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From: kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
Subject: Re: Year in Review: 2004
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:10:13 +0100
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On 3/18/2024 3:23 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> 
> 
> Warning:
> --------
> So, this is essentially a random ramble, except without me actually
> calling it that. There's no central argument here; no theme; it's just
> me going on endlessly about a long list of games. You have been
> warned.
> 
> 
> 
> Intro:
> ------
> Every now and then, I sift my library by year and there are a few
> years in video gaming that really stand out. 1995 is one; 1998 is
> another. But I've decided to focus on 2004, which was a surprisingly
> full year in video games history. So let's talk about that! (And, yes,
> I know I did something similar a year ago - 'Knowing Your Classics Pts
> 1,2 & 3 - but this is a deeper dive into a specific year, which makes
> it completely different ;-)
> 
> Mostly, I just want to talk about the games (so many games)! Hopefully
> this wide-ranging topic will spark conversation. Ignore the stuff that
> bores you and just reminisce about specific games that you liked!
> Think of it as a buffet; lots of semi-appetizing reheated discussions!
> Only read the stuff that looks interesting! Break the thread into
> separate topics! There's gotta be something in this post that
> interests you! ;-)
> 
> 
> 2004 is probably most remembered for the release of both "Half Life 2"
> and "Doom 3", so let's get those two out of the way first.
> 
> 
> The Games:
> ----------
> * Half Life 2
>      Honestly, "Half Life 2" left me underwhelmed - both in 2004
>      and to this day. I know it's well renowned, as far as I was
>      concerned it didn't really do anything in FPS games I hadn't
>      seen before. Sure, it was done with more polished than a
>      lot of other games, but it felt too tightly scripted, its
>      gormless hero was dull as dishwater, and it had a lot
>      of uninteresting segments. Sure, the gravity gun and
>      Ravenholm were neat... but they couldn't carry the game
>      by itself. IMHO.
> 
> 
> * Doom 3
>      This game similarly left me unexcited on its release,
>      although I've come to appreciate the game more as the years
>      have gone by. But sure it didn't feel like the earlier Doom
>      games we knew and loved, and that annoyed me terribly. But
>      even after I warmed up to it, the game's flaws - most
>      notably its monster closets and the infamous darkness -
>      keep it from being as good as it could have been.
> 
> 
> 
> * Baldurs's Gate: Dark Alliance 2
>      A console-only title, the "Dark Alliance" doesn't get
>      much love compared to the better-known PC alternatives,
>      but it's actually not that bad a game. It's a far
>      simpler title than the PC CRPGs, of course, but it has
>      its own charm. In some ways, its setting captures
>      the 'adventure-land' feel that D&D tries so hard to
>      cultivate much better than the Bioware titles (even if
>      the PC games better capture the tabletop feel of the game).
>      Mechanically simple, but a nice diversion.
> 
> 
> * Viet Cong: Purple Rain
>      Admittedly, the core game came out in 2003 and probably
>      shouldn't be included in this list; "Purple Rain" is a
>      compilation of the core game and the expansion. Still,
>      it was this compilation where the game really started
>      to gain attention, and anyway, it was the first version
>      I played. Despite a number of too-long levels, overall
>      it had a verisimilitude to it that few FPS games of the
>      day (or even today!) could match. I'm normally opposed
>      to remakes and remasters, but I wish this one got
>      the full treatment, that's how much I loved it.
> 
> 
> * Onimusha 3
>      A console game ported to PC, it was so sloppily done
>      that many of its puzzles prompted you to push Playstation
>      controller buttons even if you were using a mouse/keyboard.
>      Still, its Japanese-weird story was an intriguing departure
>      from my normal gameplay, and the combat was colorful and
>      fun. "Onimusha 3" was one of those games that made me -
>      at the time a stern PC evangelist - start to reconsider my
>      opinion on console titles.
> 
> 
> * The Suffering
>      I always thought of this game as something released
>      on Halloween, but apparently it came out in March. Well,
>      I bought it in October, anyway. Its early levels still
>      stand out as one of the spookiest experiences I've ever
>      played on PC. The feeling doesn't last through the rest
>      of the game, but fortunately the setting and gameplay
>      are enough to carry it once the scares become
>      predictable. One of my favorites.
> 
> 
> * Katamari Damacy
>      Another console-exclusive, I didn't actually play this
>      one until years later... and then regretted how long it
>      took me to discover it. Weird and wonderful, its
>      simplistic concept is contrasted by its detailed worlds.
> 
> 
> * Battlefield Vietnam
>      BFV - a multiplayer only game - was never one of my
>      favorites, but it was one of those games I respected.
>      I didn't play a lot of it, but I admired how well it
>      captured the mood of the seminal conflict and combined
>      it with the needs of the gameplay. Plus, it had a
>      rockin' soundtrack, with all the Vietnam War hits!
>      There's nothin' like flying a Huey low over the jungle
>      blasting 'Fortunate Son'!
> 
> 
> * Farcry
>      Not just "Half Life 2" and "Doom 3", but "Farcry" also
>      came out in 2004. I told you this was a year of note!
>      Sure, the latter half of the game faltered after the
>      introduction of the mutants, but between the solid
>      first half fighting mercenaries and the awesome visuals
>      and giant, detailed open-world, "Farcry" was a fun game
>      and a great technology demo.
> 
> 
> * Red Dead Revolver
>      Oft forgotten in the shadow of its better-known
>      successors, RDR set the stage for those great games. On
>      its own, it's not that great to play these days except
>      to see how its ideas evolved as the franchise developed.
> 
> 
> * Thief Deadly Shadows
>      Generally disliked by "Thief" aficionados, "Deadly
>      Shadows" is actually my favorite of the series. Its
>      open world, solid - and accessible - stealth mechanics,
>      and some great missions make it a very fun game. I think
>      its bad reputation comes more from the fact that it
>      went third-person and that it was designed for console
>      rather than any serious flaws in its implementation.
> 
> 
> * Full Spectrum Warrior
>      FSW is a game that, sadly, never founds its niche. It looks
>      like a first/third-person shooter, but it's actually more
>      of a strategy/ puzzle game; there's a very specific way
>      to get past the AI in the levels, and its up to you to
>      figure out how to move your troops into the right positions
>      to outmaneuver the opposing forces. Its clever mixture
>      of real-world tactics and action-game mechanics make it
>      another favorite from that era.
> 
> 
> * Myst Uru
>      "Uru" was a disappointment to me. It's one of those games
>      I really wanted to like; I was hoping it could get me
>      re-invested in the "Myst" franchise which, after the first
>      game, I'd mostly lost interest in. But it's 'you're
>      playing yourself in the game' and weird mixture of modern-
>      day sensibilities and Myst-fantasy made for an unconvincing
>      melange, and the puzzles and setting remained as
>      frustratingly uninteresting as ever.
> 
> 
> * Alpha Black Zero: Intrepid Protocol
>      A forgotten FPS, APZ's most interesting feature was that
>      it used the "Serious Sam" engine to create a thematically
>      interesting but boring-to-play adventure. It has a
>      surprisingly interesting sci-fi story, but the levels
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