Top 10 Games of the Past Decade: The Top 5

Day 5 of NaBloPoMo brings the conclusion of my decade top 10 list.

As I bring my 'top 10 games of the decade' list to a close, it was hard not to notice the common thread that wove its way through the games in the top five. All of them, in their own ways, created an atmosphere that stuck with me long after finishing the game. Each one created a world that I wanted to keep returning to, directly in conflict with my gaming ADD personality. It's this atmosphere and personality which caused them to transcend any mechanical flaws or shortcomings, propelling them to the top of my list. And with that, the conclusion...

5. Half Life 2 (PC) - Not being a first person shooter fan, I tried playing this game at some point in 2005, and didn't get very far before moving on to other games. Upon revisiting it in 2008, and vowing to pay more attention to the experience than the game mechanics, it's not a stretch to say I was blown away. This is a well-crafted, tight, evenly paced game that continually pulled me along for the ride, introducing memorable NPCs (Alyx Vance being at the top of that list), weapons that allowed for some creativity (the gravity gun), level design which keeps the player moving forward even if they don't realize it, and a story that means something. Even playing the game 4 years after its initial release, the graphics were crisp and conveyed the atmosphere of the settings. My particular favorite segment in the game, even though it caused me no end of jitters and jumpy moments, was the time spent in Ravenholm with the headcrab zombies. That area oozed atmosphere, and the inclusion of the 'reverend' tending to his 'flock' made it all the more entertaining.

4. Portal (PC) - This game should not be called a game at all; it should be referred to as an experience. Expertly crafted, cleverly written, simple mechanics used in creative ways, and not artificially drawn out, more games should take their cues from this one. You're a human lab rat in a series of experiments overseen by a maniacal, sarcastic computer, given only a portal gun to solve the challenges in each room. Clocking in at just over 3 hours, it's long enough to be able to experiment with enjoy, but not so long you're wishing it was over. The game also contains one of the most overused game quotes in history (The cake is a lie!) and an incredibly appropriate final song (Still Alive) which I still catch myself humming from time to time. I can't recommend this game enough to fans of any gaming genre. It's worth experiencing for yourself.

3. Bioshock (360) - There are many memorable scenes from this game. One that most people having experienced it would cite is the major plot twist about 70% through the game, but I would actually choose another one. The initial bathysphere ride from the surface down to Rapture, complete with Andrew Ryan's movie narrating through the descent, does more to set the scene than any other game that comes to mind. Even though I'm not a fan of first person shooters, I worked my way through this game purely to experience the story. Ken Levine and his team created such a haunting location for this bizarre take on Ayn Rand's work that it was hard not to get sucked in. The use of audio tapes and directions from an unseen 'helper' on the radio only emphasized the surreal setting. The game mechanics backed up the fantastic narrative, with competent shooter mechanics fused with light RPG elements of character customization. The morality of the game, conveyed by the audio tapes, conversations with survivors, and the major moral choice forced upon the player, serve to enrich the narrative and deepen the despair conveyed by the city under the sea. Yet again, it's something worth experiencing for yourself.

2. Mass Effect (360, PC) - Taking inspiration from great science fiction of the past 3 decades, Mass Effect combines it all into an epic story spanning the galaxy. The conversations between your character and the NPCs throughout the worlds, the situations you and your companions are placed in, the overarching politics behind the story, they all factor into a moment in my gaming history that I truly treasure. I can't forget the sense of urgency and anticipation as I pushed through the last area on my way to what proved to be the final encounter of the game, and all of the other moments, large and small, that contributed to that sequence of events. I enjoyed this game so much that I've played through it twice now (that's definitely saying something for me, considering the relative constraints on my time) and enjoyed the second time as much as the first. This game has been described as a 'space opera,' and I couldn't agree more. Bioware, the developer, has indicated that this would be the first entry in a larger story arc, following the traditional '3-act structure' made popular in our cultural lexicon by the original Star Wars trilogy. The second 'act' comes out late this month and you can be sure I'll be snapping that up as soon as possible.

1. Fallout 3 and DLC (PC) - Finally, to the game I feel deserves the top spot in my list. During the weeks leading up to this game's release, I was very excited. Having dabbled in the first game when it was released in 1997, I couldn't wait for a version utilizing 10+ years of game design innovation and graphical fidelity upgrades. I'm happy to report I wasn't disappointed. Set in the post-apocalyptic DC area, it didn't have the most cheerful of settings. In fact, it can be best described as "desolate and depressing." That didn't stop me from diving headfirst into the story, and ultimately creating my own. The story missions provided progress and milestones; I provided all of the story in between. Having spent over 100 hours wandering through the wasteland, I feel that the stories that I made, by exploring all of the structures, caves, landmarks, etc., piecing together stories of people long since gone, being ambushed by raiders and radioactive monsters alike, far outshone the narrative laid out by Bethesda. In every sense of the phrase, this game embodied the journey and not the destination. Fortunately for me, Bethesda released 5 chunks of downloadable content to extend my journeys in the wasteland and surrounding areas, and I enjoyed them immensely. If you can deal with the depressing atmosphere, there is a great game in there, and worthy of "The Best Game of the Decade" moniker, at least in my estimation.

Well, that wraps it up for me. I'd love to hear your comments, arguments, discussion or otherwise about my choices. Even more so, I'd love to hear about the games I've left off this list that you feel should be there. Thanks for reading!