If there is one thing I’ll remember last year for, it will be the games that did not live up to their hype. From the severe disappointments like Lair to the semi-successful like Bioshock (yea, I said semi), games are costing more and thus requiring more and more hype from the PR people. Many times this results in more and more disappointments from the gamer. With their hopes built up over months of teasers, previews, and interviews with attractive game developers only to find that he or she has in their hands a disc comprised mostly of suck. What is a poor gamer to do?

Well this year I’m not going to take it! Actually, yes, yes I am going to take it. But, like any good journalist, I’m not going to take it without commenting on it. Therefore I bring you “The Hype Machine,” a monthly feature that will discuss the top three most hyped games (as I perceive them). Every month I will discuss these games and the hype behind them. In the next month’s feature, we’ll see if the games lived up to the hype via the general opinion of the Internet along with the next top five games. I’ll also try to discuss a game or two I feel isn’t getting the hype it needs. Sounds like fun…or a lot of work.

Welcome to the first full month of this wondering series. Let’s all come together and take a look at the games we were all excited about at the beginning of February and see if they really deserved all the hype around them. Hit the jump to see what was good, what was bad, and if we can ever truly trust marketing and the internet.

Lost Odyssey

Barebones Hype: This is going to be the game that rescues 360 owners from the lack of straightforward Japanese RPGs. It will be epic in proportion and classic in its gameplay, we’ll finally have a game on the 360 that challenges the quality of JRPGs on the PS2.

The Actuality: Well there is no denying that this is a JRPG through and through. From character design to battle system Lost Odyssey sticks close to the JRPG rules and doesn’t vary much. The game makers promised some traditional RPG action and delivered and thus lived up to that part of the hype. But is all that traditional gameplay any fun? Looks like for the most part yes. With a 78 at Metacritic the game is definitely a step forward from Blue Dragon and as DailyGame put it, is “A must-have RPG for all those who complain that the Xbox 360 doesn’t have any, and proof that Mistwalker can deliver great games.” Not only did the game deliver on its charges (the four discs actually pack an incredibly epic story too) but it also confirms that Mistwalker can deliver the type of JRPG that fans of the genre love.
Of course not all of the reviews were great. Most negative reviews cited the traditional style of the game as the biggest fault, as GameSpy pointed out when they said, “Unfortunately, it’s less a celebration of what made older RPGs great and more a crude relic of their past.” But since Lost Odyssey never really purported to be anything greater then a traditional JRPG it’s hard to say it failed its own hype in this situation. This might not be the greatest RPG of all time but it is good enough to give the 360 a leg to stand on RPG wise.

What We Learned: Traditional RPGs can be done and done well and while they might be an acquired taste when they work they work well no matter what system they are on. Looks like the 360 could have a life as an RPG machine in the future.

Devil May Cry 4

Barebones Hype: A new character and new fighting mechanics make this the best Devil May Cry game yet and one that will have some good depth in its gameplay.

The Actuality: With a Metacritc rating of 84 and sales through the roof Devil May Cry 4 is anything but a flop, but this does this mean that it lived up to it’s own hype? Do the new fighting mechanics really make for a better game? It seems they do, so much so that they make the game as GameTrailers puts it, “Devil May Cry 4 is totally saved by its combat system. It’s deep and rewarding, no matter what level of player you are–making hacking and slashing your way through waves of repetitive enemies still fun.” Every other review pretty much says the same thing, lauding the games quick action and fighting over the other games in the series.
The new character, Nero, on the other hand doesn’t seem to add much to the game as most reviews glazed over him and some went even as far to point out that the game was still good despite Dante’s late entrance (that’s gotta bruise Nero’s ego a bit). In fact beyond the fantastic fighting, which really isn’t that big a change in the first place, there doesn’t seem to be much more to the game. “This is old-school style gaming, sticking proudly with the DMC staple,” said Official Xbox Magazine UK. Seems the game isn’t that much of a departure of what came before it. Of course that doesn’t really matter since it turned out so well. Still all the hype was claiming a bit more depth to the series which doesn’t seem to have been delivered fully.

What We Learned: When long standing series offer more depth they may not always deliver but usually the more iterations the better a games system is nailed down so that isn’t always a bad thing.

Dragon Quest Swords

Barebones Hype: Simple, fun and easy to get into. This is RPG light, which isn’t a bad thing but a good way to get people deeper into games. Plus, Wiimote as a sword.

The Actuality: Only two months into the year and we already have a game that seriously didn’t live up to it’s hype, though I’m not sure anyone really expected it to. DQ Sword’s Metacritic score of 68 is a little misleading since even the good reviews are what I like to call “but reviews.” They’re the reviews that list off a plethora of bad (or sometimes good) features and then add a “but” completely negating that last. For instance Worth Playing’s review of the game stated, “If you can get past the shaky controls and low replay value, you’ll have a fun experience, especially if you’re a Dragon Quest fanatic.” Unfortunately for the game the sword play mechanics were a major part of it’s hype and having them be consistently reviewed as poor is definite proof that this game does not live up to it’s hype in that area.
As an easy to access game for all those new Wii gamers it seems that DQ Swords actually does deliver. Reviews repeatedly point out that the game is great to just jump into despite the shaky controls and disappointing story. Cheat Code Central, who gave the game one of its better reviews, said, “Its great story, wonderful voice acting, and some pretty awesome Wii-mote gameplay make this a pretty good bet for the casual gamer, and who knows, maybe even a hardcore gamer or two as long as they don’t mind the simple nature of the game.” Though since their statement about controls completely belies every other reviewers’ it’s hard to truly trust them. Looks like the game actually is an RPG light, it just isn’t a good one.

What We Learned: It still seems we’re nailing down the sword/Wiimote controls despite almost a year of development time with the system. Casual and RPG can be one, but it helps if the game is good.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Barebones Hype: It’s Phoenix Wright, but now new and improved with better graphics and controls (if controls is the right word here).

The Actuality: It looks like good lawyering and wacky trial cases (not to mention shouting objection while pointing dramatically) will never get old as the 79 at Metacritc shows. The new mechanics in the game, thanks to the game being designed for the DS from the ground up, also add a new draw to the tried and true formula even if they don’t actually do that much to change it. As Games Radar puts it, “Apollo Justice delivers the same winning formula we’ve come to expect, throws in some refreshing new twists, and leaves us satisfied yet still eager to see where the story will go.”
Otherwise, much like Devil May Cry 4, the game doesn’t really offer much new continuing the tradition of well written and immersive court cases. “Basically, if you’re a fan of the earlier Phoenix Wright games, you will laugh…a lot. Couple the comedy with Justice’s engrossing story and you have a case that would be criminal not to take,” 1UP said. Let’s all now take a moment and shake our heads slowly at them for using that “criminal not to take” line. All done? Well, since Apollo Justice’s hype unabashedly proclaimed that it was simply Phoenix Wright + we can’t really say it didn’t live up to its hype by not being anything more.

What We Learned: Good games that are only slightly updated are still good games.

Well that is all for looking back at February. Join me later in the week as we look forward to the games of March…meaning Brawl. What? Fine, I’ll come up with some more. Jeeze.

Categories: DS, Hype Machine, Microsoft, Nintendo, Wii, Xbox 360