Gamertell

If you’re like me, videogames are an investment. I’m picky about the new games I’m willing to pay for, and I’m wary of the potential duds waiting to wind up in the junk cart at the local Gamestop.

If I’m going to spend more than $30 for a game, it has to do more than have a cool box and hot characters showing off their signature moves in the commercials. It has to prove its worth among the critics and reviewers, with dynamic storylines and above all, great playability before I toss a couple George Washington’s across the counter.

Recently PCWorld Canada named the top 10 worst videogames of 2007 and frankly, I have to agree with them on a few of their picks. Without further adieu, here are PCWorlds top 10 picks for the worst video games of 2007:

• 10. Spider-Man 3 for the PS3, Wii and Xbox 360. Published by Activision and developed by Treyarch. “I wasn’t a big fan of the Spider-Man 2 game Activision put out back in 2004 (I thought Ultimate Spider-Man was much better), and my worst fears were realized with Spider-Man 3. Web swinging around an open and breathing rendition of New York City is great unto itself, but not when it’s overshadowed by the nonsense that goes on in this game,“ said PCWorld’s Ted Kritsonis. I have to agree with Kritsonis here in that I was disappointed with the game since the PSP version of Spider-Man 2. Each game thereafter was more of a disappointment than a challenge. I hated the camera angles that got me killed through most of the game as I tried to attack (what I assumed was the enemy), only to zoom out and see that I was attacking the side of the building while the thugs were kicking me and shooting me in the back. I thought this deserved to be the number one worst game of 2007.
• 9. Beowulf for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Published by Ubisoft and developed by Ubisoft Tiwak. “Movie-licensed video games are becoming a theme on this list, even though Beowulf isn’t the worst of the bunch. But seeing as how it made the cut, there isn’t a whole lot of good to say about it, either. Here’s the problem: Beowulf has some gorgeous visuals, with sprawling environments and good character models. But when those characters actually start interacting with each other, the whole foundation of the game comes tumbling down,“ he said. I have yet to play this game so I’ll take Kritsonis’ word on this title.
• 8. Tenchu Z for the Xbox 360. Published by Microsoft Game Studios and developed by K2. “Tenchu Z is one of those games that leaves you scratching your head only 20 minutes in. And that trend continues unabated after hours of playing this one, which can best be described as a complete waste of time you’ll never get back,“ Kritsonis said.
• 7. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End for the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3. Published by Disney Interactive Studios and developed by Eurocom. “The more I play games based on this popular franchise, the more I realize that Jack Sparrow might not have a place in this business. Not one Pirates game has been good, and the Wii version of At World’s End is easily the worst of this bunch,“ he wrote. Okay other than the Kingdom Hearts series I’m not a big fan of Disney games because they are usually corny or so cute your head wants to explode.
• 6. Lair for the PS3. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by Factor 5. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way for Sony and this game,“ Kritsonis said in his review. “It had a lot of potential upside and was touted by Sony as a real winner for 2007, but with its broken gameplay, frustrating controls and endless cutscene interruptions, Lair will surely find its way to the bargain bins very soon (if it hasn’t already).“ I have to disagree with Kritsonis on this one. I thought the game was beautiful. If there was a PS3 title that deserved this slot I would have to say Untold Legends: Dark Knight. Picked it up from the cheap bin ... and it’s going back to the cheap bin after Christmas along with the PSP version of Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade. Only three words come to mind while playing these games, “they suck royally.“
• 5. Transformers: The Game for the PSP. Published by Activision and developed by Savage Entertainment. “The Transformers movie may have been a blockbuster at the box office, but the video games that preceded it were either halfway decent, or in the case of the PSP version, outright embarrassing,“ Kritsonis said. I have to agree, but then again, I haven’t played transformer game that didn’t suck. Why would this version be any different? They all sucked from the Commodore 64 version 1986 to the Transformers: Armada game in 2004.
• 4. Hour of Victory for the Xbox 360. Published by Midway and developed by nFusion. “World War II shooters have become a genre unto themselves, thanks to the popularity of the Medal of Honor and Call of Duty franchises. But when a wannabe upstart like Hour of Victory comes along, you realize why there are so many WWII titles—and so many reasons not to play them all. The visuals are also sub par, to say the least. Hour of Victory has parts that look like they were drawn in by a kid who missed his colouring book. The framerate is also choppy, making the game look worse than it already does. This needed a lot more than polish; it needed to go straight back to the drawing board,“ Kritsonis said.
• 3. Vampire Rain for the Xbox 360. Published by Microsoft Game Studios and developed by Artoon. Kritsonis totally ripped this game apart. “If Spinter Cell’s Sam Fisher ever had a clone, the clown who passes for the protagonist in this game would fit the bill perfectly,“ he said. “Except the only difference is that Sam is cool, and his job makes more sense than whatever it’s supposed to be in Vampire Rain.“ I’m so glad I own a PS2, PS3 and PSP and won’t be able to play this game. Thanks for saving me from considering this game, Kritsonis. I hate clone games ... well, with the exception of Bujingai: The Forsaken City, which plays like Devil May Cry 2 but the storyline is great. And for all those Gackt fans, who wouldn’t want to be in control of a hottie like that?
• 2. Star Trek: Conquest for the Wii and PS2. Published by Bethesda Softworks and developed by 4JStudios. “I feel bad for Trekkies who went out and bought this game. It’s Star Trek in name only, and hardly resembles anything good about its mythos ... This game is a travesty to the license and should be avoided at all costs by anyone even remotely thinking of spending money on it.“ Well said. I’m a big fan of the movie and television series but the games are so lame and a waste of time and money.
• 1. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer for the Nintendo DS. Published by Take-Two Interactive and developed by 7 Studios. “Even though almost every other platform had a game featuring the Fantastic Four, I’m picking on the DS version of this game for a lot of reasons,“ Kritsonis said. “It’s a game that proves any real lack of imagination and common sense can lead to disastrous results - as well as some lost time and money for those unlucky enough to have actually bought this.“ I haven’t played the DS version, but I do agree with this making the worst game list. It wasn’t the least bit entertaining to say the least.

There you have it, the top 10 worst games of 2007. A few dishonorable mentions on Kritsonis list included Soldier of Fortune: Payback, CSI, Far Cry for the Wii, and Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles for the PSP and DS. Of which Kritsonis recommended that those who owned any of these games should have “exchanged or traded it in already.“

Read [PCWorld Canada]

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