True, tis a little early, but since next to nothing is coming out in the next couple months worth mentioning (Spirit Tracks probably being the only exception) seems like a good a time as any to start on our lists.
10. Katamari Forever (PS3)
I am likely the only person to put this on my list, and I can understand why others wouldn't. It's a mindlessly simple game, and it has barely changed at all from it's predescessors. However, the game manages to still look great, include some fun modes, including Classic Katamari, and included a jump feature. The game manages to hold onto the humour of the others, keeping me laughing and enjoying the game all the way through.
9. Batman: Arkum Asylum (PS3, X360)
The biggest reason this is on the list is finally we have a batman game that feels like batman. The stealth is very well done, and the normal battle system runs smoothly and is a wonder to behold. The music and artwork are all awesome as well, and the voice acting as marvously done.
One of the biggest problems with this game are the combat can possibly get old after a while. While it's fun, solid and fluid, it tends to get repetitive.
The other is detective vission. As great a feature as it is, it'll be on a LOT, and you'll end up missing out on the amazing level design in favor of combat efficiency.
Finally, the biggest problem, is the dissapointing boss battles. Honestly, the only fight that wasn't underwhelming were the scarecrow levels. The Scarecrow levels were imaginate, and managed to keep a strong Nightmarish feel, as a world created of Scarecrows fear toxins should be. Killer Croc, who is massively hyped in game, is little more then a 'run away' type fight, and don't even get me started on "The Joker' fight.
Overall though, what makes this game good is done amazingly well.
8. Demon Souls - PS3
This game is awesome, pure and simple. It's challanging, its beautiful, and its highly customizable. The character and monster designs are great, and many of the boss fights are imaginative and fun as hell.
The biggest issue of this game comes from one o fit's greatest strengths, it's challanging. As smurf. This game is made to make use of the multiplayer soul summoning. The problem is, many times you'll find yourself in need of another players help, but you must wait until you can actually get another player of similar level to you, and that can take a while. A long while. And if you don't have an internet connection, you are essentially screwed.
7. Blazblu: Calamity Trigger (PS3, X360)
This, to me, is the definitive 2D fighter. The artwork is beautiful, the story is probably the best of any fighter I've ever played, and the game play is smooth. Though it only has a roster of 13, there's plenty of fun ways to play each character, so you'll never find yourself getting bored. The fighters are all very definitive and unique in the way that they play, much more so then in most fighting games.
To be honest, the only reason this game isn't higher is I've always had a preference for 3D fighters, and while I can't find many problems with this game, it's just not a Genre I enjoy as much as others. Though the fact it made it on my list is definately a sign of it's greatness.
6. Brutal Legend (PS3, 360)
Easily the biggest reason to love this game is the world. It has what is easily one of the most beautifully rendered and imaginative worlds in any game I have ever played.
The humor is definitely top notch, and the music selection, as well as the option to stop playing the songs you don't like while riding your Druid Plow, is simply amazing. The VA's are also surprising, getting the Likes of Ozzy, Rob Halford, and Lemming to all come in and do voices.
What keeps this game down is the gameplay. Don't get me wrong, the gameplay is very well handled. But the pure 'action' portions of the game are kind of dull when compared to other action games out there. Well done, but not that good. The RTS segmants, the real imaginative portion, kind of falls too. Again, it's very fun and imaginative, but it is a big focus on the RTS, and not enough on the action. The problem with this is that it doesn't stack up to a full on RTS, so it shouldn't have put as much focus on that portion. Again, it's very well done and fun to play, it just falls so short of what it could have been.
5. Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)
This game is pure, Sidescrolling win. The only game I felt was a better side scroller was Odin Sphere. The graphics are beautifully drawn. It may not be as graphically powerful as games on the other system, but that doesn't stop it from looking damn beautiful.
The combat, like most others on this list, is very smooth. Though it does get repative.
The games biggest flaws are the following.
While combat is awesome and fun, it's only ever fought on one flat surface, a few layers of flat surfaces. Rarely do you get a full area of Baddies to run through and beat, mostly it's just in a small area at a time.
The other problem is most of the 6 endings are rather boring. Mind you, the good ones are awesome. Very awesome. But some of them just feel like they weren't even trying, making a lot of the extra effort to get those endings feel like wasted time.
Overall, however, this is easilly one of the best Wii games to date, and a must play for any Wii owner.
4. Tekken 6 - (PS3, X360)
This is the definitive Tekken experience. It plays smoother then any other Tekken to date, the graphics are very polished, and it's added even more characters.
There isn't much to say other then if you like Tekken, you'll like this game. If you never got into tekken before, you probably won't like this game.
The story, while good for a fighting game, is bogged down by a sup-par campaign mode. It is basically a slightly improved Tekken Force mode, though it's not good enough to be used for the main Campaign.
Thats really all there is to say about this one.
3. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (DS)
This is another one there isn't much to say about. Most people already have their opionions on Dragon Quest. This, to me, is easily the funnest one. The story is very well told, taking place over the course of the main characters life, from the time he was a young boy, to the final battle in which he already has two young kids.
With the inclusion of a third bride, this remake easily trumps the original.
There are many monsters you can use to form your parties, though saddly the selection of human characters is painfully small and uninteresting, your family are likely the only ones you'll ever use.
And, on a final note, Deborah is HOT. :love:
2. inFAMOUS (PS3)
I wasn't sure if this or DQV should be at number 2, and if you ask me on a different day, I'd probably put that one at 2 instead, so you could call my choices for 2 and 3 a tie.
Infamous is easily one of the best action games to date. The battles aren't just run in and smash things, with some timed dodges and blocks like the others. This is a third person stratagy game that involves using your enviroment, ducking behind cover, and adjusting stratagies depending on where you are fighting, and what it is you are fighting.
The graphics in this game are beautiful. The world design perfectly sets up the mood of the game. You really feel as though the city has been slowly diving into chaos since the Lock Down.
It also has arguable the best story of any Action game to date, and is my favorite one at that. It is original, dark, twisted and fun. Though that does lead to one of the games biggest issues, the moral system. In the end, no matter what you did it doesn't effect much of anything, and the only purpose it really served was to pick the powers you wanted. This game would have been much better off fixing a more solid story and dropping the alignment, then letting you chose the path your powers grew yourself.
The only other flaw in this game is big. The auto-ledge grabbing. Don't get me wrong, this system works so amazingly well in combat I don't want it gone, but outside of combat it's nothing more then a hassle. It takes far to long to scale a building, and causes the overall world exploring to be dragged down significantly due to how often cole will be grabbing Ledges for no reason, which is even more annoying when trying to climb down a building.
A simple option to hold down a button so that cole wouldn't auto-grab could fix this however, but alas tis to late to include it I'd imagine. :(
#1, I give an honorable mention.
Mad World. Now this game is amazing, Actually, theres almost nothing wrong with this game. The graphics and art flow amazing and look beautiful, the characters are fun, the dialogue and voice acting is superb, and it has some of the best combat ever. It's simple, it's fun, and you feel like you're accomplishing something.
The humour is even better then that of Brutal Legend. The announcers always have something funny to say, and while some things get repeated a lot, it manages to stay amusing the whole time, and every boss fight you are garunteed to hear one announcer talk about how that boss once did something to his nuts. :p
Hell, even the credits are pure comedy gold. It's 4 minutes of the announcers :bou::bou::bou::bou: talking everyone in the credits.
So you may ask why does a game I give so much praise not even make my list?
Because this game has one massively glaring flaw that I can't over look. There is no reason this game shouldn't have matched, if not beat inFamous on my list, but the fact remains it only took me 3 hours to beat the game. And this game doesn't have a Multiplayer mode thats worth playing. There is no excuse for a 3 hour campaign in a game with a single player focus, and a multiplayer afterthought.
Now, you will get my #1 later, as well as another honorable mention, after I'm off work, cause if I keep writing now I'll be late. :p
