Top 5 for 2008: PC Games.
DISCLAIMER: I ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SLIGHT SPOILERS CONTAINED IN THIS ENTRY. IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO BE SPOILED YOU SHOULD HAVE ALREADY PLAYED THESE AWESOME GAMES
PC Games have always been a constant in my life. Some of my first memories are my dad showing me how to play classics like Dune II, and Grand Prix. My dad pretty much sealed my addiction to video games for life, and even today my dad and I play through shooters (Far Cry II, Bioshock and HL^2 are on our list of 'play through together' games at the moment, in case anyone cares.) Now, before we get started, I'd just like to remind people that this is the top 5 media I've consumed in 2008, not released in 2008.
#5 - System Shock II:
This game has been talked about for years by gamers as a classic, and since I was a massive fan of Ion Storm's Deus Ex, I had to give it a go. The idea of being all alone on a spaceship where something had gone wrong was a classic, and was pulled off well. Of course, you had to be in a 1999 mode to truly appreciate the feel that the game gave, but for it's time it was pulled off well. I wish that there was a little more shooter in it, but that seems to be a thing with the *shock games, as Bioshock bugged me for the same reason. In fact, the game is a lot like Bioshock. The feel is incredible, but the shooter aspect is lacking. One of my favourite moments in SSII was when you ended up running down a corridor leading no where, and then you got trapped in an invisible box, while the walls and ceiling fell away to reveal SHODAN, the evil AI that has taken over the ship. It was so good in fact, that I had to replay the sequence to experience the awesome a second time.
Memorable Quote (This is actually from the sequence I described above): "The Polito form is dead, insect. Are you afraid? What is it you fear? The end of your trivial existence? [Walls fall away] I am Shodan."
#4 - Ground Control:
Nowadays we have World in Conflict, and the soon to be Empire: Total War for our real time tactics enjoyment, but back in 2000, there was simply ground control. This game, although old, is probably one of the coolest real time strategy/tactics games I've ever played. The way the units are handled is divine. I mean, having artillery that can shoot three or four times as far as LoS allows, and being able to watch the tracer rounds hang in the air for fourty odd seconds before raining down and wreaking havoc is something that I'll never get over. The aircraft are also handled really well. Rather than a system like the shocking aircraft in Dawn of War: Soulstorm, the aircraft never stop moving, and also fly in formation. How the units behave in reaction to the environment is better than games put out ages after. The multiplayer aspect of this game is also something that is quite enjoyable. I thoroughly recommend people play this game, or the second, which is quite similar.
Memorable Quote? Probably the biggest problem with this game is the lack of memorable dialogue, but that's not why you play it.
#3 - Half Life^2
I know you've probably read many blog entries going on about the awesome that is HL^2, so I hope that this will be interesting, and not a rehash of everything you've read before.
No one can deny the awesome that was Half-Life. Right from the long tram ride to the Black Mesa research center, you know that the game is going to be nothing other than sex with Felicia Day. I actually found G-man's speech at the beginning of HL^2 to be more confusing than awesome, but as soon as I stepped out of the tram and into City 17, I knew why I wanted to play this game - the feel. One thing you can always count on Valve to do, is give a game a certain feel. City 17 had a dying feel. The people were oppressed, and it actually looked like Left 4 Dead could simply be City 17 in a few years time. The run to Dr. Kleiner's lab was definately a highlight of the game for me, because you got to see just how shitty life had become for residents of City 17. Everywhere you looked, someone was getting beaten up, or removed from their homes, and the fact that Valve didn't do it in a cinematic, but through gameplay made it just that much better.
Another thing I disliked about HL^2 was the fact that I found it hard to see what my overall mission was. The whole lack of a journal didn't help, but of course HL^2 wouldn't have been the same if a journal had been included. The silent protagonist didn't help with the exposition either, but again, it wouldn't be HL^2 without it.
All in all, the feel of the city is incredible, and with the addition of Episode one and Episode two, there are few games that come close to being considered this awesome four to five years after it's creation. Hats off to you Valve.
Memorable Quote: "Hey Gordon, you dropped this back in Black Mesa." [Hands crowbar]
#2 - Portal:
I only got to play this around October this year, as I haven't yet acquired The Orange Box. The labrat portion of the game was pretty cool, and I was happily amused playing through it. The little touches that Valve added to the game were phenomenal. Things like the constant cake references, and also the companion cube. Lord, I couldn't help but snicker at the signs conscerning the companion cube, and also when you have to euthanise it. It was all good fun, until the end. See, I thought the game was simply a short labrat style game, so as soon as I escaped from the fire at the end of the test, my mind was racing as to what was going to happen next, and how much I wanted to find the head designer and perform fellatio on him. This feeling wore off slightly, as I found traversing the areas behind the scenes tedious at times, but as soon as I found GLaDOS my enthusiasm rose again. The 'boss fight' was simple, yet I felt pressured for time, which kept a good pace on things. Once GLaDOS was destroyed, and the ending sequence began, I just sat there with my jaw dropped, thinking that fellatio would not be enough for the head designer. I was going to go all the way.
Memorable Quote: "Did you know you can donate one or all of your vital organs to the Aperture Science self esteem fund for girls? It's true!"
#1 - Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay:
Now, if Isaac hadn't bugged me to play this game, I probably wouldn't have. I hadn't heard of the developers, and marry that to a video game based on a movie, and normally you have a recipe for disaster. Now, I will go so far as to say that this is the only game based on a movie that you should play. Even if you dislike the film, or haven't seen it, play this game.
The opening sequence sees you at the entrance to the famous Butcher Bay prison, to which you pwn everyone and escape in around three minutes. This of course turns out to be a day dream sequence, as Riddick is brought to his prison cell. Now, I could have explained that better, but I knew there was no point, as I cannot describe how awesome the intro was. I will go so far as to say it deserves to be up there with the Half Life ride of awesome to Black Mesa. The game itself may as well have been made by Valve, as the gritty prison feel is evident from the minute you start. All the textures in the game have been made to look rough, and the lighting effects compliment perfectly.
Also, the first time you snap someones neck, you just have to stand back and admire how it looks and feels. The crack of their neck, and the way that fall, it feels way real. Okay, so I've never broken someones neck for real, but from what I could see, it was pretty realistic, badass, and fucking ruthless.
One of my favourite parts of this game was the fact that it's a First Person Shooter/Stealth/Fighting game. They really pulled wide for influences and genres to add to Riddick, and the best part is that none of it leaves something to be desired.
The Shooter: Okay, I have one thing to say, all game developers should take note of one part of this game: The reloading. If you drop a clip that's half empty, you literally drop the clip. There are no 'Oh look at how badass I am, in a split second I can reload this gun that I've never seen before in my life, and I've taken the 3 extra rounds out of this clip, the 17 out of this other one, and placed it in a clip that's got 20 rounds in it already.' moments in this game. A step up from this would be allowing the player to pick up half used clips and spend time placing rounds, but that's an afterthought. The shooter aspect of this game is glorious, and nothing but awesome.
The Stealth: I'm not much for stealth games. I never got into series like Tom Clancy, or Thief, which made this game even more of a suprise to me. The fact that Butcher Bay is so dank and dark, meant that the stealth felt really natural, and also the inclusion of the whole breaking of necks made sneaking up on people all the more brutal. I'm not going to say much more on the subject, as I'm not the stealth game expert, but I really enjoyed it.
The Fighting: One of my favourite parts of the game was the helipad circle that the inmates used as a fighting ring. The whole wandering around the prison trying to find someone who wanted to fight so you could gain some respect among the inmates was a pretty badass aspect. The actual gameplay was well done too. Blocking, and using the WSAD keys to guide your punches/attacks was simple, yet interesting. The enemies seemed to have different preferences of fighting, which also made the gameplay interesting. All in all, I was completely and utterly amazing.
Memorable Quote er...exchange:
Riot Guard: Prisoner! This is restricted area! What are you doing here?
Riddick: Oh. Heh. Sorry, my mistake.
Riot Guard: Shit, you're Riddick!
Riddick: I think you're gonna need backup.
Riot Guard: Command, I need backup!
So, do my reader base of not even my mother agree?
PC Games have always been a constant in my life. Some of my first memories are my dad showing me how to play classics like Dune II, and Grand Prix. My dad pretty much sealed my addiction to video games for life, and even today my dad and I play through shooters (Far Cry II, Bioshock and HL^2 are on our list of 'play through together' games at the moment, in case anyone cares.) Now, before we get started, I'd just like to remind people that this is the top 5 media I've consumed in 2008, not released in 2008.
#5 - System Shock II:
This game has been talked about for years by gamers as a classic, and since I was a massive fan of Ion Storm's Deus Ex, I had to give it a go. The idea of being all alone on a spaceship where something had gone wrong was a classic, and was pulled off well. Of course, you had to be in a 1999 mode to truly appreciate the feel that the game gave, but for it's time it was pulled off well. I wish that there was a little more shooter in it, but that seems to be a thing with the *shock games, as Bioshock bugged me for the same reason. In fact, the game is a lot like Bioshock. The feel is incredible, but the shooter aspect is lacking. One of my favourite moments in SSII was when you ended up running down a corridor leading no where, and then you got trapped in an invisible box, while the walls and ceiling fell away to reveal SHODAN, the evil AI that has taken over the ship. It was so good in fact, that I had to replay the sequence to experience the awesome a second time.
Memorable Quote (This is actually from the sequence I described above): "The Polito form is dead, insect. Are you afraid? What is it you fear? The end of your trivial existence? [Walls fall away] I am Shodan."
#4 - Ground Control:
Nowadays we have World in Conflict, and the soon to be Empire: Total War for our real time tactics enjoyment, but back in 2000, there was simply ground control. This game, although old, is probably one of the coolest real time strategy/tactics games I've ever played. The way the units are handled is divine. I mean, having artillery that can shoot three or four times as far as LoS allows, and being able to watch the tracer rounds hang in the air for fourty odd seconds before raining down and wreaking havoc is something that I'll never get over. The aircraft are also handled really well. Rather than a system like the shocking aircraft in Dawn of War: Soulstorm, the aircraft never stop moving, and also fly in formation. How the units behave in reaction to the environment is better than games put out ages after. The multiplayer aspect of this game is also something that is quite enjoyable. I thoroughly recommend people play this game, or the second, which is quite similar.
Memorable Quote? Probably the biggest problem with this game is the lack of memorable dialogue, but that's not why you play it.
#3 - Half Life^2
I know you've probably read many blog entries going on about the awesome that is HL^2, so I hope that this will be interesting, and not a rehash of everything you've read before.
No one can deny the awesome that was Half-Life. Right from the long tram ride to the Black Mesa research center, you know that the game is going to be nothing other than sex with Felicia Day. I actually found G-man's speech at the beginning of HL^2 to be more confusing than awesome, but as soon as I stepped out of the tram and into City 17, I knew why I wanted to play this game - the feel. One thing you can always count on Valve to do, is give a game a certain feel. City 17 had a dying feel. The people were oppressed, and it actually looked like Left 4 Dead could simply be City 17 in a few years time. The run to Dr. Kleiner's lab was definately a highlight of the game for me, because you got to see just how shitty life had become for residents of City 17. Everywhere you looked, someone was getting beaten up, or removed from their homes, and the fact that Valve didn't do it in a cinematic, but through gameplay made it just that much better.
Another thing I disliked about HL^2 was the fact that I found it hard to see what my overall mission was. The whole lack of a journal didn't help, but of course HL^2 wouldn't have been the same if a journal had been included. The silent protagonist didn't help with the exposition either, but again, it wouldn't be HL^2 without it.
All in all, the feel of the city is incredible, and with the addition of Episode one and Episode two, there are few games that come close to being considered this awesome four to five years after it's creation. Hats off to you Valve.
Memorable Quote: "Hey Gordon, you dropped this back in Black Mesa." [Hands crowbar]
#2 - Portal:
I only got to play this around October this year, as I haven't yet acquired The Orange Box. The labrat portion of the game was pretty cool, and I was happily amused playing through it. The little touches that Valve added to the game were phenomenal. Things like the constant cake references, and also the companion cube. Lord, I couldn't help but snicker at the signs conscerning the companion cube, and also when you have to euthanise it. It was all good fun, until the end. See, I thought the game was simply a short labrat style game, so as soon as I escaped from the fire at the end of the test, my mind was racing as to what was going to happen next, and how much I wanted to find the head designer and perform fellatio on him. This feeling wore off slightly, as I found traversing the areas behind the scenes tedious at times, but as soon as I found GLaDOS my enthusiasm rose again. The 'boss fight' was simple, yet I felt pressured for time, which kept a good pace on things. Once GLaDOS was destroyed, and the ending sequence began, I just sat there with my jaw dropped, thinking that fellatio would not be enough for the head designer. I was going to go all the way.
Memorable Quote: "Did you know you can donate one or all of your vital organs to the Aperture Science self esteem fund for girls? It's true!"
#1 - Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay:
Now, if Isaac hadn't bugged me to play this game, I probably wouldn't have. I hadn't heard of the developers, and marry that to a video game based on a movie, and normally you have a recipe for disaster. Now, I will go so far as to say that this is the only game based on a movie that you should play. Even if you dislike the film, or haven't seen it, play this game.
The opening sequence sees you at the entrance to the famous Butcher Bay prison, to which you pwn everyone and escape in around three minutes. This of course turns out to be a day dream sequence, as Riddick is brought to his prison cell. Now, I could have explained that better, but I knew there was no point, as I cannot describe how awesome the intro was. I will go so far as to say it deserves to be up there with the Half Life ride of awesome to Black Mesa. The game itself may as well have been made by Valve, as the gritty prison feel is evident from the minute you start. All the textures in the game have been made to look rough, and the lighting effects compliment perfectly.
Also, the first time you snap someones neck, you just have to stand back and admire how it looks and feels. The crack of their neck, and the way that fall, it feels way real. Okay, so I've never broken someones neck for real, but from what I could see, it was pretty realistic, badass, and fucking ruthless.
One of my favourite parts of this game was the fact that it's a First Person Shooter/Stealth/Fighting game. They really pulled wide for influences and genres to add to Riddick, and the best part is that none of it leaves something to be desired.
The Shooter: Okay, I have one thing to say, all game developers should take note of one part of this game: The reloading. If you drop a clip that's half empty, you literally drop the clip. There are no 'Oh look at how badass I am, in a split second I can reload this gun that I've never seen before in my life, and I've taken the 3 extra rounds out of this clip, the 17 out of this other one, and placed it in a clip that's got 20 rounds in it already.' moments in this game. A step up from this would be allowing the player to pick up half used clips and spend time placing rounds, but that's an afterthought. The shooter aspect of this game is glorious, and nothing but awesome.
The Stealth: I'm not much for stealth games. I never got into series like Tom Clancy, or Thief, which made this game even more of a suprise to me. The fact that Butcher Bay is so dank and dark, meant that the stealth felt really natural, and also the inclusion of the whole breaking of necks made sneaking up on people all the more brutal. I'm not going to say much more on the subject, as I'm not the stealth game expert, but I really enjoyed it.
The Fighting: One of my favourite parts of the game was the helipad circle that the inmates used as a fighting ring. The whole wandering around the prison trying to find someone who wanted to fight so you could gain some respect among the inmates was a pretty badass aspect. The actual gameplay was well done too. Blocking, and using the WSAD keys to guide your punches/attacks was simple, yet interesting. The enemies seemed to have different preferences of fighting, which also made the gameplay interesting. All in all, I was completely and utterly amazing.
Memorable Quote er...exchange:
Riot Guard: Prisoner! This is restricted area! What are you doing here?
Riddick: Oh. Heh. Sorry, my mistake.
Riot Guard: Shit, you're Riddick!
Riddick: I think you're gonna need backup.
Riot Guard: Command, I need backup!
So, do my reader base of not even my mother agree?