The best games of this generation

[dan-likes-trees]

Inspired by some chitchat on a new ps3 topic.

 

What games do you think you'll remember most fondly in a few years time?

 

I'm throwing out

 

Bioshock

 

Heavy Rain

 

Geometry Wars 2

 

Skyrim

 

N+

 

#truenintendofan

 

Mass Effect may be in the mix when I finally get round to the series. I feel like maybe I'm missing out on one of the games of the generation there.

 

Here is a thing, N-Europe. I recently bought a PS3, at least 30% for Unchartered 2 (30% for the last of us, 30 for heavy rain and journey and an optimistic 10% that last guardian will be out for it, which it will definitely not be). Anyway. It pains me to admit, but I don't like Unchartered 2. I don't get the hype! I love the locations, really really brilliant looking levels. And then obvs some of the set pieces are really brilliant. But it's so completely linear, the puzzle are rubbish, the climbing is boring... Obvs, it's not bad, but more of a 7.5 / 10 in my book (and I really wanted to like it! I bought the system for the thing!) am I alone?

 

Hit me with your thoughts.

 

Edit: Rooting for Wii Sports actually. Why not? Probably the best multiplayer of the generation.

Edited March 21, 2013 by dan-likes-trees

[Jonnas]

I believe this thread should be in General Gaming Discussion.

 

I'll also properly reply to this thread when I have more time.

[Oxigen_Waste]

Portal/Portal 2

Demon's Souls/Dark Souls

Journey

Uncharted 2

Xenoblade

Super Mario Galaxy 1/2

 

If we're going for absolute best of the best... these are the games. There's alot more good games, but these are all perfect or very near perfect (except for Dark Souls, but that one makes up for it's shortcomings).

[Cube]

My top picks:

 

Mass Effect Trilogy

Bunrout Paradise

Tomb Raider

inFamous 1/2

Alan Wake

Red Dead Redemption

Uncharted 2/3

BioShock

Heavy Rain

Left 4 Dead 1/2

Fallout 3

Excite Truck

Portal 1/2

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Batman: Askham Asylum

Call of Duty 4

Borderlands

Halo ODST

Kameo

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

 

These are my personal "outstandingly brilliant" games (I may even be missing a couple). There's also a lot of games that I'd consider to be "really damn good".

[The Peeps]

Left 4 Dead 2

Portal/2

ExciteTruck

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts n Bolts

Halo ODST/Reach/4

Metroid Prime 3

Blur

Dishonoured

Mirror's Edge

Bastion

Braid

 

I think that's all of mine, probably missed some.

Edited March 24, 2013 by The Peeps

[Cube]

Blur

 

The beta for that was great.

[The Peeps]

I don't think it changed all that much after the beta. It was different but still the same game. I loved the hell out of it

[Cube]

They changed the way the items were placed, which was one of the things I loved. Plus I overplayed the beta a bit.

[nekunando]

I actually think the 'best games of the generation' and the games I'll 'remember most fondly in a few years time' are potentially two entirely different beasts.. but that's a debate that's basically already been had in recent weeks

 

The games I'll remember most fondly are..

 

Donkey Kong Country: Returns

Excite Truck

No More Heroes

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Wii Sports

Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure

 

Another Code: Two Memories

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

Elite Beat Agents

Ghost Trick

The World Ends With You

 

Pilotwings Resort

Super Mario 3D Land

[Murr]

From what I have played these games really stand out and had me hooked.

 

The Orange Box

 

Skyrim

 

Heavy Rain

 

Grand Theft Auto IV

 

Far Cry 3

 

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

 

Red Dead Redemption

 

Super Mario Galaxy

 

Left 4 Dead 2

 

Pokemon Black/White

 

Donkey Kong Country Returns

 

 

 

Currently playing Skyward Sword for the first time (I'm rubbish I know) but so far, it's incredible, 15 hours into it, but can see it being one of my most cherished memories this generation, and clearly deserving of a place in best of this generations best and most definitively the Wii's best.

 

Can't add many ps3 titles to the list unfortunately, As I really didn't use the ps3 much other than for dvds/blu ray.

 

Some franchises that Ive played and loved I haven't put on because they were great, but not better than I've listed (Dead Space, Gears of War)

 

And lastly, I haven't played many of the standard main contenders, or what I assume would be main contenders. (BioShock Series, Uncharted series, Mass Effect 2/3 etc) So can't include them myself, despite the fact I'm sure they are incredible. I will get on to playing more of these games.

[tapedeck]

Flower

Journey

Wii Sports

Uncharted 1

Heavy Rain

Super Mario Galaxy

FIFA 09

[Josh64]

I'm impressed Banjo Nuts & Bolts has been mentioned twice already I love that game and it pisses me off that every time I try and talk about it someone has to butt in and say some shit about Rare being a terrible developer.

 

Also, Galaxy 1 and 2 (obviously)

[Rowan]

Super Mario Galaxy

Infamous 2

Uncharted 2

Journey

 

I really love Sleeping Dogs but the game wouldn't be what it is if Batman and GTA4 were never released.

[-Dem0-]

SSBB

RE4: Wii Edition

RE5 (Co-op & mercenaries mode made it for me)

Skyward Sword (even though I'm not finished yet)

Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2

Mario Strikers: Charged Football

MGS 3D (was finally able to play this masterpiece. Definitive version IMO)

Kid Icarus: Uprising

JUMP Ultimate Stars

NSMB (DS)

Pokemon Black 2 (Also incomplete, but was easily the most enjoyable Pokemon since ruby/sapphire)

Batman: Arkham Asylum & City

Red Dead: Redemption

[Mandalore]

Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3

Dragon Age Origins (PC version)

The Witcher 1 and 2

Fallout 3

Bastion

Gears of War

Call of Duty 4

[Jonnas]

So, from someone who played mostly Wii&DS, plus a handful of PC games...

 

Portal

Portal 2

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Little King's Story

Super Mario Galaxy

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (if it even counts)

De Blob

Tatsunoko vs Capcom

Wii Sports

Ghost Trick

Elite Beat Agents

Soul Bubbles

Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume

 

(And I'm excluding Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations as it's a straight port of a GBA game, nothing changed)

[The Peeps]

Edited my list to include Bastion and Braid. This has been a looooong generation!

[Cube]

Can someone explain why I should play Bastion in a couple of sentences?

[-Dem0-]

Tatsunoko vs Capcom

 

Superb choice. I was thinking about what games I could have missed. I had SSFIV on the 360 & 3DS, Tekken Tag 2 (Wii U), still have Soul Calibur 2 & 4, Blaz Blue for the 360. Yet in my opinion they don't come close to T vs C.

 

This game came out of the blue, literally, hardly knew any of the characters from the Tatsunoko side (Was able to recognise Ken from gatchaman & Gold lightan). The trailers leading up the game were so awesome that they had me instantly convinced. So much so that I made my first ever pre-order!

 

Frank west was my favourite character. His attacks are stupid crazy, so much fun when you string together some wacky moves. Cracks me up.

 

Stunning game.

[Agent Gibbs]

I'm a big Zelda fan, and i really want to say one of them, but i can't in good conscience claim even skyward sword was one of the best this generation, and OoT3d is one of the best games ever remade so....

 

Mass Effect Trilogy (if i have to be specific 2)

Skyrim

Fallout New Vegas

Demon/Dark Souls

Super Mario Galaxy 1/2 (2 is really just an expansion of 1)

Pokemon Black/White 2

Bioshock

Red Dead Redemption

Portal 2

Batman Arkham City/Asylum

Ni No Kuni - Its a masterpiece i can't believe nobody has mentioned it yet

 

I'm sure i'm missing some stellar games and will remember them later i'm sure

Edited March 27, 2013 by Agent Gibbs

[bob]

Can someone explain why I should play Bastion in a couple of sentences?

 

No, but i can do it in a Haiku:

 

No-one has to do,

Anything they don't want to,

Not even play that.

[The Peeps]

@Cube

 

Bastion is an interesting and fun action RPG with awesome story-telling and great gameplay. It can get a bit repetitive but the variety of weapons keeps it fresh and the story really does see you through. You'll be wanting to play more just to piece everything together.

[Cube]

Sounds like I should get around to playing it. I already have it installed.

[Captain Falcon]

Best games of this gen...

 

Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition - 2012 Version

 

Despite swearing to myself after getting caught in the SNES SF2 upgrade pattern to never let it happen to me again, Capcom ensnared me once more with their latest take on the series. And it's really not surprising either. I love TvC for it's instant knockabout fun (it was in my top 10 Wii games) but SF4 is brilliant in every way. Central to it's greatness has to be the Focus Attack move and everything it does. Who'd have thought you could change the way a game plays so much through the use of one move. Of course, you can still have fun without really getting it but it's what raises the game beyond all the games that came before it as it is both the best defensive and offensive move in the game. It also has a wealth of options. One thing I always felt TvC was lacking was in stuff to do other than tournament mode and multiplayer. It has a couple of other modes but they aren't explored in the same depth as they are in SF4 and it has a bunch of others beside - plus the online is quite robust too.

 

When Ono-San stepped onto the stage at the PS4 event, I was praying he was going to announce SF5 but it wasn't to be. Still, that just gives me longer to enjoy SF4 and longer to anticipate the inevitable brilliance of its followup.

 

 

 

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

 

Anyone who's seen my posts in the two recent Deus Ex threads should know that I love this game. Lots of choices yet very few penalties, it's a great example in how you go about creating a smart game that emphasises player empowerment. And whilst these same ideas can be seen in other Western RPGs, because that is the category this arguably shares most things with, it never feels like the fudge that is in them. The ability to bribe someone is not dependant on you having a high speachcraft figure but your ability to determine what the character wants to hear and respond accordingly. Likewise, your augmentations are not open to the same level of abuse in other games that grant similar player skills via potions and magic and other levelling up. Even if you set yourself up solely for combat, brute force is never much of an option. Skill and thought underpin every action you take and consequently determine its success too.

 

It's a near future setting dealing with real world issues, even if they are dressed up as something else, and the fact that nothing gets dumbed down for the player is rather refreshing. I felt both more intelligent and dumber for playing the game. Intelligent because I learned from it and dumber because I realised how little I knew over all. I never really stop to take in politics for the real world, instead chosing to simply deal with their fall out given my inability to influence them directly. By putting you in a situation whereby not only can you have some affect on the goings on, but also having the game report on your actions in newspapers, radio broadcasts and tv news bulletins, the world of intrigue becomes more tangible than ever before.

 

 

 

 

To be continued...

Edited March 25, 2013 by Captain Falcon

[Jimbob]

In no particular order, these are mine

The Mass Effect Trilogy

Brilliant RPG trilogy from Bioware, it does make me consider to myself why i didn't pick up the first game sooner than i actually did. Lovely locations, good weaponry, a decent multiplayer (in 3), great controls, good cast of characters and it has it's own nack of humour throughout. Since they've fixed the ending of 3, it has made all them hours of play all the more worth it.

Red Dead Redemption

Kind of a red-herring from Rockstar, they dared to try something other than Grand Theft Auto. I know there was the original one "Revolver", but same as the original Fable, it was made by a different developer before being purchased by another. What Rockstar did was bring the Wild West into your own home. Horse riding, you could re-inact the "Damsel in Distress" on the railways. Horse and cart racing online with friends, you name it really (except solicitating women). This was worthy of "Game of the Year"

Bioshock Trilogy

I can call it this now i think, considering Infinite is out now. Ok i'll admit the 2nd was not as good as the 1st, basically the same game just a change of character and added multiplayer (no longer operational, shame). 1st game was something different compared to other point-to-point FPS games, adding RPG elements to it. Some interestingly designed areas in the 1st. The games range from underwater caverns and underwater cities to up in the heavens glorious ones.

Gears of War Quadrilogy

And i can call it the above, thanks to Judgement. Brilliant original trilogy, and one i am planning on replaying over the Easter period. Each game improved things which needed improving, including the multiplayer. That was the case until Judgement arrived. Like many others, i've gone back to 3 for my multiplayer fix. There are many flaws with Judgements MP, including the lack of Horde and decent team matches. Campaign and Co-op wise, these are fine examples of brilliance.

Super Mario Galaxy 1/2

Fine example of Nintendo "getting it right". Excellent motion-controlled gaming, lovely environments and sweet, sweet platforming. And Nintendo got it right again with the 2nd, more excellent platforming indeed. Ok, it did lack a little compared to the 1st, but it was still an excellent title indeed.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The best in the series, so much to do and to see. Especially with the add-ons, which goes to show that these add-ons only improve the game further and not wreck it. It can't be faulted, except when taking arrows to the knee. You could spend hours in here and only scratch the surface of it. Excellent RPG elements, great customisations. Every character you make will never be the same as the last, even if you tried. Random Dragon battles ftw.

Batman: Arkham Asylum/City

Anyone who needs a lesson in making good comic book games, please turn to this fine example. I know this sort of creation suits Batman, but i'm sure the elements could be transferred to other comic book characters like Superman, Spiderman etc. Each section was detailed well, enemies reacted differently and showed they were scared if you kept sneak-incapacitating their friends without them noticing. Asylum is far better than City, mainly because it's more enclosed and not as free-roaming. I'm not saying City is a bad game, but it was lacking something. City had more side-missions over Asylum, more challenging Riddles and a wide choice of different Batman enemies/characters.

The Assassin's Creed series

Fantastic series created by Ubisoft, much better than Prince of Persia (so last gen). Taking the elements of Hitman, Tomb Raider and Prince of Persia, throwing them into a mixer and pouring it out into mould, we have this series. The 1st was something different, introduced us to Altiar in a Crusade-era. Lovely environments, but repetitive. Go to guild, get target. Research using different techiques, get given authority to kill and return to guild for upgrade. II gave us a new character in Ezio and new environments. It also gave us new missions which were varied, and not samey. You still had your target, but things were different. Then we have Brotherhood and Revelations, 2 spin-offs of the 2nd. Again, both are good games and bring in new elements (improving upon city modifications from II and bought in online play. Revelations didn’t need to be made, it was showing it’s age. Then we have III and the huge explorable frontier. By far the best in the series, that is for sure.

Honerable mentions to Kid Icarus: Uprising, L.A Noire, Super Smah Brothers: Brawl, Fable II, Max Payne III, Hitman Absolution and Tomb Raider