Achievement Unlocked 05.23.08: Taking it Easy
Posted by Rod Oracheski on 05.23.2008
When you need those 1,000 Gamerscore what games do you turn to? The prim and proper ones that take time to get those precious points, or the floozies that'll turn your score up by 1,000 in no time at all?
While I tend to believe most of the people who read this column aren't Gamerscore Whores, I figure there's no harm in occasionally playing more towards their interests. So today let's take a look at the easiest games out there - the 1,000 point club. Games so easy they're sometimes confused for Curry's mom...
Thinking this all the way through, it seems like this doesn't really aim towards the true Gamerscore Whores at all - they've already beaten these games. Consider this your primer on going down that path, should you choose to.
By far the easiest game to hit 1,000 in is Avatar: The Burning Earth. To get the full 1,000 in this one takes roughly five minutes or so and the skill requirement is simple - have a pulse and a finger. You need to hit one button, that's it. If you need more help...it's the B button. You can get this one, as the image to the right indicates, in your sleep.
Up next - let's do a batch of games here: the 2006 sports titles. College Hoops 2K6, Madden 06, MLB 2K6, NBA 2K6, NBA Live 06, and NHL 2K6. The worst of these? Without a doubt it's Madden's "Complete 30 Years of Franchise" which is a test of your patience that's worth 300 Gamerscore. College Hoops 2K6, MLB 2K6, NBA 2K6, and NHL 2K6 can all be "beaten" in a single game, while NBA Live has a few Achievements that require multiple plays.
Hitting 1,000/1,000 in these games requires only that you understand the basics of the sport and are able to handle a controller with basic dexterity. Most gamers will need to adjust sliders to get all the Achievements in a single game, but there really aren't any difficult Achievements here at all. More recent sports games have clamped down on easy Achievements, though both Madden 07 and Madden 08 should still be considered fairly quick routes to 1,000 Gamerscore. NBA 2K7 and NBA 2K8 are both more difficult, but still fit into the 'easy' category.
Another series is easy to hit 1,000 in is the Cabela's series: Cabela's Big Game Hunter, Cabela's African Safari, and Cabela's Trophy Bucks - all are staples in the Gamerscore Whore's Achievement list. These games require a modicum of skill, though they're easy to pick up, but don't take long to wrap up. Be careful though, start to enjoy these games and you might just be exposing some inner redneck... Next thing you know, you'll be living in a trailer and cheering wildly at a NASCAR race.
Of course no list would be complete without the bane of gamers: licensed games. Need a quick 1,000 points to beat your friend? Avatar is, obviously, the best choice - but let's assume you've already tapped that well. Try TMNT, Cars, Cars Mater-National, CSI: Hard Evidence, Lost, Meet the Robinsons, Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, Shrek the Third, or X-Men. Shamefully, I must admit that I've actually beaten both TMNT and Peter Jackson's Really Long Name for a Game.
While games have generally gotten better at making their Achievement list hard to complete in record time, it's hardly a perfect world out there. If you want to hit some recent games that don't provide much challenge, try Jumper: Griffin's Story, Frontlines: Fuel of War, or Iron Man - hey you want Gamerscore, not great games...right?
You can call me crazy, but despite my claims in an earlier column of trying to avoid Achievement lists for upcoming games I've now started checking out the lists for titles that are on the cusp - wavering between the 'will buy' list and the 'maybe someday' bin. That's why I checked out the Achievement list for The Incredible Hulk when it became available.
There are quite a few Achievements that seem to be mission-based, something that I've called lazy in the past. Fortunately there are also quite a few that seem more interesting - including Over The Edge (knock five enemies off a high building) and Home Run (hit an enemy, throwing him over 436 feet). The clincher for me is the names - every single Achievement name is either good or great. I'll be looking for The Incredible Hulk when it hits shelves in June.
The Achievement list also move NBA Ballers: The Chosen One, another 'on the cusp' game off the cusp - but this time it was into the 'maybe someday' bin. The Achievement list in this one is uninspired all the way through, which was a real disappointment. There seems to be so much room, given the type of game that it is, to do a really great Achievement list...but they knock off a 20-Achievement stinker. Pity, but maybe next time.
This week I've tried to break my Grand Theft Auto IV addiction with a helping of Arcade titles: Assault Heroes 2 and Penny Arcade's incredibly long-titled offering - Episode One.
Both are top quality games, with Assault Heroes 2 continuing the strong start of the first game and offering up a slew of small, but noticeable, improvements. Expect to see a review of that one up very soon, but rest assured that if you liked the first one the second is definitely worth your money.
I'm not quite so sold on Penny Arcade's game, however - primarily due to the high price point. If you're a real PA nut, then by all means pick it up. It's a solid action-RPG title that's aimed squarely at making PA fans happy, with irreverent humour and tons of inside jokes. If you're not a fan of the webcomic, then I'd advise hitting that demo first. The game looks amazing for an XBLA title, but PA's humour really isn't for everyone.
