Overrated Games

[Kantor]

Runa216 said:

 

Games are weird. Most major releases get 70-90 percent averages, and few games are truly bad, but some games get remarkably high scores in spite of mediocrity. Put simply, I want to know what games YOU think are overrated and why. I have a pretty substantial list myself, so naturally I go first.

1 – Halo series

Don't get me wrong, Halo is a GOOD series. Tight control, phenomenal soundtrack, above average story...but it's so bland. The weapons are boring and ineffectual, the enemies are basically the same thing over and over again, the levels are repetitive and uninspired, the graphics (though technically impressive) are lacking in originality or creativity, and I personally find the multiplayer to be unfulfilling. Basically it's a 'good' game with 'great' production values. Nothing special, but it is well done.

2 – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Not the game's fault, though. The game itself was great, but the controller in which you played it sucked, the game looked horrid (seriously, I think Link to the Past looked more aesthetically pleasing), the controls were clunky, and the game was just....bleh. For its time it was supposedly impressive, and I give it that, but it has NOT held up at all. I got the 3DS version, and I have to say: if you're gonna play zelda, play it with decent graphics and gameplay, not that glitchy, stiff BS on the N64.

3 – Grand Theft auto IV

HEY NIKO ITS ROMAN WANT TO GO SHOOT SOME POOL?! I'm sorry, the characters were all annoying as hell, the story was generic, the world was gray and brown, the physics made it feel like you were driving on ice all the damn time, and they took out EVERYTHING that made Vice City and San Andreas awesome. Basically it was Grand Theft Auto III with improved graphics and more annoying characters.

4 – Final Fantasy VII

One of my alltime favorites, but wow is it overrated. The main character's a douche, the enemy's a neo-pagan mamma's boy in a trenchcoat, the characters lack individuality in battle (Save their limit breaks), the character graphics and animations were atrocious even for their time (but people were awestruck by this new 3D technology so it got a free pass), and well that's it, actually. I loved the game thoroughly, but my god it has its flaws that people are willing to gloss over too easily.

5 – God of War series

I'm sorry, I hate Kratos with a passion. This isn't tragedy, this is a colossal prick getting his comeuppance. It's not well told, it's not engaging, it's not ironic, it's just BAD. The story and characters suck, but everyone plays it for the brutal gameplay anyway, right? Well too bad, it's basically “Billy's first Action Game”, making the combat pathetically simplistic and repetitive, aside from some refreshing quick time commands to spice up the bigger enemies. The level design is cheap and annoying, the bosses are lame and uninteresting, the gameplay is repetitive and simple, it's too easy for most of the game but resorts to cheap difficulty in others. I do not see what's so special about it.

6 – Call of Duty Modern Warfare series (I don't play the other ones so I can't discuss them)

I loves me come call of duty, but something can be said about a game series made almost strictly as a multiplayer game with a shoddy, boring, poorly presented campaign mode being tacked on. Modenrn Warfare 1 was great, it had exposition, pacing, plot, dialogue, and well-developed characters, but Modern Warfare 2 was basically “What if Michael Bay directed a videogame”, nothing but 5 (short) hours of constant climax with no exposition or flow. Almost every mission was confusing and poorly explained, and while playing you got killed entirely too often because you couldn't find cover. The campaign mode is garbage all around save some cool set pieces, but the multiplayer is arguably the best console multiplayer available.

7 – Bioshock

Okay, so I understand the story and atmosphere are unrivaled, but am I the only one who felt the controls were nigh unplayable and t he difficulty curve was bullshit? Seems I'm the only one. I just know I didn't have any fun playing this game due to the combination of poor controls and unbalanced gameplay. Or maybe I just suck, I dunno.

These are all unanimously praised games that have considerable flaws that people glosss over. Give credit where it's due, but be fair, people. Games have flaws, even the best games aren't perfect, so stop giving 8/10 games 10/10, it screws up the bellcurve.

I also personally think ALL sports games are overrated, but I understand they cater to an audience and do so well, so I let them play their games while I play mine. Brofist.  

 

1) Multiplayer is why most people love the Halo series. And let's not forget that it largely set the bar for console FPS - Goldeneye and Perfect Dark came before, but have you really seen them emulated?

2) Remember that it's 13 years old, and think back to how games looked and played back then.

3) This is just about the most commonly acknowledged overrated game ever. I don't think anyone even likes it any more.

4) You're not alone on this one.

5) Oh no you didn't.

It is well-told, and it is engaging. It's the story of a man who gave up everything in his eternal quest for power, and lost the only thing in his life that he held dear to him (his daughter). It's about how he filled the void with violence and made vengeance his life's goal. It's about how he finally finds peace.

The gameplay, unlike that of pretty much every other hack and slash, is free of that high score garbage and general pretentious nature. It's easy to learn, yes, but not every game has to be so unreasonably difficult that you want to throw your controller at a wall (I'm looking at you Ninja Gaiden). You don't have to press seventeen buttons to activate a basic combo, you don't have to roll every half second to avoid being killed by bats, you can just use gruesome and over-the-top violence to decimate enemies.

The level design is fairly standard, but the graphical design that accompanies it is top-notch. The boss fights are not especially common, but those that exist (the proper ones) are brilliant. You can't tell me the Cronus boss battle wasn't epic. And no part of the game is cheap. It is happy with being easy and enjoyable.

No other game can use visual design and setting so effectively, other than perhaps Uncharted. That is why it is so well loved. Also, violence and sex minigames.

6) Nobody really argues that Call of Duty campaigns are any good, though they do have standout moments. It's all about the multiplayer.

7) Yes, you are the only person who thought that. The controls were the same as the controls for any first person shooter, and the whole vita-chamber thing means that you can't even really die. It is, nevertheless, an exceptional game. Yes, it takes inspiration from System Shock, but it has an amazing atmosphere, a genuinely enjoyable twist on first person shooter gameplay, and a great twist.