Our Most Disappointing Blockbuster Games of 2010

There were tons of gaming disappointments in 2010, some more unforeseen than others. It's easy for a small studio with limited funding to make a bad game, but when a big budget gaming blockbuster goes wrong, it's that much funnier. So without further ado, let's take a look.

Our Most Disappointing Blockbuster Games of 2010

Red Dead Redemption by Rockstar San Diego (PS3, X360)
By no stretch of the imagination is Red Dead Redemption a bad game, in fact, most outlets have it pegged as the game of the year. I however, am growing increasingly critical of Rockstar's games, which is why I found RDR to be a huge disappointment. As a fan of westerns, be it movies or games, I was incredibly excited to hear of an open world western done by Rockstar. There was so much potential, so much that could be done to create a new experience. Beautiful graphics and involving story aside, in the end, Red Dead Redemption ended up feeling too much like a reskin of the Grand Theft Auto series, which felt like a crushing blow and a waste of potential to do something fresh.

Fallout: New Vegas by Obsidian Entertainment (PC, PS3, X360)
In late 2008, a game by the name of Fallout 3 snuck up on me and held me prisoner from the real world for an unhealthily long period if time. The follow up to one of my favorite games of recent memory had to be good, now that the developers had some time to work out the kinks of the original, as well as listen to and implement community suggested changes. Nuts to that! Development was handed over to Obsidian Entertainment from Bethesda Game Studios, and Obsidian didn't really feel like making any tweaks. The moved the story to Vegas and called it a day! Fallout 3 while awesome, wasn't perfect. There was plenty of room for improvement to make the experience even better, but why put in extra work when you can move copies on the strength of the series' name?

Fable III by Lionhead Studios (X360)
The simplistic yet involving Fable series has always been a joy to play, even if it did seem like the game was built to be played by a 12 year old. 2008's Fable II had an interesting story to go along with a dreadfully easy, but enjoyable combat system that delivered an entertaining experience from start to finish. Fable III claimed it would allow you great moral decisions, as the purpose of the third and final entry in the series, is to start a revolution as you see fit. Unfortunately, most of the game's decisions were binary, and rigid, leaving little room for experimentation. You're forced to make promises to allies to earn their trust, and in a turn for the anti-climactic, only at the end of the game are you allowed to renege on your word. 

Epic Mickey by Disney Interactive Studios (Wii)
The name Warren Spector is held in high regard to just about everyone in the gaming industry. Deus Ex, Thief, System Shock, and now Disney's Epic Mickey. One of these things is not like the other! Working with Disney, the talented Mr. Spector became all about the mouse, seemingly living, breathing, and pooping Disney. Unfortunately, his Epic Mickey turned out to be a convoluted mess, where teases of a dark, steampunk tale where Mickey would be responsible for the fate of other characters was way overblown. The morality system seemed like no more than a throw in, with no real weight on the outcome of the game. The controls were spotty, with Wiimote support seemingly added last minute just for the sake of motion controls. Level design, story, graphics, it all left much to be desired.

NBA Elite by EA Sports (PS3, X360)
The NBA Live series has been releasing yearly installments since 1992, and since 1995 under the Live moniker. In 2000, 2K Sports threw their hat into the basketball game market, and had been steadily outperforming the Live series since. With Michael Jordan appearing in their latest title, along with other classic ballers of yesteryear, it seemed like the Live series would have to do something drastic to outdo NBA 2K11. So they decided to change their name to NBA Elite, because people like new and improved names, right? Countless bugs, missteps, and general fuck ups later, the game was outright canceled, and the world would be without a yearly EA NBA sim for the first time in almost 20 years. 

Dragon Age 2: Fast and Slow

This developer diary for Dragon Age 2 tries to make some dude look ominous by way of dramatic lighting. Nice try. However, it also details the different ways you can tackle battle; as a fast paced action RPG, as a slow and strategic point-and-click affair, or as a combination of the two.

A few things here. First, I'm most definitely playing as rogue Hawke. Second, the combat system looks like loads of fun, and my type of ordeal. Rush in and deal/recieve incredible damage in typical rogue fashion, then back out and strategize moments before dying prematurely. Hopefully there will be a way to pass the threat onto the much more deserving mage. Better you than me, squishy.

Deus Ex: Release Date Convolution

The next episode in the Deus Ex saga, Human Revolution, has just been delayed. Instead of March 2011, the hotly anticipated title's release slides back, to the broad area of anywhere up to Spring 2012. Square Enix says that the delay is necessary to add more 'polish' to the game. 

That guy at the desk is our hopes, and Adam Jensen's kick ass arm-blade is a cold serving of reality.

Meaty Super Meat Boy Updates

Those wacky and lovable fellas at Team Meat are very close to rolling out an update for the incredibly awesome Super Meat Boy. The update will fix a few bugs that have plagued users, and to make up for the trouble, Team Meat is giving their adoring fans a brand new world!

Teh Internets, as it's called, will feature new music and 20 new stages based on, you guessed it, the interwebz. I guess that means we can expect plenty of trolling, hardcore pornography, and racism to go along with the other pleasantries. And just like Teh Internets, it's free!

That's a good look for Xbox gamers, but PC gamers get an even better look. Those who have patiently waited it out for the PC version will be heartily rewarded when the game releases during the last week of November. First of all, Mr. Minecraft will be an included character. If you haven't heard of Minecraft, where the hell have you been? Secondly, Mr. Minecraft is black?! Holla, equal opportunity! 

Super Meat Boy on PC will have a bunch of other awesome additions, such as 5 characters not seen in the XBLA version, and a freakin' level editor. Does that mean sharing community maps? That could be something special. Time to dust off the Steam account come the end of November.

Diablo III: New Class, Old Concern

Diablo III is still shaping up a little too much like World of Warcraft, isn't it? That's not necessarily a bad thing; Warcraft's world is captivating and beautiful, it's characters diverse and memorable. Diablo has always had a dark and dying setting, one whose appearance parallels the state of things in the world of Sanctuary; Hell is trying to run shit.

Fanboys are up in arms about the world of Diablo III resembling WoW's Azeroth a little too closely. Dark towns, grimy dungeons, and the fires of hell are starting to give way and coexist with lush forests set on a backdrop of waterfalls. One of these things is not like the others. Although a little variation doesn't hurt, maybe the Diablo faithful are jumping the gun here. A wide range of of settings to spill demon blood can't possibly be a bad thing, can it?

Diablo III features a cast of five playable classes, and for the first time in the series, each class can choose male or female variants. In the rich fantasy world, with the ability to create a near endless amount of classes, Blizzard has ripped one archetype straight from the books of Warcraft; the Witch Doctor. A questionable choice, the Witch Doctor's initial screen shots, trailers, and lore has gotten nothing from me but yawns. I'm not even hating that Blizzard is jacking Warcraft characters, but the Witch Doctor? C'mon son. I'd rather have a paladin than that noise. 

Over the weekend, the fifth and final class got its big reveal. The Demon Hunter; ranged weapons expert, skilled and agile, who makes use of crossbows (akimbo, at tmes) and traps. Sounds a bit familiar? World of Warcraft's Hunter, is also a master of ranged weaponry, uses crossbows, and sets traps. The Demon Hunter does look pretty cool, as evidenced by the trailer, but my qualms lie with the lack of originality, something that seems to have been plaguing D3 since it's first screenshots have leaked.

I don't know how to feel about all these shared resources. Is Blizzard alienating the dedicated Diablo fan base in an attempt to capture a piece of the obscenely large World of Warcraft market? I'm on board for Diablo III, even if the final confrontation pits the player against Onyxia. I won't be happy about it, but I'll play it. In the end, fans are just going to have to hope the latest entry in Diablo's prestigious line retains enough of its former glory, while keeping the influence of it's relative as minimal as possible. But damn, it's gonna be good to play Diablo again. 

DC Universe Online has Good News and Bad News

So which do you want first? Let's just start with the bad news. You're going to die. You're in perfect health and will probably live another 75 years, but you're definitely going to die if you try to see me in Halo: Reach, son! So, now that we've gotten past that, here's the not-as-bad news: DC Universe Online has been delayed until early 2011. That wasn't so bad, was it? Upsetting, maybe, but not as woeful and embarrassing as getting torn to shreds with an assault rifle on Boardwalk.

On the upswing though, the good news is that Sony Online Entertainment has assured us that this delay is helping them to release a much more polished product. Isn't that what all delays are for, SOE? Well, I'm not going to sit here and split hairs about delays, this is a time for coming to terms with the news, DC fanboys.

To make good on it's delay, SOE has released new in-game footage of DC Universe Online; the first being a "fly-through" of Superman's home city of Metropolis. I know what you're saying, it looks really good, but there's not much action. Chill homeboy, that's where the second video comes in. Nothing but a minute and a half of frenzied brawling! It's more confusing than trying to spot Elmo at a Bloods initiation, but the carnage looks fun as hell. 

Watch, enjoy, discuss.

Score, Huh! What is it Good For?

Written by contributing author Mark Hagan

Is it possible for two games, with similar premise, visual aesthetic, and even the same name, to be entertaining on their own accord? For the free platformers Mr. Runner, then by all means yes. So as not to confuse, we will arbitrarily refer to the Armor Games offering as Mr. Runner A, and the GameVision iPhone app as Mr. Runner B. The goal of each is to, oddly enough, get from point A to point B. As a runner myself, this couldn’t be easier or more complex.

Like most platformers, simple controls and objectives make for a minimal learning curve. You’ll be well on your way to scaling walls and avoiding pools of lava in Mr. Runner A, as what to me looks like an 8-bit charred fire nymph. The game ramps the complexity with an analog feel to the leaping and bounding as the running is just a means of locomotion, not besting the level. Mr. Runner B however, is stripped down even further. The style is of simple design, perhaps a developer nod to the eerily similar Limbo, which is rapidly becoming a widespread source of homage. Jumping is omitted in favor of a straightforward dynamic of acceleration and timing.  Your nimble twiggy (not that Twiggy) navigates in and out of pockets of safety a la the Super Mario underworld.  Anticipation is key as you scamper through the world while it comes crashing down, the only reprieve coming in the form of the world’s familiar landmarks.

These marathon men hold a common virtue beyond design or mechanics. The lack of a true scoring system is where these games, and others like them, bring a complex, if not peculiar, goal in their own rite. By score, I mean there is really no way to judge your performance other than the mere advancement of your miniscule avatar.  It could be argued that time is the ultimate score (a parable maybe in each), but is it truly? For the most part, our gaming culture is built upon these mysterious benchmarks we accumulate, gloat about, and yearn to best. Yet here I am, shunning precious sleep, in an attempt to avoid the crush of the world, both real and virtual, so to reach the sanctuary of a giant Easter Island head.

Should game studios can take a page from this playbook? There is a community of gamers out there that do not belong to the casual crowd, yet don’t quite fit in the hardcore community either, possibly due to their lack of tea-bagging tendencies and KG inspired primal screams. A daily dose of self-affirmation doesn’t always need to come by way of tokens collected, gamerscore achieved, or zombie decapitations (a zombie capitation is not only more difficult, but will contribute to the sustainability of zombie harvesting for future generations).

Mr. Runner, in either of it's forms, won’t win any Game of the Year votes, but they do understand that sometimes enjoying the escape is reward enough.

Play Armor Games Mr. Runner | Download GameVision Mr. Runner

Mark has been gaming since the days of the Atari 5200 and such classics as Dig Dug and Eggomania. The Dreamcast was a turning point for him with games like Seaman and Jet Set Radio. His love of gadgets, games and geekery stems from his curiosity of innovation through art, and vice versa. His turn-ons include the sound of cellophane wrappers and warm sake in the morning.

Screen Talent, Voice Talent, and Fable III

As you and I both know, video games are a big deal. A multi-kajillion dollar industry that employs some of the most talented, behind the scenes people in the world, who work toward releasing a product that is both more original and more fun than the box office and television combined. It's only a matter of time before video games become more popular than both. Just don't say it'll be more popular than Jesus, that's a kiss of death. 

As video games expand outside of the gaming subculture, the general public is becoming increasingly aware of gaming's artistry, influence, and revenue generating prowess. I don't know if actors can be considered as general public, to half the world they're these awe-inspiring figures of lavish tastes, who must be followed, photographed, gossiped, and generally gushed over. Eh, fuck it, actors are general public, they get no special treatment from me. Unless they're gamers, then they're awesome.

But I digress, video games are on the radars of most sensible actors, and why not? While the pay and treatment may not be as rewarding as working on a big budget Hollywood flick, the workload is no doubt significantly less demanding. Voice acting can be a legitimate source of exposure and coin in between films. Millions of people around the world will be playing this game Mr. hot-shot actor, they will hear your voice for hours on end, and once they complete that game, depleted yet content, they will return to the warm glow of their computer monitor and proceed to illegally download purchase your best works, which they remember fondly after helping you rid the world of an ancient evil pact forged by zombies and ninjas. And you did it all while being between films, your belly swollen with the nectar of your most recent film release, Final Apocalyptic Justice VII: The World Warrior. Job well done.

So it's no surprise that developers are able to recruit well known actors as voice talent, with the once respectable clip of cross-over stars now beginning to rise as the success of the games industry continues to climb skyward. The latest example of this is illustrated by Fable III of all things, enlisting the talents of well respected English actors Stephen Fry and Simon Pegg, along with borderline legends Sir Ben Kingsley and John Cleese. Impressive recruits, and for these who happen to be video game talent first timers, a classy and deep project to tie themselves to, and make losing their game acting virginity a rewarding and enjoyable experience. 

While there may be no competition for the classic video game voice actor, it's definitely good to see the medium I love so much garnering respect from those whose craft is classic acting. With Hollywood becoming an uninspired remake machine, and TV stooping as low as jacking Twitter accounts to turn into prime time television, perhaps the games industry will continue to entice popular actors to lend their credibility, so that mainstream media will truly understand the legitimacy that game geeks like you and I are already aware of. Now we just need to figure out a way to get the politician's heads out of their asses, and stop their unadulterated hate. 

What's an Explodemon?

Explodemon!, is a game created by independent developers Curve Studios, based on old school 16-bit platforming, that takes some of it's artistic flair from Megaman X, and adds a physics based puzzle system to the mix. Say what? Say it sounds sweet, because it does. 

Curve calls Explodemon! a loving parody of badly translated action games, and a mixture of Yoshi's Island and Half Life 2 if they were fused into one game by quirky Japanese developer Treasure. Uh, I don't know about that exactly, but it's all good. It's a little bit of Megaman X, 'Splosion Man, puzzles, a combo system, slick art style, and lotsa purdy colors. Color me interested.

TGS 2010: Deus Ex Human Revolution

I know the Deus Ex games have a nice little cult following, so they must be pretty good, right? To be honest, I've never played one. Why, I'm not sure, but I know I'll probably be playing the upcoming Deus Ex: Human Revolution. 

Eidos Montreal developed title doesn't show any new game play, but if the Tokyo Game Show trailer is any indication, I can say without any reservations: God damn. Awesome trailer is awesome. We'll see if the game can live up to the standards set here.