The year of 2016 had its highs and low. There was much to talk about with the greatest games of the century and the biggest disappointments. Here we discuss some of our least favorite releases for PS4 this year.
Dino Dini’s Kick-Off Revival
Sadly, this game is just sad. Starting with the graphics, Dino Dini’s Kick-Off Revival just doesn’t cut it. Sure, the concept is great as they try to “revive” the old games. They try to go retro and simple, with very limited settings and options.
So, yes, the concept is good, but, the overall gameplay overcomes the idea of it. For a soccer game, it is really lacking. The mechanics are off and the controls are awkward. Most of all, the ball and people do not resemble an actual soccer game. This is a real downfall for soccer fans, for they should excel with the mechanics of this game, but unfortunately, they do not.
Bottom line, if you want soccer, play FIFA, or the old Dino Dini games.
Weeping Doll
This game is definitely one of the most disappointing games of the year. This horror game comes across as rather comedic. As with most fails, the idea is here. The plot is great. But the presentation just isn’t to be ignored.
If you haven’t heard of this game, well, it was one that was highly anticipated by those that hadn’t played it. This amplifies the disappointment. The villain is creepy and relevant, but the acting is sorry. The house is scary, but the inaccuracy about timeframes and eras are off. The game is short, which is normally acceptable for VR horror games, but in this case, it leaves you feeling empty.
So, yeah, the attempt was great, but the execution was a fail. Better luck next time.
Alekhine’s Gun
This game is reminiscent of the poplar Hitman franchise, which is one of the reasons it was such a letdown.
Another game with potential, Alekhine’s gun is exciting and does well with the mafia-style setting, and missions. But, the NPC’s are less than interactive and unlike other RPG games, they will completely ignore you two seconds after you harm them or break a law. You can get away with more simply by taking a few steps, thus your sins forgotten.
The game is also full of bugs, which really stints the gameplay. You can get stuck, walk through walls, and more.
Even though the quality here is lacking, I’d like to see the developers do better, and would attempt a play-through of a sequel to Alekhine’s Gun.
Coffin Dodgers
Sadly, this game hardly has potential. The story is very amusing, and some of the gameplay is funny, but that’s where it ends. You are a resident of a nursing home, and you and your buddies are scootering yourselves away from the grim reaper, who has decided to retire after taking a few more souls. The losers of the races will become zombified, the winners get to live.
Hilarious, yes, but fun, no. If this was a free to play mobile game, sure, go for it. But with a price, it needs better mechanics, unique tracks, and just more.
Ace Banana
The plot of this game is humorous and a little lame (which is okay for humor games). You collect baby bananas in hopes of raising them to grow into a banana family. But of course, the monkeys want to eat the bananas, so it’s up to you to protect the fruit.
The setting is fun, colorful, and exciting. The weapons and ammo are interesting. But the game controls and lack of level diversity take away from this. To be fair, younger players may enjoy this silly game, but older ones won’t make it to the last level.
No Man’s Sky
Hold on, No Man’s Sky is not a bad game. But it is a little disappointing. The reason is because it was announced quite a bit before its release and we expected a lot from it.
The exploration, building, and customization are great, keeping you interested for hours. But it is a little bit behind its time as far as graphics and diversity, which you create for there is little to be had without your input. The good thing is, the low points in this game, can be fixed, such as bugs and crashes. It quickly gets old and boring. Also the lack of control you have over where you go and how the story proceeds can be taken care of with DLC. So, this game is okay, but it can be great.
Dogchild
Definitely one of the tragic games of 2016 is Dogchild. Well, with a name like Dogchild, what could go wrong right? Sure, the story is cute. Boy and his dog go on rescue missions to save other dogs. But, this is the only thing it has going for it. The main character gets to use parkour moves, cool, yeah. But these are difficult to execute and often bug out. Another perk is that you are able to control the dog, another cool aspect. Unfortunately, the first-person controls are wacky and you can get stuck in the scenery due to this.
Due to awkward controls and animation canceling, combat is also frustrating and mechanically flawed.
Homefront: The Revolution
The Revolution from 2011 was not bad, but it was less than perfect. But the follow-up is not quite as exciting. We expected open world, but felt claustrophobic with the limitations on exploration and choices. The graphics aren’t amazing, but they are fair and interesting. The lived-in, realistic world is what keeps this game from completely falling.
The game isn’t a fail, but left us disappointed with its lack of personalization and monotonous missions. We can still have high hopes for this franchise.
So, this wraps up a few games that we weren’t entirely pleased with. This doesn’t mean that no one enjoys them just that they are lacking overall compared to other releases as well as our expectations. But please, just play what you want to play!
Emily Medlock is an avid gamer whose passions not only include video games of all kinds, but anime, music, movies, and reading.