11/22/05 - Xbox 360 Games

[schild]

I'm simply not making a seperate thread for each release. Jabber about them here til we found out what people buy or don't buy.

[Bunk]

So you are assuming that someone here is actually buying a 1st release 360 (other than you, of course) to play these games on?

 

[Sky]

Well... it does say 'don't buy', as well...

I'm not buying.

[stray]

Has there ever been a more lackluster launch than this (honest question)?

[edit] Or am I just getting old?

[Signe]

I don't know if it's truly lacklustre or just plain confusing.  The 360 comes out, mostly you can only find bundles, some of the games in those bundles have had their release dates pushed back... I think even XBox 360 fanbois are confounded.

[Furiously]

But hey - they released first....

[stray]

I don't know if it's truly lacklustre or just plain confusing.  The 360 comes out, mostly you can only find bundles, some of the games in those bundles have had their release dates pushed back... I think even XBox 360 fanbois are confounded.

It's not just the games as it is how this console launch lacks that certain "air" about it that usually accompany's new console releases. A console release should feel like Inauguration Day. The Sun should be shining a little brighter. It should put a skip in your step for a day or two.

All I get here is a resounding "meh". Am I getting old or what?

[Signe]

I don't know, Stray, but I'm sure you're getting old.   I remember I was pretty thrilled when I got my PS2 and over the moon when I got my XBox.  I'm not even thinking about getting the 360 or a PS3.  I'm not excited at all, in fact.  Looks like I'll be joining your canasta club at the rest home.

[Pococurante]

Looks like I'll be joining your canasta club at the rest home.

"Not available for consoles at this time. Offer void in states whose names contains vowels."

[Yegolev]

It's not just the games as it is how this console launch lacks that certain "air" about it that usually accompany's new console releases. A console release should feel like Inauguration Day. The Sun should be shining a little brighter. It should put a skip in your step for a day or two.

All I get here is a resounding "meh". Am I getting old or what?

You just aren't watching enough MTV and Spike.  Spend a week in brainwashng camp and you'll feel better about it.

[schild]

Every console launch has been ass. That was another thread.

[Margalis]

Except for the ones that weren't.

Anyway, I've read a lot of reviews. Basically what I'm seeing is a lot of games getting points added to them because they are for a new system and/or because of HD support. For example, the NBA game for 360 is basically the same as the other versions, it just looks better in HD. Honestly it is a bit hard to rate games like that - technically I suppose it should be rated slightly higher than the NBA games on the other systems.

What is interesting is that you can read a review of a game like Kameo, it's mostly negative, and then the game is given an 8.5 or something. All the reviews have agreed that the humor is awful, the game is too short, it's WAY too easy, etc. It doesn't help that Gamespot, Gamespy and IGN are all basically the same thing now.

I liked the Gamepro review:

Just like a supermodel, Kameo: Elements of Power is all about outward appearances. The visuals are stunning, but the weak and repetitive game-play, the vapid cutscenes, and the groan-inducing attempts at humor make this game perhaps one of the most disappointing of the Xbox 360 launch.

What's funny is the gamespot review basically says the same thing, yet they gave it a high score. Gamespot has always been garbage though. I don't take anything they say seriously.

Here is what I have gathered:

The racing games are pretty good if you like racing games. They are sequels so you know what you are getting. If you liked the last one, get the sequel.

The sports games aren't any better than for any other system, and Madden is actually worse. (oops) High in number, average in quality. (I don't consider racing games sports games for some reason)

Kameo and Condemned might make decent rentals, but are pretty short and easy.

Call of Duty 2 is good if you like that sort of thing and prefer XBox over PC. (I'm no fan of FPS games myself)

Gamespot has a review up of PDZ where they claim to love it. But Gamespot is not trustworthy and the game has gotten pretty tepid previews, so I would probably wait a bit on that. Maybe it is in fact pretty good.

---
Overall it looks like unless you are a console FPS fan there is nothing to get excited about. Given the success of Halo in the past I guess MS and 3rd parties are going with what works.

[schild]

PDZ, Condemned and Ridge Racer 6.

Picking up Tony Hawk tomorrow or so.

As I said in the other thread in so few words, I like it. If you don't have an HDTV, it's a waste of money though.

[Signe]

Considering they have hardly any games that I'm interested in playing right now... the one is delayed... it's not worth it if you do have HDTV.  Maybe by the time games I'd like to have come out, the silly, silly price will have come down.

[Sky]

Considering they have hardly any games that I'm interested in playing right now... the one is delayed... it's not worth it if you do have HDTV.  Maybe by the time games I'd like to have come out, the silly, silly price will have come down.

Ooh, you saved me some typing.

[HaemishM]

Any reviews I read on the X-Box 360 games right now, I will just skip over anything that talks about the graphics. I DON'T FUCKING CARE. I know, it's a new system and it's supposed to have the OMGWTFPWNBBQHDGRAPHICZ! So it should impress me and the reviewers, goddamnit. It's a hoss of a graphics machine. If the graphics don't impress, something's wrong with it. But I don't need to read 3 or 4 paragraphs or pages fellating the graphics. What I need to know is if the gameplay is a next generation better than what I'm already playing. If not, BZZZZZZZTTT, no. Don't give a fuck.

I will say that I like the feel of the X-Box 360 controllers. But the IGAMESPOTSPYN'ers of the world can blow me.

[Murgos]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6140176.html

[HaemishM]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6140176.html

I weep for fucking humanity.

[voodoolily]

I want some BBQ graphics. Mmmmmm...barbecue.

[AOFanboi]

What is interesting is that you can read a review of a game like Kameo, it's mostly negative, and then the game is given an 8.5 or something. All the reviews have agreed that the humor is awful, the game is too short, it's WAY too easy, etc. It doesn't help that Gamespot, Gamespy and IGN are all basically the same thing now.

Yeah, it's like the people lambasting Eurogamer for giving it 5/10 didn't read the other reviews they compared with, just the scores. But that's the "7 is average" crowd for you.

Much like I don't see a point to getting a PSP until that lovely official Ghouls'n'Ghosts sequel is out, I see no reason to buy the X360 as of now. Least of all for a title that moved in development from the Gamecube to the XBox before ending up on the 360.

And I still think this rushing will cause Microsoft problems later, both in terms of quality and in terms of not having enough for Christmas - the latter which will benefit the PS2 greatly.

[Margalis]

You know what would be awesome? A grading scale where 5 meant you were better than 50% of the games out there. (Or at least, games worth reviewing)

That way it would be impossible to have 7 be the average. You could make sure your average was roughly consistent and check against it. You could see if individual reviewers were off the curve. The numbers would actually mean something. You could tweak it to be compared to other games of the same system or something like that, but I think the idea is very sound.

Is Kameo better than 85% of the games Gamespot has reviewed? No.

It gives you something very concrete to discuss.

[Sairon]

You know what would be awesome? A grading scale where 5 meant you were better than 50% of the games out there. (Or at least, games worth reviewing)

That way it would be impossible to have 7 be the average. You could make sure your average was roughly consistent and check against it. You could see if individual reviewers were off the curve. The numbers would actually mean something. You could tweak it to be compared to other games of the same system or something like that, but I think the idea is very sound.

Is Kameo better than 85% of the games Gamespot has reviewed? No.

It gives you something very concrete to discuss.

I agree, 10s are geting HEAVY abuse for example. Most gaming sites has issued a whole bunch of 10s, which should be a practicaly unatainable score. 

[Morfiend]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6140176.html

I weep for fucking humanity.

IMO thats not even close to as bad as people getting shot for those stupid Air Jordan shoes.

[schild]

Stafford, VA? Not impressed.

[Stormwaltz]

You know what would be awesome? A grading scale where 5 meant you were better than 50% of the games out there. (Or at least, games worth reviewing)

When I review anything, the product begins at 50% (or 3/5 stars, as I rate them). It earns a higher score by impressing me. It loses points by aggrevating or boring me.

I find that more than half of what I review gets a 3/5.

On topic: As I've said before, I'm not interested in the 360. In a year I'll appraise the game catalogue and the price of HDTVs, and revise that estimate.

[Azazel]

Every console launch has been ass. That was another thread.

So, what's the Ridge Racer or Toh Shin Den or Virtua Fighter or Super Mario World for the 360? The Killer App at release?

(honest question)

[Azazel]

Anyway, I've read a lot of reviews. Basically what I'm seeing is a lot of games getting points added to them because they are for a new system and/or because of HD support. For example, the NBA game for 360 is basically the same as the other versions, it just looks better in HD. Honestly it is a bit hard to rate games like that - technically I suppose it should be rated slightly higher than the NBA games on the other systems.

Yeah, the kinda logic just doesn't work well though, all it does is push the artificially high median rating that these mags and websites give the games up even higher. Each platform, or at the very least each generation should be on it's own plateau. I mean, do you give the lastest, greatest GBA game a shitty mark because visually it can't compare to something on the 360 or HL2 on a high end PC?

[schild]

Every console launch has been ass. That was another thread.

So, what's the Ridge Racer or Toh Shin Den or Virtua Fighter or Super Mario World for the 360? The Killer App at release?

(honest question)

Dude, Ridge Racer 6 came out for the 360 and it's every bit as good as the rest of the systems. Also, Virtua Fighter and Tohshinden? What are you talking about? Those are nothing compared to Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast.  But I digress, for this crowd, the Xbox 360's killer app at launch is the marketplace verison of Outpost Kaloki. But that's because we're a wonky bunch.

[Rodent]

Those are nothing compared to Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast.

Not sure about the US, but Soul Calibur wasn't a release title for the DC in Europe.

[MrHat]

Those are nothing compared to Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast.

Not sure about the US, but Soul Calibur wasn't a release title for the DC in Europe.

It was.

Between that and Crazy Taxi, I failed my second semester freshman year.

[Fabricated]

The Dreamcast had a damn good set of launch titles now that I think about it. Too bad it had uh...2-3 noteworthy games after that.

I haven't been really impressed with any console launch since then though. The PS2's was just awful, The Cube's was forgettable outside of Smash Brothers, the I didn't get an Xbox until a good 2+ years after it came out due to how utterly forgettable the vast majority of the titles for it were.

[stray]

It's a damn shame that Team Ninja and Bioware games are exclusively X-Box (to my knowledge). Sooner or later, I'll get a 360 because of that.

[Rodent]

Those are nothing compared to Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast.

Not sure about the US, but Soul Calibur wasn't a release title for the DC in Europe.

It was.

Between that and Crazy Taxi, I failed my second semester freshman year.

Screwed again by Namco, oh well I really can't complain about the DC release line-up here either. Sonic Adventure was enough to hold me entertained until the Soul Calibur release over here.

[NiX]

Anyone have any idea if NHL06 is backwards compatible? I can't find it anywhere that it is or isn't. I have 2K6 for 360, but I don't want to open it if my 06 will run fine as long as I pick up the HD.

[schild]

Anyone have any idea if NHL06 is backwards compatible? I can't find it anywhere that it is or isn't. I have 2K6 for 360, but I don't want to open it if my 06 will run fine as long as I pick up the HD.

We picked up 2k6 for the 360 because it wasn't on the list.