It has, my friends, been a pretty good year for gaming.
By what standard? Well, quite frankly, by any standard. Consider, for example, the holiday release lists for 1973 and compare them with the lists for 2008. Note the lack of compelling, triple 'A' games. Ruminate on the absence of quality downloadable content. Ponder the poor showing of Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft at retail, and the corresponding lack of up-to-the-minute media coverage. The only good thing about gaming in 1973 was there were no fanboys peeing on each other in GameFAQ forums, on account of GameFAQs not being in existence yet... You know, 1973 was a pretty good year too, come to think of it.
Now that we've determined that 2008 is a year in gaming worth noting, we should consider just how the releases we've been gifted with this year stack up in relation to each other. We do this annually. We do this annually because we are gamers, and if you take 'NU' out of 'annually', you'll have yourself a word that perfectly describes how deeply and obsessively we dissect and analyze everything about our hobby; we take our games and franchises very seriously. Seriously enough to buy a game we already have three copies of ten years later just because it's been re-released on a different platform. Seriously enough to threaten any idiot who doesn't appreciate the finer nuances of the alleged plot of Xenosaga with forced castration if he doesn't just shut up and admit it was incredible. We take this hobby seriously enough, if truth were told, to add yet another 'top ten list' to the ever growing morass of stupid crap on the internet.
I admit that I have a 'list problem'. I am at one with the protagonist of the delightful Nick Hornsby novel 'High Fidelity': I love to classify and order things. I am full of 'top five' and 'top ten ever' lists. I examine things in relation to each other as naturally and readily as your average Naruto fan can say the word 'jitsu', or hang an anime wall scroll. And so, with all that in mind, we come to the meat of this despicable little screed.
My Top Ten Video Games of 2008 are listed below, from tenth to first. After the game I've provided my personal reasons for it's inclusion on this list, as well as some insight as to why I think that the game might be important in the future. I've done my best to span the entire year's releases, and have even gone so far as to include (gasp!) downloadable games. Something else that you should bear in mind is that I've included only games that I've actually played myself. Therefore, Fallout 3 and Fable II(among others) are notably absent. I've allowed remakes(...Well, one, anyway) because, you know... It came out in 2008.
And away we go!
10) Persona 3: FES edition. I fell in love with this game at the title screen. It's that music.
You might have heard this game referred to as 'that game where emo kids shoot themselves in the head to summon helpful demons'. If that doesn't grab you, I don't know what to tell you. Persona 3 is a terrific spin off of Atlus' incredibly prolific Shin Megami Tensei series of Japanese role playing games. You play a kid who joins a group of gifted psychic youngsters who attend high school during the day(including taking tests and joining sports and drama clubs) while fighting evil and saving the world at night. The FES edition is a special re-release that includes the original 100 hour game as well as a thirty to forty hour epilogue game. The plot is interesting and far more adult than your average JRPG, the dialogue and combat are sharp, and the music is hot in a weaboo, J-Pop kind of way.
I think Persona 3 is important overall because it shows that one of the most stagnant and cliched genres in gaming, the Japanese role playing game, can transcend genre stereotypes and reach a smarter, more grown up audience. As someone who's been tired of the rehash bullshit that SquareEnix has been dishing up for years, Persona 3 is a gentle reminder that it isn't the genre that's become stagnant: it's the people who are making games in that genre. We could argue about how recursive that argument is, but lets not. Instead, let us move on to:
9) Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix I'm a fan of fighting games, and a fan of Street Fighter above all others except Virtua Fighter. The game that first sparked my love of whupping my friends digitally was, of course, Street Fighter II, and the finest installment of Street Fighter II is...(deep breath)... Super Street Fighter II Turbo. This is (intake breath) Super Street Fighter II Turbo (...exhale breath), only rebalanced by tournament champion and game designer Dave Sirlin and lavished with a full set of 1080p high definition graphics. It's a labor of love, and it shows.
I think we should examine how well games like Soul Calibur IV and Street Fighter IV have done critically and commercially this year: is there a resurgence in fighting game popularity at long last? The evidence certainly points in that direction. If so, it will mark the resurrection of a genre that has become more and more exclusive and niche in the minds of regular folk, and that's pretty important in my opinion. Especially if I can then whup them digitally.
8) Burnout: Paradise How would you like to crash into things as hard as you can and not be punished? In fact, how would you like to be encouraged to do so? How would you like to casually destroy municipal property, smash oncoming traffic out of your way like a righteous automobile GOD, and be jabbered at by an ass named Atomica during the entire experience? You would? Then I have the game for YOU, good sir or madam.
Burnout is great, and I believe that as we get farther and farther into the current generation of games, the impact Burnout Paradise will have on balancing and design will be undeniable. There is little to no penalty for crashing(read: losing). You decide how you want to advance the game and upgrade your 'license'(read: win). There are tons of secrets and hidden areas. The game has been updated, and upgraded regularly, for free, with all kinds of new and exciting content. You can buy the game outright for download on the PS3, which is something I expected would have caused a bigger stir. And most importantly, this game made arcade racing fun for me again.
7) God of War: Chains of Olympus I love my PSP, but lets face it: there just aren't a huge number of exclusive 'must play' games available for it. So imagine my excitement and surprise when I played God of War and found myself as hooked as I'd been when playing the two PS2 installments. The combat grabs you by the impressive chin squirrel beard and doesn't let go until the final cinematic. I've never sat on a toilet for an hour before because I didn't want to stop playing a game. I'm going to name my first hemorrhoid 'Kratos' to mark the occasion.
If anything, God of War PSP shows that the PSP is, in the right hands, a truly excellent platform for gaming. You just have to adapt to the limitations of the hardware.
6) Ninja Gaiden II This game basically points out to the world that I am an idiot. Only a genuine, bonafide moron would pay sixty US dollars for the privilege of getting his ass kicked by anime ninja and demon stereotypes over and over and over while a buxom CIA agent dressed like a five dollar whore blabbers meaningless tripe into his surround sound system until he gets so pissed off that he shuts his 360 off and refuses to play a game for three days in a sullen childish sulk... Much less claim to enjoy it later. Dumbass.
Under certain circumstances, I really get into the challenge that a good action game can provide. Ninja Gaiden II has a depth in mechanics that games like God of War and Devil May Cry, good as they are, simply don't have. When I finally ace a level in Ninja Gaiden, I feel like I earned it. That's a nostalgic feeling for me(under certain circumstances). When I lose in Ninja Gaiden, it feels like I lost because I screwed up. That's an entirely different kind of frustration than getting screwed by the game itself(GTA, I'm calling you out).
5) Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia I wrote a whole blog dedicated to this game, so I don't think I need to say much more about it. It's very good, and it's had permanent residence in my DS ever since it came out. It'll probably still be there six months from now. Let's move along.
4) Condemned 2: Bloodshot Some games place you gently into a new world and quietly urge you to explore it's lens flare laden forests and glades. Some games require you to explore their lushly rendered cities and candlelit dungeons. Some games smash you in the face with a two by four studded with nails while screaming "Fuck you!!" as loud as it can while you scramble through the muck of a twisted and shadowy alley gasping and crying like a little girl. Condemned is squarely in the last category.
Few games have an atmosphere as noxious and repulsive as Condemned 2, and believe it or not, that's a good thing. As ugly and repugnant as it is, it draws you in so completely that you'll be dodging and swinging in time with your character on screen. After one particularly disturbing boss fight, I found that I had been clenching my teeth so hard that my jaw actually hurt. I loved it.
In addition, the first person melee combat has yet to be equaled. It's intuitive and works perfectly. The 'execution moves' are, perhaps, a bit much even for a hardened horror vet, but the sensation of fighting off a horde of loud, hostile, dangerous creeps using only your fists(or maybe a pipe if the fancy takes you) is something that other first person games should pay close attention to.
3) Dead Space Anyone who loves science fiction horror is basically going to be right at home with this one. Combine the best control elements of Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War with the atmosphere and plot of Aliens, Solaris and John Carpenter's The Thing? Sold! It's like the design document read, "How to get sixty dollars out of Geoff's wallet the easy way". I have no proof that it says something else, so I have no choice but to assume that EA has evil psychic gnomes working for them. Admit it; it makes sense. How else can you explain the fact that Madden sells 3 million copies every year? It sure as Hell isn't the bugs, arcane interface, or being insulted by twelve year old trailer trash while playing online, that's for sure.
Back to good games, like Dead Space. Seldom do you see a level of polish this high on a game. Everything looks and feels perfect. The set pieces, like a mile-long engine or an enormous, million ton enemy are jaw dropping. The sound design is spot on. The HUD, or lack thereof, is nothing short of brilliant. The dialogue is well acted and surprisingly engaging. Basically, it's the best twelve hours of whacking sentient cancer gunk you'll ever have. And surprisingly, it comes from EA, whose reputation in regards to excellent new first party IP is somewhat in question. Actually, EA has been kicking ass this year. Dead Space, Mirror's Edge, Bad Company... Good on you, EA. I'll make you a deal; you keep knocking out the bad ass original games, and I won't call the SEC to complain about the psychic gnomes.
2) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots I've been gaga for the Metal Gear Solid series since the original Solid incarnation for Playstation. The Metal Gear series has sold me every console on which it has appeared. I somehow own no less than three copies of Metal Gear Solid 3, and I will own two copies of Metal Gear Solid 4 when the inevitable greatest hits version hits shelves sometime next year. Actually, I'm as bad with Metal Gear Solid as I am with Castlevania. That being said, even with all the hype surrounding it and the cosmic mess that was the story of Metal Gear Solid 2, which Metal Gear Solid 4 is the direct sequel of, I was supremely satisfied with the end of Solid Snake's adventures. In fact, I rank the overall Metal Gear Solid 4 experience as one of the finest and most cherished gaming experiences I've had in my long gaming career.
To appreciate the game, you must view it in the proper context. The entire game is a love letter to it's fans. Sure, the new stuff like buying weapons and ammo on the go and the westernized control scheme are evolutions, especially compared to the controls of MGS 2 or the original release of 3, but the core of the game is designed to cater to those of us who have been along for the ride the entire time. There's a satisfying conclusion for every character in the series, and the ending was so perfect and touching in my estimation that I shed a tear. I'm sensitive like that. Don't judge me.
Yes, the cut scenes are long and sometimes poorly directed. Yes, chapter three is an abomination unto the Lord and should never have been allowed to exist. Yes, Snake has an iPod. None of it matters. Snake has had his swan song, and it's one that will ring in my ears for a long time to come. Call me fanboy; I don't care. I'll see you on GameFAQs, and my aim is better than yours.
1) Little Big Planet On the weekend that Little Big Planet came out, I spent every waking minute for two days in front of the television playing four player co-op with my brothers and my oldest younger brothers' boyfriend(...which is actually more annoying to read than Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. I apologize). Four of us, all adults with jobs and social lives and everything, laughing and yelling like ten year olds, having the time of our lives. There's something almost primal in the execution and style of Little Big Planet. You run left to right. You collect stuff. You jump and swing. It can either bring you back to your childhood gaming roots, or introduce you to the joy of gaming for the very first time. It's accessible. It's incredibly cute. It's clever. And if you muck around with the packed in level editor, it can be surprisingly deep.
The level editor is nothing short of a revelation: it's simultaneously the most complex goddamn thing I've ever messed with and the simplest and most intuitive thing I've ever made a giant flaming penis with. It's almost a game in and of itself: making weird crap and just seeing what it's capable of doing. It also provides the biggest draw the game has for me; an unlimited, never ending supply of new levels to play, provided by other gamers.
That's the single coolest thing about Little Big Planet, and the single most important thing I've seen this year: accessible user created content. Of course level editors have been around ever since Marathon and Doom in the early nineties, but Little Big Planet makes level creation seem easy and within the reach of even casual gamers.
I almost wish I'd made it my top twenty games, actually. I didn't get to praise Valkyria Chronicles, or Left 4 Dead, or Bionic Command Rearmed, or Rez HD, or... you know what, I'm going to stop. My fanboy is hanging out, and I'm trying to cultivate an illusion of 'coolness'. Can't have 'coolness' with a fanboy flopping around like so much male stripper sausage. No need to thank me for that image. I know you appreciate it, and that's all the thanks I need.
I think I'm going to fire up the 'Ol entertainment center and actually play some of those games I've mentioned now. I have four days off, something nearly unheard of, and I'm going to take shameless advantage of it.
Happy Thanksgiving, and remember to play some games this weekend.
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