Every year, I am always amazed how the new games just keep redefining what we think is possible in the world of gaming. 2008 was certainly no different, bringing many new titles and sequels that blew me away. These are some of the 360 games that, in my opinion, really stood out this year, and if you haven’t played them yet, you should check them out. If I left something out that you loved, or you disagree, feel free to chime in.
Dead Space
Dead Space is one of the scariest games to come out in quite a while. At the same time, the gameplay is exceedingly well done. Confronted with mutated people that must be dismembered to be put down, the entire environment is haunting. The graphics are great and the sound adds to the frightening environment, or lack of sound, in the case of the zero-gravity parts. A fair warning though, some may find this game unplayable because of how scary it’s meant to be. I kid you not, the game developers consulted psychologists on how to make this game more scary. A fair point of reference would be to say that if you thought Bioshock was scary, then Dead Space may take a couple years off your life.
Fable II
Grow up, learn to fight, play with your dog, get married, have kids, get a prostitute, choose to be good or evil, and face the consequences. Fable II offers one of the most all-encompassing worlds ever made for RPGs. You can literally become almost anyone you want, male or female, gay or straight, good or evil. The graphics are great and the world looks amazing. There are a huge variety of things you can do in the game, and everything, everything has consequences. This game is a sure thing for any RPG fans. Watch out for those STDs though.
Fallout 3
Fallout 3 is probably my favorite game of the year. This is a phenomenally thorough RPG. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic Washington DC, which is surprisingly accurate, populated by ghouls, mutated animals, hulking humanoid super mutants, and several factions of people, each with their own agendas. The main quest is very well thought out, and there are many miscellaneous quests to keep you busy scattered about. You can be good and have people give you gifts, you can be evil and have people run from you, or you can be neutral. The environment is huge and the game offers an almost unlimited amount of play time. A hand-held nuke launcher certainly doesn’t hurt either.
Gears of War 2
Gears 2 heralded the return of the best invention in gaming history, a rifle with a chainsaw attached. Basically, this game is super fun. Gears 1 looked great, and the graphics in Gears 2 are even better. The storyline is a little forced, but it still complements the gameplay nicely. A couple of the kinks of Gears 1 have been fixed for the next installment, which lessens the frustration, especially when playing by yourself. For anyone else who hated the multiplayer, several new games have been added to make it a little less crappy. However, the true value of the game lies in the campaign, which is just awesome.
Grand Theft Auto IV
Um, I personally don’t really like the GTA series, but GTA IV won Game of the Year, so I feel compelled to mention it. So, yeah, GTA IV, go nuts.
Left 4 Dead
Killing zombies with your friends, enough said. Left 4 Dead is best appreciated if you actually have four people to play it with. If you do, it’s definitely a good time. Even by yourself, Left 4 Dead is very entertaining. The zombies in this game aren’t you’re typical Resident Evil type, they’re more like the ones from 28 Days Later. They run at you, very very quickly. Ultimately, this game is fun, and you can play it with your friends, which is becoming more and more uncommon.
Mirror’s Edge
Mirror’s Edge is one of the most groundbreaking games of the year. Though a little lacking in the length department, Mirror’s Edge showed us all something no one has ever seen before. Freerunning has been explored before in Prince of Persia, but never from a first-person view. When I first saw this game, I thought the controls would be very difficult, but in reality, they are amazingly smooth. Everything in the game looks great, though the story could have been though out a little better. A little frustrating at times, and definitely too short, Mirror’s Edge is still most definitely worth playing.
Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia is the start of an entirely new storyline that has little or no connection to the Sands of Time trilogy. The game holds to the freerunning, acrobatic style of previous games, but other than that, it’s very different. The cel-shading style used makes the game worth playing almost for the graphics alone. The story is a little lacking and some of the dialogue is very juvenile, but the game is very fun to play. The Prince has been given a serious facelift from the Sands of Time, and he looks better than ever. Elika, his girlfriend (he wishes), isn’t too shabby either.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
This game is, in a nutshell, everything you wish you could do with the Force. Playing as Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, the story is very satisfactory and the game looks great. Two totally new engines were written for this game, one for physics and one to govern the characters. This is, in my opinion, the best Star Wars game since Knights of the Old Republic, and it’s definitely worth playing.
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise
Don’t laugh. Just play this game even once. Then try to stop. Just try. You can’t stop…not until you get the Eaglair. As with so many other crack-like games, you may find yourself unable to step away from Viva Pinata. Contrary to popular belief, this game is pretty different from the kids’ TV show it is based on. You are in charge of a garden that you must cultivate to attract pinatas. Different pinatas need different things in your garden to enter, and some need to eat pinatas you already have and love. The pinatas are fun and some are seriously cute. I’m not kidding, this game is fun, and sooooo addicting.
December 18th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Those are all great choices. I think this was the best year ever in Gaming and I’ve been Gaming a long time! There was just so much variety and so many good games this year. That there were no real dry periods, unless you owned a Wii. Oooh, yes I went there, hehe.
I didn’t get to play every single game, but from what I did get to play, which consisted mostly of Xbox 360 games. Except Fallout 3. Which I hope to be getting soon. That If I had to make my top 5 best games of 2008 list. It would look a little something like this,
1. Fable II.
2. Gears of War 2.
3. Gran Theft Auto IV.
4. Castle Crashers.
5. Tomb Raider Underworld.