1. Minecraft
- I can't even begin to express what an amazing experience this game is. For anyone who loved playing with Lego as a kid (or even still does), this is essentially one giant box (8 times the size of the Earth, and randomly generated) of Lego bricks, that aren't specialized in any way (like most Lego being released these days; good for one set and only one set). The possibilities for building are endless, and when view distance is maxed and graphics are on fancy... it is a thing of beauty to behold. The landscapes and music offer a serene getaway from reality... but when the Sun goes down and the creepers come out, its a stark return to it... in all its painful retribution.
2. Donkey Kong Country: Returns
- The greatest thing to happen to the 2D platforming genre in a long time. An extremely variable and enjoyable game that strikes me as something I can see myself returning to in a decade's time and not getting bored of (much like DKC or SMW on the SNES). And the thing is, nostalgia becomes non-existent as soon as you finish the first level. Granted, the music is remixed and brings back memories, but everything else is entirely new and offers far greater depth than anything Rare ever offered.
3. Mirror's Edge
- These last three games are hard to place on my list. All three are about equal in terms of memorability, and how they impressed me, so other than the first two, these are going to be more of a dotted list than numbered... but will remain numbered for the sake of the list. Anyways, Mirror's Edge; a game that I paid no attention to at all until it was released and I got to play the demo. I was floored. I was not expecting the game at all, and it struck me as something amazing that won't make its effect known until well after this generation is over. Its story was forgettable, but the gameplay is where it shined. A first-person parkour simulator that had a unique artstyIe and a sense of realism that bordered on "scary." This is one of the paradigms I revert to when giving an example of a game that bridges the gap between improvements in technology, and the traditional "game" that doesn't feel like an interactive movie, but something meant to be played over and over and over again (which I did to no end).
- No one will know what this game has done for the FPS genre yet... because developers haven't realize how ground breaking the parkour really is.
4. Odin Sphere
- I'm currently playing Vannilaware's most recent offering, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, and have realized two things. 1) When a game has an intricately woven and meaningful story, a player can be motivated enough to suffer through boring and monotonous gameplay in order to see it through and 2) when a game has amazing gameplay, a player can be unmotivated to continue playing it when its story is generic and uninteresting. Which is what happened for me with Odin Sphere and is happening with Muramasa. Nothing against Muramasa, but the story isn't interesting for me, there is no reason to really push myself to continue, while in Odin Sphere, I felt an instant connection with all the characters, and felt like I was actually helping them on their journeys through their world.
- The art in both games is amazing, but Odin Sphere's characters and story just set it out among most games this generation. They feel like human beings, with human problems, and seeing them go through plights for the one's they love is incredibly moving. Cornelius and Velvet especially. It may be highly idealized, but it is still realistic enough that you can connect with what they are feeling. Its one of the few games that brought me to tears on several occasions.
5. Prince of Persia [2008]
- This game is hard to sell to people. Mostly because it requires one spend many hours pouring over texts about Zoroastrianism in order to appreciate the subtlety of the story and themes Ubisoft put into the game. It is, much like all the other games I've mentioned, an artistic masterpiece, and utilizes its visual styIe much to its advantage. A lot of people think that dulling the colour and being "mature" actually makes a game mature and meaningful... but if PoP, Shadow of the Colossus and Odin Sphere have taught me anything, or I don't doubt Epic Mickey will teach me, is that a game can be cartoony, and still be incredibly "mature."
- The religious symbolism in this game is astounding, and it captures Zoroastrianism perfectly. It is a shame that one needs a background in the tradition to appreciate the effort they put into the art, but the grand vistas and extremely scenic environment still help. I didn't have any complaints about the game. Collecting the light seeds was meaningful because it was to help fight Angra Mainyu, and the story was exceptional because it gave you an illusion of choice and then forced you to make a decision right at the end. The ability to "not die" also was good, and I don't see how it made it "easier" (a complaint many, including GS, have registered against the game), since it keeps the flow going, and prevents it from being interrupted by loading screens, or death screens. You still technically "die" every time you fall or miss a QTE in a boss fight... it just makes it flow nicer.
--
Honourable Mentions:
Cursed Mountain ~ As a scholar of Buddhism, I find the integration of the Vajrayana tradition into the game to be exceptionally well done, and adds an atmosphere that I really enjoy. It may not be the best of games, especially when concerning controls, but it is one of the few games where religion plays such a large central role and comes off as non-preachy and seamlessly-integrated.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines ~ A game released last generation, but one I only started playing a few years ago. I don't include it in the list for two reasons. 1) It doesn't qualify. 2) It is one of those games that despite being extremely good, is still incredibly broken, and frustrating when it breaks. The basis of the game is fantastic (the best role-playing game I've ever played, and the best adaptation of PnP rules to a video game) but without the community patches, it is extremely bad when it comes to bugs and hitches. If it weren't for those community patches, I would have given up on the game before even getting into it. Though, it does have possibly the most emotionally moving moments in a game I have ever experienced, that inspired true rage for me, that would have caused people harm had it happened in real life.
--
Anyways. That's my list, and I don't doubt I will be questioned as to why I like those games so much... but I think this generation has been to heavily populated with "me too" games that just try to play along with the rest of the games out there, instead of trying to do something different and doing it very well. I still enjoy heavily polished games (like NSMBW) but without a unique styIe, and without some kind of ground-breaking idea, no matter how much I play it, it will still feel like its saying "me too."
And don't even get me started on all the shooters and generic action games.
Log in to comment