2009 in Review: Video Games
There have been some really fun games in the past year. I only wish I had the time to play them all the way through. Much like last year, game publishers have decided to release the hot games at the end of the year for the holiday season.
The Good
Dragon Age: Origins - Just pure pleasure to play this RPG Strategy game. The story is rich and the world so immersive - I sometimes get that nostalgic feeling of when I was a kid reading some deep fantasy novel: lost in the visions on a page, but now with a game. DA:O is story, visual, and voice acting art all rolled into the media of a game. Relationships between characters must be nurtured. Combat is challenging, yet rewarding. Quests are exciting filled with unexpected twists. On the PC, Xbox 360, or PS3 it is worth playing it. You will not regret it. PC version runs pretty slick on my machine. I’ve heard reports that the consol versions have glitches.
Borderlands -An FPS Action game with persistent characters. This game is a hoot! After the initial network routing setup wrangling, it’s fun to play. It’s an awesome 4-man Co-Op game: kind of grindy, but very low commitment. This was my kind of game for 2009, since I was busy with work. I can pick it up for about an hour, get some good game time in and then walk away without having to think about it. Weapons, shields, and other phat lewts come fast and flowing - this is what makes the game play feel rewarding. The visual art style is refreshingly different. I was easily miffed at the lack of a loot distribution system. It’s a free for all -- if you want to be nice and save something for a friend, you can't because someone else will just grab it up. The only thing that is auto managed is cash, which is evenly divided between the party members. You can play it on the PC, 360, or PS3 - I prefer the PC version myself. The Firefly references make the fan girl in me giggle.
The Bad
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin - The original F.E.A.R was an awesome game. The sequel was such a disappointment. Maybe I had such high expectations based on the first game, which was unique game play with a captivating story. F.E.A.R. 2 was just so undistinguished and unexceptional that it felt like any other FPS shooter.
Champions Online - Like most MMOs, this puppy was half-baked when they fed it to the masses. They promised an active combat system with mouse aiming and mouse dodging, but they dummied it down and put in powers with a fast cool down timers so now combat feels like any other MMORPG out there. You have to select your target, have line of sight, and click an attack power button just like any other MMORPG. YAWN! It’s filled with about one month’s worth of action in quests - just enough to play for that first free month, but not enough story to keep you playing (and paying!) longer than that.
2010 Playlist
I didn’t have much time this year to play a plethora of games, so it gets added to my playlist for the coming year:
The Good
Dragon Age: Origins - Just pure pleasure to play this RPG Strategy game. The story is rich and the world so immersive - I sometimes get that nostalgic feeling of when I was a kid reading some deep fantasy novel: lost in the visions on a page, but now with a game. DA:O is story, visual, and voice acting art all rolled into the media of a game. Relationships between characters must be nurtured. Combat is challenging, yet rewarding. Quests are exciting filled with unexpected twists. On the PC, Xbox 360, or PS3 it is worth playing it. You will not regret it. PC version runs pretty slick on my machine. I’ve heard reports that the consol versions have glitches.
Borderlands -An FPS Action game with persistent characters. This game is a hoot! After the initial network routing setup wrangling, it’s fun to play. It’s an awesome 4-man Co-Op game: kind of grindy, but very low commitment. This was my kind of game for 2009, since I was busy with work. I can pick it up for about an hour, get some good game time in and then walk away without having to think about it. Weapons, shields, and other phat lewts come fast and flowing - this is what makes the game play feel rewarding. The visual art style is refreshingly different. I was easily miffed at the lack of a loot distribution system. It’s a free for all -- if you want to be nice and save something for a friend, you can't because someone else will just grab it up. The only thing that is auto managed is cash, which is evenly divided between the party members. You can play it on the PC, 360, or PS3 - I prefer the PC version myself. The Firefly references make the fan girl in me giggle.
The Bad
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin - The original F.E.A.R was an awesome game. The sequel was such a disappointment. Maybe I had such high expectations based on the first game, which was unique game play with a captivating story. F.E.A.R. 2 was just so undistinguished and unexceptional that it felt like any other FPS shooter.
Champions Online - Like most MMOs, this puppy was half-baked when they fed it to the masses. They promised an active combat system with mouse aiming and mouse dodging, but they dummied it down and put in powers with a fast cool down timers so now combat feels like any other MMORPG out there. You have to select your target, have line of sight, and click an attack power button just like any other MMORPG. YAWN! It’s filled with about one month’s worth of action in quests - just enough to play for that first free month, but not enough story to keep you playing (and paying!) longer than that.
2010 Playlist
I didn’t have much time this year to play a plethora of games, so it gets added to my playlist for the coming year:
- Play it Again Set - KOTOR, KOTOR 2, Jade Empire, Assassin’s Creed, and Bioshock. Mainly to prep for sequel game play; see items below!
- Left 4 Dead 2 - I didn’t pick this one up as fast, but I did get it on sale for 40% off during Steam’s holiday sale event.
- Assassin’s Creed 2 - They took what was wrong in first game and made it right…and in some cases better. I want to experience that
- Bioshock 2 - I loved the first game so much and so far what I’ve seen says I’ll like the sequel. I hope.
- Mass Effect 2 - Only the PC version. The consol version was clunky and inventory management was a bitch.
- Heavy Rain - I just hope the story is as good as promised. I have low expectations for the game part. David Cage is the writer and director of this game. He also wrote & directed Omikron: The Nomad Soul, which I did like the story a lot, but the game play was awful. Still, Omikron is one of my guilty pleasures
- Final Fantasy XIII - no more PS2 Graphics!!