Worst Gaming Decisions Of 2003 Rated

Thanks to GameSpot for their feature rating some of 2003's videogames that deserve negative awards. Some of the 'winners' among this motley crew of letdowns include most pretentious game awarded to Namco's Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht ("a game that takes itself far too seriously"), most disappointing title to Capcom's Devil May Cry 2 ("a complete letdown in the face of the first game's genius"), and flat-out worst game to Activision Value's Gods And Generals ("looks and sounds absolutely horrendous.")

Comments

How about that dud Matrix game?

[AtariAmarok]

How about the dud Matrix game that came out just before "The Matrix Reloaded". It was an early hint that the franchise was going very far south very fast.

My pick: overly gratuitous games

[Gothic_Walrus]

I don't have a problem with video game violence for the most part, but there are a few titles that have taken it too far.

The worst one this year was Manhunt by far, but it's not alone. As it stands, the gaming industry is still not looked positively upon by most people. Games like Manhunt aren't helping the industry at all.

Same thing goes for games like DOA Volleyball and BMX XXX - the sexual content adds nothing to the game, and only hurts the industry.

If we ever want to get to a point where we don't hear constant stories about how gaming influences murderers or makes people violent, reclusive, horny old men, these games will have to stop coming out...or possibly become so mainstream that no one blinks at DOA Extreme Nude Hockey

*shudders at the thought*

My $.02

Worst Gaming Decision

[happylight]

N-Gage

Video Game Reviewers...

[JavaLord]

It's becoming more obvious that people who review video games are becoming more and more snobbish against violence and sex in video games. It's kind of silly for them to attack postal 2 because you can pee on people. The fact is a game geared twards adults can be fun. Postal2 is fun if you play it for what it is (a virtual violence sandbox).

Re:Video Game Reviewers...

[MWoody]

"Postal2 is fun if you play it for what it is (a virtual violence sandbox)."

No. GTA is fun if you play it for what it is (a virtual violence sandbox), and that game was a critical success. Postal 2 is liquid shit in a box.

Remember, kiddies: "Dark humor" requires both the "dark" AND the "humor" to work; simply peeing on dead people is not immediately amusing in and of itself.

Re:Video Game Reviewers...

[American AC in Paris]

It's becoming more obvious that people who review video games are becoming more and more snobbish against violence and sex in video games.

...actually, I'd say that video game reviewers are becoming less easily impressed by violence and sex in lieu of good gameplay. They've seen one too many half-assed games that slap a bit of skin or gore on to sell more copies, and they're getting sick of it.

Consider that GTA3 and Vice City continue to be lauded as ass-kickingly good games. If the reviewers are going all snobbish on us, why didn't they denounce GTA as some half-baked game that gets old once you've finished picking up hookers for extra life and shooting transients in the head with a sniper rifle?

Re:Video Game Reviewers...

[JavaLord]

Except that Postal 2 is a horrible game with way-too-long loadtimes.

Agreed, the zones are annoying.

Take away the peeing and exploding anthrax cow-heads and you have a boring, repetative game that takes forever to load.

That is like saying "Take the guns out of quake and you have aboring repetative game

Plus, you didn't mention taking out the anal raping of cats with shotguns, the priests with guns, making women vomit and pee themselves by shocking them with a tazer, the insane amount of politically incorrect humor in the game, etc etc.

I grant you, this isn't Final Fantasy, Quake, KoTR, Madden 2003, etc. It isn't innovative in anyway, it's just funny, and fun to play.

There are plenty of movies that appeal to nothing other than crude humor, and that is their selling point. Why is this an invalid selling point for a game?

Am I the only guy that finds it funny that ...

[doublesix]

There's a 'check latest prices' link next to all the box shots?

These games suck, now go buy them

Re:Am I the only guy that finds it funny that ...

[th3space]

It just goes to show, that even when you're 'bashing' a game, you've got to pay your bills and shill it, at the same time. Bad press is still press, and some people might buy some of those games based on what they've read...

A game that takes itself far too seriously

[ivan256]

Really, what business does a game have taking it self seriously? How dare a game company assume it has an educated audience or incorporate satire and history? It's a video game it's supposed to be mindless entertainment for children and lazy ass 20-sometings. Somebody needs to tell those Xenosaga folks that they're not artists before they put any thoughtful storytelling in episode 2!

yeah. right...

[Ender Ryan]

*Ender Ryan rolls eyes*

Please... That's ridiculous.

People wanted "Mature" games, just like people want "Mature" movies, magazines, books, etc.

If you don't like it, that's fine, but please don't shove your morals down others' throats.

My $0.02 USD

I read a funny interview somewhere...

[JFMulder]

... with some TECMO head, where he said that the guys who did the bathing suit designs were completely blown away by the female designers because the women were the one who came up with the most revealing bikinis and the most explicit poses for the DOA girls.

Re:yeah. right...

[LordLucless]

Yeah - except that the "mature" games are just crap. Making a volleyball game and then taking the players clothes off doesn't make it "mature". A truly mature game would be a game that deals with content in a mature manner, not one that just shows as many titties as possible.