(Oh, hello Vaas. Didn't see you there...)
Today's blog is going to be a little on the short side. This is because it is really nothing more than a list of five...sub-par games that actually don't suck (too much), as well as brief little descriptions as to why I think they don't utterly fail and deserve to die. Just for the heck of it, I'll even include the scores I would give the games, as well as some clinically proven to cheer you up satire. Your welcome. Trust me, you'll need it to make it through the mid-week doldrums. Anyway, let's get this party started...
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Number Five:
Dragon Age II
Before there was Mass Effect 3, there was Dragon Age II. Before there was controversy and complaint surrounding Mass Effect 3's ending(s), there was controversy and complaint surrounding Dragon Age II's...everything. Seriously. People complained about the entirety of the game, simply because BioWare tried to make it more "open" and appealing to console gamers, in stark contrast with the first game's more tactics based, traditional approach. Now, don't get me wrong- I was more than a little disappointed with the sequel, but it still did a number of things right. Story being chief among them. It might be a little dry and decaying around the edges, but I'd still say Dragon Age II is a fine and decent game. Fight me about if you want, but it's my opinion.
The Score: 7/10
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Number Four:
Fable III
As disappointed as I was with this sequel to a sequel, Fable III did a lot of things right as well- despite all of its DLC being absolutely abominable and utterly boring. The game itself was a nice upgrade in many ways to Fable II's formula, and the best thing about it was the further tailoring and tinkering with the gameplay. It finally seemed more fluid, even if it did try harder this time around to be an action-adventure game than the RPG that the other two games were. Despite genre changing and pointless story twists however, the game was overall a mild success for Lionhead, and I am interested to see if they will ever take on a supposed fourth one... I wonder how much time will have passed, and how industrialized the world will be this time around as well...
The Score: 8/10
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Number Three:
Crysis 2
Many people have complained, since Crysis 1, about the story line and plot of the series, stating that it doesn't make sense and therefore the games suck. This is insanity, as there are many games with stories that are either farfetched or don't make sense, and their gameplay more than makes up for it. The same can be said here with a few aspects actually. The graphics are beautiful, and as of yet only outmatched by its sequel- Crysis 3. The gameplay is phenomenal, fluid, and an adrenaline trip throughout the seven or eight hour campaign, and always in the frantic multiplayer matchups as well. Which, oh, by the way, was a new and well-received aspect of the fabulous game as well. It might be one of the weaker entries in an epic series, but Crysis 2 holds onto the standards set by its predecessor, and is only outmatched by Crysis 3 overall.
The Score: 8.75/10
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Number Two:
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Assassin's Creed: Revelations is one of the most diverse Assassin's Creed games to date, as well as one of the most heavily criticized- surpassing even the hate for AC3's glitches and characters. Because of this, it is often under fire from players and the gaming industry alike, which is really a shame, because the game did many things right as well. Not only did it relocate Ezio to a new locale, give him completely new supporting characters, give him powerful new abilities, and create a fresh new plot, but it also made a character that would otherwise be stale and old-fashioned exciting and more believable. Bravo to the team at Ubisoft for stepping up when the normally working-on AC team was crafting AC3's tale. Bravo for filling their shoes and doing admirably in the face of adversity. It is because of you that AC3 was much more well received, and provided the series with a continued breath of fresh air and a chance for more greatness with Black Flag. Weird as that may sound.
The Score: 9/10
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Number One:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Yep, you guys probably knew this one was coming. I'm going to say this just for your benefit so I am taken seriously, but I am honestly not that big a fan of the modern Call of Duty series. Sure, I recognize that the series has done some great things, and I've enjoyed my fair share of CoD moments...but it just isn't doing anything for me anymore, as you'll see in my gradually decreasing review scores for the past three games. I recently (a month or two ago) did a nostalgic review on MW3, mainly to see how it had fared over the years, and it still held up alright overall. Granted, it isn't and wasn't perfect by any means, but it kept everyone's multiplayer palate sated, and it (finished?) continued the Modern Warfare story in an interesting way. Sure, it rehashed a lot of things from MW2, probably to help series newcomers, but it also had its fair share of new and pleasant surprises as well. For this reason, and because the gameplay is still pretty solid, I'd say that MW3, while not awesome, is nowhere near the bottom of the trash heap.
The Score: 8.5/10
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And with that, I leave you guys to your (hopefully) glorious day. Until the next time folks, I'll be signing off for now...
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