What will become the classics of the 7th generation?

Whoops, wrong gen. Still a classic. :)

Classics happen in every media. Something gets a big hit or a passionate cult following for its niche, focus, or accomplishments, and it goes down in history as something big or something that truly held a major impact. Something people remember and associate with its medium as something special, or something that got a ton of attention and keeps people talking. Gaming is no exception as we clearly have our big classics, icons, and masterpieces. A good old fashion example might be something like Pac-Man, Final Fantasy, and most obviously Mario. However what were the big ones here in this passing generation? We've had plenty of length and time to think of the classics and see what games made an impact through either audience or raw influence within the market. I'm going to list some of the ones I hear about most often, and those that probably will stick to memories and association with this generation and maybe even iconic for the medium itself. That isn't to say they're all great games in my own opinion or that I think everyone will like them, and I may not even like them myself. Heck I know personally I only "like" two of these on the lists becoming classics while the others I have a more ify time judging. Instead this small list is of a few simple ones I base off their core work and accomplishments mixed together with how well they are received and talked about. So yes LittleBigPlanet and Dishonored are incredible games that should be classics, but honestly I don't hear of them nearly as much as those that make this list nor do they have that standout media grabbing appeal. Yes maybe one or two of these are overrated, but because of the massive overrated status they have they'll be remembered and go down big time in history. I want to make this a short list though, so lets get some honorable mentions out of the way and restrict the list to games within a simple straight forward 5 game list. Then I'll get to a straight top 5.

Honorable mentions:

Skyrim- Yeah Skyrim is amazing, but then again when haven't the elder scrolls gotten big hit status? They've sort of always traveled that odd line of getting big attention and kind of being the mainstream hit WRPG without feeling like a mainstreamed game. Its actually kind of a given to just let skyrim be considered special, just like oblivion before it, and morrowind before that. And then when the next comes out (hopefully we're talking about a real one not the MMO) it'll replace skyrim with some people arguing over which was better, complaining the new one is dumbed down, or saying its so brilliant and amazing it raises the highest bar of scope. You know of its amazing scope, you knew it would do some incredible changes, and you know it'll top the last in the series except to die hard of the last game that complain the new one is too easy, so lets leave the list a little more free and chat about some more fresher entries. Besides I honestly can't help but think of skyrim as that middle of the road RPG. Sure its amazing, but chances are there is a better niche appeal to some stronger focused RPG.... and while most don't get a big enough following to consider a wide classic, there is a certain one that I think goes higher on this list and goes above and beyond what skyrim pulled off. So skyrim stays off the list.


Minecraft- Ok I'll admit this is a bit unfair as it really deserves this list. But honestly I was running out of space when I suddenly remembered #5... I was going to place that here when I really thought about it. I'm not a fan of either game, but honestly people remember and are more fond of what I put in minecraft's place. MineCraft is a great game and a masterpiece that has a big amount of gamers playing it and has had quite a lot of influence, however the community has kept to themselves compared to some other games. It makes sense to that Minecraft players are a bit more quiet, as the game is very open canvas based and centers more around what you do with the game rather than what the game did for you. So I opted this out in place of the game that gets more people loud and feeling more vocally nostalgic for as well as something that had more direction and focus to become a classic.

Anything Nintendo or Valve related- If I tried to measure which of the Wii's library really deserved strong memory and achieved a big status and impact it would be.... well quite challenging. As for Valve, they're primarily PC and those don't really have the big generation impact, its instead sort of in its own line of things much like Nintendo. Don't get me wrong Portal, TF2, and if you consider it a part of this gen Half-life 2 are all classics in their own right but they're a bit dislocated from the more common market I'm measuring. If anything just give this the same reason I gave to skyrim.... its nintendo and valve, of course they're off making their weird classics and big hits but they measure up differently compared to the classics I'm aiming at for this list.

Now with honorable mentions out of the way, lets get on with the list....

5) Bioshock

I've got to say I'm not a fan of this when I totally should be. I just don't know why.... it just doesn't click with me. Combat certainly is clunky, but that hasn't stopped me from loving other games with that issue. Still its become a big hit and one of the few non military shooters with great and creative ideas behind it to get good attention and it really deserves its praise as it stands to be a strong game. Sadly its not exactly been a solid hit throughout the whole series with 2 losing its "new" charm and getting hate for it, and then the 3rd (infinite) becoming a pinata for elitists to bash on..... because apparently shooters aren't allowed to do a single thing wrong in a story to be good. However despite this people still adore the original. People are still buying and witnessing the magic of Rapture's original discovery. People still talk about the atmosphere, the ending, the horror themes, the politics, and some of the goofy quirks within its style. The game is held up as a classic, and really gets people talking of good times with it. It was also released long ago around the time Modern Warfare was getting hype and ready to go big, and despite that Bioshock's legacy still held through all the fads COD brought. Bioshock really will go down as a classic.

4) Journey

Journey is one of those that deserves not to just be considered a classic, but honestly one of the best games out there as it masters its own genre and I can't see anything beating it in that regard yet. It brought out strong hype, presented itself beautifully, had outstanding and innovative ideas, integrated multiplayer in a special way flawlessly, and delivered all we hoped for in a well constructed package worth replaying again and again to explore the rich adventure and collect everything. Oh yeah and there was a freakin' cheat code outfit to show off, how cool is that for an artsy indie game? It was widely and well received to the point where it was grabbing awards in typical events where it was usually triple A budget games, it got reviews and stories circulating high praise and amazing journeys all over the net, it stayed on top PSN sales months after it released, and it is still being talked about and replayed by the many fans to this day despite being just a 2 hour linear trip. This game is an honest classic and one of the biggest indie success stories I think we've seen in this generation where the scene exploded. You know what... I agree with every single high praise it gets, except maybe the music wasn't too special, but everything else about this game really made me melt with joy and I can agree with the masses on this one. I personally loved how it explored a spiritual theme, the anonymous co-op system that went in and out giving way to random but lovable assistants, the encouraged exploration despite a linear path, the emotional impact the ending had on me even after I beat it several times, the surprise threats and secrets behind the game, and just.... just... everything! The game is simply genius and put faith in the idea of these artsy walking adventures being solid gaming entertainment. It is an incredible game and experience for its short length and is every bit of a classic. 

3) Last of Us

Well I've sort of discussed my feelings about this game before. I think it is a tad bit overrated because its hype is a little too built up around a movie-toned story and people get carried away saying its the best thing they'll ever see. I will give it some credit for tying in the tense feeling into the gameplay though. However that wont stop it from being the top game ever to some people, getting tear jerking emotions pulled up, keeping people from seeing it in some glittered spotlight, and I've admitted before it still is a genius game that made it ok among the best PS3 games list even though I only rented it. It is a little early to go around saying for sure if this is a classic, but honestly to suggest that it wont be one is a bit.... well sheltered to put it lightly. The game has been getting nonstop love and praise everywhere and is being considered the highest point so far in a company that has always delivered massive hits, its sold a long lived and now slowly passing console, its holding its very high price point months after it released, and it honestly was a game that was crafted with true care and effort put into it in an age where publishers are bullying that out of our industry for the sake of money. This is a well crafted game with a massive spotlight and lots of love going for it, and honestly it beats Tomb Raider getting the praise over high budget movie stuff since this game actually has decent interaction and substance. I think that it will be looked back as one of the big final hits and possibly one of the biggest linear games out there as history goes on. Long campaign, high budget and focus on top performance all over the place, solid gameplay that stands out from the crowd and keeps you tense alongside the characters and brutal world, and to top it all off even if the story is heavily based on big performance stuff it really delivers strong and it is in part due to the game's general effectiveness as an interactive adventure. Oh yeah and that ending is just.... wow. I can truly see this becoming a massive classic, if not the "greatest game ever" to many.

2) Dark Souls

Even before I recently went on my still ongoing playthrough, I knew there was something different about this game that made it stood out and stand up a bit further than the average 2011 game. Some amazing games came out that year, but the only two that really endured the discussion, legacy, and community enthusiasm is Skyrim, and Dark Souls (maybe infamous 2). Clearly they were doing some good stuff. Sadly I do feel like Dark Souls wasn't exactly being held up as a classic for the right reason, and with time this kind of came to light. The original phase of people saying it was just a great difficult game was kind of silly as it was really more of the depth and execution that makes it such an amazing game. Yes it was difficult and stacked you in some poor odds, but it was because it expected a smart player that could learn from mistakes and use the system to its full advantage that it really held up as a fun game. The community that realized this is the one that stayed.... and then started leaving traces of the rewards across the internet. Cool tricks, interesting lore interpretations, parodies playing on the quirks that only really deep games have, interesting experiences and stories to tell from adventures, or simply spreading the world about various features. This is how it caught my attention in itself, as my rental time with it wasn't really the best showcase for it.

Like pretty much all the games on this list, The game doesn't do a lot that is new in itself, but its the way things are executed that make it stand out a good bit. You have different checkpoints distantly apart from each other that are also your main leveling stations, restores health and health potions, and can alter your condition a bit. Then you have strong combat and enemies that can do nearly everything you can... block, parry, heavy/light attacks, combos, and similar stuff and they can deal out high damage. Between the checkpoint walks, the limited health supply, and high damage they very basic enemies will keep you tense and on your guard while also fully enjoying and using the deep combat system. If you die though you drop all "souls" which just so happen to be the life driving RPG element here. Souls lets you level up, is the currency, and even gets you by a few other things like an NPC task, so dropping them is bad. However you can recover them if you make it back to your death spot. This whole set up creates a genius system of determination and drive that brilliantly pushes you forward and keeps the player motivated to learn from their mistakes in a way you simply don't see in another game. On top of that the player over time will likely learn to take advantage of the game in ways like finding a safe zone to shoot a boss's tail off to get a secret sword. Then there's a critical point on the Tarus demon boss. Moments like this and other quirks have been discovered from hardcore players that really are determined to get things done, all in a generation that has actually been about safe mechanics, bottling freedom and interaction, and emphasis on narrative over gameplay or Hollywood appeal over gamey appeal. Dark Souls not only calls upon older insticts to exploit, and delivers a very strong mechanic heavy tense experience with a good atmosphere, but it hits with a strong sense of discovery and meaningful moments that put it on par with games like Limbo and Last of Us's story telling acclaim while also being more of a game than most games are being. That is why people keep talking about Dark Souls. That is why its become a major hit without going mainstream. That is why its sequel has been begged for across all major platforms including even the Wii U. As a result.... I'm naming this as one of the more powerful classics we've seen come out of this generation, and it looks like its sticking to it until the closer ending as Dark Souls 2 has made it clear that there is no next generation release in the works yet.

1) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Ok this one requires a good bit of explanation. I'm not happy with it, but I've got to say that modern warfare is a big hit classic and possibly the most obvious one to choose and thus possibly the biggest classic. It didn't innovate on anything itself, it didn't do anything too special on paper, however it not only qualifies itself as a classic in fame but it is also the most obvious thing that other developers have been constantly drawing upon throughout this whole generation and its fame still lasts. I also think that while it didn't innovate, it was executed in such a way that hasn't been seen before and brought in a brand new market to shooters and gave casuals a place among the genre. Personally I think this game is overrated. I'd also much rather go for deeper shooters that I can hardly find anymore and I think what it brought to the industry is one of the worst declines because it made it so that very few shooters or general action game could be deep and "successful" games by the new budgets. Still this has been this generation's Halo, counter-strike, and Unreal as a "competitive" (I use that word loosely) leading online game, it has been the big hit FPS that sticks with people and has had the internet talking about it to this day, it has been that game people share memories about sinking hours with their friends over, and it has been that shooter that again has gotten people playing follow the leader behind for years and years down the line of the longest console cycles out there. Even with the hate wagon at high for the series, they still look back at modern warfare as an outstanding achievement in FPS gaming. I don't even have to explain the game or what became popular about it, its just been talked about to death and its influence has impacted pretty much all of action gaming in some way by now ranging from skinner boxes to regenerating health.

Thanks to this game, Call of Duty is about as well known as Mario and it doesn't even have nearly the amount of time or charm mario has had to get to that status. People remember this game for its addictive skinner box themed fast paced multiplayer, action packed campaign, and just feeling good and nailing the pacing and feeling to a wide audience. For those reasons I really do believe it deserves a spot on this list. Which spot? Well that was difficult to decide, but honestly it was the most blunt, copied, and still a very popular to discuss sort of game that has stood through time as a popular shooter that has been the standard of this generation.... for better and worst. I feel bitter about this, but Modern Warfare really does get the top spot on my list because it really is a big hit game that refuses to fade from time and brought on a heavy influence that lasts even through the "bash it like a pinata" phase the series is going through. Honestly I do have some respect for the game for doing its job and bringing in a casual flare to the genre, and I think it was a matter of very well executed use of older mechanics and ideas from other genres that brought in a strange but satisfying mix and finally brought the modern setting in before it was common. So well played Modern Warfare.... now FPS industry, please grow the hell up and respect your thought provoking and creative roots a bit more.