Zero Punctuation: Top 5 of 2012

[jmarquiso]

I think the answer is both. Spec Ops - btw - is technically a sequel to a long dead franchise. Sequels also tend to be not as fresh or interesting as their predecessors. THough as games stake their place as franchises and brand recognition, it'd be hard to review a year of fewer and fewer fresh IPs.

Actually, a lot of sequels, remakes and spiritual successors have been really, really good:
*Half-Life 2
*Portal (spiritual successor of Narbacular Drop)
*Skyrim
*Silent Hill 2
*Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
*Assassins Creed 2
*Arkham Asylum (not the first batman game by a long shot)
*Doom II (probably my favorite game of all time)

I didn't say "bad", I said "not as fresh". I will say generally sequels are generally a similar game, but made with more money. I'd argue that Portal and Arkham Asylum are the beginnings of their own respective franchises rather than sequels, but I guess if we get pedantic -

On his list the sequels were the top 3:

*Spec Ops: The Line
*XCOM: Enemy Unknown
*Far Cry 3

As well as the top "Worst":

* Medal of Honor: Warfighter
* Steel Batallion
* Resident Evil 6

He actually has quite a few sequels in this list - but that's a different point.

 

[jmarquiso]

The problem with this is that quoting someone in an edit means that your post doesn't show up in their inbox, which is how most people keep track of things.

Me, it's obviously personal preference, right? I access these forums at irregular hours, and got a little carried away.

 

[rwllay]

interestingly the five games i got for/bought with money from Christmas identically matched the top 5

 

[Cid Silverwing]

I so predicted you were gonna put Dishonored on 5th Best, just as you mentioned the Moral Choice system. Lo was it so.

 

[wildpeaks]

Gleeful joy as I was rooting for Spec Ops

 

[Yahtzee Croshaw]

Very entertaining. I especially appreciated the Dungeon Keeper reference. Loved that game.

 

[Johnson McGee]

The 2nd time Yahtzee mentioned RE6 without talking about how the 6 looks like... what it looks like.

 

[charliesbass]

Modern military shooter takes top slot, indie-developed survival horror game is the game Yahtzee considers even worse than Kane and Lynch. The Mayans weren't predicting end times, they were predicting the year the game's industry went snooker loopy.

The modern military shooter was great in this instance, the indie survival horror game was shitty in this instance. However, this year we also saw Lone Survivor, an indie survival horror game, but we also a saw Warfighter, a shitty modern military shooter. That just proves that both genres have their own fuck-ups and triumphs.

 

[JoaoJatoba]

Again I call out for Katawa Shoujo, that has multiple storylines, each of them really well written and character-focused.

I highly recommend Alpha Protocol for branching storylines. The game completely shifts and changes based on your choices, which is precisely why Yahtzee was so confused by the story.

I'm still on the middle of episode 3, so let's see what the games presents me from now on.

Nevertheless, my point is, they said that the story and gameplay fits my choices, and I don't see that happening, i.e., whatever choices I make, I'll end up seeing the same major events of the story that you saw on episode 4 and 5. The difference is who is going to be alive and who will like me or not, I'm guessing...

But, with all that, The Walking Dead still a GREAT GAME! =)

Seriously, do yourself a favor and play through the entire run blind first. Then after do another playthrough if you want. The game is definitely "tailored" to your choices, the plot is not. At the moment you're ruining that illusion. There is no optimal way to play. There are no "good" choices. Still every choice you make reflects on you as a player. I was also disappointed for awhile until I stopped experimenting with the choices and trying to work my way around it. The first run through is the most personal. The rest are more and more experimental.

Also - keep in mind that "silence" is a dialog option.

And no, the plot will not change. Not by much. But some characters will have different arcs. Others will simply not change no matter how hard you try (they're stubborn like that - and I like that about the game).

First, Gonna check out Alpha Protocol.

Second, Dude!

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=117825586

If a GAME says it'll change based on how I play and that the GAME adapts to the choices I make, I greatly expect that either the gameplay or the story will change (gameplay + story = video game, for me), which I just didn't see happening so far. That's my only complain about TWD! They say on the first title screen that and that doesn't happen.

I get WHAT the game is about! It's about relations. It's about Lee and Clementine, how the grow together and how they interact with the other characters, and not about how you can change your fate. On the story level, it's wonderful and beautiful, but it doesn't change the fact that I, and I alone, feel there is an unfulfilled promise that the designers of the game stamped on the front of each episode. If that little warning before each episode was not on the game, I would not be ranting at all.

 

[charliesbass]

This makes up for escapist crowning Mass effect 3 as game of the year.

The only reason I am on this site is because of Yahtzee/ zero punctuation.

I will be playing spec ops the line and walking dead now.

I agree with Dishonored just about making it into the list. Lots of average games this year so a good game like dishonoured can edge it. Impressive for a new IP, a sequel can iron out a lot of the issues and balancing. Not sure what they are going to do with the story though

Also Yahtzee seems to hate Mass Effect.

I wouldn't say he hates Mass Effect, just that he thinks there's too much story and not enough game and that the gameplay isn't strong enough to hold everything up and certain aspects of the game suffer because of it. I'd say he rips on it about the same as most other games he reviews.

 

[Yossarian1507]

There is a seed of this kind of games in the Visual Novel genre (see Katawa Shoujo). If only someone could make it work in a smaller scale in a regular game...

I'm no stranger to Visual Novels, I think that Fate/Stay Night is a brilliant piece of storytelling, as is Higurashi, but many of them are just as "fake nonlinear" as TWD, or (as in case of FSN) completely linear with choices like "A - continue the story. B - die".

Premise of Katawa Shoujo isn't really my pair of jeans, but if you know some other good non-linear VN's, which are possible to find without +75 Staff of Improved Internet Search, and there's a decent translation of them, then I would love to check them out.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

-snip-

-snip-

If you hit quote for each different person they will stack up in the 'Reply to Thread' box.

All you have to do is snip the posts and Bam! everyone gets a quoted message in their inbox!

It'll help keep other posters and (possibly) mods off your case.

 

[Astro]

I don't think Yahtzee hates Mass Effect, he just has large subjective quibble with it which he doesn't mention much because it would be unfair to critique it on the basis of not having the kind of 'feel' he likes. He doesn't like the writing in the same way he doesn't like the writing in Uncharted, though to a lesser degree. Personally I can fully sympathize because I'm also insulted when the game throws a character at me who's genetically engineered to be as attractive as possible, has daddy issues, an out of place Australian accent, and constantly reminds you how great her genes are in the midst of flirting with you. I think Yahtzee likes a more flawed protagonist in his sci-fi, and the attitude of Mass Effect is often to make you feel as badass as possible, and then the RPG dialogue also makes Shepard incredibly dull. I think he's handled his dislike of Mass Effect very fairly, they're dispassionate reviews but always fair. It isn't his fault a game that he doesn't really like doesn't end up in his 'best of' for this year.

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

I remember looking at the screens and previews for Amy and being excited. It's a shame it turned out this way.
Silent Hill 4 even managed to make escorting in a survival horror setting not completely shite (alright, it was pretty bad, I went through those candles like quarters on laundry day).

Interesting pick for best game, I'm glad of the disclaimer. I don't think anyone (omitting the intended audience of single minded shooter lovers) should go into that game expecting an enjoyable experience. I waited for it to go on sale partially because I doubt I'll ever play it a second time.

 

[weirdee]

FINALLY. Some list agrees spec ops is the game of the year, I can die happy.

I'm here, friend. The unpopularity of the line just shows the state of the industry. The game is a mind fuckingly amazing, but people won't buy it, because the reviewers gave it an 8 and not a 9.

No, I think it's more about the poor mechanics, and that playing it is exactly like hitting yourself in the face with the history book as illustrated in the video. Some people don't want to buy a game that's really, really not fun, and I can respect that. In fact, it's sort of wise to avoid it because you can't really stop playing it once you get into it like in that movie Saw where you have to cut your leg off to escape.

So, you respect someone missing on a great game just because its not fun? Why should be judge Spec Ops for it's fun factor, when the game has different goals? I mean, games are so varied, why are people judge them only on how much fun they had? Games are not toys anymore, people should learn this if they think that games are art.
Also, why are people saying that the gameplay was bad? It wasn't worse than say Gears of war, and people seem to like that game. It was competent enough to get you through the story, the actually important bit.

I'm just saying, it's a choice, and I'm not going to condemn somebody for not playing this game, unless they try to impose their opinions on other people. Hell, nobody's forced to look at or like any sort of art, if we're going by that comparison.
As for the mechanics thing, it's important to note that the previews/advertising pushed the mechanics much harder than the game's actual purpose, so it's important to note that people may have just stopped playing the game before it got interesting based on that alone, seeing as there is no indication that the rest of the game will be much different up to that point (partly because the developers made a point of having the first part of the game be typical in order to provide contrast to the future gut punching).

 

[shintakie10]

The second line is the important part. The game isn't about point A to point B, its what happens between point A and point B. The interactions between the characters, how they see you, and how you see your own character are what the game is about.

Without interactivity, you might as well be watching a cutscene. Surely you are not deluding yourself of being playing a game if all you do is watch...

There is interactivity though. Its not like you just sit there watchin scene to scene like a movie. You do stuff between scenes, you interact with characters in real time (its actually mildly amusin to do a playthrough where you're pretty much silent the whole time), you can fail if all you plan to do is sit back and watch durin multiple areas.

Is it the most interactive thing ever? Nope. However a game shouldn't lose points simply because its less interactive than other games, much like we usually don't give rewards to games that are incredibly one dimensional but super fun to play.

 

[FallenMessiah88]

The only thing this list did was to remind me how few games I have acutally played this year. I still have a lot of catching up to do.

Also, spunkgargleweewee is still a really stupid term.

I believe that's the point of the newfangled terminology.

Perhaps, but that still doesn't make it any less stupid. People claim that it's to distinguish between different sub genres of shooters which is all fine and good. The problem is that it's a derotagory term. I don't particularly like romantic comedies, but I don't go around using terms like "Kissykissypukebarf" to describe them.

That's the whole point mate. He's sick of seeing these samey, bland, mainstream appealing, triple AAA FPS's and believes they are the lowest form of gaming, so he's giving them a name that he thinks suits these games.

Sometimes artists do controversial things like this, and it's completely understandable that not everyone can follow their notion, or just thinks it's silly because everyone likes to do things differently. He's made his point though, Croshaw made it very clear what he is sick of seeing in modern day shooters. So you can think of it as it ticks him off as much as this term ticks you off.

I would actually prefer to use the word "romcom", especially if I wan't people to take my opinion seriously.

Maybe from the beginning when these repetitive military shooters were being over developed, but it's been going on for so long now that it doesn't really matter if certain people can't take you seriously. I think this new name is the step up from that, making it clear where you stand on the issue.

I'm curious if Yahtzee would name CoD4 SGWW, I found that game to be a really good experience.

You're missing the point. Think of this as a debate. One one side you have people who dislike modern military shooters and on the other side you have people who like modern military shooters. This is about proper debate etiquette. It doesn't matter if you think your opponent is hitler reincarnated. If you can't even be bothered to adress them on equal terms, then why should anybody bother with you and your opinon.

If you and I were having a debate and I kept referring to you as "Mr. Stupid" then it doesn't really matter how good I think my case is as it might end up hurting my argument in the eyes of the audience.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Did Spec ops have a good story and narrative? Yes. But was it a good game? Hell no. It is a generic third person shooter with the bane of shooting regenerating health tacked on in addition to the cover mechanics that third person games are known for.

(emphasis mine)

Guess what? The entire point of Spec Ops: The Line was to sucker you into thinking 'oh, boy, another generic modern-day shooter' so that it can then subvert all your expectations for the story, which is the most important part. The mechanics serve the plot.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

As I've said the mechanics still make it a shit game despite the story. I only played it because people kept saying how revolutionary the story was. But in the end the gameplay being so fucking simple made me bored to tears of the game long before it was over. Shit game overall just like 99% of all games with regenerating health and\or a heavy emphasis on cover based shooting. Spec Ops violates both those sins and is piss easy because of it. A good story does not redeem it. That good story would have been better served in a game with either different mechanics or not in a game @ all but instead a movie or book (or 2).
I'm just glad I did not pay for this hot turd sundae of a game.

Captcha = pin money.
No Captcha I'm not giving you any money either.

Facts and opinions.

Stop treating it like it's the worst game ever, just because it happens to play like Gears of War with less ammo. There's one thing that it doesn't violate - you actually have to aim or else you'll run out of bullets.

Edit: The Walking Dead, as many people here have already pointed out, doesn't even have that much gameplay besides dialogue choices and the odd quick-time event, yet it's also on this list for its story. I don't see you slamming it. What's the difference?

(This is gonna be good.)

 

[warmachine]

I am surprised Steel Battalion isn't the worst as Yahtzee declared it unplayable. Surely even really awful gameplay is better than being unable to use controls?