Your Most Over-Rated Game

[Dave]

OK, so when I was playing some games last night, an idea came to me that really made me think about how over-rated some games really are. The game I was playing was The Orange Box and more importantly and specifically, Half-life. Now, Half-life is a good series of games. However, I really do not see what some other people see in it. I have tried my best to get involved and have played all of the games that have been released but I just cannot get into the game as many before me have. Half-life has sort of gone into folklore and legend. People talk about it as if it has broken the mould and to be honest, I never really got that feeling whilst I was playing it. Usually I will say that this is due to some ignorance on my part. Usually, I will say that I have missed something crucial to the game being seen as truly great but not this time. I have exhausted myself playing the game on both the PC and the 360. Yet, I still haven’t managed to see what many see in it.

I feel the exact same way about Tetris. I mean, what the fuck!? You rotate geometrical shapes and try and get it to fit in with other geometrical shapes. Call me ignorant if you wish but I really cannot think of anything more boring to me doing than playing Tetris. I cannot even blame this one on being bored by older games because that simply isn’t true. I still love Space Invaders and Pacman but Tetris was never a game that I enjoyed or like to any great extent. Still, people talk it about it very favourably and have mentioned it as being a classic. Why? It is boring and so repetitive that I cannot play it for any great amount of time.

So, what games do you think are over-rated? Why?

 

[Trill Co$by]

I'm an Xbox 360 fan boy through and through... but I will admit that I do not get the hype in the Halo franchise... anymore.

After Halo 2, it went down hill. I mean, they don't even try to compete with games like Gears of War 2 or Rainbow Six Vegas 2, where you have cover mode. I mean that mode would do wonders in ODST, but no.

Another game that I don't quite get would be Fable and Fable II. I just don't understand the concept of this game at all.

 

[Rich]

I rented Halo ODST the other week, one of THE most overrated games EVER in my opinion, then again I played the original Halo on the old Xbox, and to be honest I never understood what all the fuss was about over it, cos IMO it's just another in a long line of generic FPS games with fancy weapons and hardly any plot, not worthy of all the 9 and 10 out of 10 reviews it got IMO, I'd rate it 6 out of 10 and that's being rather generous.

 

[Leafy]

I have to agree with you and say Half- Life is the most overrated game. I've read reviews of this game and they say the same thing. "This game breaks barriers and uses physics brilliantly."

I found this game a regular first person shooter and nothing more. Everyone loved the diverse weapons. What? The gravity gun was an interesting concept but it got boring after a few shots. I love Valve, but this game I got with the Orange Box expecting so much but the only one that brought it for me was Portal.

 

[Dave]

I have to agree with you and say Half- Life is the most overrated game. I've read reviews of this game and they say the same thing. "This game breaks barriers and uses physics brilliantly."

I found this game a regular first person shooter and nothing more. Everyone loved the diverse weapons. What? The gravity gun was an interesting concept but it got boring after a few shots. I love Valve, but this game I got with the Orange Box expecting so much but the only one that brought it for me was Portal.

Truly, Half-Life is a very over-rated series in general and I have yet to find a single redeeming quality about it. I have seen much better graphics in better games and I have played games with better physics and actual game play. I have never found it to be a quality game but people really do like it. I don't know what it is about the game series that people find really great but I have yet to find it.

Another game that I found to really over-rated is World of Warcraft. Seriously, this is where I draw the line personally. I am not going to say that it is for ners or whatever and I am not going to say that you have no life if you play it because it is not so different from any other game in the way that it is very addictive to some. However, having played some of the trial, I can honestly say that I have never been that big of a fan and I don't think that will ever change to be honest.

Great point about Portal though. Portal was the only good thing about the Orange Box and an absolute bargain.

 

[The Doctor]

The Halo series. People talk about it as though it's the most revolutionary game ever, and it's five kinds of amazing. Sure, it's good, but it's just another FPS. Not saying it's terrible, it's just nowhere near as good as people make it out to be. It's not brand new, it doesn't have a mind-blowing story, it's just a very well-made FPS.

 

[X]

The real popularity of Halo Doc isn't about the campaign mode though, it's main appeal has always been it's online play and the absolutely massive amount of people who use it, more than I've seen in any other gaming franchise. I know that's what's kept me playing the original Halo to this day---because there are still thousands and thousands of people playing it online, and I love a nice game of capture the flag.

But yeah, the campaign modes aside from the first one have never been particularly amazing.

The most overrated game I've ever played? Dragon Quest. Take your pick of which one, aside from Part VIII which I actually really enjoyed. How these games were able to stand side by side with the Final Fantasy franchise, I'll never know, but I have distinct memories of trying to get into some of the earlier entries in the Dragon franchise and just being completely uninterested. Maybe I'll have to go back and give 'em another shot after all these years if I ever have the time.

 

[Spunky]

My vote for most over rated game? Grand Theft Auto IV. This game was hyped to the hills and back, The reviewers thought it was the second coming of christ. Yet when I popped it in the PS3, I was so underwelmed that I almost cried. There wasn't really anything wrong with the game, Just something missing.

There was a new game engine, With amazing psyhics. The graphics were some of the best seen on a console. The gameplay was solid, And in places extremely fun. The thing that was missing was the insanity of GTA's past.

 

[Dave]

My vote for most over rated game? Grand Theft Auto IV. This game was hyped to the hills and back, The reviewers thought it was the second coming of christ. Yet when I popped it in the PS3, I was so underwelmed that I almost cried. There wasn't really anything wrong with the game, Just something missing.

There was a new game engine, With amazing psyhics. The graphics were some of the best seen on a console. The gameplay was solid, And in places extremely fun. The thing that was missing was the insanity of GTA's past.

Yes, I have to agree with you.

For the longest time, people talked about this game as if it was going to change the landscape of gaming forever. The hype it got transcended Modern Warfare 2 in some respects and people just had to have this game. I remember reading in my local newspaper that someone had been stabbed outside of a games retailer because they had gotten the first copy of the game from the store. The person stabbed the guy and stole the game. Not his wallet, not his keys, only the copy of Grant Theft Auto IV. The hype that followed this game was absolutely massive. I haven't seen hype like that for a long time and I don't think I will see it again for a while.

The problem was that their was definitely something missing from the release. I have no idea what it was and I really could not find out, I don't think. However, for me, there was definitely an aspect of the game that really let down the hype. As you say, everything that people had expected from this game was there. Grahics were excellent, game play was good and the story was pretty fun. However, I only ever managed to finish the second island and have never felt the urge to go back and do the rest of it. That is where that game fails in comparison to the games that have gone before it.

 

[Blade]

Oh wow, there's so many games I could put here. Halo, GTA, Street Fighter 2, Tetris, Any of the Final Fantasys...
Buuut, I'm gonna go with Metal Gear Solid. Or rather, Metal Gear Solid 2. I've got no problem with the old MGS games, or the original 3D MGS. They were great games. But Metal Gear Solid 2 was the biggest load of bullshit I have ever played in my life. Never mind the ridiculously over-done AI, the stupid boss battles, the shitty fight system etc. What the fuck was the point of having such an incredibly over the top story? It's was so unnecessarily complicated, not to mention Konami gave us absolutely no reason for us to give 2 shits about Raiden.
And yet it won a handful of game of the year awards, it one of the most critically acclaimed games ever and sold 7 million copies. This shows what hype, fanboyism and past games in a series being good can do for a game. Utter crap.

 

[Dave]

Oh wow, there's so many games I could put here. Halo, GTA, Street Fighter 2, Tetris, Any of the Final Fantasys...
Buuut, I'm gonna go with Metal Gear Solid. Or rather, Metal Gear Solid 2. I've got no problem with the old MGS games, or the original 3D MGS. They were great games. But Metal Gear Solid 2 was the biggest load of bullshit I have ever played in my life. Never mind the ridiculously over-done AI, the stupid boss battles, the shitty fight system etc. What the fuck was the point of having such an incredibly over the top story? It's was so unnecessarily complicated, not to mention Konami gave us absolutely no reason for us to give 2 shits about Raiden.
And yet it won a handful of game of the year awards, it one of the most critically acclaimed games ever and sold 7 million copies. This shows what hype, fanboyism and past games in a series being good can do for a game. Utter crap.

I somewhat agree with you. However, I played Metal Gear Solid 2 and thought that it was a pretty good game. Obviously, I am not a fan boy because I am a great fan of Microsoft but at the time, I thought that it was really good. The stealth factor of the game was pretty intuitive and it was quite a fun game to play. I believe that you are slightly overstating the bad points of the game and only some of them, I agree with. The story, for one, was just silly. Honestly, I finished the game twice on two different difficulties and still have no idea what the fuck was going on. However, I don't think it took away from the game as much as you are trying to say that it did. I still thought that the game was pretty good. Not 7 million copies good but good all the same.

But yeah, Raiden sucked ass.

 

[Trill Co$by]

Another game that's overrated... the entire franchise for that matter... is the Sims.

Like seriously? A video game about living? I seriously think that all the hype this game gets is for nothing. You can't do anything in it, and it's completely boring. My sister is addicted to the game... I'll never know why though.

 

[a7xoff]

I don't seem to be the only one here who sees the Halo series as overrated. I mean yes it has an interesting and different story to it and the vehicle was pretty cool, but as far as the massive hype over the multi player, I don't see why. Yes it's fun, but I don't see what makes it better than Perfect Dark or Goldeneye. I mean in Halo 2 you can duel wield guns and everyone was like "this is the best idea ever" at least by me, but it's all been done before in many games. I really just don't see what the big deal is for the Halo series as a whole.

 

[Dave]

I don't seem to be the only one here who sees the Halo series as overrated. I mean yes it has an interesting and different story to it and the vehicle was pretty cool, but as far as the massive hype over the multi player, I don't see why. Yes it's fun, but I don't see what makes it better than Perfect Dark or Goldeneye. I mean in Halo 2 you can duel wield guns and everyone was like "this is the best idea ever" at least by me, but it's all been done before in many games. I really just don't see what the big deal is for the Halo series as a whole.

You are definitely not the only one, not by a long shot,

In fact, I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of support it has been getting from these boards of late. I mean, with the exception of the Video Games tournament, nobody really mentions it as one of their favourite games and I think that this is good. Mainly because of the fact that I have never like Halo. I played the first one and thought it was over-rated. I played the second one and thought that was over-rated and I layed the third one and thought it was over-hyped. Oh! Then I found out it was over-rated too. Halo is not a bad series of games. It is just over-rated. People talk about it as if it is the best thing since sliced bread but in all honesty, it is nothing more than an FPS. A good one but their is so much better out there and I am a huge Microsoft and 360 fan. However, I hate when people claim it is the game that defined the console, the game that made the console. Pish! Gears of War was a better game and a much better series in terms of getting what you ask for.

 

[a7xoff]

You are definitely not the only one, not by a long shot,

In fact, I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of support it has been getting from these boards of late. I mean, with the exception of the Video Games tournament, nobody really mentions it as one of their favourite games and I think that this is good. Mainly because of the fact that I have never like Halo. I played the first one and thought it was over-rated. I played the second one and thought that was over-rated and I layed the third one and thought it was over-hyped. Oh! Then I found out it was over-rated too. Halo is not a bad series of games. It is just over-rated. People talk about it as if it is the best thing since sliced bread but in all honesty, it is nothing more than an FPS. A good one but their is so much better out there and I am a huge Microsoft and 360 fan. However, I hate when people claim it is the game that defined the console, the game that made the console. Pish! Gears of War was a better game and a much better series in terms of getting what you ask for.

I agree with everything you said there. Halo to me is just another FPS. Personally I'm not the biggest X-Box fan, but I still know a good game when I play it. Halo is good no doubts there. It's a FPS with a fun multiplayer, but nowhere near as good as many people make it out to be. I mean sniping is fun and all, but online that seems to be all people do. Hide and snipe. I hardly ever see anyone running around with other guns or piloting vehicles which to me makes it even less entertaining due to the lack of action that you can find in other FPS's including Turok: Rage Wars (Yes I went there). The story though decent I still think is also overrated due to the amount of aliens and demons invading a planet stories that we've all played through in some shape or form in another game.

 

[Dave]

I agree with everything you said there. Halo to me is just another FPS. Personally I'm not the biggest X-Box fan, but I still know a good game when I play it. Halo is good no doubts there. It's a FPS with a fun multiplayer, but nowhere near as good as many people make it out to be. I mean sniping is fun and all, but online that seems to be all people do. Hide and snipe. I hardly ever see anyone running around with other guns or piloting vehicles which to me makes it even less entertaining due to the lack of action that you can find in other FPS's including Turok: Rage Wars (Yes I went there). The story though decent I still think is also overrated due to the amount of aliens and demons invading a planet stories that we've all played through in some shape or form in another game.

Well, to be fair, was more impressed with the story than I was by the multiplayer. However, I wasn't overly impressed with the story either, if that makes any sense at all. The thing is, the story of Halo isn't all that spectacular. You could pick out a hundred different games with similar story arcs and when you think about it that way, it really isn't that impressive. The we come to the Chief, The master of chiefs. Master Chief is not one of my favourite characters in the same way that Gordon Freeman isn't one of my favourite characters. It might be because he doesn't talk but I just find no common ground or relation to these two characters. I literally have no clue as to why he is considered one of the greatest video game characters of all time. I am stumped. Anyway, the Halo series, in a nutshell, has been done before. I am sure of it. I think it only gets as much prestige and respect because of the fact that it has become banded to the xbox and really did attract a new legion of gamers for it.

 

[Tastycles]

For me it is probably Halo or Call of Duty. These games have lived for years as the "greatest games of the era" based on their multiplayer aspects, but in all honesty its very hard to find a first person shooter that doesn't have a great multiplayer since Goldeneye, which pretty much invented the formula that everyone else has followed. These games are hyped then everyone buys them. The only thing that's good is that there's loads of people to play them online. Other than that, they're pretty overrated.

 

[Fizzy]

Easily any COD game. I never saw the appeal in COD. I got World at War and played that through campaign, and played online some, but it was just another fps to me. I'd much rather play Counter Strike on the computer, or Borderlands on my 360. COD just seems like a regular FPS with a shit load on people that play it. In fact that's the only good thing I can say about COD. This is easily the most overrated franchise in history.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Half-Life. Do not get the fucking hype. I bought for the 360 and ended up smashing my head against the wall at how boring it is. There's got to be something I'm not getting. It seems to me that it's just a mediocre FPS with fanwank all over it.

 

[Leafy]

Easily any COD game. I never saw the appeal in COD. I got World at War and played that through campaign, and played online some, but it was just another fps to me. I'd much rather play Counter Strike on the computer, or Borderlands on my 360. COD just seems like a regular FPS with a shit load on people that play it. In fact that's the only good thing I can say about COD. This is easily the most overrated franchise in history.

There is no way Call of Duty is overrated. The multiplayer is amazing and the first Modern Warfare had an amazing storyline. This was the goal all FPS's should aim for. I thought with the hype I've heard about Modern Warfare 2 it had to be overrated, but I played it last night and was blown away. The create a class is so huge there's endless possibilities.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Looks like I'm not going to be the first one to say this but.... Halo. I just don't see the point. Halo is the game that made shooter games unplayable for me. The controlls in Halo were awful, and ever since then all the other shooter games had to go and copy that control system. At least in Goldeneye and Doom I could enjoy the game, and those two remain the only 2 shooters that I really liked. I understand that some people like the whole online multiplayer x-box live stuff.... I don't care for it. I'm oldschool and would rather play against my friend sitting next to me. So.... Halo definitely gets my vote for most over-rated game. No, scratch that. The entire Halo SERIES ties for most over-rated game.