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I'll start this list off with a true classic that will be heralded for ages to come, and that's the Batman Arkham Trilogy. Comprised of three, soon to be four games (but it won't be an Xbox 360 title) the Arkham Trilogy on the 360 is comprised of three games: 'Batman: Arkham Asylum', 'Batman: Arkham City' and 'Batman: Arkham Origins'. Arkham Asylum was a revelation when it game out back in 2009, mainly because developer Rocksteady studios had developed a REALLY good superhero game, something that is extremely hard to come by in this medium. I mean come on, it's taken us this long to make a good Batman game? WTF?! Here's a breakdown of the three games and why they're so awesome:
'Batman: Arkham Asylum' was amazing because it understood what made Batman great: a) Batman, b) his rogue gallery and c) the ability to play as Batman! It's set on a particularly long night wherein the caped crusader is trapped on Arkham island (think Alcatraz but with more Batman) with the inmates literally running the Asylum, chief among them being the clown prince of crime himself, the Joker. Throughout the course of the night Batman has to defeat a selection of his most formidable foes and find out whatever the hell the Joker's up to so he can put a stop to it. Sounds like a simple but effective premise right? The story and voice acting in the Arkham games are simply the best you'll ever hear in a video game, and Asylum set the bar. It succeeds mainly because Rocksteady hired the same voice actors that were in 'Batman: The Animated Series' aka one of the greatest cartoons of all time. Luke Skywalker himself Mark Hamill even returns to voice the Joker, and god damn is he incredible. His ability to make Joker seem both funny and scary at the same time is second to none, and quite frankly he's my favourite Joker because of how well he incorporates all aspects of the Joker into his performance. It also doesn't hurt that you'll be hearing his voice the most in the twelve hour game, and even then you're wanting more. Kevin Conroy also comes back to voice Batman, which is quite frankly the perfect interpretation of Batman as well simply because of how grumpily pissed off he seems to be about everything. I could literally write for a year about this voice cast and how perfect they all are, they are (in my mind) the best thing about the Arkham games. Another great aspect of the 'Arkham' games is there ability to make you feel like Batman. The combat is almost like performing a ballet with your fist's, chaining attack's from one enemy to the other while simultaneously dodging several of the enemies advances. It's beautiful and no wonder several games have tries to emulate it's style since. The stealth aspects are also impressively designed, it's largely a game of cat and mouse between Batman and the thugs. Picking off Joker's thugs one by one and watching them slowly wet their pants in fear is deliciously satisfying, if only one of them could look up and see a giant man in a bat suit crouching on a gargoyle fifteen feet above them... But yeah 'Asylum' embodies everything that a great Batman game should have and the lays the groundwork magnificently for the sequel.
'Arkham City' did what a great sequel should do, it made everything bigger and better. 5x bigger in fact. This time Doctor Hugo Strange is in charge of Arkham and has relocated and sealed off a large dilapidated portion of Gotham city for all the crime lords to live in. It's basically 'Escape From New York' but with Batman villains. Anyway Strange figures out Batman's identity and throws him into Arkham City as well, so Batman has to stop the major turf wars going on between the various villains whilst simultaneously foiling Strange's plot to enable a mysterious 'Protocol Ten'. It's an epic tale and literally every major character in Batman's rogue gallery makes an appearance (they're fluidly worked into the story) and the large map is jam packed with references to Batman lore and Riddler trophies. All the voice actors return from 'Asylum' and the gameplay has been greatly expanded upon with several new gadgets and moves to enact on the various Arkham inmates. They even let you play as Catwoman for a while, she has her own mini-campaign that intersects with the main plot which is kinda cool. I can't praise this game enough, it really feels like the Batman game to end all Batman games! It also helps that they're not afraid to kill off a few major characters in the Batman mythos and the story takes you down some genuinely interesting roads at points. Rocksteady has made a perfect game here, and I struggle to see how they could possibly top this with 'Arkham Knight' releasing later this year, although having a drivable Batmobile is a welcome head start.
While I agree that 'Origins' is the weakest of three it's still a solid game with another simple yet compelling story. Basically Black Mask has set a bounty on Batman's head and eight deadly assassin's show up to take him out. There's a bit more to it than that of course but it's largely predictable and retreads a few of the themes from the various Batman comic books. That's not to say it isn't done well (it is), but it's on a smaller scale and after 'City' the plot feels like a massive retread with slightly better graphics. It doesn't help that the environments are mostly the same as 'City' either. I should also point out that it's a prequel, hence the 'Origins' in the title. It basically shows you Batman's first encounter with the Joker (+ a few other minor villains) and how Batman completely changes the Joker's outlook on life. Batman is younger in this one so he fights with a little less finesse than his older counterpart in 'Asylum', this means he has slightly slower movements and reaction times that increase the difficulty which I thought was a neat touch. Some of the VA's are new this time, with Troy Baker replacing Mark Hamill as the Joker and Roger Craig Smith voicing Batman. Fortunately they sound like a younger version of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conray's portrayals so they're a perfect fit for the roles. Ultimately 'Origins' feels like a good expansion to 'City' that fills in a few of the background details from previous games: so not bad, just a tad 'meh'. It's still an Arkham game though, so the great combat, voice acting and atmosphere are good enough for me to recommend it as a package with the other two.
When you deconstruct the Arkham games for me it feels a lot like the greatest hit's version of Batman. It embraces the comic booky aspects of the villains whilst also keeping the gritty/realistic tone of Batman's latest efforts, specifically the Christopher-Nolan movies. Pretty much all of Batman's foes get a cameo or two and the stories are largely influenced by some of Batman's greatest ever comics, like 'The Killing Joke' or 'The Dark Knight Returns'. So if you're a Batman fan this is essential. Heck, you like video games? Check these ones out anyway.
I've talked a lot about Mass Effect on this blog: one of my first post's was on Mass Effect 2, a game that blew my mind at the time and still does today. Okay, I got very carried away with the whole 'everything is customisable thing' but the idea that both games could be rewritten due to my actions was like magic to me back then. Even for seasoned veteran's the fact that you could save the life of Ashley, a major supporting character in 'Mass Effect' back when it first released in 2007 and still see the consequences of your actions in 2012 with 'Mass Effect 3' was f*cking unbelievable from a fictional standpoint. Meanwhile your friend saved Kaiden instead of Ashley (you had a choice between the two) and had a completely different experience than me. What other medium can do that? And how hard must it be to write for all these possible permutations that were laid in stone five years ago? Incredible. Add to that the fact that the Mass Effect trilogy is a gigantically epic space opera that's inspired by everything from 'Blade Runner' to 'Star Wars' and you've got one hell of a universe to play around in for 100 hours. Mass Effect 1 was a great starting off point and was a solid RPG with extremely innovative ideas at the time. It also laid the groundwork for future instalments and created a fantastically complex galaxy that could easily live outside of video games. Seriously the game had it's own built-in Wikipedia page, it was that hardcore. 'Mass Effect 2' introduced a slew of new characters (most of them brilliant) and was almost like a T.V show with it's segmented missions, and who can forget that breathtaking finale where literally EVERYONE could die and never see the light of the third game. 'Mass Effect 3' was one big wrap-up and concluded most of the plot lines and character arcs from the previous games. Epic, emotional and meaningful, it was almost perfect and undeniably one heck of an experience. Oh and the DLC? Icing on that magnificent cake (seriously, buy ALL of the downloadable content for Mass Effect 2 & 3, they're pretty darn good). Sure the graphics on ME1 aren't that great by today's standards and the gameplay hasn't aged well but I'm amazed that they managed to pull anything of this scale off at all. I love almost everything about the Mass Effect universe and can't wait to see where the future takes the franchise next, whether it be movies, books or video games.
When it comes to interactive storytelling, Telltale has quickly become the go-to company for episodic storytelling. Simply put their games are like playing a T.V show with you as the main character. It's emotional manipulation at it's finest. 'The Walking Dead' was the first time anyone had really attempted a game that was 100% narrative, and slowly evolved from the adventure game format that Telltale was known for to a more streamlined experience over the course of the six episodes in season one. I've already said a huge amount about the game when it came out back in 2012 (check this blog's history for reviews of the first five episodes) so I won't go into much detail, but suffice to say this game will absolutely immerse you into it's narrative and have you bawling your eyes out at the end. A lot of this stems from the interactive nature of all video-games, wherein you're not so much watching the characters on the screen but actively taking a role in the narrative to shape events in the story. Your actions will literally decide the fate of several characters in the game like 'Mass Effect'. The game basically says: 'You ARE Lee Everett, what are you going to do in this improbably hard situation?'. It's something that in my mind makes video games better than any other medium, and it's a shame that few developers (aside from Telltale and Bioware) capitalise on this and instead go for a more linear form of storytelling. Thankfully those that do are amazing at it, and Telltale has proven that they're not a one-trick pony with 'A Wolf Among Us' and 'The Walking Dead: Season 2' both being equally proficient when it comes to quality interactive storytelling. You should probably bear in mind though that their games are still stuttery as hell on the 360, they may not be game breaking but god damn is it annoying when the frame-rate drops for no discernible reason.
The Bioshock games are mind bogglingly fascinating, gorgeous and complex. They’re kind of the opposite of what you would expect from your typical FPS fair, like say….Call Of Duty. While most FPS’s nowadays strive to be the most realistic/gritty war simulator ever and focus on just the ‘shooting’ aspects of the genre, the Bioshock games have far higher ambitions. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s still an awful lot of shooting going on in these games but Bioshock is so, SO much more than that even on face value. Ultimately it comes down to their choice of location: the underwater city of Rapture (‘Bioshock 1 & 2‘) and Columbia, a floating city in the sky (‘Bioshock Infinite‘). Both cities are extraordinary in their design and sense of place, quite frankly there works of art. When I was young and had only just received my first 360 I remember watching a video of ‘The Simpsons Game’ (my second ever video game) and thinking about how amazing it was that I could explore all of Springfield in 3D. I mean Springfield, a place I only ever saw on the T.V and I could explore all of it in a video game?! MADNESS! It was like a virtual version of Disneyland, a portal into other world via the T.V. For me every new video game was that, a new place/world to explore from the comfort of my bedroom, and the Bioshock games are kind of the ultimate version of that. Both Rapture and Columbia are in a sense the best theme parks you will never go to, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what makes these games truly stand out from the pack. They all have fantastic stories, characters, atmosphere, gameplay, art direction and let’s not forget a few dozen JAW DROPPING moments that will simultaneously make you go ‘WOW!’ and ‘HUH?’
The first Bioshock is regarded by many as being one of the all time greats. It definitely set’s the stage in it’s opening moments and I envy players who went into this cold the first time around: you play Jack, a mute protagonist whose plane crash lands in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, conveniently next to a weird looking lighthouse. Inside is a bathysphere and the submersible’s door is open beckoning the player to pull the lever inside. Considering you've landed in the middle of nowhere you don’t really have a choice, you decide to go along for the ride. The reveal of Rapture as you descend into the murky depths has got to be one of the most iconic gaming moments ever, the underwater city looks like it could have jumped out of a Jules Verne novel with all it's art-deco style glory. Unfortunately The city is now far from the paradise envisaged by Andrew Ryan (it's creator), it’s inhabitants are either long dead or completely insane due to gene splicing and the city itself is a decaying wreck of what it once was, falling apart from the seams as water leaks into every corridor and crevice. Guided by an Irish man named Atlas over the radio you have to somehow escape to the surface and get yourself out of this hellhole, even if that means jabbing a needle into your arm and giving yourself crazy superpowers (they’re called ’Plasmids’). The rest of the game is a guided tour of Rapture from then on, with the player slowly uncovering what happened via audiolog’s and radio messages from Atlas while fending off Splicers (insane mutated people) with an array of weapons/powers. You’re exploring an underwater graveyard that’s littered with stories from the long dead, it’s quite unlike anything else. The writing is fantastic, every audio snippet you collect is akin to opening up a present with each telling a condensed mini-story that often leads to several other mini-stories in that area that collectively form an image of what it was like to live in Rapture. And that’s without the signature ’Bioshock’ twist at the end of the second act that completely turns everything on it’s head and makes your jaw drop in awe. It's pure f*cking genius. Unfortunately it’s so good that the last three hours of game after the big reveal can’t help but feel disappointing: they replace Andrew Ryan (a brilliantly complex and enigmatic figure) with a villain who is painfully one note and then drags you onto a painfully tedious fetch quest that pads out the runtime for a bit before leading to final boss fight that sucks balls in just how easy and 'videogamey' it is, it's totally unnecessary. And THEN it pulls a ridiculously happy ending on you, which considering the depressing nature of the story just feels tonally out of place and comes from nowhere. It’s a shame because as it stands ’Bioshock’ is a diamond in the rough, a brilliant game in many respects but let down by it’s third act. Having said that it's still worthy of any video game 'hall of fame' simply because of how changed the way we viewed games from then on.
If one of the main themes of ‘Bioshock‘ was about the dangers of 100% objectivism then ‘Bioshock 2’ is all about altruism. It’s still set in Rapture (albeit one that’s in an even WORSE state than before) and follows the story of the newly awakened Subject Delta trying to get his adopted daughter back from psychiatrist Sofia Lamb, who is basically the anti-Andrew Ryan with her views towards a collective whole or ‘family‘. It’s basically ’Bioshock’ all over again, but if you loved that game then you’ll love this. ‘Bioshock 2’ also has the best gameplay out of the three games, granted it doesn’t have any of those magnificent skylines but the ability to dual-wield both plasmids and weapons at the same time have never been more satisfying. I can freeze an enemy with one hand and shatter him into a million pieces with the other, and it feels good. Normal FPS’s are just straight up shoot fests, but ‘Bioshock 2’ also incorporates a level of strategy into proceedings thanks to the many tonics/plasmids/buffs on offer whilst scavenging around. The enemies are also more diverse and taxing so be prepared to put up a fight. As far as the story is concerned it’s just as good as anything in Bio 1 sans the horrible third act. Sofia Lamb can easily match Ryan in the villain category, both of them are utterly compelling just in the way they think. However there’s no twist to be found at all, which sticks out like a sore thumb when compared to rest of the franchise. And yes, the game is a basically road trip. Every ‘level’ involves you getting into a train car and moving to the next area that has it’s own self contained story and aesthetic like the original Bioshock. Once you complete a few various tasks you're whisked off to the next on. It’s one big dollop of padding but you persist as you desperately want to come face to face with Lamb just like you did with Ryan. It’s well made padding though, and the challenging combat encounters mixed with the beautiful environments/level design are enough to keep you going til' the end. Overall it lacks the memorable moments and a few fantastic beats of Bioshock 1 but usurps it in nearly every other aspect, which ultimately makes the sequel superior. It’s a great addition to the first game, even if it feels like a side story set in the same universe. It’s DLC ‘Minerva’s Den’ compounds this fact, a small but meaty tale every bit as delectable as the base game with a surprising amount of emotion (and yes, a twist) at the end.
Five years after the third game, ‘Bioshock Infinite’ finally came out. Made once again by the same team as Bio 1 (2 was done by 2k Marin) it threw the franchise head first into a completely different direction, you could almost say the ambition for this one was sky-high. Forget the underwater metropolis of Rapture, this time you’ll be wooed by the floating city of Columbia. Booker Dewitt is a private detective voiced by Troy Baker who’s tasked by two extremely weird talking British people in a boat with finding a girl called Elizabeth so he can ’wipe away the debt’. I don’t think he expected to be catapulted 10 000 ft into the air inside a metal tube to an idealised american city in the clouds but hey gotta settle those debts amirite? The city has a LOT of issues bubbling underneath it’s seemingly heaven-like exterior. It’s perhaps not quite as interesting as the objectivist stance in Rapture (Columbia is essentially a floating city full of racists taking american ideals of the time to the extreme) but Infinite’s ace in the hole lies with it’s characters and story, not the world itself this time. Which isn't to say Columbia that isn't beautiful (because holy f*ck those opening hours are pure eye candy), but everything else overshadows it completely. Roughly three hours into the game you'll meet Elizabeth, a Disney-esque character who's been trapped in a tower all her life. She’s basically the star of the show from that point on and her constant evolution as a character throughout the game coupled with some fantastic voice work by Courtney Draper really brings her to life and as a player it succeeds in making you feel for her. It seems to be the winning formula in video games nowadays to pair a bloodthirsty male with a cute/endearing female that the player needs to protect. So far we’ve seen it in ’The Walking Dead’, ’Bioshock Infinite’ and ’The Last Of Us’, games that are considered to be the best in the medium. Of course the trick here is that both Clementine and Elizabeth aren't stereotypes, both are fantastically written characters who react and evolve as the story unfolds. By having the gun-ho type male the game benefits from involving gameplay AND a well developed character by his side so these games get to enjoy the best of both worlds, the real secret to their success. Some say the violent combat in Infinite does a disservice the more shall we say…sophisticated nature of the story and while I can definitely see where they’re coming from I think it manages to keep itself together fairly well. The combat this time is different and all around chaotic, Columbia is a much more open and heavily populated space than Rapture. Enemies appear from every angle equipped with a variety of different weapons and powers and essentially rush you. You still have numerous powers at your disposal to dispatch them but that alone isn't enough, so the game grants you one it's greatest inventions, the Skylines: think open air rollercoaster’s where your arm is attached to the track and you’re being propelled around the place at breathtaking speeds….and then add in shooting hundreds of dudes while riding said breathtaking rollercoaster leaping out of the sky onto their heads! It’s much more primal and shooterific than the carefully planned combat of Bioshock 1 & 2 but for my money it‘s a welcome change of pace for the series. Elizabeth can also bring in objects from *SPOILERS* other realities/dimensions to aid you in combat, like a box full of health kits or a Gatling gun. These powers are incredibly useful and Elizabeth herself will offer you ammo and aide whilst in the midst of battle, she's basically designed to keep the player happy. Combined with the various ’gear’ items you accumulate throughout the course of the game you can incorporate some strategy into proceedings, so it's not a total departure then. But the gameplay pales in comparison to the world and story, all done to an incredibly high standard of quality. I guess it’s time to just come out and say it: Bioshock Infinite might be my favourite games of all time. I know, in a list of me raving about games such as GTA or ’The Walking Dead’, what set’s ’Infinite’ above the rest? The answer lies in it’s supremely masterful ending, an hour of constant jaw-dropping as reveal after reveal is pulled on the player that makes perfect sense in the context of what the game has been setting up and elevates everything to a whole new level. I would go far as to say it’s one of the best endings in fiction, it’s THAT good. Why? It retroactively improves the entire game, akin to putting all the pieces of a puzzle together that you didn’t realise was missing any. Oh, and that puzzle is ridonkously huge, even minor details from hours before come back to haunt you in surprising ways. It’s so f*cking smart how effortlessly everything comes together on a second play through, I can’t even begin to list the amount of times one of the rug pulls are literally right in front of you that completely fail to miss the first time around. You might be able to guess some of the twists, but there's so many you're bound to be blown off your rocker by at least one of them. Honestly I’m getting tingles just thinking about it. Holy crap that was one hell of an ending!
It doesn't quite end there however, ’Infinite’ has had a fairly meaty expansion pack split over two parts in the form of ’Burial At Sea’, which somehow manages to be both a sequel to ‘Bioshock Infinite‘ and a prequel to the original ‘Bioshock‘. Set in Rapture BEFORE it was destroyed by the massive civil war, it’s like another game, albeit one you can beat in under seven hours. Elizabeth takes centre stage now, you play as her for most of the run time and as a result of her un-murderous tendencies the gameplay focuses around stealth instead of the classic shoot-em-up style. It’s a welcome change and one that didn't overstay it’s welcome thanks to the short nature of the DLC. The story is once again the reason to pick the expansion up, head writer Ken Levine continues to amaze me with his particular brand of inter-dimensional reality hopping which manages to be both insanely complex and simple at the same time. Pre-fall Rapture is gorgeous, exploring it made me feel like a kid in a candy store and it’s evident that Irrational Games wanted to go out on a bang (unfortunately the company has recently closed down so no more Bioshock games from them, a sad thing to ponder about), every single inch of the environment is bursting with gorgeous detail and atmosphere. The Bioshock series continues it’s trend of impeccable quality with ’Burial At Sea’, and if you've played Infinite but haven’t bothered to try this out yet then you’re doing yourself a disservice. It also fixes complaints I had with the ending to the orginal 'Bioshock', I won't spoil but let's just say that happy ending now feels earned and the underwhelming bad guy is was somewhat redeemed by this DLC. Overall it's sad to see Irrational go as they have created near masterpieces here, but 2K proved they can do a good sequel without the original developer with 'Bioshock 2' so I'm simultaneously excited and cautious of any new Bioshock game not done by Irrational.
I F*CKING LOVE 'Rayman Legends'. Despite playing this on a handheld instead of the 360 (my Vita) it's probably one of the most gorgeous games looking I've played, and it's such a breath of fresh air too: 'Legends' is one giant orgasm of colour and fast paced cartoon-y side scrolling action, a world away from the sombre colour palette of most games nowadays. That's mainly why I put it on this list, it manages to separate itself from the pack and still be an almost perfect game in it's genre. It's spectacularly pretty and full with all the fun you could want...like an ice-cream sundae! Every stage is packed full of crazy idea's, and I would particularly would like to give a brief shout-out towards the game's music levels which are some nail-bitingly hard paths synchronised with a few well known beats like 'Eye of the Tiger'. They're the highlight of the game and put a smile on my face everytime I start one of em' up. I wish we could get a full game of just those music levels to be honest, because holy f*ck they're amazing. As I said before one of Rayman's strengths is it's ability to never get old, and the developers just keep throwing crazy new environments, enemy's and themes into every world. The level design is astounding, imbuing it with a sense of fast paced fun but also making it extremely challenging at points. Don't worry though, the game gives you infinite lives and you're never stuck for too long so you can always pick up another level before going back to the one you failed on. Not that you'd want to, you'll be having far too much fun in the one you're already in to care. In short this game is amazing, go buy it. It earns it's place on this list for it's vibrant creativity and 'fun' factor akin to a sumo-sized sugar rush.
While I think 'Skyrim' is far from perfect, it's simply impossible to ignore the effect it's had on gaming as a whole and the colossal, no overwhelming, amount of stuff to do in it's massive open world. Rockstar are masters at what they do but jesus christ when was the last time you could go into every single house in a GTA game and read every single book you stumble upon (yes books in a video game). The level of detail in Skyrim is just f*cking incomprehensible, there's literally 300 hours of stuff to do in this thing! I should also mention that all of this stuff is completely optional, and you are not bound or forced into any sort of narrative if you don't want to be. Heck you might just want to explore the vast world and live as a hermit in the woods for 50 hours, the choice is yours. That's what 'The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim' is all about, you have this massive land to explore filled to the brim with hundreds of adventures (and adversaries) and you can do anything you want in what order you want. There's not even a 'THE END' screen after you complete the main quest, the game just shrugs and keeps going. You can cook, chop wood, drink/eat, join guilds, hunt bandits, craft armour, defeat dragons, win a civil war or buy a house and start a family if you want to. It's the most immersive game I've ever played simply because it doesn't feel like a video game, it's more like 'EPIC FANTASY SIMULATOR 9000'. Sure the combat gets stale after the 100th hour and the constant repetition of invading dungeons/caves/enemy hideouts will start to wear thin after the 1000th time, but is that really a bad thing? And yes inevitably cracks begin to show, like how everyone starts to sound alike, the long load times or the lack of different character models but for a game that tries so hard to be a fully breathing world it's incredible just how much of it succeeds. And here's the best thing, 'The Elder Scrolls' games continue to get better with every release. By Elder Scrolls 10 we'll be in holodecks spending our entire lives inside the continent of Tamriel. And if 'Skyrim' is anything to go buy you can sign me up now!
I kind of feel like a cheat for putting this one on the list, because literally EVERYONE who has a Xbox 360 or PS3 has owned a Call Of Duty game at one point or another. While it hardly deserves to be the best selling franchise ever the series still churns out objectively good games every year, the issue is that they often repeat the same tried and true mechanics and offer up bland 4 hour campaigns with a few new multiplayer maps to keep the fanatics satisfied. Some of the COD's are really worth playing though, like Black Ops 1 & 2 and the first two Modern Warfare's. The multiplayer will always be the same fast paced run & gun affairs save for a few minute changes here and there, but these games single player campaigns are surprisingly good. 'Modern Warfare' takes place in 2011 and offers multiple perspectives on a growing civil war in Russia lead by a man named Imran Zakhaev. 'Modern Warfare 2' is about Zakhaev's right hand man Makarov starting a gigantic, almost apocalyptic war between America and Russia. 'Black Ops' is set in several different time zones ranging from Vietnam to the Cold War and focuses on the life of secret operative Alex Mason recounting his past experiences to solve a global threat. 'Black Ops 2' follows his son David Mason trying to track down the leader of a terrorist organisation 'Cordis Die' Raul Menendez in 2025 but features several 80's flashbacks that tie the story of his dad in with the present. They're both glorified B-movies with fantastic visuals, and are full to the brim with explosions and ridiculous Michael Bay set-pieces. The individual stories are really something though, especially the 'Black Ops' series with it's crazy twists and choice based narrative, not to mention a palpable atmosphere permeating through every level. While 'Modern Warfare 1 & 2' have perfectly fine campaigns the mission structure and general level design are what set's them apart from the pack. A certain sniper mission set in the irradiated Chernobyl halfway through the first Modern Warfare is particularly a highlight of mine (and many others): sure the goal is simply to get to the top of a building and shoot a dude but the entire level is incredibly tense, especially when you're camouflaged in the grass and the enemy is literally one foot away from spotting you. All in all they're just great games and probably have the best shooter campaigns I can think of this side of 'Borderlands 2'.
'Red Dead Redemption' is in many ways the ultimate western. Over the course of it's 30 hour campaign you often feel like parading around in a greatest hit's version of all your favourite westerns, you are easily walking into Clint Eastwood's shoes. Once again everything plays second fiddle to the gloriously rich and gobsmackingly gorgeous open-world, but the tale of John Marston is nonetheless well crafted and surprisingly touching at points. The campaign does have it's fair share of flaws though, it's bloated length gives off the impression that you're going nowhere (Mexico in particular takes FOREVER to get through) and there are a LOT of tedious farming missions in the beginning but apart from that it's damn near flawless. I also have a confession to make: this was the first time I ever cried because of a video-game (for the record 'Mass Effect 3' had me tearing up at points, and 'The Walking Dead' let loose the flood gates as well). Granted it wasn't anything story-related, but something about that trek into Mexico with the sunset beaming down onto a fried desert landscape to the tune of 'Far, far away' playing in the background made me crack. It's rare for a piece of entertainment to make me cry, so this game represents a particular standard of excellence for me. If you were to put a gun to my head and ask me to choose between 'GTA V' (see below) and 'Red Dead', I would choose 'Red Dead'. It's atmosphere, sense of place and impeccable world outclass anything I've seen in a video-game or just entertainment in general. Yes, on par with Bioshock and better than Elder Scrolls, IT'S THAT GOOD.
Here's another newly minted classic: 'Grand Theft Auto V' ups the ante in every conceivable way possible. Rockstar are practically indomitable when it comes to continuously improving upon every release, and in many ways GTA V feels like everything they've learnt from 'L.A Noire', 'Red Dead Redemption' and 'GTA IV' all rolled into one hilarious action comedy. The plot of the game teams up three amigos: Michael, Franklin and Trevor who go on a series of increasingly insane crime sprees and a whole host of crazy side characters weave their way in and out of the story from there. Like 'Skyrim' and 'Red Dead Redemption' before it, the amount of content on display here is flabbergasting to say the least. Los Santos (a caricature of Los Angeles) is frigging huge, insanely detailed and breathtaking to behold. I could literally spend all day on Vespucci beach and watch the waves go by, it's that beautiful. It also pokes fun at just about everything in the USA, like how Facebook is called Lifeinvader and ipads are described as being '3% lighter, 2% faster = 14 hour queue' on billboards. The lengthy campaign is extremely entertaining and feels like a procession of constant highlights due in large part to the constant banter between the three leads and a few explosive set pieces. 'V' also has a few party tricks up it's sleeves, like the ability to switch between all three main characters at any time and pop into their lives mid-way through one of their daily activities, a neat idea as it furthers the immersion of a living, breathing world and one that I hope get's implemented into other games as playing one character for any period of time can get boring after a while. It also manages to keep things fresh, and considering the constant change of locales, characters and activities it often feels like three-games-in-one. You can participate in numerous side-activities as well: parachuting, triathlons, golf, tennis, hunting, watching T.V/movies, listening to music, surfing the web, walking around the world marvelling at how much effort went into making flip-flops flop...listening to all the little conversations people have with each other, it's almost Skyrim crazy. Rockstar are brilliant at making you think you're in a living, breathing world. More please.
Still not burnt out yet but a ridiculously detailed version of Los Angeles? Try this one: It's the tail end of the forties, you're a soldier turned detective Cole Phelps in a city filled to the brim with corruption and crime. It's your job to clear the streets and embark on a desperate search for truth in a city where everyone has something to hide. Sound cool to you? 'L.A Noire' completely fulfils what it sets out to do, it makes you feel like a crime detective. The satisfaction you get from successfully interrogating a suspect and charging him with the crime is unparalleled and to my knowledge it's the only game that let's you do this. That classic noire style is drenched all over proceedings, and the actual cases themselves are numerous: you rise up the ranks as Patrol, Traffic, Homicide, Vice and eventually (after a few story events) Arson, uncovering numerous thefts, grisly murders and dope meddlers on your way to become one of the LAPD's brightest and greatest. Not every case will blow your socks off, but the variety on display is impressive, you will be investigating everything from house fires to mob dealings. The Homicide desk in particular is a highlight, and covers Phelps solving a series of suspiciously similar murders, despite everything else pointing to the contrary. The game makers have also perfectly recreated 1940's Los Angeles, and while there's not a lot to do it's still nice to drive around and be transported into the past. The details are really impressive, the game claims 90% of 40's Los Angeles has been fully recreated along with famous land marks and 100 different cars going about their business on the busy streets. While 'L.A Noire' wasn't developed by Rockstar (they published the game, this was made by Team Bondi), you can definitely see some of their open-world handiwork and morally grey characters on display, to the point where I genuinely think Rockstar secretly developed this! All in all it's a unique experience that set's itself apart from most other open-world games, and one that rises to the top of pack due to it's fantastic setting and Noire tone. Another 'must-buy' from me.
Honorable mentions: PS3 exclusives
'The Last Of Us' is probably the greatest game I'll never play, due to the fact that I don't own a PS3. It's basically being heralded for being one of the greatest games of this generation due in large part to it's exceptional storytelling, stupendous visuals and riveting gameplay. Like 'Bioshock Infinite' and 'The Walking Dead' It tell's the story of a man with a bloody past (Joel) and young teenager Ellie as they traverse the beautiful post apocalyptic wasteland of America after a zombie outbreak has wiped most of the humans out. From what I can tell the main reason people love this game lies in the main character's as both Joel and Ellie are extremely well fleshed out and superbly acted by Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker...yes the same Troy Baker who was in Bioshock and Batman: Arkham Origins, he's somewhat of a hollywood superstar now when it comes to games. The zombies aren't your typical zombies either, instead of the classic 'THEY'RE RISING FROM THEIR GRAVES!' trope the un-dead of this game are actually infected by some sort of mind-controlling fungi that grows out of their heads in a disgustingly beautiful way. The gameplay seems to be going for a very survival horror tone, as you must use limited resources against some extremely tough groups of enemies that can often kill you with one bite! Anyway I probably won't be playing this as I don't see the point in buying a brand new console just to play these two (admittedly amazing) games. UPDATE: 'Last Of Us: Remastered' has been announced for the PS4, so guess I will be playing this after all!
The other games that I wish to speak about are 'Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception' and 'Uncharted 2: Among Thieves'. Both Uncharted games and 'The Last Of Us' are made by Naughty Dog, and because Sony owns the studio it's very unlikely that we'll ever see their games on a Microsoft console, one of the reasons why I bought a PS4 instead of the Xbox One because god dammit I'm missing out on some great games here! Both the Uncharted games look extremely cinematic and offer up what is essentially a third-person action blockbuster with you at the helm. They're basically a continuation of the Indiana Jones films but with Nathan Drake as the lead character instead of Harrison Ford....so a playable Indiana Jones film sounds good to me. Once again this series has had amazing reviews across the board and is generally regarded as one of the all time greats, so why on earth would you buy an Xbox again? Okay the Xbox has got some good things going for it but so far Sony are blowing them out of the park when it comes to exclusives, one of the major factors when choosing a console.
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*PHEW*, that's the end of the list! There are other games of course that are really, really good but didn't quite make it, so if you're looking for more awesome games here's a quick rundown: 'Portal 2', 'Deus Ex: Human Revolution', 'Xcom: Enemy Unknown', 'Far Cry 3', 'Dishonoured', 'Tomb Raider and 'The Walking Dead: Season 2' plus 'The Wolf Among Us' as Telltale hasn't finished releasing all the episodes for these yet (but so far so good). As a general conclusion I'll say that there are tons of great games out there and the list is growing every year and their overall quality is getting higher....so go play em'! So far the games I'm looking forward to are 'Batman: Arkham Knight', 'Uncharted 4', 'Last Of Us: Remastered', 'Watch Dogs', 'Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt' (which has serious potential to be on this list when it comes out because OHMYGOODITLOOKSAMAZING), 'Assassins Creed: Unity' set during the french revolution and whatever the hell Rockstar and Bethesda are making next. It's an exciting time to be gamer indeed.
