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Associated Press Releases the Worst of 2007
Because if There's One Thing the Press Knows, it's Video Games
by Sarah
In regards to the week in video game news, the Associated Press has released their list of the worst games of 2007, along with some of its biggest disappointments. Among obvious choices like Rock Star’s disastrous Manhunt 2 and the PS3 flop Lair are Halo 3’s single-player campaign, Mass Effect’s inventory management, and Final Fantasy remakes.
The full list from the AP:
1. "Manhunt 2": Rockstar Games' strategy — offend the watchdogs, reap the publicity, then sell a substandard product — reached its nadir with this ugly, unplayable mess. It begins with a lunatic flinging human waste at you; after about an hour, you'll want to fling "Manhunt 2."
2. "Vampire Rain": You're part of an elite commando squad hunting vampires, but your high-tech weapons don't actually do any damage. Try to escape, and you're likely to run into an invisible wall. Why not just avoid the whole fiasco in the first place?
3. "Deal or No Deal": It couldn't be simpler. You pick one of 26 briefcases and gamble on whether it contains a lot of money. But the DS "Deal or No Deal" doesn't even get the gameplay right, and is even more sluggishly paced than the TV show. For $30, no deal.
4. "Lair": Sony lavished a lot of attention on this PlayStation 3 title, and it sure looks great. And who wouldn't want to fly a dragon? But with awkward, imprecise controls and lackluster, repetitive missions, "Lair" crashed and burned.
5. "Escape from Bug Island!": Kill giant insects (cool!) ... by poking them with sticks (wha?). "Bug Island" could have been campy fun, but its annoying characters, inane plot and wretched graphics destroy any desire to keep playing.
Most disappointing: "Halo 3" (single-player), "Assassin's Creed,""Blue Dragon,""Heavenly Sword."
Enough already: The Tony Hawk series, World Wrestling Entertainment games, "Final Fantasy" remakes.
Worst feud: "Guitar Hero" vs. "Rock Band." Turns out "GH" controllers aren't compatible with the PlayStation 3 version of "RB" — and "GH" publisher Activision reportedly won't let "RB" designer Harmonix fix the problem.
Worst flaw in a great game: The aggravating inventory management system in "Mass Effect."
Worst voice acting: The desultory performances of Elijah Wood, Gary Oldman and Billy West in "The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night."
Worst cross-promotion: Playboy and Eidos'"cyber search" for the (mostly naked) woman who best embodied the "dangerous vibe" of "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men," a game about a vicious mercenary and his psychotic partner.
Most baffling: The Nintendo Wii, still hard to find more than a year after its debut.
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The full list from the AP:
1. "Manhunt 2": Rockstar Games' strategy — offend the watchdogs, reap the publicity, then sell a substandard product — reached its nadir with this ugly, unplayable mess. It begins with a lunatic flinging human waste at you; after about an hour, you'll want to fling "Manhunt 2."
2. "Vampire Rain": You're part of an elite commando squad hunting vampires, but your high-tech weapons don't actually do any damage. Try to escape, and you're likely to run into an invisible wall. Why not just avoid the whole fiasco in the first place?
3. "Deal or No Deal": It couldn't be simpler. You pick one of 26 briefcases and gamble on whether it contains a lot of money. But the DS "Deal or No Deal" doesn't even get the gameplay right, and is even more sluggishly paced than the TV show. For $30, no deal.
4. "Lair": Sony lavished a lot of attention on this PlayStation 3 title, and it sure looks great. And who wouldn't want to fly a dragon? But with awkward, imprecise controls and lackluster, repetitive missions, "Lair" crashed and burned.
5. "Escape from Bug Island!": Kill giant insects (cool!) ... by poking them with sticks (wha?). "Bug Island" could have been campy fun, but its annoying characters, inane plot and wretched graphics destroy any desire to keep playing.
Most disappointing: "Halo 3" (single-player), "Assassin's Creed,""Blue Dragon,""Heavenly Sword."
Enough already: The Tony Hawk series, World Wrestling Entertainment games, "Final Fantasy" remakes.
Worst feud: "Guitar Hero" vs. "Rock Band." Turns out "GH" controllers aren't compatible with the PlayStation 3 version of "RB" — and "GH" publisher Activision reportedly won't let "RB" designer Harmonix fix the problem.
Worst flaw in a great game: The aggravating inventory management system in "Mass Effect."
Worst voice acting: The desultory performances of Elijah Wood, Gary Oldman and Billy West in "The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night."
Worst cross-promotion: Playboy and Eidos'"cyber search" for the (mostly naked) woman who best embodied the "dangerous vibe" of "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men," a game about a vicious mercenary and his psychotic partner.
Most baffling: The Nintendo Wii, still hard to find more than a year after its debut.
SOURCE
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