Your Top 10 Games of the 7th Console Generation (360/Wii/PS3)

[Wolf Kanno]

With the new Generation of consoles now on the horizon, I feel its time to look back and see what the last generation brought to gaming and let each EoFFer rank their top ten favorite games of this last console generation. To keep this simple, you are restricted to console titles only since PC gaming isn't restricted to generational console limitations. No handhelds either, for the sake of keeping this simple. Just stick to the Big 3 for now.

[NeoCracker]

...No Hand Helds? :cry:

[Del Murder]

1. Mass Effect 2
2. Xenoblade Chronicles
3. Assassin's Creed 2
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Uncharted 2
6. Batman: Arkham Asylum
7. Super Mario Galaxy 2
8. Mass Effect 3
9. Batman: Arkham City
10. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

[Bolivar]

Really tough to do, I can imagine this list changing on any given day and the ordering is slightly arbitrary. Plus, knowing the swan songs that have come out at the end of the last two generations, who's to say that the Last of Us won't impress or a really great RPG might drop after the next gen is underway?

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR0L-tDabVO-DnK8wZEpE8ggKoqhsM7YfeDzposNFRGOBh2suxF2Q
10. Assassin's Creed II - This is the only game I'm doubtful to put on this list, because aside from the trippy parts, it never WOWed me like the other games. But if someone wanted to know what this generation was all about, I'd give them Assassin's Creed II.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSs-beIa8tGbit5y2RY8xEzwHN5mNy78EyUT9AYyrBO60R3hXPl
09. God of War III - A painting in motion, this game showcases its art alongside gameplay that brought the title more in line with the hardcore hack-and-slashers. It also achieves that perfect cross-section of accessibility and depth in its gameplay, puzzles, and story that the series is famed for.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS7Axjp9ZJHXxzJizUoypT4Nd776UwG1ZyQ-nRFBBB94PEG183Q
08. Modern Warfare 2 - the only reason this is here instead of CoD4 is variety (also the campaign). With the prestige system and the variety of maps and equipment, you can play this game a very long time before you begin to truly understand the nuances of is customization. It seems like a run and gun n00bfest until you realize it's the complete opposite. The hype and novelty of it all made it a very special movement to be a part of at the time.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTw0q9dzTDtMt12kxqJ5fR7dy-9EB_hAl9YD49WIN0VAahQyzJevg
07. Heavy Rain - the fight scenes were more intense than any action game and the choices were more pervasive than any RPG. In a generation of imitation and mediocrity, a billion-dollar risk like Heavy Rain has to be on a top 10 list.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSOZKGH5VY8YyFl01fXVFcuqr3CAPk7VgWOvq9WpjwylLUR0BEW
06. Demon's Souls - this game came out of nowhere bringing back vintage Japanese game design I didn't think was possible in the HD generation.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSEhXT1zWBcRhySQ1u-EjvCMsVZpUWfZdypa7L17rUTgDxBKEJ
05. Killzone 2 - I play the campaign with the HUD off and it looks like a movie. The player weight and gunhandling afford a learning curve and pure finesse that's missing in the rest of the genre. This was also the best class-based multiplayer I played since Team Fortress classic, and the best map design since Counter-Strike. Killzone 2 is essentially a Pixar production, based on my two favorite Valve games, directed by Stanley Kubrick.


https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTJlZ1z8QxlXsoZa6F4x8NcaM7tUtS19Bc4g5yZRxRlq16XpF1l
04. Gran Turismo 5 - it wasn't just the broadest car list and GT career mode in the series; it was a mosaic in tribute to motorsport. Just look at the partners: Jeff Gordon had a NASCAR school, BMW had a driving academy about German engineering and the infamous Nurburgring, the (real) Top Gear had us racing Volkswagon buses from the 1970s on an airfield and all kinds of crazy stuff. Then there was the rally racing, the cross-European road trip, it's utterly insane. GT5 is a monument.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRpu2H9rdMrU3wjZk0kvWCDxNg9WtNyoy3xCnZ-Fr5bg1QXGqeJ
03. Uncharted 2 - I was skeptical that this game could be great, it was just an action game, but variety was key to the game's success and the gameplay was impossibly smooth. The multiplayer was even able to keep an mp snob like me around for a while.


https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRIhQZEzikq6xBpR9IHnmJF32vf2oyzU2Rc85S8HU74xqkrdPqp
02. Valkyria Chronicles - A beautiful SRPG that tried to innovate the subgenre. I'm incapable of keeping any game like that off this list.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpIm9kC8KT9AafkssGff0aS_HdGWkiM-jCcqqzbcdVS4DxEuuU
01. Metal Gear Solid 4 - I replay MGS titles going for 0 Kills and 0 Alerts, and the rest of the series just can't compare to the intensity of MGS4. The game also explored a big hot topic when I was studying political science - the rise of Non-Governmental Actors. The game was filled to the brim with themes and messages Kojima was trying to convey to the player, about the 10-20 year journey we all had been on with Solid Snake. MGO was also way ahead of its time with its community features, and the core gameplay was very fun as well.

[Pete for President]

This was pretty hard but not in the usual way. 10 is pretty close to half the games I bought this generation, and definitely not all of them are favourites. Here goes, from 10 to 1;

41550

10. Ni No Kuni. This might end up higher on the list, but I haven't finished it yet so it has the most uncertain position on the list. Still, the game has made me smile quite a lot and the creatures and environments' design are inspiring.

9. Where Is My Heart? A cool indie puzzle platformer that totally messes up the way we usually play games. It's big fun and only costs 5 euro's. The music is great too.

8: Little Big Planet. On the couch multiplayer hilariousness. Also very well designed and inspiring.

7: Valkyria Chronicles. Awesome combat system and a very tense game. It's not that high on the list because after a couple playthroughs I noticed some flaws in balance and I would definitely make it less forgiving if it was up to me.

6: MGS4 was incredible when it first came out and I was totally blown away. Unfortunately like Valkyria Chronicles I developed some gripes after multiple playthroughs that keep it from being higher on the list. I'd cut out half the cutscenes if I could. Some of those drag on like crazy. Yes you can skip them, but no that doesn't make the game immersive. Edit: I also feel like every good guy should have died with the exception of Otacon.

5: ModNation Racers. Glorious kart racer that did a ton of things right. I still play this game regularly when hanging on the couch with friends. The racing is balanced, requires skill and it's most definitely hilarious and tense. All plusses!

4: HAWX. HAWX?! Yes. I know it's a mediocre game overall, but dogfighting in the versus mode was one of the most thrilling multiplayer experiences I have had. It was so simple, yet so satisfying. 1 game mode; 4 vs 4 team deathmatch. Put it on hardcore mode and it filters out most of the odds, and skill is all that remains. It was quite common for me and a rival to just duke it out in a 1 on 1, ignoring the other team members completely. Pride was on the line, not the match itself. We were like... KNIGHTS! In the air. Flying jets and shooting missiles YEAH!

3: Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Creative problem solving, interesting themes, morally debatable character motives and a touch of philosophy. I thought the endings were perfect. DE:HR is gold like it's cover.

2: Journey tells a strong story without the use of words. It's a clever game, evokes all kinds of surprising emotions and has such different vision and values compared to the majority of games of today. Plus it is sincerely the best snowboarding game ever made, even if it's not intentional. :D

1: Dark Souls. I could talk days about this game. About the feeling of solitude when meditating at a bonfire, pride when you battle a dragon to the death, it's characters and their doomed existence or it's knightly co-op and murderish PvP. It's not only my favourite game of the 7th generation, but my favorite game of all time. Over the past 9 months I played this game to the brink of addiction. Luckily Ni No Kuni handed me a break, but like the Dark Lord I will one day return to Lordran muahahaha!

[Depression Moon]

1. LittleBigPlanet - No other game has made neglect the things I needed to do and stay up well past 4 in the morning to make sure my level met my standards and was glitch free. I still won't get LBP2 because I fear that it will cause me to flunk out of school.


2. Uncharted 2 Among Thieves- My first game in the series and it left such a stupendous impression on me. The gameplay, voice acting, and writing were da bomb!


3. Batman Arkham City- Story-wise I think Asylum was better, but the game improved on Asylum on just every other level. Combat was improved, stealth was improved, got actual sidequests, Riddler trophies actually involved using your brain rather than just your eyes, and lots more challenge rooms.

4. Batman Arkham Asylum - The game that showed that there can be an excellent licensed game. You felt like you were in a batman flick playing this game. It was so beautiful.

5. Super Mario Galaxy- Best mario game in the series if you ask me.

6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl- I don't care what anyone says I love this game. I've spent a lot of time getting a lot of those trophies and not to mention it's just plain fun.

7. Uncharted 3 Drake's Deception - Not sure if it's as good as 2, because I was dissappointed by the game's ending. I didn't feel as nearly as completed as I did when I beat Among Thieves. Multiplayer is still excellent.

8. Portal - A neat pussle game, but short.

9. Skullgirls - My dude Mike Helped build a very fun and balanced cast of likeable characters. There aren't many fg characters that sit with me like my girl Cock does.

10. Dead Nation - Playing this the the fam it was a very fun and arduous experience. Had some old school level type of difficulty which I loved.

[Old Manus]

[MW2] seems like a run and gun n00bfest until you realize it's the complete opposite. Tell me more.

[Bolivar]

[MW2] seems like a run and gun n00bfest until you realize it's the complete opposite. Tell me more.

I played the game for a very long time, but I didn't start attaining the higher killstreaks until I began approaching it as a marksman. Taking caution, anticipating approaches, and making careful, disciplined shots were the true keys to success. Underneath the bells and whistles, the relentless rewards and nonstop explosions, MW2 was a sharpshooter's game.

[ShinGundam]

Easy.
1- SRW OG 2nd
2- SRW OG 2nd
3- SRW OG 2nd
4- SRW OG 2nd
5- SRW OG 2nd
6- SRW OG 2nd
7- Metal gear Rising
8- SRW OG 2nd
9- SRW OG 2nd
10-SRW OG 2nd

http://25.media.tumblr.com/24e0bce9e716028b0818e8a1acecacf3/tumblr_mhbakiYFM11rfqsk0o1_500.gif

[Slothy]

I'm going to limit myself to one entry in any given series so I'm not forced to snub some deserving games. In no particular order:

Metal Gear Rising
Uncharted 2
Assassin's Creed 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Portal
TF2 (I'd never play it on a console, but I'll use this loophole in the rules to get it on here :p)
Vanquish
Dark Souls
Valkyria Chronicles
The Walking Dead

I was considering including Heavy Rain because I love it, but then I remembered the Walking Dead counts and did everything it did but better.

[Loony BoB]

Really tricky to do this while at work, I'm going completely from memory rather than my game collection...

1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - Easily my first choice.
2. Journey - Easily my second choice.

And then it gets tricky...

3. Far Cry 3
4. Portal 2
5-6. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
7. Mass Effect
8. Left 4 Dead / Left 4 Dead 2 These two games are so insanely similar I'm going to count them as one.
9. Final Fantasy XIII-2 - If only the ending were better.
10. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Honourable Mentions: Halo 3, FFXIII, inFamous, Flower, Lost Odyssey, Resistance: Fall of Man, Wipeout 2093, Batman: Arkham City, Far Cry 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Tomb Raider not mentioned as I've not yet completed enough of it to make a decision.

[Xannidel]

10 Bioshock
9 Uncharted 2
8 Batman Arkham Asylum
7 Resistance 3
6 Fallout New Vegas
5 Silent Hill Downpour
4 Final Fantasy XIII-2
3 Infamous
2 Ni no Kuni
1 Heavy Rain

[leader of mortals]

Well, I don't have too many games from this generation, so this list is probably gonna have some crap on it. I'm also going to base this list off of how I felt about the games the first time I played them, because some of these games have definitely lost their touch for me.

10. Brutal Legend: This game was just pure fun. I never played a whole lot of it, but, from what I played, I really enjoyed. The heavy metal theme of the game was played out perfectly. The game did get a bit boring to me, because there wasn't quite enough variety. Maybe I just didn't get enough into the game, I don't know. I'll have to revisit it some time.

9. Crackdown: This game was a big reason that I wanted an Xbox 360 to begin with. I saw the review for this game on Xplay(Damn, that's a long time ago), and it looked so amazing that I NEEDED to play it. After playing it, it did live up to the hype for me, and it was a fun game, but not a game that I would revisit.

8. Mario Kart Wii: Having not played any of the other Mario Kart games, I have no basis of comparison, but this game was a lot of fun for me, and it was always a lot of fun for me and my brother to face eachother in the game. Truthfully, it probably wasn't as much the game that I enjoyed, but the fact that I was playing with my brother. Good memories, nonetheless.

7. Super Smash Bros. Brawl: I played Melee for the Gamecube every once in a while, and I always enjoyed it, so, when I got a wii, you better believe that I wanted to get brawl. I had tons of fun with this game, but I haven't touched it in a long time. Still, at the time, it was great fun.

6. Infinite Undiscovery: This is not a better game than the previous games that I've stated, but I did enjoy it a lot more. This game is a lot of missed potential, and it's a shame, but it's made by the same team(Tri-ace and Square-Enix) that made Radiata Stories, which is still probably one of my top 3 favorite RPGs of all time, and it carries on a lot of the charm and fun of that game. There are way too many characters in the game, and most of them are entirely overshadowed, but, if you speak to them in the towns throughout the game, each character DOES have character. When I first played this game, I became very enveloped in the story, and I laughed and cried and I was left in suspense for a good chunk of the story. It was a good game, and very underrated, even with its many flaws.

5. Infamous: I've yet to fully beat this game, but it is a great game. I have a ton of fun playing this game, and, honestly, I don't know what else to say about it. It's a pretty generic game, to me, and it doesn't stand out all that much, but it's still a whole lot of fun. I spent a lot of time in the game just exploring, because the city is pretty well set-up.

4. Resident Evil 4: I tried to play this game on the PS2 back a little after it came out, and, for some reason, I could not get used to the aiming and shooting. It seemed to me that it was an overly difficult and annoying to play game, and I did not see the appeal. When I saw it was for the Wii, however, I decided to give it another try, because I figured that having the Wii-mote to aim would be a whole lot better, and it sure was. The game was still fairly difficult, but it was playable to me, and I had so much fun playing the game. Sure, the game didn't have the scares that made me run away from the television screen when I was 5 or 6 years old playing RE1, but it was still thrilling, and I'd be pretty tense while playing it. The extra difficulty mode is always nice, as well.

3. Dragon Age: Origins: Another game that I haven't beaten yet, but not because of loss of interest, it was always from something getting in the way(Dammit, life!). This game is a great RPG. Honestly, that sentence could sum up a review for this game. Think of what a great RPG is and it is this game. Great story, great and epic battles, great character development, great settings, great atmosphere, all present in this game. It's an amazing game and it has multiple openings, and multiple openings or endings are always a draw for me.

2. Red Dead Redemption: This game was absolutely amazing. The ending was a huge shock to me, the battles were epic, the freedom was sublime. This game took everything good about Grand Theft Auto and put it into a western setting, and did it perfectly. I honestly can not say anything more about this game than it is perfect in nearly every way.

1. Fallout 3: Although I would admit RDR is a better game than Fallout 3, the fact is that I had more fun playing Fallout 3. I didn't so much like the ending(Really, who did?), but the game as a whole, the freedom that you're given, like in any bethesda game, to do whatever you want before the main story, the dark and amazing atmosphere, left me in pure wonderment. This game has it's flaws, and I'd admit that RDR is a better game in nearly every respect, but Fallout 3 just has something about it that makes it so much more enjoyable to me.

[Laddy]

I did a Top 6. EVerything after this is more or less irrelevant.

6. Heavy Rain: In retrospect, a very flawed game. But I enjoyed it and few games come along that attempt to innovate the industry such as this.

5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution: This game is flawed in some respects, yes, but its engaging story, loads of style, and delightfully nonlinear way for players to find solutions to problems made it one of the more notable titles of the generation.

4. Skullgirls: This indie fighter was fun, exciting, and all-together a breath of fresh-air. With a presentation that was knowingly and delightfully exploitative, original and inventive characters, and deep and engaging play style, Skullgirls emerged as a favorite to many fighting game enthusiasts.

3. Team Fortress 2: More RTS than FPS, imo. Team Fortress 2 is a silly, over-the-top game with a deep strategic element and loads of playstyles to adapt to. If more FPS'es moved towards this direction, I'd enjoy the genre immensely more.

2. Xenoblade Chronicles: Really the most logical next step for JRPG's, I amazed it took so long for the genre to reach this level. With a great storyline and likable characters reminiscent of sci-fi novels, an amazingly fresh, fast, and strategic battle system, and a wide and original world to explore, Xenoblade is a landmark for the genre.

1. Fallout New Vegas: Fallout 3 was a major letdown, as I felt it betrayed what made Fallout what it was, turning a largely political series into a morally black-and-white Hollywood explosion-fest. New Vegas largely fixed those problems, and was one of the most though-provoking, well-written, and all-together enjoyable experiences in years.

This generation was, for the most part, awful when you're not a very action-oriented gamer such as myself. Making me not include handhelds or PC on this list was downright cruel. :( Yes, I am a gaming curmudgeon, but I was thoroughly angry that games felt the need to become so overwhelmingly cinematic and action-based, largely throwing out the innovations previous years have made in the industry in the hopes of making an interactive Hollywood.

[Slothy]

6. Heavy Rain: In retrospect, a very flawed game. But I enjoyed it and few games come along that attempt to innovate the industry such as this.

I would highly recommend playing The Walking Dead since you enjoyed Heavy Rain.

[Bolivar]

This generation was, for the most part, awful when you're not a very action-oriented gamer such as myself. Making me not include handhelds or PC on this list was downright cruel. :( Yes, I am a gaming curmudgeon, but I was thoroughly angry that games felt the need to become so overwhelmingly cinematic and action-based, largely throwing out the innovations previous years have made in the industry in the hopes of making an interactive Hollywood.

^ I don't know how I'd feel about this generation if I didn't have handhelds to sustain me earlier on and PC towards the end.

[Laddy]

6. Heavy Rain: In retrospect, a very flawed game. But I enjoyed it and few games come along that attempt to innovate the industry such as this.

I would highly recommend playing The Walking Dead since you enjoyed Heavy Rain.
The Walking Dead looked closer to the ideal experience Heavy Rain was going for, I was definitely hoping to try it out.

[Aulayna]

I've barely played many console games from start to finish this generation. Largely because I became hooked on World of Warcraft and some other PC games. So my list is probably substantially different:

1. Mass Effect 3 - Regardless of the ending this was an amazing journey and after the extended cut ending I was happy enough that 5 minutes at the end of the game weren't going to ruin the culmination and closure the rest of the game provided. The multiplayer was great fun too!

2. Fable 2 - By the numbers it may have been but it's wit and charm made this a great adventure.

3. Rock Band 2 - The high point of the series for me. Fixed all the issues with the first installment and 3 just felt like an unnecessary graphical update where the keytar and pro guitar were very hard to find in Europe.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - it's a Zelda game. I love Zelda games.

5. The Last Story - Proof that JRPGs can be modern, yet traditional without feeling tacky or gimmicky.

6. Assassin's Creed Series - If I had to choose one, it'd be Brotherhood. But I love this series and whilst it isn't without it's flaws they are always still a brilliant story.

7. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Mainly for the story, even if the ending really didn't provide any sense of fulfilment. The combat was quite fluid at higher difficulties too.

8. Bastion - Sublime. I could write more but that one word sums it up.

9. Eternal Sonata - This was such a cute and quaint RPG with a really cool premise and introduced me to some classical musical pieces I never would've thought to have listened too otherwise.

10. Tomb Raider - A reboot done the right way. Combining the best elements of classic TR with Uncharted and Assassin's Creed.

(admittedly 4 of those games I played on the PC but they were on consoles too so pssh)

[Wolf Kanno]

This was much harder than I thought it would be, largely because I honestly have not enjoyed as many games this generation as I would like. The other issue is that I haven't had a chance to start some games either, Uncharted and Journey won't be showing up cause I just have not had the time to play them between school and work. So this list will definetly be weird for some of you.

10. Demon's Souls
41643

I really do enjoy this little action RPG survival horror title, my one regret this console generation is that I just don't have the kind of time to really put into this game. Its brutal difficulty and steep learning curve makes it a very fun old school style arcade game but my lack of time to put in a serious effort has prevented me from ever getting very far, but in terms of lore and atmosphere, this game is pretty damn amazing. Maybe I'll try to tackle it again over summer break.

9. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
41644

I'm a bit uneasy putting this one up, but I have to remind myself that MGS4 isn't necessarily a bad game as much as it was just a disappointment to me. The heavier emphasis on third person shooter elements wrecked the delicate balance of the game for me, not to mention I feel Kojima did a few too many ass pulls (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AssPull)in the plot, but to be fair, he was trying to rectify the superior written MGS1 and MGS3 with the mind screw MGS2, and that wasn't going to be easy. Course I would also say he deserved the anguish since he did write MGS2... It is still my least favorite canonical MGS game but its still better than some of the games that came out this generation.

8. No More Heroes
41636

This game was just quirky as all hell and I loved every minute of it. Its pretty much what I would expect if Quentin Tarentino made a vidoe game with lots of gore, humor, and a bitter satire about gaming culture. I also found it to be a really fun motion game and I just don't feel it could have been as special without motion controls. It struck a nice balance for me, creating what feels like a normal gaming control experience but utilizing the motion controls for the big moments or side elements. It never dominates, it only adds to the enjoyment and I appreciate the design. I still haven't played the sequel though, maybe something to do between bouts of rage quits from playing Demon's Souls.

7. Catherine
41645

Oh god this was a treat, I really loved Catherine, a strange game that combined a hectic puzzle game that is as intense as any modern shooter combined with a mature but well crafted story about relationships that often went into some very uncomfortable territory. This game is exhausting and relentless. If the puzzles and boss fights are not making you sweat bullets then the story exploring the issues of cheating and relationships are not exactly the calming "down time" you may want. In true Persona team style, the game is very humorous and the social aspect of the game gave a nice heads up of what to expect from Persona 5 but in reality Catherine is a great game on its own merits. Probably one of the best written games I've played this generation.

6. Assassin's Creed III
41638

I'm surprised this is on here as well but quite frankly its a game I keep finding myself talking about. For all its flaws I feel this game did a lot of things right and for me it counterbalances the unintuitive convoy system, the downplayed factions, the jumpy narrative, and the myriad of glitches that made several of the missions nigh unwinnable. Despite all that, in terms of recreating a historical period, writing a compelling narrative with a new cast in the shadow of the fan favorite Ezio, and the addition of several great missions, a new and incredibly intuitive combat system, and of course the new sailing sections which were a hundred times more fun than expected. ACIII really did deliver a new direction and flavor for the annual series and its opening section of the game is one of the coolest plot twists played on the player themselves since Raiden in MGS2. It was also just nice to finally get a less bias perspective on the Revolutionary War and the Founding Fathers and I really appreciated that because the game breathed new life and interest into one of my favorite historical events. Also, smurf Desmond.

5. Batman Arkham Asylum
41646

Holy crap, a good Batman game! Its like the 2000s are all about taking super popular franchises and finally making decent games for them. I have not played Arkham City, its sitting in my To-Do Pile but I really enjoyed this game. Basically taking Batman, putting him in a Zelda style game with a fun and intuitive battle system and some great stealth. Rocksteady did a great job exploring the lore of the franchise and extra kudos for hiring the Batman: Animated Series voice cast to reprise the characters. Pretty much proves they did their homework on what fans love about Batman. Now if only the character designs weren't so damn ugly this game would have been perfect.

4. The Last Story
41641

I'm a bit iffy about putting this at number 4. Partly because the game's major flaw is kind of bad, but on the other hand it does so many things right... The Last Story has a very nice and interesting story with some really well done moments and really brought back that Final Fantasy feel that I've missed. The issue is that the game's two leading protagonist are some of the most two-dimensional beings I've dealt with in a long time and the hold the story back greatly. Some of the better moments are kind of ruined or misfire because plucky noble hero Zael and noble wallpaper Yuna wannabe Callista don't really mesh well with a story that is more Suikoden Lite than old school 16-bit JRPG. The supporting cast is excellent though and they all are instantly likable and fun to watch, recreating a sense of Tantulus from FFIX. Where The Last Story really shines is in its game design. While its combat system feels anything but JRPG, it is a very fun and engaging system that stresses strategy and being aware of what's going on in the battlefield. The boss fights themselves are more Zelda like than typical JRPG, involving you needing to figure out a key strategy to turn the tide of battle while also keeping the creatures from murdering your party. The quests are all story based to the point you won't realize they were optional until after the fact. The game doesn't really subscribe to the mini-MMO style that most modern JRPGs have been emulating so no "kill 5 of x" or collect enemy drops, the few fetch quests like it usually involve items you find on the ground or buy in shops in the game's convulated trade game. In truth, The Last Story reinvents a lot of the old RPG design cliches and gives them a decent face lift or revival. Despite its flawed story, I really enjoyed playing through it and I have my fingers crossed that a The Last Story 2 is in the cards for Mistwalker because the originally just needed a better writer and some polishing to make it a standout hit.

3. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
http://youtu.be/kAwwQ7dTjRY

Damn straight I'm going to cheat! To be honest, I like the Wii version better than the Gamecube one but that's largely because the Wii mote made stuff like aiming weapons much easier. Even though the motion controls were shoe-horned into this game, I can't help but feel they did a fantastic job of balancing them out so the motion controls don't feel too dominating. I daresay I feel TP has better motion control design than Skyward Sword which was kind of designed around showing off the motion controls whereas TP kept them practical. Besides this, I feel that TP just has one of the best stories in the franchise with Midna easily beaing the best side kick character in the series. Wolf link was tastefully done even if some of his quests felt like padding but the dungeon designs and puzzles are really good in this game and I adore how they took some old standby items in the series and found new ways to use them for puzzles, Death Mountain is still easily one of the game's coolest dungeons both visually and mechanically. The game was meant to be the "dark and edgier" Zelda and I can honestly say Nintendo delivered. I can't really fault this game and its easily my favorite of the 3D Zelda games I've played. Plus that ending... I mean damn...

2. Assassin's Creed: Revelations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqAli2r-5BU&feature=share&list=FLqDAV5Y6wfOtgQ7lyOICx-g

Yes, I'm placing another AC game on my list, and yes I'm going to snub AC2. Assassin's Creed has probably been the only new franchise this generation that I really liked. It combined my love of stealthy murder with history and even though it tries to derail it with Sci-Fi elements its been a grand series to play. While AC2 was certainly an amazing game, I feel that AC Revelations is just a better crafted experience. This game finally nailed both the ability to make missions feel extremely cinematic but also finally got the writing down. Going through no less than four different plot threads tying up the loose ends in three different main protagonists no less. I really enjoyed getting to play Altair because I always felt he was an interesting character who had the misfortune of being in a bad game but Revelations and AC2 both went to great lengths to redeem the character. It was also nice to see Ezio as an older and wiser character finally dealing with a more complicated story instead of his rip roaring revenge quests that are AC2 and Brotherhood. Instead, Ezio is dealing with the direction of his life in his waning years, regret, the ambiguity of what makes the Templars and Assassins so different, and watching the final days of the Assassin's Orders greatest member. Meanwhile, we finally get some serious character development for Desmond, some closure with Subject 16 and its the one game that doesn't try to shove the Precursors in your face. The Desmond puzzle missions should get special mention because they really did a great job of combining a tricky but fun platforming puzzle with narrative. It was like playing something from the Indie scene and it was used to great affect. The addition of bombs and the hook blade also opened up options for dealing with missions and the game's various enemies and the A.I. got a serious boost in the head making you think twice about blowing your cover. The Marco Polo missions are also well done tour de force, combining the ingenious puzzles of AC2 with the cinematic elements of Brotherhood. The Brotherhood itself finally came more into prominence giving you a more meaningful side mission that added to the world and made the Brotherhood feel like an actual group of people and not just nameless drones you call to do your bidding.

The jump to Constantinople was also great and made me really excited because its the first time the series tackled a historical period and place I had absolutely no knowledge of. It might be different in Europe but in the U.S. no World History course I've taken has ever dwelled much on the Byzantium Empire or the Ottoman Empire. They tend to briefly mention a split and then focus on Western Europe, so Constantinople was an absolute treat and the games art direction was stunning. Its still my favorite entry in the series because it combined the best elements of the previous games and made them more functional or just plain smooth to play with. the Tower defense game being the only glaring blemish in the game but hey, at least its optional.


1. Xenoblade Chronicles

http://youtu.be/Q9eY3FpfokM

Not as much of a surprise as my second entry. Xenoblade Chronicles is an amazing game and one of the first truly splendid JRPGs this generation. In some ways its hard to describe what makes this game so amazing but people who have played it will know. Xenoblade takes the MMO model and carefully transforms it with the sensibilities of the JRPG genre, in many ways its the next step after FFXII. While it does suffer from an overabundance of MMO style missions, the game actually does a lot to change how you approach missions and ties it into expanding the world and lore of the game. Its also incredibly user friendly about everything so its much easier to forgive some of these elements if they are not your cup of tea but the game has a great battle system, story, cast, and world, but seriously its the game design that deserves the most praise. After the novel that was Xenogears and the interacive films that were Xenosaga, Tetsuya Takahashi finally delivers to fans a masterpiece in the form of an actual game. Its easily one of the best games JRPGs of this console generation and I'm not saying that because it lacked competition, its easily one of the best JRPGs released since Squaresoft's "Golden Age" and I would love to send a copy to Kitase, Wada, and Toriyama with a note saying "This is how you make a smurfing good JRPG".

[Night Fury]

I haven't played many games for the PS3, but I have really, really enjoyed Mass Effect 2 and 3, Tomb Raider and Bioshock 2.

[Loony BoB]

If you like Tomb Raider, you should get into the Uncharted series, Locky. They're very similar.

[Night Fury]

If you like Tomb Raider, you should get into the Uncharted series, Locky. They're very similar.

I've been meaning to buy them! I only recently got back into gaming, well I was gaming before but all PS2/PS1/DS stuff, I've only just gotten into the PS3 games as they're sooo expensive, even when you buy them pre-owned! :(

[Loony BoB]

Surely only £10-15 for either Uncharted or Uncharted 2?