Top 10 Most Disappointing Games of 2008

MarkyX from TrueGameHeadz writes:

"With the awful Spike TV VGA concluded, us gamers are now able to reflect back on a rather interesting year for video games. Long awaited sequels like "Gears of War 2" curb-stomped their way into our homes, and the shareholders at Rockstar celebrated the release of "Grand Theft Auto 4." But, much like any kid who waited months for that special toy on their birthday only to be disappointed once they got it, gamers also follow the same path.

So, here is the Top 10 Most Disappointing Games of 2008. The rules are quite simple: any game that I, Marky X, was personally hyped about, and then it didn't meet my standards will be on here. This means games like "Crysis," "Far Cry 2," "Dead Space," "Metal Gear Solid 4," and "Tomb Raider" won't be on this list, because I didn't care about them in the first place.

10 – Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix

I won't give a history lesson on this game, as I'm sure if you're reading this, you know about the franchise's impact on not only the arcade scene but organized gaming competitions as well.

When Capcom announced a "Street Fighter" "HD Remix" with online play, balance changes, and easier controls, I couldn't wait. I really enjoyed the concept and character designs of the "Street Fighter," but couldn't really get into it because controls were such a pain in the ass.

That wasn't the case. The game is still unbalanced, as Ryu and Ken are grossly overused, but now the ex-banned Akuma breaks into the scene as the third most used character in the game. Controls are still horrid, as some moves are still hard to execute, especially with some of the charge characters being harder than it was on the SNES D-pad days. At least the netcode is pretty damn good.

9 – Mario Kart Wii

When the Wii version was announced with the Wheel and online play, I couldn't wait. I have a MOMO Steering Wheel, and it does add to the experience of any racing game, and playing "Mario Kart" against people around the world was something I've dreamed about since the SNES days.

Unfortunately, what I got was a game that had way too many players on the track, and a broken balancing system. Even the pointless drifting is still here, but instead of waggling the stick left and right, while giving the player the illusion of "skill", all you have to do is hold down a button. The tracks are overcrowded with 12 players, making it nearly impossible..."

[THELANDOFSAND]

GTA4

Braid

GOW2 Multiplayer

[THELANDOFSAND]

um, this is MY personal list, how can you disagree? are you me?

[Stubacca]

I am you. But I agreed.

Good list like. GTA4 was the biggest disappointment. Not immediately, but once you completed the story it felt empty. Not like the 'Living, breathing' city they sold us...

[123456789]

I disagree with every game on that list.

burnout
left 4 dead
gta4
mario cart
smash brothers

Now these games dissapointed

HAZE
TOO HUMAN
STAR WARS
MADDEN 09
Gears of war 2 was kind of dissapointing but that is because it was hyped, every hyped game this GEN was "dissapointing" (halo3,gta4, now gears2) what next killzone2? resident evil 5? cod4mw2?

[Monchichi025]

This guy is a total douchebag and knows nothing about gaming. EVERY game he mentions is actually an awesome game! I mean, GOW2, GTA4, L4D are freakin Game of the Year candidates by mostly every other site! NG2 is pretty much a next gen copy of one of the greatest games ever...And Burnout Paradise, Mario Kart, and Smash Bros were just straight up FUN games!!!

Then to make it worse,....he mentions nothing about those games that were dissappointments....HAZE, TOO HUMAN, STAR WARS.

TruGameHeadz...Yea right!!! Prime example for censorship, that's what they are!

[ohnoTheRancor]

www.truegameheadz.com

for me, HAZE tops the list. despite the AWFUL demo, i still don't think i could've more more excited about that game. i feel the need to shower every time i look at that yellow box art sitting in my collection (no, i didn't sell it back - it now serves as my albatross, reminding me that release-date purchases aren't always a good idea)

its no wonder Free Radical is cooked!

[Doppy]

This list is a disappointment, most of the games on the list we're great.

[callahan09]

I can see why most people don't agree with the list. I suppose it should have been called "most overrated" not "most disappointing." However, from the perspective of a gamer, I guess the list DOES make sense, because you almost never get to play a game before you see some reviews on it.

Me, for instance, I played Haze long after I knew the game was scoring 4's, 5's and 6's, and according to my expectations, I was far from disappointed, I was actually somewhat impressed and flabbergasted at the beating it took in reviews. With Grand Theft Auto IV, disappointed is kind of an understatement because the game was so universally praised that when I actually got the chance to play it, I saw a game that took most of the childish, immature fun out of the past entries in the series and significantly reduced the freedom of the world and the RPG elements that you had in San Andreas, and I was felt that the game was just a prettier Grand Theft Auto III (a step back in terms of gameplay, in other words) with less humor.

So, yeah, I can see how over-rated but well-done games can be more disappointing to the player than under-rated but not-so-well-done games.

[vhero]

I agree with all but burnout however if you used burnout when it first launched yeah it was a disappointment but with updates it is a great game proving it was released unfinished therefore a joke! It should have been released with the updates! The fact it wasn't shows the developers were lazy! GTA IV and mario kart definitely deserve to be on that list anybody who thinks otherwise have been taken over by the hype the games had as they sucked compared to previous games.

[shovelbum]

Uh what? Toke, toke, pass dude. I wouldn't even know where to start so I'll leave it alone.

[emazzuca]

This guy is an idiot,

Never really played the smash brother series.

Thinks drifting in Mario Kart in pointless.

puts left 4 dead, GOW2 , GTA,

With that amount of negativity, this guy isn't a true gamer.

He is just a (Best Seller,, i only like what ign gives a 9.5 or greater gamer)

[dachiefsman]

this list sucks. GTA IV, GEARS 2, and NGII should not have been on this list.

Look at it this way. What if all those games were not released? What would have you put on your list? MGS4, Smash Brothers, Fable II.

Most of the games listed were enjoyable to say the least. Maybe they didn't live up to the hype, but they still offers hours of fun unlike some games.

[jsoncip38]

I think that was the point - it seemed like he was talking about games that didnt live up to their hype, or up to his standards

[mintaro]

What a terrible list. Excluding Gta 4...

[ustayclassyn4g]

when you expect a serious article by someone with a name like MarkyX

[Blink_44]

hahahahahah and from a site called TrueGameHeadz

[tatotiburon]

desperate for hits, lame

[CViper]

Other man Says List Sucks..

the circle of life.

[poindat]

I've played all of the games on that list except for Gears of War 2, Super Smash Brothers Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, and Ninja Gaiden 2.

I can safely say that none of them disappointed me in the slightest.

For GTA, his argument (and many other gamers who have been spoilt by San Andreas) is that there is nothing to do outside the storyline? There is a whole simulated world out there, use your imagination. It's a sandbox game. What did you do in a sandbox when you were a kid? You used your imagination to have fun. Same applies here; you don't have to be spoonfed everything, you know.

I do agree that they should have left guns out of Condemned 2, but there is only a couple of times when the use of a gun is necessary.

[CViper]

Have you played GTA4?

There is absolutely none of the SIMS-esque features in GTA4. Features that keep you coming back and working on to raise your levels...

GTA4 offers a big empty city with Bowling, and a Katt Williams show. There is no reason to do anything in the game outside of just personal satisfaction, nothing you do improves your gameplaying abilities like Strength did in SA.

Read reviews/previews of SA..

All of the reasons that the game was amazing, and enjoyed some serious ass replay ability are not found in GTA4.

There is no build upon theory in GTA4. You cant build/improve anything.

[poindat]

No I have not played San Andreas. I went from GTA 3 to Vice City to IV. Maybe that is why I am the only person in (seemingly) the world still enjoying IV. I don't need "SIMS-esque" features to have fun.

If you prefer San Andreas, that is all fine and good, but I don't see where all the unfounded hate for IV is coming from.

[CViper]

The problem is the game is just watered down compared to the previous titles.

GTA always leapfrogged over the previous one. GTA4 was barely a hop.

I'm sure you dont need any of the features to organize your argument. But the rest of us who played SA enjoyed the games features because they made your character a badass. Owning a gang was great, as was buying property from the earlier games, and getting $ from it.

"You" don't need SIMS features, yet im sure you have no problem driving around eating/drinking/going on dates. Stop the BS dude. Its not a knock to say something is sims-esque. ANd pretending you don't need them while trying to explain how good GTA4 is, when the entire game is based around simmy features is beyond it.

[poindat]

Please. Do you really think I spend my time in the game taking Roman out to eat? No. I'm sure owning a gang was great, and I know about buying property - you could do it in Vice City - but I'm not letting any of those past features get in the way of my enjoyment.

And I wasn't knocking on San Andreas by saying 'sims-esque.' I'm sure if I was to go pick it up today, I would enjoy the hell out of it, but that is not the point.

My argument was, you don't need extras to have fun in IV. I make my own fun, and that's how it is. Like I said, if you need plenty of features to have fun, that is fine. But if you look deeper and find creative ways to accomplish things or as I said, make your own fun, GTA IV becomes a lot more enjoyable.

[Gun_Senshi]

i disagree with everything except GTAIV

[Cheeseknight28]

No Spore?

[onomix]

GTA IV has a interesting world, yet there are no interesting things to do in it. GTAIV is the same game as the previous: Watch cutscenes, drive from A to point B, shoot somebody. Wash, rinse, repeat for 30 hours. Zzzzzzz.

[hotrider12]

add need for speed "undercover" to that list of worst game of 2008

[farhsa2008]

gta 4 was god awful, what am i supposed to do with the game once i have completed it? go on dates? hang out with those annoying idiots on my cell phone? watch tv?

[Chippydip]

why is this news?

[cow moolester]

Looking for site hits much? Somebody forgetting Haze?

[ClockworkSatan]

Good to see some hate for GTA4 - I was worried that it was just me who thought that it was crap.

[reelife]

Too human and Haze is still the N1 games in my heart -.-

(sarcasm)

[AriesFury]

This list list truly laughable.

[Dpa]

I couldn't agree more with most of the games on this list:
- GoW2 was the same as gears 1, NOTHING CHANGED.
- L4D was ridiculously lacking in content
- Mario Kart and Brawl were nothing really special, no new gameplay there.
- NG2 was one of the most laughable excuses for a supposed AAA title i ever saw

GTA4 however, yes it was lacking the full sandbox stuff like san andreas, but thats not what it was aiming for. People have missed the point, the game was aiming for realism and it achieved that with flying colors, the gameplay is pretty much brilliant.

[ptmidos]

Ive seen really bad top 10 list but this takes the cake...get a life!!!

[yojoe26]

most of the games on that list, but I did rent burnout and GTA4 and I hated them both. I am the kind of guy that HATES wandering around with no real sense of purpose so both of these types of games were really just bad choices for me to play. Not that they are bad, but I absolutely detest just driving around or whatever. I played mariokart at a friends house and I didn't care for it either, but that was probably because I had to use the wheel the whole time and I hated that thing. Other than that, I haven't played anything else on that list.

[davedagamer]

The first thing he states are his rules to the list, so why are people saying x game should be on the list? It's the 10 that he personally feels were disappointing.

[davedagamer]

July 27, 2006

Hello all you real gamers out there.

You know who i’m talking about. The group of us that actually appreciate videogames and the whole industry behind it. We were down from day one and are still going strong.

We are a group of gamers just like you, that want to bring to light the good things about games that bigger “corporate” spots over look. Our opinion is the unbiasedÂÂ  true story behind games. By true we mean we’ll point out the big picture of a game and tell you about the impefections that prevented (from being) or made it classic.

[Agent VX]

yep, poor list to say the least. But hey, opinions are like butt holes, everyone has one, and they usually stink.

I just think nobody likes this guy in real life, and he like to "Buck" the trend. Or to say not too politely, an "Attention Whore".