X-play's Worst Games of 2009

[Lostdwarf]

I woke up in the middle of the nite so i turned on G4 and XPlay was on and they were talking about the worst games of 09. the two that i remember that they were talking about we

Bionic Commando
Resident Evil 5

i fell asleep before they said the other ones. i only played RE5 and i was a little dissapointed with the game but i dont think it deserved "worst of" status. sure it wasnt as scary as 4 but it was still decent gameplay. kinda short but fun. anyone else see this episode and know what the other games were?

mike

[The 1 2 P]

i only played RE5 and i was a little dissapointed with the game but i dont think it deserved "worst of" status. sure it wasnt as scary as 4 but it was still decent gameplay.

I've only played the demo of RE5 and from the moment I tried moving and shooting I was turned off by the game. Then theres the fact that the bosses in the demo were like Superman's long lost Kryptonian cousins who were nigh invincible.

While I'm not sure if I would call it one of the worst games of last year, I would definitely say that any game that doesn't control naturally for me will be looked upon with great distain.

[StetsonGraves]

Resident Evil 5 is a good game, it just wasn't very different from 4 so it was disappointing for a lot of people.

[Malon_Forever]

Resident Evil 5 is a good game, it just wasn't very different from 4 so it was disappointing for a lot of people.

I don't understand why people were disappointed with more of what they liked.

[StetsonGraves]

For me at least it just hadnt gone to the next level. If you play like RE Code Veronica and then Resident Evil 4, the difference is night and day. If you play Resident Evil 4 and then Resident Evil 5 they're almost identical (gameplay wise).

[walrusmonger]

For me at least it just hadnt gone to the next level. If you play like RE Code Veronica and then Resident Evil 4, the difference is night and day. If you play Resident Evil 4 and then Resident Evil 5 they're almost identical (gameplay wise).

resident evil 1,2,3 and CV were near identical too ;) I thought re5 was awesome when played over co-op, I have 40 hours logged onto the game, something that happens once every 5 years for me.

[otaku]

re5 the worst? No way maybe the worst high profile but even that....reviews were generally pretty good if not excellent (or so I thought...not sure now...) my brother loved and beat the game and tried to get me to play but my time is so limited. I played a bit and it was fun to me. hmm...

I wish I still got G4 its nowhere near as good as techtv was (or for that matter as good as it once was) but I still miss it.

[kupomogli]

I don't understand why people were disappointed with more of what they liked.

I didn't like Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil is supposed to be a survival horror. In RE4 and 5 it's not survival horror. It's blow everything up. If I wanted to play a game that plays like an FPS, I wouldn't play one that is watered down in play style to use the Resident Evil control scheme and send hordes of enemies with stupid AI at you.

The game does nothing more than look like a Resident Evil game with the gameplay of an extremely aged FPS.

Then people try to defend the game saying. But it has multiplayer! Perfect Dark and Golden Eye have multiplayer. Unreal Tournament 3 has a multiplayer campaign. The new Armored Core games have multiplayer campaigns. One difference is that these games actually have good gameplay. It's like people think that having multiplayer turns a game from being an absolute pile of crap to an amazing game. No. It's just that now, you can play this crap game with a friend.

[Trebuken]

Bionic Commando is not that bad either. Some people are ticked off by some of the design (understandably), but it's no more annoying than the original...it just isn't consistent with other modern games...

[sebastiankirchoff]

First off, why are they making a list so early? Shoudn't they make the list at the end of the year or the beginning of next year, since many more games will be released around the holiday season? Whatever, I guess its not a big deal.

But seriously, what the fuck where they thinking putting RE5 on the list? I don't want to sound like a fanboy, but I am sure there are at least 10 games that are far worse than RE5 that have been released this year. I can understand if its put as the years biggest dissapointment, but it is not even close to being a shitty game.

[BetaWolf47]

RE5 and Bionic Commando? WTF? I know Bionic Commando isn't the highest rated game, but they're going around like they have some sort of grudge against Capcom!

[kupomogli]

Maybe they mean for how hyped up the games were. I don't see Bionic Commando being hyped up at all. RE5 though.

[Baloo]

I didn't like Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil is supposed to be a survival horror. In RE4 and 5 it's not survival horror. It's blow everything up. If I wanted to play a game that plays like an FPS, I wouldn't play one that is watered down in play style to use the Resident Evil control scheme and send hordes of enemies with stupid AI at you.


Sounds a lot like House of the Dead with "hordes of enemies", "FPS", and "horror".

[Game Freak]

what are you guys talking about? X-Play was right, these games phail when put next to the likes of Imagine: Family Doctor

[11killer11]

I have not played Bionic Commando as of yet but the videos I've seen of it, the game doesn't look that bad to call it the worst.
And about Resident Evil 5, it does feel like you're controlling a big bulky robot all the time, i mean turn around and then run that's not normal.

I wouldn't call the 2 mentioned above the worst seeing that the Wii got a truckload of shovelware but those don't even count in Worst Games of 2009.

Wow, Game Freak ya beat me to the shovelware comparison!

[Ed Oscuro]

I didn't like Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil is supposed to be a survival horror. In RE4 and 5 it's not survival horror.
RE4 was the most fun Resident Evil ever has been, aside from maybe REmake, so your point is invalid.

RE5 got a lot of hate (rather correctly) for having incredibly dumb AI and for not using the controller correctly. That said, it wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. I liked the locales of RE4 a bit more though.

[heybtbm]

I don't understand why people were disappointed with more of what they liked.

Most enjoyed it. Only a small minority seem to bitch about 5. Kind of similar to the always vocal FF7 hater minority. Don't let a "few" fool you. RE5 was a MASSIVE success. Critically and financially.

I prefer RE4, but 5 was pretty damn good.

[MarioMania]

Why do peple still watch X-play for??

G4 sucks..

[ProgrammingAce]

Really? These are worse then:

Six Flags Fun Park
Niki - Rock 'n' Ball
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Sonic and the Black Knight
Let's Catch
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
ShellShock 2: Blood Trails
PDC World Championship Darts 2008 <-- WTF?

Way to go G4, you're right on the pulse of gaming yet again.

[heybtbm]

Why do peple still watch X-play for??

G4 sucks..

Agreed. For everyone over the age of 16 anyways.

[Lostdwarf]

Really? These are worse then:

Six Flags Fun Park
Niki - Rock 'n' Ball
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Sonic and the Black Knight
Let's Catch
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
ShellShock 2: Blood Trails
PDC World Championship Darts 2008 <-- WTF?

Way to go G4, you're right on the pulse of gaming yet again.

x-men wolverine wasnt that bad, i was actually surprised that it was decent

[StetsonGraves]

Hey ProgrammingAce, you forgot Damnation =)

If I remember correctly, IGN's Greg Miller used the subtitle "Not pretty, not fun" as a subtitle for one of the videos.

[Cloud121]

RE5 is the worst canonical RE game. At least Gun Survivor added decently to the overall mythology. RE5 shit on everything that has happened the last thirteen years. Along with single worst, and anti-climactic ending of the entire series.

[Dr. Dib]

Are you sure the list wasn't the biggest disappointments of 2009? I could understand the list that way since Bionic Commando and RE5 were disappointments compare to their hype.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Christ, Bionic Commando AGAIN?!?

I've already ranted in defense of that game, the bottom line is that even though Bionic Commando is a beloved Capcom property and a fondly remembered arcade, NES, Gameboy, etc. title - it's been over 20 years since there has been a console version of the game.

This caused not only inflated expectations, but ones based on what people (and a lot of pro critics are to blame as well) thought the game should have been (based on their own tastes) instead of what a Bionic Commando game has always been.

Most of the reviews faulted aspects of the game that have ALWAYS been a part of the core mechanic of BC. (High level of challenge, non-sandbox gameplay, generally weak weapons, high focus on swinging over action or puzzle solving, instant death zones, etc.) that's just unfair ... it's like faulting a new Zelda game for not having dual-wielding machine guns.

Bionic Commando was as close to a perfect 3D version of the classic games as Grin could have achieved, and a very fun (albeit minimal) online multiplayer added to the total package and replay value.

It was NOT one of the worst games of the year, not by a long-shot, it was just a game that suffered from being a franchise title that people thought that they loved but had forgotten what it's core mechanics actually were.

I think that the negative spin that the gaming press heaped on the entire development cycle (through launch) of B.C. has a lot to do with its critical and retail failings.

And, RE5, I'm not even going to get myself worked up about that one, it was a great game and an amazing co-op multiplayer experience. In fact, I don't think you can find a better multiplayer co-op story-based game on any system currently.

[Clownzilla]

I never played RE4 (it's on my to do list) but I finished RE5 on Xbox 360 about three weeks ago and I didn't find anything major wrong with it and on top of that thought that it was a pretty exciting and well written story. The control was a little robotic but it was FAR from unplayable like many people are saying. I think that Capcom does need to close off the "zombie virus" story line and find a fresh approach. I think a lot of the scare factor is gone because we all know what is causing these zombies and know the history of Umbrella, Wesker, Racoon City, etc. so the "eerie mystery" to the whole game is pretty much dead. Regardless, it still is still a well made action/horror game that deserves to be towards the top and not the bottom.

[Gamereviewgod]

Most of the reviews faulted aspects of the game that have ALWAYS been a part of the core mechanic of BC. (High level of challenge, non-sandbox gameplay, generally weak weapons, high focus on swinging over action or puzzle solving, instant death zones, etc.) that's just unfair ... it's like faulting a new Zelda game for not having dual-wielding machine guns.

The mechanics weren't the problem. It was the level design around them. Whoever thought swinging on floating mines was a good idea wasn't thinking. Inside the caves, the games gave a wonderful sense of freedom. You have a lot of room to play with, lots of stuff to latch onto, and lots of stuff to shoot.

Then you're forced to swing across mines for the 10th time and the fun goes right out the window.

Oh, and the radiation was a bad idea too, mostly because there were a lot of areas that looked open or part of the level and you swing there but, oh, too late.

I loved the multi-player though. Doubt many are playing it, but the swing mechanic is wonderful for evasion.

[garagesaleking!!]

i tend to agree with the others who have said who gives a shit what g4 thinks and who even watches it. They have what 2 shows left, and 4 well known hosts who are all dumbshits. It did used to be decent a few years back.

[Icarus Moonsight]

It's better to under promise and over deliver rather than over promise and under deliver. They both fall squarely in latter-land. No surprise to me that they got in on that type of list. What if GoW3 is not as good as 1 or 2? Don't you think that would be a little shocking, just maybe? O_O

[alexkidd2000]

Wow there is alot of hate in this thread. I really enjoyed Res Evil 5, in fact it is the first game I actually finished in at least 5 years haha. There is nothing like unloading a shot gun in a Resident Evil game. Sure it kinda sucks that you cannot walk and shoot but its really not that bad. I am sure it will be changed for 6.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

The mechanics weren't the problem. It was the level design around them. Whoever thought swinging on floating mines was a good idea wasn't thinking. Inside the caves, the games gave a wonderful sense of freedom. You have a lot of room to play with, lots of stuff to latch onto, and lots of stuff to shoot.

Then you're forced to swing across mines for the 10th time and the fun goes right out the window.

Oh, and the radiation was a bad idea too, mostly because there were a lot of areas that looked open or part of the level and you swing there but, oh, too late.

I loved the multi-player though. Doubt many are playing it, but the swing mechanic is wonderful for evasion.

Precise swinging goals (like the hover mines) and "instant death" penalties (which translate well into the radiation zones) were featured in the original games.

In 2D the hover mines would likely be considered to be a "challenging platforming element" ... and I really enjoyed a skill-based section or two of the swing mechanic, the rest of the game did a lot of hand-holding when it came to the swinging/grappling ... it was nice to have to really think about where you had to throw that next grapple.

The Bionic Commando series was never known for its "sense of freedom" or open-world levels, and even if you or any reviewer found the mine-swinging or rad zones frustrating or annoying I don't see how that makes the game one of the worst games of 2009.

Again, I think the supposed "faults" of the game have more to do with an unfamiliarity with Bionic Commando in general than actual broken game-play or epic design flaws.

[kaedesdisciple]

How did this thread turn into a hate-on-RE5 and defend-BC when the heart of the matter is that two that X-Play put out as the worst of 2009 have absolutely no business being there? Furthermore, it's the end of August, we still have a whole QUARTER of gaming to go.

Way to go again, G4.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

How did this thread turn into a hate-on-RE5 and defend-BC when the heart of the matter is that two that X-Play put out as the worst of 2009 have absolutely no business being there? Furthermore, it's the end of August, we still have a whole QUARTER of gaming to go.

Way to go again, G4.

I think "hate on R5" and "defend BC" are the respective standard reactions when the games are brought up on any message board or blog post for any reason.

Poke around and I think you'll find that to be a pretty accurate assessment.

[BetaWolf47]

Niki - Rock 'n' Ball

I must be the only person who enjoys Niki Rock n Ball. I don't understand how people are comparing that game's presentation to homebrew games anyways... it's definitely beyond that.

[Icarus Moonsight]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine


Surely, you mean the Wii/PS2 games were bad. The 360/PS3 game was a fairly decent action game. Awesome if your a big Wolvie fan. :D

[ProgrammingAce]

Surely, you mean the Wii/PS2 games were bad. The 360/PS3 game was a fairly decent action game. Awesome if your a big Wolvie fan. :D

Yeah, i pulled that off the wii list.

I just went to metacritic and pulled down the worst reviewed games from this year. I've never actually played any of them. I figure anything that gets below a 50% has to suck.

[phantomfriar]

For me at least it just hadnt gone to the next level. If you play like RE Code Veronica and then Resident Evil 4, the difference is night and day. If you play Resident Evil 4 and then Resident Evil 5 they're almost identical (gameplay wise).

Very true, but what's weird is that I loved RE 4 -- felt it was one of the greatest games I'd ever played through -- but couldn't get into RE 5. I disliked the demo, I didn't like the controls this time, I rented the game and tried to get into but just failed to develop an interest in it. I'm sure it's not one of the worst games of 2009, but it's far and away the most disappointing. Something about it was just "meh."

[shopkins]

I thought RE5 was great. I'm an avid fan of the original RE style, I love the puzzle solving and key finding and OMG try not to get decapitated by a Hunter gameplay, but I don't mind the style of RE4 and RE5 and really enjoyed the latest game.

The only actual problem I had with RE5 was that Sheva would pick up landmines when I laid them down and put them in her inventory. I can think of no situation where her disarming the mines that I just set as a trap would be useful. And maybe they could have thrown in a few puzzles, just for old-times sake. Don't even have to make them mandatory, just make solving them ways to get special weapons or gold or artwork or something.

[Cobra Commander]

How did this thread turn into a hate-on-RE5 and defend-BC when the heart of the matter is that two that X-Play put out as the worst of 2009 have absolutely no business being there? Furthermore, it's the end of August, we still have a whole QUARTER of gaming to go.

Way to go again, G4.
Because it fills some little hole in their hearts. It makes them feel good to berate a mainstream game. I mean why would you want to risk looking like a corporate tool by liking RE5? When in doubt, hate it.

[delafro]

I can see some areas where people could be disappointed with RE5, especially if they were expecting a more traditional RE survival horror experience, but it's a good game overall with high productions values and a few control quirks here and there. Being designed for co-op, and as more of an action-packed game, I think that it turned out pretty well.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Yeah, i pulled that off the wii list.

I just went to metacritic and pulled down the worst reviewed games from this year. I've never actually played any of them. I figure anything that gets below a 50% has to suck.

Ok man, just checkin'. LOL

[Lostdwarf]

damn now i wish i woudl have stayed awake to see what else was on that list. Maybe it'll be on again. or maybe it was an ongoing list? i don't know

mike

[Gentlegamer]

I have never played any version of Resident Evil.

[SegaAges]

Ok, I will help change the subject a little.

Sonic and the Black Knight was actually pretty fun and had decent controls. "Oh no! It is not Sonic 2" No shit. It is a split off. I can name figures that have been around for years that have been in spin off games (Super Smash Bros has alot of characters for a spin off game). The only real problem with Sonic and the Black Knight is that it was way too short. Sonic and the Secret Rings is not near as good as this game. The controls sucked ass on Secret Rings.

Sonic Unleashed is a similar story. While the Werehog was put in to slow down gameplay, it was still fun to play as the werehog.

I would rather have Werehog than Big the Cat (who happens to appear in one of the games that is known to be a badass 3d Sonic game).

[GuyinGA]

I don't understand the hate for RE5 or Bionic Commando. If you renamed them, then G4 would have rated them better. Instead, they get shitted on because "oh, it's not as good as previous Resident Evils" or "I wanted it to be as good as NES Bionic Commando." Unless it's really really bad (like Terminator Salvation, Damnation, GI Joe Rise of Cobra, or any Wii shovelware game), then give it a chance. Adam Sessler gave a 5 to Tiger Woods Wii for Christ's sake.

[Gamereviewgod]

Precise swinging goals (like the hover mines) and "instant death" penalties (which translate well into the radiation zones) were featured in the original games.

In 2D the hover mines would likely be considered to be a "challenging platforming element" ... and I really enjoyed a skill-based section or two of the swing mechanic, the rest of the game did a lot of hand-holding when it came to the swinging/grappling ... it was nice to have to really think about where you had to throw that next grapple.

The Bionic Commando series was never known for its "sense of freedom" or open-world levels, and even if you or any reviewer found the mine-swinging or rad zones frustrating or annoying I don't see how that makes the game one of the worst games of 2009.

Again, I think the supposed "faults" of the game have more to do with an unfamiliarity with Bionic Commando in general than actual broken game-play or epic design flaws.

The problem with the mines is yes, in 2-D space something like that would probably work. You only need to worry about four directions, up, down, left, and right. In 3-D space, you have an entirely new set of problems, where you need to re-adjust a camera in mid-air to find the right angle in addition to making sure your spacing is correct. It is very specific, wherein a 2-D game that rigid design is fine. In 3-D, not so much.

Also, they falsely extend the game. When you fall, you're put back to the start of the mines with no real penalty other than doing it again. When that happens in a boss fight, you can change your strategy and try something fresh and new. With the mines, it is pure repetition, and that game has a lot of mines which traversing means some luck.

Then, the problem with the radiation is that is never clear where the radiation is. I prefer the linear design, but the way the levels work, there were numerous times where I swung into an area, only to be notified I was quickly being inflicted with cancer. It looked like a natural part of the level.

I loved Bionic Commando on the NES, and on the Game Boy where the game never got enough credit. The problem is they didn't remake it and think about how the arm should work enough. There are numerous segments, in the city and in the caves specifically, where the arm was exhilarating. Flying from street light to street light was a joy, even though it was nearly automatic. Still, it felt like you were swinging through the air effortlessly with a wonderfully remixed theme running behind the action. The game needed more of that.

One of the worst of 09? Hell no. I played Infernal and Damnation. Still, BC was a disappointment because the potential was right inside the game, but the level design took that away.

[jonnyutah]

re5 is just a action game. it's not resident evil. all capcom did was try to capitalize on re4 whitch was awsome. all they did was add hidef textures, new characters with same animations and i thought resident evil fans are so stupid we would buy into it. HA! don't think so.

you want survival horor after re4? get dead space. dead space is more resident evil than resident evil 5!! :D

[kupomogli]

Dead Space is more fluid and is what RE5 was going for but keeping the same gameplay as another RE. I didn't like Dead Space either though.

FPS games and games that play like FPS games are a dime a dozen. They're like sports titles but have different storyline, different maps, different guns, etc. It's hard to care about any FPS game or game that plays like an FPS when it's worse than others that have came out previously.

[Lady Jaye]

@Frankie: If you include portable consoles in your definition of consoles, then there has been 2 BC games released in the past 20 years: 1 on the Game Boy in 1992 and 1 on the Game Boy Color in 2000. So it's actually been nearly 10 years before this year's 2 game releases.

And I'd vote for the bug-infested PS2 version of Ghostbusters among the worst games of the year. Zero quality control, and the game freezes frequently out of the blue. IMO, any gameplay qualities it may have had were canceled by that buggy software. BTW, I heard from a friend who works at Ubisoft Montreal that Sony no longer requires any kind of QC for whatever remains of PS2 releases, so beware for cash-in shovelware on that platform.

[SegaAges]

@Frankie: If you include portable consoles in your definition of consoles, then there has been 2 BC games released in the past 20 years: 1 on the Game Boy in 1992 and 1 on the Game Boy Color in 2000. So it's actually been nearly 10 years before this year's 2 game releases.

And I'd vote for the bug-infested PS2 version of Ghostbusters among the worst games of the year. Zero quality control, and the game freezes frequently out of the blue. IMO, any gameplay qualities it may have had were canceled by that buggy software. BTW, I heard from a friend who works at Ubisoft Montreal that Sony no longer requires any kind of QC for whatever remains of PS2 releases, so beware for cash-in shovelware on that platform.

Or hidden porn in the game. Mmm, porn

[Kitsune Sniper]

And I'd vote for the bug-infested PS2 version of Ghostbusters among the worst games of the year. Zero quality control, and the game freezes frequently out of the blue. IMO, any gameplay qualities it may have had were canceled by that buggy software. BTW, I heard from a friend who works at Ubisoft Montreal that Sony no longer requires any kind of QC for whatever remains of PS2 releases, so beware for cash-in shovelware on that platform.

Does that mean Phoenix Games will make their debut in America soon enough?

[Dastardly Dylan]

Resident Evil 5 was a very short game. Beat it the day I got it, collector's edition.

I love the series, I wasn't dissapointed but it wouldn't hurt for the game to be a bit longer.