This is it, the one list that every
gamer wants to make yet despairs when the time actually comes to make
it. I'm talking about a ranked list of my personal favourite video
games, that games that have given me the most enjoyment over the
years, the games that I (almost) never get tired of playing. Making
this list wasn't easy; in fact I'm still not sure about the order
I've got here. (It'll probably have changed by the time I'm done
writing this!) But such is the fate of an entirely subjective list
based on preferences that aren't easily quantifiable. Let's do this!
Honourable mentions: Call of
Duty 4 : Modern Warfare (2007), Guitar Hero: World Tour
(2008), Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis (2005), Star
Wars: Republic Commando (2005)
- Brütal Legend (Xbox 360, 2009)
If you haven't heard of Brutal
Legend then I apologize in advance because my words here won't do
it justice. You play as Eddie Riggs, voiced by Jack Black, the
greatest roadie the world has ever seen as he gets transported back
in time to a world inspired by heavy metal album covers. Armed with
his lightning-summoning guitar and his trusty battle axe it's up to
him to lead the human resistance and defeat hordes of demons, glam
rock sellouts, and goth panzies. With its face-melting soundtrack,
impressive voice cast, cool character design, jaw-dropping
environments, and fun sense of humour Brutal Legend is a game
that you'll want to explore every nook and cranny of. It does have a
few downsides: the graphics are low-res and light on details, the
side missions are repetitive, and the control scheme is a bit
puzzling at times. (There's no jump button. Also it took me 2.5
playthroughs before I found out there was a sprint button!) Still,
Brutal Legend manages to be a pretty fun game that serves as a
heartfelt tribute to heavy metal subculture. Rock on.
- Ultimate Spider-Man (Xbox, 2005)
Ultimate Spider-Man is a game
that has a lot of sentimental value to me. It was the first video
game I ever bought with money that I'd earned from a job. At the time
I was a huge fan of the Ultimate Spider-Man comic series and I
frequently compared myself to Peter Parker in middle school (I wasn't
in high school yet). I had previously played the games based on the
Spider-Man movies, but they didn't exactly blow me away perhaps
because of their non-original stories and sometimes clunky controls.
But Ultimate Spider-Man had none of those problems; it was
like Spider-Man 2 (2004) but with more refined controls, an
original story, more rewarding collectibles/unlocks, and a dazzling
art design. And did I mention that you can also play as Venom?
Needless to say, this game was one the coolest things in the world to
my 15 year-old self. Sure its open world wasn't as big as the
previous game's and it could be frustratingly difficult at times but
that didn't hinder the feeling of truly being in a story of the
Ultimate comic series. Excelsior, true believers!
18. Call of
Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360, 2010)
Alternate history is one of my
favourite subgenres of fiction, one that I wish video games would do
way more often. This is probably why I like Black Ops so much.
The Cold War is such an enthralling era of history which doesn't have
all that many games focusing on it. Anyone who says that video games
can't be educational needs to play this game. If it weren't for Black
Ops I might never have learned about things such as the Vorkuta
Gulag, the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kowloon's walled city, MK Ultra, and
Rebirth Island. And it's all wrapped up into a gripping story in
which the fate of the world is at stake. As if that wasn't enough
Black Ops has by far my preferred CoD multiplayer mode and it
even has Dead Ops Arcade, a four-player overhead twin stick shooter
that's way more fun than it has any right to be! This game has so
much bang for your buck it's unreal.
17. The Simpsons: Road Rage
(Xbox, 2001)
You might be thinking “Tony, what the
heck is this game doing on a list like this?” I'll admit, Simpsons:
Road Rage is a simple game, one that wasn't meant to be played
for hours on end. It's basically a ripoff of Crazy Taxi, in
which you take control of Simpsons characters and pickup passengers
and shuttle them to their destinations around Springfield as quickly
as possible. Successful runs award the player with more cash (i.e.
high scores) which allow the player to unlock more locations and
playable characters each with their own vehicle. Sounds simple,
right? That's because I haven't told you about one on one mode! In
this mode two players compete to be the one to deliver more
passengers. It involves ramming the other player to steal the
passenger, a lot of detours to lose your opponent, and a ton of
sneaky manoeuvres to try to shake off your pursuer. I play this game
a lot with my brothers and when you get two experienced players
facing off it makes for an intense, sweat-inducing game. Seriously,
if you can find this game on the cheap its two-player mode easily
makes it worth a try.
16. Doom 3 (Xbox, 2005)
This is some serious crap. I don't play
horror-type games often but I thoroughly enjoyed Doom 3's
campaign which is set in a dark, creepy research facility on Mars
that's been invaded by demons and monsters from hell. The scary
enemies that spawn from nowhere without warning, the inability to
hold a weapon and the flashlight at the same time, and the unnerving
sounds one can hear are extremely effective at putting the player on
edge. This is one of the very few “silent protagonist” games in
which I felt truly immersed. I think this is due to two things: the
outstanding sound design and the PDA. Early on, the player is given a
PDA through which they can read emails and listen to audio logs that
are found throughout the game. In addition to providing security
clearance and helpful tips (such as supplies storage), these emails
and audio logs offer significant story details and really help flesh
out the world you're playing in. While I do have a couple gripes with
this game – the enemies who constantly respawn behind you do get
rather annoying, plus weapon switching can be cumbersome at times –
I still have tons of fun with Doom 3. Horror developers, take
note.
15. Forza Motorsport 4
(Xbox 360, 2011)
I've played
plenty of Forza games and while they're all very finely
crafted racing simulators I'd have to hold up Motorsport 4 as
my preferred title of the series. It's more detailed and varied than
Forza Motorsport (2005), less restrictive than Forza
Motorsport 3 (2009), and is more straightforward than Forza
Horizon (2012). The variety of tracks and cars available were
phenomenal, the unlockable cars (AKA autovista) were really cool, and
the number of unlocks, titles, and events was mind-boggling. I
especially liked the little things they included such as how each
pass, turn, draft, and drift is given a grade from one to four. These
grades were surprisingly helpful in teaching the player how to play
the game. And just like the other games in the series, it was very
highly polished with excellent physics and graphics. Also, the
commentary from the Top Gear guys was amusing and gave this game a
bit of personality. If you like racing games at all, then Forza
Motorsport 4 is a game that's easy to love.
14. Halo 3 (Xbox 360, 2007)
Please don't get mad at me for not putting this one higher on this list. I had become a Halo fan after playing through Halo 2 the year before and I was all aboard the hype train in anticipation of Halo 3. I was slightly let down at things like the lacklustre sound effects, slower pace of gameplay, and lack of surprises in campaign. While it's not as memorable or as badass as its predecessor I still appreciate Halo 3 for what it is: a well-designed sci-fi action FPS set in a fascinating universe with enemies that are fun to tango with. This entry in the series added new vehicles and weapons, had fun locations for single-player, had a fantastic soundtrack, and gave the players more multiplayer options than ever before. It's a game that my friends and I still play to this day and probably will continue playing for quite some time. From a purely objective viewpoint it's probably the best Halo game ever made but there's just one other game in the series that I prefer over Halo 3. More on that later...
- Wolfenstein: The New Order (Xbox 360, 2014)
Why yes, this
game did come out on Xbox 360. (I don't have an 8th
gen console... yet.) Remember what I said about how much I love
alternate history in CoD: Black Ops? That goes double for
Wolfenstein: TNO. In this game the Germans have won the Second
World War through their use of highly advanced technology. The game
takes place in a 1960 in which the Third Reich rules most of the
world and has even established a colony on the moon. This is a
fantastic – if somewhat absurd – setup for a video game; rarely
have I been so enthralled at a game's character and environment
design. What's more, TNO boasts some very fun and addicting gunplay
as well as some options for those who prefer a stealthier style of
gameplay. Though it can be difficult at times, Wolfenstein: TNO
never feels frustrating and it rewards players who are willing to
change up their strategy from time to time. That's what being a great
first-person shooter is all about.
- Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360, 2010)
What can I say
about Red Dead Redemption that hasn't already been said? It's
one of the best games this decade and one of the best open-world
games ever made. Never has the act of driving around – or in this
case horseback riding around – and shooting things been presented
in a way that's so fresh and exciting. At times it really did seem
like I was playing a Sergio Leone film thanks to the excellent
soundtrack, enthralling story, and diverse cast of relatable
characters. And that's not even counting all the interesting side
missions! There's so much to do, so many places to go, so many people
to meet, so much trouble to get into. It's a highly detailed and
beautiful looking game. Describing it all in depth would take up an
entire article on its own. I'll just leave it at this: Red Dead
Redemption is a game that took on the often underutilized setting of
the old west and brought it to life in the most ambitious and amazing
way one could hope for. You done good.
- Fight Night 2004 (Xbox, 2004)
It's no secret
that the best part of an EA Sports game is getting to make your own
butt-ugly characters. Fight Night takes it one step further by
letting you make butt-ugly characters who can then beat eachother up! My brothers and I would go all out with the dudes we
created in this game. I even went through the trouble of making
Beavis and Butthead to watch them duke it out. Even without all that
silly stuff, Fight Night is a fun and intense game. It's
probably my favourite sports game aside from the NHL games. Making
your way up to the top and fighting some of history's greatest boxers
was a simple yet satisfying setup for a career mode. Really the only
complaint I have is that all the punching is mapped to the thumbstick
which works well, but if you play the game at length (like I have) I
guarantee that your thumb will end up calloused. But as your coach
tells you between rounds, “This is boxing, kid: pain comes with the
territory.”
That'll about do it for this week. Check back next time for the top 10.
