Whereas this hasn't been a classic year yet again there are some good games making even picking a Top 3 a difficult decision.

I've got a feeling that there are still games to be released that could make my final 3...

I still don't think it's fair I do mine till the other big releases this year are out. But Xcom will probably be top regardless.

This has been quite a great year for games.

I don't think anyone is admonishing for lack of time or money of folks who can't get around to new games, more that acknowledging a lack of sufficient experience to deem this year objectively shit, as there have been a fair amount of rather good games. You can't judge a game's worth on a demo, any more than you judge a film on one scene or a book on a chapter. To think so, I feel, is fairly demented. RE6 had a terrible demo but is probably my favourite game this year, even though Mass Effect 3 was about as good as it gets for me as it regards story, sci-fi and beautiful worlds to explore. Max Payne I also really enjoyed as an older feeling more challenging combat bit. Dishonoured hasn't fully gotten there for me but it probably will. If we're going by default of what we have played and enjoyed more than we haven't, well that's an easy list. If we're attempting to reach a legitimate overview then playing more than five games is required, but if we're just trying to please ourselves - which is really the only sensible way to approach ought - then I figure it's been a good year.

Paul the sparky wrote:

Judging whether or not you like a game based on playing it? Demented.

Not as demented as it would first appear from what has been levelled at me in the past.

Paul the sparky wrote:

Judging whether or not you like a game based on playing it? Demented.

Feeling you can judge a whole from a small part is a bit strange. Why bother finish anything if that's the case?

No, I'm saying if you want to judge its worth as a game, playing a very small section is not adequate. If this were not the case, then good demos would equal good games, good trailers would equal good movies, good excerpts would equal good novels. Which is plainly not the case. If you want to judge something as a whole or how it stands objectively or as close as possible to other games of the year then the game should be played through, not the demo. I would have thought that was pretty obvious.

Would you be happy with reading a review that was based solely on the demo?

Crytek repeatedly that bollocks with Crysis. Great game ruined by some fucking stupid alien bullshit with crap levels at the end. Not gonna stop me going back and checking out Far Cry, though. At least I know roughly what to expect.

MattyJ wrote:

Also, Uncharted have done this. Unneccisary supernatural plot twist. I know the Indiana Jones movies have that element to them and Uncharted uses them as templates, but the games didn't need it.

At least they were based on some form of reality this time, trippin' your tits off, but I'm with you. They were the worst part of the game...

...again.

I wouldnt say you missed nothing g.man but if ever there was a year to take a break from new releases and dig into your back catalogue this was it.
Saying that the late arrivals of Dishonored, X-com and Miami Hotline are making this a far better year than expected.

g.man wrote:

I'm not convinced I've actually bought a game this year...and yet I feel like I've missed nothing.

regards

g.man

While you may not have missed true... Innovation or wotevs, you did miss devs iterating on current templates to refine them masterfully.

Leave the crust though, it makes your hair curly...

hylian_elf wrote:

Crytek repeatedly that bollocks with Crysis. Great game ruined by some fucking stupid alien bullshit with crap levels at the end. Not gonna stop me going back and checking out Far Cry, though. At least I know roughly what to expect.

It was a fantastic game, for me it was the first true taste of what was to come on the consoles. Fantastic multiplayer riding the back of a brilliant (up to a point) campaign.

I saw plornt say that B2 was one of his GotY's despite only reaching a low level. I know you can tell if a game's going to be good pretty early on, but less than a quarter of the way into it?

I think some people here need to credit others with a bit more intelligence.  I doubt there's anybody here that would play a demo and not know, from various factors, whether or not they'll like the game, and not just based on an over-simplified good demo = good game equation.  I've played demos of games that I've really enjoyed but known that the demo has given me my fill, and the full game would be a waste of pennies.  Equally I've played demos that have frustrated but I've seen something in it that I know will intrigue me in the full title.  We aren't dribbling idiots who can only judge a demo in and of itself.  We know our own tastes, and that covers a wide range of factors.  Games have an advantage over books and movies in that its easier to enjoy one even if other factors fall short.  A movie with a shit script or shit acting is hard to enjoy no matter how good the explosions are, but a game with a great mechanic can fall short in those areas.

So, try to understand that your fellow forumites can think for themselves and don't need you to tell them whether or not they can judge how much they'll enjoy something.

I never bother with demos. 1-2 gb takes far to bloody long to download over live. if I like the look of a game and there's been good chat about it then I'll tend to buy it or put on the list for "games to get when super cheap"

need to think of my list now I think.