Anthony's Top 10 Games of the Past Generation
Posted by Anthony O'Connor (follow me @clawtalk)
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.
We've seen Wade's list, Dan's list, and Stephen's list, and now it's time for Uncle Ant'knee's list! Enjoy!
TOP TEN GAMES OF THE PAST GENERATION
10.) Journey
It’s short and it makes me cry. Like an abusive leprechaun. I don’t know, man, I truly love this game. It feels weird to put it in the top 10, amongst epic sandboxes and such, but I had such a case of the feels the first time I finished this. The moment where you realise the other players were real? That’s a “Soylent Green is people/The Ape Planet is Earth/Bruce Willis is a ghost!” moment. Wonderful. 9.) InFamous 2
I went back and forth on which InFamous game to include but ultimately the sequel had a more complete experience (although the original was such a sweet surprise). The way this game slowly ratchets up your powers is an absolute joy. The good/bad choices never buttered my parsnips (although they did provide an easy excuse for a second playthrough) but the gritty story of a meta-human remains a classic. Also sliding along telephone wires at high speed whilst shooting bolts of electricity at punks? Joyous gameplay right there.
8.) Grand Theft Auto V
Look, it’s not as a smart as GTA IV but I have been playing the shit out of this game. I’ve finished the single player campaign and currently spend way too much time in GTA Online where I play a strong, proud woman of colour. If I spent half as much time working in the real world as I do in Los Santos I’d probably own more than two pairs of pants. Great games frequently come at the end of at the end of a console’s generation and this is no exception.
7.) Assassin's Creed II
It makes me sad to see how far the series fell after this one (AC III being a terrible low point) but AC II combines the best elements of stealth, climbing and mad, sociopathic serial killing. It felt like a breath of fresh air and was stunning to behold.
6.) Fallout 3
I don’t have to explain the appeal of Fallout 3, do I? It’s a wonderfully complex, involved world where I actually talked an insane super computer into not destroying everything. Plus I shot lots of mutants and had a awesome dog.
5.) Skate 3
There was a curious time in my house when I lived with a bunch of psychotic gamers. We became obsessed with the Skate series, trying to one-up each other with the impossibly complex series of tricks this title demands. I tried to play it by myself the other day and got bored within an hour so I understand the level of subjectivity here - but for gamers with OCD this remains a triumph and what the Tony Hawk series should have evolved into.
4.) Rock Band
Booze. Weed. A group of friends. Rock Band. Combine these elements and Rock Band remains one of the most enjoyable loungeroom experiences that doesn’t involve ejaculating. There’s not a lot else to say about this other than it’s a much missed element of pure FUN for consoles.
3.) Batman: Arkham City
It lacks the elegant simplicity of Arkham Asylum but instead gives you an Escape from New York-esque Gotham City to explore. It also has much improved boss fights and an elegant control system. For me the Arkham games get Batman’s tone just right. Somewhere in between Burton and Nolan. As a comic book fan and sweaty nerd this game hits the sweet spot every time. Great ending too.
2.) Metal Gear Solid 4
The Metal Gear series is frequently baffling, bugshit insane and feels like it was written by sixteen self aware baboons in some weird MK Ultra LSD experiment. That said, even the lesser entries feature some of the most compelling, immersive and exciting gameplay in video games. The first half of MGS4 is a symphony of wonder. The second half turns into a somewhat ludicrous series of cut scenes that occasionally deign to let you play some of the game. But the first half, my friends, the first half is so good it makes the top 10.
1.) Red Dead Redemption
I don’t use the term “solid gold fucking masterpiece” often but when I do it’s usually in conjunction with RDR. This is an intelligent rumination on the nature of good and evil, love and loss that just happens to be attached to a brilliant game in a fascinating western setting. I love GTA V at the moment (love it) but RDR has moved me all three times I’ve played through it. It also has one of the cleverest endings in the history of games.
Other stuff I like and whatnot
Borderlands 1 & 2: Obsessive loot collection and shooty shoot. Lots of fun. Wasted a lot of hours on Pandora. BioShock: The first one is a super excellent horror game. Unlike Infinite it maintains the gameplay tension throughout and doesn’t rely merely on an (admittedly brilliant) third act twist. Little Big Planet: I think I love the idea of these games more than the actuality. Loved playing Media Molecule’s levels. Couldn’t be arsed making my own. Still, a wonder and a joy to behold. Uncharted 2: Hits the perfect mix of combat and exploration. Genuinely surprising game with some jaw-dropping moments and a freaking AMAZING ending. I loved part 3 as well but something about this one felt more game and less movie, which works. The Walking Dead: Telltale games made me weep manly salty tears with this game. Moving and stunning and involving. Yes, we’re all a little bit sick of zombies but this game brings the pain in a wonderful way. Skyrim: I’m not gonna lie, I spent a whole lot of time really baked, wandering around this game, giggling and getting into adventures. Lots of flaws, lots of bugs and yet utterly immersive when it works. That said, I can barely remember the story now. Something about dragons and yelling at shit?
---- So there you have it folks! Hopefully we'll have one more article like this to come, but for now: What do you think of Anthony's choices? Tell us in the comments below!
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