In lieu of the next generation of consoles being released later this year, I've been thinking about the best gaming experiences this generation. Which games defined the Wii/360/PS3? I haven't rounded my list out yet but it goes a little like this, but in no particular order: 1. Skyrim 2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 3. Mass Effect Trilogy 4. Uncharted 2 5. Red Dead Redemption 6. Batman: Arkham City 7. Grand Theft Auto IV 8. ??? What are your top 10 games this generation? What am I leaving out? Am I crazy?
For me the game of the generation (and greatest game of all time) is Team Fortress 2. When it first came out it in 2007 had 3 game modes, 6 maps, and a single set of weapons for the 9 classes. Now in 2013 we have several more game modes, including a a coop Hoard mode. The number of official maps have expanded to more then 50, all of which were free for all players (no $15 map packs here). Each of the 9 classes has a dozen or more new weapons, some of which significantly change the way the class plays. The game still receives several major updates every year which includes new weapons and maps. The gameplay is just amazing. Each of the 9 classes is very different. The scout has very little health, but is extremely fast and can jump multiple times. The medic on the other hand very rarely engages in direct combat, but is often one of the most valuable and one of the highest scoring players on the team. Some of my other favorite games released this generation include Left 4 Dead 2, Portal 1/2, Super Mario Galaxy 1/2, Batman Arkham Asylum/City, Alan Wake, Dragon Age: Origins, Skyrim, Fallout 3/New Vegas, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Hotel Dusk:Room 215/The Last Window.
I'm not much of a console gamer--not for any snobby, elitiest reason, just practicality and economics--but of the games I've played on the PC in this generation, most were I think cross platform. So in no particular order: Mass Effect Trilogy Portal 1 & 2 Half-Life 2 + Episodes 1 & 2 (where oh where is HL3!!??) The Walking Dead Dragon Age Origins Saints Row 2 Batman: Arkham Asylum X-Com: Enemy Unknown Skyrim Beyond Good and Evil HD (if that counts!) Minecraft Honourable mentions include the Crystal Dynamics Tomb Raider games Legends, Anniversary & Underworld (haven't played the new one yet), Ghostbusters: The Video Game, Journey, Kerbal Space Program, the WH40K Dawn of War games and Left 4 Dead. Deus Ex: HR, Arkham City and Assassin's Creed 2 should probably be in there somewhere too, but I've yet to finish these, so I can't really rate them fairly.
Great question. For me, definitely Red Dead Redemption. Great atmosphere, great gameplay. It was the game that pushed me over the edge in getting a console. It did many brilliant things. Some may complain at it being too big, but it was the wide-open expanse that made it feel authentic, giving you unparalleled freedom. I wouldn't be surprised if Rockstar is planning another RDR for the next generation of consoles after they release GTA 5.
The franchises of Uncharted and Mass Effect defined the generation for me and will always be classics of this era. We still had other stand out gems like... Batman Arkham Asylum & City Halo Reach & Halo 4 Dead Space 1 COD 4 MW GTA IV Assassins Creed 1 & 2 Fallout 3 Heavy Rain The Walking Dead I'd expect to add Dishonoured, Skyrim and Last of Us when I get round to playing them.
Of course! I don't know if the word "generation" means anything to a PC gamer, but I'd certainly like to know what's out there and what should be played before I buy a new machine. I've thought about taking up PC gaming, but the controls are too hard to grasp for me. WASD is not for me.
I could see me adding Tomb Raider to my list. The experience is still fresh to me but that was an awesome game.
I really like your list AlphaMan and would rank those games highly, except for Skyrim... but I haven't played that. Tomb Raider is good, but maybe a little too derivative and late in the cycle to be a true defining game. I would probably throw in Gears of War. Maybe Guitar Hero 2 or Rock Band. Even though I haven't played it either, seems like Minecraft could qualify. Maybe some others from the downloadable category. Geometry Wars and Plants vs Zombies. I'll throw in the original Dead Rising as well.
I would included Angry Birds, even though I've never played it, due to the role it played in moving mobile and downloadable games forward. Such games are now a large and growing percentage of the gaming market that didn't exist before the current generation. Some of the most creative and unique games currently being developed are from indie developers that are making smaller downloadable games. There are certainly other downloadable titles worth mentioning, but Angry Birds is the first really big hit I can recall off the top of my head. While we're certainly a small percentage of the gaming community, it's worth taking a look over the games we're mentioning and how few if any of them are Wii titles.
Hearts of Iron Series IL2 Mass Effect Series Battlefield 3 Assassin's Creed Series Skyrim Europa Universalis Series I prefer strategy on my PC and shooters on my 'Box.
I'm a strictly PS3 gamer, and while I don't think I've played enough games to pick the best game on that system, I do have a list of 10 games that I would consider to be my personal favorites on the console and figured I'd share them: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Valkyria Chronicles Final Fantasy XIII Red Dead Redemption Batman: Arkham Asylum Fallout 3 Skullgirls Super Street Fighter IV Mass Effect 2
Fallout:New Vegas: My favorite of the bethsoft games running that engine, I hate The Elder Scrolls series leveling system, while it's logical and somewhat innovative, it's tedious as hell. Fallout 3 had had a better setting, it was also...green...New Vegas had better characters as well as an updated play system, but I still want to see the Lone Wanderer fight the Leigon. The Secret of Monkey Island 2:LeChuck's Revenge, Special Edition While the first Monkey Island SE was a labor of love and started a trend for HD remakes of classic games, SMI2 fine tuned the dual-run engine and turned a labor of love into a work of art. SMI:SE was clunky, at least on consoles, and the voice acting could only be heard in HD mode. Deus Ex:Human Revolution. This. Game. Is. Awesome. You can go in guns-blazing killing everyone, sneak around like a ghost, stalk and incapacitate your prey or any mix of the above. With hidden passages everywhere and multiple routes to take you have a fun framework for an amazing story. While the original Deus Ex took every kooky conspiracy theory keyword ever, threw it into a random mad lib generator and used that to spit out a script, Human Revolution's story is more focused and thought provoking. It's pretty interesting sci-fi as well. The Walking Dead. Speaking of great stories, this is one of the best I've ever seen in a game. It is disappointing though, the game tells you that the decisions you make effect the characters around you, yet none of your choices matter in the end. And it's a shame, so many potential changes in plot direction are crushed by the game's almost painful linearity, but the story more than makes up for these shortcomings. Halo:Reach. If I have to pick a FPS for this list, Reach would be it. While the COD Modern Warfare series has a good story and more memorable characters (than Reach anyway), the games are safe. There's no innovation between games. At least Reach tried to go in a different direction from the rest of the series, and for the most part it worked. The story is a change of pace from the previous 4 entries in the Halo series. While Halo 1-3 focused more a message of hope (and cyborg/AI love) and ODST tried to have more of an investigative and open tone, Reach was an unabashed, old school tragedy. The Spartan 3's are doomed from the beginning. The game adds some new gameplay elements such as armor abilities, vehicle and zero-g sections and a signifigant tweak to gameplay balance. What was new was fun.
Casual/Indie on PC: Audiosurf Eufloria Defense Grid: The Awakening Waking Mars Bastion The big PC/multiplatform games that i played on PC: Borderlands 1 & 2 F.E.A.R. trilogy Portal 1 & 2 Serious Sam trilogy Deus Ex: Human Revolution Torchlight 1 & 2 X-Com: Enemy Unknown PS3/multiplatform games i played on the PS3: Assasin's Creed series. Little Big Planet Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing(Evolved) Uncharted Trilogy Saints Row 3 Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning Ratchett & Clank PS3 trilogy inFamous 1 & 2 Batman 1 & 2 Valkyria Chronicles(best TBS on the PS3) Red Dead Redemption
Would have to with, in no particular order Mass Effect trilogy Portal 1 & 2 Half Life 2 Fallout 3 Enslaved Civilization 5 Super Mario Galaxy games New Super Mario Bros games Indies Thomas Was Alone FTL World of Goo Limbo Btw anyone want to recommend some games I might have missed this generation on any of the consoles? I've just added game rental to my LoveFilm account.
Depends on the console... For PS3 exclusives: Ratchett & Clank PS3 trilogy inFamous 1 & 2 Valkyria Chronicles Uncharted Trilogy Disgaea series
I have all three consoles, so any will do. I have played inFamous 1, been playing bis of 2 here and there. Got all 3 Uncharted games, will add the others to the list if they've got them. Prefer Xbox because I prefer the controller and it's in the living room, so if any suggestions there I'd gladly accept.
I loved Left 4 Dead 2 on the 360. A lot of people cited the Assassins Creed series. I tried 1 and didn't like it. I later picked up 2 and found it much better, but kind of burned out on it about 2/3's through it. In the middle if 2, I picked up 3, but never started it because I have to finish 2. I think I'll give it another shot.