There were a ton of great games from this past generation. To boil all those great games down to a list of nine essential games is an incredibly hard and daunting process. This writer took a lot of time and care in putting together a list that encompassed the experiences that defined the seventh console generation from the largest blockbusters to the smallest experiments. There may be some omissions such as BioShock, Grand Theft Auto IV or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but this writer has not played enough of these games to even form an opinion on them much less name them an essential game of this past generation. Without further ado, let us dive into the final entry of The Seventh Generation, the essential games of the last console generation.
Originally bundled with Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2 in The Orange Box, it looked like Portal would be overshadowed by Valve's heavyweights. Fortunately, Portal was never overshadowed. The game's expertly crafted humour, perfectly developed villain and incredibly unique puzzle mechanics made Portal an instant classic. Portal has the player take control of a test subject at the Aperture Science Enrichment Center. Equipped with only the Portal Gun, the player is tasked with completing a gauntlet of test chambers which grow more difficult and dangerous as the player advances. Throughout these chambers, the player is constantly berated by a computer AI known as GLaDOS. While GLaDOS is the antagonist of Portal, she spouts the funniest and most memorable lines of the game. Even though Portal can be beaten within a few hours, you grow to love the characters, the enemies, the dialogue, the Portal Gun, the level design and the puzzles. If it was not for this little game stuck on The Orange Box, gamers would have never learned to think with portals.
At one point or another, everybody has wanted to be a rock star. The dream of singing your heart out, shredding the strings on a guitar or smacking a set of drums in front of a sea of thousands is one that many imagine, but few actually live. Many games have tried to emulate the thrill of being a rock star, but only a handful have succeeded in fulfilling this childhood dream. Rock Band is among the pinnacle of these games. Using the plastic instruments that come packaged with the game, one can emulate being in a band with friends and family or play the guitar, drums or sing solo. With the focus on local multiplayer, Rock Band quickly became the most popular party game of this generation because of its excellent accessibility. While sequels and future rhythm games made improvements on the original, nothing will ever beat the euphoric thrill of getting three to four people together to play in Rock Band. Rock Band brought the rhythm genre to its greatest peak and no other rhythm game has been able to recreate the magic this game created.
The Mass Effect trilogy as a whole encompasses the three greatest games of this past generation. Perfectly blending the combat of a third-person action game with the complex systems of a RPG and single-handedly revolutionizing the art of storytelling in this medium as one's decisions followed them throughout each game in the series, the Mass Effect trilogy is an astonishing feat of artistry. As great as all three Mass Effect games are, this writer can only choose one for this list--the original Mass Effect. The sole reason this writer bought a Xbox 360, the original Mass Effect is unlike any game before it. You are given the freedom to create whatever Shepard you desire. Male or female, good or evil, tactically savvy or guns blazing, the player's Shepard is not just their avatar, it is an extension of themselves. From the heart-racing thrill of threatening a journalist on the Citadel to the heart-wrenching indecision of choosing the fate of a crew mate, an entire fleet of soldiers or a small group of Council delegates, Mass Effect is never afraid in giving players decisions no matter their difficulty. If there is one RPG that you play from this past generation, make it BioWare's sci-fi masterpiece Mass Effect.
Just like Super Mario 64 defined the 3D platformer during the fifth console generation, Super Mario Galaxy defined the future of this genre. No longer restricted by flat surfaces, Mario traversed a number of spherical planetoids on his way to retrieve all the missing stars. Playing around with gravity in interesting ways, Galaxy provided new ways to maneuver around a three dimensional space. The motion capabilities of the Wii remote are expertly used to ease jumping, interact with objects in the environment and control Mario on different rides such as a ball or a manta ray. Super Mario Galaxy is the premier platforming game of this generation and it should not be skipped over by any gamer.
This writer considers Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception to be the best entry in Naught Dog's venerable series. Although if it was not for the excellence of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, there would be no third entry in the Uncharted series. That is the reason Among Thieves makes this list over Drake's Deception. Uncharted 2 launched Nathan Drake and Naughty Dog into superstardom. It is an exhilarating roller coaster ride from beginning to end with some unbelievable set pieces like battling mercenaries in a collapsing building or traversing a moving train as a helicopter guns Drake down. Aside from the Hollywood blockbuster-like moments, Uncharted 2 has a solid base of third-person shooting, visceral hand-to-hand combat and parkour-like platforming. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves single-handedly created a juggernaut franchise for Sony this past generation and going forward into the future.
Batman: Arkham City is the ultimate superhero and ultimate Batman game. Arkham City is a fully realized world where the player is given the skills and abilities to explore every nook and cranny, fight waves of convicts, tackle story missions or collect hundreds of creatively hidden collectables. One can easily lose tons of hours just playing around in Arkham City's open world. Any gamer no matter if they are hardcore fans of the Dark Knight or know nothing about the Caped Crusader will enjoy the amazing experience Arkham City offers. It puts you in the shoes of a superhero like no other game has ever done before and few could possibly do after. Batman: Arkham City is the best licensed game of this generation and arguably of all-time.
Unlike Twilight Princess, which launched with the Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is built from the ground up for the Nintendo's motion-based console. In short, Skyward Sword stands as the pinnacle of the Wii’s library, an example why high definition graphics do not make games better and why motion controls are not just a gimmick. Skyward Sword offers one-to-one swordplay like no game has ever achieved before or since, an excellent array of items with intuitive motion controls from old favourites like the bombs to new choices such as the beetle, mind-bending puzzles, beautifully constructed dungeons and a wonderfully orchestrated soundtrack (a first for the Zelda series). Arguably the greatest game of this generation, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword stands as the embodiment of the pure fun and emotion brought forth by Nintendo's mission with the Wii.
Journey is one of the most unique experiences of this past generation. There are no tutorials, no real instructions. You are just dropped into a seemingly barren desert with this profile of a mountain in the distance. The controls are simple yet incredibly intuitive, the graphics and art are just jaw dropping, the music is beautiful and the puzzles, while simple, are very charming and engaging. Journey is a soothing and relaxing experience that can easily be finished in one sitting, which makes the game easy to replay again and again. This writer cannot stress how amazing of an experience this game is. Journey is a game that cannot be captured in words or through video. Journey is a game that must be experienced to understand its greatness.
Unlike any experience in this medium, The Walking Dead transcends the title of being a mere licensed game. Fans of this property or not, The Walking Dead is an emotional tale that anyone will easily be drawn into. The Walking Dead will make you laugh, cry, scared, disgusted, shocked, surprised, intrigued and every emotion in between. When everything is said and done, you will be amazed at how much you care about each and every character you meet and interact with in this game and contemplate on what could have been if you made different decisions. The Walking Dead is hands down the benchmark for modern adventure games and should be experienced by all gamers mature enough to play it.
