Topic: I know *technically* this console generation isn't over, but.

[K-man]

What's your top game of this gen?

To make it easy, let's keep with Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360.

I have a hard time not saying Red Dead Redemption.  Uncharted 2 is probably my second choice.  There's a short list of games I feel would probably deserve some consideration, but I have not played some of them thoroughly.

[idolminds]

Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball 2

[W7RE]

I'd have a hard time picking a single game for the whole generation. I also can't help but think of games from the last couple years, because it's been so long since some of the others came out. Some games/franchises that I would say definitely deserve a mention though, are Dead Space, Mass Effect, Skyrim, and Super Meat Boy.


Also, this generation gave us:
6 Call of Duty games
5 Assassin's Creed games
5 Halo Games

[Pugnate]

Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball 2

[MysterD]

I'd have a hard time picking a single game for the whole generation. I also can't help but think of games from the last couple years, because it's been so long since some of the others came out. Some games/franchises that I would say definitely deserve a mention though, are Dead Space, Mass Effect, Skyrim, and Super Meat Boy.


Also, this generation gave us:
6 Call of Duty games
5 Assassin's Creed games
5 Halo Games

Granted, I am a PC gamer and all...
I'd say COD4: MW and AC2 are the stand-outs in their respective series.

Keep in mind, I ain't played COD:BO2; and ain't finished ACR or even played AC3 (AC3 ain't on the PC yet, anyways...).

[W7RE]

In the CoD series I skipped WaW and MW3 (though haven't touched the single player for either Black Ops).

With AC I played 1 and 2, but when Brotherhood came out I didn't feel ready for more Ezio and Italy. I liked Altair and his locales more, but did like the improved gameplay elements of 2. Now that 3 is out, I feel like I have to play Brotherhood and Revelations first, but that's a lot of game to get through and still don't know if I really want to get back into Ezio's shoes. They really should have just used another ancestor instead of milking Ezio so much.

[MysterD]

In the CoD series I skipped WaW and MW3 (though haven't touched the single player for either Black Ops).

With AC I played 1 and 2, but when Brotherhood came out I didn't feel ready for more Ezio and Italy. I liked Altair and his locales more, but did like the improved gameplay elements of 2. Now that 3 is out, I feel like I have to play Brotherhood and Revelations first, but that's a lot of game to get through and still don't know if I really want to get back into Ezio's shoes. They really should have just used another ancestor instead of milking Ezio so much.

I was fine w/ more Ezio in ACB and really liked it (namely for more gameplay improvements) - but when I got to ACR, a few things went wrong for me. I didn't care for both the new Tower Defense mission types & Desmond's first-person puzzles. Also, I began to finally grow tired of Ezio. W/ all of this, I just shut off ACR. I don't think at that time that I was ready for "more of the same" from this series, after recently finishing ACB...and felt that I just wanted something more out of the series. I'm probably gonna have to eventually get back to ACR, so I can be ready for whenever I do get around to buying AC3.

Oh, yeah - Missed WaW, too. Forgot about that one.
I liked MW2's SP - but it wasn't as nowhere as great as COD4:MW.
During Steam weekend, I have tried both MP's for MW3 and Black Ops 1 - wasn't nada special there, IMHO. I did like one thing: MW3's Kill Confirmed mode in the MP, though. I can't speak on MW3's SP - just b/c I ain't felt up to playing the SP yet. I still ain't bought Black Ops 1, so I can check out the SP.

[Cobra951]

In the CoD series I skipped WaW and MW3 (though haven't touched the single player for either Black Ops).

With AC I played 1 and 2, but when Brotherhood came out I didn't feel ready for more Ezio and Italy. I liked Altair and his locales more, but did like the improved gameplay elements of 2. Now that 3 is out, I feel like I have to play Brotherhood and Revelations first, but that's a lot of game to get through and still don't know if I really want to get back into Ezio's shoes. They really should have just used another ancestor instead of milking Ezio so much.

I cannot get into Revelations at all.  Good thing I picked it up for $10.  First, it throws you into the deep end immediately.  I guess they figured by now, people should be on board with the mechanics, but the fact is that it had been a long time since 2 for me, and I never did get Brotherhood.  On top of feeling lost, Revelations has this tower-defense thing that has nothing to do with what I play AC games for.  Add to that the obtuse Desmond sections, and I'm ready to move on and not look back.

I'd have a very hard time picking a single game myself.  I'd have to include the big Bethesda games (Skyrim, Fallout 3, Oblivion) the first 2 AC games, GTA IV, Red Dead Redemption and Borderlands (1) in any must-have list for this gen.  The rest I'd have less trouble living without.

I'm tempted to let RDR float to the top too, K-man.

[idolminds]

Its a hard call because this gen has been going for so long already, there are so many games to pick from.

[Quemaqua]

I'd say of everything I played, Dark Souls takes it. It's somewhat of an arbitrary choice, but its uniqueness pushes it up a notch about the rest. Many other great games, but all things that felt a bit like something I'd played before on some level. Dark Souls felt very thoroughly like nothing but itself.

[iPPi]

I'd have to say Super Mario Galaxy or Demon's Souls (having not played Dark Souls yet).  There were a lot of amazing games this generation, such as Uncharted 2, Batman, Modern Warfare, Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, Gears of War, etc. but they aren't good enough to take a title of top game for the generation.

[Cools!]

Well I only got a current generation console fairly recently compared to most of you and I haven't played a lot of games, but my favourites would definitely be Uncharted 2 and Little Big Planet 1 & 2.

[scottws]

I cannot get into Revelations at all.  Good thing I picked it up for $10.  First, it throws you into the deep end immediately.  I guess they figured by now, people should be on board with the mechanics, but the fact is that it had been a long time since 2 for me, and I never did get Brotherhood.  On top of feeling lost, Revelations has this tower-defense thing that has nothing to do with what I play AC games for.  Add to that the obtuse Desmond sections, and I'm ready to move on and not look back.

I thought it was just me!  Assasin's Creed: Revelations is the only AC game I ever played and I was totally lost.  There is so much going on and to do and presented to you so quickly that I quickly forgot what I should be doing and what I could do.  I was not a fan.

As far as my favorite console game of the current console generation, I would say that New Super Mario Bros. for Wii was my favorite.  The single player campaign for Halo: Reach was also pretty good.  I didn't play any console games this generation that really wowed me like Goldeneye from its generation or GTAIII or Silent Hill 2 from their generation.  I loved the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare games, but I played them all on PC.

[Cobra951]

I thought it was just me!  Assasin's Creed: Revelations is the only AC game I ever played and I was totally lost.  There is so much going on and to do and presented to you so quickly that I quickly forgot what I should be doing and what I could do.  I was not a fan.

. . .

If you haven't played any AC at all, yeah, Revelations is absolutely the wrong place to start.  It assumes you know so much already.  I was able to get back into the old groove after a couple of sessions, but the new stuff they've added is not welcome at all.  I guess if they hadn't tried something new, they'd be accused of too much rehashing.  The problem is that the key mechanic of AI-assisted acrobatics coupled with the stellar look and feel of the worlds are all that really makes the games special.  Everything else comes off as less inspired.  After 2+ games of experience, I still feel like I'm fumbling about whenever I have to go into battle.  It's too . . . disconnected?

[K-man]

I'd say of everything I played, Dark Souls takes it. It's somewhat of an arbitrary choice, but its uniqueness pushes it up a notch about the rest. Many other great games, but all things that felt a bit like something I'd played before on some level. Dark Souls felt very thoroughly like nothing but itself.

Demon's and (presumably) Dark Souls are deserving of consideration, for sure.

[PyroMenace]

Man I keep coming back to Borderlands. I've played the game through twice and have half a dozen other characters Ive played on coop with people. I know its got a lot of issues, but the sum of its parts makes something I really love and Pandora as a world holds a place in my heart. I've also been considering Red Dead a lot as well as Mass Effect 2.

[Cobra951]

You mean the first game, right?  I'll be playing that one long after the second one has collected a layer of dust on my shelf.  Making lightning strike twice proved too difficult for Gearbox.

Nice avatar!

[PyroMenace]

I am still working on BL2, its a great game for sure and I was loving it but I had some frustrating moments with it, that and Mists of Panderia was distracting me. I do plan to come back to it. So yea, I was talking about the first one. You know as bad as the ending was... which I didn't think was that bad, just ended with a shit boss fight which lets be fair, all the boss fights in that game were shit, but it is the world and characters that won me over. CATCH A RIDE!!

[K-man]

Borderlands is probably in my top 10 this generation.  The problem with it (and the Bethesda games this gen) is that the sheer scope of the game caused it to not be as polished as, say, something like Uncharted 2.  Game was still amazing fun (in fact I'm still playing a character off and on), but at the end of Uncharted 2 and Red Dead Redemption I had a hard time thinking of anything I'd improve on.

Borderlands GOTY is likely the biggest bang for your buck of this console generation, though.

[gpw11]

I'll have to revisit this thread, but I'd just like to pipe up and say that I really became engrossed in Bioshock.

[Cobra951]

Oh crap!  I forgot Bioshock.  That was a highlight this gen as well.

[K-man]

Yeah I neglected that one, too.  Certainly deserving of mention (although I had a few issues with the combat).

[W7RE]

I almost mentioned Bioshock just because of how highly it's generally regarded. I've still yet to finish it though, partly due to the combat.

[Xessive]

We had two Elder Scrolls games this generation, which is pretty impressive and says a lot about how long this gen of consoles is lasting. Oblivion was released on 20 March 2006 and Skyrim on 11 November 2011, just over 5 years apart. Damn, that is awesome.

I'd say both Batman Arkham games are right up there in my top 5 list of franchises this generation.

Street Fighter 4 (and its multiple re-iterations) is pretty sweet for the Fighting genre. Mortal Kombat (9th one) was pretty good too.

I really like the Assassin's Creed series. Uncharted series is fantastic too!

Honourable mention of this generation? Valkyria Chronicles. By far one of the best turn-based tactical J-RPG's out there.

[Cools!]

I have Skyrim for PC so that's why I didn't mention, but it's definitely one of my favourite games (besides SC2 of course )

[Cobra951]

I did think of the Batman Arkham games, but did not include them because, as good as they were while they lasted, they felt like quick diversions, with no incentive to replay.  Every game on my list became a world to inhabit over a hefty period of time.  They sucked me right in.

[K-man]

I think RDR has to win out.  Because even a whole year after finishing the game I am still thinking about how it ended.

[gpw11]

RDR was great and the ending was memorable, BUT

(click to show/hide)

The ranch missions were just brutal. I get why they were there and they had to be that way, but they just killed the pacing.  I know of at least two people who just stopped there....like 20 min away from the ending.


Also, I recently discovered that the ACTUAL ending (with credits rolling) occurs after a side mission you do while playing as the son. There are Youtube videos if you want to see it

[K-man]

Yeah anyone who hasn't gone and gotten the "true" ending needs to go play now.  And I can definitely see how some people might take issue with those missions, considering all the action that had just come before it.  But in the end I really appreciated what they were trying to do.

[Cobra951]

The ending* disturbed (and annoyed) me greatly, since it came out of nowhere, and wasn't even explained.  It felt tacked on for shock and otherwise emotional value, rather than a natural consequence of the events leading up to it.

I go on to talk about my feelings on the ending inside spoiler tags after that quote.  I still feel more or less the same, though as I said in a later post in that thread, at least I found an in-game newspaper that gave the twist ending a credible motivation.

The ranch stuff was anticlimactic as hell, and that's followed by the unwelcome plot twist.  Despite that, and despite my issues with the save system, I ended up calling this the "best open-world game this generation" back in July (same thread).  I had forgotten that.  I guess overall it's true.

[K-man]

Hah, I forgot that we've already had this discussion, Cobra.

[gpw11]

About Valkyria Chronicles....PSP versions any good?

[Xessive]

About Valkyria Chronicles....PSP versions any good?

I have VC2 on the PSP and it's great! Visually it's not as impressive as its PS3 predecessor but it's pretty on the PSP. I think VC2 is one of the best PSP titles around.