Inspired by http://ignconsolegameofageneration.ign.com/ , which I used to create a list and then was dumbfounded when it was not actually saved in any way. Great job IGN.
Rather than carving this down to a Top 10 I'm just going to include every game I feel strongly enough about to put on the list. Only one game per franchise to prevent repetition.
Listed alphabetically rather than ranked.
Showing 1-10 of 26 items
999 is a fantastic story that takes advantage of its medium and chosen hardware better than any other story focused game I can thinking of.
The only game where choice ACTUALLY matters. I've played Alpha Protocol at least half a dozen times and still manage to find new things every time. While people complain about the gunplay, I find it legitimately fun as a stealth game. Just... make sure you invest in Chain Shot for boss fights.
While the campaign is forgettable, Anarchy Reigns is a multiplayer focused game and that is where it really shines. Sega's mismanagement unfortunately meant this game died far too soon. R.I.P. P.S. The soundtrack owns.
The best single player AND multiplayer in the series. Brotherhood was the last meaningful expansion upon the single player formula, and the balance in multiplayer was at its best in this entry; later games gave too much power to defense.
Nuts & Bolts is easily the most creative game on this list, and figuring out optimal ways to tackle each new objective was the most a game made me really think. The multiplayer was also great.
Arkham's gameplay isn't about just making it through encounters, it's about being perfect. Get through a fight with one flawless flowing combo. Make it through a predator room without ever even being spotted. Become the Night. Though Arkham Asylum was more structurally sound, the mechanical improvements in City make it hard to go back to Asylum's comparatively simple combat and stealth. Arkham City also greatly expanded upon the challenge maps, taking them from a curiosity in Asylum to a huge chunk of the game that took up over 100 hours between the four characters. An honorable mention also goes out to Arkham Origins, which had a lackluster single player but more than made up for it with its unique and fun multiplayer mode.
Binary Domain is a great example of a game being more than the sum of its parts. The combination of story, characters, and gameplay made this a surprising enjoyable experience.
Dead Rising was the first game on this list that made me think "this is next gen", and was the game that made me buy an Xbox 360. While it's a bit hard to go back to now, the setting, faaaaan-tastic main character, photography system, Majora's Mask-esque time limit, and "anything is a weapon" combat system combined to make a frustrating but quirky and enjoyable game. Dead Rising was also the game that got me hooked on achievements, which is maybe a point against it in hindsight.
Deadly Premonition is one of the smartest games I've played in a long time. I could go on at lengths about the genius way the York/Zach relationship deals with the player/protagonist disconnect in most games, or how exploring the town enhances and expands upon the already solid storyline, while still telling a complete and competent tale without it, but there isn't enough room here and most people have already made up their mind about DP one way or the other. Even among the people who "like" Deadly Premonition though I think a lot of people don't give it enough credit for what it does right. A side note about this inclusion: I'm including the original version of Deadly Premonition, not the Director's Cut. I feel the added scenes hurt the narrative's quality by explaining some things that were originally left up to the player to interpret. It's still fantastic, but if you were going to play this game for the first time I'd recommend the 360 original over the technically superior PC port.
Human Revolution was the first Deus Ex I played, and also the second, third, and fourth. I don't have that much to actually say about it, it's just a really solid game.