Games of 08 : The Neglected

Nope, not "The Ugly". These are the big games I never got around to last year. They're top of the list for the next couple of months. Hopefully the industry can cooperate by not releasing a ton of games worth playing for a while. I've presented them in roughly the order I plan to attack them.

Prince of Persia - I've watched it being played, and I've run through some bits for myself, but it deserves to be played as a complete experience. I'm a little wary since it seems that someone on the PoP team hasn't learned that quick-time events still suck as much as they did when they were first spawned from the depths of hell. We shall see.

Tomb Raider Underworld - It's really odd that this is still sitting on my shelf mostly unplayed. I'm such a fanboy for this series, but it came at an odd time with other game releases. It's also not a "pick up and play for 30 minutes" game... more of a "let it consume your entire weekend" game. Once I have a good clear weekend, it shall be consumed.

Metal Gear Solid 4 - I played some of 2 & 3. Never understood what the big deal was, but it came with my PS3 so I might as well give it a play or two.

Dead Space - I've played this for about 30 minutes and found the gameplay really interesting. It's also damned creepy, so I'll get back to it eventually.

Gears of War 2 - This one was easy to put off, because I know exactly what to expect... more of the same. That's not necessarily bad, but that doesn't make it a release day play for me.

Games of 08 : The Bad

Now that I've covered the good, it's time to deal with the bad. These aren't the worst games I played last year, rather they represent the most disappointing experiences of the year.

LittleBigPlanet

Swing and a miss for the PS3. After playing with a friend's beta copy, I was excited to get the game on release. Slushy controls combined with hit or miss level design really left a lot to be desired from this charming little game. The online side didn't really give it legs beyond the story mode. It's only good for getting youtube videos of cool levels. Such wasted potential.

Left 4 Dead

This one made plenty of the "Best of" lists. I will never understand why. Okay, I can shoot hordes of zombies. Been there, done that. Okay, so I can do it with three friends with some interesting co-op mechanics. Better, but still not the mind blowing experience I keep reading about in the gaming press. Maybe I'm just a snob, spoiled by the likes of TF2, but I'm not impressed by a mindless shooter mod.

The Force Unleashed

Why do I keep getting my hopes up for Star Wars? It's a game about being a bad ass dark jedi, what could go wrong? Apparently everything. Okay, so the story beat out a few of the movies, but the gameplay to get there is just boring. Oh, but an overly complex RPG-esqe point/skill/combo system should liven it up, right? Wrong. Fail.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Need for Speed Undercover - I was hoping for a comeback. At least I have Burnout.

Grand Theft Auto IV - More of the same. Sure it's bigger and prettier. Doesn't make it great or even that engaging.

Games of 08 : The Good

All the cool kids bloggers have already done their bests and worsts of 08 with the coming of the new year. Better late than never I suppose. Here's the few games I found to be more enjoyable than the rest.

Mirror's Edge

It's just amazing. A truly risky and innovative endeavor. The DICE team deserves nothing but praise for this game. The simple experience of running around the world is incredible. After playing it through, I was really irritated by much of the mixed press surrounding the game. It's not perfect, but the issues people nit-picked on were really overblown. As far as I'm concerned, this was the Portal of 08.

Fallout 3

I didn't play any of the previous Fallout games, and I loved Oblivion. So, it seems like this game was built for me. However, it went beyond the simple "Oblivion with Guns" label. The post-apocalyptic DC world was brought to life beautifully. The experience was less about the gameplay and more about existing in that world. It's rare for a game to pull you in so completely. Truly epic.

Burnout Paradise

I'm a racing game nut, and Burnout was king this year. Not only was the initial offering awesome, but the continued support really gave the game some legs. It's still my go to racer, and it's been out for a while now. Some people didn't go for it, but this game does open worlds the right way. Total freedom and tons to do. Pure and simple fun.

Honorable Mentions:

Fable 2 - This game delivers. A RPG that strikes the right balance between simplicity and depth.

Castle Crashers - The gameplay is spot on for an multiplayer arcade blast.

Boom Blox - The only reason I turned on the Wii this year. Yeah, I went there.