Posts tagged Rants

You can’t outrun the Hype Train!

First off, no I am not writing this to fish for trolls, start a flame war, or even get hits on my site (well maybe a little of the last one). I have been playing games since they only used primary colors. Back when squares represented people, and giant ducks represented dragons, if you get that reference then you have been around for a while too. So seeing as I have seen my fair share of game franchises come and go, I feel at least some what qualified to say when games are over hyped. The only thing I want you, the reader, to understand is this: I am NOT saying that these games are BAD games, not at all. In fact I own most of the games that I reference. I am simply saying that the hype placed upon them sometimes isn’t really necessary.

Link could barely stomach himself in the CDi version.

First game I would like to call out is Zelda. Yeah yeah I can hear your groans already, just hear me out. Zelda was and is a fantastic game. I have owned pretty much every major release they have thrown out. It’s a great mix of platforming and puzzle games with a dash of RPG mixed in for good measure. The story is sometimes original, I guess, in the way that they seem to have Link always saving Zelda in some way shape or form.

Here’s the rub though. That game hasn’t changed since the original release. Seriously. You are always, as I said, saving Zelda. You always have to go from castle to castle (or dungeon) find a certain object, then use said object to defeat the boss. Almost always in the same order too. Boomerang, Hook shot, Legendary Sword, it’s always the same. The environments have slightly changed over the years, but the old standbys are ALWAYS there. You usually have to visit a world that involves some sort of elemental boss or castle. If you think that I am going to go to yet ANOTHER water world, find some “Heavy Boots” and defeat another water monster again, you are crazier than a deku nut. Zelda can just hang out with Gannon for the rest of her pathetic life for all I care. The only recent game that got me even the slightest bit excited was “Phantom Hourglass” and that was because it used a different type of control scheme.

He'll eat you and everyone you love!

Next on the chopping block is one that I have only recently gotten back into after 10 years: Madden. Oh yeah, that’s right, EA’s juggernaut of sports games. I will accept that it must be hard to innovate on a game that actually doesn’t change. I mean the game of football has stayed relatively the same since the NFL started, honestly. There have been rule changes, new teams, and an extension to the season, but generally speaking  it’s still football, same as ever. It’s hard to take that and make your game new and exciting every year, that’s a given. Which makes it that much harder for me to understand the hype that circles a Madden release.

The people that wait in line at midnight to buy the game, probably have paid for every iteration of the game since John Madden started eating six legged turkeys. It really is football in video game form. Every couple years it looks a little better, plays a little faster, or they throw in some wacky gimmick. Overall though, it’s the same game year after year. Why then do people freak the fuck out when August rolls around and they know Madden is coming. I just don’t get it. I could maybe see the allure of getting the game that sports your favorite team on the front. That I can see, because you want to show your team spirit. But the other 99% of the people that buy the game, just do so almost mindlessly and never expect anything different. I swear they could change the box art, the load screen, update the rosters, just resell the same game to you a couple years in a row, and no one would ever notice.

Finally (because I could go on all day) the last game I will mention is Halo. Yes… Halo. Again I want to reiterate that I am not saying the games aren’t good, just the hype is too much. Halo for the original Xbox was an amazing bit of gaming. It introduced us to good story telling even in a first person shooter. Levels were very well laid out (except for that damnable Library) and the sound and visuals were great. It really was a system seller and Microsoft should STILL worship the plastic it was pressed on.

Working overtime starts to take its toll...

That being said, the rest of the Halo library is just more of the same. Seriously the ending for Halo 2 was a GIANT middle finger in the face of all Halo fans and gamers out there. They might as well have had it end by a screen that just said “Thanks for buying Halo 3 when it comes out bitches!” Seriously. Then Halo 3 does come out, and it looks fantastic runs ultra smooth, and (almost) finishes the fight. Let’s be realistic here though. Halo 2 was pretty much Halo Ctrl C – Ctrl V, + Dual Wield, and Halo 3 was more of the same but with buffed up graphics.

I played the game, and I enjoyed it, however I don’t see where it was the “end all be all” of 360 games. I was pretty disappointed there weren’t really any new weapons or abilities in the game (no dual wielding a needler is NOT good enough). The story still left you with that, “Oh there’s more” feeling in the back of you head. It never really felt like there was any closure. Like the Halo gods closed a door but opened a window kinda thing. At least it wasn’t just another five hour advertisement for their next game like Halo 2 was. . . Or was it.

Halo:ODST just came out recently and honestly I couldn’t care less. I thought I might care until they announced at E3 that one of their bigger “additions” to the game was adding silenced weapons. Really? That’s like releasing a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie and now he uses only gasoline in his chainsaw, instead of that kinda mix you have of oil and gas. It’s the same damn thing just changed ever so slightly for the sake of saying they changed something. What’s next, sneaking missions in Halo? What I do love is the title of the next Halo game… Reach. Because that is EXACTLY what they are doing now, “Reaching” for anything to keep this money train on the tracks.

All I am trying to say is that pretty much NO GAME is worthy of the Corinthian hype it may receive. That includes other games that are very near and dear to my heart like Final Fantasy and even the mighty Metal Gear Solid. Both of which I own most all the copies of, not because I bought into the hype but because I thoroughly enjoy playing them. Hell I bought a PS3 so that I could play MGS4 and FFXIII, but you won’t hear me telling all my friends to do so. I guess this is the reason that I haven’t really been excited by the coming release of Modern Warfare 2. I have played way to many games and sunk enough money into my habit that I have earned the right to be crabby and cynical about any games release. Again I think ALL these games are fun in most respects, and ALL are really well made and do deserve accolades. I just don’t see why people worship them like they were sent to humans on the backs of Unicorns spreading love and good cheer everywhere they go. Now get off my lawn before I turn the hose on you!