The Twilight Mexican
Ex-SeeD-ingly good
- AKA
- TresDias
At Alex's suggestion, and following the same criteria as Destructoid in their Top 50 Games of the Decade list (games that have come out between January 2000 and December 2009, and only one game per series), pick your top 10 games of this past decade.
I'll go first:
10) God of War II
9) Halo: Combat Evolved
8) Halo 2
7) Gears of War
6) Gears of War 2
5) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
4) Halo 3
3) Call of Duty: World at War
2) Halo 3: ODST
1) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Now that Alex's eyes are adequately burning, I'll give you my real list:
10) Rock Band 2 - This game and its ilk -- I'm including the Guitar Hero franchise under this umbrella; hell, GH was originally made by Harmonix -- have brought such legitimacy to gaming in the last few years that it has to be included for that, if no other, reason.
Personally, I'm not that big a fan of these kinds games, as I suck at them. But I love the concept, love to watch people who are good at them (like my wife) play them, and I love what they've done for gaming.
Also, The Beatles: Rock Band is one of the coolest fucking things ever. Even if I suck at it. I chose Rock Band 2 as the representative of the series, though, as it's got the most diversity to offer, and is more widely circulated.
9) Flower - A simple game, yes, but that's to its merit. As relaxing as it is creative, this game is perfect at what it does. There's really never any sense that you'll fail in this game, but completing all of the flower's dreams still feels rewarding.
Not on this list for its cultural impact or the splash it made in the video game industry -- it's here simply because it's a damn good example of what artistic minds can do with a video game.
8) Halo 2 - Yes, a Halo game is on my list. Why? Because there's no denying the impact of Halo.
It single-handedly put the Xbox on the map, reinvigorated the first-person shooter genre, and led to enough sub-culture and pop culture developments that it should really be on anyone's list of important games from the first decade of the 2000s.
There's also no denying that Halo can be fun as hell in multiplayer. How many of you have found yourself at some point speaking in unison with the game's commentator, "Tied the leader, took the lead" after performing a mult-kill during a Slayer match? Come on, you can admit it. Nothing to be ashamed of.
Why Halo 2, though? Because the period between Halo 2's release and Halo 3's release stands out in my memory as the height of the franchise's popularity.
7) Silent Hill 2 - The scariest fucking game ever made -- and not just because of the big guy with the metal pyramid on his head and the large butcher knife. As visceral a visual scare fest as it is, it's even more vivid an exploration of the human mind.
SH2 genuinely frightens you more with its human characters than it does its monsters.
Can Pyramid Head measure up to the disturbed Eddie or the unsettling revelations about the main character, James? Not in this player's opinion. Especially once you become aware of the reasons behind those revelations, you'll find yourself worrying about what's in your own heart.
If you didn't shit your pants when Pyramid Head casually appeared behind you in the hallway leading out of Brookhaven Hospital, then you may when you discover that everything you've fought and ran from was literally James running away from himself.
6) Valkyria Chronicles - Making the World War II era an interesting setting again, nobody saw this game coming even after it was already here. Valkyria Chronicles provided a great tactical RPG experience in a genre that can always use all the help it gets.
What's more, an involving story, great designs across the board, and memorable gameplay has effectively turned Valkyria Chronicles into a sleeper hit that is spawning derivative material that would be more expected of a blockbuster production.
Sound like the makings of a winner? I think so too.
5) Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence - Improving on an already amazing entry in an engrossing tetralogy -- an entry that could have effectively stood on its own so strong was its development and execution -- MGS3: Subsistence shines an already polished game to perfection.
While Valkyria Chronicles made WWII interesting again, MGS3 did the same for Cold War-era covert ops, packaging a tale about patriotism, loyalty and honor in the presentation of an action film. MGS3 will leave you feeling either inspired, depressed, or both.
More importantly, the interactions and motivations of its characters felt genuine, and were as interesting as anything else in the plot.
It doesn't hurt, though, that MGS3 had immersive gameplay befitting its environments, and the best set of boss fights in this series. Considering the bosses that the first MGS had, that's saying a lot.
The hilarious bonus videos included with Subsistence make MGS3's superiority over its sibling titles seem like overkill.
4) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Before moving too far from the topic of games with a cultural impact, I'd be remiss not to mention the favorite whipping boy of out-of-touch congressmen with diminishing public support -- the game that brought the medium a different brand of legitimacy than Rock Band provided.
Thanks to GTA, the sandbox-style of games was given an unbelievable surge in popularity. Meanwhile, Jack Thompson was given unlimited ammo, and the great debate on video games and morality moved to its next stage.
No longer was Mortal Kombat the benchmark of unacceptable. As we all know, awareness that human beings are sexual creatures is more of a threat to mankind enduring into the future than intimate knowledge of ways to kill other people.
Not that kids under 17 could buy a GTA game themselves, but, as we all also know, parents have no say in what their children do.
But GTA games don't just corrupt youth and undermine the pleas of powerless parents. Did I mention that they also tend to be really good, both in terms of gameplay value and story?
And San Andreas -- though second to Vice City for myself -- is the best example of this.
3) BioShock - Yet another period piece, BioShock presents us with an alternate Cold War era. Rather than the familiar tropes that were redeemed with Metal Gear Solid 3, this title focuses more upon the cultural and psychological elements of the period and how they quite believably could have manifested had the opportunity arisen.
While not as frightening as Silent Hill 2, BioShock will nonetheless effectively chill you to the bone as you're confronted with an entire city's descent into madness in a place completely cut off from the outside world, and as you yourself are presented with moral dilemmas. Your choices ultimately determine your fate and those of the surviving children of the city of Rapture.
Speaking of Rapture, the underwater city itself is as well-developed a character as anyone in the game -- nay, as anyone in most games -- and comes across as a living, breathing entity in its dying moments.
Even as you see it descend into ruin, the original design is apparent -- majestic and awe-inspiring, while simultaneously creepy to imagine.
2) Final Fantasy X - Though tenth in the main series, Final Fantasy X was "the first" Final Fantasy in a lot of ways.
It was the first FF game to have voice actors, the first to feature completely controllable summons, and the first to begin in media res, then be told mainly through narrated flashbacks. As well, it was the first FF for the next generation Sony console.
It was also the first Final Fantasy to kill off your main character in the game's ending, leaving a bittersweet emotion that -- if you have a soul -- will choke you up at least a little as you hear "Sutaki da ne" during the credits.
With the most new gamer-friendly battle system of any Final Fantasy to date -- one that blessedly has great similarities to Final Fantasy Tactics' system -- and big steps forward in story presentation, Final Fantasy X was guaranteed to be memorable from the start. Add to that mix the following components, and you have a game that instead is outright immortal:
Arguably the most well-developed cast seen in a Final Fantasy at that time; what is inarguably the most well-developed fictional world seen in an FF at the time; an amazing musical score by series newcomers; a series of effective plot twists that culminate in a heart-wrenching, surprise ending (the twist being that there is no twist; Tidus couldn't be saved); as well as a coming-of-age tale combined with a story of father-son reconciliation that Spielberg could only dream to lay claim to.
Take all of that and you have all the makings of the best Final Fantasy game. More to the point, you have all the makings of one of the best games ever created.
1) Shadow of the Colossus - Though its sales may not reflect this, Shadow of the Colossus is the best game of the past decade, and possibly the best game ever made. It encapsulates everything that makes the video game medium what it is.
Like film, video games combine the elements of all the other fine arts, but with an added element: the capacity for the player to get directly involved. As you play the game's final scenario and it slowly dawns on you that you can do nothing to change it, you begin to understand how the 16 magnificent, innocent beasts you have selfishly murdered must have felt.
Did your quest require courage? Yes. Do you have it? Absolutely. Are you a vicious murderer? Yes.
Presented with minimalistic storytelling in a gorgeous free-roam setting that teeters between fantasy and the norm, a number of video game staples are cast aside for Shadow of the Colossus. Most readily apparent, you have only 16 enemies to defeat during the entire game, and it features one of the most isolated and desolate atmospheres ever portrayed in a game.
Yet it never feels lonely thanks to the presence of your beloved steed, Agro, and it never stops feeling magical.
Also, you're left with so little information about the characters' origins -- and even their fates -- you can literally have every person walk away from this game with their own experience. Now that's art!
Though I've said little about the colossi, I feel that unnecessary. The colossi speak for themselves with their presence.
Shadow of the Colossus is a unique experience for a number of reasons -- all of which soundly add up to say, "This is the best game of the past decade."
(Note: I decided to leave ICO off this list, despite wanting to include it. Though it and SotC have the thinnest of plot relationships, as they are set in the same world and I wanted this list to have as much range as possible, I decided to treat them as part of the same series for this list.)
I'll go first:
10) God of War II
9) Halo: Combat Evolved
8) Halo 2
7) Gears of War
6) Gears of War 2
5) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
4) Halo 3
3) Call of Duty: World at War
2) Halo 3: ODST
1) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Now that Alex's eyes are adequately burning, I'll give you my real list:
10) Rock Band 2 - This game and its ilk -- I'm including the Guitar Hero franchise under this umbrella; hell, GH was originally made by Harmonix -- have brought such legitimacy to gaming in the last few years that it has to be included for that, if no other, reason.
Personally, I'm not that big a fan of these kinds games, as I suck at them. But I love the concept, love to watch people who are good at them (like my wife) play them, and I love what they've done for gaming.
Also, The Beatles: Rock Band is one of the coolest fucking things ever. Even if I suck at it. I chose Rock Band 2 as the representative of the series, though, as it's got the most diversity to offer, and is more widely circulated.
9) Flower - A simple game, yes, but that's to its merit. As relaxing as it is creative, this game is perfect at what it does. There's really never any sense that you'll fail in this game, but completing all of the flower's dreams still feels rewarding.
Not on this list for its cultural impact or the splash it made in the video game industry -- it's here simply because it's a damn good example of what artistic minds can do with a video game.
8) Halo 2 - Yes, a Halo game is on my list. Why? Because there's no denying the impact of Halo.
It single-handedly put the Xbox on the map, reinvigorated the first-person shooter genre, and led to enough sub-culture and pop culture developments that it should really be on anyone's list of important games from the first decade of the 2000s.
There's also no denying that Halo can be fun as hell in multiplayer. How many of you have found yourself at some point speaking in unison with the game's commentator, "Tied the leader, took the lead" after performing a mult-kill during a Slayer match? Come on, you can admit it. Nothing to be ashamed of.
Why Halo 2, though? Because the period between Halo 2's release and Halo 3's release stands out in my memory as the height of the franchise's popularity.
7) Silent Hill 2 - The scariest fucking game ever made -- and not just because of the big guy with the metal pyramid on his head and the large butcher knife. As visceral a visual scare fest as it is, it's even more vivid an exploration of the human mind.
SH2 genuinely frightens you more with its human characters than it does its monsters.
Can Pyramid Head measure up to the disturbed Eddie or the unsettling revelations about the main character, James? Not in this player's opinion. Especially once you become aware of the reasons behind those revelations, you'll find yourself worrying about what's in your own heart.
If you didn't shit your pants when Pyramid Head casually appeared behind you in the hallway leading out of Brookhaven Hospital, then you may when you discover that everything you've fought and ran from was literally James running away from himself.
6) Valkyria Chronicles - Making the World War II era an interesting setting again, nobody saw this game coming even after it was already here. Valkyria Chronicles provided a great tactical RPG experience in a genre that can always use all the help it gets.
What's more, an involving story, great designs across the board, and memorable gameplay has effectively turned Valkyria Chronicles into a sleeper hit that is spawning derivative material that would be more expected of a blockbuster production.
Sound like the makings of a winner? I think so too.
5) Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence - Improving on an already amazing entry in an engrossing tetralogy -- an entry that could have effectively stood on its own so strong was its development and execution -- MGS3: Subsistence shines an already polished game to perfection.
While Valkyria Chronicles made WWII interesting again, MGS3 did the same for Cold War-era covert ops, packaging a tale about patriotism, loyalty and honor in the presentation of an action film. MGS3 will leave you feeling either inspired, depressed, or both.
More importantly, the interactions and motivations of its characters felt genuine, and were as interesting as anything else in the plot.
It doesn't hurt, though, that MGS3 had immersive gameplay befitting its environments, and the best set of boss fights in this series. Considering the bosses that the first MGS had, that's saying a lot.
The hilarious bonus videos included with Subsistence make MGS3's superiority over its sibling titles seem like overkill.
4) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Before moving too far from the topic of games with a cultural impact, I'd be remiss not to mention the favorite whipping boy of out-of-touch congressmen with diminishing public support -- the game that brought the medium a different brand of legitimacy than Rock Band provided.
Thanks to GTA, the sandbox-style of games was given an unbelievable surge in popularity. Meanwhile, Jack Thompson was given unlimited ammo, and the great debate on video games and morality moved to its next stage.
No longer was Mortal Kombat the benchmark of unacceptable. As we all know, awareness that human beings are sexual creatures is more of a threat to mankind enduring into the future than intimate knowledge of ways to kill other people.
Not that kids under 17 could buy a GTA game themselves, but, as we all also know, parents have no say in what their children do.
But GTA games don't just corrupt youth and undermine the pleas of powerless parents. Did I mention that they also tend to be really good, both in terms of gameplay value and story?
And San Andreas -- though second to Vice City for myself -- is the best example of this.
3) BioShock - Yet another period piece, BioShock presents us with an alternate Cold War era. Rather than the familiar tropes that were redeemed with Metal Gear Solid 3, this title focuses more upon the cultural and psychological elements of the period and how they quite believably could have manifested had the opportunity arisen.
While not as frightening as Silent Hill 2, BioShock will nonetheless effectively chill you to the bone as you're confronted with an entire city's descent into madness in a place completely cut off from the outside world, and as you yourself are presented with moral dilemmas. Your choices ultimately determine your fate and those of the surviving children of the city of Rapture.
Speaking of Rapture, the underwater city itself is as well-developed a character as anyone in the game -- nay, as anyone in most games -- and comes across as a living, breathing entity in its dying moments.
Even as you see it descend into ruin, the original design is apparent -- majestic and awe-inspiring, while simultaneously creepy to imagine.
2) Final Fantasy X - Though tenth in the main series, Final Fantasy X was "the first" Final Fantasy in a lot of ways.
It was the first FF game to have voice actors, the first to feature completely controllable summons, and the first to begin in media res, then be told mainly through narrated flashbacks. As well, it was the first FF for the next generation Sony console.
It was also the first Final Fantasy to kill off your main character in the game's ending, leaving a bittersweet emotion that -- if you have a soul -- will choke you up at least a little as you hear "Sutaki da ne" during the credits.
With the most new gamer-friendly battle system of any Final Fantasy to date -- one that blessedly has great similarities to Final Fantasy Tactics' system -- and big steps forward in story presentation, Final Fantasy X was guaranteed to be memorable from the start. Add to that mix the following components, and you have a game that instead is outright immortal:
Arguably the most well-developed cast seen in a Final Fantasy at that time; what is inarguably the most well-developed fictional world seen in an FF at the time; an amazing musical score by series newcomers; a series of effective plot twists that culminate in a heart-wrenching, surprise ending (the twist being that there is no twist; Tidus couldn't be saved); as well as a coming-of-age tale combined with a story of father-son reconciliation that Spielberg could only dream to lay claim to.
Take all of that and you have all the makings of the best Final Fantasy game. More to the point, you have all the makings of one of the best games ever created.
1) Shadow of the Colossus - Though its sales may not reflect this, Shadow of the Colossus is the best game of the past decade, and possibly the best game ever made. It encapsulates everything that makes the video game medium what it is.
Like film, video games combine the elements of all the other fine arts, but with an added element: the capacity for the player to get directly involved. As you play the game's final scenario and it slowly dawns on you that you can do nothing to change it, you begin to understand how the 16 magnificent, innocent beasts you have selfishly murdered must have felt.
Did your quest require courage? Yes. Do you have it? Absolutely. Are you a vicious murderer? Yes.
Presented with minimalistic storytelling in a gorgeous free-roam setting that teeters between fantasy and the norm, a number of video game staples are cast aside for Shadow of the Colossus. Most readily apparent, you have only 16 enemies to defeat during the entire game, and it features one of the most isolated and desolate atmospheres ever portrayed in a game.
Yet it never feels lonely thanks to the presence of your beloved steed, Agro, and it never stops feeling magical.
Also, you're left with so little information about the characters' origins -- and even their fates -- you can literally have every person walk away from this game with their own experience. Now that's art!
Though I've said little about the colossi, I feel that unnecessary. The colossi speak for themselves with their presence.
Shadow of the Colossus is a unique experience for a number of reasons -- all of which soundly add up to say, "This is the best game of the past decade."
(Note: I decided to leave ICO off this list, despite wanting to include it. Though it and SotC have the thinnest of plot relationships, as they are set in the same world and I wanted this list to have as much range as possible, I decided to treat them as part of the same series for this list.)
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