Your #1 Game of this Console Generation

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
It's no secret that Microsoft and Sony are both finalizing their next generation of consoles, likely to be unveiled at the next E3. That would finally signal an end to this long, storied generation that began in 2005 with the XBOX360.

I never owned either a 360 or a PS3, but felt like I experienced many of the best games through hearing stories from friends and listening to hundreds of hours of podcasts. I owned a Wii, DS, 3DS and most importantly, a PC, which is where I played most of my games this decade.

As for my pick, I tried to think of it like this: If you could squeeze out all the enjoyment you got from these games into a bucket, which one would fill it the most? That includes both the volume of the experience and the length over which you were absorbed by it.

For me the answer comes pretty easily: Dark Souls. I needed two buckets for that one. Close runners up are Mass Effect 1 and Infinite Space. All of them are actually games that Aazealh played first then recommended to me, and all of them have been pretty big hits among SKnet members. I've played dozens and dozens of games since 2005, but no other game absorbed me like Dark Souls.

So what's yours?
 
Dark Souls. I never played a game for as long as I have been playing this one. I think that speaks for itself.
Runners up: Skyrim, Metal Gear Solid 4, Limbo.
 

Th3Branded0ne

I'll be back.
Dark Souls is first, I have replayed it 3 times, Mass effect 2nd I played that one 2 times. Both games let you go in different directions eventhough the core of the story is not changed so much. I also enjoyed and still play the Need for speed game.


Edit: forgot to mention assassin's creed
 
Arkham City. Batman: TAS was a good chunk of my childhood, and seeing Dini return with a tight story, the original voice cast, stunning production values, and loads of secrets was just awesome. I've replayed it many many times. It is my favorite portrayal of Batman and his universe, as well as my favorite game this gen. Now if we were to talk about the sixth generation (PS2, Dreamcast, Gamecube), that would be insanely difficult.
 

nomad

"Bring the light of day"
I feel like this generation was more dissapointing than achieving when I remember the expectations from consoles. Adding to The Last Guardian which had to be the worst of them all... I'd say Demon Souls (only because it was the first, otherwise Dark Souls). Mass Effect Trilogy and Dragon Age Origins.
 

Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
Dark Souls for sure!
Runners up: No More Heroes and Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Of course, if i went purely by played hours, those picks would be TF2, Minecraft, and Dark Souls still, but for TF2 and Minecraft I wish I didn't play them even half as much as I did, so... :iva:
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Ryouma said:
I'd say Red Dead Redemption by far.
That's the one game I regret not getting to play. But I blame Rockstar for not porting it more than myself for not buying a console for one game...
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Walter said:
That's the one game I regret not getting to play. But I blame Rockstar for not porting it more than myself for not buying a console for one game...

Walter you really need to suck it up and just get a console. At least for the next gen ones.

As for the best game this generation? God that's a tough one. I have so many favorites since 2005. I loved Dead Space, Mortal Kombat, Halo Reach and Halo 4, Skyrim, Lost Odyssey, Fallout 3, Portal, Uncharted, Deus Ex, Dark Souls...

I guess I'd have to go with the Mass Effect games. All three in one with all the dlc. When I think back on this gen and all the games that my friends and I would be excited about and talk about, I think they would all agree that Mass Effect was the series I was most obsessed with. It's kind of cheating because the three games stretched out over a longer period of time but still, to me that was defining for this gen.
 
Walter said:
That's the one game I regret not getting to play. But I blame Rockstar for not porting it more than myself for not buying a console for one game...

Many friends of mine are in the same position. Some, have bought a PS3, others are still waiting for a hypothetic PC version.
As you said, this is the end of the generation. So next year, potentially great (mutiplateform and exclusive) titles are coming and right now, consoles are really affordable.
It could be the right time to buy a console for a game. You can also sell it during next year. I've already sold all the games I don't really care about and kept only RDR. Also, I'm borrowing my games (including Dark Souls) from the national library (in Montreal) unless I really want to own a copy.
 

MrWeatherby

What's up, ketchup?
It's good to know that I'm probably the only person massively let down by Dark Souls :carcus: Ironic considering Demon's Souls is one of the games that wowed me the most this generation, and in general I like games most people consider "difficult." That said, I don't think I can pick a favorite. For what it's worth, Xcom Enemy Unknown is easily my game of the year.

edit: actually no, I can pick one. Deadly Premonition, game of the century.
 

Johnstantine

Skibbidy Boo Bop
Of this generation? I'd have to say Metal Gear Solid 4. It actually tempted me to buy a PS3.

Runners up would probably be Skyward Sword and God of War 3.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Oburi said:
Walter you really need to suck it up and just get a console.
Why? Aside from Red Dead, and maybe Uncharted, I don't feel I missed out on anything. I'm not a big fan of console exclusive games like Halo or Gears of War. Other than some smaller downloadable titles like Fez and Journey, I think most of the best games were ported to PC.

MrWeatherby said:
It's good to know that I'm probably the only person massively let down by Dark Souls :carcus: Ironic considering Demon's Souls is one of the games that wowed me the most this generation, and in general I like games most people consider "difficult."
As a Demon's Souls fan, what didn't you like about Dark Souls?

PS: I'm surprised no one's said The Last Guardian yet :troll:
 

MrWeatherby

What's up, ketchup?
Walter said:
As a Demon's Souls fan, what didn't you like about Dark Souls?

What made Demon's Souls so enjoyable to me was its masterful weighing of risk vs. reward, it was challenging. Every death was on you and not the game, nothing was arbitrary about it, and your progress hinged on your ability to learn new tactics and apply actual skill. I died plenty of times and enjoyed every minute of it.

About half way through Dark Souls it stopped being about giving a fair challenge to the player and becomes too involved with being hard for the sake of being hard. I think the best example of this was Anor Londo with those snipers that can easily knock you off of a thin piece of footing. Having to rush back through two giants and a bunch of those gargoyle things after the longest elevator ride in the world quickly became downright infuriating for me (pretty much my exact reaction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-RTNWMMVCA#t=1m46s).

I feel like some of the hype following Demon's Souls about how great that game was because of how hard it was influenced the design of Dark Souls in a negative way. Demon's Souls to me wasn't great because it was "hard," but because it was a fair and rewarding challenge. Dark Souls is all "raaaah, PREPARE TO DIIIIIIEIEEE" and it really lives up to that in a way that I don't find enjoyable.

What Dark Souls did nail was the atmosphere. That'd be my top pick for a game that's just amazing to be in, the art direction is insanely good. Also the paint world was incredible. I can get why people love the game, but on a personal level it didn't live up to the bar Demon's Souls set.
 

Viral Harvest

Every Knee Bent Too Shall Break
It was kind of a sleeper, and the story was cornball-status (as was likely intended) but I thoroughly enjoyed Just Cause 2. There was something about the gameplay that was absolutely addicting. That game has serious flow.

The Assassin's Creed games kept me interested enough to play all 5 games (Revelations being my favorite, about 60% done with III) but it doesn't hold up enough as a whole. Admittedly, I only keep playing for the story alone. The combat alone was infuriatingly easy and the enemies are too passive. In this respect, the two next-gen Batman games NAILED that kind of combat.

Max Payne 3 was incredibly fun, and while it was a bit overdramatic, it suited the story and kept me hooked the entire way through. There wasn't one boring moment in that game. Surprisingly, not everyone you get close to in that game died. Shocking for a Max Payne game, really.

It seems like heresy to admit this on this forum, but I haven't even completed the first ME yet, and I've had it since its release. Oops.
 

MrWeatherby

What's up, ketchup?
Viral Harvest said:
The Assassin's Creed games kept me interested enough to play all 5 games (Revelations being my favorite, about 60% done with III) but it doesn't hold up enough as a whole. Admittedly, I only keep playing for the story alone.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on it when you finish. I thought the ending of 3 was about as unceremonious as Mass Effect 3's ending.
 

SlimeBeherit

[FIGHT][SPELL] [SACRIFICE][ITEM]
Dragon Quest IX, i lost 600 hours to that game. Most people would think that because it was on a handheld, then it would be less immersive, but i had it had the opposite experience. Every possible moment i had, i noticed i would flip open the DS (yay DSlite battery life) .The graphics were blocky sure, but they designed the characters/monsters well enough that it wasn't bothersome. Thinking back now i don't even know how they crammed so much into a DS cart. Like always it had cute little vignettes, a wonderful score, and dumb looking monsters (which appeals to my dumbness). Adding random generated dungeon maps for the post game is probably why i played it so much. Not mention it had DLC every week for a year : D This might not be Japan, so i couldn't really enjoy the "social" aspects of it (street pass before street pass), but I was still enjoying the main game solo, and playing local multiplayer to take down a particularly tough boss. All in all, it's a must play if you own a DS and can get into a game that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Honorable Mentions:
Dark souls
Bayonetta
Portal 2
 
Mega Man 9 for me. A return to 8 bit gaming at a time when the majority of games that sell well are all high resolution, ultra realistic, it's nice to see people still enjoy the classics. With all of the challenges to complete and endless mode, it has some decent replay value. I might be kind of bias though since I'm a MM fan in general, so my second choice for game of the generation would be: Heavy Rain.
 
Defiantly Halo Reach for me i have never played a game as much as i have that (part from the original halo combat evolved) absolutely loved it and still do maybe due to the fact that round that time i finally got xbox live so i thought that was just the best ever lol other great games would be...

Halo 3,4
Gears of war series (mostly number 2)
Batman arkham series
Forza 3
 
Mass Effect 1
The best, most well rounded game I've ever played on the 360 so far. Until I get to play Red Dead and Hitman Absolution, I can't say its my #1 game.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I'm pretty happy with my Mass Effect Trilogy pick, right down to ME3's controversial end. One could even argue it was the best cinematic experience of this generation. Did I see a better movie than this in the last half dozen years? It's like the rebirth of Star Wars, crossed with the sci-fi and social smarts of Star Trek, but even more adult (and clever too). Speaking of ME3, it's notable how controversial, dissected and written about it was (I know I didn't write more about any other game). Was any game more written about like that? With such urgency and purpose concerning the nature of storytelling the medium itself? I'm sure there was more written about bigger titles, like Skyrim, but most of that is the typical white noise of approval you get from the gaming media/community with all titles of that caliber. This was something special, and I don't think people realize how much yet because we're so ready to extol or excoriate something instantly and move on without ever seeing the bigger picture. Anyway, more words on that subject for me now. :griffnotevil:

JoeZeon said:
Mass Effect 1
The best, most well rounded game I've ever played on the 360 so far. Until I get to play Red Dead and Hitman Absolution, I can't say its my #1 game.

Actually, that's technically exactly what you're saying. =)
 
Griffith said:
One could even argue it was the best cinematic experience of this generation...It's like the rebirth of Star Wars before it was ruined, crossed with the sci-fi and sociological smarts of Star Trek, but more adult.

Your preaching to the choir here, couldn't agree with you more.

Griffith said:
Was any game more written about like that? With such urgency and purpose concerning the nature of storytelling the medium itself? I'm sure there was more written about bigger titles, like Skyrim, but most of that is the typical white noise of approval you get from the gaming media/community with all titles of that caliber. This was something special, and I don't think people realize how much yet because we're so ready to extol or excoriate something instantly and move on without ever seeing the bigger picture. Anyway, more words on that subject now for me. :griffnotevil:
I think as people gradually go back to the series and play the third one, without the mountain of expectations we heaped on it, it will really have a better reputation. Mass Effect I thought hit the gaming industry at the right time. It was fresh but familiar at the same time, deep without getting to overbearing and compelling on a scale that few movie franchises achieve. 10 years from now, people will write about how Mass Effect really broke the barrier for video games as being legitimate forms of storytelling.
 
I was about to pick Dark Souls (even managed to get the platinum trophy the other day), but then I remembered that other game that to me won this Generation. I might not have played it as long as other games, but no other game was this good while it lasted:

Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Most of even the greatest games have some sections, some parts, that end up annoying me at one point.
Looking at my runner ups:

Demon's Souls: pretty much perfect in every way, where it not for the weak ending (in terms of gameplay).
Dark Souls: To me a step up in most ways from Demon's, and the closest to flawless I can think of. ignoring the bed of chaos...
Metal Gear Solid 4: My first exposure to both the PS3 and the Metal Gear franchise, this one has really impressed me. It's incredible how well it holds up even today.
Mass Effect: It's funny, I only bought the ME games to see what the fuss about the ending of part 3 was all about. I even managed to not spoil me anything and got to play all three games back to back.
Zelda- Skyward Sword: If only the motion controls could read my mind... and FI could be turned off.

All those where great. Demon's Souls is only edged out by Dark Souls because it feels more fleshed out and overall more refined, also: Artorias of the Abyss.

But all of the above pale in comparison to Galaxy 2. Every second of that game was pure joy. Every Star in every world was fresh and fun, no dull moment ever. Perfect difficulty curve as well, I think I still haven't managed to get the very last Star... Now If only my WII would not make the sound of an electrical toothbrush every time it it spins a disc...
 
Was Super Mario Galaxy 2 that much better then the first one? I did enjoy the original but I'm curious as to why the sequel has higher ratings over all.
 
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