My Top 25 Games Of This Console Generation

My wife Kelly and I have an agreement: Saturday is game day. She games. I game. Everyone that ventures into my house on this hallowed day is expected to pick up a controller (or at least flail arms and legs on Kinect). Most Saturdays I scan my library for titles I haven't finished yet. Hot new games usually get the red carpet treatment. Role-playing games from generations gone by also stand out. I don't often go back to revisit games I've already completed. That changed last Saturday. I was feeling nostalgic, but didn't want to go through the bother of digging through boxes to find my NES or Genesis components. Instead, I decided to replay a modern game. The debate of which game to play weighed heavily on my mind. I started mentally organizing the games I enjoyed most from this generation. Before long, my living room floor was covered in game boxes. My wife commented that I was having a Beautiful Mind-like moment. My madness resulted in the creation of this list.

My selection process centers specifically on games that resonate with me personally rather than what I think will have the longest lasting impact on the industry. You probably won't agree with my game order, but human nature is to criticize lists. Feel free to offer commentary on what you think (and potentially your own Top 25) in the comments section below.

I apologize for the huge amount of text. In addition to my current thoughts on games, I've included official Game Informer reviews for any games I scored.

25. Lost Odyssey

Developer Mistwalker
Publisher Microsoft
Release February 12, 2008

I often call Lost Odyssey the “best Final Fantasy of this generation.” When Hironobu Sakaguchi, Final Fantasy’s creator, left Square Enix to form Mistwalker, he apparently took the Final Fantasy blueprint with him. If I ever got around to alphabetizing all of the games in my library, I would slide Lost Odyssey right between Final Fantasy X and XII. The storytelling, character development, world navigation, monster design, and combat system hark back to Sakaguchi’s time at Square and the direction he took with the Final Fantasy franchise.

Looking back at this game, I don’t just see it as a great JRPG, it stands strong as a story. The game’s protagonist Kaim is one of the most interesting and conflicted characters in any game. Sakguchi and his team did a phenomenal job of slowly revealing who this character is and why you should care about him.

I was hoping Lost Odyssey would become an ongoing series, but with four years since its release, and only moderate sales recorded, it seems like this may be the last we see of it.

My review: Lost Odyssey is Mistwalker’s answer to Final Fantasy. More accurately, it is Mistwalker’s answer to Final Fantasy X. Unmistakable similarities can be seen throughout the entire game, from the tech-infused fantasy art style to the strategic flow of combat. Hironobu Sakaguchi may have left Square, but his enthusiasm for making Final Fantasy is still running hot through his veins. Whether you view this game as derivative or see it as the ultimate fan service, it’s impossible to ignore this heartfelt story. It’s wondrously contemplative, and backed by strong character performances. The cinematography is also breathtaking, but surprisingly, some of the most emotional moments come from pages of text. While the combat system could be entered into the dictionary as the definition of cookie-cutter RPG, I did get some kicks out of the composite magic system and reflex-based ring attacks. It also offers a nice variety of monsters and a handful of great boss fights. World exploration is as linear as can be, but the sights are simply stunning and the interactivity you have with your surroundings can be quite fun. In the end, Lost Odyssey won’t change your perception of RPGs, but rather remind you of why you love them. – 8.75 out of 10

24. Halo: Reach

Developer Bungie
Publisher Microsoft
Release September 14, 2010

I’m not the biggest Halo fan. Truthfully, I kind of suck at its multiplayer – although I do love playing it – and I couldn’t even begin to tell you what this series’ story is about. All I know is that little jawa-like aliens have teamed up with gorillas with hammers to destroy the universe. I’m guessing I am missing some of the major plot points, but at the same time, am pretty close to summarizing Master Chief’s exploits.

Halo: Reach is my favorite entry into the series. I had a blast playing through the campaign cooperatively with friends, and for the first time in my Halo playing, understood the story and felt an emotional attachment to its characters. Dan, Tim, and I played through the game in one sitting, and I ventured back to play it again by myself.

Looking back at it, the elements that stands out the most are the enemy encounters and the epic scale attached to most of them. I felt like I was engaged in a sprawling war, and not just pockets of enemies along a linear path.

I didn’t get the chance to review this game for Game Informer, but had I been given the opportunity I'd give it 9.25 out of 10...or 9 sticky grenades on a gorilla's back.

23. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2

Developer Bizarre Creations
Publisher Microsoft
Release July 30, 2008

So far, it would appear my entire list is comprised of Microsoft published titles. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is the only downloadable game making my Top 25, and I probably shouldn’t include it since I strongly believe that my vision got worse during the two months that I was obsessed with it.

I find I do not blink while playing this difficult shooter. Most matches end with me rubbing my eyes and looking around my game room dazed. I don’t think I’ve ever played a game so intensely and with such a desire to climb the leaderboards. Mind you, none of my scores even come close to cracking the top 1,000.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2’s design couldn't be better. The controls are precise, and the crazed combat escalates at a perfect pace. I did find myself screaming at the TV that the developers should be shot for the inclusion of the green enemies, but it was a comment made out of frustration and all is forgiven now.

Again, I didn’t get the chance to review this one for the magazine, but I’d give it a 9.5 out of 10...or 70/80 vision.

22. Mortal Kombat

Developer NetherRealm Studios
Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive
Release April 19, 2011

At one point in my gaming career I thought I might have a shot at becoming a professional gamer. The game that gave birth to this ludicrous idea was Mortal Kombat 2. I managed to win 38 matches in a row in an arcade just a few miles from my childhood home and developed the reputation in this arcade as "the greatest player on the planet." That fame went to my head. I entered a Mortal Kombat 2 tournament in a Minneapolis-based arcade with the belief I would win it all and embarrass all involved. It turns out none of the players in my arcade were very good. I never won a round and was out of the tournament within minutes.

Despite the crushing defeat, my love for this series remains strong, and the newest offering reminds me of my arcade glory days. Ed Boon and his team at NetherRealm have crafted an exceptional fighter that seamlessly blends nostalgic content with modern gameplay. The combat is loaded with depth, and each combatant forces you to play in different ways. When I'm in a mood for a quick competitive game, this Mortal Kombat is usually my first choice.

My review: Mortal Kombat isn’t a mere throwback to the series’ arcade glory days. Sure, it places combatants on a classic two-dimensional plane, recycles Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3’s roster, ventures back to the series’ most iconic arenas, and gives that odd fellow who yells “Toasty!” another job. However, the nostalgic nods, as great as they are, take a backseat to the creative ideas that bolster the classic fighting formula.

Powerful x-ray moves shatter spines and fracture skulls, special moves can be augmented to deal additional damage, and just when you think you’ve seen it all, the game throws bloody curveballs your way in the form of new match types. You may find yourself battling an army of tarkatans, or struggling to deal damage because your character can’t stand the stench of a rotting version of Goro. With a sadistic sense of humor accompanying most of the fights and modifiers, you never know what to expect from Mortal Kombat – but it's always gory, hilarious, and an absolute blast to play.

Most of the crazy match types are found in Challenge mode, a tower of 300 objective-based levels. This mode could easily be considered a full game on its own. While Test Your Might, Strike, Sight, and Luck pop up often, most of the other matches are unique one-offs, such as Johnny Cage fighting a movie director or a bout where you play as a zombie. In addition to making me question what the hell is going on every five to 10 minutes, this mode does a nice job of showing players the ropes and teaching them how to play as each of the combatants. Some of the objectives are incredibly difficult, but should you run into a challenge that has your number, you can pay coins (earned in every mode) to skip it.

I pumped 10 hours into Challenge mode alone, and invested twice as much time into the classic tournament structure. This is where MK purists can enjoy no-frills one-on-one fights culminating with an ass-beating by Shao Kahn. The combat is frantic, and even though most of the characters’ special moves were introduced over a decade ago, it doesn’t feel like a nostalgia act. NetherRealm Studios has created a modern fighter that accommodates numerous play styles. If you have any memory of the first few Mortal Kombat games, you can probably throw Scorpion’s spear without looking at the moves list. The combos, enhanced special attacks, x-ray attacks, and beautifully designed tag maneuvers are all new wrinkles that make this combat experience the deepest in Mortal Kombat’s history. Dan and I play the game in entirely different ways, and some of the people I’ve played online have opened my eyes to new approaches with different characters. Story mode also forces you into the role of different characters and, like all of the modes in this game, offers a lengthy and polished experience despite the ludicrous tale it tells.

None of the characters are palette swaps, and there’s little repetition in the move sets or fatalities. You can sense that Ed Boon and his team had a great time dreaming up fatalities that best fit each character. Some of them are hilarious; others are downright disturbing. In Shang Tsung’s finisher, the team even takes a jab at Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe’s Teen rating. Each character offers two fatalities, a secret-ality, and a stage fatality. Uncovering all the ways you can dismember your competition is a significant and uproarious time sink.

Characters get shredded up in more ways than just fatalities. As matches unfold, characters will bruise and bleed, and their outfits sustain damage beyond a tailor’s repair. Most of the stages also offer scenic views of Earthrealm being destroyed or the sick machinations occurring in Outworld. You have to take your eye off the fight to appreciate the amount of action occurring in the backgrounds; you’ll see dragons battling helicopters, snakes slithering down trees, and other combatants locked in battles in the distance. I’ve always loved the way this series has looked, whether it was the digitized actors or exploding polygonal characters who showered far too many rib cages onto the playing surface. This game eschews that kind of zaniness, however, and is downright gorgeous. In a split second, it can wipe the look of awe off of your face with a gruesome bone snap.

Mortal Kombat also makes an impact in the online space. King of the Hill mode brings a competitive arcade-like atmosphere to the online bouts. Much like the days where you would put a quarter on the machine to signify that you have the next fight, you stand in line and wait your turn. Waiting in a day and age when “quick match” is a part of our lexicon may seem like a silly thing to do, but I enjoyed taunting my foes and scoring their performance as I waited, not to mention studying their techniques prior to throwing down with them.

The only area where Mortal Kombat feels antiquated is in its AI. On the higher difficulty levels, computer opponents are as quick-witted and fast-acting as the Flash. Bosses are annoyingly cheap. I realize they should be tougher than standard opponents, but giving them immunity to any attack, even when your foot is clearly crushing their face, is an artificial difficulty booster that should have stayed in the past. The other minor complaint I have is the lack of new characters, especially from a team that has such a history of creating memorable fighters.

This is the best Mortal Kombat yet. It didn’t blow my mind to the degree that Mortal Kombat 2 and 3 did back in the day, but when it comes down to the gameplay and longevity tied to it, this new entry towers above its 2D lineage. – 9.5 out of 10

21. Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Developer DICE
Publisher EA Games
Release March 2, 2010

Fire rains down from the heavens. Kill counts go through the roof. Along the way, a hapless sniper's dog tags are stolen. Battlefield: Bad Company 2's multiplayer is as enthralling as it is rich in strategy. This is the type of game where I put on the general's cap and become a total d-bag. I don't taunt opponents or scream obscenities at them, I just want to win. I'll ride my teammates until we click as a unit, or, in most cases, run into a player who is an ill-behaved 13-year-old with a four-word vocabulary.

In most multiplayer games, I find myself sticking with a certain weapon or class type. I don't know what it is, but I feel comfortable with every weapon, class and vehicle in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Everything works the way I expect it, too, and it all feels evenly balanced. I never felt like I had an advantage unless the opposing team didn't know how to play the game. Players who can't defend against tanks or helicopters are probably my favorite people in the world. If you are one of these people, please play join me for Battlefield 3 multiplayer. My score: 9.25 out of 10

Bad Company 2 also deserves credit for its single player campaign. While sharing a similar design to the first Bad Company, the conflicts are more exciting and faster paced, and more importantly, Sweetwater gets more screen time. Across both single and multiplayer, the weapon play feels fantastic. I always have an appreciation for a game that makes all of its weapons kick like mules.

20. MLB 10: The Show

Developer Sony San Diego
Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment
Release March 2, 2010

I'm a Cubs fan. I hate goats and people named Steve, and am a believer in curses, witchcraft, and that all baseball teams other than the Cubs use steroids to gain an advantage (how else could they lose for 102 straight years?). Each year, when my Loveable Losers show their true, awful form (usually around June), I find myself spending significant amounts of make believe time with Sony's MLB: The Show series. Under my arm chair guidance, I can turn this team around. In my world, the Cubs have won the World Series three times in a row and are currently the favored team to win the NL Central this year.

MLB 10: The Show brought broadcast quality visuals to an already outstanding baseball game. It fooled my coworkers into thinking I was watching an actual baseball broadcast. Then again, I doubt most of them have ever watched a baseball game before, or would even know what a baseball bat was if it wasn't a weapon in Grand Theft Auto.

I put MLB 10: The Show right up there with NFL 2K5 and NHL 93 as the best sports games to date. The Show's attention to detail and Sony San Diego's obvious love of the sport make each baseball season worth looking forward to, even for Cubs fans.

My review: The only thing missing from MLB 10: The Show’s presentation is a shot of a coach nodding in and out of sleep on the dugout bench. Outside of this minuscule detail, Sony has created the most realistic simulation in video games. If someone ran a feed of this game on one of the many screens in a sports bar, I wouldn’t be surprised if the patrons thought it was a live broadcast. The camerawork, statistical overlays, and attention to detail on the field make The Show as much fun to watch as it is to play.

Fans lunge for foul balls. Base coaches chat it up with fielders between innings. You’ll even see a catcher accentuate the importance of keeping a pitch down with an aggressive hand gesture. These details are purely visual, but touches like a fielder slowing to make a catch in front of the left field wall, or a catcher scrambling to secure a passed ball, enhance the gameplay. I never ran into a play where I thought a player should have reacted differently. The paths players take to field balls don’t come across as artificial or gamey. Players accurately read ball bounce and spin, and above all, believably portray their position.

The realism captured in the player movements also affects gameplay. Fluid pitching animations deliver violent arm snaps and accurate velocity to match. Pitching and batting mechanics remain the same, but the AI for both sides is vastly improved. If a rival pitcher has you 0-2, you become their plaything. If the computer is controlling the batting champ at the plate, they’ll make you pay for mistakes. Unlike rival Major League Baseball 2K10, fielding never induces headaches. The ball physics are easy to read, and fielders react the way you want them to. From the batter’s box to the warning track dirt, MLB 10: The Show’s gameplay delivers an all-star caliber performance.

The one area where this series loses a bit of its allure is in the mode selection. With the debut of My Player in MLB 2K10, the Road to the Show mode is now antiquated to a certain degree. Being able to call the game as a catcher is a cool touch, and I love the new pitching exercises, but the weekly goal format could use a shot of the realism that the rest of the game exhibits. Having my pitcher work on improving his bunting ability before his fastball is an odd thing for a manager to ask. Don’t get me wrong; Road to the Show remains a blast, but it’s mostly the same song and dance as last season’s game. Franchise mode allows players to manually set player injuries (I guess this is cool if you want your Franchise to sync up with the actual MLB season). CPU logic for trades and sim roster management is also much better this year.

Most of the other changes are minor, but do open the doors for a high level of customization. You can now assign audio for your team’s home games, such as inning specific songs or sound effects for game changing situations. You can now record the game ending highlight reel, or create your own. Online leagues have been fleshed out with most of the managerial options found in Franchise mode, such as 40-man roster management, league trading, and lineup/rotation tweaking. Baseball nuts with tons of time on their hands can also commission two online leagues at once.

When you find yourself wondering which player messed up the batters box chalk the most, you know that Sony’s years of iteration has paid off. The little details are in place to fool your eye into thinking it’s a real broadcast, and push your skills to play the game the way it’s meant to be played. No baseball game has come close to delivering a complete package like this game does. – 9.5 out of 10

19. Dead Space

Developer Visceral Games
Publisher EA Games
Release October 14, 2008

Dead Space teaches gamers survival instincts. Don't let your guard down. Don't ignore a flicker of light or the distant clanking of metal. Don't leave yourself exposed. As I played through this game, the sensation that Visceral Games was toying with me rang out loud and clear. No matter how on edge I was, or how slowly I moved through a tiny metal hallway, the development team found ways to make me jump, or freeze up thinking that something was going to jump out of the woodwork.

Throw in disgusting animated mutations of man, suffocatingly small combat arenas, limited ammo, and angry babies, and a game really doesn't get much scarier than this, for me anyway.

The only thing scarier is Dead Space 2, a game I debated putting on this list, but ultimately decided against. The sequel is loaded with awesome moments and beautifully designed battles (that first raptor fight doesn't get enough credit), but it doesn't have that "falling down the rabbit hole" sensation that the first game offers. Plus, you can't play the sequel, or shouldn't, anyway, without learning what happens in the first game.

My review: They say in space, no one can hear you scream. After letting out a screech loud enough to burst the eardrums of all life in the cosmos, my time aboard starship Ishimura proves this unassailable scientific adage untrue. Dead Space is a bone-chilling journey into the heart of horror. Its nerve-shattering suspense and stomach-churning gore are perfectly orchestrated to play off of your fear and paranoia.

Grotesque humanoid mutations leap from the shadows, diseased corpses reanimate as you approach, and you never know when a tentacle is going to crash through a wall and grab you. Incredible lighting techniques, suffocating level designs, and haunting ambience effectively blend to create one of video games' most immersive and frightening atmospheres. As much as Dead Space made me jump out of my seat and scream at the top of my lungs, its gameplay made me respect it as a great game first and foremost.

In the introductory cutscene, we learn the Ishimura, a mining vessel equipped with tools powerful enough to crack planets from orbit, is malfunctioning. Like all science fiction movies, this ship's communications are offline, so a team containing your character, engineer Isaac Clarke, is sent in to investigate. When a particularly gory sequence occurs within minutes of boarding, it becomes apparent that an alien scourge has infested the ship, and more disturbingly, its crew. In the commotion, Isaac are separated from his teammates. As predictable as this lead in is, it effectively sets the tone. The remainder of the game is a journey of discovery and survival through the bowels of this derelict ship.

As you investigate each section of the ship, the gameplay boils down to a study in precision targeting, relying heavily on the player's ability to pinpoint specific limbs on enemies. As it turns out, bullets don't kill. Dismemberment is the only way to stop these abominations in their tracks. The enemies are aggressive and plentiful in variety, but the rock-solid targeting system can handle any threat. Most of the weapons (which are primarily mining tools) produce large spray zones, and their rounds easily tear limbs from torsos. Custom weapon assembly allows ­players to tailor the firearm functionality to their style of play. Do you increase the damage of a particular gun and go for one hit-kills? Or is your style more suited to expanding ammo capacity and wildly clicking the trigger until the creature ceases to move? Finishing off injured foes is particularly easy, as Dead Space is home to a brutal boot stomp. Your heel is basically a B.F.G. As a whole, the combat is beautifully executed, and loaded with unforgettable encounters.

As the story unfolds, Isaac treks across nearly every inch of the Ishimura. Along the way there are some amazing sights to behold. This game is gorgeous, and it wouldn't surprise me if this ship is modeled to be fully functional. The HUD interface is also stunning and unlike anything else out there. To keep your eyes on the action, the HUD is practically invisible. Most meters and directions are handled within the game environment. For instance, Isaac's health meter is displayed on his back. Some story sequences are also told through holographic projections. Should you chose, you can keep playing as the video plays. If you get lost, there's no need to visit a map. Just click a button and a holographic trail illustrates the path to the next objective.

Some objectives feature breakout moments, such as an awesome space walk on the ship exterior or a poorly executed asteroid shooting gallery in the gunner's chair. Most objectives, however, are fairly uneventful. Hitting a button to watch an animation of the ship's systems come online is all too common of an event. In this regard, the game plays off of your character's engineering background a little too much. Thankfully, as mundane as most of the mission objectives are, they all fall back on the excellent gameplay and taut ­atmosphere.

Dead Space is technically a survival horror game, but it should really be compared to motion picture juggernauts The Thing and Aliens, as it channels the essence of those films more than it does any other game. If horror is your forte, dim the lights, crank up the surround sound, and take a deep breath. I think you'll agree, no game has ever been this terrifying. – 9.25 out of 10

18. Left 4 Dead

Developer Valve
Publisher Valve
Release November 18, 2008

The first night I played Left 4 Dead, I heard three of my closest friends transform into horror movie cliches. One friend screamed "get them off of me, man!" Another friend lost his nerve and foolishly split off from the group to hole up in an abandoned house. He died within a minute. My closest friend, or at least I thought he was, neglected to heal my grievous wounds and instead decided to use the group's last medical kit on his scratches. After this night, I no longer mocked the absurd dialogue and stupid actions of characters in horror movies. My rag tag group of friends is living proof that horror movies do a great job of capturing realistic human emotion.

Panic and fear can change people. Left 4 Dead is an exercise in overcoming these afflictions to work as a team. Even if dozens of zombies are approaching from all sectors, you can't leave a teammate behind. Even if you don't like the person you are playing with, his or her gun is needed. That's how tightly balanced this game is.

On top of the taut survival atmosphere that is delivered in the cooperative portion of the game, Left 4 Dead also offers uproarious excitement in its competitive multiplayer. If someone asked me to show them one great example of how video games are different than any other entertainment medium, I'd show them a Boomer spitting bile into the faces of four frightened humans. That's as good as it gets, people.

My review: If your Xbox 360 isn’t connected to Xbox Live, hang your head in shame and moan like a flesh-starved zombie. You offliners are missing the multiplayer event of the year. Whether you assume the role of a human fighting for survival within the wastes of a dead city or the zombie who eyes this walking meat buffet as a tasty appetizer, Left 4 Dead’s online battles will consume your soul and bathe you in the blood of one of video games’ most imaginative, visceral, and indecently impactful experiences.

When you fire the game up, three additional players join you. If you select cooperative play, you and your teammates must blaze a trail through AI-controlled zombie forces to a safe house where weapons, ammo, and precious health packs await. If you select competitive play, the goal for your team remains the same, but a second team of humans now controls the elite zombies (which I’ll detail later). The goal for each team is simple: survive, or on the contrary, kill.

The gameplay for the two factions is completely different, but at the same time, unified by the game’s strongest component – teamwork. If you wander off for just one second, you could endanger the lives of everyone on your team, or if you are the zombies, allow the humans to reach the safe house. Even if you’ve played through a particular level 100 times, it’s impossible to predict when and how the zombies will attack your squad. The level’s geometry never changes, but the zombie spawns do. In one playthrough, a street may be calm and quiet. In another, it could look like a rolling river of undead. Thus, it is imperative that you stick together, and
better yet, coordinate your tactics. Survivors can only carry two weapons: a default

pistol and your choice of an assault rifle, shotgun, or sniper rifle. The sniper rifle may seem like an odd weapon to use against zombie hordes that are faster than Carl Lewis, but this weapon’s lightning quick reloads makes it reliable. The control mechan- ics are mapped strangely (with reload on B, and no iron sight), but perfectly fit the action. Targeting (with a little aim assist) is spot on, pipe bomb grenades are easy to place, and the melee gun bash is a highly effective way to keep zombies from gnawing on your bones.

If you are playing as the undead axis, each respawn places you in the body of either a smoker (who grabs survivors with his tongue from afar and slashes them when they get near), a hunter (who pounces onto survivors and claws them to death), a boomer (a ball of lard that moves slowly and blinds survivors with his pukey belch), or, on rare occasions, a tank (a Hulk-like abomination that can smack humans into next week). The tank’s movements are sluggish, but each baddie is a riot to play, especially when your team strategizes to launch full- on assaults against the survivors.

After playing just one match, you’ll think twice before mocking the cheesy dialogue found in b-rate zombie movies again. Given the intensity of each fight, you’ll find yourself screaming “get it off me, man!”, “eat lead, fleshbag!” or whatever groan- inducing one-liner your brain can produce after a hard fought victory. If you don’t say anything, there’s a chance a smoker may make off with you, or a teammate may not get the ammo or health he or she needs to hold off a swarm. While the competitive and cooperative modes deliver a thrill a second, both are limited in content. The game only consists of four levels, each lasting about an hour. With that said, the amazing level designs will remind you of every zombie movie ever made. All of them conclude in style as well, with survivors barring themselves in a building as zombies tear through the doors and windows, and also a rooftop showdown that ends with undead bodies pouring off its sides with the consistency of rain. The lack of levels is a major letdown, and the fact that each level recycles the same five enemy types doesn’t help matters. Let’s just cross our fingers and hope Valve quickly delivers downloadable content and/or expansion packs.

I’ve neglected to talk about single player, which the game lists as the third option on its title screen. There is no story to soak in, and sadly, it’s just not the same game without buddies at your side. If anything, this mode is worth a look just to witness Valve’s amazing teammate AI. They are almost too good, often shooting a little too quickly and taking down elite zombies before you see them (which sucks for multiplayer matches without eight players). The split-screen co-op is fun, but suffers from a drop in graphical fidelity.

If you are even thinking about playing this game, pony up for the Xbox Live Gold membership. It’s just as necessary as the controller. While light on content, Left 4 Dead needs to be in everyone’s library, not only because it innovates in ways that will shape the future of gaming, but also because it’s so d*mn fun. – 9.25 out of 10

17. Portal

Developer Valve
Publisher Valve
Release October 10, 2007

When I first heard about Portal, I thought it was going to be a heady puzzle game that would make my brain hurt. What I didn't expect from it was one of the most entertaining adventures of this console generation. For the sake of full disclosure, I didn't play it until several people in the Game Informer office gave it rave reviews. Even then, I was dubious. My first goal with Orange Box, the collection Portal is included in, was to play all the way through Half-Life 2 and its two expansions. I stuck to my plan for a few days until I overheard a conversation in Game Informer's break room that included the words " possible game of the year."

At that point, I had to play it, or fire a bunch of people. Since the firing process takes an extraordinary amount of time, I decided to dive into the game as soon as I arrived home. I completed the game on my PC in one sitting, ending at 4am on a work day. Amazingly, I wasn't tired. I just wanted to run into the office to discuss the game with my coworkers. The spatial brain puzzles, the humor, the world, the amazing last hour, and of course, the song; I couldn't stop gushing about this game. There really is nothing else like it. It's one of those rare breakthroughs in gaming, and a game that I've played through numerous times just to show my friends how far video games have come as a storytelling medium. With that said, I never want to hear someone say "the cake is a lie" again. My score? 9.75 out of 10

16. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Developer Infinity Ward
Publisher Activision
Release November 6, 2007

I'll just come out and say it; Call of Duty is my favorite multiplayer series in this console generation, and Modern Warfare is the game that turned me on to this series' exceptionally crafted online play. Every kill is satisfying. Every kill streak feels like a monumental accomplishment. Matches that stretch well over 15 minutes in length feel like they didn't go on for more than a few; that's how immersed I get in this experience.

As a baseball fan who loves looking at player statistics every day, I found myself obsessing over my Modern Warfare kill to death ratio. I love how a simple stat can drive a person to up their game, and experiment with new strategies to be more efficient on the battlefield. Yes, I know that the team comes first, and my personal stats shouldn't matter, but I can attribute most of my growth as a Modern Warfare player to that silly, little statistic.

While my appreciation of this game lies mostly with the multiplayer, the single player campaign is fantastic, and in many ways, is still a measuring stick for all FPS titles, including new Call of Duty installments.

Since Adam Biessener has devoted such a large portion of his life to this series, I didn't get a chance to review Modern Warfare for the magazine. I really wanted to, but his kill to death ratio is much higher than mine. If I did review it, I would give it a 9.75 out of 10.

15. Infamous

Developer Sucker Punch
Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment
Release May 26, 2009

Why don't more game developers create superheroes? Infamous proves that a superhero story doesn't have to originate in a comic book. Video games are the perfect vehicle for characters who can do extraordinary things and characters who are emotionally conflicted.

In Infamous, the player's actions dictate whether Cole MacGrath is the stereotypical hero who saves the world, poses in front of American flags, and rescues damsels in distress, or the tormented villain who lashes out, destroys everything in his path, and gains power by any means necessary. SuckerPunch does a fantastic job of creating scenarios that blur the lines between good and evil, forcing the player to think long and hard about how a decision could affect the world and/or Cole.

No matter what choice is made, it usually leads to Cole draining the city of its electrical power to fuel his lightning-like powers. Whether Cole is scurrying up a building with the finesse of Spider-Man or is unleashing an electrical storm similar to Emperor Palpatine, Infamous delivers heart-pounding action and exceptionally crafted gameplay. As it turns out, electrical storms are fun to unleash.

My review: Infamous is a coming of age superhero story that takes comic book mastermind Stan Lee's famous Spider-Man line ''with great power there must also come great responsibility'' to heart. Like many of Lee's heroes, developer Sucker Punch has created a naturalistic character in Cole MacGrath. He's a likeable young slacker, burdened with the weight of the world on his shoulders. You may not blink an eye at Cole if you saw him walking down the street, but there's enough electricity flowing through his veins to power a city. He has the power to save and the power to kill. Lee dictated how his characters would use their powers. Sucker Punch is leaving this decision up to the player; the power of choice turns Infamous into an ethically charged thriller that asks, ''at what length will you go to obtain power?''

Almost every mission in Infamous can be completed using either a good or evil approach. This morality system isn't as black and white as it sounds. Cole's evolution in power is tied to the decisions he makes. If Cole is good of heart, his lightning bolt strike restores his health. If he is evil, this same attack creates an electric explosion that can harm enemies or even civilians. The variance between the two sets of powers creates two distinct ways of playing the game: Evil brings power and destruction, whereas good brings protection and precision.

This system is flawlessly intertwined with Infamous' framework. Given how you exchange experience points for powers, Cole is continually gaining new abilities throughout the course of the adventure, making for a great sense of progression. Temptation is also a driving force. To unlock arc lightning, a power awarded only to evil players, Cole just has to dabble in the dark ways by completing five evil side missions. Five little evil acts won't tarnish a soul, right?

Cole's position in the world is fully explored within the story and mission objectives. Most plot threads resonate well, and many of the choices I had to make made me pause for a few seconds to think about how they could possibly alter the path ahead. Other decisions don't carry much weight, but help emphasize your morality. Do you let starving people raid your food supply, or do you send an electrical charge through one of them to scare off the herd? If only all of the choices were this easy to make. Sucker Punch isn't afraid to throw world-shattering Sophie's Choice style moments at the player. The plot makes some disturbing turns, and a lot of the story development is dependent on the player's input.

The narrative forms a fascinating superhero/villain origin story, but some of the plot threads are left dangling. Zeke, who is basically Cole's wingman, delivers a hilarious performance until a confusing plot point ruins his role three quarters of the way through the game. Both endings deliver a clever twist that I didn't see coming, but both seem to think about a sequel more than they do finishing the story for the good or evil path. Moreover, I don't see how the good ending justifies Cole's actions.

Regardless of digestible plot points, Infamous offers a satisfying gameplay package. The open world, which stretches across three metropolitan islands, is the perfect playground for a parkour-influenced character, who can scamper up buildings, slide across power lines, and glide over rooftops. The speed and ease to which you can scale a building is remarkable, even with Cole's animations appearing a little too bouncy for certain actions. This is how Assassin's Creed's Altair would climb a building after slamming 10 cans of Red Bull. Granted, the game cheats a bit by pulling Cole toward objects he is jumping toward, but knowing that the game has your back allows you to be overly daring in your vertical platforming. Like the Xbox 360 game Crackdown, Infamous' finely honed parkour makes the daunting side activity of collecting orbs fun.

Combat is equally as enjoyable. Launching lightning at attackers has a satisfying Sith-like quality to it. Other actions, like sniping and grenade tossing, are backed by solid targeting systems. Many of the battles bring massive destruction, and the swarms of enemies that ambush you or lay in wait push you to use the environment for strategic positioning. The end result is a nice balance between run-and-gun action and fleet-footed platforming.

Infamous empowers you with a god-like stance over a corrupted world, and lets you dictate how you lord over it. Will you be a hero of the people, or will you be their reaper? From the moment I made my first choice, I knew I had to play this game twice to see how the other decision played out. When the gameplay is this entertaining, that's a welcome invitation. – 9 out of 10

14. Super Mario Galaxy

Developer Nintendo
Publisher Nintendo
Release November 13, 2007

The popular adage "they don't make them like they used to" is often overheard in video game conversations. The industry is in a constant state of evolution, finding new ways to entertain the masses – whether it's through new controllers or game experiences. Nintendo is often at the front of this charge, and in this console generation, the Wii has affected industry change the most. Both Sony and Microsoft have adopted motion controls thanks to Nintendo's ingenuity. While showing an innovative spark in its hardware, many of my favorite Nintendo developed games in this generation hark back to the golden age of gaming. New Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Country, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Kirby's Epic Yarn all have classic designs at their cores.

Super Mario Galaxy falls right in the middle of being nostalgic and new. Familiar sights and sounds that debuted decades ago are tossed into the far reaches of space where they are rearranged into crazy new platforming challenges. The word "crazy" refers both to gravity-defying action and the blistering difficulty that accompanies it.

A good challenge is always welcome. Super Mario Galaxy kicked my ass all across the cosmos, and I couldn't get enough of it. The sequel gave me more of what I wanted, but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the first game, mostly because I didn't think the level designs were nearly as inventive. Regardless, both titles are fantastic, and while I'd much rather see Nintendo create new Mario experiences, I wouldn't mind a third entry, especially if it will be in HD on the Wii U.

My review: Like the meteorite that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs, the arrival of a new Super Mario game usually brings about a dramatic change in the video game climate. As history has shown, entire generations of games have drawn heavy inspiration from the revolutionary steps that Mario has made. It’s strange to think that a fat Italian plumber could be the face of change for one of the world’s largest entertainment mediums, but the proof can still be seen in many of the games we play today. With his arrival on Wii, Mario is once again making a push to alter the landscape of gaming. This time, however, he is not pushing gaming toward the uncharted future. Rather, we see him looking to the past for innovation. In Super Mario Galaxy, Mario brings us back to the golden age of the platformers and shows us that our fond memories were just the primer for an adventure that is truly out of this world.

It turns out that the series’ most inventive level designs and most harrowing challenges can only be found in the far reaches of space. While Mario’s movements will be familiar to those of you who have played Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, and even the original Super Mario Bros. for the sidescrolling segments, the odd composition of the levels makes the experience feel entirely new. A simple jump, which you were hoping would bring you to an easily reachable platform, could end with you standing on the ceiling. Sharing the properties of M.C. Escher’s art, most of the level designs will either mess with your mind with their disorienting architecture or make your stomach turn with their gravity defying gameplay. It almost feels like you are going through astronaut training as you play.

By breaking the laws of physics, Nintendo has been able to create truly amazing gameplay. You’ll find yourself hurtling through space toward a black hole, praying that you can point the Wii remote at the screen with the accuracy needed to latch onto a tiny object. Most of the sidescrolling segments are of the classic variety, but this time you are not only battling enemies and leaping across ledges; you have to account for four different points of gravity. Sure, you’ve seen lava and ice worlds before, but have you ever seen both of them united into one?

As in Mario 64, all of the worlds hold multiple Stars. But in this game, you won’t find yourself retracing the same steps to reach your goal. Each Star leads you down a unique path, featuring its own challenges and gameplay. This makes for a massive game. There are some repeated goals, but most of the content will make you say, “That was one of the coolest platforming sequences I’ve ever done.”

Galaxy also makes great use of the Wii’s motion-sensing controls. While Mario’s general movement is handled beautifully on the nunchuk’s analog stick, many feats require a shake of the remote or a steady pointing hand. If you have a second Wii remote, you can also experience one of the coolest and most inventive non-traditional co-op modes in any game. The second player doesn’t control a character, but rather a star. This player can pick up collectable items, and can also freeze enemies or projectiles in their tracks, which can be a great aid.

Super Mario Galaxy takes players on a journey unlike any other, but there are parts of it that should have been lost in time. A good portion of the story is pushed off to the side and is completely optional. While it’s nice that you rarely have to fuss with the camera, there are times where walls will obstruct your view, or you won’t be able to rotate the perspective to see where you are supposed to jump next. And worst of all, for a game that puts such an emphasis on going out of your way to get an extra life, all of your lives are reset when you turn the Wii off.

But I think you’ll agree, once that nostalgic music rings out and Mario leaps into the air, all your complaints instantly vanish. This is, in my opinion, the best Mario game since the NES classic, Super Mario Bros. It innovates in a genre that we had thought we had seen everything from, and in doing so delivers some of the most entertaining gameplay to date. – 9.75 out of 10

13. Borderlands

Developer Gearbox Software
Publisher 2K Games
Release October 20, 2009

In my Borderlands inventory I have a shotgun with the range of a sniper rifle, a pistol that gives me a 200 percent melee boost, and a rocket launcher that occasionally spits lightning. Not all of these weapons are powerful enough to be effective against the enemies I'm facing at level 65, but given their rarity and the amount of fun I had wielding them, I wouldn't dare throw them out.

Although my first reflective thoughts on this game recall such moments as teaming up with friends to decimate General Knoxx's forces, battling a giant butterfly at far too low of a level, and laughing at Clap Trap's wacky dialogue, the biggest triumph for me was stumbling upon rare weapons and putting them to the test. Borderlands is an exceptional co-op shooter made better by its looting; made better again by its ridiculous weapon enhancements and ability for them to have a profound effect on the battlefield.

New game plus and four excellent expansion packs ensured that any prized weapon could be used extensively, and that friends could quest together for hundreds of hours. If Gearbox continued to support the game with new DLC, I'm sure I'd still be playing it now. – 9.5 out of 10

12. Fallout 3

Developer Bethesda Softworks
Publisher Bethesda Softworks
Release October 28, 2008

My first experience in EverQuest revealed something I don't like about MMORPGs. After creating my character, I ran out into the wild to explore the world. I trekked across three zones before an enemy I didn't even see killed me with a magical blast. Attempts to return to my body to grab my loot didn't go as planned. I had to call upon Game Informer's Andy McNamara, a high level EQ player at the time, to help me get to my corpse. He asked me what I was doing so far out in the world, and I told him I was exploring. His response to that was a simple "Don't do that. Stay in your zones." Talk about a buzz kill moment. Since this depressing day, I've never taken to the design of leveling up in one area before being able to venture forth. I have not been able to get into an MMORPG and I've tried them all. Fallout 3's do whatever you want, go wherever you want style of play fit my adventurous (and admittedly reckless) needs better.

As soon as my character left the vault, I ignored my mission marker and decided to explore. I didn't come back to the main quest for over 10 hours, and by then, I had accidentally stumbled upon the bunker where my father was, which closed off a handful of missions. I've had debates with friends as to whether this is bad or great design. I understand that it sucks that a player could miss an entire story thread, but at the same time appreciate the fact that this could only happen from the player finding a needle in a haystack – which in my case it actually was, given the size of the game world. I'm in the "great" camp. Freedom of choice is what Bethesda's games are all about, and that's why I vested over 100 hours into Fallout 3's wasteland. I owned the experience.

I also have to point out a guilty pleasure that I couldn't get enough of in Fallout 3. The V.A.T.S. targeting system works well, is amazingly fun, and yada yada, yada yada. The reason I used it most was to watch enemy heads fly off. Yes, I know this is sick, but it made me laugh every time. It delivered a similar feeling to a Mortal Kombat Fatality. It's the ultimate way of pumping your chest at the end of battle. Saying I killed you and knocked your head off is so much more bad ass than saying I killed you.

My review: If Fallout fans could travel back in time to alter one event in our world's history, the Black Plague and all of world's catastrophic events would remain the same. The one thing that would change, however, is defunct developer Black Isle Studios would be alive, well, and proficient enough to pump out a Fallout sequel every year. Watching Black Isle close its doors marked a dark day for video games. We lost one of the industry's most talented role-playing studios, not to mention any hope of spending another day in Fallout's post-apocalyptic world. As much as we wish we could go back and chart a different course for Black Isle, the future holds unexpected surprises, like Bethesda Softworks, a development studio filled with Fallout fans intent on keeping this sacred franchise alive.

Taking on a game like Fallout 3 is a risky venture for Bethesda, as hardcore fans will deem any variation from the original games' formulas a monumental disaster. Like all creations imitated by another hand, Fallout 3 retains elements from the original games' source material, and continually reminds you of why you loved playing these games, but not without setting itself aside as a largely different experience. Make no mistake, this is a Bethesda Softworks game first and foremost. As you journey from the sunless haven of Vault 101 to the irradiated wasteland of Washington D.C. you are reminded of Bethesda's latest work The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion just as much as you are of Black Isle's Fallout catalogue. It really is the perfect marriage of the two games; a chemistry that seamlessly unites Fallout's fiction and atmosphere with the first-person gameplay and open world questing of Oblivion.

This amalgamation leads to an exhilarating adventure that lives up to the namesake of both juggernaut franchises. The game begins in Vault 101, showing your character (whom you mold through a moderately deep creator) coming of age. You control this male or female protagonist as an infant (which is hilarious), a teenager, and a young adult. The decisions you make in these growth sequences directly affect your character's skills and standing in the world. When your father suddenly flees the Vault, you hastily give chase. From here, the character you created must fight for survival in the Capital Wasteland's harsh climate. I found myself drinking dirty water, eating irradiated meat from animal corpses I found on the road, and I even stole rations from the home of a kind-hearted citizen that put his trust in me. In the early stages, your weapons don't pack much of a punch, and ammo is extremely scarce. Enemies, which range from chain gun-wielding super mutants to giant ants, are far more aggressive than any of Oblivion's foes. Their lunge attacks make melee difficult, and their firearm accuracy had me scrambling to find cover. This fight for survival is extremely challenging, yet is captured in a way that is captivating and true to the atmosphere of the world.

While I found scavenging to be oddly satisfying, the true heart and soul of Fallout 3 is how player choice is incorporated into the questing and combat. Every mission puts your alignment in the world on trial. Given how tough some of the choices are, it's difficult to play the entire game with the ideology of ''I'm a good Samaritan'' or ''I'm a ruthless killer.'' I entered the game with the hope of being as evil as possible, but ended up being a gray in-betweener. This falls squarely onto the shoulders of the phenomenal writing. The dialogue is brilliantly penned, some of the situations couldn't be more precarious, and the game has a knack for making you feel guilty and/or foolish. Unfortunately, as strong as the dialogue is, it's hard to embrace its emotional moments as all of the acting is incredibly wooden.

Fallout 3's gameplay embraces freedom of choice just as much as the mission structure. As you gain experience and level up, you can select from a pool of amazing perks that can completely change how you play the game. The combat system allows players to alternate on the fly between traditional FPS running and gunning, and an RPG-like system called V.A.T.S. that freezes time and targets specific limbs. I learned how to use both systems effectively, but found the FPS play to be a greater risk, as the targeting system is a little shaky, and the performance of each firearm is all over the place. When you are in the zone, the FPS play can be a blast, but when it doesn't click, you'll jump right into the beautifully crafted V.A.T.S. system. I preferred V.A.T.S. mostly because it produced a greater spectacle, and also upped the intensity ­dramatically.

While I did see some texture popping and enemy weapons passing through objects in the environment, Fallout 3 is a remarkably polished and smooth running game. Those annoying mid-gameplay loads that frequented Oblivion are nowhere to be found, and the combat balancing as you level up is greatly improved.

Trekking through the wasteland is one of my top experiences of the year, and it just happens this game also produces some of my top moments, like the communism-hating robot, the pint-sized slasher, Gary, and the enabling of the Cannibalism perk. This game is massive, and as your character's stature in the Wasteland grows, so does the excitement. It's not a true sequel to the Fallout series, but as a fan of the games of old, I found it to be every bit as good. – 9.5 out of 10

11. Assassin's Creed II

Developer Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher Ubisoft
Release November 19, 2009

I enjoy a good mystery. I was obsessed with Lost up until its fourth season, and I periodically frequent alien conspiracy theory websites to read the latest "our government is lying" scuttlebutt. The time-traveling mysteries in the Assassin's Creed series fit both of these bills, and are incredibly fascinating and addictive. So addictive in fact that I put together this extensive breakdown for Assassin's Creed II's puzzling "The Truth." I should also note that my coworkers will no longer discuss "The Truth" or anything related to Assassin's Creed's mysteries with me because I'm supposedly a "conspiracy theory *sshole." I have no idea what this means, but I take it as "you're right, Reiner."

While I often find myself dissecting this series' fiction, my fascination with it extends to the exhilarating rooftop chases, violent stealth kills, sprawling open-world exploration, beautifully developed characters, and stunning visual presentation. Just the small act of blending into a crowd to avoid detection can deliver heart-pounding excitement. Outside of Grand Theft Auto IV, I can't think of a series that does a better job of making the player feel like they are truly part of the world.

As you can see from my "series" talk, I had a difficult time selecting which Assassin's Creed game I like the most. My memories of Brotherhood and II blend together into one giant game. The ability to call in assassin assistants in Brotherhood gives its gameplay a slight edge, but I was disappointed by its "Truth," and some of the assassination missions were a bit repetitive. My singular series highlight is the ending of II. I won't spoil what happened, but I will say I walked away from it with my jaw on the floor and a desire to play the next installment in the series immediately after. For that, I'm giving Assassin's Creed II the nod. – 9.25 out of 10

10. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Developer Nintendo
Publisher Nintendo
Release November 19, 2006

After playing Twilight Princess for the first time, I was convinced it was the best Zelda game yet. In my review I made the hyperbolic statement: "The debate that has waged for decades over which Zelda game should stand as the series’ best will at long last come to a conclusion, as this is unquestionably the greatest Zelda yet." Fellow coworker Dan Ryckert spoke in hyperbole as well in his Lawrence review, saying "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is without a doubt one of the greatest achievements in the history of the industry." My editor-in-chief Andy McNamara called it "a masterpiece." Phil Kollar, another coworker, recently commented that he likes Twilight Princess more than Ocarina of Time, the Zelda game most people claim as their favorite. These comments spawned a battle of words in the Game Informer office, which we civilly discussed in The Great Zelda Debate podcast.

Given the high quality of the series and the impact it has had on every generation of gaming, I could make the case that any core Zelda game is the best. My father and I have had similar discussions about The Beatles' albums. We'd go on and on for hours discussing the highs and lows of each album and would ultimately conclude that they had a hell of a career. The Zelda series has had a hell of a run.

Oddly after all of the glowing reviews (roughly half of the critics that reviewed it gave it perfect scores) Twilight Princess doesn't get talked about a lot this generation, and I can't quite figure out why. Is it because the series isn't bringing in new players and is mostly being played by Zelda fans? Is it because it's on Wii and had a harder time drawing in the hardcore audience who has switched to HD? Or could it have something to do with this generation offering so many great and innovative games?

The latter comment seems to resonate the most with me, which is evidenced by a 10-rated game sitting in the 10 slot. Twilight Princess is an amazing Zelda game, but for me, this generation has delivered experiences that top one of Link's finest adventures – if not his finest.

My review: There are epics, and then there is Zelda. This long-running series, which boldly began with a cartridge made of gold, has become the very definition of a timeless classic. With most new Hyrulian adventures that hit the market, Nintendo builds upon the series' beloved formula. From the moment that Link first unsheathed his sword, this series has defined how we look at video games. As monumental as each entry has been, nothing, and I repeat, nothing can prepare you for the adventure that unfolds in Twilight Princess. The debate that has waged for decades over which Zelda game should stand as the series’ best will at long last come to a conclusion, as this is unquestionably the greatest Zelda yet.

From A Link to the Past’s complicated dungeon designs to Ocarina of Time’s powerful swordplay, this series has made its mark mainly through its gameplay. As memorable as the characters and battles are, the story has always been used as a device that moves the player from one dungeon to the next. Through an intelligently written script, Twilight Princess breaks free from this crutch and now stands tall as a vehicle for storytelling. Depending on the events at hand, you may go for hours without learning of a new dungeon, and may instead find yourself immersed in gameplay segments that tie into and build upon the narrative. Even without spoken dialogue, the tale is cinematic and surprisingly moving. This is a much darker saga that dabbles with the power of corruption much like Star Wars, but it’s not the influence of evil that drives the pulse of this plot. It’s the mysticism, the believability of the characters’ emotions, and the visuals that continually make you say, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

The story sets the tone and opens up new possibilities, but it’s the action that is truly gripping. Every dungeon is a large and glorious creation, often keeping you confined and searching for the secrets to its puzzles for hours on end. The water temple in particular stands as a segment that made my brain spin. The Wii’s motion-sensing functionality also puts a new twist on gameplay.

I would have liked to see the remote track sword-swinging motions as opposed to triggering pre-made animations, but it’s a small gripe, especially considering how explosive the combat is and how much fun it is to use weapons like the bow with the remote.

The selection of weapons and gadgets range from trusty staples like the boomerang to new inventions that enable amazing new feats, like a device that allows Link to zip along rails. The game does a great job of exploiting every possible usage for these items, especially in the boss battles. Their weaknesses are not clearly telegraphed. i often found myself stumped, and experimenting with every tool in my arsenal to find a strategy that works.

This adventure also moves into uncharted territory with the introduction of the wolf transformation power, as well as a sidekick named Midna. The wolf and Midna may see like two separate additons to the game, but they actually go hand-in-hand. I won’t spoil how, but let’s just say that both affect gameplay in ways that produce new puzzles and action sequences. I especially like how Link’s combat prowess is replicated perfectly as the wolf. Rather than brandishing a sword, he lets his fangs and aggression do the talking. Link’s musical expertise is also expressed beautifully through the wolf’s howling at the moon.

This adventure's critical path is a hefty one. The wide array of sidequests, minigames, and secrets make this one of the longest Zelda's yet (probably second only to Wind Waker). Hours upon hours of questing are tied to a fun bug collecting minigame, which is similar in design to Wind Waker's brilliant statue hunting.

There really is no better introduction to a new console, or a better game for that matter, than Twilight Princess. This is the game of the year. – 10 out of 10

9. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Developer Rocksteady
Publisher Eidos Interactive
Release August 25, 2009

Batman: Arkham Asylum is the comic book game I knew the video game industry was capable of making. It's as much a game as it is a dissection of a character. Almost every facet of the Caped Crusader is highlighted to create unique gameplay scenarios fitting his strengths and weaknesses. The game is constantly shifting to show off Batman's combat prowess, his detective skills, and his expensive gadgets. For the first time as a gamer, I can honestly say I felt like Batman, and it was as cool I as hoped it would be.

Another brilliant design by developer Rocksteady is making Arkham City a sprawling open world ripe with Metroid-style backtracking and navigation. Having guards on patrol and conversing with one another delivers the sensation that the Asylum is still operational. Seeing Joker's corruption spread over it delivers a sense of urgency to stop him and also the feeling that Batman may not be winning this war.

I've played plenty of solid comic book titles in my day, but Arkham Asylum changed my perception of what I could expect from an adaptation, which is mostly the realization that characters and their world matter just as much as the action they produce.

My review: Gloomily lit corridors spattered with various molds and blood types snake treacherously toward the heart of Arkham Asylum, each whispering secrets of lunacy and death. The sound of maniacal laughter echoes faintly through these halls, damning all who can hear it, as all are dead men walking regardless of whether they wear pinstripes or badges. The atmosphere established in these confines is taut, yet strangely mesmerizing.

Like BioShock’s underwater dystopia Rapture, Arkham Asylum is a place of wonder and inexplicable horror. The demonized Victorian architecture blends seamlessly with a lifetime of comic book history to create a tourist attraction that steals your attention away, and makes you wish you had a camera to preserve the unbelievable imagery. The Asylum isn’t just a backdrop for this twisted tale, it is its tone-setter and driving force. The Asylum pumps just as much excitement into this adventure as the pointy-eared vigilante, Batman, does.

With the Joker seizing control of this establishment, it doesn’t take long for its inmates to be freed from their cells. Impressively, none of these goons feel like standard video game fodder. Developer Rocksteady Studios has gone to great lengths to make all of the inhabitants, be it the inmates or the now-hunted guards, feel like they are living, breathing characters. They converse with one another, interact with Arkham’s geometry, and ultimately create their own self-contained stories. Their scripted behaviors translate to brilliantly devised gameplay cues that dictate how Batman approaches a scenario. Almost all of the encounters bring different twists and challenges that play off the personality of the ­caped ­crusader.

Some situations allow you to play up your “demon of the night” legacy, by striking from the dark and instilling such a degree of fear into your opponents that they shoot at the shadows and fall right into your traps. Batman’s detective skills are also used in a variety of entertaining ways, such as using his high-tech gadgetry to follow a DNA trail, or employing his perceptive skills (which in turn are yours) to solve the Riddler’s many riddles. Through a beautifully designed melee system, Bruce Wayne’s years of martial arts training are highlighted with brutal efficiency. Even when the odds are stacked against you ten to one, you are empowered with the feeling that you will wipe the floor with them all. The ease with which Batman can counter an attack and retaliate with a teeth-showering blow almost makes him seem like he is at peace on ­the ­battlefield.

His “wonderful toys” bring great depth to the navigation of Arkham. Like the Metroid or Zelda games, areas of this fortress are locked off until new gadgets are obtained. Most hold valuable secrets, like experience points for adding new combat abilities to your arsenal and awesome audio recordings delivering the backstory of the Asylum and its inmates. There’s always a good reason to backtrack through this dark place, even if you spend far too much time navigating its ­ventilation ­shafts.

The story behind this amazing Batman experience doesn’t evolve much from Joker taking over the Asylum, but it dishes out water cooler moments like they are going out of style. Some play off Batman’s insensitive side, others highlight the rogues’ ability to manipulate him, and a few are sprinkled in as tips of the hat to long-time ­comic ­readers.

As clever as many of these moments are (some are in the reality-warping vein of Eternal Darkness), the final confrontation is a major letdown; a good idea gone to waste. In this scene, an outrageous concept is squashed by Batman’s morality. The fight that follows is easily this game’s worst.

Regardless, Batman: Arkham Asylum is this year’s BioShock, not just from the connection established with the world, but from its ability to innovate where new ideas are needed, and moreover, deliver an adventure unlike any other. – 9.5 out of 10

8. Portal 2

Developer Valve
Publisher Valve
Release April 18, 2011

When I fired up Portal 2 for the first time, my central nerd system was jolted by the same fear I had walking into a movie theater to see the Star Wars prequel movies for the first time. I wasn't fearful of Valve creating an awful sequel with weird amphibious morons in it. I was concerned that the game would suffer from same sequelitis. I was convinced I would run into a "the cake is a lie" gag within the first 20 minutes of gameplay.

My fear didn't last long. Within the first few moments of play, Valve made it very clear that this wasn't Portal 1 all over again. I giggled all the way through Wheatley's introduction, and applauded GLaDOS' resurrection. The adventure that followed was as creative as it was hysterical. Chell's journey through Aperture's dilapidated Science Enrichment Center veered into directions I didn't expect. The puzzles didn't seem as difficult as they were in the first game (maybe I'm a genius?), but the variety in the mechanics made them more enjoyable and varied. Valve's greatest accomplishment with Portal 2's campaign is making it feel every bit as new as the first game.

The addition of co-op, an experience I shared and adored with Game Informer's mighty Phil Kollar, is equally as enjoyable. Solving Aperture's brain-bending tests with a friend is a blast, even if I did most of the solving for my team. Portal 2's single player and co-op components both are storytelling maestros, capable of delivering laugh-out-loud moments mid-puzzle, in empty hallways, and during chaotic sequences with falling debris crashing down around the characters. My score: 9.5 out of 10. Bouncy gel for the win.

7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Developer Infinity Ward
Publisher Activision
Release November 10, 2009

I am not crazy. I know Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer was diseased for a good six months after launch. I also know that the single player campaign isn't nearly as gripping as the first game's. I gave the first Modern Warfare a 9.75 out of 10, and I would give the sequel a lower grade at 9.25. I'm putting it into my top 10 because it RULED MY LIFE. I could not get enough of this game's multiplayer. I thought it was fantastic. Yes, it sucked when people would exploit the care package glitch or would abuse the akimbo shotguns, but when the game was working the way it was supposed to, I played it until I felt my body shutting down. I LOVED IT!

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I would get whenever a care package would drop a chopper gunner or AC130 for me. Watching my kill count soar in these moments may be my singular favorite moment from this console generation so far. One chopper gunner could make a day full of horrible games suddenly redeemable and awesome.

I'm excited for Modern Warfare 3, but the thing that scares me isn't the turnover at Infinity Ward, it's the thought of this multiplayer getting better and consuming even more of my life. Here's hoping Infinity Ward can hit for a third time. My wife is probably rooting against them.

6. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Developer Naughty Dog
Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment
Release October 13, 2009

By the end of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Nathan Drake took at least 1,000 bullets to the chest and lived to talk about it. He may have a mutant healing gene similar to Wolverine's, yet I feel he's the most realistic character in video games. Naughty Dog's scribes make him feel like a living, breathing character with believable emotions and a curiosity befitting a treasure hunter. He isn't born of the Indiana Jones mold. He's a flawed character with complicated relationships and a questionable history. The more I see of him, the more I find myself thinking he's a good guy with a few rough spots or a bad guy who has reformed.

Drake is the pulse in one of gaming's most action-packed and visually stunning games. Yes, most games offer non-stop action, but Uncharted 2 makes events out of most its action sequences, such as Nathan figuring out what is worse: the gunshot wound to his chest or the fact that the train he's on is falling off of a cliff. This is one of the few games I've come across that doesn't have a lull in it. Even the slow character building moments are interesting and integral to the quest at hand.

My review: In Uncharted 2’s opening sequence, Naughty Dog wastes no time throwing treasure hunter Nathan Drake into harm’s way. Only this time, he isn’t the bulletproof protagonist we knew from the first adventure. Beaten, bloodied, and left for dead, he’s been humanized. The emotional timbre is engaging and powerful. Yet this opening sequence isn’t a movie to watch with bated breath. It’s gameplay, and you’re controlling Nathan in a nearly unconscious state.

The divide separating video games and motion pictures is expansive, but moments like this one bring them closer together. I’m not saying games should be movies, or vice versa, but exploring characters in different conditions, emotional or physical, can open the doors for more dynamic storytelling and gameplay in games. Uncharted 2 is testament to this idea.

Many of these gameplay moments bleed directly out of the story breaks. With the notable elimination of loading screens and no discernable difference between the cutscene and gameplay graphics, I often found myself tapping the analog stick during a conversation or action sequence just to make sure I wasn’t supposed to be playing. In some cases, I was supposed to be playing! Ditching load screens may seem like a trivial technical merit, but it greatly enhances the game’s pacing, flow, and overall cinematic impact.

Without skipping a beat, this adventure rolls like a boulder chasing Indiana Jones, picking up momentum and bouncing unpredictably every step of the way. Naughty Dog’s scribes penned a fascinating, tightly wound mystery centered on Marco Polo’s lost fleet. The set pieces accompanying this tale deliver the sense of miraculous discovery, and are instrumental in evolving both the characters and gameplay. Nathan, who is voiced brilliantly by gaming vet Nolan North, turns in one of the most believable performances I’ve seen from a game character. His emotions are fully established, and his comic timing is spot on, often bringing about big laughs in stressful situations.

Not once did I feel that the plot was altered to fit the gameplay. This was one of my big complaints with the first game; it just didn’t move naturally. In Uncharted 2, every aspect of the game is harmonized. The environments players traverse embody a higher level of realism, meaning you won’t see man-made barriers positioned strategically for a gunfight in a lush jungle. Small touches like these remove predictability from the equation.

Rather than following the traditional sequel process of adding more components to the action, Naughty Dog instead chose to iterate upon the original mechanics. The gunplay is most improved, now offering smooth targeting, weapons that kick, and credible targets that don’t fidget like they have full bladders. On top of this, diversity in the enemy types adds dimensions to battles. An armored trooper may send you to a vertical space to use heavy machinery, whereas a squadron of light troops may be best tackled through stealthy neck snaps. Moreover, the weapon selection is much more satisfying, and assigning grenades to a specific button removes any chance of players tussling with the weapon selection wheel more than the enemies. The battles end up delivering a satisfying blend of pop-and-shoot and run-and-gun tactics. No longer did I find myself wishing they would be over so I could reach another cliff to climb.

Platforming is Naughty Dog’s unquestioned strength, and Uncharted 2’s doesn’t disappoint. Nathan’s moveset remains largely unchanged, but Naughty Dog found ways to intensify the art of leaping. On one hand, the levels are better designed for vertical exploration; it’s not like Tomb Raider where you have to piece together the path. The platforming is still as linear as can be, but the challenges are now larger in scope, and often accompanied by some kind of unforeseen dilemma – be it falling ledges, moving gears, or dangerous explosions. The platforming and gunplay are seamlessly united, often overlapping when you least expect.

Nathan never jumps upon a jet ski, but several vehicles are used throughout the game. Trucks create one of the game’s most memorable gunfights, and a train becomes the centerpiece to one of the most exciting levels I’ve seen in an action game.

Naughty Dog’s familiarity with the PlayStation 3 hardware is evidenced most in Uncharted 2’s visuals. A staggering level of realism is attained in both the characters and worlds. I couldn’t find a texture with a blemish or an animation that looked goofy. I often found myself marveling at the smallest of details, like the way light bounces off rocks or how flags blow in the wind. With the action moving at a fevered pitch, it’s hard to soak in all the details, but they are there, even in the far corners most people will likely never venture into.

Uncharted 2 is a masterstroke of game creation. This is the killer app PlayStation 3 owners have been waiting for, and I’d even be saying this if the outstanding competitive and co-op multiplayer (see sidebar) weren't included. Given the complexity of the character relationships, I urge players to play the original game before venturing into the sequel. Some of the jokes and references fall flat if you don’t have the knowledge of Nathan’s previous exploits.

Uncharted 2 is a ringing testament to the power of both games and storytelling. It pulls you in, keeps you engaged, and concludes with a thunderous bang. – 10 out of 10

5. Mass Effect 2

Developer BioWare
Publisher EA Games
Release January 26, 2010

My Commander Shepard embodies my personality. He shoots first, thinks later, and often finds himself in a world of trouble. He turned his back on the Illusive Man, has a rocky standing with most of the species in the universe, absolutely failed in leading a strike team against the Reapers (three people died), but his fiery temper and flawed thinking have turned him into the universe's biggest bad ass and one of the most interesting character's I've met in a game.

I continually find myself thinking I should play through this series again with a different approach. With different strategies, Shepard could save his teammates. With compassion, he could save an alien species from extinction. With more careful negotiations, he wouldn't alienate the universe's most perplexing chain-smoking mystery. As fun as it is to dream of Shepard having a better life, going back to start anew would cheapen the experience. I've made my bed and I have to live in the world I shaped. I can't think of any other game that has put so much weight onto the shoulders of the protagonist. That's what makes Mass Effect such an amazing experience.

After finishing Mass Effect 2, I found myself admiring the first game even more than I ready did, not for the gameplay, per se, but the decisions I made in it along the way. Seeing the decisions I made in the first game continue to reverberate across the cosmos in the sequel is an amazing thing to behold, and a design more developers need to embrace with sequels.

One of the most fascinating conversations that can be made in this generation of games is talking to people about their Commander Shepard and the choices he or she made. Everyone has a different story to tell.

My review: The second chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy is more of an enigma than the first, weaving enough moral ambiguity, ghost-like images, and misleading plot twists to make the writers of the TV show Lost take note. Who are the Collectors? What interest does the mysterious Illusive Man have in Commander Shepard? Where are the Reapers? Why has Cerberus come out of the shadows? Is mankind the only species in the universe being hunted?

Lost has teased its viewership for years with mystifying answers that lead to even more questions, but in Mass Effect 2, the scribes at BioWare slowly pull the curtain away to reveal the answers you seek. By the time the credits roll, most questions are addressed, Commander Shepard’s role in the universe is cemented, and the last image that appears on screen makes the wait for Mass Effect 3 seem unfair.

If you import your save file from the first game, the connection you have with this adventure is heightened to the point that you’re doing yourself a disservice if you create a new character. The save transfer retains your character likeness, remembers all of the decisions you made, and ultimately delivers the sensation that you are sculpting the story and are not a passenger on a prescripted ride. The state of the universe is very much how you left it, and the decisions you make moving forward will carry over into Mass Effect 3. If characters died in the first game, they won’t return in this sequel.

Mistakes you made in the past could come back to haunt you. You’ll see the aftermath to decisions you thought right at the time. And don’t be surprised if you stop dead in your tracks to get a better look at familiar faces on the streets. These characters may be old acquaintances, and if you talk to them, the conversations will play out like a chance reunions.

With this kind of depth, Mass Effect 2 revels in its relationships. The bond created between Commander Shepard and his or her crew is much stronger this time around, with their personal lives sewn tightly into the plot. As they come to know Shepard, their tormented histories, relationships with loved ones, and ghosts from their pasts are dissected. The cast is likeable, and their stories tug at Shepard’s soul in myriad ways.

The situations you are asked to dictate are not as black and white as the first game. Doing what you think is right at the time could backfire later, or lead to a teammate shutting down emotionally.

The narrative bounces between engaging mysteries and moments that attack your conscience, all while pulling you deeper into a game universe than you’ve ever been. BioWare’s scribes have not only created one of video games’ greatest stories with Mass Effect 2, they have redefined how stories are is told in this medium.

As familiar as this universe will feel for fans of the original game, the majority of the gameplay will feel alien. Most of the role-playing elements have been removed outright. Weapon and player customization – two confusing menu-driven distractions from the first game – have been stripped to the bones. Most of the role-playing content is replaced with modern day shooter conventions, such as regenerating health and limited ammo.

In my soldier class playthrough, I only discovered 14 different firearms. None of the weapons are technically better than the other – they just offer different functionality. You cannot apply individual upgrades to the firearms like you could in the first game, either. All upgrades (of which there are few) are automatically applied to every weapon in the same class. Likewise, the inventory system has been removed in favor of a similar armor upgrade system. Since this is all automatic, you no longer have to deal with making sure your team is outfitted with the latest gear.

The shift away from RPG-style customization may sound like a major setback, but the new format keeps the focus on the action. The combat scenarios deliver more excitement, not to mention a wider breadth of enemy types. Teammates no longer mindlessly shoot walls like they did in the first game. Rather than acting like flashbang victims, they demonstrate intelligence on the battlefield as they take cover, advance, and unload everything they can on the enemy.

BioWare also rethought the control mapping, allowing players to assign biotics to buttons and view cool-down meters mid-battle – both of which remove the need to visit the pause screen. From a tactical standpoint, you are no longer shoehorned into relying specifically on Shepard’s class specialties. You can snipe from ridges, create biotic and firearm combos, and even use melee/shotgun-style assaults. All of these options feel great, and are balanced to create exciting battles.

With its amazing storytelling and combat, it may seem BioWare can do no wrong, but this journey is littered with unpleasant minigames tied to planet mining, computer hacking, and lock bypassing. Each of these diversions are as mind-numbingly dull as they are repetitive in design. Given how heavily they tie into the gameplay, you’d think BioWare would have given them the same care that clearly went into the rest of the game. Although unwanted, the minigames don’t derail the experience. The only element of this finely sculpted game that stands out as a grievous error is the last boss’ design – its look screams X-Men more than it does Mass Effect.

The loss of RPG elements may hit some people hard, and the repetition in minigames may lead to yawns and tired eyes, but none of these faults hold Mass Effect 2 back from being a work of bold ambition, and one of gaming’s most exciting sequels. – 9.75 out of 10

4. Red Dead Redemption

Developer Rockstar San Diego
Publisher Rockstar
Release May 18, 2010

If the video game industry takes anything away from Red Dead Redemption, I hope it's not "western games sell" and is instead "period pieces are an untapped goldmine." I wouldn't mind seeing more spaghetti westerns on store shelves, but I don't think most people realize that many of Rockstar's most successful games are period pieces. L.A. Noire and Red Dead Redemption are obvious examples, but The Warriors, Bully, and the Grand Theft Autos, Vice City, San Andreas, and IV, use place and time as the backbone of their respective experiences.

Red Dead Redemption offers a fascinating look at America at the turn of 20th century. The industrialization and domestication of the lawless west are juxtaposed beautifully against protagonist John Marston's outlaw past and longing to live a peaceful life. Telegram lines and automobiles almost seem at odds against six shooters and horses. Marston’s role switches from “the right cowboy for the job” to a “cowboy experimenting with new technology for the first time.”

As much as I enjoyed mowing down bandits with a Gatling gun, my favorite moments in Red Dead Redemption were the ones that made me feel like a cowboy and not cowboy Rambo. Those moments usually included Marston, his horse, a hunting rifle, and an open prairie. I often felt at peace in this game’s world, a feeling that made me realize that the most enthralling aspect of a game could be generated from mundane era-specific activities.

Red Dead Redemption is often cited in my gaming circles as one of this generation’s greatest stories. I remember getting goosebumps the first time that Marston rode into Mexico, and feeling like I hardly knew my character after 20 hours of play when he rode home to visit his family. The traumatic finale and unexpected second act that follows it left me speechless and wanting more.

I didn’t enjoy the hunting challenges, as they seemed a little too arcade-like in a game striving for the utmost realism, but absolutely adored everything else Rockstar threw at me. Bring on a sequel, Rockstar! – 9.75 out of 10

3. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Developer Bethesda Softworks
Publisher Bethesda Softworks
Release March 21, 2006

I accumulated over 244 hours of play time into The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I'm willing to bet most of that time was spent aimlessly exploring or doing absurd or unjust things in the world of Cyrodiil. For example, I dedicated most of an afternoon to looting all of the food from a village as an act of revenge against a guard who arrested me for "accidentally" shooting a fireball at a surly bar patron. I also spent far too much time searching the wilds for the only unicorn in the world. Once located, I tried to feed it a poisoned apple. It ignored my gift, so I stabbed it in the face and ran away. It gave me good chase but was thwarted by a cave's door. The world's most magical creature was smart enough to evade my toxins, but it couldn't open a simple door. I consider this a great victory.

Many of my fondest memories from Oblivion are stories and events spawned from my mischief and curiosity. Truth be told, I enjoyed watching Shadowmare rag doll down Cyrodiil's steepest mountain more than I did Patrick Stewart's amazing cameo.

Oblivion empowered me with the belief that I could do whatever I wanted. Few games grant the player such a high level of freedom. Whenever I felt that my exploratory expedition was going nowhere, I could fall back onto the game's amazing quests and finely penned story. The Dark Brotherhood arc delivers an exhilarating adventure – one of my favorite self contained stories in any game – and I enjoyed Martin Septim's tale, especially how it concludes.

At the end of my days in Tarmiel, my character was ridiculously overpowered, my spells could devastate any creature, and the only thing I really could do any more was torture its people (or that d*mn unicorn). I'm fairly certain I saw everything Oblivion had to offer. EVERYTHING. All 244 hours of it.

Looking back at this game now, I find it fascinating that a game that released in 2006 remains one of this generation's most ambitious titles. My score: 9.75 out of 10

2. BioShock

Developer Irrational
Publisher 2K Games
Release August 21, 2007

I haven't played BioShock in over four years. I often contemplate plunging back into this game's wondrous underwater society, but I really don't have to. My memories of it are as clear as the day I first stepped foot outside of the bathysphere. I remember it all: splicers leaping out of shadows, the sorrowful moan of the big daddies, Sander Cohen's photo shoots, Andrew Ryan's big reveal, and of course, the frightened look on the face of a Little Sister moments before being harvested.

When the game concluded, I didn't want more from it. I just sat back and was in awe of it. It was the perfect journey through one of the most fascinating worlds I've ever visited. The only thing I really wanted was for Irrational to wow me again, which it looks like the developer is well on the way to accomplishing with BioShock Infinite.

My review: Deep beneath the surface of the ocean, at a depth where not even the faintest trace of the sun’s mighty light can be seen, the cold, obdurate blackness holds the future of mankind. It’s here that the underwater metropolis known as Rapture was built with the dream of the top brass of science congregating to build a better tomorrow. As the experiments and theories began to take shape, science defeated common sense, and something went wrong. Something went terribly wrong. As your bathysphere descends toward this revered paradise, you are hit with the sinking fear that mankind may have gone too far. It’s not until you step foot in the ruins of this city that you realize just how real this fear is.

It’s this expedition of discovery, laced heavily with the philosophical undertones of Ayn Rand, that makes BioShock such a uniquely compelling game. It makes you feel like a fish out of water, gasping for air as the world around you takes shape in twisted and horrifying ways. Young girls, who could be no older than 12, scour the city’s dimly lit hallways for corpses to harvest. Lumbering giants, outfitted in scuba suits, emit moans like blue whales and wield a small army’s worth of weaponry. This world is as dangerous as it is wondrous. You want to flee, yet you can’t help but be hopelessly entranced by its strange beauty.

As much as you want to stare at its odd machines and soaring architecture, the biggest draw in this underwater society is the power you have over it. With the flick of your fingers, you can send an agitated swarm of bees whizzing toward an ill-tempered denizen. Or, with the same motion, lightning could jump off of your fingertips into a pool of water to electrucute a small gathering of mutants. If magical abilities fail, you can always turn to a pistol outfitted with armor-piercing bullets to take out an airborne robotic sentry, or something more unforeseen, like a chemical thrower with your choice of napalm, electrical gel, or liquid nitrogen. And if you just want to mess with the freaks of Rapture, you could always hack into their security systems so that a health station delivers poison, or that a turret targets the people that originally programmed it. This high concept gameplay has variety in spades, and is polished to the point that every battle feels like a small war – you won’t believe how much stress and chaos one ordinary thug can create. The game may sound incredibly complicated, but it couldn’t be easier to control. Your character’s movements are remarkably smooth, the targeting system functions perfectly, and weapon/power switching is effortless.

BioShock also may seem like a game driven by its setting and the atmosphere it creates. While delivering a level of intrigue you rarely see in games, its most captivating element is its gameplay – which I can easily say delivers the most rewarding and adrenaline-filled experience I have ever had with an FPS.

Everything about this game screams perfection, but there’s one element that might not sit well with you. Rather than dying in battle, players simply respawn at a vita-chamber. The damage dealt to an adversary remains even though the player didn’t succeed. You simply have to go back and clean up your mess to continue on. As intense as the gameplay is, knowing you really can’t fail takes some of the bite out of it. Yes, this system will allow gamers of all skill levels to complete the game – which is a developer’s dream – but it may alienate gamers who only turn to games for a challenge.

Of course, even if you play games strictly for the difficulty that they bring, BioShock is a title that needs to be played, simply because you will never look at an FPS the same way again. Of the 15 to 20 hours of gameplay that it delivers, there isn’t a second wasted. Once you finish the game, there’s little chance that you’ll take it out before playing it again to see the second ending.

It’s ingenious, enthralling, and a masterpiece of the most epic proportions. So without further delay, would you kindly enter Rapture so that you too can experience the best that video games have to offer? – 10 out of 10

1. Grand Theft Auto IV

Developer Rockstar North
Publisher Rockstar
Release April 29, 2008

If you follow me on Xbox Live, you probably saw I played Grand Theft Auto IV again. That marks my fourth time playing it to completion. My love of this game walks a fine line between game making admiration and game playing obsession. Case in point, I drove to the bank the other day and realized I knew the lay of Liberty City’s streets better than my hometown’s. In my mind, this is gamer cred. You probably view it as obsessive or terrifying. Like I said, there’s a fine line attached to my gaming habits.

Long story short, Grand Theft Auto IV was an easy choice for my number one game. This game has some of the most clever and deeply layered missions in any game. The bank heist is a work of art, and I also love the little touches Rockstar North throws in, such as a kidnap victim grabbing the steering wheel of the car to try to make it crash, or Roman calling Niko's cell phone just as he is learning how to fly a helicopter amid a barrage of bullets.

Niko's story is a fun ride supported by an amazing cast of characters. Brucie cracked me up and I fell in love with Roman in the game's first cutscene.

The amount of content on this disc is staggering, and almost to the point of excess. Many missions feature multiple audio tracks, meaning you can only hear them if you play them multiple times or die and go through them again. Even on my fourth playthrough I was finding new side missions, audio tracks, and civilian animations I hadn't seen.

The game's two expansion packs, The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned, tell two excellent stories, both giving players a different look at Liberty City from different walks of life.

I have a stack of games that I want to play, but after writing this piece, my excitement for Grand Theft Auto IV has returned. It's time to start my fifth playthrough.

My review: I now know how film critics felt after screening The Godfather. It’s been days since Grand Theft Auto IV’s credits rolled, yet I can’t seem to construct a coherent thought without my mind wandering off into a daydream about the game. I just want to drop everything in my life so I can play it again. Experience it again. Live it again. No matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking about the choices I made throughout the course of the game. Those people didn’t have to die. I could have saved them. I wasn’t thinking straight. My judgment was clouded. Next time, things will be different.

If you thought that the previous Grand Theft Auto titles offered an amazing level of freedom, you haven’t seen anything yet. In Grand Theft Auto IV, you really feel like you have ownership over the entire experience. You build relationships, approach missions the way you want to, and even dictate the flow of the story. In true GTA style, you do the dictating with your gun. Some of the choices you make will have a dramatic “I can’t believe that just happened” effect on Niko Bellic’s life. This isn’t like Fable or Mass Effect where you can clearly see how your input is affecting the story. You just have to live with it, swallow hard, and hope you made the right choices. It’s an amazing story that ends up having a soul and isn’t afraid to poke fun at society’s hot topics. As much as the game makes you sweat bullets through its choices, it no longer makes you dread firing them. The new targeting system is a remarkable contraption that, strangely enough, also offers choice. By applying a hard or soft click to the aim trigger, you can switch between free aim and lock-on, a combo that sings on the battlefield, and makes you feel like a skilled assassin. With intelligent foes putting a bead on you, the gunplay is a far more visceral affair, requiring pop-and-shoot tactics, ammo conservation, and some serious skill. Thankfully, with the gameplay firing direct hits, you no longer feel like a death was something you had no control over. The gunplay is extremely polished, and is one of the game’s strongest points.

Vehicular mayhem continues to play a huge role in the series, and is enhanced with an array of new jacking animations and realistic physics for both the vehicles and people you hit. The new Pac-Man-like police evasions, and scripted chase scenes are incredible additions as well.

When you aren’t raising your wanted level with a pistol or a runaway car, the game offers mountains of incredible content where you would least expect it. GTA IV has a Sims quality to it, as it starts to feel like real life. You can sit back and watch hilarious fictional TV shows (even cartoons), go to a comedy show, lose hours of your life surfing fictional internet sites, and even play full games of bowling, darts, and pool. Of course, this is GTA so you can always spend your time at a strip club or a bar. I know this is going to sound lame, but one of my favorite parts of the game is people watching. There hasn’t been a world of people in a game that has felt this alive. You’ll see cabbies throwing coffee cups out the window, people on cell phones not paying attention as they cross the street, and umbrellas going up when the rain starts. It’s unbelievable how much there is to see and do. All of it is captured with stunning realism, and that trademark GTA satire. The single-player game alone is immense, and easily deserving of the perfect score, but there’s something else this breakthrough product does just as well; it blows the doors off of what you expect from a multiplayer game. Just think of the way you play single player (with cops always in pursuit) then multiply that by 16. It’s insanity – wonderful insanity – with rockets and helicopters soaring through the air, and players doing everything they can to win or thwart you. The game offers a slew of game modes, too, including my favorites GTA Race (think Cannonball Run with backstabbing death), and Cops ‘n Crooks. The multiplayer runs just as smoothly as the single-player game, and offers an insane level of customization.

On top of the standout experiences mentioned, there so much more to appreciate about this game. Its dynamic mission structuring, remarkable sound design, wealth of side content, amazing animation, the list goes on and on. Long story short, I never thought I would see this much content in a game.

Grand Theft Auto IV doesn’t just raise the bar for the storied franchise; it completely changes the landscape of gaming. Once you play it, you won’t look at video games the same way again. – 10 out of 10