#10 - Crackdown
At number 10, Crackdown left a lasting impression as a game which was full of fun and innovation in a somewhat familiar style of city setting. The trial and error nature of taking out bosses appealed to me greatly, and provided an incentive to continue playing as with each attempt, I'd get closer and closer to neutralising my target. Another impressive feature was the XP system whereby players can improve their jumping, shooting, kicking, and driving abilities to ridiculous levels, making the game more interesting and strategically varied to play.
#9 - Gitaroo Man Lives!
Koei are best known for their historical battle games such as Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors, so it was a surprise to me when I found Gitaroo Man Lives! to be such a fresh and innovative rhythm game. Instead of mere button tapping, players must use the analog stick of the PSP to follow an onscreen trail whilst tapping in rhythm. There are also battle sections where the correct buttons flash across the screen and must be pressed in time to avoid taking damage. With excellent music and a fun accompanying story, I really enjoyed my time with the game.
#8 - Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge has become a well respected name in video games since it's release and I expected a fun parkour experience from it at the very least, but upon playing it I was impressed with the tense and fast-moving storyline, the combination of rooftop-jumping and combat which never seemed to get in the way of eachother, but meld into a deadly style of self defence, and the breathtaking graphics and lighting engine in the game. While it's only a short experience, I look forward to a sequel if and when it arrives.
#7 - We Love Katamari
While I had heard of and was aware of the concept of the Katamari series, it wasn't until I aquired and played We Love Katamari that the truly enjoyable nature of rolling all sorts of things up into a big sticky ball was revealed to me. With such a unique concept and control scheme, the game definitely takes some getting used to, and probably isn't to everyone's tastes but with a soft spot for Japanese oddity and its excellent soundtrack, this instalment in the series has inspired me to get hold of even more.
#6 - Portal
Like Mirror's Edge, Portal isn't a long game by any means; skilled players can complete it in under an hour, and even first attempts at running through the game should only hit a few hours at a maximum. Despite this, the enjoyment doesn't come from the game's length but its innovative portal physics, the gradual increase in difficulty of its puzzles, and the overarching hint of story that leads players to the final boss. It's honestly a classic of modern gaming that has widespread appeal and playability.
#5 - Driver: San Francisco
When I picked up Driver: San Francisco, I hadn't heard anything about the game and my expectations were hovering around that of Driver: Parallel Lines or Driv3r, as an enjoyable but ultimately flawed experience. After 12 hours, I'd completed the main story of the game (though there were many bonus goals left to beat), convinced that this was the best Driver game in the series. The car swapping mechanic beats any shooting segments from other Driver games hands down, and the pace and variety of story missions really give this game a huge amount of likeability.
#4 - The Suffering
After including Midway on my list of bad publishers, I picked up a copy of The Suffering thinking that it'd be a hilariously bad budget horror game experience. Within the first hour of play, that proved not to be the case as a truly chilling and atmospheric horror experience unfolded. With a variety of enemies, puzzles to solve and multiple endings, making it through to the end of the game required skill and determination. As it's cheap in used games stores, I'd recommend anyone with a PS2 to give this a go.
#3 - Heavy Rain
Diving some critics on whether cinematic experiences should count as video games, I have no doubt that Heavy Rain should be counted a video game, and a good one at that. While it can be a little slow to get started, this only serves to set the scene for later events, as the plot really takes off after a little while. With some of the most memorable moments vividly etched into gamer's heads (cutting off part of your own finger being one of them), Heavy Rain itself also leaves a lasting impression as an experience as well as a video game.
#2 - Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
I honestly wanted to put Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective as a joint #1 in this list, having enjoyed it immensely, but for the sake of having a consistent countdown, here it is at number 2. Controlling the spirit of a dead being, players execute "Ghost Tricks" in order to move across rooms and impact on the lives of the living, thus solving the plot of the game, ultimately. With an engrossing story, excellent music and characters, and truly original gameplay idea, this is a game that I cannot recommend enough.
#1 - Grand Theft Auto V
When I got a PS2 for Christmas in 2005, I rushed out and bought Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. After all, that'd been the point of getting a PS2. The same can be said for my PS3 and GTA V. I knew it was coming, I knew it'd be bigger and better than the instalments before it, and I wasn't disappointed in any way. The story missions and overall plot are excellently paced and executed, there's tons to do whilst freeroaming and exploring, and it looks gorgeous, even on 7th generation consoles. What more could you want?
All that's left now is to say thank you to anyone who's reading this and has read other reviews I've posted this year, I'll be continuing to voyage through the world of video games, so stay tuned and keep reading!
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