Skyrim actually has a lot more personality than people give it credit for but on the other hand I'm an Elder Scrolls lore nerd so I know the story and importance behind eeeeeeeeeeverything and that gives it a lot of feeling.
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Skyrim actually has a lot more personality than people give it credit for but on the other hand I'm an Elder Scrolls lore nerd so I know the story and importance behind eeeeeeeeeeverything and that gives it a lot of feeling.
Persona 4 isn't from the last console generation. And yes. Yes it is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic Chie
But can you really convince yourself it was better than Skyrim, Bioshock, GTAV, Persona 4, etc, etc?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessweeee♪
It's not really hard to convince myself that a game is better than Bioshock or Persona 4. Usually I just need to play the game for ten minutes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic ChieBut can you really convince yourself it was better than Skyrim, Bioshock, GTAV, Persona 4, etc, etc?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessweeee♪
Quote:
What can be said about this game, this series, that hasn't already been said? It's a cultural phenomenon the likes of which is rarely seen. It's a moneymaking powerhouse of astonishing scale, rocketing to a billion dollars of sales in just three days - the fast entertainment release in history to reach that. The number of hours sunk into these games is stupendous. From the original top down to the blisteringly gorgeous, entirely remade San Andreas in 5 the series has rarely faltered, and this is one of the most astonishing offerings yet.
First, it's vast. We're used to open-world environments being large. Skyrim is large. But San Andreas is titanic. And every inch of it is packed with Rockstar's trademark attention to detail, care, and irreverence. As if to emphasize the scale you now control not one but three protagonists, long-suffering Michael De Santa, effective but misguided Franklin Clinton, and psychopathic lunatic Trevor Philips - you can switch between them mostly at will, often during missions, offering you the chance to explore the world from different perspectives and making use of their different skills.
There was a lot of criticism of GTA IV due to its perceived pessimism being at odds with the inherent fun of open-world crime games, and V goes a long way to address that. It's no Saint's Row, but the missions are much closer to the beloved, maniacal realm of GTA San Andreas than IV was. And no matter what you want to do GTA V can probably accommodate, whether it's killing sprees, bank heists (and oh how glorious those centerpieces are), tennis, golf, realty, playing the stock market, assassinations, stealing military jets, going submarining, the list goes on. I've heard GTA V referred to as "dress-up for men" and between the different outfits, homes, hairstyles, and gun and car customization options it's a very sound title. There's very, very little reason not to get this game right now.
Mass Effect 3 (3)
Grand Theft Auto IV (2)
Darksiders II (2)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (2)
Just Cause 2 (1)
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (1)
Mario Party 8 (1)
Super Meat Boy (1)
Path of Exile (1)
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (1)
And so ends the games with 6 Nominations. Up to the next tier for the start of the latter half of the revelations!
Mirror's Edge has a unique gaming experience that requires expert timing and precision, a strong female protagonist and somehow overcame the obstacle of being a EA Game. It has my respect.
Skyrim is good too. It takes some effort on my part to get into Bethesda style RPGs, JRPGs and BioWare has spoiled me a lot on that front. Got stuck at the beginning of Bioshock... Never played any of the GTA games or heard of P4.
Edit: Speak of the devil. One of them, anyway.
It may have come out on PS2, but that wasn't till 2008, 2 years after the xbox 360. That would at least put it in the time period.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22Persona 4 isn't from the last console generation. And yes. Yes it is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic ChieBut can you really convince yourself it was better than Skyrim, Bioshock, GTAV, Persona 4, etc, etc?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessweeee♪
Short answer: YesQuote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic ChieBut can you really convince yourself it was better than Skyrim, Bioshock, GTAV, Persona 4, etc, etc?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessweeee♪
Long answer: Yes
That's not what this thread is about.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic ChieIt may have come out on PS2, but that wasn't till 2008, 2 years after the xbox 360. That would at least put it in the time period.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22Persona 4 isn't from the last console generation. And yes. Yes it is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic ChieBut can you really convince yourself it was better than Skyrim, Bioshock, GTAV, Persona 4, etc, etc?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessweeee♪
It "fixed" warfare for me. It made it a lot more fun. Basically, anything that makes armies smaller makes war more fun. I suppose I'm just biased because it more heavily favors the defender now. I'm indifferent to war in Civ 5. In Civ 4, I actively and desperately hated war and it made me want to quit the game. That's a big upgrade to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister Adequate
Why is everyone talking about the games that didn't make the cut?
Birth By Sleep was a wonderful game and my favorite in the KH franchise. It had the most polished gameplay of any KH game and utilized a very fun command system to its full potential. It was also able to make sense and tie up some of the many confusing plot elements that were introduced in KH2 and other spinoffs. I also enjoyed the three character approach and how you got to see the plot of each world unfold from different perspectives. A really great game.
I've never played any GTA game but I knew GTAV would be on the list. The hype and acclaim this game got is probably unmatched to any other game this generation. For me, I prefer more fantastic settings and not being a criminal, so the GTA franchise never really appealed to me.
Agreed with all the KH commentsQuote:
Originally Posted by Del Murder
I get that. It's probably why I never care to dive into the franchise. Don't think I talked to a gamer in the last couple of months that hasn't played this game so no surprise. Would've thought it'd be higher up on the list, though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Murder
I haven't played it! But I watched Mister Adequate play many, many hours of it and I came to the conclusion that it's basically Playing Dress-Up: Man Edition. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriJ
I can't wrap my head around why you feel this way, but opinions is opinions. As long as you're having fun with vidya that's the most important thing!Quote:
Originally Posted by SpuukyIt "fixed" warfare for me. It made it a lot more fun. Basically, anything that makes armies smaller makes war more fun. I suppose I'm just biased because it more heavily favors the defender now. I'm indifferent to war in Civ 5. In Civ 4, I actively and desperately hated war and it made me want to quit the game. That's a big upgrade to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister Adequate
People are going to talk about what they're going to talk about. Personally, I haven't played this KH or GTA5 and I can't say I have a powerful urge to in either case. I'm not going to have a lot to say about games I haven't played and have no interest in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Murder
That sounds wonderful, awful and scary all at once.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike
Thanks Perd.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22People are going to talk about what they're going to talk about.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Murder
I need to get back around to playing GTAV. I didn't play it for very long, but I did enjoy some of it. Honestly, I don't think the GTA games will ever be my thing, especially now that I've played Just Cause 2 and some of Sleeping Dogs. Both of those are more enjoyable than any of the GTA games to me.
Deus Ex :'(
One of the games that made the cut was a Hyundai Accent.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Murder
In other news, Spelunky should be on this list. That game is going to be remembered as one of the classic indie PC games of our generation. It does what it does very well.
ITT: violent arguments about video games
I completely missed the last generation, barring some PC games I got within the last year on Steam. I own a Wii that I got about 4 months ago that I use to play Gamecube games and watch Netflix. So that's why I didn't nominate anything B)
Quote:
This was a triumph
I’m making a note here
HUGE SUCCESS
What makes Portal stick out the most is probably its originality. Using FPS-like controls for a puzzle game is at least something I personally had never seen before when I picked it up. However, originality alone is not enough to make a great game. Good thing then, that Portal also delivers pretty well in many other areas. Although the protagonist is silent, and there are no other humans around to actually talk with, the game still delivers a lot of humour, and manages to tell you a story, in its own way. The puzzles are also exciting, and the graphics aren't exactly bad either. And lastly, despite some of her, well, faults, how can you not love GLaDOS?
What will probably be remembered most about Portal is the humour that it laced throughout the puzzles. Well, that and the memes that will live forever, just like the Companion Cube will live forever in our hearts, and I imagine that in 10 years’ time the nerds of the future will still be randomly breaking out into song (the nerds I know now do this, is it a thing? Who knows?) with the ever memorable Still Alive. The game itself is fairly short, but when I first played it took me quite a while as I made sure to stop and listen to every word GLaDOS had to say, even to my own detriment in the final encounter. Her cutting remarks were hurtful, but also managed to be completely hilarious the first time round.
The game itself being short is not a bad thing. It feels perfectly self-contained, and there isn’t really anything else like it out there. Except from Portal 2.
The only bad thing about Portal is showing your friends it, and letting them play as you know they’ll have a great time. And you watch as they can’t solve that one simple puzzle. It’s really not that difficult, why can’t they see the solution? They just have to put the portal there and the whole thing is solved, but you know you can’t interfere. …Ah, screw it, just take the controls off them and do it yourself.
Victoria II (3)
Little Big Planet (2)
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (2)
Left 4 Dead 2 (2)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (1)
Lollipop Chainsaw (1)
Beyond Good and Evil HD (1)
Modnation Racers (1)
Gran Turismo 5 (1)
3D Dot Game Heroes (1)
Work today, so the next one won't be for another 8 hours or so. :)
I would like to know who the third individual here was so I can salute their excellent taste in vidya :cheers:Quote:
Originally Posted by Shauna
That would be me. Didn't nom EUIV because it barely runs on my computer.Quote:
Originally Posted by PikeI would like to know who the third individual here was so I can salute their excellent taste in vidya :cheers:Quote:
Originally Posted by Shauna
You, my friend, have wonderful taste in video games.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir LancealotThat would be me. Didn't nom EUIV because it barely runs on my computer.Quote:
Originally Posted by PikeI would like to know who the third individual here was so I can salute their excellent taste in vidya :cheers:Quote:
Originally Posted by Shauna
And also I know that feel; CK2 barely ran on my old rig.
Pretty sure that I was the third Civ IV nominator, and to everyone but us three: You suck. :(
I kind of want to dig up all the nominations and call out everyone who says they nominated something, but they haven't. But I am super lazy and don't care that much. :3
I never really "got" Portal. I played it a couple years after it came out and there was so much praise surrounding it, and it just never really clicked for me. It had some clever puzzles and the story was pretty enjoyable, but overall it felt more to me like a tech demo showing off the portal mechanic than a full-fledged game. I think it may have been the lack of variance in the environments; you can only have so many environments in the same lab, after all. And while the puzzles were fun, none of them really stood out as very difficult or challenging to me, which might be another reason I never got really engaged with it.
There were lots of games this gen that critics loved that I didn't really care for (it seems like 9's and 10's were getting handed out left and right the past 7 or 8 years), and I don't really get why, but, oh well!
Since you posted that, Shauna, I decided to double check and I wasn't one of the three. So then I got curious as to why... and I noticed that you declared that PC games must have been released "since November 2005" and this is probably why I excluded it (it was first released on October 2005). :( Didn't think it would be eligible. It's safe to say it's in my top ten 7th generation video games if it's eligible for it. D=
Wasn't there some extra levels pack or something available? I don't remember.Quote:
Originally Posted by SirPrizes
That's mostly due to rating inflation. Back in the day, games were rated on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 was worst and 10 was best. Nowadays, games are actually rated on a scale from 7 to 10, where 7 is bad, 8 is ok, 9 is good, 10 is great, and 1-6 doesn't really exist.Quote:
There were lots of games this gen that critics loved that I didn't really care for (it seems like 9's and 10's were getting handed out left and right the past 7 or 8 years), and I don't really get why, but, oh well!
You know the lab was maybe half of the game right?Quote:
Originally Posted by SirPrizes
It's been a while, I remember the whole escape sequence during the latter portion of the game but I thought that was all still in the lab.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22You know the lab was maybe half of the game right?Quote:
Originally Posted by SirPrizes
Oh man, Portal is excellent. If you haven't played it, I'm pretty sure it's free on steam now, and totally worth the time invested.
:mad:Quote:
Originally Posted by Shauna
Portal was a pretty good game. Short, but good. Very unique use of physics. Though if GLaDOS wasn't in it I don't think it would have made the list. She's one of the best video game characters of all time.
I will admit I did very little research on release dates. I assumed that everyone would adhere to my simple rules! I was mistaken, obviously. :( Next time I run anything, I'll probably go that extra mile, and make sure that everything falls in my arbitrary time-scale.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
I triple-checked and I could have sworn it was eligible D: my mistake and I nominate Mirror's Edge in its place.
I, show-runner of the EoFF's Top Games, hereby give Mirror's Edge the title of "Honourary Top Game of Gen 7".
The range of games nominated is really quite impressive, and it's testament to the quality of this generation that there are so many quite excellent games that haven't made the cut. Plenty of trout and shovelware out there but hey, still plenty of gems too.
Never played. I love the song, though.
Never played Mirror's Edge. Maybe I should.
Portal is a great game. And you're right, it wouldn't have made it without GLaDOS, but is that a meaningful statement? Final Fantasy 6 wouldn't have been the best Final Fantasy without Kefka.
Of course the game is pretty short, but is that really a problem? A really good short story is still better than a crappy novel.
Yes, you should. One of the best games released this generation and I hate myself for forgetting to include it in my nominations.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Murder
Half the fun of Portal is the comedy writing, and that doesn't just mean GLaDOS.
You can pick it up for about $10 bucks, it's pretty fun and worth it at that price, but I can't make myself believe it would be worth even a $40 investment new. It's short, only has one mode, and has very little replay value. The story is uninteresting and predictable, and the graphics look like Half life 2. BUT- The gameplay is pretty good and there isn't anything else like it really.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Murder
It would have been better in 3rd person though.
I just went back and looked at my list again, and I'm actually pretty disappointed in my noms. There are a couple of games I've thought about now that I'd rather be on the list, and I also just beat quite a few games in the last couple of weeks that I would have definitely put on my list instead. I also didn't realize HD rereleases counted until right after I sent my list, otherwise ICO HD would have got all of my noms.
Anyways, Portal is great! I need to get around to beating Portal 2. I just got around to the spot where you have that bouncy gel stuff.
I paid full price for Mirror's Edge back when it came out and it was worth every penny. It also has more than one mode. You've got the story mode, and time trials at least, not to mention hunting for the different runner's stashes in the game (which sounds like it would be a boring fetch quest busy work sort of deal like every other game ever made, but isn't for the first time in history).
And I have to disagree with it having little replay value. It really depends on what you're looking for. Want to blow through the story as fast as possible? You'll play it once and never touch it again. But if you recognize the game for what it is, a playground that gives you a variety of skills to move through it and have fun, you'll keep coming back. I go back to that game every few months for another play through. There are always segments that can be done faster or more smoothly, places where alternate routes exist to explore and utilize, and the sensation of defying death never really goes away. Nor the sheer terror when you miss a jump and see the ground come rushing towards you.
This game had more replay value for me than most sandbox games with days worth of extra content. This doesn't need it. It's fun in the same way Mario Bros. was fun. Here's your moves, here's your goal, have fun.
Aren't the time trials DLC?Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
The stash hunts aren't fetch quests, there are no quests in Mirrors Edge. They are barely hidden at all, most are just behind a fence or something. To find every secret in the game tacks on about an additional 20 minutes, if that.
What alternate routes? For the vast majority of the game that there is only one path that has a few branches that split off but then immediately rejoin. Most "alternate routes" are: should you jump over that object and climb to the roof and then jump off or go around the air conditioning unit and then jump off?
Like I said, most of the fun from the game comes from the fact that there aren't any other games like it.
It would be hundreds of times better if it were an open world where you could take courier missions and choose any route you like besides route A-1 or A-2.
I do like the fact that it takes place in future Arlington, a city which is like 20 minutes from here.
EDIT: I can however respect that you enjoyed it enough to play it multiple time. I've do the same with Freelancer.
It is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic ChieYou can pick it up for about $10 bucks, it's pretty fun and worth it at that price, but I can't make myself believe it would be worth even a $40 investment new.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Murder
It doesn't overstay its welcome and the heart of the game is replaying it to get better and better.Quote:
It's short
So?Quote:
only has one mode
Just flat-out wrong.Quote:
and has very little replay value.
It's no great shakes but it's still decent enough.Quote:
The story is uninteresting and predictable
In what world is this a criticism? HL2 still looks good ten years on. And anyway one of the reasons ME is so well-liked is because it has a really cool, unique aesthetic.Quote:
and the graphics look like Half life 2
I guess the only thing this videogame has going for it is that it's a good game :rolleyes:Quote:
BUT- The gameplay is pretty good and there isn't anything else like it really.
Ridiculously false, the game rests on being 1st person. Might as well say Gears of War would be better as a top-down twin-stick shooter.Quote:
It would have been better in 3rd person though.
Go compare the graphics of HL2 to any AAA titles that came out the last few years, you'll be flat out lying if you say HL looks better
On your last statement. The problem with 1st person platformers is that you can't see your feet. At the very least, a 1st/3rd toggle would have been nice.
The only parts that hinge on the 1st person are some of the story elements, which are thin to begin with.
I didn't say it looks better, I said it still looks good.
Also Mirror's Edge came out in 2008, so comparing it to today's triple-A games isn't exactly reasonable.
When compared to games that came out when it did? Yes. When compared to anything recent though, it looks awful.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister Adequate
Game released five years ago in "Looks like five year old game" shocker!
I fixed your post.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister Adequate
Edit: I want everyone to go put their mirror's edge disk in and find a point where Faith puts her hand into a visible place. Then I want you to look at the textures on everything.
I can't take anyone seriously who says Half-Life 2, or any Source engine game really, looks awful. It may not run as many fancy shaders as some modern engines, but the engine and games have been constantly updated, still have the best facial animation in any game in history, and better drawn textures compared to even most games that get released now. And believe it or not, not smurfing up with troutty textures makes a bigger difference in aesthetic than having more recent technology. Plus the games will run on pretty much every piece of hardware being sold right now.
And Mirror's Edge by the same token, thanks in part to having an art style that doesn't rely on fancy graphical tricks to look good, still looks great, even when compared to more modern games.
Fact is, a lot of modern games may impress on a technical level more than these, but their art styles and the general quality of their work leave a lot more to be desired.
It's starting to look like the modern age bit wars up in here.
There's absolutely no way you can argue that Mirror's Edge is a bad looking game on a technical level unless you're prepared to argue that more recent games like every Mass Effect and Gears of War title look like crap too. They all use the exact same engine.
Along with all of the Arkham games, Dishonored, and pretty much every other game released this generation.
And put in a disc? I play this on PC son. The way it's meant to be done.
Was just assuming on the disk, I have it digital as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
And no that arguement doesn't need to be made. ME2, the arkham games etc. still look great. Be they in the same engine or no, they look fantastic when compared to Mirrors edge. Even the original mass effect looks better, especially when you take into account that ME is a much larger game with more varied environments.
Games made in the same engine don't look the same. All I know is, I've got Freelance and Mirrors edge pulled up side by side on my monitors, and Freelancer looks almost as good, and it is a much larger game that came out way back in 2003.
Final word: It looks like we are all going to just have to agree to disagree.
As for me, I like Mirrors edge, but it isn't even in my top 50.
Mirror's Edge is a first person game? I usually hate first person view. A game has to be pretty good for me to play it in first person view. Like Portal!
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (3)Quote:
In order to understand why AC2 is good, we need to know some things about the original. Simply put, Assassin's Creed was terrible. It had some cool ideas, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The setting was a bit bland, interactivity was low, methods of using stealth weren't all that varied, combat was a bit clumsy, and missions were repetitive. The best part about Assassin’s Creed was charging through crowds of peasants on your horse, but that just isn’t enough to keep anyone’s interest. I played through about half of it when I first bought it, but couldn't find the desire to finish it.
So when I heard AC2 was supposedly amazing, I was a bit hesitant to buy it, waiting until it was about $20 a year after its release. But before playing it I decided to finish the first one. It was possibly the most boring grind I've put up with in a game in a long time, and it left me questioning whether I even wanted to play AC2. But since I'd already bought it I didn't see why I shouldn't give it a chance.
And I'm glad I did because AC2 is a testament to what happens when you take a set of good ideas and spend two years refining them. Of course, throwing 400 people at the problem doesn't hurt either.
The boring little missions you had to do to gain information on the targets in the first game are gone, and the assassination and other missions became a lot more varied. The free running felt well refined. Combat, while somewhat simpler, was less of a pain to deal with and had a wider variety of weapons to play with. Add to it that Renaissance Italy was a far more interesting and better realized setting, and Ezio was a much more likeable character than Altair. AC2 is a game that was improved in every measurable way over its predecessor, and it took a game that was mediocre at best and made it amazing. That simply does not happen very often in gaming. And that is why AC2 deserves to be on this list.
Persona 3 Portable (2)
Ni No Kuni (2)
Scribblenauts (1)
Kameo: Elements of Power (1)
Castle Crashers (1)
Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (1)
Call of Duty: World at War (1)
Etrian Odyssey (1)
HAWX (1)
Also RE: HD remakes and such, I didn't make a big deal that they could be nominated because I wanted to see games that were produced for this generation be high on the list, instead of games from 15 years ago. Perhaps I misled you all, but that's fine with me. x3
Personally, I find graphics to be irrelevant to whether a game is good or not. There are games now that are horribly dated by today's standards that are still playable because the gameplay is good and/or it had a great story to it. Some times it doesn't even need a story, just good gameplay.
I'm the same. I generally hate anything that's first person view but made exceptions for games like Doom, Metroid Prime and F.E.A.R. I suppose Fallout 3 and Skyrim count even though you can switch to third-person view on those.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Murder
And Assassin's Creed II! Cool. I'll be playing that in two weeks.
Is Rocket Slime really "this generation"? Doesn't feel like it, but I can't be bothered to go look. It's a pretty great little game, though.
Etrian Odyssey is not the best Etrian Odyssey, so I don't feel too sad about it only getting 1 vote (which wasn't mine, anyway).
It was on the DS which I counted as "last generation", same as the PSP.
The only reason I could suggest not playing Mirror's Edge is if you get motion sickness from first person games, like some people I know do. That game is a vertigo simulator. Even I had to put it down a few times.
I'm lucky to grow up with Atari/NES games. Any game with SNES-level graphics or better still blows my mind. Mirror's Edge looked amazing to me. Even if you ignore the level of detail, they did some great things with level design and color. The style of the cutscenes was also quite good.
I've actually got AC & ACII on my Christmas Wish List to Danielle. £3.99 each at GAME at the moment, pre-owned. Bargain, I hope!
AssCreed is a bit of a disappointing game, but the second one improves upon pretty much everything.
It really does. I can't decide whether I like 2 or 4 better, and considering I'm still basking in the glow of 4, that probably means 2 is the better one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shauna
I just like playing things in order. Hopefully I don't have the same problem I had with Suikoden where I could never get around to finishing the (supposedly not as great) first game and therefore never start the (supposedly much better) second one... I own them both. xD
AC2 was great. A no brainer to be on this list. Some of the later entries polished up the gameplay and expanded it to some interesting levels, but nothing beats AC2's story, setting, and main character. I could run around through Florence stabbing people all day. In fact, I visited Florence for real last year and it was quite awesome to see all the areas Ezio explored in real life. Not much has changed!
I know how that goes. The actual assassination missions of AssCreed were fine, but getting to them was a complete bore. For a bit of context before the assassinations you have to gather pieces of information about your target - which you gather in one of three(?) ways. They're not very exciting or entertaining, and you have to do it for every assassination. It gets old fast.
There's enough good in it to get you through the game, I found, but it does cut it really fine.
Play it if you must to get to AC2.
Dead Space (3)Quote:
The first few years of the PS3's lifespan were rough. Despite exclusives like the first Uncharted game, A Crack in Time, or Metal Gear Solid 4, it was still struggling to gain a foothold against the constantly growing library and userbase of the Xbox 360. While things eventually ended up more or less even between the two systems in the end in terms of worldwide sales, the PS3 needed as many exclusives as it could get early on if it hoped to compete. One such exclusive that it could forever hold over the competition was Demon's Souls, FROM SOFTWARE's spiritual successor to its long-running King's Field series.
This hardcore and brutally unforgiving action RPG stood in stark contrast to many of the trends that occurred throughout the generation, namely the streamlining of games and reducing their difficulty in order to broaden their audience. Demon's Souls is incredibly unapologetic in its design; it is an action RPG for those who enjoy challenging action RPGs, and, if you don't take the time to get over its learning curve and learn its rules, it makes no effort to accommodate you. It is these aspects that most stood out about the game upon its initial release, though challenge alone is not what makes Demon's Souls a good game. The online multiplayer aspects were revolutionary in many aspects, with players able to summon or be invaded by phantoms "coming into their world" to help or harm them. While many critics of this generation praised games like Journey for their innovation by including seamless multiplayer without lobbies, it was Demon's Souls that first offered this type of multiplayer, and it is part of what makes Demon's Souls so memorable.
Multiplayer aside, the game is incredibly tightly designed. The game features five worlds, each broken up into smaller segments that are focused on specific challenges, such as climbing a giant tower with demonic gargoyles perched upon its ledges, or the infamous poison swamp. Just like an old school NES game, enemy placement is deliberate and methodical, and each enemy is meticulously placed to add to that level's specific challenge. Levels are filled with secrets and shortcuts, harkening back to the depth the best older games had to offer.
In the interest of avoiding too much wordiness, it would be easy to sum Demon's Souls up as this; it is an unapologetically challenging game that isn't afraid to punish players who don't take the time to learn it; it has a beautiful, dreary, and haunting atmosphere; the flexibility in its levelling system and weapon types enable a high amount of replayability and variety of ways to tackle the game; its level-based structure provides for very focused and tightly designed challenges; and its multiplayer offered something truly unique and as yet unseen in the era. With all these things in mind, it is easy to see why Demon's Souls made it on the Top Games of the Generation list.
Lost Odyssey (2)
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2)
Civilization V (1)
Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland (1)
Bit Trip Runner (1)
Hearts of Iron II (1)
Monaco (1)
Vanquish (1)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (1)
S'all for tonight! I look forward to your endless discussion about Mirror's Edge again!
Anyone unfamiliar with the brilliance of Vanquish has a pitiable life.
Glad to see Demon's Souls on the list of course.
Not sure if the guy in the image is dead or just sleeping.
Or both...
To me hard doesn't mean fun. I know I'm in the minority here, but I disliked Demon's souls.
Dark Souls is the later one, isn't it? I'm assuming that's on the list too.
I've never played these games and I probably never will, though I can appreciate the effort to make a challenging game in this era of hand-holding. So it's pretty cool that this game exists. For me, I don't want to play a punishingly difficult game. Maybe that would be fun in my youth, but these days I prefer a mild challenge that keeps me busy for a little while until it's time to move on to the next thing. Life is already challenge enough. I don't need it in my games.
Agreed with HC and Del on this one. Spelunky is the perfect example of a game that is hard and challenging but is also fun and addicting to play. I didn't get that with Dark Souls, and since everybody who played both games has told me Demons Soul is actually harder I'm even less interested in it.
There are many reasons to play games: to relax, to enjoy a nice story or nice artwork, to socialize, to pass the time or take your mind off of things, whatever. That's totally fine. Demon's Souls fills a niche for people who see gaming as a skill they want to improve, or as a challenge that needs to be overcome. It's not relaxing, but it is rewarding and fulfilling. The harder the challenge, the greater the reward.
In the old days a lot of games were hard probably because game designers had no clue how to balance a game properly. Some of us grew up in that era and grew to enjoy the pain. I'm glad someone decided that games like Demon's Souls should still exist today, this time deliberately and with full intent to make it as hard as possible while still being tolerable. It brings back fond(?) memories of endless NES game over screens.
Well, it's not much, but there is some justice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shauna
I'd say it had a lot more to do with games growing out of the arcade scene where easy games wouldn't make money. Even when things moved to home consoles, technical limitations prevented them from making games with tons of content compared to what we're used to now, so it was either make your games really hard, or accept that people probably won't play them for very long, let alone replay them. Look at how long a lot of those games like the original Mega Man's take to beat if you've completely mastered them. I don't think most people would have found them to be an acceptable length if they could do that on the first try and there was no challenge to keep you coming back for more.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Unne
We live in such a different era now.
Finally games I nominated! Demon's Souls was also on my list in the thread where everybody listed their own top 10 games of the generation.
I hear people say Demon's Souls is more like a Western RPG (and attribute that to its success), most likely because of the macabre/medieval style. But in truth, the game is as Japanese as it gets. I always compare this game to Ghouls and Ghosts/Goblins/Gangsters with its haunting atmosphere and approach to enemy encounters, where the game expects you to do a bit of memorization but mostly to raise your skill.
And the multiplayer was no doubt revolutionary. Even going into the next generation there's tons of games ripping off the concept.
I also can't stress enough what Unne said. Too many games today, even in the overhyped Indie scene, strive on immediacy and accessibility. I'm glad we still have games like Demon's Souls where the fun doesn't trickle out in constant streams; it explodes in your face in epic moments of rewarding achievement.
Now I want to play Mirror's Edge again, but I lent my copy to a guy and then forgot to ask for it back before I broke up with him and then I felt like it would just be awkward.
I think I'll just buy a new copy.
I think most Action RPGs gets lumped into the WRPG category these days.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bolivar
That's all true. Mega Man can be speedrun in ~ 30 minutes. So can Dark Souls actually. :redface:Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
There was also accidental, artificial difficulty. I'm thinking about having to spend 10 minutes hitting A if you wanted to buy 99 heal potions in FF1. Or every other game that was fun enough that I wanted to play it, but had such bad controls that it was hard to function in the game. And then the random insane difficulty spikes out of nowhere, like one-hit kills from Sorcerers on the last floor of the last dungeon in FF1.
That's not artificial difficulty, that's just stupidity. Not saying difficulty never happened due to bad game design (it still does today in fact). It just wasn't only because of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Unne
I like whoever nominated Monaco because that was a great game.
Here's a speed run of the game without cutscenes, watch the first 2 or 3 minutes and you'll be able to decide if you want to play it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Murder
I would like to apologize, I remembered the graphics looking worse than they do. It still isn't the Sistine Chapel, but it is prettier than I remembered.
Both Demon's and Dark can be completed in under an hour, which just goes to show how little filler there actually is in these games. That's another reason why I love them so much, and the time difference between a normal playthrough (which can easily take upwards for 40 hours) and a speedrun really goes to show just how far skill and competency in the game goes. Time in the games aren't taken up by unskippable cutscenes or fetch quests, they're just pure action roleplaying non-stop. That kind of super focused design, to me, is great game design.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr UnneThat's all true. Mega Man can be speedrun in ~ 30 minutes. So can Dark Souls actually. :redface:Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
There was also accidental, artificial difficulty. I'm thinking about having to spend 10 minutes hitting A if you wanted to buy 99 heal potions in FF1. Or every other game that was fun enough that I wanted to play it, but had such bad controls that it was hard to function in the game. And then the random insane difficulty spikes out of nowhere, like one-hit kills from Sorcerers on the last floor of the last dungeon in FF1.
It made me dizzy. But I kinda liked it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic Chie
Quoted, for truth!Quote:
Originally Posted by SirPrizesBoth Demon's and Dark can be completed in under an hour, which just goes to show how little filler there actually is in these games. That's another reason why I love them so much, and the time difference between a normal playthrough (which can easily take upwards for 40 hours) and a speedrun really goes to show just how far skill and competency in the game goes. Time in the games aren't taken up by unskippable cutscenes or fetch quests, they're just pure action roleplaying non-stop. That kind of super focused design, to me, is great game design.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr UnneThat's all true. Mega Man can be speedrun in ~ 30 minutes. So can Dark Souls actually. :redface:Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
There was also accidental, artificial difficulty. I'm thinking about having to spend 10 minutes hitting A if you wanted to buy 99 heal potions in FF1. Or every other game that was fun enough that I wanted to play it, but had such bad controls that it was hard to function in the game. And then the random insane difficulty spikes out of nowhere, like one-hit kills from Sorcerers on the last floor of the last dungeon in FF1.
Glad to see Demon's Souls made the list and praise the sun for I think that Dark Souls will be on it too. Phenomenal games and I can't wait to find out what gruesome deaths, philosophical epiphanies and jolly characters Dark Souls 2 will bring us.
I didn't finish the actual AC Revelations game, but that's better than what I did play.
While Ass Creed 2 is okay, I thought it was a bit of a mess. A mess that the sequel, Brotherhood, cleaned up and is the superior game. That said none of the Ass games made my list but Brotherhood was close.
I voted for Civ 5. Awesomely fun game.
I have never played Demons Soul and not do I want to. I am not against the high difficulty but I would prefer to work my way there. The games I really like, I tend to go back to and amp up the difficulty as time goes on. Challenge is important in games but I don't care for a nut grinder simply for nut grinders sake.
To be fair that wasn't me, I actually didn't vote for any Civ game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister AdequateWell, it's not much, but there is some justice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shauna
I voted for Civ 5. No more stacks of doom!!!
Catherine (3)Quote:
I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite game of this generation.
Mass effect is a third person space RPG, where you assume direct control, if you want, of Commander Shepard, a completely awesome person who just happens to have what it takes to save the entire galaxy from more or less anything you could possibly throw at her (yes, her, deal with it). The game offers a lot of exploration, excellent music, likable characters and also a pretty cool story, bro. Although I personally thing some of the actual combat mechanics were better in the two later games, I think the actual "RPG" part is a lot better in the first of them.
The trilogy may not have ended on the highest of notes but from Mass Effect 1 to 3 the journey was amazing. It tugged at the heart strings, thrusting you into decisions with actual consequences - allowing you to be a goodie two shoes or a bad ass who makes trout happen. The refinements in 2 and 3 may not have been to everyone’s tastes but there's no denying that Mass Effect was a masterpiece out of left field.
All in all, Mass Effect is a game that everyone who like RPGs and sci-fi should try. Also, the Mako rocks and anyone who says otherwise is clearly mentally challenged.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (2)
Plants Vs Zombies (2)
Candies (1)
Killzone 3 (1)
Final Fantasy: Dissidia 012 (1)
Dragon's Crown (1)
Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes (1)
Europa Universalis III (1)
Final Fantasy IV Complete (1)
Five more titles to go after this! How exciting!
I approve.
Two votes for FFXIV, and none of them were me, before anyone says it. Really glad it's getting that kind of approval, though!
And definitely glad to see Mass Effect up there, such a fantastic game.
Such a boring game.
I agree. Mass Effect is another game from this gen I didn't really get. Never tried the sequels.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
You are missing out. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by SirPrizesI agree. Mass Effect is another game from this gen I didn't really get. Never tried the sequels.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
Mass Effect was good, but Mass Effect 2 was on an entirely different level.
Also, how did Catherine get even one vote?
Never played Mass Effect, since it had never came out for PS3. Eventually it did come out as part of a multi-pack, which I may play at some point. I loved ME2 and ME3 so much that I probably should play the first.
You can pick it up for $10 I believe on PSN. Comes with all the DLC.Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Murder
Because it's awesome. :colbert:Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic Chie
I loved Mass Effect 1 but I hated ME2 and refused to play the third. ME from a gameplay perspective is extremely similar to KOTOR which is fine because that game was awesome. The story, exploration and everything was some good fun world building. Most of what I liked was discarded in 2 in favor of a sorry Gears of Wars style gameplay mixed with Ocean's 11...but where in Ocean's 11, the team is formed in the first 1/3 of the movie (if that) it takes the entire game to do that here. Additionally the big and massive decision at the end of the first game seems to get brushed under the rug to maintain a status quo.
Also, the MAKO was awesome and fun as hell. Gave a sense of how big and awesome the universe can be. That is replaced by a terrible scanning game from orbit. I want to explore!
I actually preferred the Hammerhead vehicle from ME2.Quote:
Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm
As for decision are you talking about (SPOILER) kaiden vs ashley?
Cause I feel there are bigger decisions in both 2 and 3.
Yeah, driving around in big empty expanses with almost nothing to do and terrible controls sure was fun as hell. :roll2Quote:
Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm
You know what? It really was.
I have to question the sanity of anyone who found that thing fun. And I'm not just being facetious for once. Mass Effect had some of the worst driving levels I've seen in a 3D game.
In order to get everything you had to take ridiculously circuitous routes without enemies, items, varying level design. It was not a high point for the game.
...there were levels? I just grabbed that sucker, drove around, looked for random things and hopped out and shot up some enemies. Countless missions, all mostly the same, but you can generally say the same for Tetris, Pac-Man and so forth. Hell, you could say the same for every FF battle you hop into. Whereas they got rid of the Mako in favour of... scanning. [sarcasm]Oh boy. I feel so refreshed with this much more entertaining option of things to do.[/sarcasm]
Mako missions were a nice way of leveling up and they weren't always the same (and certainly lasted longer than five seconds), which is more than I can say for the replacement options. The amount of time I spent doing Mako missions was significantly higher than 2/3's options, and it was significantly more fun.
The MAKO: Driving vertically since 2007.
I don't mind the thing too much, I just love the rage it instills in everyone.
They had a vehicle in ME2. The Hammerhead.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
The Mako sections were filler.
Hammerhead missions were DLC, right? Doesn't count, because it wasn't in my ME2 game. :p I don't judge a game by DLC.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic Chie
The dlc came with new copies of the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoBHammerhead missions were DLC, right? Doesn't count, because it wasn't in my ME2 game. :p I don't judge a game by DLC.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic Chie
I honestly can't ever remember controlling any vehicles in ME2. Did this come out much later than the game or something? If so, again, it doesn't count if I couldn't play it. :p
Except that Tetris, Pac-Man and FF don't tend to suffer from things like boring controls and absolutely nothing to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
The Mako was like Pac-Man if he just kept moving right down a corridor endlessly eating dots. No maze, no corners, no ghosts, no power ups. Just moving. Or Tetris if all you had was a single column and the straight blocks.
^^^^ perfect comparison.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22Except that Tetris, Pac-Man and FF don't tend to suffer from things like boring controls and absolutely nothing to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
The Mako was like Pac-Man if he just kept moving right down a corridor endlessly eating dots. No maze, no corners, no ghosts, no power ups. Just moving. Or Tetris if all you had was a single column and the straight blocks.
The Mako was you controlling something to get to a certain place, and if you felt like it, you could dick around with a tank to shoot things with. I really don't get how that equates to holding one down the up button. If you simply held down one button on the Mako (which is what you would need to do in your rather pathetic analogies/comparisons/whatever the hell those were) then you would not finish any Mako missions whatsoever.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22Except that Tetris, Pac-Man and FF don't tend to suffer from things like boring controls and absolutely nothing to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
The Mako was like Pac-Man if he just kept moving right down a corridor endlessly eating dots. No maze, no corners, no ghosts, no power ups. Just moving. Or Tetris if all you had was a single column and the straight blocks.
I think you guys were doing it wrong. :smash:
There was exactly one thing to dick around and shoot. Monkeys. And killing them gave you renegade.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoBThe Mako was you controlling something to get to a certain place, and if you felt like it, you could dick around with a tank to shoot things with. I really don't get how that equates to holding one down the up button. If you simply held down one button on the Mako (which is what you would need to do in your rather pathetic analogies/comparisons/whatever the hell those were) then you would not finish any Mako missions whatsoever.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22Except that Tetris, Pac-Man and FF don't tend to suffer from things like boring controls and absolutely nothing to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
The Mako was like Pac-Man if he just kept moving right down a corridor endlessly eating dots. No maze, no corners, no ghosts, no power ups. Just moving. Or Tetris if all you had was a single column and the straight blocks.
I think you guys were doing it wrong. :smash:
...did you guys never actually go to the random colonies that had been invaded by Geth?
I went to all of them. 100%. besides the missions that could be accomplished the same way they are in 2 and 3, the only thing to do is shoot monkey and spend a long time climbing hills.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
Want see a prime example of AAA-bias at work? A game like Plants vs Zombies (the second-greatest indie game of all time, and maybe the greatest non-gamer game of all time) got 2 votes.
Plants Vs. Zombies is a pretty fun game for a while, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it the second greatest indie game ever. And every version I've played aside from the original PC version was an unbearably tedious grind to unlock the bonus levels and such.
I could probably name a half-dozen recent indie titles that I liked more just in my favourites list in my Steam library. And that's without resorting to Valve titles since they're technically independent.
The Mako was BALLER.
You guys are forgetting the best part about Mass Effect's Mako.... The unexpected thresher maw attacks. How come is not battling a giant worm fun?
Sorry I only had one spot left and it went to Friut NinjaQuote:
Originally Posted by Spuuky
I use "indie" in the colloquial sense, although yes, Valve does technically publish the games it develops, too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
The PC version is the only version I have played, so I can't really say anything about other versions of the game. And sure, I could name games I personally enjoyed more, but I wouldn't say they were "better" than it, just that they matched my personal tastes or desires for a game more; none of them are games I've seen people around me enjoy nearly as much as PvZ.
A lot of people around me enjoyed Wii Sports but it's not a very good game.
There are a lot of indie games I would say are better games than Plants Vs. Zombies. Certainly not as popular, but I don't factor that into the equation when I evaluate a game. If we're going to debate games based on their level of success then certainly PvZ is up there.
Heavy Rain (3)Quote:
As the spiritual successor to Demon's Souls, Dark Souls had a lot to live up to. Demon's Souls already established a game with an exact and punishing challenge, flexibility in accommodation for a large amount of playstyles, a combat system that rewarded deliberacy and precision, and a seamless multiplayer component. So how would Dark Souls take these established elements and progress them further?
Perhaps the biggest change between Demon's Souls and Dark Souls is the game's structure. No longer do players access different levels through a central hub, but all regions of the world of Lordran are seamlessly connected in a way that evokes memories of Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night. As players progress through the game, they will unlock doors or activate elevators that enable quick traversal through its world, and after a certain point, they can use the bonfires strewn throughout the land (the only beacons of safety and warmth) to warp between locations. Due to its seamless structure, Dark Souls offers even more flexibility in play than its predecessor; just like the aforementioned Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night, players can progress through the game in a large variety of ways and tackle the game's first and second halves in essentially any order. It is this vast freedom offered to the player that makes Dark Souls an even more compelling experience, in many ways, than Demon's Souls was before it.
Besides changes to the game's progression, it feels largely like a logical increment of what Demon's Souls had to offer. Multiplayer has been expanded through the covenant system which, while sloppily executed in some aspects, offers new amounts of depth and replayability for those who like to invade or help others through jolly cooperation. Each covenant also has a rich and detailed backstory contained in Lordran's lore, which leads to another defining aspect of Dark Souls: its storytelling.
Though many will find its story elements lacking because they are not told to the player in the traditional sense they are accustomed to (progress through a gameplay segment, watch a cutscene, repeat), the history of the world of Lordran and the way your story as the Chosen Undead fits into it is unveiled brilliantly, rewarding those compelled to investigate further. Upon closer investigation of item descriptions or the player's surroundings, the player is able to piece together a tale that is much larger than the scope of his own adventure. The tragedies of Seath, the Witches of Izalith, and Priscilla; the decay of the world of Lordran as a whole; the failures of many before you in Sen's Fortress; all are hidden away, left to be discovered by investigative players in a way that further adds to the atmosphere and mystique of the game's world. This indirect method of storytelling through observation and context, inspired by the creator's own experiences trying to piece together English fantasy stories as a Japanese child, is one of the most defining aspects of Dark Souls, and serves to tell a tale of massive scope without once interrupting the gameplay.
With the depth of its combat, multiplayer, flexibility, and lore, it is easy to see why many consider Dark Souls one of the finest games of the generation.
Darkest Hour (2)
The World Ends With You (2)
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (1)
Analogue: A Hate Story (1)
Saints Row 2 (1)
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (1)
Warrior's Orochi 2 (1)
Resident Evil 6 (1)
I will take this moment to announce that Dragon Age: Origins actually received two nominations, but my Excel spreadsheet did not pick this up because I had typed both "Dragon Age Origins" and "Dragon Age: Origins", both with one nomination each. Whoops.
Someone actually voted for RE6? whaaaaat?! That doesn't even make sense silly. Game of the Generation goes to good games.
And preferrably ones you agree with?
Too bad Heavy Rain didn't make it. It was an incredibly ambitious game with an insane amount of polish and overall achieved its goals in my eyes.
I also probably should get around to playing dark souls eventually.
Hurray, I wasn't the only one who voted for The World Ends with You! The other person who voted it gets a high five. As a side note, I lent that game to a friend about a year ago and haven't seen it since =(.
I probably should get around to playing the Demon/Dark Souls games. I own Demon Souls but only played it for a couple of minutes and then kind of forgot that I owned it.
I figured Dark Souls would be up there.
TWEWY is great. I just had some better games to nominate. The DS had a strong lineup in general.
Praise the sun!
To everyone who hasn't played Demon's Souls or Dark Souls yet and is deterred by their image of being punishingly difficult; that may seem true for the first few hours, but there are always people in-game to help you out in it's amazing multiplayer options and with Dark Souls being on Steam sales regularly (it was only $7,50 not too long ago) this might be worth giving a try nonetheless. And to think of it, the game is not that difficult. In this age, yes maybe, but I find the difficulty comparable to games like FFT and Vagrant Story.
I remember being in doubt whether to buy Dark Souls or not for weeks, and when I eventually did I doubted my purchase during the first couple hours of gameplay. With fear talked into me by the things I read online I nervously ventured into the first few levels, afraid of what horrors might await. The feeling stuck until I beat the first boss; the thrill of slaying a demon thrice your size with a trusty shield and sturdy sword after being slain yourself 3-4 times was very intense.
And now it's my favorite game of all time thus far. Praise the sun!
I didn't actually know we could nominate DS games as I wasn't really sure what generation that would be classed as. :(
Dammit, Shauna. Some of the games I love haven't been revealed as not making the cut yet and you're getting my hopes oh-so-high. :(
So we're in the "top 5" at this point, right? I believe that game was #5, if you are revealing 20 games?
I am pretty sure I said in my original post that PSP, DS, Wii, 360 and PS3 games could be nominated, and for the sake of allowing the PC master race to not be left out, games released on PC after ~arbitrary date~.
Dammit guys!
And yes, we are essentially in the "Top 5". I can't say that any one game from the tier of 7 nominations is #5 because there were 5 games with that number of noms.
Quote:
Naughty Dog's PS3 swan song. Where the hell did this thing come from? It's a wonderful game for a lot of reasons that don't seem very wonderful. It's challenging, resources are fairly scarce, and it is one hell of a brutally violent ride through a post-apocalyptic, zombies with a bad fungal infection infested America. Humans are usually as bad as the monsters, sometimes worse, and you'll certainly question by the end whether or not you're the worst of all.
But behind it all is this story of a father who lost his daughter, a girl who might cure the zombie plague, and the journey that brings them together. If it sounds cliche, it's really not. These are broken people in a broken world doing the best they can and making their fair share of bad decisions and crossing into some moral grey areas along the way.
The game itself is great as well. Think Uncharted with fewer bullets, no climbing, more stealth and if the violence was less Indiana Jones and more Walking Dead. It all comes together tremendously well to create an experience that can go from nail bitingly tense, heart wrenchingly touching, and straight back to unsettlingly casual in its brutality. It's easily one of the best games on any platform this generation.
Dwarf Fortress (3)
BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend (2)
Bioshock (2)
Halo Reach (1)
2nd Super Robot Wars: Original Generations (1)
Frog Fractions (1)
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (1)
Tekken 6 (1)
Borderlands 2 (1)
Resonance of Fate (1)
Top 3 next. Which games could possibly be yet to come at this late stage of the event?
Was a very good game.
Have we had The Walking Dead yet? I'm calling that one as one of the impending winners.
Also good to see Darkest Hour and Dorf Fort.
I tried so hard to like Dark Souls, I really did. I put hours into that game trying to like it. But I finally stopped when I realized I wasn't enjoying it at all. Sorry guys!
We already had The Walking Dead, yes, way back in the 5-nomination zone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike
Oh. Disregard then!
Edit: Changing my bet to Fallout New Vegas.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure New Vegas will be one of them. I'd also be somewhat shocked if Minecraft wasn't one of them.
My guess for top 3:
Uncharted 2
Minecraft
Skyrim
Probably in that order.
New Vegas was already mentioned. But not Elder Scrolls!Quote:
Originally Posted by Spuuky
Oh, right, I forgot that wasn't actually Fallout 3.
Skyrim is clearly a worse game than New Vegas, but I guess it's a pretty good game still.
Next guess to go along with all yours: Final Fantasy XIII will take top spot!
As for The Last of Us: it was a wonderful game with one of the deepest character relationships I've ever seen in games. The stealth gameplay was very fun and a nice change in pace to run-and-gun style of other games. It was also absolutly stunning to look at. The most beautiful game I've ever played. And it took place in an post-apocalypse!
I'll actually be surprised if Skyrim is up there. I liked it quite a bit, but most threads about it on here turn into some sort of weird "Am I the only person who didn't like this game" thing, which is hilarious because clearly you people aren't if everyone else is saying the same thing! :colbert:
I adore Skyrim.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike
I'm betting Skyrim, Minecraft and.... and...
I can't think of another really big hit that hasn't already been on here.
I'll go with Del's answer of Uncharted 2, but in my opinion The Last of Us was way better.
This thread in a nutshell: everyone else's taste in video games sucks apart from my own, I am the last authority on video games and my word is law.
I understand anyone who didn't like the Mako in Mass Effect 1 or thought it was slower compared to 2. It really does show it JRPG side when you reach the Citadel and 2 improves on a lot of the gameplay. It didn't help that I played 2 first. I just personally have a preference towards the crew in the first game and the story over the second.
Dark Souls was clever. Never played The Last of Us (god I want to) but I haven't heard a single bad thing about this game since it came out, so no surprises here.
I think you mean "EoFF gaming forums in a nutshell". :greenie:Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriJ
Finally! Someone who gets me! :love:Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriJ
This is still true if you subtract "EoFF gaming," though.Quote:
Originally Posted by PikeI think you mean "EoFF gaming forums in a nutshell". :greenie:Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriJ
I just like Freelancer and Crisis Core. Anyone who enjoys any other games is wrong.
I grew bored of Dark Souls after awhile. I can see the appeal, I think it's a great game, but there's only so many times you can lose your stuff because you die to some bulltrout before you get back to your soul before you grow fed up with the mechanic. For me that number was twice. The first time I lost a significant amount I quit for days. The second time I quit for good. Not worth bothering, it just seems like pointlessly punishing someone and you can say "Git gud" all you like, it doesn't change that I think it's a fundamentally bad mechanic that ruined a lot of fun I was having in the game. It's not punishingly difficult, that implies that the game itself is hard - it's not, once you get the hang of it. It's just that the inevitable screwups we all make in any game are punished.
Also there's a point where storytelling is too subtle and unintrusive. I COULD scour every last engraving in the world to try and learn about the history of Random Asshole Undead #27,412 but why the hell would I bother doing that? I'd chase down all kinds of things if I actually care - look at how much sperging I've done over Morrowind and how ten years later we're still finding things in the game - but there's got to be a hook to begin with and Dark Souls just doesn't have that. Also there's 'exploration', and then there's 'just a bunch of stuff' that people try to fit into a coherent narrative because that's what we do when we're fans of things.
All that said the combat is supremely well-executed and the game has nearly flawless aesthetic design, as well as being astonishingly gorgeous. I don't even oppose it being on a list like this, necessarily, I just think it's very overrated. One of the best games of the generation? I can see that. One of the best games ever made ever ever? ... nah.
I'm glad to see The Last of Us on the list. Unfortunately, I didn't vote for it since I hadn't played through the majority of it until after sending in nominations. I tried playing Uncharted 3 afterwards and it was just so hard to get used to. The controls felt way worse and the gameplay was much less interesting. I know they are different story genres, but I do hope future Naughty Dog games take more after The Last of Us than Uncharted.
I'm excited to see what else makes the list!
Knowing Naughty Dog I doubt they'll make a game like Uncharted again so I wouldn't worry too much about whether future titles take after it or not. They seem pretty happy to start a series, make a few games, then move on to something different. It's one of the things I respect most about them.
They announced another one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
Did Naughty Dog announce another one or is another company making it?
EDIT: Looks like ND did. I'm rather surprised to be honest. Hopefully they can do something new with it. Usually they make three games and move on and let other companies take over.
I was surprised, too, Vivi.
I know what one of the top games is cause I did the write up! Does this mean my opinion on video games is valid!?
Only if mine is super valid because I know what all the games are and did quite a few write ups, even if some didn't make it because others were objectively better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bolivar
So THAT'S what happened to Crash Bandicoot >.>Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
Smurf all but two of you, Catherine was awesome.
I expected The Last of Us to be top three. Interesting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22Because it's awesome. :colbert:Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic Chie
The three of us will make our own club with Catherine and blackjack!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mo-Nercy
Hammerhead? Must be some DLC thing. Never saw it in the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic ChieI actually preferred the Hammerhead vehicle from ME2.Quote:
Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm
As for decision are you talking about (SPOILER) kaiden vs ashley?
Cause I feel there are bigger decisions in both 2 and 3.
I am not talking about that at all. Though it would have been nice to actually carry over and evolve the character relationships from game to game. The decision I am talking about had to do with how you choose to end the game. Either way things are back to the status quo and you couldn't tell the difference with what you had decided. I felt it was a slap to the face. If my decision has no discernible effect, please don't give me the illusion of choice.
All of this talk makes me want to play KOTOR again.
I'm still waiting for the Uncharted karting game.Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriJSo THAT'S what happened to Crash Bandicoot >.>Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
How are either one of those choices returning to the status quo? (SPOILER) one gives humanity a counsil seat and that shapes the third game a lot, also it allows you to remain a spectre. The other results in the deaths of the leaders of the aliens blocks of lots of stuff in the third gameQuote:
Originally Posted by edczxcvbnmHammerhead? Must be some DLC thing. Never saw it in the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic ChieI actually preferred the Hammerhead vehicle from ME2.Quote:
Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm
As for decision are you talking about (SPOILER) kaiden vs ashley?
Cause I feel there are bigger decisions in both 2 and 3.
I am not talking about that at all. Though it would have been nice to actually carry over and evolve the character relationships from game to game. The decision I am talking about had to do with how you choose to end the game. Either way things are back to the status quo and you couldn't tell the difference with what you had decided. I felt it was a slap to the face. If my decision has no discernible effect, please don't give me the illusion of choice.
All of this talk makes me want to play KOTOR again.
Seriously, where the heck is that already!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mo-NercyI'm still waiting for the Uncharted karting game.Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriJSo THAT'S what happened to Crash Bandicoot >.>Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
Don't their cart games usually come out after the next system? It shouldn't be long now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister AdequateSeriously, where the heck is that already!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mo-NercyI'm still waiting for the Uncharted karting game.Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriJSo THAT'S what happened to Crash Bandicoot >.>Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
They um... They do a lot of kart games, do they?
1 for each of their IP's so far. At leas on PS.Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriJ
Mass Effect spoilersGarrus is just about the only character that doesn't get replaced by an NPC doppelganger if he dies. Kaiden/Ashley don't count because they are replaced by Kaidan/Ashley.
As well as Crash Team Racing, wasn't there a Jak and Daxter karting game too? Could be wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic Chie1 for each of their IP's so far. At leas on PS.Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriJ
actually 3 kart games for Crash and a racer for Jak (jak x)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mo-NercyAs well as Crash Team Racing, wasn't there a Jak and Daxter karting game too? Could be wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic Chie1 for each of their IP's so far. At leas on PS.Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriJ
...............
Ellie: (driving down the road in a gold kart) Wee! This is fun!
Joel: Somebody please shoot me.
Little late but, the mako is awesome! It let's you climb MOUNTAINS.
I played the second game, not the third game. I already talked about why I dislike the second game and it made me think my choices in the first game were largely irrelevant. If those choices finally manifest themselves in the 3rd game then it sounds like they should have skipped the second and moved straight to the third, or at least cut down all of the time in the second spent gathering people.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic ChieHow are either one of those choices returning to the status quo? (SPOILER) one gives humanity a counsil seat and that shapes the third game a lot, also it allows you to remain a spectre. The other results in the deaths of the leaders of the aliens blocks of lots of stuff in the third gameQuote:
Originally Posted by edczxcvbnmHammerhead? Must be some DLC thing. Never saw it in the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic ChieI actually preferred the Hammerhead vehicle from ME2.Quote:
Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm
As for decision are you talking about (SPOILER) kaiden vs ashley?
Cause I feel there are bigger decisions in both 2 and 3.
I am not talking about that at all. Though it would have been nice to actually carry over and evolve the character relationships from game to game. The decision I am talking about had to do with how you choose to end the game. Either way things are back to the status quo and you couldn't tell the difference with what you had decided. I felt it was a slap to the face. If my decision has no discernible effect, please don't give me the illusion of choice.
All of this talk makes me want to play KOTOR again.
That said, I don't ever plan on playing the third game. Doesn't look like I would enjoy it.
Haven't played The Last of Us, but it's on my Christmas wish list!
Only one Crash Racing game was by Naughty Dog, and that was the best (Crash Team Racing) and that appeared on PS1. The other racing games are sub par.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic Chieactually 3 kart games for Crash and a racer for Jak (jak x)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mo-NercyAs well as Crash Team Racing, wasn't there a Jak and Daxter karting game too? Could be wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypoallergenic Chie1 for each of their IP's so far. At leas on PS.Quote:
Originally Posted by ToriJ
Jak X is also super enjoyable. :3
Quote:
This is probably the first major advancement the whole Strategy RPG genre has seen in a long time. Forget tiles, let's move all of the soldiers you control in a completely 3D environment. While we're at it, let's toss in some mother smurfing tanks. Because smurf yeah! Tanks! And you'll have to use the terrain to your advantage so you can take cover from enemy fire, get the drop on enemy soldiers, and generally complete missions without losing anyone. Because when someone dies, they stay dead aside from a few key story characters.
Don't think there's enough variety with your different soldier classes, tanks, and those fancy 3D levels? How about adding in a wide variety of crazy mission objectives and challenges to overcome? You'll be sneaking through enemy territory in the dead of night, flanking enemy bases and tanks through nearby hills, fighting tanks the size of office buildings, and blowing up bridges to destroy a train with the biggest piece of artillery you've ever seen on it. Oh, and you have to dodge those artillery bombardments on your way to the bridge.
The story's interesting as well as a sort of fictional Europe type place finding itself embroiled in a bit of a fictional World War 2. It's not quite as dark and serious as that premise might lead you to believe, and the gorgeous graphics that make the world look like a watercolour painting would certainly seem to support that. Plus there's some magic and ancient races thrown into the mix as well, but the story is loaded with some likable characters, and does feature it's fair share of more serious moments and losses as the war takes it's toll.
You do yourself a disservice if you don't play this game.
Tales of Vesperia (3)
Mario Kart Wii (2)
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 (2)
Hitman: Absolution (1)
Lost Planet (1)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (1)
Sengoku Basara 3: Samurai Heroes (1)
Natural Selection 2 (1)
Words With Friends (1)
Risen 2 (1)
I am away to the cinema tonight, so I'll only be able to reveal one more today! That leaves the big finale to appear tomorrow. :}
Likewise, my friend. Likewise.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
Edit: @Nomination, never heard of it.
Ooh, dark horse. I played the demo for this but couldn't get into it. I prefer my strategy from a top down view.
Well deserved spot on the list, although I would have liked the game to have a little more consequences especially when a squad member goes down. The save and load options made it a little too easy for my tastes. Loved the combat and the characters!
Good game. I forgot all about it during nominations. The story hasn't really stayed with me but the characters, gameplay and graphics have. It's not a game I've been looking to replay at the moment, but I have never considered trading it in either.
I am completely blown away by the discovery that there is actually some justice in this world. Valkyria Chronicles is a better game than everything that's asppeared on this list thus far.
It was a gorgeous evolution of the SRPG formula and the story actually does get more dark and mature as the plot progresses, culminating in a pretty haunting sight in the finale. Replaying this gamea few months ago, I was taken aback at just how polished the presentation feels even today, especially on a high refresh rate HDTV. I also like that the enemy corpses don't disappear, even in the cutscene after the first fight, where Alicia resolves to bury them, establishing that killing isn't such a great thing, even in times of war. Anyone getting a PS3 for the first time and looking for which exclusives they should buy, this should be near the top of your list.
Yes, it was. You're just no true scifi fan if you don't think it's cool to park your vehicle and get outside on a barren planet with two massive binary stars in the sky.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...3-45-40-52.jpg
See? It's awesome.
And Valkyria Chronicles is a great game. I am ashamed that I forgot to nominate it.
It would have been first if you had then.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirage
What a good game. I'm pretty surprised it got this many nominations, but I certainly can't complain. If I was voting for just "real" console games (no PC or handheld allowed) I'd probably have picked this as the single best game of the last generation.
Just play with the discipline to not reload whenever something goes wrong. Just because virtually every game and literally every emulated game can be save-scummed to drastically reduce difficulty doesn't mean you have to do it. The only reason I "save" in games at all is in case my system crashes, or I encounter a bug, or the power goes out, or I need to quit and do something else. Never because I just don't like the outcome of what has transpired. It leads to some interesting experiences in games with a lot of consequence and choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete for President
I think the real shock of this whole Top Games thing is that Words with Friends received a vote.
Anyways, I'm glad to see that a game I voted for made it this high up on the Top Games list. Valkyria Chronicles is fantastic.
Yeah, I don't really get voting for Scrabble.
Scrabble with bad dictionaries and excessively invasive advertising, you mean.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
I would, in all seriousness, consider nominating Angry Birds. Or maybe Angry Birds Space.
I don't even give a trout how casual that makes me. Those games are fun.
Angry Birds is fun. Space is definitely the more interesting take on it, though I think the formula has worn thin now. At least they tried other things with that Bad Pigs or whatever it was.
And anyone who says Pike is a dirty casual gamer will have to deal with me.
You are a dirty casual gamer. Pike is a dirty casual robot pony. Big difference.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
I only played VC recently but found it very enjoyable. It was a little slow to get going, but the story was very heartfelt and I've never played a SRPG with that kind of gameplay. I think there were better games to have come out but VC was certainly a unique and memorable experience.
Minecraft (3)Quote:
Skyrim beckons you to explore its land. At its visual core, it is a game of breath-taking moments: From the dragon assault right at the beginning of the game, to seeing the aurora in the night sky. Even things such as a simple waterfall or a snowstorm while climbing a mountain, look sublime.
It's land where you choose your own adventure. Sure, there is the main storyline which is a good 20-30 hours’ worth of content in itself, but the main pleasure comes from simply exploring. You might stumble into a cave that turns out to be a hideout for a bunch of rogue mages. You might choose to embark on evil missions of lies, murder and everything in between, for the gruesome Daedric masterminds. If you're a Twilight fan you could even simply just become a werewolf and go on a spree of terrifying rampage around the towns and villages you may have once called home. Every day is simply a new adventure in Skyrim and with the sheer wealth of things to do, pretty much from the word go, mean you can easily clock up 100s of hours of gameplay.
During those 100s of hours you'll probably become far too attached to some of the companions in the game. Admittedly their combat AI is pretty bad at the best of times, with traps and doorways usually stumping them at the best of times, but this simply adds to their charm. There was one moment in particular where I had grown far too attached to a loyal canine companion, that when they met their untimely demise courtesy of getting stuck underneath a spike trap - I was so overcome with guilt and sadness that I actually reloaded my save and let the faithful mutt retire to a life of excess at the hands of ex-battle warriors turned house maids.
That's the overall beauty of Skyrim really; it's a game that you can make your own: From the character customisation, to trade skill progressions, and even treading the line between good and evil. Everyone's experience will be their own.
Some will argue that Skyrim isn't the best of the best when it comes to The Elder Scrolls series, but for a game that introduced many to the series itself this past console generation - this was about a good a welcoming fanfare as anyone could've hoped for.
God of War III (2)
999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors (2)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (1)
King's Bounty (1)
Game Dev Tycoon (1)
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (1)
Assassin's Creed: Revelations (1)
Fable 2 (1)
So this is it, the final one is yet to come. When I wake up tomorrow I'll post it up, so get your predictions in now! :p
Uncharted 2. No question. A worthy winner as well.
Never played Skyrim, probably never will. Not my playstyle. For all the people who 'don't really like it' it sure is popular!
Re: Skyrim: Wow, really? I honestly didn't expect that. Can't say I nominated it but my inner TES lore-monkey is happy.