5. Watchmen: The End is Nigh: Seriously, growing up, Watchmen was the first graphic novel I ever read and it ignited my love of comic books. To this day, I can still trace it back to the reasons why I read just about any graphic novel or comic I can get my hands on, including favorites from Marvel and DC among others. But the film and video game tie-in for Watchmen took the franchise I love and took a haphazard crap on it. The trailer for Watchmen is a summary of everything I loved about the idea of the comics; while the entirety of both the film and game were nothing I could come to love. A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, "Watchmen" will take us to the brink of destruction. In alternate 1985 America - in which costumed superheroes are not only real but have ultimately been outlawed - one former hero goes looking for the truth behind the murder of one of his own, but uncovers a devastating conspiracy to drag the world implacably closer to its own end.
4. The Wheelman: Remembering Driver from the original Playstation era, it can be easy to see why a game like this would be produced. After all, if you can’t be in a heist, why not be called out of retirement for one last bit of madness. Riding off the initial anticipation I had for this title, I wasn’t ready for the real lack of playability. Admittedly, I was under the assumption that the game would possess some qualities of its predecessor, maybe even improve on them in a way that Driv3r had been unable to. What I was treated to was basically a love letter to Vin Diesel. While I can dig him as Riddick, sneaking and snapping necks left and right. I was absolutely appalled by the offering here and couldn’t get this game away from me fast enough. Assuredly, I struggled through until the pain became unbearable, but unless alcohol is involved, I would say pass on this game.
3. Ghostbusters: The Video Game: For all the love I have for the Ghostbusters series, this game doesn’t stand up as well as I would’ve expected it to. Maybe my expectations were just too great, however, when I think of this being a spiritual successor to the films in the series I just think if falls a bit short. Granted, it is exceptional compared to most licensed games based on films that we saw release this year (I’m looking right at you Avatar), but while it stands above games based on films, it seems a bit wanting when left pandering next to other titles that released in 2009 stuck in some purgatory of being good without being amazing and capable without being terrible.
2. Guitar Hero: Van Halen: After getting my hands on about five minutes with this game, I was once again reminded that Activision doesn’t enjoy innovation so much as making money off gamers who are content receiving the same thing year after year. Unfortunately, GH: Van Halen is a death knell that should come as a wake-up call to Activision that the same thing will only get you by for so long before you should settle back and encourage some real innovation. This game offers nothing that couldn’t be offered in a track pack and as far as band-specific titles, Rock Band: Beatles simply devastates what Van Halen can offer in both the sheer amount of content as well as overall quality. It’s a shame when bad games happen to good bands.
1. Tony Hawk: Ride: I’m wearing of plastic implementations if they don’t have to do with music. Suffice to say, those have become the tried and true peripherals that I’m all too happy to keep stored near my video game systems. So, when Ride came out, I gave it a shot. Given its position on the list, I can only say that I was disappointed. It isn’t that I opted to hate the game before it came out as Tony Hawk states so vehemently in response to poor reviews, but I also don’t frequently buy things just so I can hate them. However, when I drop $120 for a game, I expect an enjoyable experience and that isn’t what I was delivered. Looking back I had more fun playing Tony Hawk 2 and 3 before the entire series was just plain driven into the ground. As the trailer says, Skating is freedom, which clearly means you have the freedom to avoid this game.
