The gang is gonna have a field day with Most Disappointing

i remember Jeff said on a podcast that Watch Dogs looks fucking awesome.

to me Jeff barely uses those words when describing a game.

i think Destiny will be on the list, but it wont win, Brad seems to really really like it. and Patrick said he was enjoying it as well,

I dont think titanfall will be on the list as Jeff liked it.

If Far Cry 4 isnt a great game that will easily trump everything for the staff, if not, then Watch Dogs will win this category (i enjoyed watch dogs, but everyone seemed really bummed by that game)

@arbitrarywater: I'm really worried for dragon age and far cry as well. I think we'll just have to hope that we are over the "stripped back launch title" hump

Yup, it has easily been the worst year in gaming I can every remember. There have been lots of fun indie games but big-budget 3D games have been consistently mediocre.

However I don't agree with you that AAA development is as screwed as you say. It has been a spectacularly average year but I think Jeff's comments on this weeks Bombcast about money starting to be thrown around, added to the rash of delays indictates that things are going to get more interesting next year. I think that all the delays are actually a really good sign, and that they indicate publishers who want to get things right and believe that their projects deserve the time, and that there is a market for good new titles, something people where unsure of a year ago.

I think games will start to improve once the first crop of games comes out which started major development with a working console in the studio. It feels like a lot of the games coming out this year have been grappling with not knowing what the new machines could do and with having to straddle the previous consoles. Once we get the first pure next-gen games things will change - I hope!

For me, Duke Nukem Forever. When you tell me that West and Zampella (and then later only one part of that) have defected from Activision, made a new company, are working on a new shooter, and that they are taking their time to make it, I expect a fuckload more than just Call of Duty with parkour and mechs. Those guys have changed the game...TWICE...when it came to first person shooters: first with Medal of Honor (reclaiming the franchise's glory after the atrocious Rising Sun, and second with Call of Duty 4.

Actually, if you ask me, every game where I've had to do a mandatory install for the 360 has been annoyingly mediocre. Destiny is the only one where I'm not completely...just..."fuck that game" about it. Then again, I'm level 6...so what do I know? Then again, all I need is a cool setting, the ability to collect loot with stats, and I'm basically set. Look at how much Warframe and Diablo III I play. lol

Watch Dogs is an open world game not named Grand Theft Auto. Anyone thinking it was going to be something incredible beyond belief needed to tone their expectations down quite a bit. I never understood the absolute hype around that game. I was excited after the E3 demo, but no more than any other given game.

Titanfall is just flat-out a bad game. In terms of overall production, it has the money behind it...but it is still just crap.

Oh damn! I forgot about it! I even played it! Meh, it wasn't terrible but, you're right, it'll definitely get nominated.

Console version has a placeholder release date of 12/31/2014. Yikes.

Yikes indeed. I was really looking forward to this game, it seems like it'snow flying under the radar. Console delay is probably imminent.

I totally forgot that The Elder Scrolls Online came out this year. That game just sort of... came and went, didn't it?

I could see it being nominated, but no one on the GB staff (except Rorie) actually enjoys MMOs so I don't think it will win.

None of them played Bravely Default, so GOTY is moot.

Also, can't remember a single person besides drew talking about Valiant Hearts, or anyone finishing Child of Light.

Also also, make some new categories already, shit be getting stale now.

Titanfall and Walking Dead S2.

Interesting to see the games mentioned here for most disappointing, then compare that list to pre-order sales and estimated marketing budgets. hmmm.

I know at least a couple of staff members played Child of Light. I don't think it registered enough to really make any impact in the discussions when they take place in December, though. To them, it was a pretty game with simplistic gameplay and terrible writing in the constantly forced rhyming.

@tourgen: I think it's unsurprising, one of the biggest components of a big disappointment is expectations which are at least partially driven by marketing.

I foresee Vinny's biggest disappointment being Lords of Shadow 2.

@cornbredx: This is dan's first impression of the first Dark Souls.

@tropesage: I mostly am trying to just learn about Dan through his work on Giantbomb, but for this I will make an exception. Thank you =)

• Destiny
• Titanfall
• Watchdogs

All were really overhyped and quite disappointing IMO

@tourgen: well from what i understand so far the only one technically to flop was titanfall, and it still did well, just not CoD numbers like they were expecting.

I know sales isnt indicative of quality but all three games seem to be wrongly maligned.

@vinny_says: Watch the morning show more often. Patrick and Alex talked about Child of Light months ago.

Also, your sarcasm is not appreciated.

I would vote for the season rather than any individual game - more to the point, all the games that aren't coming out.

I'm going to feel sad when they give most disappointing to a crowd favourite like Watch Dogs, when NHL 15 went above and beyond in this area. But none of the guys care about hockey. :<

Why does GOTY candidates have to be big releases?

I had fun with both WatchDogs and Destiny. They were no masterpieces of art, but they were fun games that lasted long enough to get me my money's worth.

I don't know what people expect from games these days. I did not expect much more from both of them then they turned out to be. On the contrary; I did not expect I would have fun with WatchDogs' online components and Destiny looks alot better then I would've imagined (damn that game shows some pretty vista's :))

I'm afraid my most disappointing game of the year is yet to come :( (Dragon Age, Alien, Driveclub?)

Titanfall was a perfectly fine game. There was nothing that was going to revolutionize anything. It was the next thing from the CoD creators, and that's what it was. GB (Jeff?) had it right, it's a 4-star game. Nothing revolutionary but very solid for what it was.

Don't know if you're referring to PC or what, but I still have zero issues finding a game to join on X1.

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I'd vote Watch Dogs, mostly because what it appeared it would be at first compared to what actually came out on shelves was so underwhelming. Destiny was disappointing, but the game was so shrouded in mystery (even up until launch) that it was hard to get overly excited for it, unless someone is just a huge Bungie nut or whatever. I've been playing the thing for a week now and I still have questions about it.

Elder scrolls online a contender?l

Elder scrolls online a contender?l

Titanfall wasn't a bad game, it was just pedestrian, extremely lacking in content and long term hooks. Whether or not you thought Titanfall was going to revolutionize things I can't say but there was a large wave of hype saying it would be the next COD 4 and change everything for FPS games once again. Obviously that wasn't the case. Titanfall doesn't need to have been a "bad" game for it to have been one of the most disappointing.

Damn, why you so stuck on Child of Light, I get it you don't like it...

They talked about it on one morning show and maybe a quick follow-up on the next one (yeah I listen to the show). From those few segments you came up with:

"To them, it was a pretty game with simplistic gameplay and terrible writing in the constantly forced rhyming."

There are 4 other people who will discuss GOTY too...doesn't help that they all glossed over the games I mentionned....

I made one comment about it. That you're provoking into a conversation in some weird way.

I don't know if everyone on the staff has played it, though I doubt it. It's the same story for a lot of games that they end up discussing in the year-end awards. All I said in the first place was my interpretation of the views expressed by two staff members that are known to have played it. I'm not trying to mount a personal attack, or anything. I don't even have a horse in the race when it comes to that game because I don't care about it much either way.

Mine would definitely go to Destiny. Titanfall and Watch Dogs weren't as great as expected, but they were certainly enjoyable.