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Games of 2004
Gaming in 2004
As the old saying goes 'crystal balls make great paperweights'. Who could have predicted that 2004 would have been such an eventful, and excellent, 12 months. It's been a year of pushing boundaries, pushing luck, (and in Acclaim's case at least) pushing off. But has it all been worth it? Tiscali Games invites you to join us on a warts and all trip down memory lane. So sit back, grab a cuppa, and help us cast a reflective gaze over the gems and the garbage of 2004.
The year kicked off very slowly indeed and it wasn't until Sam Fisher, and the stealth masterpiece that is Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, that things got started. March also saw the release of the underrated Deus Ex: Invisible War - perfect for would-be cyborgs.
Spring brought cries of "War what is it good for?" as Battlefield Vietnam made its push for glory on the PC. To publishers at least, war is very, very good for business. Nobody owns the copyright on conflict, and as a complimentary bonus, plot and atmosphere come as standard. Chuck in a couple of chirping crickets, add some dense undergrowth to get around draw distance issues and the result? Deep breath.. Battlefield Vietnam, Conflict: Vietnam, ShellShock: Nam'67, Vietcong: Purple Haze, Men of Valor: The Vietnam War. All invaded the PC throughout 2004.
With such an outbreak of jungle fever it's a surprise that the quality has largely matched the quantity. There's a lot to be said for boarding a chopper, picking Ride of the Valkyrie from the on-board jukebox (a la Battlefield Vietnam) and heading out to give Charlie the kind of punishment that's normally reserved for West Brom defenders. But enough already!
The traditional summer gaming drought arrived bang on time. Veteran publisher Acclaim couldn't stand the heat and subsequently withered on the vine. The US based company adhered to the 'Three strikes and you're out" rule by deciding to call it a day after releasing a succession of stinkers. Alias was atrocious, World Championship Rugby dropped the ball and Urban Freestyle Soccer ranked alongside the helicopter ejector seat as one of the worst ideas of all time.
But just as the August sun beat down, an oasis appeared populated by zombies, lurkers and all manner of nightmare-inducing nasties. Doom 3 emerged from the depths and PC owners had a reason to be excited. Sheer horror never looked so good or demanded so much. Not that Xbox owners had much to worry about though. Chronicles Of Riddick made sure that Bill's Big Black Box had it's own darkly engaging FPS to keep fans excited and scared in equal measures.
With August ending on such a high note, Autumn had a lot to live up to. Luckily, it did just that with the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 4 on the PS2 and Xbox. The beautiful game got even prettier and this time boasted on-line play. There is a God and He clearly loves football.
October delivered Molyneux's latest creation Fable, to hordes of salivating Xbox owners. The chance to create your own life story from childhood to death and grow from an inexperienced kid into the most powerful being in the world - whilst all the way romping through a beautifully freeform gameworld was too much to resist.
Elsewhere there was the epic Rome: Total War, the stunning strategy game.
But if you want a true epic then there is only one game this year worth talking about. The masterpiece that is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Rockstar came back and literally blew us all to smithereens. If you don't like this game then you don't like games. Either that or you're under 18. Tough break kids. We're still playing through the game now and we never get bored of riding a dirt bike over the crest of a ridge while dawn breaks. Classic Stuff
But we can't mention the word classic without the names Gordon and Chief in the same sentence. Firstly, Half-Life 2. Internet skullduggery and over zealous publishers aside (The Valve/STEAM scenario), Half-Life 2 is the cracking game it always promised to be. A physics engine that would make Einstein scratch his noggin mixed with a story worthy of a Clancy yarn. Genius stuff.
And then there is the phenomenon of Halo 2. Dual wielding weaponry, Enemy AI straight out of MENSA, online play, this baby had it all. Which is why it took more cash on launch day than any film opening in history. The shape of things to come? Who knows. But it certainly looks like the small screen may well be getting more popular than it's larger counterpart. And with next year promising even smaller screens through the launch of Sony's PSP and the Nintendo DS we'll never be far away from a good game to play.
