The New Year is finally upon us and Ive made a few resolutions. Besides quitting smoking, eating better and the like, another resolution is to finish all of those games I bought last year! The holiday gaming season of 2008 was a tough time for a gamer that suffers from as short an attention span as I do. After spending the first part of the year focused solely on Rock Band, and the middle solely on GTA IV, I found the end months of 2008 an unfocused mess due to a huge influx of titles that I either rushed through or left sitting on my shelf. Heres a rundown on what Ive been playing, and whether or not I will continue or abandon them.
Guitar Hero World Tour
Neversoft/Activision
After Harmonix got it so right with Rock Band 1 and 2, I was looking forward to seeing how Neversoft would respond. After a couple of days of playing, one thing was certain; while the instruments were solid, the game was not. Most of this is due to what sometimes seems to be an artificially high difficulty in many spots, as well as a focus on spectacle (cameo appearances and advertising galore). I ended up abandoning this one within one to two weeks.
Verdict: Forgotten
Warhammer Online
Mythic/EA Games
Maybe it was the fact that everyone I know that was playing it simply abandoned the game. Maybe it was my reluctance to devote time to another level grind. The PVP was fantastic though, and the mythos of the world was great. If this were not a subscription based game I would probably go back to it.
Verdict: Forgotten
Fallout 3
Bethesda Softworks
It’s like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion with guns you say? Sign me up! Sadly, the game still hasn't gripped me in the same way many of my friends that have played the game. Despite many attempts to sit down with this one I’ve barely scratched the surface. I haven't given up yet though, because the little bit I've managed to take in was very compelling and well crafted.
Verdict: Revisited
Gears of War 2
Epic/Microsoft
The follow up to one of my favorite titles from 2006 delivered in a very big way. Well, at least the 10 or so hours of the single player campaign did. After completion, the game hasn't re-entered my 360 since. Maybe some split screen co-op is in order for 2009.
Verdict: Revisited
Fable 2
Lionhead/Microsoft
I personally haven't made it out of the tutorial, however I have watched fellow LanGaming.net staffer and my significant other Jadielady play quite a bit. It looks fantastic, but I feel like I am more than likely going to experience this one from the sidelines.
Verdict: Reluctantly Forgotten
Left 4 Dead
Valve
Frantic zombie action with a simple pick up and play campaign and a great head to head and co-op multiplayer make this one a top priority for 2009.
Verdict: Revisited
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
Capcom
Gorgeous graphics, fantastic online multiplayer, and amazing soundtrack. The only complaint I have about this one is the XBOX 360 D-Pad. This one will be getting a lot of attention in February when Street Fighter IV and its Arcade Stick are released.
Verdict: Revisited
Call of Duty: World at War
Treyarch/Activision
Despite others telling me this was a disappointment in comparison to 2007's excellent Modern Warfare, the single player campaign has really drawn me in and I'm looking forward to trying out the multiplayer portion.
Verdict: Revisited
Spore
Maxis/EA Games
I'm typically not a huge fan of the strategy/sim genre. I left off towards the end of the Civilization stage. The game drew huge criticism for the Securom debacle and for the game play variation making the game a jack of all trades but a master of none. I'm looking forward to spending more time with this one.
Verdict: Revisited
It looks like the early part of 2009 is going to be used to play catch up. Fortunately, many of the titles I have discussed are worth taking a second shot at until the next game that catches my eye finds itself on my shelf.
