PixlBit

 

Thought since the next gen is nearly upon us, that I would make a quick list of my favorite games this gen (so far at least). I still have a lot of unfinished in the backlog though. There are so many that I wanted to include, but I think this is a good list. But here is a list off the top off the top of my head, in no particular order:

 

 

Mass Effect 2

I bought the original Mass Effect for Xbox 360 not too long after it released. I am a huge fan of Knights of the Old Republic and this game being from the same makers and also very similar in nature was a slam dunk. I played through most of the game (original Mass Effect) and never finished it for some reason to this day. With its sequel, Mass Effect was improved in every way. I couldn’t put Mass Effect 2 down until the credit roll and still wanted more. Easily in this category as well as my all time faves.

 

 

 

 

Demon's Souls

I rented Demon’s Souls at first to see what the hype was about surrounding this game. I’ll admit I thought it was just okay during the time I had it on rental. A year plus later I purchased a copy and started a larger time investment into it. I still remember to this day the first time my game was invaded by another player and we fought till the death, it was a sense of dread and excitement. I won that battle and walked away thinking how awesome the concept of having random people invading/assisting you in-game was. The boss battles are pretty hectic and daunting, one of the things I love about this game. I have yet to play through Dark Souls, fyi, which I am sure improves on everything in Demon’s Souls.

 

 

 

 

God of War 3

God of War for Playstation 2 was so different, brutal and epic for the time it came out. The setting, concept and gameplay were perfection in my eyes. I had always wanted a game fighting the Greek gods and it delivered. God of War 2 continued the tradition and stands out to some as the best in the series (I think the original is the best). God of War 3 is the epitome of epic. The boss battles, brutality, gameplay and the GRAPHICS. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at when I was playing this game; the opening battle is a great. The boss battle where you fight a Titan (I won’t say who here) is just out of this world. Great game and series that probably was good ending here.

 

 

 

 

Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2 is co-op first person shooting perfection in my opinion and also the best zombie game out there. Every moment of playing it is tense and you have a sense of urgency getting to the safe rooms. Even playing as a zombie and trying to get the survivors is awesome. I can honestly say that I have never had a bad time playing a Left 4 Dead game. As a bonus, Left 4 Dead 2 (on PC) includes all the campaigns/characters from L4D1.

 

 

 

 

Bioshock

I started playing this game (in college) after my friend told me it was probably his favorite game of all time after he finished playing it. It was weird to hear him say that because I didn’t peg him as much of a gamer, much less play a game like this. So I started playing and could see exactly where he was coming from, the story and gameplay were both excellent and I was excited to see what would happen next. Facing off against the Big Daddies was always fun.

 

 

 

 

 

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

This game is widely described as a blockbuster action movie in video game form. I have no arguments there at all. I like Nathan Drake’s little jokes and witty remarks throughout the game, as well as the gameplay. I had no problem with the first or third games; I just think the second one was so groundbreaking and stuck with me as the best in the series. The third is pretty good as well, on par with the second. So much escalation in the action sequences. The multiplayer was not bad at all; I spent a lot of time on it (mainly the co-op “survival” mode).

 

 

 

 

Call of Duty: Black Ops

No doubt the Call of Duty franchise had a huge impact on this generation of consoles. If it were not for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, I wouldn’t even have played a single military shooter this gen most likely. Maybe it is more deserving to be on this list as I have put countless hours into that game...but this is a list of my favorite games. My favorite in the series was the first Call of Duty: Black Ops. The campaign was pretty awesome, multiplayer was my fave of all of them, zombies was hectic and exciting and it even had a top down shooter and the Zork game. Couldn’t ask for more.

 

 

 

 

 

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

The Metal Gear Solid series is my favorite in gaming, so putting this on the list was a no brainer. This game had everything I wanted and some things I didn’t know I wanted (gun customization). The story was always my #1 draw to the series and that is exactly the appeal I find in this game. I remember being taken back by the graphics in this game at release, and they still hold up pretty well. Love this game and this series.

 

 

 

 

Assassin's Creed II

This was the first game I played and was just amazed that I could look at a tower off in the distance, ride out to it and climb to the very top. The whole idea that you are an assassin during the Renaissance period of the late 15th and early 16th centuries in Italy is pretty awesome too. I enjoyed the combat very much, alot of it is counter attacks, but I think that is pretty cool. Very different and the end of the game just has you scratching your head.

 

 

 

 

 

Gears of War 2

Horde Mode, the reason this game is on the list, lol. Sure, Gears of War has a fun campaign and awesome multiplayer; but Horde Mode was just such an original and awesome idea at the time. I played so much of it and still play to this day. Great franchise and one of my faves.

 

 

 

 

 

Honorable Mentions:

 

Borderlands

Resident Evil 5

Red Dead Redemption

Resistance 2

Killzone 2

 

 

 

 

 

Contenders, but on the Backlog still (yet to play):

 

Tomb Raider

Bioshock Infinite

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Dues Ex: Human Revolution

Saints Row: The Third

Dark Souls

Darksiders

 

 

And there it is, as ti stands now. As you can see, I still have alot of big games to play. That doesn't even include sleeper hits like Valkyria Chronicles, No More Heroes or series faves like Final Fantasy XIII (which the original trailer is why I wanted a PS3). Feel free to chime in below with your faves so far. Obviously this was a hard list to make, but this is my best shot at it. Happy Friday.