Shooting Games

I think I've finally tapped out on shooting games. I enjoy them in a certain time and place; they make great party games with my brothers or friends, but other than that, I'm just not drawn to them anymore.

Really, I didn't start until I picked up MW2 a day after release at the request of friends. From then on, I've gotten most of the shooters that came out and found some enjoyment in them, but never more so than with friends.

Now... Now I just don't care. No big titles have come out that my friends play. I've made some friends on games like Starhawk and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, but the games quickly lose appeal. Don't get me wrong -- they are good games and enjoyable enough, it's just not my genre of choice and as soon as a game starts to feel like a chore, I drop it.

I mentioned Bulletstorm last post. I played it for a bit and I like it enough, for a single player shooter. It focuses on being a silly, dick joke making, action movie in game format. So, when I want to watch an action movie but be more involved, this does it well. The game play is spurred on by having a list of interesting/absurd skill shots that have you killing wave after wave of enemies in more and more inventive ways. This, at least, will make the absurd story/setting something to pursue, and I'll probably continue to play it for a bit longer. Still trying to get the one where you shoot an enemy in the balls then kick their head off...

For the rest of the genre... Well, I'm hoping someone does something really fresh and new. I like the competitive aspect and the obvious differences in skills/tactics some games employ. I just don't like the cookie-cutter genre most shooters fall into, and I really dislike that most people tend to stay with the formula instead of branching out.

That being said, I have the next CoD pre-ordered (the worst of the cookie cutter bunch), assuming that's what my friends will pick up as well and I can spend some time connecting with folks I've moved away from. Until then, though, I'll stick to my RPGs and other titles, officially ending the spree of buying ever shooter released.

Kind of refreshing, really.