A Year of Truly Incredible Games
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| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a spectacular game, but is it the best? |
There are words that can describe this year in gaming, but whatever or wherever they are, I cant find them. Reason being, this year, I feel as if I had been to more worlds, experienced richer plot lines, and met more of the most intriguing characters; real life or not. But also this year I played tons of games that I have always wanted to play but just never did, such as the Mass Effect games, Fallout 3, Dante's Inferno and a few more. So this notion may not only be coming from just this years games, but games of past years as well. So for what it was worth I compiled my list of my favorite five games from this year. But also note that this list isn't compiled of games that I've already talked about on this site. So without further ado, here they are.
5. Crysis 2
Crysis 2 made my list for reasons that I wouldn't normally choose. Did it have an extremely compelling story? No. Did I connect with the characters? Not really. Did I have a great time playing this game? Fuck yeah. The game took tactical gameplay as seen in Tom Clancy games, and had a beautiful lovechild with Halo to create this one of a kind gaming masterpiece. The campaign was awesome, high octane explosions, pitch perfect sound effects made for a dark, urban mood throughout the game. With that an unfathomably accurate interpretation of modern day, post alien invasion, post epidemic New York city came together to create a feeling of authenticity, urgency, and badassery. But I cannot talk about this game without talking about the incredibly well balanced multiplayer. The multiplayer looked somewhat similar to every other shooter except for the exceptional graphics from the Cryengine, but what made it so special was how you used your suit. Your suit was given an energy bar and you had access to three abilities, power, stealth and armor. Power was your ability to sprint, super jump, super punch, super kick and throw things. Stealth was your ability to temporarily go invisible, and Armor was your ability to overcharge your armor to absorb damage. One may see this and think "well, I just run around invisibly and kill everything", not the case, for you had to manage your powers with the energy bar and it all seemed to work perfectly. The multiplayer wasnt addicting, but so ingenious that even die hard COD players had to take notice.
4. Portal 2
Portal one was a game so unforgettable, so imaginative, that it stayed in peoples hearts for long after GLaDOS was "dead". Portal's ingenuity in gameplay was recognized by much more than gamers, and made the game able to target a broader audience. It was a mysterious game, because you never really knew where you were, or what was going on. You were just... solving puzzles. But then as the game progressed you realized the place you were in wasn't so friendly at all. Portal 2 took what happened in the first game and made it into a masterpiece, with new characters and new mysteries. This game also had single-handedly the most clever, hilarious writing I had ever seen in a game. Throughout the course of the game, the puzzles get so intricate that one puzzle can keep you thinking for an hour, yet the solution never feels out of reach. Plus you'll get a kick out of the co-op.
3. L.A. Noire
Inspired by the detective Noir films of the early 40's to late 50's, L.A. Noire told the story of ex-Marine/ rookie detective, Cole Phelps. During the game there are 24 cases, that have their own miniature story, but are also used to flesh out the captivating main plot of the game. Each case would have you go to certain places in an awesome recreation of 1940's Los Angeles, finding clues, chasing down purps, and most importantly interrogating witnesses and suspects. What made this part of the game so unique was that the game was made using a form of motion capture that only focused on the face, so real actors would act out parts of the interrogation so that you would have to tell whether they were telling the truth or were lying. This made the game a huge challenge, but also made you feel like you were in an episode of Law and Order and added greatly to the authenticity. It was incredible, moody, mysterious, and unlike anything I've ever seen or played. This is truly a game anyone can enjoy, go pick it up.
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Little really needs to be said about Skyrim other than, it's the best RPG ever made. You explore an incredibly massive world full of mystery. It has immersive characters that you'll come to lover or hate, and if you hate them, you can most likely kill them. And you never really know what kind of twist is going to be next in a quest. An addicting level up system keeps you playing it. And it is without a doubt one of the greatest games ever made, and realistically you should know that by now. Though I feel this is unnecessary to say, go buy it. Best $60 ever.
1. Minecraft
Ever since the Alpha phase of Swedish Indie game "Minecraft" was released by game developer Markus "Notch" Persson in May of 2009 in mid-development, I have been playing this absolute treat of a game. Minecraft was one of the most simple concepts for a game, as well probably the most clever. Combining the survival, hunter-gatherer aspects similar to the show, Alone in the Wilderness and the creative capabilities and pixelated worlds that made you feel like you were in a Lego set, this one of a kind game was absolute genius. You never had a dull moment in the game (except digging mineshafts), and there was always a new thing to craft, or a new building to build. Luckily, his genius did not go unnoticed. Ever since the initial release, more and more people have been buying the game and telling friends. So that now, with the final version of the game out and in the hands of the loyal followers of who kept up with the development and the game is a cult phenomenon.
Now, Notch is rich, the people are happy, and Minecraft will live on. And to the skeptics who think Minecraft looks "lame" or "boring", just give it a shot. That's all I really have to say.
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