PixlBit

Chrono Crossing 2004

My favorite game of 2004 is Lord of the Rings: The Third Age. The Third Age is the turn-based RPG that borrows heavily from Final Fantasy X's combat system. Of all the great games that came out this year The Third Age is the only one that I regularly replay at least once every year or so, and it always leaves me feeling like I went on a fantastic adventure. It's worth mentioning that this is one of those RPGs you will finish in around 35 hours, including a bit of grinding, so I think it's the perfect length for an adventure like this. You get to visit a lot of the iconic locations from the LOTR films, fight most of the iconic enemies including giant ones that add some spectacle to the fights, and you will come across major characters from the films who take a brief role in your party for really epic battles (Gandalf helps you fight the Balrog for example, and the skills he can use are epic). The party you build over the course of the game is robust and they all have interesting backstories within the LOTR context, as well as usefull skills in the combat system. There's tons of loot, and you can fully manage the gear and stats of every member of your party, so it definitely doesn't skimp on the role playing aspects. The Third Age is a super solid turn-based RPG and an entertaining 35 hour adventure set firmly in Middle Earth and it's the opposite of a cheap liscensed movie cash-in. It's polished, rewarding to people who enjoy the films, and fun to play. If you still have a Gamecube (where I choose to play it), an Xbox, or PS2, give The Third Age a chance.

Stage Select

One of the things I'm hoping for with the Switch is to have a clean break with the Wii era and leave all those naming conventions, fonts, and everything about it in the past and not try to piggy back on the name recognition. Come up with new names and aesthetics for everything, it's time to bury the Wii, finally

Great again guys. Dawn of Sorrow was almost my pick for that year as well. I chose Shadow of the Colossus but it must have gotten in late cause it wasn't mentioned. I'm looking forward to Last Guardian. Team Ico hasn't let me down yet so I'm giving them benefit of the doubt. I think this will be the first time I skip all reviews until I finish it. I feel like if I see mediocre to bad reviews that'll I'll be subliminally taking enjoyment I may have had away from playing it. Meteos was another great game. Just popped that in a few months ago actually. A new sequal would be amazing. 

I'm actually playing through The Witness right now. It's such an amazing game. The feeling of discovering the answer to a puzzle gives such a great feeling. It will definitely be in the running for Chrono Crossing 2016. 

On that topic...

Chrono Crossing 2004: Burnout 3

In 2005 my definitive answer would be Halo 2. No other game has absorbed so much of my life to this day. I think I played it every day online for over a full year. Only Call of Duty 4 and now Overwatch have come even remotely close to grasping me into online PvP. 

But now in 2016 it's Burnout 3. Dozens of amazing shooters, including more Halos, have come and gone. Now they are a dime a dozen and many have surpassed Halo 2's gameplay and PvP.

Burnout 3 on the other hand, in my opinion, has never been topped. It's easily my favorite racing game and will probably always be. The sense of speed was amazing and probably still is. The fun that came with crashing was unparalleled. Crash mode provided more fun alone than most racing games. I hope Three Fields Entertainment, the old Burnout teams new conpany, can recapture that magic and wash away the disappointment I suffered from Burnout Paradise with their new racing project. 

Stage Select: True 3rd Party Support

I want to see Nintendo recapture 3rd parties. They have went 2 home consoles without much support. If you take away shovel ware than its even slimmer. I know Nintendo can do amazing things but so can 3rd parties. I would love to be playing Overwatch on the go. I want to see what unique thing Kojima can come up with like he did with Boktai for GBA. 

Ack! That was a total oversight on my part, Exrian! I knew you had done submissions for both segments and forgot to read your Chrono Crossing pick. Dishonor on me and my cow.

Ha, no problem. I knew you read my stage select. I began to wonder if Chrono Crossing is done before Stage Select then edited toward's the end. Figured maybe I posted in the middle of recording. 

Chrono Crossing:  Metal Gear Solid 3:  Snake Eater

Has to be one of my favorite games of all time, eventhough I haven't actually played it since 2005.  I played through it a good half dozen times, but only the original release.  I have bought every version of MGS3 released except the 3DS version.  

Stage Select

What I hope for with the Switch is Gamecube Virtual Console. No HD rereleases, give Sega a quick, easy way to put Skies of Arcadia onto a modern device so they no longer have an excuse. Yes, I am prioritizing a port of a 16 year old game over third party support, innovative new IPs, and battery life. It is unacceptable that only Dreamcast and Gamecube owners can play that game. Also other awesome Gamecube games on the go.

Chrono Crossing

2004 is my favorite year for games and had the release of my all time favorite game, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords. Absurdly long title aside, this game did so much right that I didn't care if it was a buggy mess. I still loved the combat and depth in customizing your character and equipment. I loved how its influence system had you actually learn how to interact with your party members and really build a bond with them to get the most out of them and learn new abilities from them. 

But what makes this game is its story and how it turns many of Star Wars' themes and ideas on their head. It took the idea of the Force and brought an ugly side of it having a destiny for everyone, where some people just have no choice in their ugly fate. Or how it showed how everyone and everything being connected by the Force would be devastating after a war crime was committed. To me, this is both the peak of RPGs and Star Wars, neither wants to explore the themes and ideas this game brought up twelve years ago, which is a shame but also a testament to how bold Obsidian was to make this game in the first place.