And this also applies to video games, games that we're ashamed to enjoy but someone is bound to find out sooner or later. This can also apply to games that a generally good or bad but not the type that you'd usually play because you don't want many people knowing that you play that sort of game because you're not a fan of it but happen to make one exception.
So with the explanation in tact, I now start off with my Top 5 Gaming Guilty Pleasures!
5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003
4. Deadly Premontion
I've had my fair share of playing sports games as I grew up playing Wrestling games, Skateboarding games and even a few tennis games here and there (Rockstar Presents Table Tennis was going to be on this list but instead chose this one) but golf games is something that I wouldn't expect to play as some of the older ones before this one were pretty tricky but had a level of fun to it.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 is the only golf game I've put so much time into back on the original Xbox as it was accessible with using the right analog stick to move the club back and forth to adjust the power with all of the depth of a usual golf-sim but not so much that it alienates those who aren't really into a high level of realism.
It's campaign mode is nicely done as you can play your own golfer, the courses you play are beautiful and each tournament you go into is always a challenge with moments that have a heart-beat when you hit a long ball to the green. I consider this as a guilty pleasure because I never really invested into any of EA's sports titles with the exception of the EA BIG brand with games like SSX.
So having a standard golf sim like Tiger Woods is unusual but with the level of simplicity and ease of control in this game (as opposed to the later installments which they went a bit too real), this one is one of the more fun golf titles that I've had a look at.
It's campaign mode is nicely done as you can play your own golfer, the courses you play are beautiful and each tournament you go into is always a challenge with moments that have a heart-beat when you hit a long ball to the green. I consider this as a guilty pleasure because I never really invested into any of EA's sports titles with the exception of the EA BIG brand with games like SSX.
So having a standard golf sim like Tiger Woods is unusual but with the level of simplicity and ease of control in this game (as opposed to the later installments which they went a bit too real), this one is one of the more fun golf titles that I've had a look at.
4. Deadly Premontion
I already talked about this game on my previous posts which was a review of the game, so if you haven't looked at it, I suggest you do so as I really don't have much to say.
I put this game low on the list because while I'm guilty of playing this game because of the low quality it represents, it's been praised by a ton of other gamers and has been well-received by critics (or as well received as a B-grade movie). Not as well received like The Last of Us but decent enough to warrant a look at.
While I still stand on what I say about the games poor quality in terms of controls, visuals, map and other bugs. The story and characters is what drove the game by involving the player into something completely bizarre but magnificent at the same time and that alone is quite of an accomplishment by Swery 65 and his development studio Access Games.
Not including the hilarious moments that happen, whenever they're intentional or not. This is a game that only the very curious can dare themselves to look into and I did so with grace and haven't looked back. Guilty as charged but no regrets.
3. Too Human
Probably one of the most controversial games on the Xbox 360 (or as controversial as a small-town convenience store robbery) as Too Human has had a troubled and long development history. Originally started as a 4-disc epic on the PS1 before shifting to Gamecube and then finally having it's place on Microsoft's console, using the Unreal 3 Engine.
While many may have forgotten about this game, was it worth the wait? Probably not because despite it's long time to fine-tune the game, it is riddled with problems that would make a lot of players put the game down in frustration. I was not one of those people surprisingly.
But how can I like a game like this? The game's combat is clunky as you use the right analog stick to attack with swords or guns, the uncontrollable camera doesn't help either (as you can only reset it), the enemies can overpower you and kill you instantly if you're not well equipped, the game over screens are annoying as you can't skip them as you watch your character get carried away by a Valkyrie, there's not much in terms of side quests as the game feels too linear and the story doesn't get interesting until the end which leaves on a cliffhanger.
So why do I like this game?! Well...I guess it has to go with the creative ambition the game had, even with it's near-decade long development history, the concept is very interesting as it takes Norse Mythology into a sci-fi setting, the amount of loot you get is quite cool, some of the visual design is neat, the sound design is excellent in terms of voice and music and it does set up for something bigger at the end.
But that sequel will probably never see the light of day as developer Silicon Knights lost their stupid lawsuit against Epic Games over the Unreal Engine, claiming it wasn't what they were given wasn't user friendly enough and as a result, Epic Games counter-sued and they won, resulting nearly $10 million in damages which forced SK to recall all copies of Too Human as well as the critically abysmal X-Men: Destiny.
The end of Silicon Knights? Probably and sadly, which is why I'm relieved that I was able to get Too Human before it gets taken away.
3. Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers
Contrary to belief, this game has a bit of a following in Japan (so much so as it has it's own movie) as the Onechanbara series started off on the PS2 in Japan (as well as Europe if I'm not mistaken) as budget games and they clearly show and when D3Publisher decided it was a neat idea to bring the Xbox 360 remake subtitled Bikini Samurai Squad as well as it's new installment on the Wii subtitled Bikini Zombie Slayers, I strangely had a small amount of interest in this.
The reviews and some gamers are to expecting this game to be crap and they're probably right as this game is repetitive, convoluted, shallow and just not worth the full price. But in spite of all of that, I kind of enjoyed this game.
Obvious shameless sex-appeal aside (trying to out-do Dead or Alive, are we?), this game is indeed repetitive as Dynasty Warriors and Sengoku Basara. Two game franchises which I'm not a fan of because as hack-n-slash games, they're pretty dull with large scale battles against brain-dead AI which makes me think of other games like Ninja Gaiden instead because I prefer that series over them.
That said however, Onechanbara doesn't really have much of a large scaled as the areas are small and linear which I'm okay with because I feel they don't drag on for too long but that said the game is still repetitive as you have to waggle your arm a lot with the Wii-remote to attack instead of button mashing (like the cult gem No More Heroes), you have to clean your blade off once in a while to make it sharp again, your move sets are a bit limited, the other playable characters don't add much to the experience but only minor as one of them does use a gun, the story is convoluted and the visuals aren't that great.
Although, I still enjoyed from what I played of it because while it is a waggle-fest, the controls work fine, the levels are brief and don't drag out so you can take breaks between them if you get bored quickly and while it is silly, it has a small sense of personality even if it isn't anything too special. So while I do think it's tailored towards the Dynasty Warriors crowd in terms of gameplay, it is in fact a decent time-waster if you lower your expectations, play it at short bursts and just enjoy it.
I really don't know what else to say as this game is indeed pretty bad but I can't help but like it.
2. Def Jam Vendetta
As I mentioned earlier that I grew up playing a lot of wrestling games, mainly the WCW and WWF (now WWE) games on the N64, PS1 and a bit of PS2. But I am not a fan of Rap/Hip-Hop music, I don't hate the genre as I do enjoy some performers or songs but it's not my go-to choice of music as I mainly prefer guitars and drum kits.
So why do I have an interest in this? I looked into it via videos on DVDs and demo discs when magazines had them packed in back in the day (before downloading demos became a thing) and I was strangely intrigued until eventually I gave in and got it on the Gamecube.
As I said, I'm not a fan of Rap/Hip-Hop music but this had it's level of charm as combing that with wrestling strangely worked, especially since this was co-developed by the AKI Corporation, the same developers behind the WCW/WWF games on the N64 and they knew their stuff. Sure the game was lacking a few modes as well as a create a player but the main campaign was fun and once you're against famous rappers like Ludacris or DMX, it gets rather challenging. It's the one odd wrestling game that I never thought I would play and here it is.
The game did follow up with two sequels but I never bothered with them and judging by the 3rd one, it seems that we'll never see another fighting/wrestling game affiliated with Def Jam Records again.
So why do I have an interest in this? I looked into it via videos on DVDs and demo discs when magazines had them packed in back in the day (before downloading demos became a thing) and I was strangely intrigued until eventually I gave in and got it on the Gamecube.
As I said, I'm not a fan of Rap/Hip-Hop music but this had it's level of charm as combing that with wrestling strangely worked, especially since this was co-developed by the AKI Corporation, the same developers behind the WCW/WWF games on the N64 and they knew their stuff. Sure the game was lacking a few modes as well as a create a player but the main campaign was fun and once you're against famous rappers like Ludacris or DMX, it gets rather challenging. It's the one odd wrestling game that I never thought I would play and here it is.
The game did follow up with two sequels but I never bothered with them and judging by the 3rd one, it seems that we'll never see another fighting/wrestling game affiliated with Def Jam Records again.
1. Kingdom Hearts: 3D - Dream Drop Distance
...Where do I begin?
If I was going to do a top list of games that I never want to play, the original Kingdom Hearts games on the PS2 (and the upcoming 3rd one on the new-gen systems) would be on that list for one particular reason and that reason is...the pairing of both Square and Disney characters don't mix well with me.
I'm sorry but the whole concept just sounds like something a 3rd-rate crossover fanfic writer would do because they don't really have anything in common at all. If it was a game with Disney and Studio Ghibli or Warner Bros. cartoon characters, then maybe that can work better or something like Final Fantasy crossed with Fire Emblem or Phantasy Star or even Dragon Quest.
So why did I even play this 3DS spin-off you may ask? Because of the appearance of characters from one of my favourite DS games of all time, The World Ends with You. Neku, Josh, Shiki, Beat and Rhyme were in it and I was thrilled to see them even if it was a brief moment at the start and lead to believe that Square still had confidence in the cult favourite RPG, which lead to a mobile version of the DS game (which that reveal still kinda upsets me to this day as I was hoping for a sequel).
But aside from that, the rest of the game was my first proper experience to the world of Kingdom Hearts and to my surprise, I really liked it. The worlds you go are detailed and faithful to the Disney classic films or more recent ones like Tron Legacy which looked amazing and even the character designs looked remarkably faithful. The combat was surprisingly fun even though the camera can be a little obnoxious at times and overall, it was a very enjoyable game.
I shouldn't feel guilty since a lot of people like this game as well as critics but I do because of my lack of interest for this franchise for those reasons (which can also be taken as a vow). But you know what they say...If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
And that concludes my Top 5 Gaming Guilty Pleasures, please comment and tell me what games are you guilty of liking and with that said, thanks for reading and have a nice day!
