving about it.

Spore is another absolutely terrible game that nobody should have purchased. Sim Life is better and Sim Life is crap.[/quote]

Story while not horrible, was severely overrated. Though I can't fault it too much because it doesn't exactly force you to get wrapped into it like most games today. I just wish people would have hyped this up the correct way, the main draw for me was the combination of cool puzzles and delicious art. Do you like puzzle oriented games in general, or did you find this just to be bad for a puzzle game?
[quote name='Drizzt']
My disappointments are MGS4 and Mirror's Edge. Even after I got through the middle eastern desert area in MGS4, it still felt too much like a Call of Duty/Counter-Strike game to me. Plus, I got rather annoyed how enemies kept managing to spot me when I thought I was still a safe enough distance away from them. Not being able to turn off the darn vibrate function on the controller was a big minus as well.[/quote]

Really? I didn't at all feel like I was playing a CoD game, though I do admit the controls were a bit westernized, which I loved. The thing about MGS4 is that you can play it in a number of ways from stealth to action. I do think people have more fun if they try to play it more on the stealth side though. Also can't you turn off vibrate in your systems settings?
 
I would have to say that my choice is either Mirror's Edge, or possibly even GTA4, I do enjoy GTA4.... But it was way over hyped OMFG THEY ADDED CRAPPY ONLINE!! That online had me stuck for... 5 minutes then I was like this shit is retarded.. and mirrors edge kept me enthralled through.... the demo..
 
[quote name='leveskikesko']Story while not horrible, was severely overrated. Though I can't fault it too much because it doesn't exactly force you to get wrapped into it like most games today. I just wish people would have hyped this up the correct way, the main draw for me was the combination of cool puzzles and delicious art. Do you like puzzle oriented games in general, or did you find this just to be bad for a puzzle game? [/QUOTE]
I'm not a huge puzzle guy but I like some of them. I bought World of Goo when it was on sale for $15 and I've already had wayyyy more fun with it than with Braid. I thought it had better ideas, required more thought, and the levels are re playable since you can usually try to get more goos or beat your old time. I even like the music and graphics a little bit more. Even if I did enjoy Braid it still would have been $15 for 5 hours of game play. And you're right, the story in Braid wasn't terrible but it really wasn't anything special like everyone else said.
 
Left 4 Dead is really not compelling at all. How about some 4P splitscreen, Valve?

I love GTA4 but it's also extremely overrated. The fact that it got so many perfect scores is absurd. Game reviewers ought to do one score around launch and then go back and give it a second score six months later. I'd like to see how many games they're even still playing six months later. :)
 
Mirrors Edge - With every new chapter, I get more annoyed with the game. Seriously, if there were no enemies in this game, I would love it. TAKE NOTE EA.

Prince of Persia - Love the new art style, but the gameplay is just to repetitive and backtracking annoys me.
 
MGS4

GTA4

Nothing really wrong with these. Both IMO where very fun but I was expecting more. Don't know how to describe it really.
 
Fable 2 for me. The game was incredibly easy and held your hand the entire way through. The lack of any real armor, the bugs, and the horrible last boss fight (or lack there of) ruined it for me.
 
MGS4/MGO: Great graphics, and a large fanbase, but the final product was disappointing. Half the game was just sitting and watching cutscene of people talking. The stealth wasn't really there, it seem to try and be a third person shooter instead of the stealthy game fans loved. I could've dealt with that if the plot wasn't so bad. It seem there is a game missing between MGS3 and 4 to explain or flesh out the little details that would've made the character make a bit more sense instead of having us just buy into what they're selling.

Than there is MGO, the online portion of the game, which sadly I'm still playing. While it can be fun, the seemingly random nature of bullet sprays is very annoying, as one round I can be tops but than the second I'll be the one of the weaker players, with the same setup and gun. Not to mention the glitchers and the lag the game has. Along with the elitist attitude of survival mode.

My second pick will have to be Prince of Persia, though not overrated, just very disappointing. Great art style, love it. But the gameplay is so automatic that it isn't very fun at all. I rather go back and play Uncharted again than finish Prince of Persia. Very disappointed, loved the PS2 Prince of Persia games.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']GTAIV. Never liked the series, but gave it a shot. Liked it better than GTA3, but still quit 21 hours and about half way through the missions. Just too repetitive, and too much doing shit over and over since you can't save during missions.[/quote]

Ugh, was going to say that.

Fable 2 as well. Game was very very very disappointing. I heart Fable 1 as well :(
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Way agree with this one! The game is so damn ... inconsistent... and not polished. The ugly broken menu systems and the unfluid world was a let down. And I loved Fable 1! What the heck!? I think they made it Elder Scrolls: Fable which is great for those that loved oblivion, but for those that loved fable is a total let down. I HATE open world single player rpgs! If I am going to play a single player story I want it really structured, I don't want to follow a stupid ass path around... and I hate open world games cause you always feel like you're doing it wrong, if you just follow the main story it's like you aren't doing the best you could and are missing out on a lot. MMORPG's are fun for the social interaction... (AND don't say coop! Cause Fable 2 coop sucks ass)

MGS4/MGO: Great graphics, and a large fanbase, but the final product was disappointing. Half the game was just sitting and watching cutscene of people talking. The stealth wasn't really there, it seem to try and be a third person shooter instead of the stealthy game fans loved. I could've dealt with that if the plot wasn't so bad. It seem there is a game missing between MGS3 and 4 to explain or flesh out the little details that would've made the character make a bit more sense instead of having us just buy into what they're selling.
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I'd have to agree too... MGS is my favorite series of any media and I really had a great time with MGS4. (And I am a big Sony Fanboy) But, I really don't feel like the game should be getting as much hype as it is, it's kind of weird. They act like anyone could pick up and love it, but it's really just for the fans. And some of the Acts were actually reaaallly bad.

Spore, easily. Sure, creating a creature/spaceship/etc. was fun, but once you finished that, it barely affected gameplay, which was remarkably lacking. The first four stages of life were at best mini-games. None of them required all too much strategy, and each stage could be easily finished in under 15 minutes. The space stage offered a lot more, but even then it was rather simple. You were delegated mostly to "go to planet X, kill/collect Y, come back" quests. I also got really tired of getting distress calls from allies because of ecodisaster/pirates/invaders. I would've been much better off just getting Flow/Civilization/an Actual Space sim than this.
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No no! Spore is my number 1 over hyped game EVER! What a pile of crap. I have this thing, where I can get physically ill from a game... usually after I play it a long time or hear so much about it I'll just get sick of it. But I played Spore all the way up to the Space stage (1-2 hours of gameplay) and I was SICKKKK of the game! Like I mean every time I would see it I'd get queezy. The game is a pile of CRAP!

AND a game the game I haven't played, but I think it's overhyped award goes to:

Fallout 3. DAMNNN that game looks friggen ugly, I could not play that...

(Hmm... the most overhyped list looks a lot like the best games of 2008 list. Will there ever be a game that lives up to everyones hype?)
 
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[quote name='leveskikesko']
Really? I didn't at all feel like I was playing a CoD game, though I do admit the controls were a bit westernized, which I loved. The thing about MGS4 is that you can play it in a number of ways from stealth to action. I do think people have more fun if they try to play it more on the stealth side though. Also can't you turn off vibrate in your systems settings?[/QUOTE]

What Thongsy mentioned above about the MGS4 single player pretty much summed up my feelings on it. I wasn't getting that MGS "vibe" when playing it like I did for the first two games, even though I was trying to focus on stealth over plowing everyone down.

Thanks for mentioning the system vibrate setting! I had never thought to look in the system settings to change that since I thought it was still done on an individual game by game basis. That will certainly save my hands from that discomfort in other games I play. Heck, maybe I'll even give MGS4 one last shot.
 
Another vote for GTA4. Very good game, but not this mega uber l33t be all end all that all the reviewers gave it. Hell, I'm arguably having more fun with Saint's Row 2, even though it lacks some of the "polish" that GTA4 has.
 
GTAIV. God, so hyped. I tried to get into the story and the game but I just couldn't. I haven't played the game in months.
 
GTA4. I couldn't stand the game, it was horrible. I loved every other console based GTA game (and the PSP ones) but I just couldn't get into GTA4.
 
Has anyone mentioned Too Human yet? That was super hyped (I was excited for it after the E3 videos) and then it turned out to be a giant piece of shit.
 
MGS4 takes my vote. Some people claim it's just for the fans but i think it was really just for Kojima.
 
I really am suprised by all the hate for GTA4. I didnt think it was the best game in the world, but it was worth the $60.

Anyway, overrated for me was Fable 2. The horrible load times, the lack of a map, and the uninteresting story and combat. I sold it back within a month. I felt like I was forcing myself to play and that's just not fun.
 
Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I'm surprised it's not really being brought up, but was expecting more from the game since I loved the N64 and Gamecube versions. Instead the most hack job of an online multiplayer ruined it for me.

Guitar Hero: World Tour. About a year for Red Octane to make a product on par or possibly even superior with Rock Band, but instead it just felt like a soul less and cheap product once it was done. Sponsership by KFC and Axe? Ugly character models? Crappy, crappy drumset? Assheaded interface? It had all of these and they think having in game models of the lead singer of Paramore and Ozzy Osbourne is going to make me enjoy it more? Ugh, shows tossing money at something doesn't make it any better at all.

GTA IV. I Think all the bases are covered on this one...

Castle Crashers. Sure it was fun, until I lost my character data by the third or forth time. It was pretty and had a charming look and play, but Behemoth can eat a big bowl of dick for taking their time with the update.
 
GTAIV - maybe it has something to do with having spent countless hours on III/VC/SA, but I just couldn't get into it this time.
 
Well was actually coming to the General gaming forums just to create a thread asking if anyone else thinks GTA IV is horribly overated. Seriously I dont understand how this game is even a contender for GotY let alone chosen time and time again FOR GotY. The controls are horrid and far too lose, the physics are off, the character models look like ass even if the city looks good, the game tries to fucking explain how to play WHILE your fucking playing....no pausing the action so hope you can fucking drive a car and read at the same time! I seriously am not even going to finish this game nor even reach a mile stone in it. Crackdown and Saint's Row get a lot of shit for not being GTA and I just dont get it.....even if they dont offer the same depth as GTA at least they do well what they do!

Outside GTA not sure what to say, havnt played a number of the big releases yet. MGS and Zelda for the DS stand out....but their always overated...then again so is GTA. Edit- Just thought of another I can add. Castle Crashers! I know that everyone else thought it was the be all end all but I really dont understand why. All the charcters play almost exactly the same damn way offering you little incentive to replay the different characters and the game even released buggy and in need of a patch.
 
Grand Theft Auto IV and Fallout 3. GTA felt like a step back for the series and Fallout 3, while it had its moments, never really captured the vibe of Fallout 1 and 2... the low level cap also left me maxed out halfway through the game, leaving me with little incentive to keep playing and finish the game.
 
Wow, no one has mentioned God of War: Chains of Olympus? I pretty much bought a PSP just for this game (right before they announced the LE Red PSP) and it was way too short, way too easy, and way too underdeveloped for a game that they spent so much time developing.

Smash Bros. Brawl if only because it was more of the same and pretty much nothing else unless you're a completionist. Same kind of goes for Mario Kart Wii, though, maybe it's just because I can't get decent competition in my own home?

Also, surprised to mention Wii Fit, though, I'm not exactly sure if it was highly rated to begin with.

Lastly, for those hating on the Gears 2 issues, those can be fixed and I assume they will be via patches. Most of the other games mentioned can't be fixed, so if Epic does fix most of the complaints mentioned, I think it'll still hold up well. Plus, Horde mode is badass. Even if the end boss and ending in general pretty much sucked donkey sack.
 
Gears 2 and CoD: WaW, although neither game is necessarily "bad" by any means.

Gears 2 offered a decent amount of improvements over the first, but that isn't saying a whole lot since I think the first Gears is one of the most overrated games ever right next to Bioshock. Good? Yes. Great? No, not at all.

As for WaW, well, CoD 4 was better than WaW in every way imaginable.
 
Animal Crossing:City Folk, Gears of War 2, GTA IV, and Soul Calibur 4(don't know if it was hyped that much).

Animal Crossing:City Folk is just another animal crossing game with a few added features. The Gamecube version imo was the best one, it was fun, and I could enjoy playing it. In City Folk, you can't ask to do chores for animals anymore, you just have to keep repeatedly talking to them or wait until they spot you and have an Exclamation mark. I believe the game is soley reliant on Multiplayer like most games seem to be now.

Gears of War 2 was a broken, glitchfilled game. That's just the multiplayer, however everything else felt pretty solid to me. Horde was a very nice feature, and is fun for the first time you play it, however it just becomes a chore to pick the mode up again. The Single Player was pretty fun, however I have yet to beat it with my brother. I think some of the achievements are pretty ridiculous, the Party like it's 1999, and Seriously 2.0 achievements in particular. I'm not going to try and play through 1999 matches online, or try to kill 100k of locusts.

GTA IV is a game where I feel was solid compared to GTA 3, and I found it to be funner, but I do agree it's not as great as reviewers and people say. I don't really like the story, probably because it involves to much criminal life and seems way to unrealistic. It just feels like another Grand Theft Auto game. I usually just mess around in the GTA games, while in this one I tried to do the story and could not do it all.

Soul Calibur 4 is greatly reduced from Soul Calibur 3 in it's story mode. Soul Calibur 4 does include Online Multiplayer, and allows you to customize characters from Soul Calibur 4. However you can't customize the Star Wars characters which was pretty much a let down, sure you can change their skills and weaps but that's really it. I felt this was a major stepdown compared to Soul Calibur 3. Soul Calibur 3 really shined with it's story mode, especially with its Create A Soul story.

Well that's it for me, I really didn't get to many games this year, but that's ok.
 
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