Going into overdrive this week! The big announcement was made yesterday, now #5 and 4 of the Top 25 of this Decade are up, with the next three being released every three days. So expect to see selections #3, 2 and 1 on the 18th, 21st and Christmas Eve respectively. I figure I’d take a couple days off after that, then back to work editing, playing, refining and getting reviews up and out. I really want to get some time into Demon’s Souls and work on a review for that one sometime soon.
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A quick request: if anyone knows any places in and around the five boroughs of New York that have a decent American Sega Saturn game collection at a not so wallet bleeding price point, please let me know. I’m talking Fighters Megamix under $20 and not $45 (I have Fighters Megamix, but wanted to use that one as an example). Lets move on for now, to the 5th and 4th selections in the Top 25 of this Decade!
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Fallout 3
Microsoft XBox 360
US Release Date: October 28, 2008
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What is it?
The world has turned into a giant wasteland, with radiation pockets all around, and mutated creatures roaming the streets. You were born and raised in Vault 101, and underground sanctuary, sealed off from the treacherous and dire outside world of which you know nothing of. Your father is a scientist, working on a huge project. One day, he goes missing, escaping into the world outside the Vault. You’ve always been close to your father, and want to go after him. But what you don’t know, is that your world, and the world in general, is about to change in ways no one thought possible.
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Why did it make my list?
Oblivion with guns. Many people described Fallout 3 as a game that feels close to Oblivion but with a focus on ballistic and other ranged weaponry. In some ways I agree, but Fallout 3 carves out its own identity within the mold of comparison, and the form it takes is something quite different and built much better. The world looks so desolate, yet Bethesda brings even this desolate world to life, with an excellent visual presentation, and with the fact that no two areas look alike. Whether you’re inside a crumbling school building, or inside a random war torn home, the looks are unique, crisp and impressive. Combat is an excellent blend of run and gun and patient progression, with the ability to target different parts of an enemies body for potentially bigger damage. While Oblivion’s combat was fun, it felt like I was going through the motions a lot of the time. With Fallout 3, each battle is fun, engaging and memorable. With tons of side quests that join the gripping main story, Fallout 3 has become one of my all time favorite games, and not just the fifth best game I’ve played this decade.
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Thank you, Broken Steel!
With the Broken Steel expansion pack, it eliminated the one thing that really killed the momentum of the game – the ending. After viewing those god awful endings, I totally lost all interest in playing through the game again until recently, despite how incredible the game was. Fallout 3 is a game that for all intended purposes, is not supposed to be beaten. With Broken Steel, you can now at least continue past the end. But whatever you do, avoid Operation: Anchorage, unless you buy the Game of the Year disc….boy did that one suck.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Microsoft XBox 360
US Release Date: November 10, 2009
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What is it?
The sequel to the smash hit Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. MW2 takes everything from the first game, and adds onto it. The campaign, although short, packs more memorable scenes in a short amount of time than many other games throughout every genre that have a five times longer story mode. Mix in a collection of single or two player tasks in the form of Spec Ops, and an even more refined, more entertaining multiplayer mode and you have one of the best overall packages gaming has ever seen.
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Why did it make my list?
As one of the most well rounded experiences in video game history, Modern Warfare 2 is an action packed thrill ride at every corner. Sure, the campaign is pretty short, but I can’t name any games with that much action going on, where I’m literally shaking from the intensity. I came away with my jaw on the ground, and my memory filled with more intense and breath taking moments than any other game in years, all in that short campaign. Spec Ops adds another layer of replay value, trying to accomplish set goals of varying difficulty. If you had no online capabilities, Spec Ops would definitely round out the package quite well. But WITH the online capabilities, the refined and polished up multiplayer experience will hook you in longer than it did in the first Modern Warfare. So much more customization, so many ways to set your guy up, so much more room on each map. There’s so much to do, that the complaints of a short but memorable campaign are weakened by the blow of a great Spec Ops mode, and an even better multiplayer mode, that blows away any and every online FPS experience by miles.
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Now come on, isn’t this a little too new?
Not at all. In fact, this was my number one selection at one point, and then number two as recently as a week ago, but after some soul searching, I put it into perspective. I know I’ll be spending an appalling amount of time playing Modern Warfare 2, but the time I already spent on the number one selection, there’s no way I could justify this being number one. Considering Borderlands is on my list, as well as it being as high as it is, no, I don’t think Modern Warfare 2 is too new to be here. I also purchased a copy several days before the launch, so it wasn’t like it made the cut off date and made the list soon after.
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Top 25 of this Decade – #25 – 21
Top 25 of this Decade – #20 – 16
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