When people ask me what it takes to be involved in the games industry one of my favorite answers to give is "Love to play any and all games, not just PC or Console games". The simple reason for this is that by trying out different things you can get a better idea of what makes a game something memorable or enjoyable versus being another run of the mill product. So with that said here is my "Year in Review for Gaming" but condensed so that it hopefully doesn't fill 3 screens...
PC
Dragon Age (Bioware) - Huge nostolgia factor here that harks back to the old Black Isle and Bioware work of the late 90s. Overall fun game, though replay factor is a bit weaker than in other Bioware titles, but I really think you cannot go worng with it one way or another. One major complaint on the replay is that there is no good opportunity to be Evil since your party options are mostly good. Im glad I got this for the PC though as like any other Bioware game to date there are too many dammed menus :)
Left 4 Dead (Valve) - Overall a great game that reminds you of the early days of FPSs before designers 'copped out' and threw 50+ guns, dozens of classes and vehicles into the mix to hide a games lack of 'fun-factor'. L4D is just rip roaring fun that's great to play solo or with/against friends, showing that games can be simple and still be fun! As a funny side note I did a talk at an elementary school for a career day and you would be surprised how many kids admitted to playing L4D, I rarely had a hand that wasn't up in the 4 sessions I did.
Half Life 2 (Valve) - I never played this game when it came out, got it with a bundle via Steam so I decided to go and see what it was all about. Overall not a bad game, not too intuitive, but I will just blame that on the game coming out during a time when PC games were maturing to be more usable. I can see why a lot of people went ape shit over this game at the time, though I would say its more of an 80% overall than the mid 90%s it got.
Masters of Orion 2 (Microprose) - Ya its old, very old. But it still gets played because its one of those classic strategy games that never really goes stale. A lesson that most gamedevs today could seriously learn if they want to recapture the golden age of gaming.
Baldurs Gate (Bioware) - I don't know why but one Saturday afternoon I decided to reinstall this old classic and play it. I realized a few things by doing this 1) RPGs are the most fun when you start at level 1 and learn the game and world with the character in a small scale or setting, 2) Sound is such a critical element to make or breaking a game, BG wasnt bad visually when it came out, it looked really bad on my 1900x1280 screen when I replayed it, but the great sound in the game made me ignore the pixelated mess on the screen, and 3) how did we ever accept getting our asses kicked repeatedly at the Friendly Arm Inn? Its something that would never be acceptable in gaming today, yet back in the late 90s none of us really cared if we died upteen times in a row before we finally beat that dammed assassin.
WoW: Wrath of the Lich King (Blizzard/Activision) - I am both annoyed and find myself enjoying WoW, but that might have more to do with the fact that I get to raid with 9 other friends I know in real-life than anything else so there is a lot more social aspect to playing the game than what a solo person would ever get and I think it has a lot to due with the games overall success. Without friends this game is pretty horrible to play as the whole system past level 20 operates around finding a clicke to be a part of to move ahead. Personally I think Blizzard has 'jumped the shark' with this expansion primarily because theyved made so much of the game open and accessible to any player who has paid their monthly account. While I will agree it was too inaccessible before, I think this extreme shift of the poles by Blizzard has gone a long way to hindering the games play experiance by making a vast majority of the players into self proclaimed "elitist casuals jerks" who are too concerned with gear scores for even the most boring, simple and mundane in-game content. Worse yet there is too much emphasis put onto chasing the carrot versus following the bread crumbs like the game used to be when it became the mega 10-million user monster it is.
Aion (NcSoft) - A prettier WoW clone but thats about it. Sorry to Aion fans out there, the game looks great and plays just like any other MMO on the market, but then again that's the overall problem with the game, it plays like every other MMO on the market. I know its been out in Korea for a year already, but the game still looks like its missing serious polish to make it a fun and enjoyable experiance (remember people Polish means more than just visuals), so much so that I let my pre-paid 3 month subscription lax after only 14 days of playing... ouch. I do think this game could have been a real WoW killer if it tried to be something unique. Gamedev comments: as an artist who works on games I have to say there is nothing more annoying than watching really poor animations play out in front of me, like watching my avatars feet slide around on the terrain while they do an action; the sounds for the game could be a lot better too, they absolutely blow away my suspension of disbelief by sounding like some "big headed" manga style production. A couple of many beefs I have with the games production quality overall.
Legions (Instant Action) - An attempt to reclaim the Tribes glory but with a different IP name. The first level for Legions (the big open field with the large mechanical SW like trench) was pretty awesome and really showed the games potential to be more than just airial spam, but unfortunately this design logic didnt carry though with the later levels which feel more like randomly placed objects. The biggest issue with Legions though is that the the instantaction.com (IA) portal interface and backend was pushed by an exec that didn't want to take feedback or input from anyone and pushed through with his 'vision' of how things should be done. As such the IA portal itself at this time is difficult to utilize, web only (I really wish it had LAN options) and suffers from several design flaws that hinder it from growing as a social network, a gaming platform and hinder the games on the system from doing anything really cool. This alone is one of the huge reasons why you probably have never heard of Legions and why it resides in obscurity as a game some of the old school Tribes players turn to play, which is a real shame because its actually not a bad game (like most other IA based games).
Lore Aftermath (Max Gaming) - Lore Aftermath is probably one of the better mech or mecha games you will never have played. Designed as a Mechwarrior clone the game hits all the required needs for a mech game such as different mechs, player customization of weapon loadouts and mech appearance, multiple levels and gametypes. But a combined lack of publisher support and the issues with the IA portal itself (outlined above) have hindered this game's (and many other games) potential to be something more than a really cool web demo.
Cyclomite (Wideload Shorts) - I seriously want to know what someone was thinking when Wideload presented this title for IA. Its not just bland and visually boring but its lacking the crucial fun factor that a game needs. Thankfully IA pulled this atrocity down, but IMHO it still ranks up there with one of the most overhyped games ever produced.
Ace of Aces (Mad Otter) - Take the guy that helped created the Red Baron WW1 fight sim and let him create another awesome WW1 flight sim. Thats Ace of Aces. A fun and polished game that unfortunately suffers the same fate that every other IA game suffers from, namely a really poorly done portal and lack of publisher support that has done more harm than good to a fantastic game.
Xbox 360
Mass Effect (Bioware) - A really great game that felt true to its origins of giving that cool 80s sci-fi movie vibe. The story was great, graphics were awesome and the gameplay was pretty good once you realized its a tactical shooter and not a straight up FPS. Only major complaint were the massive interfaces which were a pain to use with a controller and the whole "weapon upgrade" system but overall worth every penny I spent on it.
Assassins Creed (Ubisoft) - Ubisoft has really hit a niche lately with going for more artsy games that are a visual treat to watch instead of trying to do some lame "innovation" with gameplay like its rivals do. The result is an easy to play and enjoyable game that while at times might get bogged down with too many side missions is still a recommended title to play.
End War (Ubisoft) - I picked this one up for $5 in the EB Games used bin (ya I buy used games somtimes, sue me). Basicly you have a small scale tactical strategy game masquerading as a RTS, which is perfect for me because I like these types of games, but I can see why the game was hated by critics and players. The voice control stuff is neat and certainly makes the game more enjoyable than it is. I have to wonder if a Natal based End War 2 that combines voice with motion is in the works and if so, if it would fare any better?
Guitar Hero 3 (Activision) - The other game I picked up in the used bin for $10. This might be the last good 'Hero' game before the music genre got flooded with products. Pretty self explanitory title I bought mostly to kill some time. Better music than GH2 thankfully.
iPhone
Jounce (Max Gaming) - Made by my friend Matt Mitman, Jounce is a music puzzle game that really shows some great gameplay ideas mixed with a so-so but forgivable interface. With that said though the game is pretty innovative and different and a great example of what gamedevs should be looking to do with the $1 or $2 iphone games market instead of killing themselves making some 'opus' game that will rarely be appreciated and never make its investment back.
Rune Match (Max Gaming) - A match 2 game that uses the rule of "no other shape can interupt the line between two matches". Ya it sounds confusing but its still fun as far as casual match 2 games go. The game pace is a bit slow but overall its likeable.
Sketchbook Pro (Autodesk) - This is my #1 most used app that isnt related to social networking. I really cannot recommend it enough to people to buy and have to thank Autodesk for creating an app that's awesome for killing time. I haven't made any sort of master pieces worth showing off, but I have used it to mock up some rough concepts for my gamedev work while on the road and its been a great app to keep my son occupied with coloring art I make.
Marble Blast (Instant Action) - Drive a marble around a bunch of obstacles using the accelerometer. Its classic Marble Blast but for your iphone. Pretty neat game even though I am piss poor aweful at using the accelerometer to drive my marble, so it hasn't caught my attention much. But its still one of the better iphone games I have played.
Worms (Team17) - So. Very. Aweful. I still regret buying this game. I remember Worms for the PC being a lot of fun throughout all the various versions, yet Worms for the iPhone is so very bad because of the poor controls. What gives guys?
Pen & Paper / Boardgames
Dark Reign RPG (Palladium Books) - Zombie apocalypse via Palladium Books. This RPG is pretty well thought out, the art for the most part is clean and enjoyable (though there are some pieces I hate) and overall it does a great job of giving combining both the classic zombie experiance with the more modern l4d/resident evil style play that a mixed party of players would want. Only main complaint is that the zombie info is very indepth so you need to read a lot to prep as a GM. The main book is very affordable at only $23 USD so you really cannot go wrong.
Munchkin (Steve Jackson Games) - I bought this for a lark for my birthday in December. Most people were kinda iffy at the start about playing it but after only a few minutes in they were in love with the game and everyone was having an awesome time. A great game for gamers and non-gamers alike thanks to its simple rules and easy play.
Rifts RPG (Palladium Books) - Rifts is one of those games thats been out for almost 20 years, has a piss ton of sourcebooks and unfortunately people have mixed experiances with because the game caters to all genres of gaming and without fine control by the GM can encourage munchkinism to the 10th degree. With that said I still like the series and buy the books, I think they're very well done and are a great example of an 'indie' level developer creating a fantastic IP that has grown organicly.
Cribbage - Knock the game all you want, but its a demonostration 'sport' at the winter Olympics. In all seriousness though its a good classic card game that I think a lot of people overlook for its simplicity and ability to encourage that much needed "social gaming" aspect that has helped to allow a lot of lackluster games for the past 8 years succeed.
