Top 10 Games of the Generation So Far?

[Benza]

[Michael Kontoudis]

[IISpacebreakII]

I consider those games to be this current generation, I don't think those games really became popular until the last 4 or so years so I would be happy considering them 7th gen, and the portables tend to do a bit of overlapping too.

[GooberMan]

They were popular enough in Japan to warrant a DS remake from the GBA originals.

But point is, as I brought up in the GOTY thread, since we're an Aussie site it's really only the Western release dates that are relevant to us.
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[IISpacebreakII]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Heavy Rain, I've never played it but when it released everyone seemed to consider it a semi-masterpiece?

[Benza]

[Jarrod]

Heavy Rain, in a nut shell, is a pretty interesting idea with good value towards the adventure game genre, ruined by an awful story and awful characters and dialogue. David Cage is a hack writer making movie games, so Heavy Rain fails on both fronts. Woop woop.
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[Benza]

you forgot hilariously uncanny valley animations.

Seriously I spent hte first 10 minutes just turning the character around becuase it looks hilarious.
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[shinhawk]

I don't think I can come up with 10 because there are some releases I still haven't got my hands on yet.

1. Disgaea 4: Absence of Justice. Not exactly a game with the most cutting-edge graphics, but a huge leap for the series with Nippon Ichi in terms of their graphics. The sprites perfectly the capture the overall feel and theme of the game. Combined with the addictive gameplay, the game is just NIS-perfection.

2. Catherine: Most unique game I've played in a while and easily had the most interesting story. It was like a really good book that I couldn't put down. I kept playing just because I wanted to know what would happen next. The suspense was killing me.

3. The King of Fighters XIII: I've always felt that 2002 Unlimited Match is KOF perfection. It still is, but I know have to add XIII to that lineup. Roots from 2002, Hand-drawn sprites, improved gameplay, and an impressive roster undeniably makes this one of the best fighters currently.

4. Mortal Kombat: Complete reboot/revival for the series. Not just for the gameplay, but the story as well. NetherRealm Studios did an amazing job with this game. Due to the reboot, this game not only appeals to the dedicated core fanbase since MK1, but also appeals to people who are new to the series or don't know anything about the story. NRS has also been brilliant with patching this game with the silent hotfixes and releasing patches in a timely manner. The netcode, while not the best is certainly very good for the company's first outing. I really think they one-upped Capcom when it comes to the patching.

5. Muramasa: The Demon Blade: This game easily has the best 2D graphics this generation, though they are matched by last gen's Odin Sphere and GrimGrimoire(though that's obvious since they're all by Vanillaware). I always felt Odin Sphere was a bit messy and there were severe performance issues at that times, but Muramasa fixes all that. I hate to sound redundant, but I like that Muramasa wasn't as hack and slash as it's predecessor and I also feel the gameplay has improved due to that.

6. F1 2010: Finally a proper Formula game on home consoles. I'm so used to seeing the various yearly releases of Madden, NBA2k, and WWE games, so for me its a breath of fresh air a far more deserving sport make the cut into yearly releases. F1 2010 is really simple and quite fun. Its not as complicated as other racers or driving simulators, but it really is unbelievable at how fast these cars go in the game. I haven't bought F1 2011 yet(its probably going to be a Christmas gift), but from what I hear from both fans and the F1 drivers, that its far better than 2010.

7. Valkyria Chronicles: Another game with unique visuals and very unique and innovative gameplay. Everything about this game is great, characters and story included. There's not much else to say. Its just a shame that it didn't get the following it deserves.
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[Esposch]

Deus Ex, Super Mario Galaxy and TWEWY are definitely my top 3...

Can't really be bothered working out the next 7, but BioShock and Lost Odyssey would both be there somewhere.
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[Esposch]

Deus Ex, Super Mario Galaxy and TWEWY are definitely my top 3...

Can't really be bothered working out the next 7, but BioShock and Lost Odyssey would both be there somewhere.
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[GooberMan]

Keeping in mind that every game I mention in this post is confined to games I've either finished or played enough to form an opinion on, I present the following.

10) Rock Band 3
I have all the Rock Band 1, 2, and Lego content rolled in to it along with quite a number of downloadable tracks. When you can play Megadeth's Rust In Peace on RB drums without looking at the screen, you know you've gone and put a lot of time in to the game (or at least just that album). The best part is that I bought it with the 5000 MS Points we got on finishing Game Room rather than buying a bunch of roms.

9) Castle Crashers
How many times have I completed thee, let me count the ways. It's one of those perfect multiplayer games, many a drunken night has been spent in front of it collecting everyone else's gold and eating everyone else's food and clobbering everyone else's enemies so I can level up faster...

8) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Sure, it's responsible for killing video games as we know it and all that hyperbole. But do you remember a time when it was a breath of fresh air? A well constructed single player campaign with plenty of commentary on the nature of war in the modern world, and multiplayer that left you coming back not only to get better in terms of skill but also to see what new and interesting equipment you'd unlock. It was absolutely a classy package that deserved the acclaim and the sales. Not so much the yearly releases and an industry obsessed with a "Me too!" mindset.

7) Serious Sam 3
I fucking love this game. So. Much.

6) STALKER: SoC
I finally loaded it up the other day with the Complete mod. Pretty much made everything I loved about the game even better. It's still a 6th place without the mod, but you're likely to enjoy it more with prettier graphics, less bugs, and better AI (Did the dogs ever drag off dead dogs in the original? I cannae remember). At the very least, see where Borderlands got its structure from.

5) Orange Box
Honestly, on paper, this is the best release of the generation. But the individual games higher up on my list, despite the fact that I've not sunk anywhere near as much time in to them as my list, did some things better in my mind. Still. HL2:E2 was great, Portal's a legitimate classic, and 300 odd hours of Team Fortress 2 cement it as the single most played multiplayer game of my life (and we used to play the hell out of Street Fighter/Mortal Kombat on the Amiga when we were kids). I doubt we'll ever see another release of its likes again.

4) Alan Wake
What really sold me the game was the novel pages. You'd get one that descibes something that's happened, then you'll get one that describes something that's yet to happen, and then it happens. Starting life as an open world game didn't hurt either, as it has a better sense of location than even some open world games. Fairly class act psychologial horror basically.

3) The Darkness
This game got in my mind like nothing else. It did basically everything I hate about games - linearity, cutscenes, conversation quests, etc. But all those things were used as a strength. The linearity of it felt more like the Darkness was directing you along a path, and the fact that you were a wimp without your Darkness powers just made you use them even more. It was around the point where I started imagining where I could take the Creeping Darkness as I went past places in real life that I realised I was playing a brilliant, immersive game.

2) Dark Souls
Frustrating, rewarding, brilliant. Denny's review basically sums it up.

1) Far Cry 2
I've been calling this one the first true role playing game. A statement sure to annoy all those that like their stats and levelling up. To "get" this game, you can't play it like your average shooter. You need to start thinking like a mercenary that's stuck in a war-torn African country with unreliable equipment and no money. And malaria. The presentation doesn't screw around, and intentionally makes things difficult for you. Even the character you choose at the start of the game makes a difference - the old Russian warhorse that's seen everything will sit patiently with you while waiting stealthily in a bush; while the young and cocky American always has to make sure his gun is at the ready in the same situation, causing you to lose your hiding spot. And then there's the story. Using Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now as a template, it takes the story one step further and allows you to actually take the actions that caused the Jackal to become who he was rather than see/read about them. I've ranted at length about this game elsewhere, but needless to say I'm quite disappointed that even the upcoming sequel doesn't appear to be trying to do anything like that again.

Honorable mentions go to the following:

Metro 2033
Red Dead Redemption
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
LocoRoco
Crackdown
Condemned
Left 4 Dead
inFamous
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Demon's Souls
Limbo
Super Meat Boy
Donkey Kong Country Returns
LA Noire
Pac Man CE/DX
Trials HD


And now, a fun topic. I present what I consider to be the most overrated games of the generation:

Gears of War
An early system seller for the X360, but I could barely stand it. It was painfully evident that the game started life as a first person shooter, as combining the run and cover button found me getting stuck on the wall far too often in narrow corridors. The only real highlight of the game was the introduction of the Berserker, still the highpoint of the series in my opinion, but everything else was substantially improved and made good for the sequel.

Bioshock
Literally a watered down System Shock 2 (see what I did there?). I reserve the term "bioshocking" for games that I find to be painfully slow. Thank the gods that the hacking game in Deus Ex: HR learnt from killing my childhood memories of Pipe Dream and implemented it in a completely different and more compelling manner. The only thing worth praising about this game is the absolutely fantastic art direction. More games should look this outright beautiful.

Mirror's Edge
Not because the press overrated it, but because the fans readily ignore the faults and claim it to be perfect anyway (see my previous rant on the subject if you think I'm just brushing it off).

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
It took everything good about the first Modern Warfare, and Michael Bay'd the shit out of it.
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[Fetidchimp]

me + respawning dudes = rage....i don't mind if it is in context, but dudes that appear to teleport in bugs the shit out of me....give me that old school doom clearing an area feel.

I would probably play through far cry 2 if it wasn't for that, seemed enjoyable enough otherwise, and the speed talking, what is with that.
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kill, kill, kill.....the white man. Kill the white man, kill

[Guffers]

Part of the fun is planning your attacks and making sure you exit out a different path to that which you came in. If you do that then you will never experience the respawning. Also embracing the spirit of being in the wilderness and avoiding the roads and checkpoints helps a lot as well.

Its still an absolute favorite of mine. Two playthroughs on the 360 and I'm thinking of running through it again on PC now that I have a capable laptop.

[Fetidchimp]

Good now i want to play it, bastards
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kill, kill, kill.....the white man. Kill the white man, kill

[LeonJ]

Ah man, I loathed Far Cry 2 with a pashion. Awful awful game.
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Shin J Leon.

XBL - LeonJ
PSN - LeonJ

[Gamesta]

I thought Far Cry 2 was awesome.

I loved the atmosphere of the game.When the wind picked up in the game I could just about feel the wind blowing on me because of the grass blowing in the wind and the sound of the wind blowing through the air.


Yeah respawnig enemies was bloody annoying after a while but not enough to ruin the game for me.


I remember one section where I was hiding in the grass on and off cliff faces.It took me like 20 minutes to take everyone out but it felt great and didn't bore me at all.

Now lots of people found the fight with The End in MGS3 to be really fun but I found it boring but found it great in FC2.
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Welcome to the internet. Where any joke can turn into WWIII.

[emech]

Top 10 is tough. As usual these tings are subjective. Still these are the top 10 titles that are forever keepers for me (although the full list proberbly extends to over 40)

Just Cause 2
Red Dead Redemption
Company heroes
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales
Shaodws Damned
Fallout 3 GOTY
Pokemon Platinum
Enslaved
The world ends with you
jeanne D'arc
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[GooberMan]

[Tsargrad]

All in order. When I get my Vita I expect some of those games to come into the list such as Golden Abyss. Its fairly obvious I’m playing on a PS3 based on these games – but so be it.

FALLOUT 3 – no real surprise as I rate this as the greatest game ever made. I had no interest in this game initially until I downloaded some footage and I saw Megaton blow up. That was it for me. I needed this game and haven’t looked back. I’d say I have finished this game maybe 6 times and easily invested 300 hours into it and I still want to go back for me.

UNCHARTED 2 – breathtaking game. Superb blend of action, story, and the most loveable collection of characters in a game. Even when you finish the game you just want to play again, or replay certain levels. Naughty Dog at its finest.

SKYRIM – another game I wasn’t that keen in but got sucked in with the 20% JB sale. Well, didn’t look back and didn’t play anything else for the next 4 weeks. I’m still going through it after 80+ hours. So much depth, and will have a lot of replays in future.

UNCHARTED: DRAKES FORTUNE – the original, and was a breath of fresh air. The lush landscape, and our introduction to these characters, was such a memorable experience. Whilst after several years the polish isn’t there compared to the newer 2 titles it is still a terrific game and must be played by all.

UNCHARTED 3 – need I say anymore on Uncharted. The only reason it is below the others is I prefer the landscapes of the other 2 games, and Uncharted 2 was nearly perfection.

EVERYBODY’S GOLF WORLD TOUR – I love this franchise. Played this game to death and will continue to (until I get a copy of the Vita game). In general I hate golf, and hate the Tiger Woods franchise so it is refreshing to play a golf game which is cutesy, doesn’t take itself seriously was still a lot of fun.

HEAVY RAIN – An interactive movie really. I was playstation-less at the time when I first played this, it made me run out to get my hands on a PS3 again. Gripping from start to finish, and worth replaying some levels to see it done differently.

GRAN TURISMO 5 – once you get into it, and get some decent cars, this game is a blast. Nothing more satisfying than doing an endurance race, as it gives you a great sense of accomplishment. Most accessible GT game I’ve played.

MOTORSTORM – the best launch title. Motorbikes on the side of a cliff, sensational. The original is still a favourite although overall I found the game a bit hard for my ability.

FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS – hated it at first as my expectation were way too high. But coming back to it 12 months later and investing a lot of time, its made me realise it is a pretty sweet game. Whilst not the masterpiece Fallout 3, its still the same universe which gives it big kudos in my book (Look at my PSN user ID if you need more reason)
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