Another generation of gaming is slipping away, and what a rough one it was. Despite problems and gaming getting its own share of politics, we still had some great games. Each time a generation passes, people carry experiences, adventures, and their favorite innovations with them boxed up in nostalgic memories. We also tend to remember some awful things, like ET of atari days, blowing cartridges, etc, however for once this is a subject generally nostalgic for the better. The weird thing to is that everyone kind of has it in their own sense, sure half-life 2, metal gear solid, and mario bros are universally held to high regards in their times, but most of the true favorites and nostalgic bias comes in our very own opinions likely shared with a small fan cult. I know that most people will look back and think highly of bioshock, meanwhile that's kind of sinking into the background for me already despite how amazing it was. I've moved back into games that wont die with me... like dragon's dogma, and Space marines which wont likely be mentioned much as on par with bioshock. Well here is what I will remember when looking back on this generation in no real order:
The 3 major sony shooters:
My RPG escapism:
I've never been glued to one genre. I play general shooters mostly, but if you think of that as a restriction you're kidding yourself. However I've never been too big on RPGs. My first memorable experience was some FinalFantasy demo on a PS2 disc, which I just found to be nothing more than run around and bump into turn based battle monsters. It felt too linear, and too boring despite the crazy and interesting monsters. I played it all the way through, but never touched it again. I tried enjoying some other games, but the turn based JRPG wasn't my thing, and when I discovered other Western RPGs they basically consisted of nice ideas with too much "combat" that wasn't any real combat. It was all about mashing a button until someone's health count hit zero, something arcade fighters do much better. My young dragon obsessed self really wanted to enjoy some of these amazing fantasy worlds, but dark messiah was the closest thing to ever make the combat any fun in an RPG, so I kind of avoided these games for some time. Then in this generation I realized the current market just wasn't cutting it. Shooters were on the decline, platformers didn't seem to exist unless they had nintendo's name on it, worms sucked, and I sucked at RTS too much to keep that up by itself for long. So what now? Well I kept up my wishful thinking, that's what. I saw Dragon's age, and was trapped in inspiration by some videos and lore. Meanwhile when I bought it the entire game was overran by shorter humans, combat that seemed like it was trying to be an overgeneralized satire of RPGs, and a quest that was getting nowhere. With some nitpicks in mind, I still managed to stomach it enough to get some value out of character development, some of the plot padding was good, and I was obviously being pretty tolerable about it. But I wouldn't make the same mistake again, right? Yeah I would. Two worlds 2 caught my eye, and I just knew it had to make combat improvements... well not quite. I got it, and loved the game, but the combat was still 1 button mashing just with a better interface. I marched through the glitch infestation and adored the adventure, the leveling and skill trees, loved the world and crazy enemies, loved all the plot distractions, loved the customization, damn this was great even if the combat still sucked. Then skyrim sent me deeper into the desire to adventure, and with combat that was tolerable if you had a one handed combo going with weapon changes in between shouts, and item tricks. Nice. Then kingdoms of amalar came along and despite not being so great for the reasons skyrim and TW2 were, its combat was the best giving me a serious feeling of wielding great weaponry. I enjoyed the art style as well. I even ended up buying and enjoying Guild wars 2, an MMO that allowed me to pace myself and enjoy the questing, lore, and a tolerable combat system. Not to mention Torchlight 2, what a wonderful throwback to being the absolute definition of "fun". I even came around and ended up playing some golden sun on the DS, and managed to enjoy that as well. Overall RPGs became a way to escape from that lacking feeling in other games. I ended up loving two worlds 2, I return to skyrim and torchlight 2 at least once a month, and I can't help but get that urge to go back into guild wars 2 if it weren't for the massive updated I've missed out on. Yet... there is something I'm not mentioning here. What could it be.....
Dragon's Dogma:
This is the game that inspired this list. I kept telling myself how this game was a dream come true. For as long as I could understand how to hold a gaming controller, I've always wanted a big imaginative fantasy world you could interact in, and actually be a hero in control. Done to a generic point huh? Well yes, if you consider mashing a single button until someone's health runs out, or being a pro hot-key user as heroic. That's been my experience with most RPGs, and I've been waiting for one to put me in control of actual sword swings. Let me be capable of slashing vertical, horizontal, a jump, a thrust, special shield commands,etc. Not just mashing a button and letting numbers do my fighting. Dragon's dogma understands me, and it was even a "dream" of the director to make as it was mine to play. An open world that puts you in charge of real combat, while still keeping RPG tones. It goes out of the way to do more things than I'd expect of it. A nice party system, a big dragon plot, climbing on monsters, perfect learning curve, monster > dwarves and other less imaginative types taking up the lore's time. The adventure really pays off in the end with one of the most epic and cinematic fights I've seen in a game. Ultimately it executes 90% of everything it hopes pretty well, and more than passed my expectation and ideal game. I will not be forgetting this one anytime soon.
Hoard (and another handful of indie games):
I'm not a very big indie gamer. I respect what they try to do, but they often result in super linear or NES retro style games. Some of the few that get my attention go in the opposite direction, and even end up being either too expensive, too flashy, or too dependent on multiplayer. What is Limbo good for outside of that one play? Why would I play that airships game online when everyone has left and there isn't anything ready for solo play? How does Super meatboy appeal to someone like me? Many of these indie games, especially the usual popular ones just aren't for me. However some will hit a sweet spot though, and they make a huge impact on me. I can't think of any exception right now. If it was a major indie game I enjoyed, I LOVED it and nothing short of that. Hoard being a big example. You simply fly a dragon and have it control a bit like a twin stick shooter. But it gets to be so much more with smaller details. Towns build up, wagons carry gold back and forth, princesses ride around with knights ready to come to their rescue based on their outpost's strength, giants will go on rampages, crops produce goods, and you as a dragon get to choose what you'll dominate for some earnings and to rank up. You can make the people fear you for a tribute, ransom princesses, destroy taverns and rid of theives or just put the whole damn town in flames. You're usually competing with another or 3 other dragon's to. The game gets very addictive while remaining simple and arcadey, what's not to love? Then there is the amazing experience of Journey, The incredible 2D sandbox worlds of war in cortex command, or exploration of Terraria, and finally how could I ever forget Torchlight 2 and Serious Sam 3? While it may sadly depend on the online, I also have to bring up Chivalry... simply an amazing game that also hits home with swordplay like dark messiah and Dragon's Dogma. All of these games have earned some memory. Castle Storm stands a good chance of being the next one.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marines
Ah, yes this is tied with two great things. The game itself, and the opening to the universe of W40K that I now adore. The game was a fun demo at first, and as I was playing it I was slowly reminded that it had a ton of smaller old details older games I loved had. Cheesy british enemies, check (Killzone). Dusty war torn world with making for a dull war focused setting, check (turok). Massive ammounts of violence and gothic themes, check (turok, again?). Fast and violent corridor shooter gameplay, check (many games, including the two just mentioned). Might be worth investigating sometime. So some time afterwards I asked for space marines around Christmas, and had trouble putting it down. It later featured more enemy types, demons, a surprisingly interesting plot, and more of the fun the demo had offered. Oh and the campaign was quite lengthy and the multiplayer has my favorite co-op survival to this day. I keep picking this game up from time to time, and after becoming a big fan/nerd of the universe it takes place in I kind of need to keep coming back if I want to combine my favorite sci-fi universe to one of my favorite genres (shooters) As it's the only one right now... I'm really hoping for a sequel.
