Expectations for games are so ridiculously high now. I too am guilty of expecting perfection out of all of the big developers. I want my games now and I want them flawless. It's easy to forget just how far gaming has come. It seems like yesterday that I thought Cobra Triangle for the NES was the best looking game I'd ever seen. Maybe it was yesterday? I don't remember. Anyway, I don't necessarily think the high expectations are so irrational. Game developers have more at their disposal than ever before. Huge budgets, large development teams, and the privilege of living in the age of technology are all benefits awarded to todays best and brightest game makers. I just wish it was possible for games like Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed and Halo 3 to live up to the hype. They are all great games, but due to their imperfections it is very easy to nitpick a game into mediocrity. The last game to come out that really got the praise it deserved was Bioshock. Why, you may ask? It's because it came out of nowhere. It was practically a sleeper hit. There was press on it for sure, but it wasn't until it hit shelves that gamers and reviewers alike began to offer words of adoration. I just hope hype doesn't kill games like GTA IV, or Rockband.
Similarly, it also seems the need for "the next thing" in gaming is a problem. I agree that we should expect innovation, but let's face it, gamers have gotten spoiled. How many Bioshocks can there be? Unfortunately reviewers are the most guilty of this. They play an inordinate amount of games and quickly become jaded. So what if Drake's Fortune uses a very similar cover system to Gears of War? It's a great idea. Why should only one game be able to feature this ground breaking tactic?
Moving forward, I just want to say that Call of Duty is a fantastic game that actually does live up to a great deal of the hype. The single player is a great ride that you will want to play time and again. The multiplayer is addictive, but can be tremendously frustrating due to horrible matchmaking on the part of Infinity Ward. It's simply unacceptable. I am level 23 and I am constantly put into matches with players who are above level 50. Due to the RPG like reward system for leveling, this is incredibly unfair. Better weapons and perks are available to higher ranking players. Combine this with the unfortunate, but widely accepted lag factor for First Person Shooters, and you might pull your hair out. Hopefully an update will be released soon to remedy the issue.