Gamepro's most overrated game of 2009

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Game Rankings score: 94%

Now that we're all sober: 85%

For all its unadulterated brilliance, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a long way from perfect. There are flaws in this game that threaten to derail the player's enjoyment — and we're not just talking about the javelin glitch.

Firstly there's the single-player campaign: not only is it short; it's messier than a post-nuke Sergeant Jackson. Roach and Ramirez's globe-trotting missions feel like soulless roller-coaster rides that hurl the player from one incomprehensible set piece to another. The character beats are all-too brief, and the plot — with its rapid-fire cross cutting and frequent betrayals — is often hard to follow. There are several big plot twists in the game that are poorly foreshadowed; you simply don't get the emotional payoff that you should.

The decision to unleash hell on American soil also cheapens the game tonally. This is B-grade science-fiction dressed up in military fatigues. Sure, the attack on the White House might be thrilling, but it's also completely implausible. By dialling the spectacle up to 11, Infinity Ward has robbed the franchise of its gritty authenticity — it feels more like Starship Troopers than Black Hawk Down and the game suffers as a result.

And then there's the online multiplayer. No dedicated server support for PC gamers? No matchmaking for novice players? No local search options? Compulsory Steam account shenanigans? Rampant online cheating? Clearly, Infinity Ward fumbled the ball here. Don't get us wrong, Modern Warfare 2 provided some fine entertainment in 2009 — but did it really deserve a free pass for all of those flaws?

link

6 Words:

Five Hour Long Single Player Story

6 Words:

Five Hour Long Single Player Story

taxonomic

Id take an awesome 5 hour SP (which it was) over a meh 15 hour SP any day.

Funny. I guess I've always been "sober." I saw this steaming turd coming from a mile away. Haven't bought it, and never will. What a joke of a game.

[QUOTE="taxonomic"]

6 Words:

Five Hour Long Single Player Story

warmaster670

Id take an awesome 5 hour SP (which it was) over a meh 15 hour SP any day.

I'd take a meh 15 hour SP over this meh 5 hour one

For all its unadulterated brilliance, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a long way from perfect. There are flaws in this game that threaten to derail the player's enjoyment - and we're not just talking about the javelin glitch.

Firstly there's the single-player campaign: not only is it short; it's messier than a post-nuke Sergeant Jackson. Roach and Ramirez's globe-trotting missions feel like soulless roller-coaster rides that hurl the player from one incomprehensible set piece to another. The character beats are all-too brief, and the plot - with its rapid-fire cross cutting and frequent betrayals - is often hard to follow. There are several big plot twists in the game that are poorly foreshadowed; you simply don't get the emotional payoff that you should.

The decision to unleash hell on American soil also cheapens the game tonally. This is B-grade science-fiction dressed up in military fatigues. Sure, the attack on the White House might be thrilling, but it's also completely implausible. By dialling the spectacle up to 11, Infinity Ward has robbed the franchise of its gritty authenticity - it feels more like Starship Troopers than Black Hawk Down and the game suffers as a result.

And then there's the online multiplayer. No dedicated server support for PC gamers? No matchmaking for novice players? No local search options? Compulsory Steam account shenanigans? Rampant online cheating? Clearly, Infinity Ward fumbled the ball here. Don't get us wrong, Modern Warfare 2 provided some fine entertainment in 2009 - but did it really deserve a free pass for all of those flaws?

devious742

Wow... took the words right out of my mouth.....

I got the game only for the MP. From that point of view i think it deserved maybe a 90%. Spec Ops is alos amazingIantheone

That game was disappointing. The story suckedgmaster456

I agree. The single player was short with the plot being all over the place. Spec Ops was kind of fun. The Multiplayer didn't change so much from Modern Warfare and was a big dissapointment.

Funny. I guess I've always been "sober." I saw this steaming turd coming from a mile away. Haven't bought it, and never will. What a joke of a game.

THA-TODD-BEAST

[QUOTE="taxonomic"]

6 Words:

Five Hour Long Single Player Story

warmaster670

Id take an awesome 5 hour SP (which it was) over a meh 15 hour SP any day.

[QUOTE="taxonomic"]

6 Words:

Five Hour Long Single Player Story

warmaster670

Id take an awesome 5 hour SP (which it was) over a meh 15 hour SP any day.

Hey, let's all label an actually-OK game totally **** because it had a lot of hype surrounding it and it goes against the norm!

Dolts.

Hey, let's all label an actually-OK game totally **** because it had a lot of hype surrounding it and it goes against the norm!

Dolts.

drucom

wow did anyone go to the link?

they gave L4D2 a 55% (sober score lol)

these guys are turds

*65% for Dragon Age lol

wow did anyone go to the link?

they gave L4D2 a 55% (sober score lol)

these guys are turds

mrbojangles25

(Note: our adjusted/retconned score is for the neutered Australian version which took out almost all of the gore.)

[QUOTE="warmaster670"]

[QUOTE="taxonomic"]

6 Words:

Five Hour Long Single Player Story

BLUBBBER

Id take an awesome 5 hour SP (which it was) over a meh 15 hour SP any day.

I'd take a meh 15 hour SP over this meh 5 hour one

not for me i got it off a buddy and i got to say if i had to choose between playing its short bad SP again or watching the chronicles of riddick: dark fury (runtime 1/2 hour) id take chronicles of riddick any day :P

Hey, let's all label an actually-OK game totally **** because it had a lot of hype surrounding it and it goes against the norm!

Dolts.

drucom

Guess you missed the memo about the horrendous multiplayer in the PC version and the amount of material they didn't include that should have been standard with every multiplayer shooter on PC. I'm assuming you were one of the many lemmings who jumped off the cliff and made the purchase for a laughable $60, though.

The game is nothing too special. But, it is a good game though. So I do agree with their decision.

That game was disappointing. The story suckedgmaster456

[QUOTE="mrbojangles25"]

wow did anyone go to the link?

they gave L4D2 a 55% (sober score lol)

these guys are turds

devious742

(Note: our adjusted/retconned score is for the neutered Australian version which took out almost all of the gore.)

[QUOTE="mrbojangles25"]

wow did anyone go to the link?

they gave L4D2 a 55% (sober score lol)

these guys are turds

devious742

(Note: our adjusted/retconned score is for the neutered Australian version which took out almost all of the gore.)

Hmm. They call Fallout 3 "deeply tactical" in their listing for Dragon Age as the number 2 overrated game. I enjoy me some Fallout 3, but man... "Deeply tactical..." *breaks into a giggling fit*

Not that I think they're wrong about CoD6.

my opinion is better to have a short high quality game rather than a long repetitive game.

Repetitive game = boring game = disaster = fail

for COD MW2 i think that the story was a mess. really confusing and not clear enough. it should have been better. the final levels were not good enough. especially the cave sequence. the boat chase was ok.

next time follow the golden rule KISS. "KEEP IT SIMPLE SIR"

The decision to unleash hell on American soil also cheapens the game tonally. This is B-grade science-fiction dressed up in military fatigues. Sure, the attack on the White House might be thrilling, but it's also completely implausible. By dialling the spectacle up to 11, Infinity Ward has robbed the franchise of its gritty authenticity — it feels more like Starship Troopers than Black Hawk Down and the game suffers as a result.

devious742

I don't get it. I thought games are supposed to let us live our wildest fantasies. And except for the Soviet campaigns, I don't remember any "gritty authenticity" in CoD. Sure, satire is always omnipresent, and the Russian invasion was played for the laughs in pure Verhoeven styIe, but "authenticity"... That's definitely not what CoD aims for.

What next, are we going to criticise Transformers because it has giant antropomorphic robots?

On the topic of a proper Starship Troopers game, I think IW would do a great job.

I totally agree. Some sites gave way too high scores for this game, one of the most overrated games of all time, in my opinion.

I broke down and bought the game because I was almost bored to tears one day. I never felt crappier than I did handing over that $60.

And the game...well, it was basically more CoD4. Finished it in five hours or so, then went back and played a few missions periodically throughout the week. Never even tried the multiplayer; was too afraid of getting myself P.O.'d. I haven't touched the game since.

Voted no.

Borderlands was the most overrated game last year.

That game was disappointing. The story suckedgmaster456

*65% for Dragon Age lol

mrbojangles25

I'd give DA 6.5-7 myself. It's a decent game, but nothing really spectacular.

But yeah, their criticism is extremely moronic. Failout 3 combat... deeply tactical... hahahah

Considering I went in expecting something completely different I was very surprised by how much I liked it. I haven't played Multiplayer at all, but I enjyoed most of the single player portion. I won't be trying the MP either.

I think its a bit rich that people are complaining about a bad story in an FPS. We all enjoyed Crysis. I just didn't feel as though MW2 controlled its momentum as well as 4. Like 4 had those slower, quieter moments in the campaign, mixed with the explosive action. biggest_loser

I have not played MW2. I didn't even like the first MW. In fact I liked it better when it was called Counter Strike. I have not been a fan of the call of duty series. Since the very first one on PC. The only one where I enjoyed the single player was sadly Call of Duty 3.

I think it is a highly overrated game. But I won't say it sucks. There is some fun to be had at least. The main turn off is the peer to peer online stuff. You would expect a titan game company like Activision to be able to afford some damn dedicated servers for their title of the year.

However with Dragon Age. Overrated and sucks.

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]I think its a bit rich that people are complaining about a bad story in an FPS. We all enjoyed Crysis. I just didn't feel as though MW2 controlled its momentum as well as 4. Like 4 had those slower, quieter moments in the campaign, mixed with the explosive action. Cdscottie

[QUOTE="Cdscottie"][QUOTE="biggest_loser"]I think its a bit rich that people are complaining about a bad story in an FPS. We all enjoyed Crysis. I just didn't feel as though MW2 controlled its momentum as well as 4. Like 4 had those slower, quieter moments in the campaign, mixed with the explosive action. biggest_loser

Funny. I guess I've always been "sober." I saw this steaming turd coming from a mile away. Haven't bought it, and never will. What a joke of a game.

THA-TODD-BEAST

I'll gladly trade in my copy of MW2 when BF:BC2 comes around ;)

Sad part is I'll probably get (if I'm lucky) half of what I paid for it.