List and Rate Your Games!

[Keith Wallace]

I've been thinking a bit about some of the games that are out, and I've wondered if some are worth getting. Over on another site, their forum has a thread for people to post their recently-played games and give them a rating. I figured that would be something really useful for us, given that we're early in the generation, many games haven't gotten purchased by some of us, and it can give folks a chance to express their opinions about the titles they have purchased.

What I'd recommend is to list your games, then give an x/10 rating. If you care to explain yourself, go for it.

 

[Keith Wallace]

Titanfall: 8/10--The actual gunplay and Titan mechanics are phenomenal in this game. However, the campaign is terrible, and the lag (or netcode, whatever you want to call it) can be horrid at times. On top of that, despite being a digital title, it's highly crash-prone, while Forza and KSR haven't crashed a single time. I'd say that after 8 or 9 days, it's either crashed or refused to start AT LEAST 6 times. It's stupid.

Forza Motorsport 5: 8/10--I'm still hesitant about this game, because I got burnt out on the redundancy of Forza 4. That the content is halved here makes me wonder if that'll happen even faster this time. However, the driving itself is great. I find myself often finishing a race, then jumping into the hot lap mode to beat my friend who has the game. I've spent 30-60 minutes (on multiple occasions) just turning laps, trying to beat my friend's time, and I have a blast doing it. However, I knock it 2 points because of the cut content, along with the race length and some frustration with the Drivatars. It sucks trying to get a clean lap in a race when you start in 12th, are surrounded by overly-aggressive Drivatars, you only get 2 laps in the race, and drafting at all dirties both laps (it's almost impossible to avoid drafting when you start in 12th). Then the Drivatars suffer from the same issue of past Forza A.I. They're impossible to wreck, but they'll get you sideways with ease. That's annoying as heck.

Kinect Sports Rivals: 6/10--This isn't really the fairest of ratings. It might be a 7, over time. However, some of the games are dumb (target shooting), while the main problem is an overall lack of activities (only 6 sports). I feel like this game would be MADE for baseball and golf, but they're nowhere to be found (still holding out stupid hope for DLC). The biggest issue for me with Rivals is that I feel like I was lied to about the Kinect's in-close capabilities. If I'm not 10+ feet away, this game's about impossible to play. If you're short (like my cousin), it's not bad. However, I'm NOT short, so rock climbing is nearly-impossible to do correctly, because I need more space to play than I have. The Kinect barely sees the top of my head, so having to reach over my head makes the game rough. Oh, and make sure you've got reasonably-high ceilings, and don't be near a fan. I've punched my fan trying out Rivals and Xbox Fitness already.

 

[Coreldan]

Ryse: Son of Rome - 8/10 Ryse is a weird game in the sense that it was quite bashed within "professional gaming media", but most places with user reviews seemed to be like 4 out of 5 stars or something equivalent. I recommend getting this game and playing it through one way or another, it should be easy to pick up second hand. SP is short and the story might not be anything exceptional, but I liked it. Then again I also like Steven Seagal movies, and it's probably more comparable to that. It's enjoyable and full of action, but don't expect to be playing a game that will get awards for it's storyline I've also played a lot of the multiplayer and I still like it. While slashing and bashing the barbarians gets old in longer sessions, it's still always as awesome for that 30 mins every now and then. I already had a good offer to sell this game (and even make profit from what I paid lol), but I realized I don't want to sell this game, it's MP is too much fun for me.

Peggle 2 - 9/10 Peggle 2 and my rating for me it shouldn't be seen comparable to "AAA titles", and you should think about it as an arcade title, this is also reflected in it's pricing. I'm not typically that interested in this kind of games, but I largely got it cos I knew my fiancee would love it and we've both played ALOT of it. Definitely worth the little money it goes for, especially if you have some "facebook gamers" in the family and sorta want them to enjoy the Xbox One too.

Thief - 8/10 I've yet to actually finish the game, but it's good to note that I'm an avid fan of the series so this helps me forgive many of the flaws in the game, most of which are nothing too dealbreaking. My biggest gripe would be the meh performance at times caused by sloppy developing (pretty much present on all platforms). But the game looks nice and it's a good game if you are interested in this kinda stuff. I would also look into getting this second hand at some point (or maybe you picked it up during the digital sale).

Titanfall - 9,5/10 I just love this game. I have hard time finding negative things to say about the game, but I guess I would say that many features that shouldve been there came a month after the games release (so pretty fast, but still after launch). Titanfall is also the biggest reason why playing anything else for the last month has been at a halt

Killer Instinct - 8/10 I guess I went for this generic score, cos while I like fighting games, I'm not nearly proficient enough in them to compare it to really any other fighting games. It's fun and I get my *** whooped when I go online, but it seems very solid for what it is. The game is free with a weekly rotating character, but I've bought a couple of characters.

Just Dance 2014 - 8/10 I don't know if this is up the alley of most people here, this is largely my fiancee's game, not mine. We do play it together and it's a great and fun way to get some fun workout cos after a few songs if you actually try dancing properly, you will get some sweat up Occasionally it seems the detection is wonky, but this could be due to certain kind of clothing making limbs hard to track, but most of the time it works real nice. Song selection is a matter or preference, but you can also get some classics from the store. Many laughs guaranteed.

Disclaimer: I'm not very good at this kinda reviews. I really like all the games I have, despite some of them having some flaws, but it feels hard to give many games more than 8 when I think "these are really fun, but they arn't exactly Titanfalls for me" Titanfall then again does really have that jaw dropping effect on me (well, not really anymore cos Ive played it for quite a bit already, but I still really really love the game). Also in my books 8 is still "Good". 7 would still be definitely worth playing for me, even if the game wasn't all THAT good or worth the full price, while 6 I'd probably not bother paying for But as you can see, I think all the games I've got to be "Good" or higher.

 

[Keith Wallace]

I think we feel similarly about our games, I'm just not one to rate everything I like highly. I really like KSR, but it's imperfect. I don't know of any game I'd give a 10 to, and few would even get a 9/9.5 from me. You're like most folks (not necessarily in a bad way), in that you give out higher numerical scores than I do, even if the opinions are the same. For example, what you say about Ryse is what I normally hear. If that's accurate, then the game is probably a 6.5 or something for me. People usually just see the x/10 rankings like grades in school, where anything under a 7/10 is terrible. I try to use the entire scale, and call average stuff a 5/6. Review sites/magazines are the biggest cause of the inflation of ratings, considering the numerous 9s and 10s they give out.

 

[Coreldan]

Well around here the school grading system goes from 4-10. So that's probably one reason why different people see low grades differently. I would've got my *** whooped by my parents had I gotten a 6 from an exam during the early school years. 7 was pretty much "get away with a bad look as soon as it doesnt happen too frequently" 4 then again meant it was failed, 5 was just barely passed. So that's sorta how I use the scale about the games too. This also seems to largely be similar to the scale used by many gaming media sites, where basically 6 is already a "don't bother", rather than thinking a 1-10 scale where dont bother could be a.. 2-4.

At the same time, what's the point of having a scale up to 10 if you "arnt allowed" to use it. I'm not holding my breath for that game that doesnt have not one thing to complain about, you can always come up with something you don't like if you really try. Titanfall is the closest I've seen to a "near perfect game" (IMO) in a decade, thus I rate it very highly. I think it does need some realistic references instead of some utopia-level reviewing where basically nothing will ever get more than a 9

 

[Keith Wallace]

Agreed. I'd just rather it be that 10 is for that one special game every 5-10 years, not every GotY. However, at my school, anything under a 70% was failing. It was:

A: 100-94%
B: 93%-86%
C: 85%-78%
D: 77%-70%
F: 60%-0%

In college and public schools here, it's:

A: 100%-90%
B: 89%-80%
C: 79%-70%
D: 69%-60%
F: 59%-50%

It seems like Europe's either really tough on the curriculum or really easy on the grading, haha. But I am all about using the whole scale. 10 is relatively perfect, where the flaws are minor/rare. are I'd say that 7-9 is probably worth considering as a winner for the best game in its genre, or a game where anyone who likes the genre is probably going to enjoy it (not sure how an FPS fan could hate Titanfall or a racing fan could hate Forza 5). 4-6, I'd say is in the range of begin debatable, where fans of the series will like it, but non-fans will probably not (like how I view GTA). 1-3, you're basically saying it's unplayably-bad, unless you're a ****** who refuses to see the glaring issues (I don't buy enough games nowadays to come up with a good example).

 

[ncxcstud]

Those truly terrible games that only fanboys appreciate (but everyone else despises) are games like Superman 64. Truly awful, only the staunchest of Superman fans and Nintendo 64 fans can even tolerate its terribleness.

 

[ncxcstud]

Battlefield 4: 8.5 - When it works. 4 - when it doesn't. BF4 is great and epic in its scale. I've had a ton of fun with it. Though, it does come with a very steep learning curve and you feel like you're fighting with wooden sticks and rocks when you first start. But, I'll give it props in that when someone 'famous' is online in your friends list (like say Major Nelson) there is usually a decent chance you can get in their game since 64 people are playing. When it goes through its fits though? Ugh, is it terrible. Though, most of that has been cleared up now.

AC:IV - I haven't finished this yet but so far I'd give it a 7. It's fun. It's Assassin's Creed. I'm not sure if I'm 'burned out' of the AC series after III or what, but for some reason I just can't get into this game. What it does it does very well, and is a breath of fresh air after AC:III.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare - 8 - This game surprised me. It's really fun. It's cute, playful, and full of color and wit. It is also challenging and deep.

Stryder - 7.5 - A game that makes me miss old school Metroidvania games. Lots of fun, little direction in where to go, tons to explore.

Peggle 2 - 9 - Any game that my daughter and wife both say - "Let's play!" gets a double thumbs up in my book. Very challenging, lots of fun.

Dead Rising 3 - 9 - I love the DR series. Dead Rising 3 is awesome. So many zombies, so many fun ways to make them go away. The story was hokey, but fun. I had a blast with this game.

Titanfall - 9.5 I. LOVE. THIS. GAME! The most fun I've had with a game in a long time. Love it. It has it's quirks, but the core gameplay - for me - is top notch.

 

[Keith Wallace]

I got burned out on Assassin's Creed in the middle of the second one. The combat is just too bland and redundant to enjoy. There are, what, 2 or 3 types of enemies? Every fight is "hold block, then press counterattack when you feel bored of blocking." There's no difficulty, even against a large group. That said, I'm hoping that an HD collection makes it to the One ,as I'd like to try the post-II games someday.

 

[Flagz]

Dead Rising 3; 8.5/10 - What an amazing open world game. The customization, graphics and sheer size of the game is amazing. It was buttery smooth aside from a few random reboots and fram drops. Great customization of weapons and diversity of zombies. The vehicles are amazing and lack of load times is always welcomed. I felt immersed while playing on the Highest difficulty. The story is kind of simple, but the fun you have will make up for it. I played it three or four time if I remember!Ryse; 9/10 - This game is amazing. Not one professional review did it justice. This game is gorgeous from beginning to end. The story is engaging and the combat system is fluid. The look and feel of the game draws you in for an amazing single player experience. I only played through once, but it is worth at least that.NFS: Rivals; 8/10 - Loved it, great arcade racer. I'm more into fast and smash em racers so this made perfect sense. Great variety and fun to just race each other in free mode online. Has a great selection if cars, but I wish they had included a greater variety of customization.Battlefield 4; 7/10 - Good game, the multiplayer really shines. Good variety of Gins and vehicles with large memorable battles, but never got attracted to the Multiplayer.CoD: Ghost; 6/10 - Its Call of Duty. What can I say. Its a major release, but I never got hooked. Giving it a 6/10 based on graphics, never like the series..Just Dance 4; 8.5/10 - Surprisingly really fun. Me and my fiance LOVE IT, world great for the kids/younger siblings too. Also a good fun drinking game. To get a crowd active.Assassins Creed 4; 7/10 - Great story and game. Simple mechanics if you played precious AC games, but that's the problem, its bland. The mechanics stay the same, so the combat gets tiring. Oh well, great graphics and story so I can see why people love it!Peggle 2; 8/10 - The ultimate time waster, fun cute characters, awesome gameplay, gorgeous animations and a great variety! Never played the original but this game left a good lingering taste of me wanting more! Wish it came to WP8!!!Forza 5; 8/10 - Beautiful graphics and a great simulator. You really feel immersed in the experience in first person, drivatars are amazing, but I dislike the load times. Not big into Simulators, but this one takes the cake.Titanfall; 9.75/10 - Simply amazing. It just works and does everything a game is supposed to. Can't really say much more. I wouldn't change much.