Here are my top 5 games from generations 5 and 6 (In no particular order). With a summary and some quick highlights of the game I really enjoyed!
Fable
Peter Molyneux originally said: "It's gonna be the best game ever," and I for one am very inclined to agree with that. Released in 2004 by satellite developer Big Blue Box, who has since been integrated into Lionhead Studios, had been the highly anticipated RPG, Fable. This game brought many innovative ideas to the RPG genre, including its unique feature of the main character being shaped by his experiences in the world. You mold the main hero, who is not given a name until you buy him a title (I personally enjoyed "Arseface"), by battle, age, a plethora of tattoo combinations, and a variety of clothing/armour. The best part is these are just the beginning. While you can alter cosmetics, your actions towards others also significantly changes your appearance and alignment. For example, there is the side of good, where the Hero can fight for the villagers while swooning ladies on the side, and then there is evil, where you turn that around and fight the villagers, or perform vulgar acts to the ladies (Like farting, and burping). Various actions deemed "good deeds," include saving villagers, eating tofu, or donating to the good temple, on the other end of the spectrum, there are evil acts, such as killing random civilians, eating baby chicks (With an extra crunch!) and presenting "gifts" to the evil temple (The gifts are people you are sacrificing). Fable, with its action packed story, and amazing customizable features, sits as one of my fondest memories, being the first game I sat down and enjoyed playing for 6+ hours straight.
Wind Waker
Before its release, the odd new installment in the Zelda franchise won awards for E3 Console Game of the Year. Released in 2003, Wind Waker, or Celda as some called it (Using wordplay from the cell-shaded graphics), was one of the first GameCube releases I had to make sure sailed its way into my hands. Shifting its focus to a younger age group, the new Zelda presented itself with a more whimsical vibe, despite the darker underlying story. Timelines aside, the game follows the main hero (we will call him Link) who is celebrating his birthday with his sister when the event is interrupted by the sight of a giant bird who drops a girl in a nearby forest. Upon saving the girl, who turns out to be a kidnapped pirate (So we are led to believe), his own sister was subsequently kidnapped by the bird, being mistaken for its original hostage. Link then dons the famous green wardrobe, and joins the pirates as they embark on one of my favorite adventures in gaming. Many Zelda games follow a specific formula, and despite the unique graphics, this installment was no different. However Wind Waker focused its travel on a new sailing mechanic, where you sail from island to island in the Great Sea. Coupled with the sailing mechanic is the other new implementation (Which is the game's namesake), the "Wind Waker." Early on you learn a "song" or a series of directions you point the baton, that allows you to point the wind in the cardinal/intercardinal directions to aid in sailing. This games ageless gameplay and intense story led to my creation of a tradition in 2003 to embark on Links voyage at least once a year (Needless to say that on the games last anniversary, I have saved his sister ten times!).
Dragon Age Origins
If you have read my review, it is no secret that I am a huge fan of this game! Released in 2008 by Bioware, Dragon Age Origins details the epic story of one man's/woman's journey to save the country of Fereldan from the darkspawn threat. After the two-hour or so introduction, the main hero (One of six customizable characters) is given a quest to unite men, elves, the magi, and dwarves against the darkspawn, and is given free rein on what order to do so in. This freedom allows access to a high replay value, due to the fact that the different order you do quests in will most likely affect how other NPCs on other quests see you. Such as one instance where you have to choose between two powerful individuals, and when you choose one over the other, supporters of the individual you did not choose can randomly attack you on the road. The immense amount of customization is also marvelous, and calls for different strategies in battle, due to the sheer number of armour combinations, ring/belt/necklace buffs, and weaponry. The fight system is also enjoyable and relatively easy to get used to, with its pause and play mechanics. You enter a fight, pause the game, and queue buffs and attack, scheming the best way to take down the enemy. I have put hundreds of hours into this game with all of my different playthroughs, and each one is a unique and unforgettable experience! I am very much looking forward to the hundreds of more hours I have yet to put into this game, preparing to experience the dwarven commoners adventure next!
Tomb Raider
After a delay that felt like forever, in March 2013, the reboot of Lara Croft's origin was released. Tomb Raider begins with Lara and her team being shipwrecked on the Island of Yamatai, and Lara must locate and save each of her crew members, along with getting off the island, which seems like a lot for one archaeologist! However there is one problem, the island seems to work like the Bermuda triangle, where events happen that ruin each chance to escape. Lara uses her acrobatics skills to traverse the island in search of her friends, and more importantly, a way off the island filled with shipwrecked madmen. The game details Lara's extremely difficult journey, and her evolution to the adventurous archaeologist we know and love, from her killing an animal for food, to fending off waves of crazed islanders. The game uses mostly in-game graphics, which are phenomenal, coupled with the various set piece moments that stopped me in my tracks many times just to gawk at the beautiful island. The gameplay I found extremely fluent, between scaling villages/cliffs, changing ziplines on the fly, or using the environment to escape and take down enemies. The implementation of the bow and arrow is also one of the most impressive thus far out of the current gen games using it. It is relatively simple to get used to, meaning aiming and shooting on the fly, and later in the game you can upgrade the arrow to pack more of a (fiery) punch! Overall I found the characterization of Lara in this installment one of the best this generation has offered, with special praise to Camilla Luddington, for her performance as Lara. The amount of collectibles and awe-inspiring backdrops had me revisiting Yamatai for months after I beat it, and will likely keep me visiting time, and time again.
Bioshock Infinite
You may not like this game if you dislike the Multiverse Theory. However, according to the theory, in some existence, you adore the theory, so I will speak to that version of you. Released in March of this year, Irrational Games delivered a proper followup to the original Bioshock. Bioshock Infinite details private investigator Booker Dewitt's mission to the marvel that is Columbia, and retrieve a woman, Elizabeth to bring her to New York, or simply, "Get the girl, and wipe away the debt." Unfortunately, keeping this blog spoiler free, I cannot go into detail about what I love most from this game, which is the narrative. What I can say is this game had me on the edge of my seat through the last half of the game, where it got really intense. Despite being far from the game initially shown, and the game displayed in several of last year's gameplay videos, the final product is phenomenal. Playing like a typical FPS, Bioshock Infinite introduces "Tears," which Elizabeth can use to transfer objects/items from other universes to yours, whether it be health kits, vending machines, turrets, or hooks to grapple for a height advantage. The other way they utilize grappling is through the mode of transportation in Columbia, Skylines. These are found when you must reach to a completely new area, or they can be used to zip around set-piece battles, and gain a strategic advantage against your foe. As a replacement for Bioshock's plasmids, Bioshock Infinite introduced vigors, which like plasmids give you special abilities, whether it be fire, electricity, or a burst of speed to charge at you enemies (My personal favorite is murder of crows). They add-on yet another layer of strategy, due to the interesting ability for certain pairs to have a critically damaging effect on enemies. To me, the ending of this game combined with the outstanding character development, is second to none, and has safely secured it to remain in my top selections for years to come. (On a side note, the scene where Booker plays guitar and Elizabeth sings is one of my favorite moments in gaming!)
What are some of your favorite games!
