Oni's Best Games of 2008!
by oni
Here it is, the list you've all been waiting for, the list to end all lists! Or, maybe not. But in case anyone cares, here are the top 10 games of this year, as decided by me and me alone! Rather than just make a numbered list, I'm just going to name all 10 nominees and then "anounce" the winner. I feel numbered lists are pretty arbitrary, and so 1998. Let's get to it then, shall we? Fallout 3...
Here it is, the list you've all been waiting for, the list to end all lists! Or, maybe not. But in case anyone cares, here are the top 10 games of this year, as decided by me and me alone! Rather than just make a numbered list, I'm just going to name all 10 nominees and then "anounce" the winner. I feel numbered lists are pretty arbitrary, and so 1998. Let's get to it then, shall we?
Fallout 3
I've never played a previous Fallout game, so I didn't have any preconceived notion about what a Fallout game should or shouldn't be going into this. Having played Oblivion, Bethesda's last game, prepared me
Welcome to the.. Okay I'll stop using that line now.pretty well for the experience though, as it's mechanically quite similar. However, where I felt Oblivion was a bit soulless, Fallout 3 was simply brimming with atmosphere. The Wasteland totally immersed me and made its mark on me more than any other game's setting this year. The main story was a bit too short and anti-climactic, but the volume of great side quests made up for it. One of the most engrossing games of the year.Braid
More than meets the eye!Unlike the other games on this list, Braid is "just" a small downloadable game, but that doesn't stop it from having huge ambitions. You are Tim, on a quest to save his Princess, but everything soon reveals itself to be more than it appears. Brilliant puzzles that will tax anyone's mind and probably the most thought-provoking story a game has ever produced, Braid held me in a delirium for weeks. The discussions surrounding the game eventually died down as everyone moved on to whatever shiny game was on the horizon, but that doesn't stop Braid from being one of the most enduring games of the year, in my mind.Metal Gear Solid 4
The conclusion to the Metal Gear Solid saga was the reason for me to buy a PS3 earlier this year, and it was worth it. It's easy to poke holes in the frankly outrageous story, but the gameplay is rock solid, a vast
Solid Snake's last hurrah.improvement over its predecessors, and if you've come this far you'll want to see the conclusion, and in terms of emotional gravitas it does not disappoint. Long-winded, pretentious, hammy and clumsy, yet still compelling. Is it voodoo? I don't know, but Metal Gear Solid's ridiculousness will always be near and dear to me.World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
Sylvanas Windrunner looking better than everSurprising absolutely no one, Blizzard has once again gone and set the new gold standard for MMO RPG's. Cribbing from other games' ideas and improving upon them by adding Blizzard's trademark polish and endless testing, WoW still towers like a colossus above its peers. I can't think of any addition that hasn't made the game better or more approachable, from the new Death Knight class to the more casual-friendly nature of raiding and more subtle things like quest design and placement, it's all handled with a great critical eye. The implementation of story is also commendable, as the game finally makes you feel like you aren't just a bystander anymore, but rather a key player. Grand Theft Auto IV
Veering away from the silly nature of its predecessors, GTA4 tells a pretty good tale of crime drama. The gameplay hasn't evolved much from the past games, new cover system notwithstanding, but in terms of
Sorry Niko, things won't be differentstory and emotional impact it's a pretty big leap forward for the series. Let down a little by some dodgy mission design overreliant on scripted events and repetitive structure, it is nonetheless one of the more memorable games of the year. The Witcher: Enhanced Edition
Geralt, the White WolfSurprised? So was I, but The Witcher is a game sadly a little bit overlooked, presumably because it is a PC exclusive, so hopefully the upcoming console version will give it the attention it deserves. The Witcher thrusts you into the role of Geralt, a (surprise!) Witcher, basically a monster hunter and general occult-fighting dude. The world of The Witcher is not your typical idyllic fantasy world. It's a world wherein the status quo opresses the non-human minorities (dwarves, elves and the like) and where racial tensions are surpisingly similar to some.. ethnic tensions in today's world. It is this gritty, dark world that makes The Witcher stand out from other fantasy RPG's. It's basically the antithesis of Fable 2. It's also one of the few games to present choice as a realistic concept, often with unexpected effects, rather than asking the player "do you want to be a good guy or a bad guy?" The Witcher is a game of grey areas and a mature story, and if you have a PC that's up to it, I strongly recommend it.Gears of War 2
The continuing heterosexual adventures of Dom and Marcus manage to keep thrilling. Better than its predecessor in every way (except dialogue), Gears of War 2 keeps bombarding the player (or players, as it is
Dueling chainsawsideally played with a friend) with epic, grand set pieces, so much so that you can't help but wonder how they'll improve on this for the inevitable sequel. Gears 2 is the summer blockbuster of video games. It's big and dumb but expertly paced and brilliantly designed. Multiplayer modes for both competitive and co-operative game types give the game longevity long after you've finished the 10-ish hour campaign. Personally not a huge fan of Gears' multiplayer, but Horde mode is brilliant and Wingman with a good teammate is also quite fantastic. Shooter of the year.Rock Band 2
My ridiculous ION drum kitWhile not a quantum leap in terms of features or gameplay modes, Rock Band 2 streamlines the experience to what it really should've been, but regardless, it's a much more approachable game because of it. Song list is of course always subjective, but what keeps me coming back to Rock Band is primarily the DLC, and Harmonix's devotion to weekly content is already enough reason for this game to be here. Every single week, they deliver, which is really commendable. More polished than its competitor, better note charts, it's just no contest. Rock Band 2 is simply the best rhythm game ever made.Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge is certainly not perfect. Indeed, it can be frustrating at times. But when I look back on the experience, I remember the brilliantly refreshing art style and the times when I performed fantastic feats of
Take a leap of... Oh, never mindacrobatics without a hitch, not the times Faith did something I didn't want her to. The debate of whether reviewers should excuse flaws for innovation aside, I am willing to look past some blemishes for an experience this fresh and unique, and ultimately, I just enjoyed the hell out of this game. The campaign was entertaining, but I think there might be more potential in the time trials. Doing away with the fighting and finding the perfect line to the finish makes the game is incredibly addictive, and it's a great rush to pull off the perfect run.Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix
Super Combo Finish!Ridiculous name aside, and the fact that it's a remake of an old game, there was nonetheless no game that surprised me as much as HD Remix did. I never expected to really get into a fighting game, but HD Remix drew me in and made me want to get better so I could beat all those Ken scrubs online. The quality of the net code is incredibly impressive, and that alone deserves Backbone massive props, but Udon's new art makes the game really pleasant to look at to boot. Not being experienced with Super Turbo, I can't say that the new changes are better for sure, but they sound really smart and I haven't heard any hardcore players complain about it. And there are tons of options for purists to change little things, as well as the option to play the game as it was, 1994-style. And the winner is...
Braid!Yup, that's right. An XBLA game. It's impossible to ask me to look at the game separate from its artistic merits, but even as a pure puzzle game, Braid is probably the most clever game I've played this year. Add to that the fact that Braid does what no other game has ever done, deconstruct age-old game clichés and present a truly thought-provoking narrative, and you have what I consider to be the most important game made in years. It's probably not reached as many people as I'd like, simply because it's a downloadable game and a lot of people don't bother with them, but I hope developers will look at this and realize what can be done with games. Not every game needs to be a Braid, and I'm not evangelizing Braid simply because I want more people to play it, but it's legitimately the most impressive game I've played this year. No other game has ever lingered in my mind and provoked as much debate and discussion as Braid has.
So there you have it, those are my favorite games of this year. Some games that barely missed the list are Fable 2 and Little Big Planet, and I have Left 4 Dead and Prince of Persia sitting here still unopened, but I'm pretty happy with this list. Thanks for reading, if you've come this far, and see you next year!