Feature: The Top Three Gaming Disappointments of 2005 Subscribe to this RSS feed
Hype and video games go hand and hand. If we hear one more game described as a "surefire hit" or a "contender for Game of the Year," we're gonna lose it. Here is our revenge: Welcome to the Top 3 Gaming Disappointments of 2005.
The Matrix: Path of Neo - PS2
Shiny swore to demolish Enter the Matrix and relieve our scarred minds of The Matrix Online, but instead The Matrix: Path of Neo face plants through the finish line. Perhaps it's just too ambitious in its approach. After all, the combat system has to adapt to fighting twenty or so leather fetishists all at once. That's just bound to cause some problems.
Between the PS2 and Xbox versions, Microsoft's console towers graphically over Sony's. But oddly, the Xbox version suffers for a obnoxiously choppy framerate. This can be hugely distracting, especially when you're attempting a quadruple Agent takedown and your button mashing comes to a grinding halt. And note to Shiny: Six training programs is overdoing it. Players want insta-asskicking, not drawn out tutorials.
Quake 4 - PC
The good old days have come and gone for id Software. Quake 4 is a complete turn-around from Quake 3: Arena and the demands of working for the notoriously cultish id Software seem to have left developer Raven dazed and confused. Focusing primarily on a shallow single player romp, Quake 4 falters next to such innovators like Half-Life 2 and F.E.A.R.. Somebody should have been taking notes!
Built upon the sturdy foundation of the Doom 3 engine, Quake 4's techno-goth environments and gore-drenched character models never fail to amuse. On the other hand, the gritty outdoor environments lack the same luscious detail. Quake fans might still find a thrill or two, but the employees of id Software should go back to doing what they does best--saying "when it's done."
Perfect Dark Zero - Xbox 360
After five years and two console generations, one might think that Rare has finally figured out how to make a worthy follow-up to one of the greatest FPS games ever created. There's never been a clearer case of quantity over quality. Perfect Dark Zero loses many of the beloved multiplayer options from the original game, though it's hard to scoff at 32 player deathmatches. And what's up with the craptacular analog sensitivity?
Perfect Dark Zero flaunts its slick motion blur effects with all the subtly of a hot-to-trot peacock. Despite the power of the Xbox 360, Perfect Dark Zero looks little better than many latter-day Xbox 1 titles. But graphics don't much matter: gameplay does. Joanna fans, be wary--this is not your classic Perfect Dark.
