Maybe it was listening to Radio 6, who are doing something similar with albums, or maybe it was playing God of War again, but I thought it was about time we cut through the hype and compiled our own list of the most-overrated games of all-time. You know the ones. The games that everyone raves about, the gaming equivalents of Sgt Pepper or The Stone Roses, which just didn't entertain as much as you expected. We don't need Kate Thornton or Paul Morley to reel off some prompted reminisces of how Black & White ultimately failed to deliver - just let us know in the comments. For me there are a few dead-cert entries for the list:
Black & White - oh Peter. It all sounded so grand, so majestic. Create a creature and train them to rule the world. In fact the controls and incessant micromanagement of the townspeople meant frustration took over. Still, like all Molyneux games - especially Fable - you can't help but get swept along by the man's obvious passion for gaming. Just keep that pinch of salt handy.
The Getaway - I persevered with this and did finish it. The plot and sheer novelty of driving around London saw to that. But after all the hype and build-up - it's London! On your PlayStation! - the creaky controls and oddly empty streets meant this was a missed opportunity, Still, it turned out better than the sequel.
Halo /Halo 2 - There's no doubt that both of these sci-fi shooters looked and sounded lovely and there was a lot to admire. But the blanket praise given to these games is ridiculous. What about the incredibly repetitive sections that blight both games? Yes, the AI was very impressive but ultimately it came down to shooting stuff. Fun yes, but not the Second Coming that reviews would suggest. Online in Halo 2 was nicely done, but Live access is limited to a minority of Xbox owners. The ending of Halo 2 single player was an unforgivable cop-out, especially considering that most owners wouldn't experience the online game. So Halo and Halo 2 then, good, but not THAT good.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - The trailer wowed everyone at E3 2000. Unfortunately the game itself had far too many cut-scenes, a nonsensical plot (even by gaming standards) and stealth action that grated more than ever.
Rise of the Robots - This futuristic fighting game looked amazing in the screenshots, capturing the nascent CD Rom vision of a graphically glossy future. It secured a typically positive exclusive review before the truth emerged. The game was an atrociously buggy mess that should never have been released.
Other overrated games that spring to mind include: Super Mario Sunshine, Entombed (C64) and - whisper it - GTA: San Andreas. The latter in particular is still a great game, but the flaws in structure, controls and length cannot be ignored.
What do you think then? Which hyped and highly-scored games have ultimately disappointed you?
