Most overrated and underrated games
Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 6:07 am
After reading GamePro's "most influential games of all time" and then looking at "the ten most overrated games," I got to thinking... I'm sure everyone here has some games that fit into both categories.
So what are they? No game is safe and this isn't limited to the adventure genre, either.
I'll go first:
Overrated
1. Grim Fandango - This game has been praised by many adventure gamers for years and yet, I find it barely mediocre. The characters hold very little appeal for me and the controls were horrendous.
2. King's Quest VI - It seems that this title has been crowned "the very best of the King's Quest games." It's a good game, but the best? Hardly. In fact, the entire KQ series is vastly overrated.
3. Gabriel Knight 2 - I despise FMV. It severely limited the ability to actually PLAY the game. I get games to play; not watch. If I wanted to do that, I'd see a movie.
4. Half-Life - Back in 1997, this was a huge leap forward for first-person shooters. It made numerous advances, such as gaming without levels, eliminating "key and door" hunts, as well as placing weapons in realistic areas, as opposed to having them float in mid-air. However, this game has been seen as some sort of "messiah" or whatever. It's good, don't get me wrong, but it's not the end all, be all of gaming.
5. Halo - This was innovation? We've had FPS wars against aliens for years. Lots of people claim this title brought vehicular combat into the forefront. They're wrong. The Tribes series included the ability to use all sorts of vehicles five years before Halo was even released.
6. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - This game offered nothing new to the series and played off negative stereotypes. I can't imagine how this title wouldn't be at least somewhat insulting to African Americans.
7. Myst - Oh good... a game for non-gamers. Just what we need. Myst was more of a "Look at me, I'm so cool! I have a great looking game." Fantastic. Is the game play interesting? For something that claimed to be an adventure, it had practically no one to speak to and primarily hinged on puzzle solving.
8. Goldeneye 007 - The gaming industry tends to gush all over this title. Why? It's not bad, but hardly a groundbreaking game. It let gamers shoot enemies in single player and then allowed four-player multiplayer combat. Big deal. This had been happening on the PC for years.
9. The Longest Journey - Not a bad game by any means, but it's nothing particularly new. I think many adventure purists were simply so starved for something other than "action-adventure" that they drooled all over this game.
10. Syberia - Quite possibly one of the least interactive adventure games since FMV was popular. Yes, it looked very pretty, but the backgrounds were non-interactive. Adventure games made in the past had accomplished interactivity with the backgrounds, so why couldn't this game?
11. The Sims - I see this game as fun for a little while, but then boredom sets in. Why raise a fictional family that you have to give instructions to for every little thing. They can't eat or using the bathroom without being told to, which was ridiculous. Eventually, the only thing to do is find horrible way to kill your Sims off.
12. Neverwinter Nights - A slightly better-than-mediocre RPG, hampered by a poor storyline and one of the worst interfaces ever in a computer game.
13. Quake III - Yes, it was one of the best multiplayer games for the time, but that was about it. There was absolutely no single player feature at all. There are only so many times you can fight online, even with the InstaGib modification.
14. Tomb Raider - A moderately decent 3D action-adventure that places the player in the shoes of an Indiana Jones style woman with a love for guns and incredibly large breasts. Aside from that obvious ridiculousness, the main character (Lara Croft) could actually use two Desert Eagle handguns two-handed. Anyone who knows anything about firearms would realize such a feat is impossible, provided they'd actually wish to hit their target (plus Desert Eages have a huge kick and Lara was not a muscle-bound individual).
15. World of Warcraft - Do I really need to discuss this one?
16. Guitar Hero - What was once an interesting idea for a game has turned into a lifestyle for many, producing tons of copycats and even contests between GH players. Far too many GH followers have forgotten that hitting the right buttons in Guitar Hero is nothing like playing a real guitar, but they still prance around as if they're rock stars.
Underrated
1. Full Throttle - Like Rodney Dangerfield, this game "gets no respect." It had a fantastic story, interesting and interactive game play and finally allowed us to play someone who wasn't a loser, royalty or wimp.
2. BioForge - Does anyone besides me remember this game? The entire game focused around figuring out who you were (and there were a number of different people you could be based on your actions) and allowed for multiple solutions to problems.
3. Jumping Flash - This could take the award for being the most bizarre title for the original Playstation. In it, you play a robotic rabbit that has to fight through various stages -- all in a first-person view, as well. I think someone was on a cocktail of numerous drugs when designing it.
4. Ico - Very few people have ever heard of this Playstation 2 game, let alone played it. The game play focused less on action and combat, pushing the player to protect and guide a princess and solve many different puzzles along the way. It was unique, but for some reason, it was passed by on the store shelves.
5. Alone in the Dark - Many gamers credit the Resident Evil series with putting the survival/horror genre on the map. Unfortunately for them, they've forgotten the true originator of the genre. AitD was a 3D polygonal title when most games were 2D and allowed the gamer to choose a male or female character, when games put the player into the shoes of an already-set gender. While combat was important, the primary goal was to escape the haunted house using your wits and ingenuity.
6. Codename Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis - One of the most realistic FPS games ever made, plunking the player into the shoes of a soldier during the Cold War. It was a great title that made us of advanced AI and true military tactics.
7. Clive Barker's Undying - Probably one of the very few mystically-oriented FPS games to ever surface. Magic and mysticism played as important of a role as technology (sometimes more). Best of all, the player could utilize two hands at once, one for magic and the other for a weapon. This game could be quite scary at times, too.
8. Planescape: Torment - Passed over in favor of the Baldur's Gate series, Planescape was unique in it's parallel world setting. It took place in a world of the undead and other creatures, involving the ideas of torment and pain. The decisions made by the main character shaped the game and there was no such thing as "good or bad."
9. System Shock - Not SS2, but the original game made by Origin. While it wasn't the first FPS, it was one of the pioneers in using an FPS engine in an adventure/RPG manner, allowing actions and interactions that no other game of its type had.
10. Loom - Ask a modern gamer (or even someone who's been a gamer for years) what Loom is and you'll probably get a blank stare. This very strange adventure game was probably responsible for more gamers asking, "What the hell is this?" than any other title. The story is so complex and strange that it takes playing it a few times to even gain a hint of what's going on. Even so, it was remarkably different and offered gamers something unique.
11. Shadow of Destiny - Originally released on the PS2, this unusual and fun adventure game was later ported to the PC. Sales, however, were not good. In fact, many gamers passed it over. That didn't change the fact it had an interesting story and allowed the player to travel through time, changing the past and offering multiple endings based on the decisions made.
12. Road Avenger - Probably the best game ever made on the failed Sega CD (an optional addition to the Sega Genesis). The player character had an unbelievably amazing car that he used to take revenge on the criminal gang that was responsible for the death of his newlywed bride.
13. Anachronox - Arguably one of the finest action-RPGs ever created. It has a fantastic sense of humor coupled with unusual characters and a combat system that worked pretty damn well.
14. Target Earth - This has to be one of my favorite Sega Genesis games. A fantastic -- if not a little weird -- storyline that takes place in the future, involving a mech pilot and Earth's military forces. Oddly enough, the player character could be rendered invulnerable if the start button on the second controller was held down. There were numerous plot twists and tons of weapons to utilize. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a game like this since 1989.
15. Psi-Ops - Although beginning with the unoriginal plot device of amnesia, this game managed to pull of the use of psionic powers in a style no other game could match. Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, remote viewing and a whole slew of others turned an otherwise unremarkable game into something that was really fun. This game also had an unusual two-player setup which allowed one player to control movement and the other to direct the attacks.
16. Red Faction - With today's technology the idea of a "destructible environment" is nothing new. When RF was released in 2001, this was a groundbreaking new feature for FPS games. Suddenly hiding behind boxes, pillars and even walls couldn't hide you from enemies. You could also use the environment against your opponents. If someone was on a ledge, destroy it and watch him plummet to his doom. If an enemy was bothering you, blasting a chuck out of the ceiling and squishing him was always an option.
So what are they? No game is safe and this isn't limited to the adventure genre, either.
I'll go first:
Overrated
1. Grim Fandango - This game has been praised by many adventure gamers for years and yet, I find it barely mediocre. The characters hold very little appeal for me and the controls were horrendous.
2. King's Quest VI - It seems that this title has been crowned "the very best of the King's Quest games." It's a good game, but the best? Hardly. In fact, the entire KQ series is vastly overrated.
3. Gabriel Knight 2 - I despise FMV. It severely limited the ability to actually PLAY the game. I get games to play; not watch. If I wanted to do that, I'd see a movie.
4. Half-Life - Back in 1997, this was a huge leap forward for first-person shooters. It made numerous advances, such as gaming without levels, eliminating "key and door" hunts, as well as placing weapons in realistic areas, as opposed to having them float in mid-air. However, this game has been seen as some sort of "messiah" or whatever. It's good, don't get me wrong, but it's not the end all, be all of gaming.
5. Halo - This was innovation? We've had FPS wars against aliens for years. Lots of people claim this title brought vehicular combat into the forefront. They're wrong. The Tribes series included the ability to use all sorts of vehicles five years before Halo was even released.
6. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - This game offered nothing new to the series and played off negative stereotypes. I can't imagine how this title wouldn't be at least somewhat insulting to African Americans.
7. Myst - Oh good... a game for non-gamers. Just what we need. Myst was more of a "Look at me, I'm so cool! I have a great looking game." Fantastic. Is the game play interesting? For something that claimed to be an adventure, it had practically no one to speak to and primarily hinged on puzzle solving.
8. Goldeneye 007 - The gaming industry tends to gush all over this title. Why? It's not bad, but hardly a groundbreaking game. It let gamers shoot enemies in single player and then allowed four-player multiplayer combat. Big deal. This had been happening on the PC for years.
9. The Longest Journey - Not a bad game by any means, but it's nothing particularly new. I think many adventure purists were simply so starved for something other than "action-adventure" that they drooled all over this game.
10. Syberia - Quite possibly one of the least interactive adventure games since FMV was popular. Yes, it looked very pretty, but the backgrounds were non-interactive. Adventure games made in the past had accomplished interactivity with the backgrounds, so why couldn't this game?
11. The Sims - I see this game as fun for a little while, but then boredom sets in. Why raise a fictional family that you have to give instructions to for every little thing. They can't eat or using the bathroom without being told to, which was ridiculous. Eventually, the only thing to do is find horrible way to kill your Sims off.
12. Neverwinter Nights - A slightly better-than-mediocre RPG, hampered by a poor storyline and one of the worst interfaces ever in a computer game.
13. Quake III - Yes, it was one of the best multiplayer games for the time, but that was about it. There was absolutely no single player feature at all. There are only so many times you can fight online, even with the InstaGib modification.
14. Tomb Raider - A moderately decent 3D action-adventure that places the player in the shoes of an Indiana Jones style woman with a love for guns and incredibly large breasts. Aside from that obvious ridiculousness, the main character (Lara Croft) could actually use two Desert Eagle handguns two-handed. Anyone who knows anything about firearms would realize such a feat is impossible, provided they'd actually wish to hit their target (plus Desert Eages have a huge kick and Lara was not a muscle-bound individual).
15. World of Warcraft - Do I really need to discuss this one?
16. Guitar Hero - What was once an interesting idea for a game has turned into a lifestyle for many, producing tons of copycats and even contests between GH players. Far too many GH followers have forgotten that hitting the right buttons in Guitar Hero is nothing like playing a real guitar, but they still prance around as if they're rock stars.
Underrated
1. Full Throttle - Like Rodney Dangerfield, this game "gets no respect." It had a fantastic story, interesting and interactive game play and finally allowed us to play someone who wasn't a loser, royalty or wimp.
2. BioForge - Does anyone besides me remember this game? The entire game focused around figuring out who you were (and there were a number of different people you could be based on your actions) and allowed for multiple solutions to problems.
3. Jumping Flash - This could take the award for being the most bizarre title for the original Playstation. In it, you play a robotic rabbit that has to fight through various stages -- all in a first-person view, as well. I think someone was on a cocktail of numerous drugs when designing it.
4. Ico - Very few people have ever heard of this Playstation 2 game, let alone played it. The game play focused less on action and combat, pushing the player to protect and guide a princess and solve many different puzzles along the way. It was unique, but for some reason, it was passed by on the store shelves.
5. Alone in the Dark - Many gamers credit the Resident Evil series with putting the survival/horror genre on the map. Unfortunately for them, they've forgotten the true originator of the genre. AitD was a 3D polygonal title when most games were 2D and allowed the gamer to choose a male or female character, when games put the player into the shoes of an already-set gender. While combat was important, the primary goal was to escape the haunted house using your wits and ingenuity.
6. Codename Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis - One of the most realistic FPS games ever made, plunking the player into the shoes of a soldier during the Cold War. It was a great title that made us of advanced AI and true military tactics.
7. Clive Barker's Undying - Probably one of the very few mystically-oriented FPS games to ever surface. Magic and mysticism played as important of a role as technology (sometimes more). Best of all, the player could utilize two hands at once, one for magic and the other for a weapon. This game could be quite scary at times, too.
8. Planescape: Torment - Passed over in favor of the Baldur's Gate series, Planescape was unique in it's parallel world setting. It took place in a world of the undead and other creatures, involving the ideas of torment and pain. The decisions made by the main character shaped the game and there was no such thing as "good or bad."
9. System Shock - Not SS2, but the original game made by Origin. While it wasn't the first FPS, it was one of the pioneers in using an FPS engine in an adventure/RPG manner, allowing actions and interactions that no other game of its type had.
10. Loom - Ask a modern gamer (or even someone who's been a gamer for years) what Loom is and you'll probably get a blank stare. This very strange adventure game was probably responsible for more gamers asking, "What the hell is this?" than any other title. The story is so complex and strange that it takes playing it a few times to even gain a hint of what's going on. Even so, it was remarkably different and offered gamers something unique.
11. Shadow of Destiny - Originally released on the PS2, this unusual and fun adventure game was later ported to the PC. Sales, however, were not good. In fact, many gamers passed it over. That didn't change the fact it had an interesting story and allowed the player to travel through time, changing the past and offering multiple endings based on the decisions made.
12. Road Avenger - Probably the best game ever made on the failed Sega CD (an optional addition to the Sega Genesis). The player character had an unbelievably amazing car that he used to take revenge on the criminal gang that was responsible for the death of his newlywed bride.
13. Anachronox - Arguably one of the finest action-RPGs ever created. It has a fantastic sense of humor coupled with unusual characters and a combat system that worked pretty damn well.
14. Target Earth - This has to be one of my favorite Sega Genesis games. A fantastic -- if not a little weird -- storyline that takes place in the future, involving a mech pilot and Earth's military forces. Oddly enough, the player character could be rendered invulnerable if the start button on the second controller was held down. There were numerous plot twists and tons of weapons to utilize. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a game like this since 1989.
15. Psi-Ops - Although beginning with the unoriginal plot device of amnesia, this game managed to pull of the use of psionic powers in a style no other game could match. Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, remote viewing and a whole slew of others turned an otherwise unremarkable game into something that was really fun. This game also had an unusual two-player setup which allowed one player to control movement and the other to direct the attacks.
16. Red Faction - With today's technology the idea of a "destructible environment" is nothing new. When RF was released in 2001, this was a groundbreaking new feature for FPS games. Suddenly hiding behind boxes, pillars and even walls couldn't hide you from enemies. You could also use the environment against your opponents. If someone was on a ledge, destroy it and watch him plummet to his doom. If an enemy was bothering you, blasting a chuck out of the ceiling and squishing him was always an option.
- that, at the end of Myst, I cried, 'cause, somehow, the soreness of Atrus really got to my heart.
