Best of the rest: Alexander's picks
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Jan 1st 2007 at 12:25PM }
Civilization 4: Warlords (PC)
Civilization 4 is still one of the best games out there -- even though it's from 2005 -- and Warlords polished it to a finished product. Adding some random bits of goodness to the game, Civ 4 delivers epic strategy, intuitive gameplay and the best replay value of almost any other title out there. Civilization 4 delivers like few games can. And as I can't help myself, whenever I mention Civilization, I've got to ask: Sid Meier, where's Alpha Centauri II???
Additional picks (in no particular order):
Elebits (Wii)
Elebits is the Wii's Katamari Damacy, without the fun music and plagued by the most annoying cutscene voice-over work ever! Despite its issues, Elebits shows off a lot of potential for the system and for a sequel. Enjoyable in single player and multiplayer modes.
Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
An amazing storyline and hours of polished RPG goodness. Enjoying the game is all about adjusting to the new combat system. Once gamers get past that hurdle, Final Fantasy XII is a new and improved version of the formula we've all come to love.
Grandia III (PS2)
Still the best combat system in RPGs. Grandia III was too short, but that combat system is amazing. Oh, and I'm a sucker for J-pop in videogames. Bring on Grandia IV!
Just Cause (Xbox 360)
I want to hate this GTA clone so much ... but I can't. Yes, it has so many problems, but the action never lets up. It's beautiful and the stunts are something that will hopefully be incorporated into future GTA games. A massive evolution that future GTA-style sandbox games will have to mimic. If Just Cause II does almost everything the same with polish -- now that would be incredible.
Tomb Raider: Legend (Xbox 360)
I never liked Tomb Raider until this game. The voice acting and cliffhanger in the final scene made me scream at the television because it was all over. Except for being way too short for its own good, this game should not be missed; however, the cliffhanger ending may make it advisable to wait for the sequel to come out first.
Viva Piñata (Xbox 360)
Incest, abuse, animal cruelty and it all takes place in a beautiful garden where you attract animals for slaughter -- brilliant! An excellent game full of subtext despite being designed for children. 
Disappointing:
- Dead Rising (Xbox 360) - Why won't they let us kill phone-etiquette Otis?!? I'm killing zombies here, I might need to hang up the phone unexpectedly! After playing it at E3 Dead Rising was going to be the first must have Xbox 360 game. Problem is the mall survivor's horrible AI, along with the "appointment" gaming ruined the sandbox. And for standard definition television users there was the oh-so-small-tiny-text -- which Capcom refused to patch.
- Left Behind: Eternal Forces (PC) - If it had been good, this game would have been the most controversial game of the year. A mix of religion and video games -- most people would have found something to be offended by. The game is awful though, so no point in discussing it.
- Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (Xbox 360) - When graphics geeks from "respectable" gaming outlets review games, that's how GRAW undeservedly got a high score. Between clunky controls and capping the back of a teammates head more than once -- this was hype selling games at its best.
- World of Warcraft - The Gates of Ahn' Qiraj (PC) - The first major world event in WoW and boy did it blow up in player's faces. After working weeks on the war effort the servers continually crashed and the results were a complete letdown.
- Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360) - An MMO without real people in it -- boring once you figure that out.
- Prey (Xbox 360) - Something to fill in the summer, but was forgettable even while playing. It felt like a game that should have been made ten years ago ... oh wait, it was.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Limey @ Jan 3rd 2007 7:02PM
I thought I was the only one who wanted Alpha Centauri II :)
mugginns @ Jan 1st 2007 12:58PM
Blech.
Let's hate games that tons of people liked, it'll make us look cool!
Dead Rising and Oblivion are great games - you're dropped the ball here.
girlygirl123 @ Jan 1st 2007 1:17PM
You liked Just Cause but didn't like Oblivion. What's wrong with you?
Tamago @ Jan 1st 2007 1:24PM
This list makes me scratch my head.
MosquitoControl @ Jan 1st 2007 1:24PM
I'm just going to echo the "Just Cause but not Oblivion or Dead Rising?!" sentiment.
Just Cause was an awful game. Awful. Awful.
Oh, it was beautiful, but it was empty.
1) Combat was just holding down one button and occasionally flipping the autoaim button. Isn't autoaim a bit, err, "last-gen?"
2) Almost all the combat you did was just running at a base and hitting roadblocks.
3) Absolutely no physics on the vehicles, particularly the planes. I tended to clip trees with my wings while taking off, do a few 360 spins, then level out and resume flying as usual.
4) Rocks. Ug, the rocks. You'd be driving along then slam into a well-camouflaged boulder, ending your joyride before it begins, hindering your ability to enjoy the landscape.
5) Speaking of the landscape, you had trees, you had boulders, and that was it. Nothing to explore, nowhere to go.
Saints Row might have had the most generic setting out there, but it did combat so fantastically, had great driving, and a wide variety of mission styles. If you're going to pick one GTA clone on the 360, this would have to be it. It outclasses GTA in every way except for style and humor (where it failed miserably.)
Dead Rising was clunky, and the survivor AI blew... but you could do quite well without saving he survivors. Simple zombie killing was worth the price of admission.
Oblivion's AI wasn't near what it was hyped, but still amusing enough, even with its hysterical shortcomings. The game was too easy to break with magic, and broke itself quite often with disc-read errors, but was still pretty damn amusing when it worked.
Neebs @ Jan 1st 2007 1:30PM
I am saddened by the lack of Company of Heroes in anyone's list.
RHP @ Jan 1st 2007 1:38PM
Dead Rising is a pretty fun game, and one of my all time favorites this year. I think is suffers from being more misunderstood than appreciated. Often the game, which is actually meticulously designed, is cited as having flaws, when it's actually purposely created that way. The most notable is the save system, which if you've played the game you'll come to realize is perfectly suited for the way this game works.
I can't praise Dead Rising enough for actually having a story. Most games these days just drop you in and pretty much say 'Ok, go! Kill anything that moves, that's all you need to know.'
The game becomes much deeper the longer you play. And I love a lot of the nice touches... when you change clothes those changes stick with you even during the cut scenes (nice job!). The openness of being able to play the game though the story, or simply perform side missions, or avoiding both of those and simply killing zombies is pretty cool. Another nice touch is the hidden items or unlockables. Anyone who has achieved the real mega man gun, will know the game changes to a whole other level.
And that's my favorite thing about Dead Rising. I've probably played this game over and over more than anything else. Part of that is because of perhaps the best achievement system I've ever encountered in a 360 game.
Viva Pinata is an odd game, in that it appears targeted towards younger childen, and is extremely cutesy and underwhelming to initially play, but if you allow youself to play for a while and dig into some of the deeper elements, it becomes somewhat addicting. It's basically about gardening, animal gathering, and breeding. Even those don't really sound that appealing, but it actually works.
Jason (2K) @ Jan 1st 2007 1:43PM
For the thousandth time, Firaxis/2K can't do a sequel to Alpha Centauri because we don't have the rights. :(
If you want a sequel, talk to EA.
Jason @ Jan 1st 2007 7:52PM
wow, I loved every single 360 game on your disappointing list - i think you have strange expectations for your video games.
Johnny Bloom @ Jan 1st 2007 2:41PM
YOU F*CKING TARDS!!! IT IS AN OPINION!!! IF YOU DON"T LIKE IT, GOOD FOR MOTHERF*CKING YOU!!! HE WON'T CHANGE HIS OPINION, BECAUSE IT IS AN OPINION!!!
And for every commentator who didn't bitch and/or moan (there must be atleast one) Happy New Year.
a2 @ Jan 1st 2007 4:25PM
Whoa. Are you okay?
Blogging is all about opinion. If you don't want an opinion, then why offer the ability to comment at all? It's not about attempting to changing someone's opinion, but rather offer your perspective on the topic at hand.
If you don't agree with someone's opinion, no need to call them "F*CKING TARDS." Naming calling never drives a point home anyway. It just makes people unlikely to take you seriously.
And that's my opinion.
Happy New Year.
Johnny Bloom @ Jan 1st 2007 5:28PM
a2, though chances say you will probably never read this, I would like to say: Thank you. I am not talking to you. I have been left jaded by forums like this, and I have been a tad bit, well, foul, today, to say the least. You are right. Allow me to put in a calmer manner what I wanted to say. The commentators are obviously entitled to their opinions, yet, they cannot say them calmly. I know I did no better, and for that I'm sorry. Thank you very much.
syco @ Jan 1st 2007 8:15PM
After having played WoW for almost a year, the concept of an MMORPG without people in it is incredably inviting.
NotAnElitistPrick @ Jan 1st 2007 9:41PM
Damn. EA has the rights to Alpha Centauri? That's not good.
Well, maybe in Civ V, you can do the "sweep of time" thing you guys were suggesting and have the game continue once you land on Alpha Centauri...
You guys make that, and I'll even buy Simgolf 2.
Killer Instinct @ Jan 14th 2007 2:35PM
civ4 is good but games are long even if you start on mideval times with fast mode on
online games are a pain to start up and get people in
but all in all its a good game
i personally like team games online in civ4 like 2v2 or 3v3 or 2v2v2