Your top ten games of the 6th generation

Other Games
1

The Xbox 360 is here, and it with it comes the beginning of the 7th generation of gaming. With the Nintendo Revolution and Sony PS3 right around the corner it will soon be time to say goodbye to the ‘current’ generation of systems. I thought this might be a good idea to share our personal top ten games of this generation. Here’s mine:

  1. Ico (Playstation 2)

I played this refreshing adventure game quite a while after it came out, but it was well worth it. Although the escape the castle and save the princess theme was nothing new, it introduced a major twist by forcing you to lead the girl through every single trap and puzzle in the game.

  1. Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast)

When I first saw videos of this game in action I found it hard to believe my eyes. The visuals in this game set the standard for all games that followed and the sheer speed of the gameplay was incredible. Although the game had framerate issues and the other characters were not as fun as playing as Sonic, it was easily the best of all this generation’s Sonic games (haven’t played Shadow though…)

  1. Shadow of the Colossus (Playstation 2)

The only game on this list that I haven’t finished (yet). This game expanded on the atmospheric world that was first introduced in Ico, but stepped the gameplay up with horse riding and some breathtaking combat sections.

  1. Jet Set Radio (Dreamcast)

Unique in style and in gameplay, Jet Set Radio was something very different but very cool. Unfortunately the Xbox sequel wasn’t as good, even if the controls were a lot smoother, so I’d recommend playing the DC version if you can find it.

  1. Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox)

Although some fans disliked Orta’s new art style, the gameplay was solid and (in my opinion) the most fun Panzer shooter to play yet. Many of the great battle elements from Saga like morphing and positioning made it into the game, but this time it was in real time. Overall, Orta was no Saga, but was a worthy title in the series.

  1. Soul Calibur (Dreamcast)

One of the best fighting games, if not the best, that I’ve played. Soul Calibur was so good because of the way the game flowed. Besides being a very polished fighting game with excellent music, Soul Calibur contained an addictive Mission Battle mode where your goal was to unlock all the game’s art. Soul Calibur II was good too, but the “first” game had the biggest effect on me.

  1. Half-Life 2 (PC)

Half-Life 2 took the first person shooter and totally revolutionized it by adding in a unique weapon called the gravity gun. With it you could pick up objects around the stage, making the combat far more interesting than most other shooters. The game also featured many puzzles that took advantage of the havoc physics engine which really made the game world come alive. Steam caused a few problems here and there, but the sheer awesomeness of HL2 made up for it.

  1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC)

I hadn’t played any of Bioware’s games before this, so the depth of the game really impressed me. When I found out the back story behind one of the characters half-way through the game, and how that affected the story, it impressed me even more. The sequel wasn’t bad either, but the characters and story of KOTOR was what really made it shine.

  1. Halo 2 (Xbox)

The reason this is above Half-Life 2 is not because the gameplay is more original or the graphics are better - they aren’t. The single player campaign was short and unfinished, and the gameplay wasn’t perhaps as original as it could have been. Halo 2 gets spot number 2 on my list because of the many many hours that the multiplayer modes have given my friends and I. The gameplay is so polished and well suited to the Xbox controller, that nearly anyone can pick up and join in. With a mix of split screen four player, lan games, and xbox live, Halo 2 is perhaps the most balanced multiplayer FPS for people of all skill levels that I have played.

  1. Skies of Arcadia (Dreamcast)

65 hours of gameplay, and I still wanted to see more of this game after I had finished it. Although many things about the game were a clich? it’s done so well that you tend not to notice… and when you do, it’s often because they’re done in a humourous way. The characters were lovable, and the sense of exploration throughout the entire story made me keep playing it solidly for a month, despite the random encounters almost driving me insane at times. Hopefully one day we’ll see a Skies of Arcadia 2.

2

There are still so many top games that I’ve yet to play (and lets not forget that Zelda TP isn’t out yet), but here are some of my faves so far:

Shenmue I & Shenmue II
Metroid Prime & Metroid Prime II: Echoes
Jet Set Radio
Deus Ex & Deus Ex: Invisible War
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

3

Games i really enjoyed were :

-Panzer Dragoon Orta
(for pretty much the same reasons as Solo )

-Ikaruga
more of this oldschool arcade stuff please =)

-Rez
Art!

-Viewtiful Joe
f*****g hard , especially that helicopter boss at the beginning…i’ll never forget him…he’s on my Nemesis-List , together with the Gatekeeper from Dynamite Headdy and other eeevil bosses… took me 12 hours straight to get him , but remarkable that the game was motivating enough to keep me trying til i got him :wink:
And bonus-marks for style !

-Gun Valkyrie

Anyone who played the game will agree that the point where you suddenly understand how to play it and don’t touch the ground anymore is a moment of revelation. I loved it!

-World of Warcraft

that game… after one year i finally managed to get rid of it…it’s a drug , it managed to almost ruin my social life , my relationship and my studies…
Goodbye Shadowsong Europe , i’ll miss ya…

-Otogi (2)
Ah , it was just… yeah , the game had some big camera problems…
but i loved the atmosphere , and i will never forget playing it , so it’s still on this list =P.

That’s only 7…
The other games i played are not really worth mentioning…
(Halo , Ninja Gaiden…no , they just didn’t touch me…)
And then i missed some great games:
Knight of the Old Republic , Shenmue , ICO , Shadow of the Colossus…
I know i have to check those out…

Edit: After thinking about it… Halo1 makes it to the list…
i never was a big 1stperson-shooter fan , and still , Halo kept me thrilled til the end … halo 2 doesn’t deserve a spot though =P

4

Not in order of preference and I don’t own all of them, I just think all of these deserve a mention for what they offered and represented. Console games only as it’s not so easy to talk about PC games in “generations” imo…

Soul Calibur (DC)
Shenmue (1)
Virtua Fighter 4 (any version)
PowerStone 2
Skies of Arcadia
Chu Chu Rocket
Resident Evil: Code Veronica (DC)
Ico
Quake 3 (DC)
Rez (DC)

5

WOW what a great topic
:slight_smile:

  1. Panzer Dragoon ORTA - X Box

Well I love it amd loved the way it kept on the Panzer Dragoon Trademarks (for me) like the amazing water effects, brilliant music score, amazing bosses , great story and voice acting . And the way the morphing and boss system form SAGA was used in ORTA was nothing sort of Genius

2). REZ - DC

2nd best game SEGA ever made in thier history imo. The game feels almost Spiritual , and Aera 5 along with Adam Freeland music score is just jaw dropping . I only wish I had 0.01% of the Art team talent.

Tetsuya Mizuguchi you are a Genius sir

3). JSRF- X-Box. Relly don’t know why there’s so much hate of the this game, its miles better than JSR with the only bad being the ploice chief wasn’t half as good as the one inthe DC version (so much character)

  1. Sonic Adv - DC

I still to this play this game, when I 1st had it over Christmas 1998 my jaw hit the floor so much , I had jaw Ache . The best Sonic game after Sonic CD and the 2nd best platform games I’ve ever played . The ammount of work and money that must have been spent of the Music score alone was mindblowing

5). O.TO.GI II - X-Box

This game is An experience in it?s self . Some of the best ART direction I?ve ever seen . Thumbs up to the stunning translation SEGA America did on the western version

  1. ICO- PS2.

For me Team ICO are SONY’s very own TA and thier games feel just as specail as the ones that TA made.

7). SEGA GT Online- X-Box

Yes all laugh , but I loved this along with F355 . The best car control and handling since SEGA Rallly . The car models are the best this side of GT , and the track desgin some of the best ever. I so wish and hope SEGA will give the series one more go

8). Kung Fu Chaos - X-Box

If this waas the work of a Capcom I’ll never hear the end of how only a Jp Team can make a fighter this good ect. This for me is better than PowerStone looks and soudns amazing, the level desgin is Inspired and the level where 4 players have to jump over a spping pipe is the best party and drinking game ever made.

9). Code Veronica - DC

For the best inthe series after the 1st game, and yes way better than RE4. The story was the best inthe whole of the series as was the cast of characters . I almost almost chocked on my can of beer the 1st time I loaded this up on impert (it was hard to tell was CGI and what wasn?t)

10 Riddick - X-Box

Forget your HALO’s and Prime this was by far the better FPS’s . Starbreeze are the new Lobotomy and Magnus Hoghal the new Ezra Driesback .

Also special mention must go to PSO . The easy of use just meant is was such a magical place to go, and meet people from around the world to work as Team.
It’s not very often a game will come along where I rather stay in, rather than go down the pub. This was such a game

6

For PC games, you could just put games that came out between the Dreamcast and Xbox 360’s launches… that would roughly be games of the 6th generation. Even though the PC technically isn’t a console, there were definately some must play games on that platform. Oh, and handheld games could be mentioned too.

Wikipedia article on the sixth generation

There’s some interesting lists here though. I haven’t played some of these games, so it’s good to share lists so that we can all find out some of the great games that we’re missing out on from each other.

7

Been having a little think, and here’s my personal favourites of this generation (in no order)

Soul Calibur (DC)
I was stunned when I first saw it running on a demo pod, and even to this day it still shines. Whilst the other two have gone on to expand the story, move lists and added further graphical sheen, this still remains my favourite. It has depth that rewards repeated play and practice, while at the same time allows total newcomers to have a go and do something impressive.

Silent Hill 2 (Xbox/PC/PS2)
My favourite in the series, and an example of truely mature videogames. Totally surreal, but the characters themselves are grounded with very real word troubles which meant they came across as terribly sad, lost souls.

Samba De Amigo (DC)
The best rythym-action game you will never play. Except you shouldn’t be saying that, you should be out there tracking a copy down (with maracas)! Fun, and without the elitist snobbery that accompanies DDR.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles (GC)
Playing this game on your own is a hollow experience, much like PSO. I had the pleasure of playing this game through in its entirety with my husband and brother, and it’s such a different experience, it’s as though you’re playing a whole new game. It’s a shame that multiplayer is an expensive impracticality for most people, but if you ever get the chance, do it.

We Love Katamari (PS2)
Just brilliant - it’s got a great mood to it - like bottled sunshine! Being able to play through the main game with a friend makes this superior to the prequel in my eyes, and the ability to roll up an entire zoos worth of animals is sorely lacking from many games in this generation :slight_smile:

Suikoden 3 (PS2)
Marked change from the rest of the series, and to me all the better for it. “Good” and “Bad” are wonderfully blurred into conflicting personal interests, all of which are being fought over for what the characters percieve to be (their own) greater good. It’s a shame the “real” fans all shouted “It’s not like Suikoden 2!”, because I would’ve loved to have seen the series evolve from this point.

ICO (PS2)
Beautiful. Really, truely beautiful. The emotions that run through this game are so strong, even though there’s so little dialogue. The perfect antidote to PS2 nay-sayers too :slight_smile:

Phantasy Star Online (DC/PC/Xbox/GC)
As a game, it’s rubbish. Combat is clunky, akward and bland and for a game billed as an RPG the plot is paper-thin. I have also clocked up more hours on this game this generation than any other. It’s not because of the online element, it’s because of the atmosphere created within the game. It interests me for some reason, and I love zapping De Rol Le as much as I ever did!

Sakura Taisen : Atsuki Chioshi Ni (PS2)
Fantastic remake of the Saturn classic. It’s a shame this series doesn’t hold a lot of Western interest, because it’s a lot of (cheesy) fun. Tactical robot RPG/dating sim text adventuring at its finest :slight_smile:

As for the tenth game… that’s tough. Truth be told, I’ve enjoyed loads of games this gen, so here’s my honourable mentions -

Mars Matrix
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Thief 3
Gradius 5
Resident Evil 4
Rez
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Virtua Fighter 4 Evo
Metal Gear Acid

8

My top selections (in no particular order), minus Dreamcast selections:

Ico: Truly showed the beauty of an interactive visual medium. The entire story is born out of the player’s own emotional investment into the characters, not out of needless exposition and tiresome backstory. The characters are given levels of realism never before seen in video games simply through their detailed animations and player-controlled interactions. Who would have known that the simple act of having a player hold another character’s hand would cause such a deep emotional investment…

Shadow of the Colossus: A friend of mine described it best, “It’s not the most fun game you’ll ever play, but it will bring out emotions that no other game could.” He was right. There were times when the gameplay was frustrating, things were a little unclear, but when it clicked, it felt so organic, so alive that I felt completely immersed and absorbed into the world and its lore. Between the realism with which Agro was created, to the completely natural feeling “grab” mechanic, and of course, the fantastic animation, it was the single most organic experience I’ve ever had.

Morrowind: An RPG without boundaries (well, almost). It was the closest I’ve played to playing a tabletop RPG in digital form. No other game could offer the experiences that this game dished up. Case in point: I was breaking into some manor and came across a fellow Khajit… but he had been enslaved. Feeling pity upon my kinsman, I freed him from his bonds. Soon after, I found myself getting involved in an anti-slavery movement, running the countryside and freeing slaves everywhere I went. I went from petty thief to Robin Hood in the course of a few hours, and it all felt completely natural.

Halo: The game that finally got FPS gameplay right on a console. Halo proved that consoles were a legit playground for FPS gamers, and it offered a multiplayer experience unlike any other game until that point (aside from Goldeneye on N64).

Guitaroo Man: To me, this is the spiritual successor to games like Parappa the Rapper and Space Channel 5. Inis (Guitaroo Man & Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!) is turning out to be a great dev house for quirky and fun rhythm games… Guitaroo Man was extremely difficult, but intensely rewarding for music-game fans.

Zelda: Wind Waker: The most artistically unified game I’ve ever seen. From the smallest details to the largest buildings, everything felt “as one” throughout the entire game. While some may not have liked the change in art direction, to me, it made Hyrule feel new and fairy tale-like. That, combined with the near-realism of the sailing mechanic (I used to sail small, 2-man boats myself… and it’s uncannily accurate in feeling!) made for a magical experience. And of course, it had the usual Nintendo polish…

Metroid Prime: I hesitated a bit with this one, but I have to say that I was truly impressed. The graphics were top notch, the gameplay, albeit slow at times, was just different enough from your usual run-and-gun FPS games that it was immensely satisfying. That, coupled with the fact that they really nailed the feeling and atmosphere of the Metroid series, despite the drastic genre-departure, made for a really nostalgic, yet somehow fresh, experience.

Star Wars: KOTOR: Who knew? A good Star Wars game? Not to mention that the game felt more Star Wars-y than the new movies did. And one of the coolest twists in a video game ever :slight_smile:

Beyond Good and Evil: If ever there was a case for focus testing your character designs, it would be this game. This game captured the magic ofa Miyazaki film, the gameplay of a Zelda game, and the characters of a good children’s book… but fell apart in the visual appeal. Still, once you got past the unremarkable main character with the green lipstick, a beautiful game was to be found. It’s a shame that it fared so poorly at retail…

There’s quite a few more, but I think that’s good enough for now!

9

  1. Jet Grind Radio - I usually don’t play games like this, but it had a lot of charm. The soundtrack is great, and it kicked off the cel-shading stint. The dub job on this one is waaaay better than Jet Set Radio Future’s.

  2. Tales of Symphonia - Tales games are a dime a dozen these days, but this is the only one on GameCube and also the one that got funding from Nintendo for its superb localization job. The character interaction was superb, as the dialogue was absolutely hilarious, and I was really surprised to see so much innuendo.

  3. Ys: The Oath in Felghana - This is the perfect example of an action RPG done right. It’s simple, but easy to control, has the perfect pacing to go through the game, and it has the best game music score I’ve heard to date.

  4. Fire Emblem: Path of Radience - Sega couldn’t be bothered to release a strategy/RPG on any of the three big consoles, but Nintendo did. It was an extremely enjoyable one, at that. Some things I like about Shining Force better, but others I prefer here.

  5. Ikaruga - While I think Radiant Silvergun is an overall superior game, Ikaruga is definitely more refined than its predecessor. Still in anticipation of Hiroshi Iuchi’s completion of his trilogy of shooters (Silvergun was “earth”, Ikaruga was “sky”, and the next one is supposed to be “space”).

  6. Skies of Arcadia - I logged a lot of hours just playing the demo of this game. Naturally, I logged a lot of hours on the actual game itself. Proud owner of the Eternal Arcadia LE box and the official soundtrack to the game available only through mail order through Enterbrain.

  7. Space Channel 5: Part 2 - Most Sega gamers give Rez all the praise as far as Mizuguchi games go, but I think this game deserves it more. While the first game was kind of lacking, and the second game still boils down to a very goofy take on Simon Says, it’s fun to play and also entertaining to watch. The game exhudes style. Never got localized on Dreamcast, but it did for PS2 and I think they did a great job with it.

  8. Shadow of the Colossus - If there was a candidate for game to represent the genre as a work of art, this would be it. It definitely set the new standard for what’s considered a “large boss”, and pushed the PlayStation 2 to its limit.

  9. Final Fantasy XI - Yes, I am not kidding. It’s #2 on the list. There are many who do not like the game because it takes a lot of time to make progress, but it is the only online game out that actually can claim to have a strong storyline going for it. It takes awhile to get access to said storyline due to level requirements, but it is there. The team that made Chrono Trigger worked on this game, and it certainly shows since the world shows a lot of imagination at work. While it has elements from Final Fantasy, it does not share much of what the rest of the series has shown.

  10. Phantasy Star Online - The online game that got rushed out to release due to the Dreamcast’s demise that was announced two months after the game shipped, it had its flaws, but it had what I feel to be the best barebones formula for an online RPG. If Sonic Team had been given more time to finish the game, it probably would have been a lot more solid of a title. That didn’t stop me from playing countless hours of it with friends, though.

10

Most of mine have already been mentioned, so I won’t offer any write ups for them, since everyone else has pretty much nailed what makes them so great. But in no particular order:

Otogi: Myth of Demons Xbox - When I first played that game, it immediately grasped me with it’s absolute deep atmoshere and ambience. It also blended the perfect amount of RPG elements such as leveling up in with pure action without overcomplicating things. Plus, everyone loves to defy the laws of physics and engage in mid-air battle, right?

Test Drive: Le Mans Dreamcast - I am huge racing enthusiast, but what really annoys me with the so called high profile racing games such as Gran Turismo and the Sega GT series, is that it forces you into car collection and management throughout the course of your career. What Le Mans did was offer a great racing experience that doesn’t hamper you down with buying new cars or managing garages, but at the same time offered a great variety of car classes and tracks; plus it really concentrated on the racing aspect of the game allowing the player to put as much or as little tweaking into each race as they wanted without making things seem to complex.

4 Wheel Thunder - Dreamcast - Pretty much the epitome of arcade racing, while the game’s single player was pretty punishing and offered little in the way of satisfaction since it was almost impossible to get through more than 75% of the championship mode, if you had a couple of friends to play multiplayer with; this game shined. You would consistently be fighting over cash on the track, and trying to take all the shortcuts to increase your lead or catch up.

Grandia 2 - Dreamcast - Sure the story was cliche and predictable, but in either case the characters really stood with me even after I played the game, plus this game had one of my favorite soundtracks to date. The battles were always exciting and offered a lot more room for strategy than most on foot battle systems in other games. The game immersed me as well, since every area you visited was completely unique and it was evident that the creators obviously spent a lot of time on meticulously placing details.

Skies of Arcadia - Dreamcast

Soul Calibur - Dreamcast

Sonic Adventure - Dreamcast

Panzer Dragoon Orta - Xbox

Tales of Symphonia - GameCube

Halo: CE & Halo 2 - Xbox

11

Such a brilliant idea for a topic. I couldn’t just pick ten games, however. For me, there’s a sort’ve ‘select’ group of eleven games that are significantly ahead of the rest.

But first things first, the honourable mentions:
Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox, 2003)
Sega Rally 2 (Dreamcast, 1999)
Ghost Recon (Xbox, 2002)
F1 World Grand Prix (Dreamcast, 1999)

#11: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox, 2003)
This was one of those rare games that managed to produce a strong
storyline and combine it with a sense of choice and freedom. It felt like you
were actually in control. The characters, depth, locations, and general
kick-ass factor of this game makes it truly memorable. Impressive. Most
impressive.

#10: Splinter Cell (Xbox, 2002)
This was the second game I played on my Xbox, and I really loved how things worked in it. All the gadgets were awesome. Finding my way through the levels felt rewarding, because they were so atmospheric. It felt real to me, back in the day. Plus, Sam Fisher is a total rock.

#9: Virtua Tennis (Dreamcast, 2000)
Well tennis is one of my favourite sports, and anyone who has played this game will know just how fun it is. I became sadly addicted to it, trying to complete all the challenges in the career mode (still have three or four to go). Multiplayer is really where it’s at though.

#8: Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (Xbox, 2005)
Some of you might think this is a bit of an odd choice, but multiplayer co-op on this game is still the most fun I’ve ever had on Xbox Live. After the disappointing Pandora Tomorrow, I felt this game returned the series to its roots; the single player campaign played a lot more like the original.

#7: Black & White (PC, 2001)
I have a love / hate relationship with this game. On one hand, the complexity and creature-building is brilliant, but on the other hand it’s damn annoying when the creature forgets things he’s been taught. I’ve never gotten too far in it, mainly because I suck at strategy-type games, but every time I play it it’s always fun and it always sucks me in.

#6: Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast, 1999)
This was the first game of the sixth generation to truly blow me away. Everything about it was such a leap ahead of anything that had been done on a console before. Everything looked gorgeous, played gorgeous, and sounded gorgeous. The levels were challenging, yet fun at the same time, and each character played differently enough to keep things fresh.

#5: Shenmue (Dreamcast, 2000)
And this would be the second game of the sixth generation to blow me away. I don’t even know where to start. Things just play out so well in this game. The progression of the story feels so natural, like it could be you hunting your fathers killer. The QTE action sequences add a new level of enjoyment to the genre, and set this game apart from anything else that’s gone before.

=3rd: Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox, 2002) and Halo 2 (Xbox, 2004)
I’m sure my obsession with Halo hasn’t gone unnoticed, so no surprises here. Thankfully I think the games are equal enough to not warrant having to answer the $64,000 question of which is better. The original’s campaign is better than that of it’s successor, but it’s multiplayer falls short. Co-op is better than both campaign and multiplayer combined, and I’ll be mad if it’s not online in Halo 3.

2nd: Shenmue II (Dreamcast, 2001)
Everything the original did, this one does better. More action, more challenge, more mystery and suspense. It’s faster paced, benefits from the inclusion of the new mini games like arm wrestling, yet still manages to remain faithful to the original’s style and exploration elements. Not often is a sequel better than the original, but this one is by leaps and bounds.

1st: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Xbox, 2001)
Epic.

12

Daytona 2001 (DC): The arcade perfect version of the classic arcade game many fans were waiting for (don’t say a word TA :slight_smile: ). Better than arcade perfect in fact with improved graphics, more cars and more tracks. The colourful textures bear all the hallmarks of a true DC game.

Devil May Cry (PS2): Action/Adventure gameplay at its very best. Hack and slash shooting mayhem in a world full of demons and a badass of a main character. It has one of the best last bosses in any game like it (in fact, most of the bosses are unparralleled). This was basically Capcom taking Ghouls and Ghosts into the 3D realm.

Grandia 2 (DC): With immersive, pacey music, excellent graphics for the time (which the PS2 couldn’t quite replicate) and one of the best battle systems in any Japanese RPG, this game alone almost made the Dreamcast worth owning. After being spoiled by the free roaming gameplay of Baldur’s Gate for the PC (as well as the more liberating character customisation), however, I was disappointed by how linear the game ultimately was, but that’s the nature of the beast!

Headhunter (DC): A totally under-rated action/puzzle/stealth/shooter with excellent graphics, oldschool gameplay and a witty main character. My only regret is that I bought it long after the early demise of the Dreamcast (Alex here recommended it to me in fact). The final boss with his slicing laser beams was, at the risk of repeating myself, wonderfully old-school. If only the sequel had remained faithful to the gameplay of the original, then we might have played GTA: Headhunter instead.

Knights of the Old Republic: Baldur’s Gate in a 3D Star Wars setting. I really couldn’t ask for much more. I was surprised that BioWare managed to voice act every line of dialogue, but the game’s budget paid the price of being shorter than Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2. Good and evil routes through the game and a voice with which the main character could steer the course of the story are some of its defining characteristics. And who could resist the temptation to dual wield light sabers?!

Morrowind: I have a real soft-spot for first person RPGs because they fully immerse you in their worlds, and found myself being addicted to the boundlessness of Morrowind like no other before it. So much so, that I’m tempted to go back after I explore everything there is to explore in Oblivion. V: TM -Bloodlines beats it in the main story department though, but Bloodline’s side-quests only created the illusion of a non-linear game. Morrowind is one.

Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox): No explanation required, other than the fact that none of us even expected to see this game since PD Saga basically brought the series’ story to its inevitable conclusion, so we ended up being grateful for anything. Happens to be one of the finest looking Xbox games even to this day.

Resident Evil Code: Veronica (DC): Basically, this was the suspensful (you never knew what would happen next) puzzle-ridden old-school gameplay of the first three Resident Evils with a next generation makeover. Totally awesome.

Silent Hill 2: Exploring a misty town where inners fears are personafied was almost reason enough to play this game. Hopefully we will be free to dig deeper into the source of how the town manifests itself in Silent Hill 5 if it ever arrives. The worst thing Konami could have done was take the series away from Silent Hill itself. Oh yeah, and the main character was certainly refreshing. I’m forever arguing with my sister about what motivated the man. Coughpsychocough.

Silent Hill 3: Much more linear than SH2, but was by far more terrifying. Konami used every trick in the book to unnerve players, and it left even I, who’s not usually afraid of anything supernatural (the stories I could tell…) afraid to play it without the light on! Poor Heather needed a hug in that game. Sharing her fear was all part of the fun (the main character of the fourth game had all the charm of a brick wall). I couldn’t get enough of the old-school puzzles found here and in SH2.

13

In no particular order (I can never decide which is best) :

SW : Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox) - Best “western” RPG I ever played.The side-stories were the best out there,the characters were kick ass and well my only quarrel is that it wasn’t an action-rpg (yes combat isn’t really my thing altho I do enjoy it).

Soul Reaver 2 (PC) - I wasn’t a LoK fan before SR2.In fact it pretty much introduced me to to the series.I remeber I played this after I read about it in a magazine.I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the scenarios,the kcickass soundtrack (the best in a videogame so far??), the characters and the way they interacted with each other.The plot is just kick ass and makes you think about it as you are playing the game.The actuall gameplay wasn’t anything out there but the symbolism of all the puzzles just grabbed me.You much like Raziel play so that you can learn more about his purpose.The fact that he is a pretty uninformed guy helps the story since everyone else seems to be omniscient in their own way.This along with PDS and Riven is the game I always recommend to anyone who loves more than just gameplay in a videogame.So, go buy it!

Myst III : Exile (PC) - Afer Riven I wasn’t expecting a sequel that could match it’s quality.Truth be told I still think Riven is better than Exile but Exile is still a terrific game.You could for the first time look around in 360? fashion.Since one of the Myst games fortes is the beauty of the scenarios this was something I loved.The game wasn’t made by Cyan so a lot of thing was bound to change.The music was very different ,less dark and played by an orchestra this time around, and the puzzles were more physics realted too.I loved the addition of the new Narayan subculture and Saavedro was a very interesting character.My favourite Myst game after Riven (altho Revelation could qualify better depending on my mood :P)

Halo : Combat Evolved (Xbox) - I think this was the first FPS I was eager to play a second time right away (i think that’s pretty much how you can judge if I really like a game or not) even if I loved Exhumed(powerslave).I liked the Halo-universe and the music was great along with the gameplay.Beating Halo in outdoor 3d scenery is also very difficult.My fav FPS ever.

Shenmue 2 (Xbox) - I couldn’t stand the fact I had never played a Shenmue game so I eventually bought it.And I’m glad I did.I love it pretty much for the same reasons everyone else does so I won’t delve on that.I’m still looking for a way to play the first one tho…

Legacy of Kain : Defiance (Xbox) - You can finally enjoy the combat gameplay in a LoK game (okay BO2 is okay but…)!If you take into consideration that that’s pretty much the only thing missing in Soul Reaver 2 you got yourself a masterpiece here.Granted I wasn’t happy with the fact they didn’t include the Reaver forges in a more SR2 way and that they just remixed music from previous LoK games (hey how bad can that be when its LoK?) but this still is probably my favourite game this gen…

Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) - probably the one game I love almost exclusively for it’s gameplay.It’s just plain fun.

Panzer Dragoon Orta (XBox) - for all it’s flaws this is still PanDra!Apart from the artistic and musical changes this game just amazed me.I got to learn more about the world too and the gameplay is superb.I took it as a mission to learn to like the game’s differences and I still try to play it on a bimonthly basis.I just wish I hand’t read that thread about “the revelation” on Die Welt :frowning:

Apart from these ones the list can vary (sp?) quite a bit.

Fable
KUF: Crusaders
Beyond Good and Evil
Otogi
Half-Life 2
Myst IV : Revelation
JSRF
Gun Valkyrie
Jade Empire

PS:Xbox by far my most played system.