January 29 - February 2
Our skepticism for this week's Game of the Week is so healthy that its genetic structure should be used in medicines to heal terminally ill patients. It's not just that Brad McQuaid and that other guy from Verant who started Sigil seem stuck in a lot of the gameplay mechanics that most of us were happy to see eliminated by better games, but that the final beta seemed to indicate that, short of a PC accidentally sent back from the future, most everyone can expect crippling performance. So why is it the GOTW? Simply, lack of competition. Battlestations: Midway was intriguing but the demo left me stone cold, and Rogue Galaxy for the PS2 appears to be about Anime Space Pirates in actual space faring boats. I can assure you that such shenanigans will never be rewarded with the GOTW nod. So, it's Vanguard: Saga of Heores. Caveat Emptor.
On DVD this week we have a long list of not much. There's Open Season, and outside of that there's seasons of Dallas or Murder She Wrote. Woooo! More here.
PC:
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes (01/29)
Blitzkrieg 2: Fall of the Reich (01/29)
City Life World Edition (01/29)
Battlestations: Midway (01/30)
Monopoly Here and Now (02/01)
PS3:
Sonic The Hedgehog (01/30)
WII:
Mario Kart 64 (01/29)
XBOX360:
Battlestations: Midway (01/30)
Fuzion Frenzy 2 (01/30)
PS2:
Rogue Galaxy (01/30)
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Hater.
Rogue Galaxy for me this week, thanks.
XBL/PSN: zeroKFE | BHA: zeroKFE
Ditto! It's one of three games I have reserved right now.
Yet even then we ran like the wind,
whilst our laughter echoed under cerulean skies...
Pros: Brings back that warm, exhilarating Skies of Arcadia feeling.
Cons: Even my so-strong-it's-not-healthy suspension of disbelief won't let me get over that these characters are in space walking around the decks of their ships without any plausible way to breathe.
Xbox Live: Stilgar Black
You pick a game that you know sucks as game of the week? You just lot all street cred if you ever had any.
XBox Live|Tshirts|xfire | Last.fm
We need a "None of the above" for GoW for weeks like this
Best thing about this week is we are one more week closer to the release of Crackdown.
Battlestations, if only because "BS: Midway" sort of sums up a lot of my college days.
Elysium: The democratization of the web ... has installed an illusion of a digital first amendment that protects speech no matter how poorly spelled or stupid.
XBL: E Munnie
elementsofmeaning.blogspot.com
I'll wait until I will finish FF12 before I'll get Rogue Galaxy.
Xbox Live: Nei HD | Playstation ID: Nei_GWJ
He's right. I heard a guy on 3rd Avenue talking trash about you this very morning.
Xbox Live: StaatsM
None of the above for me, thanks. Looks like I'll be watching Murder She Wrote and drinking mint julips until next week.
Rat Boy on Newlywed Ackbar wrote:
They all suck. The whole damn week sucks. The whole month, save one game has sucked so far.
My recommendation, save your money until game-makers get back to putting something worthwhile on the shelves.
Pfff, that guy plays DDR. Don't listen to him
"I think Elysium has the right of it" - Certis
Vanguard as Game of The Week? Man, whoever pushed you onto the tracks with that oncoming train should be shot!
Really though, Game of The Week needs to be noteworthy, not necessarily awesome.
Certis beat me to it. - Elysium
Couldn't you guys have gone the Time Magazine route and simply say that everybody is the game of the week?
"Men like sex, thus boobies! Oogaba!" - dejanzie
"If ads put your sanity to the test
come on down to Rat Boy's nest!
light up a stogie, and soon you'll see
how rock can be commercial-free!
'I'd hit it!'" - HP Lovesauce
Uh, City Life seemed to get some critical praise earlier...
XBL Gamertag: Bear Patrol
Blog: Triple Point Blank Fire
Only one good game this month? I can think of three off hand:
1. Hotel Dusk
2. Wario Ware
3. Rogue Galaxy
Okay, Rogue Galaxy is still a bit of an unknown quantity, and by all accounts it doesn't quite stack up to the developer's previous work (but when you are talking about Dragon Quest 8, I think that is understandable). But just because it doesn't suit your tastes doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile. To be fair, though, I suppose that after hunting giant rats in the Outland all other games just seem dull in comparison, eh?
XBL/PSN: zeroKFE | BHA: zeroKFE
The demo for Rogue Galaxy was fantastic. Just as good as FF12 and DQ8.
XBox Live|Tshirts|xfire | Last.fm
Fuzion Frenzy 2! C'mon, this game is gonna rock!
Freeagent is formerly known as divorced. Please make the necessary legal and illegal adjustments.
Yankeefan4444
I'm seriously considering that option.
I'm sorry, talk about doing the same thing over and over again. JRPGs have, from my chair, hit more of a repetition wall than hunting rats in any MMO. I've had a few GotW in that particular genre, including FFXII and DQVII, and I realize it has some traction with a core group of gamers, but there's nothing about Rogue Galaxy that strikes me as any more deserving of attention than Vanguard or Battlestations.
I'd certainly play Vaguard before Rogue Galaxy, because for all its technical issues it did bring some good ideas to the table along with the bad. My skepticism is genuine, but I enjoyed the diplomacy and trade-skill tracts of the game during beta, and am on record as having positive things said about that.
In short, okay Vanguard is still a bit of an unknown quantity, and by all accounts doesn't stack up to the developer's previous work (but when you are talking about Everquest, I think that is understandable). But, just because it doesn't suit your tastes doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile. To be fair, though, I suppose that after flying around on space faring pirate frigates all other games just seem dull in comparison.
(insert double smiley face indicating loving tongue-in-cheekness as opposed to combative sarcasm)
"I think Elysium has the right of it" - Certis
Yup. I ignored it when Hotel Dusk was snubbed last week in favor of a PSP port of a two year old (but admittedly very fun) game. However I'm starting to scratch my head here seeing that act followed by putting a game that has been hailed by all that have played it as a resounding "meh" over a solid (albeit not earthshattering) action RPG with a compelling visual style and an interesting (albeit somewhat goofy) premise.
Edit:
Hah, you've got me there.
You are absolutely correct that the JRPG genre doesn't move forward by leaps and bounds, and it is also true that I don't hold the MMO genre in high regard (or any regard, to tell the truth). Still, I'd much rather play though another entertaining and well crafted entry in any genre that I even moderately enjoy (even if it really didn't break any new ground in terms of gameplay) than try to slog through a buggy, unfinished, resource hog of a game in my favorite genre.
In a way, this sort of harkens back to the old argument of console gaming verus PC gaming. As someone who is much fonder of the console exerience, I don't crave innovation out of every game I play, and I'm also not willing to deal with as much hassle in order to get at an interesting game experience. As such, I wouldn't play Vanguard as it stands no matter what sort of game it is. However, I do expect that Rogue Galaxy will prove to be quite fun for me while it lasts, and I eagerly away its release later this week.
XBL/PSN: zeroKFE | BHA: zeroKFE
You say you've played Vanguard so that's a good thing. Have you played Rogue Galaxy to compare?
XBox Live|Tshirts|xfire | Last.fm
From the demo, Rogue Galaxy reminds me a great deal of "Treasure Planet". Only without the cool Solar Sailer/skateboardy thingy.
On the other hand, since the Dominion haven't shown up with my hardware, Vanguard is only a wisftul glance to me.
And we really liked the first Fuzion Frenzy. It lets you have a party game without all that "cute". I'm looking at getting this next installment.
Duoae wrote:
No. Did you play Vanguard to compare?
Perhaps we're taking this way too seriously.
"I think Elysium has the right of it" - Certis
Fuzion Frenzy had some very fun minigames, sumoball is a great example. All of the running around and beating each other up levels, not so much. Just hope the new one emphasizes riding in giant balls, and minimizes the hitting.
Just in from Eli 7.4's playground: Apparently, girls go to college to get more knowledge, but boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider. - Bill Harris
Jonnypolite on: Twitter
Probably true. We're looking from different things from our games. I'm as likely to play Rogue Galaxy - which seems like the silliest premise on which to base a game that's like a thousand games before it -- as you are to play Vanguard - which probably seems equally silly to you.
"I think Elysium has the right of it" - Certis
Vanguard should be game of the week just because of the hype for this game over the last year or more and that it is finally seeing day. It may stink, I played it in beta and it smelled bad, but does not make this game any less news worthy. In fact, I think that it stinks so bad makes it even more news worthy.
Nah, Vanguard doesn't really sound silly to me, just incomplete. I suppose they don't have the luxury given financial concerns, but from everything I've read and heard, the game needs another 6 months worth of development, and even if it was just a straight RPG I probably wouldn't pick it up right way for that reason alone.
I actually love high fantasy and love exploring open worlds, and it is possible that I would become the biggest MMO addict you know if I really tried them. That is part of why I don't -- not that I couldn't find the time to play them, but that I don't want to get wrapped up in a game experience that doesn't have a satisfying end to it (something that I very much value in my games). I want to have the time to spare for a quirky space pirate game here and there, you know?
XBL/PSN: zeroKFE | BHA: zeroKFE
Oh, and if your estimation of my character hasn't dropped enough in this thread already, I also play DDR.
XBL/PSN: zeroKFE | BHA: zeroKFE
I trusted you and the rest of the GWJ crew to do that since you guys have beta invites and I don't. You all basically said it wasn't worth it.
XBox Live|Tshirts|xfire | Last.fm
And closer to FF VI Advance as well! Yeah man, that's going to rock. Portable FF III US. Mmmhm. Don't you all think so? Come on, stop fighting!
Yet even then we ran like the wind,
whilst our laughter echoed under cerulean skies...
My copes of Bauldar's Gate II, Icewind Dale, and Psychonauts (from that sale a couple weeks ago) came in the mail yesterday.
Does that mean I win?
Elysium: The democratization of the web ... has installed an illusion of a digital first amendment that protects speech no matter how poorly spelled or stupid.
XBL: E Munnie
elementsofmeaning.blogspot.com
I think he was talking about you specifically the first time.
Danjo Olivaw Lives