Note
OK TBH, the games that really define last generation are similar to post 2008 Call of Duties, dumbed down games with QTEs, short campaigns with no replay value, DLCs, toxic community, death of creativity etc. But here we are only going to talk about good games. We'll talk about bad trends of last gen, some other day. Today, we'll only discuss good stuff between the release of Xbox 360 and Release of current gen Consoles (all platforms are counted).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thread Description
Every gen contains some games that are remembered for a very long time. These games define those generations (in a good way). For example; When someone mentions. 5th generation, all of us think about games like Half Life, Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy 7 etc. So, today we'll talk about games that are going to be remembered by gamers several years from now, when they'll look back and think about stuff that made that generation special.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My List
.
Crysis
Everyone, who is a gamer knows about "Can it run Crysis?". The game was a technical marvel, that pushed highest end PCs to their limits. A lot of people bought new graphics cards and processors, to play this game, and technically no Console game could surpass it last generation. And it wasn't just a graphics showpiece. The game was praised for its great shooting mechanics, powerful jungle weapons, suit powers and sandbox levels. The game offered a lot of replay value, despite having a linear story, thanks to its level design.
Assassin's Creed 2
The game was a huge improvement over the original. With Assassin's Creed 2, Ubisoft introduced one of the most well crafted video game characters ever, known as Ezio. Assassin's Creed games have given us a lot of memorable moments, and let's admit it, most of them are from Ezio's trilogy that started with this game. The game had great story, interesting characters, killer soundtracks and fun gameplay. We saw Ezio's journey from him being a newly born child to an old and wise man in Revelations, and we are not going to forget this journey anytime soon.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
After the disaster that Deus Ex: Invisible Wars was, many fans of the series were hopeless and were waiting for another train wreck. On other hand, there were those who were hyped for it but thought that the game will never live up to its hype. But both of these factions were surprised to see the return of Deus Ex franchise with a great RPG/Shooter hybrid. Deus Ex: Human Revolution was praised for its story, atmosphere, cool new gadgets and amazing soundtrack. The game's line "I never asked for this" became a famous internet meme and will continue to become popular in coming years just like the game itself.
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
The world was introduced with CD Projekt Red, a lesser known polish company, with the release of The Witcher back in 2007. After releasing the Enhanced Edition in 2009 which was even more well received than already praised vanilla, the sequel to the first Witcher entered heavy production and was released in 2011. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings received great scores by both fans of the franchise and critics. All of them agreed that the game had challenging but rewarding gameplay, stunning graphics that still hold up, one of the best and most mature stories ever told in a game, well crafted quests and huge replay value. Today The Witcher franchise has become mainstream with the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which was the most anticipated game of 2015 and won several awards including Game of the Year at The Game Awards. So, no one can deny that the release of The Witcher was one of the most important events of last generation that introduced players to a great new IP, that received an excellent sequel.
Mass Effect 2
The sequel to hugely popular Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 was a worthy successor to the original. While the game was criticized for the lack of RPG elements that the first game had, no one can deny that the sequel was a lot more polished and was a better game overall with a lot of improvements in different areas. The game introduced us to series of amazing characters, beautiful graphics, great presentation, breath taking moments, different alien races and an epic tale that ends with one of the best final levels ever made in a video game. The game's multiple endings encouraged players to keep playing it, long after its release and make different choices along the way every time. Oh and did I mention how spectacular the intro sequence was?
The Last of Us
The Last of Us was a dark post apocalyptic game. Instead of being fast paced and set piece heavy like Uncharted, The Last of Us focused more on Slow paced gameplay that involved Stealth and semi exploration and crafting elements. The game encouraged players to search the environments to find useful items and use them to craft different weapons and useful tools such as molotov cocktails, med kits, shivs etc. The game was praised for its attention to detail, great storytelling and amazing character development. The Last of Us is one of those games that can stand on their own and don't need sequels. This game will be remembered for years to come.
Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty
The hype surrounding this game was insane. Fans of the series waited 12 years for a full fledged sequel to one of the greatest and most important games of all time, Starcraft. The game finally came out and it was nothing less than a masterful execution. It had insanely high production values that can still go toe to toe with pretty much any non-open world AAA game out there. The game was praised for its stunning presentation, interesting characters, superb acting, top of the line multiplayer, expertly designed campaign with huge variety in missions, level of polish and replay value. Starcraft 2's base game received 2 expansions and in the era of MOBAs, this strategy franchise is standing on its own and will continue to be played by players around the world and will continue to show up in E-Sports events for a long time.
Company of Heroes
Company of Heroes was a benchmark game for PCs back in 2006. It gave us an excellent campaign with good story, likable characters and great gameplay. The game was praised for its Single Player and Multiplayer. Set during World War 2, unlike other war games, Company of Heroes simulates entire battlefield like a real war zone. Explosion aren't there for window dressing to make the scene look appealing and they aren't placed on top of objects just to make casual gamers happy. Instead, everything that you see on screen is made possible by someone on the battlefield. Got your squad killed in an epic explosion? It's not just a scripted event, find artillery hiding somewhere on the battlefield and take it out. The game allowed players to take control of different units, air strikes and allowed them to even hijack enemy weapons. Company of Heroes is still considered as the best World War 2 game around and it's currently the highest rated RTS of all time.
Diablo 3
Diablo 3 was hyped to death and won several "Most Anticipated Game" Awards from the community. The game was in development for over 10 years and was finally released in 2012. While it wasn't a bad game, it was a disappointment for hardcore fans of the franchise due to questionable design decisions, and inclusion of Real Money Auction House. The game was built around Auction House, which forced people to buy great items with real money and the loot itself was criticized for not being on par with Diablo 2 or existing competitors like Torchlight 2. Blizzard Entertainment took feedback seriously and started to fix problems with several updates and an expansion. The Auction House was removed from the game prior to the release of 'Reaper of Souls' expansion and other concerns were addressed as time went by. Today, Diablo 3 is one of the best Action-RPGs around and the most popular in its genre. The game has reached 30 million sales and still continues to receive new content and seasons. At this point it's safe to say that Diablo 3 will have a long life just like Diablo 2 and will be remembered as of the most important releases of 7th generation.
Alan Wake
From the genius mind of Sam Lake, came Alan Wake. A Psychological Action Thriller with Survival Horror elements. The game was inspired by TV shows like Twin Peaks and Novels written by Stephen King. Alan Wake was praised for its killer atmosphere, immersive world and great story. It used theme of the game as a gameplay mechanic. Lights were used as weapons, safe zones, health packs and checkpoints, while darkness was used as enemy. The game under-performed when it came out, which forced Remedy to put the sequel's production on hold, due to lack of funding from publishers, but in recent years the game has become a cult classic, and chances of sequel are higher than ever. Today, many people get goosebumps when they look back and think about the story that they experiences in Alan Wake and still wonder what happened to Alan Wake after the ending of the original.
Batman: Arkham City
Game industry is full of bad Super Hero Games. So, when Rocksteady announced Batman: Arkham Asylum, many people thought that it's going to be a disaster. What they found was a Super Hero Game done right. The success and reception of Arkham Asylum encouraged Rocksteady to work on sequel, titled "Batman: Arkham City". The game introduced bigger world than the original, unique villains, iconic characters from DC Universe, creative boss battles, variety of different locations, several cool new gadgets, new challenges and fun gameplay. It won't be surprising to see Batman: Arkham City becoming a blue print for Super Hero Games of the future.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your List and Reasons???
Log in to comment