Jumping on the Bandwagon

[Nathanial Essex]

Whether it be a review score, reaction, a bit of trivia or anything else, is there something that you feel the media or fans simply go with because it's the popular or seemingly right thing to do?

I have two examples. Halo 2's ending consistently pops up on list of the most disappointing endings where I think it setup Halo 3 perfectly. No issues with it at all.

Secondly, Super Mario Odyssey got raving reviews and perfect scores from most. Being the first Mario game I've played since Super Mario 64, I had high expectations as I regard 64 as one of the best games I've ever played and one of the best games technically.

Odyssey was bland, way too easy, music or a sense of atmosphere and ore was almost non existent. You can't punch or kick which made attacking enemies with just the hat feel repetitive. The levels also felt far smaller than 64 and couple that with the fact the physics of the character have hardly changed, I'll say 64 is the far better game even now. Make 64 HD and update the textures and you have an infinitely better game in 64.

 

[danielmann861]

Secondly, Super Mario Odyssey got raving reviews and perfect scores from most. Being the first Mario game I've played since Super Mario 64, I had high expectations as I regard 64 as one of the best games I've ever played and one of the best games technically.

Odyssey was bland, way too easy, music or a sense of atmosphere and ore was almost non existent. You can't punch or kick which made attacking enemies with just the hat feel repetitive. The levels also felt far smaller than 64 and couple that with the fact the physics of the character have hardly changed, I'll say 64 is the far better game even now. Make 64 HD and update the textures and you have an infinitely better game in 64.

I kind of feel the same about Odyssey. I don't see what all the hype was about. Dull platforming (i'd say some of the worst in the series), cool idea with the hat mechanic but they did absolutely nothing of interest with it....I mean sure, it was fun to possess shit, but I just felt like they did nothing with it in terms of making a true challenge or what not. The world did feel vibrant, but again, the lack of challenge really hurt it for me. I honestly don't get the praise behind that game...at all. It felt like one of the weaker Mario games in quite some time...but I'm still kind of convinced Mario is one of those "free pass" games. It doesn't matter what they do, the fans will always give it a free pass.

-- God of War 2018 - I look at GOW 2018 and I'm still perplexed as to why it gets as much love as it does? Shallow combat that feels too slow and clunky. Overwrought and unnecessary RPG level up stats. Forgettable boss fights. A rather boring story when you really boil it down. An annoying kid that you have to put up with for 20 hours or so because "feelz". The constant need to ape The Last of Us (at both its best and worst). Boring "puzzles" (if you can even call 'em puzzles)...but hey, Kratos is now "mature" and no longer a teenage edgelord...so 10 out of 10...what a game! Video games are now mature and all that.

GOW 2018 was GOTY bait and I will stand by that all the way. GOW 2018 is at best a thoroughly mediocre game that completely loses its former identity in order to appeal to the very people who never liked the original games in the first place because Kratos was "unlikable" (why an "unlikable" protagonist is a bad thing I'll never know...after all, how many people love to root for Walter White even though he is a monster?). God of War 2018 is a perfect example of a game that people jumped on the bandwagon for.

-- Grand Theft Auto III - I like Grand Theft Auto 3...but going back to it nowadays, I do wonder why we ever thought this was revolutionary? It's a fun game, but it's hardly as revolutionary as once thought. Its world is painfully empty and pretty ugly to look at (even for the PS2). The story is kinda weak. The gunplay does not hold up at all (Z targeting in that game is really bad...it was always bad). For its time, people loved to proclaim how open its world was....what was open about it? That you could run around killing everything that moved? That you could maybe get a Taxi and play a cruddy Taxi mini game? (substitute ambulance, cop and fire fighter...they're all the same).

Again, I do like GTA 3, but going back and looking at it...you do have to wonder "why did we all fall for this as being revolutionary? Why did we all jump on the bandwagon for this?"

 

[red]

the only strong feelings i have are for metal gear solid 4 & 5

both games got reviewed 10/10 but i just dont understand the hate from the gaming community for mgs4 but they love mgs5.. imo it should be the other way around. while mgs5 looks and plays great the story is a complete mess and it doesn't feel like a metal gear solid game.

im also completely lost with the love of assassins creed. while black flag was a good game, i feel they completely ruined the story after 3. i refuse to play any of them now.

 

[Kyo_JP]

Agree with Odyssey, the game is as bad as the mediocre Sunshine, far worst than both Galaxy games and 3D World. The setting is cool, some worlds are great, but it is too easy, too many Moons/Stars to collect (about 700) but only some of them are rewarding. The high score thing is because the media is always pro Nintendo. Remember Skwaward Sword, perfect scores and now everybody is shitting on that Zelda game.

Also agree with GoW 2018, I will replay GoW 3 any day before jumping back to that one. The story was indeed bland, but it looks that since it had a father/son thing people lost their mind. And yes, combat is meh.