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!
Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Top 10 Games of the Past Decade: Bottom 5 Edition
Day 4 of NaBloPoMo finds me aping the Player One Podcast's latest episode, focusing on the hosts' top 10 games for the years 2000-2009. I enjoyed listening to it so much, I thought I would take the time to compile my list and share it here.
Well here it is, another useless list for your reading pleasure. This is my stab at naming the top 10 games of the decade, filtered through my experiences, games played, systems owned and interests. I'm fairly positive that this will be one of the more offbeat lists you'll read on this topic, as I lost most of 2000-2004 playing MMO's and not actually owning a console. This definitely colors my choices, as you'll see. On to the list...
10. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (DS) - For me, this game came out of nowhere, because at the time of its release, I had never played Bejeweled or any of its numerous clones and knockoffs. The personal draw for me came from the RPG trappings and the promise of simple yet addictive game mechanics attached to all aspects of the game. On these two promises, Puzzle Quest delivered in spades. From my best guess, I probably sank 20-30 hours into the adventure, from working through the story quests, to capturing towns, creating new items, training mounts, learning new spells, and everything else the game offered. The DS touchscreen provided the perfect input method, as using the stylus to choose and swap gems couldn't have been more intuitive. I keep hoping for another experience of this type to capture the same magic (Galactrix, Gyromancer), but so far none have lived up to the original.
9. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (PS2) - Now wait, stop rolling your eyes. While thinking about this list, I was shocked as to how many fond memories I had of this particular game, just one of many iterations in an admittedly fantastic sports franchise. There have been many games since that improved on the mechanics, the graphics, and the overall feel, but none of those will hold the same place in my heart as this one. This fact is due to the method in which I experienced it, and that was with friends. At the time of this game's release, I was living with a couple of buddies from work, and one of them owned the PS2 and this game. Before long, we had all created golfers, and would spend our evenings passing the controller around, watching each other play rounds against computer opponents, or engaging in links warfare between ourselves. Simply sharing the trash talk, the disbelief at an incredible shot or bounce, and enjoying the game for what it was, will have this game holding a special place from here on out. I tried to recapture the magic with later versions of the game but, after moving out of that apartment and not having anyone to share the experience with on a regular basis, they couldn't hold a candle to the '04 version.
8. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (360) - The first game I bought when I picked up my 360, this game gave me everything I could have wanted and more. When the dust settled, I had sunk more than 140 hours into the game, and didn't even complete the main storyline! There were just too many sidequests, too many DLC addon packs to explore, too many distractions for me to focus on the what amounted to completing the game. The graphics were admittedly a bit muddy and the character models left a lot to be desired (there wasn't an attractive person to be found in that world), but these shortcomings took a backseat to all of the things that you could do. By the time I finally had my fill and drifted away from it, my character had completed the quests for all five of the guilds in the land and had explored nearly every structure, cave, building, etc. to be found. If only I had taken the time to complete the main story...
7. Everquest (PC) - This game, and others like it, is one of the reasons that my list doesn't contain many games from the earlier half of the decade. While I was not consuming individual games at the pace I attempt to now, my gaming time was more than occupied by this MMORPG, the first king of the hill before being dethroned by World of Warcraft. While I never saw any of the endgame content, I thoroughly enjoyed making character after character and working my way through their early development, only to start yet another race and class to see what they had to offer. My gaming ADD, and the fact that I did my absolute best not to let MMO gaming rule my life (you can ask my wife how well I did with that) never afforded me the opportunity to see the large raids or be a part of a large guild. Nevertheless, the memories created in that time still cause me to smile.
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC) - During the holiday season of 2003 my brother-in-law, who was living with my wife and I at the time, asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I had been hearing about a new Star Wars game that was getting great reviews, so I asked him for that. The game turned out to be KOTOR, and it really opened my eyes to what a single-player RPG could be, with the backing of an incredible license and the right developer putting everything together. The visuals, the combat, the moral choices (albeit very binary and not affecting the outcome of the story at all), the companions, and the story wove a tapestry that I just couldn't pull myself away from. All told, my playthrough took me somewhere around 40 hours, and when it was over I wished I could play it again without knowing all of the plot points and twists. The genius of the approach Bioware took with this game lies in the fact that they set the story so far removed from the events of the movies that they had the ability to create a fantastic narrative free of the shackles of the movies' history. I absolutely loved the tactical combat, and the fact that I had a lightsaber. It was my 6 year old self being able to live out his dream (well, almost).
Tomorrow: my top 5 games of the decade.
Well here it is, another useless list for your reading pleasure. This is my stab at naming the top 10 games of the decade, filtered through my experiences, games played, systems owned and interests. I'm fairly positive that this will be one of the more offbeat lists you'll read on this topic, as I lost most of 2000-2004 playing MMO's and not actually owning a console. This definitely colors my choices, as you'll see. On to the list...
10. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (DS) - For me, this game came out of nowhere, because at the time of its release, I had never played Bejeweled or any of its numerous clones and knockoffs. The personal draw for me came from the RPG trappings and the promise of simple yet addictive game mechanics attached to all aspects of the game. On these two promises, Puzzle Quest delivered in spades. From my best guess, I probably sank 20-30 hours into the adventure, from working through the story quests, to capturing towns, creating new items, training mounts, learning new spells, and everything else the game offered. The DS touchscreen provided the perfect input method, as using the stylus to choose and swap gems couldn't have been more intuitive. I keep hoping for another experience of this type to capture the same magic (Galactrix, Gyromancer), but so far none have lived up to the original.
9. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (PS2) - Now wait, stop rolling your eyes. While thinking about this list, I was shocked as to how many fond memories I had of this particular game, just one of many iterations in an admittedly fantastic sports franchise. There have been many games since that improved on the mechanics, the graphics, and the overall feel, but none of those will hold the same place in my heart as this one. This fact is due to the method in which I experienced it, and that was with friends. At the time of this game's release, I was living with a couple of buddies from work, and one of them owned the PS2 and this game. Before long, we had all created golfers, and would spend our evenings passing the controller around, watching each other play rounds against computer opponents, or engaging in links warfare between ourselves. Simply sharing the trash talk, the disbelief at an incredible shot or bounce, and enjoying the game for what it was, will have this game holding a special place from here on out. I tried to recapture the magic with later versions of the game but, after moving out of that apartment and not having anyone to share the experience with on a regular basis, they couldn't hold a candle to the '04 version.
8. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (360) - The first game I bought when I picked up my 360, this game gave me everything I could have wanted and more. When the dust settled, I had sunk more than 140 hours into the game, and didn't even complete the main storyline! There were just too many sidequests, too many DLC addon packs to explore, too many distractions for me to focus on the what amounted to completing the game. The graphics were admittedly a bit muddy and the character models left a lot to be desired (there wasn't an attractive person to be found in that world), but these shortcomings took a backseat to all of the things that you could do. By the time I finally had my fill and drifted away from it, my character had completed the quests for all five of the guilds in the land and had explored nearly every structure, cave, building, etc. to be found. If only I had taken the time to complete the main story...
7. Everquest (PC) - This game, and others like it, is one of the reasons that my list doesn't contain many games from the earlier half of the decade. While I was not consuming individual games at the pace I attempt to now, my gaming time was more than occupied by this MMORPG, the first king of the hill before being dethroned by World of Warcraft. While I never saw any of the endgame content, I thoroughly enjoyed making character after character and working my way through their early development, only to start yet another race and class to see what they had to offer. My gaming ADD, and the fact that I did my absolute best not to let MMO gaming rule my life (you can ask my wife how well I did with that) never afforded me the opportunity to see the large raids or be a part of a large guild. Nevertheless, the memories created in that time still cause me to smile.
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC) - During the holiday season of 2003 my brother-in-law, who was living with my wife and I at the time, asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I had been hearing about a new Star Wars game that was getting great reviews, so I asked him for that. The game turned out to be KOTOR, and it really opened my eyes to what a single-player RPG could be, with the backing of an incredible license and the right developer putting everything together. The visuals, the combat, the moral choices (albeit very binary and not affecting the outcome of the story at all), the companions, and the story wove a tapestry that I just couldn't pull myself away from. All told, my playthrough took me somewhere around 40 hours, and when it was over I wished I could play it again without knowing all of the plot points and twists. The genius of the approach Bioware took with this game lies in the fact that they set the story so far removed from the events of the movies that they had the ability to create a fantastic narrative free of the shackles of the movies' history. I absolutely loved the tactical combat, and the fact that I had a lightsaber. It was my 6 year old self being able to live out his dream (well, almost).
Tomorrow: my top 5 games of the decade.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
My Top 5 Games of 2009
Jumping back into the blogging thing, and onto the bandwagon of the innumerable 'best' and 'worst' lists that inevitably appear at this time, I've decided to put together my list of 'Top 5 Games of 2009.' This list is compiled with the understanding that I simply didn't have the time and/or money to really delve into the incredible amount of quality games that appeared on the scene in twenty-aught-nine.
So, without further ado, here are my choices for the 5 best games I played in 2009.
5. Retro Game Challenge (DS) - There's nothing I enjoy more than being reminded of the carefree days of my youth, rabidly consuming all of the NES games I could get my hands on. Retro Game Challenge scratched that itch incredibly well, with 8-bit style games, fused with 2+ of game design evolution. The developer's understanding of what makes a great game coupled with the desire to evoke the 'golden years' of gaming produced a loving trip down memory lane, even though none of these games existed back then.
4. Batman: Arkham Asylum (XBox 360) - I chronicled my journey with this game in some detail in previous entries in this blog. Multiple game mechanics, smooth melee combat, impressive visuals, and doing justice to one of the most maligned franchise licenses in gaming history makes this game worthy of anyone's year-end best list.
3. Shadow Complex (XBox Live Arcade) - This game stirred up a tempest in a teapot when it was released, because of the beliefs of the game's lead writer, but looking beyond this will find you looking at a game that plays like Super Metroid, powered by the Unreal Engine. Need I say more?
2. Plants Vs. Zombies (PC) - I arrived late to this party, but boy am I glad I came. Simple tower defense game mechanics made challenging and interesting, all wrapped in a well-written, genuinely funny and cute shell continues to suck precious time out of my day. The additional puzzles, challenge, and survival modes, combined with the expensive items in the store to save up and buy, give this game some serious legs.
1. Borderlands (PC) - Very good FPS mechanics, Diablo style loot system and a paper-thin story you forget about 5 minutes in? The perfect recipe for my top game of 2009. I sunk 30+ hours into this game, and enjoyed every minute of it. The need to find the perfect gun, and then when you find it, wanting to find the next perfect gun kept me playing for a long time. If Gearbox, the developer, can find a way to include more story into the inevitable sequel, it will be a monster.
Honorable Mention: Fallout 3 DLC (PC) - Another hit of my favorite gaming drug from 2008? Yes please. Wait, 5 more hits? Most definitely! The addition of the 5 DLC packs to Fallout 3 pushed my total game time to over 100 hours in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. I could talk about this game for hours, and regale you with stories of exploration and discovery. That's a good thing, because the original ending (and essentially its removal with the third DLC pack, Broken Steel) makes this a case of 'the sum of the journey is greater than the destination.'
So there you have it, my modest 'best of' list for the past year. 2010 is shaping up to be even leaner than 2009, considering that I now have 3 little ones vying for my attention, but I'll never give up the dream of enough money to pay for my gaming habit and enough time to play the games I want. It doesn't hurt to dream, right?
So, without further ado, here are my choices for the 5 best games I played in 2009.
5. Retro Game Challenge (DS) - There's nothing I enjoy more than being reminded of the carefree days of my youth, rabidly consuming all of the NES games I could get my hands on. Retro Game Challenge scratched that itch incredibly well, with 8-bit style games, fused with 2+ of game design evolution. The developer's understanding of what makes a great game coupled with the desire to evoke the 'golden years' of gaming produced a loving trip down memory lane, even though none of these games existed back then.
4. Batman: Arkham Asylum (XBox 360) - I chronicled my journey with this game in some detail in previous entries in this blog. Multiple game mechanics, smooth melee combat, impressive visuals, and doing justice to one of the most maligned franchise licenses in gaming history makes this game worthy of anyone's year-end best list.
3. Shadow Complex (XBox Live Arcade) - This game stirred up a tempest in a teapot when it was released, because of the beliefs of the game's lead writer, but looking beyond this will find you looking at a game that plays like Super Metroid, powered by the Unreal Engine. Need I say more?
2. Plants Vs. Zombies (PC) - I arrived late to this party, but boy am I glad I came. Simple tower defense game mechanics made challenging and interesting, all wrapped in a well-written, genuinely funny and cute shell continues to suck precious time out of my day. The additional puzzles, challenge, and survival modes, combined with the expensive items in the store to save up and buy, give this game some serious legs.
1. Borderlands (PC) - Very good FPS mechanics, Diablo style loot system and a paper-thin story you forget about 5 minutes in? The perfect recipe for my top game of 2009. I sunk 30+ hours into this game, and enjoyed every minute of it. The need to find the perfect gun, and then when you find it, wanting to find the next perfect gun kept me playing for a long time. If Gearbox, the developer, can find a way to include more story into the inevitable sequel, it will be a monster.
Honorable Mention: Fallout 3 DLC (PC) - Another hit of my favorite gaming drug from 2008? Yes please. Wait, 5 more hits? Most definitely! The addition of the 5 DLC packs to Fallout 3 pushed my total game time to over 100 hours in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. I could talk about this game for hours, and regale you with stories of exploration and discovery. That's a good thing, because the original ending (and essentially its removal with the third DLC pack, Broken Steel) makes this a case of 'the sum of the journey is greater than the destination.'
So there you have it, my modest 'best of' list for the past year. 2010 is shaping up to be even leaner than 2009, considering that I now have 3 little ones vying for my attention, but I'll never give up the dream of enough money to pay for my gaming habit and enough time to play the games I want. It doesn't hurt to dream, right?
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