Daniel's Top 10 Games of the Past Generation

Posted by Daniel Mann (follow me @danielma861)

Ahoy Maniacs! To celebrate the end of the current gaming console generation (and to welcome this new generation) each of the editors at Neon Maniacs.com decided to write about their favourite games released during that time! We'll also throw in some discussion of some fun extra stuff, too.

Following on from yesterday's list with Wade, Resident Geek Daniel returns with his choices.

TOP TEN GAMES OF THE PAST GENERATION

10.) Deadly Premonition

“If The Last of Us is gaming’s equivalent to Citizen Kane, then Deadly Premonition is the equivalent of Tommy Wiseau’s Disasterpiece The Room. By all means, it is a game that is razor sharp around the edges. It looks like an up scaled PS2 game, it plays like a tank, it has some of the worst voice acting this side of the original Resident Evil and yet, for some reason, I just can’t stop playing it. God bless you Swery you magnificent bastard”

9.) Batman Arkham Asylum

“Batman Arkham Asylum is pretty much the Batman game I’ve always yearned for. With a script written by Paul Dini and featuring the voice talents of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, it was a bat geeks wet dream realized. Combining elements of Metroid and Zelda with an awesome rhythm-like Combat system worked a charm. Arkham Asylum looked great, played great, and was the complete bat-package we all hoped it would be“

8.) Hotline Miami

“Hotline Miami was influenced by Nicolas Winding-Refn’s uber-cool crime film Drive. Thankfully it was as badass as the movie that inspired it. I love the 80’s neon flair, I love the soundtrack, and I love the blending of Extreme Splashy Ultra Violence with Surreal Storytelling. With its unforgiving one hit and your dead health system, it offered a real challenge. It forced you to evaluate your strategy from level to level. Making it all the more satisfying when you did succeed. Hotline Miami is without question the coolest puzzle game you will ever play”

7.) Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

“The flagship of the series (MGS4) may have looked nice, but it was no match for its portable sibling. Peace Walker is a phenomenal game. The narrative was a strong continuation of Big Boss’ emotional journey from Metal Gear Solid 3. It also managed to jam in a lot of side content that was addictive to play through. I poured well over 150 hours into this game and I never once regretted it. Whether it was striving to S-Rank all missions or just building my army to its maximum capacity. The game was a blast to spend time with”

6.) Burnout Paradise

“Take me down to the Paradise City Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty

Oh won’t you please take me home

Yeahhhhh! \m/

Yeah, I’ll stop subjecting you to my sing along with the Gunners and write this blurb now.

Pardon my language but Burnout Paradise is fucking awesome. Blistering along at a steady 60fps and packed with tonnes to see and smash, I went for full completion and never once regretted it. Let’s just say that it was my own form of Crack. Burnout Paradise is truly fucking awesome.“

5.) Super Mario Galaxy 2

“Super Mario Galaxy was already a fantastic game. Super Mario Galaxy 2 made an already fantastic game even better. The Wii may not have been a graphical powerhouse, but the art design in Galaxy 2 still holds up to anything that came from the big two. It’s a stunning game to look at and plays just as nicely.”

4.) Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

“Perhaps I am an unabashed Ghibli fan boy, but there is no denying that Ni No Kuni is one of the best JRPG’s of the generation. It blurs the line between watching a Ghibli film and playing a Ghibli film so astoundingly well. Not only did Level 5 give me the Ghibli game I’ve always wanted, but they also gave me a taste of what a console Pokemon game could look like with the “Familiar” system. The story is wonderful, the “Familiar” system has depth and the visuals are just pure eye candy. The only way it could have been better is if Totoro had made a cameo; damn that would have been awesome.”

3.) Heavy Rain

“When David Cage coined the term “Interactive Drama” with Heavy Rain he single-handedly redefined what a game could be. Soaked in a Fincher-esque ambience, Heavy Rain is the type of moody bleak thriller that you would expect Hollywood to make. Yet the only way you can experience it is to play through it. Sure, “Press X for JAY-SON” may have become an Internet staple of mockery, but if you look past its flaws then you will find a gaming experience unlike any other.“

2.) Red Dead Redemption

“In my humble opinion, Red Dead Redemption is Rockstar’s defining masterpiece of this generation. Yes, GTA V is an awesome game, no one is denying that, but it’s no match for the story of John Marston”

1.) The Last of Us

“The Last of Us is not only a perfect swansong to this generation, but it’s also a defining game that best represents the generation. The Last of Us seamlessly blended a gripping and heart-breaking rendition of post-apocalyptic America with amazing Survival Horror Mechanics underlying. Wandering through deserted America with Joel and Ellie was both a heartbreaking and rewarding experience.

The guttural sounds of the Clickers chilled my spine. The Desperate fight for survival both repulsed and compelled me. It was a game that never let me off the edge of my seat for its 12-hour campaign. Even more then that, it was a game that truly made me care for its leading protagonists. Joel and Ellie’s dependency on one another had me in near tears at numerous points. I cared and feared for these two characters as if they were life long friends.

A perfect assembling of characters, story, gameplay and atmosphere makes it stand out as something special. The Last of Us is an experience that I will never forget. It’s not only a defining game of this generation, but it’s also my favourite. Take a bow Naughty Dog, you’ve earned it”

Honourable Mentions

Uncharted 2 – Nathan Drakes finest hour. Uncharted 2 is a non-stop thrill ride of amazing set pieces combined with a well told story.

Portal 2 – I wish I could cheat and make this a Top 11. If it had been a Top 11 then Portal 2 would have been up there. But if I were to do this then Slambrechts may turn around and call “SHENANIGANS” on my actions before lunging at me with a broken beer bottle :).

Pssst: Portal 2 is in my Top 11. :)

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Sure, it’s the ‘cool trend’ to hate on the Call of Duty franchise now days. But to give it its due credit, I think a lot of people tend to forget just how good Modern Warfare was back in its day.

Rock Band 2 – I have to say thank you Harmonix. You taught me the basic fundamentals of Drumming. I spent countless hours playing Drums in Rock Band and, to toot my own horn, I felt like I nailed the basic fundamentals of Drumming. And who said that Video Games can’t teach you anything?

Dead Space - Forget the mediocre threequel and cast your mind back to the original Dead Space. Now remember how great that game was. Soaked in a Creepy Isolated Atmosphere complete with some truly terrifying moments; Dead Space is the survival horror game that Resident Evil ceased to be long ago.

Grand Theft Auto V – Surprisingly it did not end up on my main list, but that is by no means discrediting it. Grand Theft Auto V is awesome and will no doubt be featured prominently in my ‘end of the year’ list. It was everything that GTA IV failed to deliver on (more on that later).

Saints Row The Third – This surprised me, considering I didn’t like the first two games at all. But there was something irreverently fun about the third game that really hooked me. I had a blast playing this game and I’m not ashamed to admit it

Infamous – Oh Infamous, how I love you. You came so close to ending up on my list but the Batman edged you out. Still, it’s a great game none the less.

PILE OF SHAME (the games that I did not play this generation)

I figure every gamer out there has a pile of shame to their name. So I figure why not share mine.

Mass Effect – I’m going to be honest. I’ve never played a single entry in the Mass Effect series. Not because I think its terrible or unappealing, but because I never got the time to invest in the trilogy.

Bioshock Infinite – I really enjoyed the first Bioshock, but for some reason, I just can’t get motivated to play Infinite. I have a copy waiting to be played but I just don't have the motivation

Assassins Creed 2 – Well I did start playing it but I never got around to finishing it. For shame Daniel.

Halo 4 - I finished the fight with Halo 3. I just never went back and re-enlisted for part four.

BIGGEST DISAPOINTMENTS OF THE GENERATION

The Last Guardian - <Sigh> This one pains me. Really pains me. I loved Team ICO’s output on the PS2. Both Shadow of the Colossus and Ico are two of the best games on the PS2 generation. They are astounding examples of why games could be considered as Art. So I was naturally stoked for The Last Guardian when it was announced back in 2007. Then the years slipped by and the game ended up in the purgatory of Game Development Hell. There is always a glimmer of hope that it will see the light of day on the PS4. However it is still a disappointment to be a fan left in the dark.

Grand Theft Auto IV – What’s all that nonsense about GTA IV getting perfect tens? To be 'that guy' for a moment; the game was barren in content. Niko’s story did nothing for me. I thought the gunplay mechanics were ancient relics by comparison to other third person shooters on the market at the time. It looked pretty and had wonderful attention to detail, but it left a sour bitter taste in my mouth.

Final Fantasy 13 – Long Corridor, Random Battle, Long Corridor, Random Battle; rinse and repeat for 30-hours. Finally, at the 30-hour mark, it opened up and let you explore. BOOOO! It looked very pretty though.

Haze – Say, remember that small moment in time where Sony fanboys dubbed Haze as the PS3’s Halo killer? Anyone? Yeah I didn’t think anyone remembered that.

Duke Nukem Forever – Lets be honest, I think we all knew this game was going to be a train wreck after being stuck in development hell for over 12 years. So maybe it isn’t too much of a disappointment, but still, it’s a freaking awful game none the less.

So there you have it folks! What do you think of Dan's choices? Tell us in the comments below!

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