#10 Medal of Honor: Airborne
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This game is a perfect example of what I am talking about. It was a fun game, but could have been much better. There are plenty of things to dislike, but the worse one of them all is that fact that there are only SIX levels (Seven if you wanna count the training mission) And there isn't a real reason for it either, The levels are big, but not big to the point that they could only add six, forgettable levels. it was fun while I was playing it, regardless of what other problems plagued it, but it was just to short, with little variety.
#9 No achievements in Xbox originals
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Lets face it, some of us can be suckers for achievements! And regardless of their actual pointlessness, they are a fun perk. When I found out they were adding Xbox originals were to be available for download on the Xbox Live Market Place, I was over joyed! Just for the fact of getting to play original Xbox games that I may have missed before, from a store that will never run out of stock. But the second thing on my mind was Achievements. What about Achievements? You can't have them using the backwards compatibility feature, on the actual disks. But what about something that you download on the hard-drive itself? Turns out that's a no. But why? We all love the feature don't we? Who wouldn't Like to pop in their Old Halo: Combat Evolved disk, and finally get rewarded with a nice 125 points for completion on Legendary? Well it turns out that they want you to play that game on the bases of how it was originally played on the console of its time. They could have added improved graphics, Xbox Live play, and Achievements. But they'd rather you have the original Experience. But you might argue that they added improved graphics, xbox live play, and achievements in Doom; and Golden Axe, just about every Coin Operated ****c Xbox Live Arcade game out there. What's wrong with that picture?! Because of the fact that those old ****cs are being ported by their original makers, and they can do with them as they wish. And they're getting many downloads because of that too. But from all the news that I have heard of, achievements have not, and won't come to original xbox downloads unless if something really big happens.
# 8 LostPlanet
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This game looked like pure brilliance when I first took a look and played the demo! but the full game was nearly exactly the same ****of gameplay as the demo was. Nothing really new to show you, except its great boss fights! The boss fights are truly some of the best I've played, not all of them are exactly "Hard" but they are very fun to play. But what about the usual 20 minutes you play getting to them? Unfortunately that's the part of the game taht suffers. you fight many mindlessly dumb enemies and alot of them with little variety of who you fight (There are plenty of enemies..but you'll be fighting mainly one type of them throughout the game) Over all this game did last on my gaming memory, due to its story which is generic, and the idea of it is novel indeed, but this game doesn't go without its flaws.
# 7 Over used ideas, with to many games in a series.
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If you thought of Medal of Honor when you read that, then your right! they will add some perks and maybe change the core gameplay a bit, but it over all feels like the original product...but for some of you..that just might be a good thing. But here are some perks/gameplay innovations that have taken place:
Parachuting: from Medal of Honor Airborne; it truly doesn't add the gaming experience you're looking for. the levels aren't exactly the size to which parachuting is really needed to give you a tactical advantage from a starting position. Although it is a cool perk just to see the landscape below.
Commanding 'your men': medal of Honor European Assault; it has the basics of what to tell them,but you don't really need them either, they can do their own thing and help you out just as much. But it doesn't subtract from it, and that's not the reason why its on my Top ten list...its because it doesn't add anything either. They have some other perk in here called "rage" where you build it up by destroying tanks, and completing objectives, and when its built up, you become invincible and unlimited amo for a certain amount of time. But that doesn't save of from being a generic WW2 shooter. leave it to the Harded WW2 lovers.
And for alternate gameplay ****:
Espionage: [From Medal of Honor (original) Medal of Honor Underground, and Medal of Honor; Frontline, and some of Rising sun]
You might wonder "why did they get rid of that idea?" since its a perfectly good idea, and its not really over used, regardless of the fact that its still WW2, but even though that it has strayed away from its original recipe, the over all flavor tastes the same. And that's not a bad taste either, just abit more savior rather then sweet, if you ask me.
The Pacific War: You might wanna act like me and say that "its a Medal of Honor game with a different coat of paint on" and I might agree with that to a certain point, but there are things in the Pacific War that do change the gameplay **** just due to what our men faced in that area of combat. There will be Japanese Soldiers running at you with Samurai Swords, and some of them poping out of the dirt to try to ambush you (though it may be laughably easy to spot those guys out before they attack) but for the main fire fights, no Samurai swords, or ambushes, what's there to set it apart? Nothing except it has the Purl Harbor mission (which is undoubtedly not in any sorta of the other games) and maybe a few other of the missions that are completely Pacific war based. but there are many areas where it felt like a typical Medal of Honor game with a different coat of paint..even with samurai swords.
I do understand that Dynasty Warriors should be included, but I have yet to play that game..mainly due to my lack of interest of its genre.
# 6 Short campaigns
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That is one of the most annoying problems that us gamers have faced through our gaming lives. The better the game, the shorter it is. Lets just take a look at a few games that were held back by that small blemish on their beautiful faces:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: Name something other then this problem that I have address that's wrong with this game and I will applaud you! The graphics aren't the best looking in some parts, but over all its graphically gorges! The character movements are realistic and look smooth and clean, without any hic ups or spasms occurring often. The hit reactions not only look great, but they do react to the place that you shot to an extent. Altogether this game seemed like something tossed down from heaven above, untill you saw the credits roll.
Halo 3: I personally didn't look at it as the best conclusion to the trilogy, but over all it was quite an experience. The weapons are varied, and plenty of them. You face a variety of smart enemies without an over flow of one particular type. The game is a fair challenge. And playing co-op might be more fun then its two predecessors. But alas, playing this game non-stop (which you'll want to do with this kinda fun factor) you might find the conclusion to be a bit sudden, but atleast the ending to the story was an amazing way to pull it off. If you still want more, then you'll have to settle for Halo Chronicles, whenever it hits store shelves.
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter: this was a sequel that managed to be much greater then the first, in nearly all respects, other then its actual length.
The Graphics looked amazing for its time, much improved from the original, the campaign was vary fun to play and co-op was still fun. It was truly better then the first, in every way. But it ended to suddenly and cry all you want, there is no sequel announced. They are moving to the Areal battle Field in their next instalment H.A.W.X.
# 5 Movie games
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Most of us should know, by now, that a great movie won't always make a great game. Lets take Spider man for example, its the BEST movie game out there! but that doesn't really make it an over all great game in general. Take a look on how Spider Man gracefully dodges enemies attacks, and swings through the air with ease! Now, lets see how you can pull that off with a Video Game controller, and see how you do. Exactly.
Now other then the fact that pulling off movie stunts with a controller clearly won't look as professional. They are also rushed to make their debut the same day as the movie. Cause some gullible 12 year old who begged his parents to go see Iron Man, would probably like to play the game also. I'm not really saying all movie games are bad. Just take a look at The Bourne Conspiracy, its based on the movies/novels, but it wasn't rushed to make a dead line for a movie coming out. And thus a good idea of a movie became a "decent" idea for a game.
# 4 Combinations That Don't Mix
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Now don't get me wrong, this depends on the skill of the developer, but here are some games that they didn't manage to pull off:
The Matrix: path of Neo: Now the gun play in this game honestly isn't to bad, and it keeps this game from falling into a stage of repetitive gameplay, but your hand-to-hand fighting moves don't really add much (if anything at all) through the coarse of the game. Let me explain why;
You get your basic attack button, which has the simple kicks and punching moves, that might look different when you progress through the game, but over all do the same amount of damage. Then you have two other buttons that you make combos with, using those and movements of the analog sticks, problem is that you get new moves, but the number of them never increases. You simply get better moves to replace the inferior ones. Which makes you a better fighter, but also makes this monotonous. I would have liked it to make new combination of old and new to make something that works well to complete your objective. You ight find your self doingto same combo over and over just cause its the best one you have! there are no environmental moves, and throwing an enemy into a box or create seeming does the same amount of damage no matter what the object (Unless if its explosive)
Assassin's Creed: This doesn't have anything to do with the gameplay, rather, the story line. Its supposed to be that you're running through as Altire using a Science Fiction device that lets you control his movements, using his memory to provide the area of which you're fighting, and certain missions that he remembers...now I haven't played the game but I do know that that's part of the story...which does bother me. Why didn't they make it that you're playing as Altire in that place, and that time? it would have been just as good only minus the confusion.
# 3 Pointless Mini-Games:
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Now there's nothing that really annoys me more then having to put up with some sorta mini-game that has a simple tast of button mashing just to pull off something that may be a bit to common for a mini-game. Some of the runners up for bad usage of this are:
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames: From what I read so far, the idea of having to "Battle with the tank driver to hijack it" is annoying. Not only that but you must go through a mini-game of ordering an air strike as well, the sooner you finish, the less it will cost, what happened to the fact that you're completing missions, and going around making raids of your own to earn money, and then blow it off on all sorta of bombs/vehicles/guns/ random supplies in order to pull off an sandbox maneuver? i want a set price for my budget, not some skill based mini-game!
Spider Man 3:"press B to bash vehicle" that's something you will have to do many times over in order to get Hero Points, not to mention, pull off other stunts in the missions that you face. Lifting an object, or maybe trying to take down a boss, you'll have to battle with the A/B buttons to recklessly press them time and time again. Where's the Skill/fun/point in that!?
Grabed by goolies: If you haven't heard of this game, then I don't blame you. This game is forgettable for this vary reason.
"Press: Y + A + X + X +A + Y + A" Just so you won't get scared, when a laughably non-scary "monster" appears on screen to try to freak your 13 year old character out.
#2 Unfair Difficulty
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There's hardly anything more annoying then having to be killed on screen, when you saw that you shouldn't of died, or having A.I focus on you rather then one of your men that's closer and of great threat to him then you are! I think we have all encountered a game such as this one. They are probably the hardest to love.
Examples:
Medal of Honor: Airborne: Yes, don't get me wrong, I do like this game, but I have noticed some things such as A.I focusing on me only, they've gotten them selves KILLED trying to come after me rather then my men. Not to mention the snipers who can't miss...I've never seen a sniper round whiz right past my head, they hit you every time, that's final. Luckily there's not to many of them.
Super Smash Brothers: Brawl: Those of you that have played the original nonstop like I have might of noticed a sudden incline of difficulty...that might be due to the fact that the controls are not sensitive enough to keep up with its brilliant A.I..its more over the controls rather then the actual A.I its self. (though that's on the standards of my controllers..but they are relatively new so it should be a safe source to judge on)
LostPlanet: Extreme Condition: Now I've heard that this game is relatively easy, but in some instances where you're cornered by a V.S you usually can't escape. due to slow controls. by the time you get up you're plopped down again by his rocket launcher/lazer, but sometimes you may get pushed near some cover after you lost tons of T-ENG, although that's the main instance that I can recall that will get annoying in this area. Since the rest non-V.S A.I aren't the sharpest Crayons in the box.
# 1 Frequent crashes!
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A rare problem, but undeniably the most pestering! You're trying to get the 1 million point combo achievement in Tony Hawk's Project 8, and then "this disk cannot be read" appears...that's one main ingredients to put a hole in the wall, ain't it?
There are not many examples of this problem, but when it rears its ugly head, it can destroy great games, if gone unpatched.
