The most disappointing games of 2017 - Quarter to Three

Tom Chick - "Calling a game disappointing arguably has more to do with me than the game itself. Disappointment isn’t an inherent quality. It can’t exist without some sort of expectation in the first place. In many cases, these games are sequels, or the creations of developers with proven track records, or entries in established genres, or games with promising beginnings. But for various reasons, a central fact about these games is that I had personally hoped they would be better."

[StormLegend]

Using a picture of HZD (when it's one of the best games of this gen) and having Nier actually on the list is disrespectful to 2 amazing games that made 2017 an outstanding year for me and many others. I'm sorry but this list is terrible and you didn't even include Mass Effect andromeda. If anything where is Halo wars 2? Super lucky's tale? Arms? For Honor? NFS Payback?!!

[moegooner88]

Honestly, Tom Chick hating on a video game, is probably one the best compliments a developer can strive for. It means they managed to create someone special enough to have Mr. Hipster Hipsterson here try his best to downplay it.

[coolbeans]

I mean...he literally states how he gauges a disappointment in the description below the title. Here's a snippet: "Disappointment isn’t an inherent quality. It can’t exist without some sort of expectation in the first place."

Who's to say he actually played some of those you mentioned or had any expectation for those in the first place?

[CoinOrc]

That doesn’t make sense either. Nier: automata is a sequel to an obscure game developed by a hit or miss studio. Mass effect andromeda is the fourth entry in one of the greatest series in video game history developed by one of the best studios with a massive budget behind it. I don’t know how you can have higher expectations from the first game than the second game.

[Silly gameAr]

All of the trolling this guy has done in the past, who would defend hi...oh. It's only coolbeans.

[coolbeans]

@CoinOrc

As further detailed within that same description: "In many cases, these games are sequels, or the creations of developers with proven track records, or entries in established genres, or games with promising beginnings. But for various reasons, a central fact about these games is that I had personally hoped they would be better."

His short description given about Nier: Automata would seem to fall under that "promising beginnings" portion. In that context, his enthusiasm fizzled out the longer he played. Also, who's to say he got around to playing ME: Andromeda anyways? You, and several others, are just playing whataboutism here.

@Silly GameAr

He likes or dislikes certain games and writes about them. Even if under questionable judgment, that's not really trolling. Wouldn't really have to 'defend' much if the horde of bitter posters could at least come to an understanding of how opinions work. You're free to keep up your useless jabs if you wish.

[CoinOrc]

@coolbeans
Just because it's his opinion doesn't mean it's good. He is free to write whatever opinions he wants. We are also free to criticize his opinion. The title is "the most disappointing games of 2017". Under most metrics, Nier: Automata is not one of the most disappointing games of 2017. You're defending that list with the excuse "he hasn't played Mass Effect Andromeda (or whatever game)". Under that logic, I can say the most disappointing games of 2017 are Zelda, Mario, Horizon, and Persona 5, because those are the only games I've played and I had higher expectations from them. If he hasn't played Mass Effect Andromeda, then he should just leave out Nier and leave the list at nine entries.

[coolbeans]

@CoinOrc

I never argued otherwise. Agreed. Agreed, and I didn't argue otherwise. If we're both on the same page on this then so too are said criticisms of him up for scrutiny as well. And from what I've seen here, there's flawed criticisms against him that go no deeper than "just him trolling again!!11!" with little in the way of actual discussion.

"Under most metrics, Nier: Automata is not one of the most disappointing games of 2017."

1.) I don't agree with this notion b/c virtually any game can fall into this 'most disappointing' category if such arguments are consistently presented.

2.) See: by you introducing "most" into the discussion even you're admitting there are metrics for which Nier can fall under that in your eyes. Considering the expansive amount of preliminaries listed by Chick himself, I don't see why--at least--one of those wouldn't meet the requirements...which is what I've been arguing.

"Under that logic, I can say the most disappointing games of 2017 are Zelda, Mario, Horizon, and Persona 5, because those are the only games I've played and I had higher expectations from them."

Then by all means. You could literally submit a blog about that here, categorize your reasons, and let the wolves came after you too.

"If he hasn't played Mass Effect Andromeda, then he should just leave out Nier and leave the list at nine entries."

Or he could list the top 10 most disappointing games of 2017 that he's played from this year and let the cards fall where they may.

[CoinOrc]

"I never argued otherwise. Agreed. Agreed, and I didn't argue otherwise. If we're both on the same page on this then so too are said criticisms of him up for scrutiny as well. And from what I've seen here, there's flawed criticisms against him that go no deeper than "just him trolling again!!11!" with little in the way of actual discussion."

I never said he was trolling. I said his opinion is bad.

"See: by you introducing "most" into the discussion even you're admitting there are metrics for which Nier can fall under that in your eyes. Considering the expansive amount of preliminaries listed by Chick himself, I don't see why--at least--one of those wouldn't meet the requirements...which is what I've been arguing."

Chick only mentioned it was repetitive. I disagree. 9S plays completely different than 2B, and the entire third act is completely different. The game packs in a wide variety of gameplay mechanics from action to bullet hell shooter, and each of those mechanics can stand on its own. Even if the 9S sections are repetitive, does that make the entire game disappointing to him? Does he expect every moment of the game to be different? Every game has repetitive sections. If repetitive sections automatically make a game disappointing, then every game is disappointing.

"Then by all means. You could literally submit a blog about that here, categorize your reasons, and let the wolves came after you too."

That was a hypothetical based on your reasoning. If I've only played good games for the year, I wouldn't call any of them disappointing. If I said those games were disappointing because I had higher expectations of them, then that would be a bad opinion based on flimsy facts and reasoning, which is what Chick's opinion is.

"Or he could list the top 10 most disappointing games of 2017 that he's played from this year and let the cards fall where they may."

And that is a bad opinion.

[coolbeans]

@CoinOrc

"I never said he was trolling. I said his opinion is bad."

Dude...you literally quoted what I said in your comment. I never specifically stated that you said Chick was trolling. It was a blanket statement about how I didn't find much of a deeper discussion BEYOND the usual "oh he's just trolling" or even "hipster" critiques. Your first response to me was really just committing whataboutism, after all. And I cast that in the same end of the 'shallow pool' of these discussions.

"Chick only mentioned it was repetitive. I disagree...."

Hey look! Deeper discussions taking place now! I don't have any answers about Nier: Automata (haven't played it) but this kind of dialogue ABOUT the game is actually useful. Unfortunately, his description is short (w/out any supplementary review posted for it yet); however, I can tell you he's not the only one to bring up similar criticisms.

"If I said those games were disappointing because I had higher expectations of them, then that would be a bad opinion based on flimsy facts and reasoning, which is what Chick's opinion is."

No, it really wouldn't. I find your methods here fascinating b/c you've intentionally sold your hypothetical short to make a point...when there's nothing fundamentally incorrect about it. Like shooting yourself in the foot here.
Is such a response exaggerated? Sure. But not a "bad opinion based on flimsy facts and reasoning" (by your own metric here). Consuming any media where your expectations aren't met is what an adjective like "disappointing" is all about, even if they're still enjoyable experiences. The majority of 'disappointing' films I watched this year were still in that good/passable grey area b/c certain elements were lacking. Examples of that for me are Blade Runner 2049 and SW Ep. 8.

"And that is a bad opinion."

Well thus far you've presented wholly unconvincing arguments until reply #3 (w/ some meat there) so...maybe there are better judges of that. But if that's how you feel then okay!

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

It's a really weird list considering Nier and HZD were great games, I agree that Mass Effect Andromeda should have taken one of those spots. I'd even argue that you could put Prey there possibly when in keep in mind how many people were disappointed with it.

[KickSpinFilter]

Word

[InTheLab]

Every time I see this site I wonder how it's not banned. I remember HH Gamer was banned for less..

[Zabatsu]

I won't even bother clicking into the article. What I'm most disgusted about, is how 'articles' like this even manage to get approved. N4G is filled with clickbait and the mods don't care at all.

[Chexs1990]

^ what this dude is saying :O

[Vizigoth04]

I agree with you on most of what you stated. But I'm actually enjoying the new NFS Payback. Not entirely sure what the dislike is about this one but I'm liking it. It a heck of a lot of fun.

[Eterna1Ice]

HZD didn't disappoint me... but tbh that's because I set the expectations to medium. In the end, it had almost overstepped the reality of being a Ubisoft-tier open world game.

[Sgt_Slaughter]

Don't get why you mentioned ARMS, it's fantastic

[Jinger]

Nier is in my top 5 games this year.

[Knushwood Butt]

Nier does seem to be a love it or hate it type of game.

Personally I didn't like the demo so never got the full game.

[BatofWar]

In my opinion the part in the demo is the least enjoyable portion of the game

[Strange_Evil]

I was with the same opinion as you. Never played the previous ones. Got it during the Black Friday sale since it was selling for 25 bucks. Didn't touch it since I was playing Wolfestein (another great game). I opened the game last week to give it a shot... HOLY FUCK IS IT AWESOME!

I don't get why this game isn't being bought by a lot more people. Maybe it releasing around Horizon Zero Dawn was a bad move but this is an equally good game with some of the most amazing gameplay, soundtrack and story. Seriously, this is one of the gems of the current generation that people will remember like SOTC!

P.S: Demo doesn't do it justice.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

@BatofWar,

I thought it was the second part of the game for me since it tread the same ground from a different viewpoint for most of that route.

[Knushwood Butt]

Good to know the demo isn't representive of the full game.

[LoveSpuds]

It was the demo that drew me to pre order the title, you are missing out!

[DrumBeat]

Very true. I enjoyed it initially, with all of the different modes/types of gameplay, but after awhile it got boring. I love all kinds of games. I didn't think the relationship with 2B, 9S, A2, etc was as profound as some people have said either. Good game, but not my cup of tea in the end. I would definitely buy a soundtrack though.

[Gardenia]

I really liked Nier it's a good game, although I can see it's not for everyone

[babadivad]

I'm gonna have to pick this up. People KEEP talking about it.

[_FantasmA_]

Destiny 2. Call of Duty: WWII. And Microsoft.

[AKS]

Nier: Automata even getting the funding to be made was a small miracle, and this jackhole is bashing it to be edgy and get clicks. And why trash Pyre? These types of clowns are cancerous.

[VersusDMC]

I remember checking out his site when he gave last of us a 4 I think and when I browsed his reviews I saw he gave a pinball game a 10... so the guy is pretty legit. :(

[KickSpinFilter]

HE GAVE LAST OF US A 4! OK done with this.
i'm ghost.

[babadivad]

Last of Us was the best game I played last gen.

[TheOttomatic91]

I dunno who this person is but clearly is one of those game “journalists” who doesn’t know anything about gaming.

[CrimsonWing69]

Dude,did you make a mistake?

Why is Nier pictured for this article? That was one of the best games this year, Hell its soundtrack was one of the nominees for best score at the VGAs.

What world am I living in?

[Teflon02]

Nier won I swear

[Dragonscale]

Battlefront 2.

[Nerdmaster]

I've been playing NieR:Automata for the last couple of weeks for more than 6 hours in total, but still don't think it's very good... For me it's an action RPG that has a hack'n slash combat system, but neither aspect stands out and I get tired after playing for like half hour. In comparison, yesterday I bought Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and in a single day I played almost 5 hours.

[AKS]

"for the last couple of weeks for more than 6 hours in total" WTF? Do you play 1 hour every other day? I'm not sure this is the type of game for you. Its narrative has quite a bit of depth. I'm not sure that's going to have the intended impact if you take 5 months to complete the game.

[sk8ofmnd]

Sounds like someone is more salty some of these titles never came to the xb1 🤣

[Lon3wolf]

Just going through Nier Automata now and in my opinion it's the best Nier yet.

[Pyrofire95]

fffffFACK you

[masterfox]

Why is Nier Automata on the picture?...oh I see!, a site desperate for hits, well you ain't getting any from me. :D

[mogwaii]

This guy is smoking some hardcore crack!
Not even clicking on that tripe!

[NotanotherReboot]

HZD is mine by a landslide. Everything else I enjoyed. Lost Legacy was my fave PS4 exclusive.

[Mister_Wolf]

Hate to say it, after I initially got over how good it looked, I quickly got bored of it.

[Grimwood]

The only two disappointing games this year (or rather way overhyped) are Persona 5 and Nier Automata.

[BioDead]

As everyone can see this is tagged as 'opinion' so read the article with that in mind. (The title is dumb, should be included word 'my')

[coolbeans]

"(The title is dumb, should be included word 'my')"

That is a fair complaint and did update title to fit more in line with what you're saying. I swear I thought I'd originally put the site's name in the title.

[CodeNameTBW2]

ME Andromeda ME Andromeda ME Andromeda

[Chexs1990]

This author is one of those gaming "journalists", who would fail in the Cuphead tutorial xD

[Rangerman1208]

Nier and Torment being more disappointing than MvC Infinite and SW Battlefront 2? Hahaha!

Oh wait you're serious? Then let me laugh even harder. HAHAHAHAHA!

Seriously, though, what the heck.

[FernDiggidy]

Nier of this list???? Disrespectful AF!

[C-H-E-F]

why is there a picture of HZD? lOl and why is Nier on this list? lord I'm done with gaming journalism lOl

[kayoss]

I've been stuck on Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 for the past 3 1/2 years. Finally got rid of that shackle and explore games that I bought but never bothered playing. I just finished HZD and this game is a masterpiece. Even after getting platinum, i keep going back to explore. About to start Rise of the Tomb Raider. I have Nier Automata, but it sounds like this game might be really good. I think I have a lot to look forward to with my back log of games. I have ACO too, but after watching my friend play it, it looks a little tedious and repetitive.

[frostypants]

Don't give this clown traffic. When you can tell it's clickbait from the pic, just walk away.

[NotAfanBoyy]

Has pics of Horizon Zero Dawn, Prey and Nier. Whatever PicBait Troll, not reading that trash!

[Da12RespectA]

Halo wars was bad

[nommers]

Nier Automata is the last game that should be on a disappointed list this year. It could only have exceeded expectations because of the dramatic increase in gameplay quality from the first Nier. I don't hear any complaints about the story either from fans of the first Nier.