Ben-DutkaI must apologize. In looking at the title, one might expect something more than a generic "favorite games of the generation so far" article but in fact, that's exactly what this is. I typically try to be a bit more original and/or thoughtful with the weekly editorial but I dunno…maybe it's the heat.
Well, at the very least, I don't have a generic title. That's something. But anyway, here are my top 5:
5. inFamous
I really ahd to think long and hard over the fifth and final spot in my lineup. It was sort of a toss-up between Sucker Punch's crazy entertaining game, Rockstar's excellent Grand Theft Auto IV (not in the mood for GTAIV haters, so keep it to yourselves, please), and Ubisoft's awesome Assassin's Creed II . The odd part is, I'd say both of the latter two are better overall games in terms of quality but in the end, I had to go with the "funnest;" the one that had this strange, semi-addictive hold on me when I was playing. I certainly didn't expect it, but it happened. It's not perfect but it's the epitome of "fun," in my humble opinion.
4. God of War III
I'm not the biggest fan of hack 'n slashers but this game is so amazing, it's impossible not to love it. As usual, we get a God of War that's so goddamn polished and refined, it's painful…but it's a blissful, "oh my God, this is incredible" sort of pain. From the epic, memorable boss battles to the nigh-on flawless combat, GoWIII is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. I really can't think of anything about this game that can even be considered "average;" the graphics, gameplay, control, presentation, relative depth…it's all just top-notch quality. It begs the question: is it truly one of the greatest franchises of all time? Gotta say yes.
3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
It has been almost two years since I played it last but that fuzzy memory is still there. People can pick out the holes in the plot all they wish, and I freely admit it needed some professional storyline refinement but even so, it remains a step in the right direction for the industry. Kojima only does greatness. It should be his own personal motto. Upon finishing, the entire experience stayed with me for an extra long time, and that's the mark of what I like to call an "impactful" game. It's not just about the story or the cinematics or the gameplay or the graphics; it's about everything coming together in one unbelievable package.
2. Heavy Rain
Talk about memorable. I saved the best two for last and Quantic Dream's highly fulfilling project definitely gave the #1 game a run for its money. With a beautifully constructed storyline and an undeniably human appeal rarely – if ever – seen in video games, Heavy Rain has successfully branded itself on my heart. For the very first time, I really, actually, truly cared about the characters I controlled, and furthermore, tension on the screen translated to true-blue tension in me. I went through the game five times for the different results and endings, but I almost didn't want to see what happened if I let Madison get sliced up…it just felt wrong. How many games really make you feel this way?
1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
This defines "so good it hurts" better than anything. It's the closest I've ever felt to playing an action movie; every last facet of this production just plain shines . From the Hollywood-caliber voice acting to the mind-blowing visuals to the almost perfect control and combat mechanics, Uncharted 2 is one of my favorite games of all time. It represents the pinnacle of what this industry is currently capable of and that's that. Just officially announce the third entry and I'll start getting excited immediately. I'm not even sure Naughty Dog fully grasps what they've managed to produce…
There have been a lot of great games this generation. My other favorites include Killzone 2 , Assassin's Creed II , Bioshock 2 , Grand Theft Auto IV , Uncharted: Drake's Fortune , Gears of War 2 , Joe Danger , Flower , Lost Odyssey , Resistance 2 , Dead Space , Mirror's Edge , Red Dead Redemption , echochrome and Wipeout HD . And of course, more great stuff to come.
I didn't really like Infamous in got borin durin the end and when I tried to finish the other side I forced myself to finished it…Once I play Single Player I can rarely play it again straigh away and enjoy it…But GTA IV Is where I could do that I loved GTA IV…
But Yea Good Article Ben. I agree with the games from I-IV
I agree. I have both inFamous and GTA IV and I've gotta admit that I've had more fun playing GTA IV and with the DLC it just became more awesome. I don't know what haters hate about GTA IV (please explain!), but please don't thumb me down for expressing my opinion.
I loved GTA4 for the immersion, exploration/collection, the cars, the driving, the story. But I loved inFamous for the action (and the story). It's a simpler experience, but like Ben, I also felt it wins the edge in fun against other games in the genre that certainly were larger in scope and scale.
Don't worry about thumbs down, dude. Half the time they're just bots or non-regulars to the site. Rate your success by the number of thumbs up only.
Uncharted 2 is like a game made in heaven
It's still one of those games you go "it's a masterpiece."
It'll be hard for Uncharted 3 to actually be as good and even harder to be better than UC2
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I'd add Demon's Souls to that list, an experience you won't get in any game thus far.
I obviously type too slow, ya beat me to it with Demon's Souls!
I've a couple chapters left in MNM of NGS2 (I haven't even touched the Ultimate Ninja Challenges, yet), after which I'm headed straight to Demon's Souls.
Very good list, I'd have to stick Demon's Souls in there somewhere but I was glad you stuck Mirrors Edge into the honorable mentions at the end.
In my top five, based on games I get the urge to go back and play over again and again, it'd have to be (in no particular order):
Mirrors Edge
Uncharted 2
Dead Space
Demon's Souls
Killzone 2
Honorable mentions to Dragons Age Origin, Fallout 3, Resistance 1+2, Red Dead Redemption, Battlefield:BC1+2, Resonance of Fate, Nier, Yakuza 3, Infamous and I'm sure there's plenty more I'm forgetting right now.
I completely agree about Mirrors Edge, Frostface, that game is great looking, vibrant, and a fresh take on the First-Person perspective. Definitely underrated in my opinion.
I'd number 1 Hidden Rain cause it was so good. All the others wasn't as memorable as heavy rain IMO
Who hid the rain?
Rain is basically see-through to some extent 🙂
Q!
"There Is A Borg Living Amongst Us"
I think he meant Chubby Rain.
whoops. Heavy Rain. lol. My brother was reading a comic and it said something "HIDDEN RAIN VILLAGE" and I was looking at it when i was commenting.
My top 10 this generation
1)Fallout 3
2)Demons Souls
3)Grand Theft Auto 4 (including episodes)
4)Uncharted 2
5)MGS4
6)Batman Arkylm Asylum
7)Bioshock
8)God of War III
9)Killzone 2
10)Red Dead Redemption or Uncharted or Dead Space
Ben, how can you forget about Demons Souls and you guys gave Fallout 3 a 9.6 and you didn't even mention that game. I do like your choices, but too me…Heavy Rain had its fair share of poor voice acting (those damn kids) and God of War III storytelling (not story) was kind of a dissapointment, everything else was top notch. Infamous was a good game, nothing I would lose sleep over. This is just my two cents, not knocking your choices as they all deserve a spot.
I thought the GOWIII story was a rather poor patchwork and the puzzles were… blah.
What was so great about Batman arkham asylum? I just finished that game and I'm sorry but most of the game is just backtracking to get riddler ?'s that you couldn't get until you got the equipment for it.
Is batman that stupid, "Hey I'm in the batcave, I could get everything I need now, but no, let's come back 4 different times because apparently all these bags on my waist are for show."
There was very little in the way of poor voice acting in Heavy Rain; in fact, it's the second best set of voice acting in the generation behind Uncharted 2. That much is plain.
I was not the biggest fan of Demon's Souls because I found it to be unbalanced. Not too hard; merely unbalanced. I mentioned it in my review. And I didn't review Fallout 3; it's really not my type of game.
Fallout 3: Epic exploration, 'nuff said.
Eeeeh, i thought the voice acting in MGS4 was better then Heavy Rain. They sounded out of place sometimes. You can hear them slip up and expose their French accent.
I'd say Uncharted holds the crown for best voice acting with MGS4 in a close second.
I would have to put the voice acting in Batman Arkham Asylum head and shoulders above Heavy Rain and easily on par with Uncharted 2.
Last edited by Doosharm on 7/17/2010 12:49:40 AM
Doosharm: No, only the Joker. Beyond that, they don't quite stack up to Uncharted 2.
I agree with Ben on this one. Batman AA was good for a Saturday morning cartoon. Uncharted was near Hollyweird movie good. Well, when Hollyweird used to be good.
You all seem to be forgetting about the voice acting greatness that was Heavenly Sword… And Stephen Fry in LBP was genius. But yeah, you've all got valid points.
Peace.
@Ben…oh my bad, I thought you reviewed that game. Well I already knew you didn't care for Demons Souls, but honestly, I felt Heavy Rains dialogue was either cliche or too simple and the voice acting during certain scenes could have been better, but I definitely enjoyed the game for what it was. Same goes for MGS4 cheesy dialogue and over the top dramatics, but that game will always be a classic to me. As far a unbalanced dificulty, I got to agree.
When people talk about amzing voice acting, Valkryia Chronicles was simply amazing, even the squad members that may only make a few appearances were spot on
Yes FM23, the kid is awful in Heavy Rain. I haven't played it because of the kid.
Q!
"There Is A Borg Living Amongst Us"
Heavenly Sword did indeed have awesome voice acting. It deserves attention.
One thing about Heavy Rain that has gotten blown out of proportion, and that's this supposed "problem" with French accents. It doesn't really make any sense to say, as there is really only ONE character in the entire game who is actually French and actually tries to hide the accent, and that's Ethan. Sam Douglas (Scott) is clearly American, Leon Ockenden (Norman) is English, and the woman for Madison (forget who it is; I only know Jacqui Ainsley did the modeling) is also American. The only French actress is Auriele Bancilhon, who is SUPPOSED to be French in the story; there's no effort to hide the accent. And if you think she sucks, you should watch the extra acting scene provided in the Bonuses.
Considering the fact that most of the game is dialogue, and considering that only rarely do we hear less-than-impressive lines, it's a triumph. People don't quite realize just how MUCH voice acting is required in comparison to any other game in existence, and when most of it is top-notch, that's a win in my book.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 7/17/2010 10:59:46 AM
Yes, Ben, that is true, there is a lot of dialog there, one has to be flexible… it was a ground breaking game anyways, and I will probably get it just for the fact that QD deserves the support…
Q!
"There Is A Borg Living Amongst Us"
Heavenly Sword did not have good voice acting. I swear the lead V.A. was done by a bloke.
So Ben, you actually didn't get annoyed by every childs voice in this game. These kids voices were horrible and didn't feel authentic…while I was playing HR my brother kept pointing out how bad their voices sounded. I thought everyone played their part well enough (Madison and Ethan were the best), but the FBI agent and Shelby sounded out of place a few times. This has nothing to do with the voices, but my Dad was over my house and he didn't even know I was playing a game until he figured out the buttons on the screen had something to do with the control in my hand…lmao…anyway no game has perfect voice acting or dialogue, but Uncharted 1/2, Bioshock 1/2, MGS1-4, Rockstar creations (GTA, RDR), Fallout 3, Heavy Rain and a few others come the closest in my book.
You would change a few, but don't offer what they would be? This is an opinion page, please offer YOUR honorable mentions! =)
Agree with list but come november I think inFamous might get bumped out of the top 5.
My top 5 (in any order) :
MGS4
Littlebigplanet
Mass Effect 2
Heavy rain
Uncharted 2
Mostly agree, but MGS4 sits on my shelf still, haven't gotten around to it. Glad to see inFamous there because it didn't get the recognition it deserved, hopefully part 2 will raise a few eyebrows.
I like certain FPS, but I gotta tell ya there's a reason none hit the top 5.
Dude, I bought the MGS4 ps3 bundle and had never played a Metal gear, I was thinking I'd play MGS4 whenever I got to it. Didn't have money for hardly any games after buying the system and so I ended up playing it pretty early on.
It is amazing, you should get into and fyi, I hate fps, it's a totally different experience.
I only played the first MGS, I'll get to it eventually, there's just a lot on my plate and stealth is a little lower on the list. I did begin a game just to take a peek and am still blown away by the way it looked.
Neat thing about MGS4 World is you don't have to be stealthy if you don't want to. You and run and gun on the easier settings. Stealth works best on the harder settings.
Last edited by Jawknee on 7/17/2010 12:54:14 AM
Hehe, I just had a dream about MGS last night.
Let me get this straight!? World? of all people you have never played MGS4?!! The game screams perfection! It's a gem of the PS3 and yet you've never played through it!
Seriously this game is like no other imo and worth your time.
@ world
I had never played a MG game until I played MGS4 and to be honest after that I tried to go back and play a couple of the older ones, but couldn't stand the top down view.
Sorry ppl I didn't grow up with it and after 4 top down view sucks.
Yeah I know it's hard to believe, by way of explanation all I can say is I got my PS3 to play all the great RPGs, and when they didn't come it took me some time to get back into all the other genres. I had been playing only RPGs since late PS2 days. My tastes always fluxed, then before I knew it there were tons of games, I was back to being "hardcore" and MGS4 just had to wait.
I havnt played Heavy Rain yet. So take that one out and throw Red Dead in there and thats my list with RDR being at #4, and inFamous at 5.
I do plan on playing Heavy Rain, I know its that good!
Out of your top 5 Ben, GoW 3 is the only one I've yet to play simply because I want to experience the first two in the series. I picked up the GoW Collection recently for $15 new with a $15 off coupon at Kmart, I've just got a serious back log of games to play and some I'm trying to inch out a platinum on. Aside from that I can definitely agree with your list. Fallout 3 was another that I'd have to throw into my top ten. Oh I'd have to have LBP in my top 5 though and maybe knock MGS4 to #6 😛
Last edited by Sancho on 7/16/2010 10:59:08 PM
I'm going to nudge my brother at some stage, I've given him my ps3 to look after while I'm studying and 4/5 of those titles I own and the only reason I don't have all 5 is really only a money thing.
However rather than experiencing them first hand he's hung up on MW2 online. I don't get it.
Great list Ben. All my favorite games/exclusives.
my top 5s:
1)GT5 (It will be the best racing game ever created)
2)Uncharted 2
3)MGS4
4)GOW3
5)Killzone 2
Yes i am a GT series fan!!!
a great list. Pretty similar to my personal 5 really, though I'd prolly put mgs 2nd and heavy rain 1st, but that's more my personal leanings than anything else, I've been loving the intense more than anything else lately.
All of these are my favorites among Killzone 2, LittleBigPlanet, Bioshock 2 and Dead Space.
What about Mushroom Wars? =p