Top 10 Games of the 7th Generation
- Thread starter JuicieJ
- Start date
Garo
Boy Wonder
BioShock Infinite unlocks in a little over an hour, so I'm going to keep this nice and brief, with the added note that I fully expect aforementioned game to make this list.
1. Portal 2
2. Journey
3. BioShock
4. Portal
5. Mass Effect
6. Heavy Rain
7. Super Mario Galaxy
8. The Unfinished Swan
9. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
10. Epic Mickey
Controversial decision, ahoy! I will make a pretty strong case for every game on this list at some point, but I will add the disclaimer that, as always, lists such as these are inherently subjective, and that my personal sensibilities and experiences are going to color my perceptions of games. I'll acknowledge that games like Epic Mickey will rarely appear on these kinds of list, but that game touched me on a deeply personal level and I love it to death for that reason. The same goes for every game on this list.
1. Portal 2
2. Journey
3. BioShock
4. Portal
5. Mass Effect
6. Heavy Rain
7. Super Mario Galaxy
8. The Unfinished Swan
9. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
10. Epic Mickey
Controversial decision, ahoy! I will make a pretty strong case for every game on this list at some point, but I will add the disclaimer that, as always, lists such as these are inherently subjective, and that my personal sensibilities and experiences are going to color my perceptions of games. I'll acknowledge that games like Epic Mickey will rarely appear on these kinds of list, but that game touched me on a deeply personal level and I love it to death for that reason. The same goes for every game on this list.
JuicieJ
SHOW ME YA MOVES!
So it's more of a favorites list then?
CynicalSquid
Swag Master General
This is more of a favorites list, but it's still what I think is the top 10...still slightly biased though
1. Fallout 3
2. The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
3. Halo: Reach
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
5. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
6. Bioshock
7. Fallout: New Vegas
8. Mass Effect
9. The Walking Dead
10. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
1. Fallout 3
2. The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
3. Halo: Reach
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
5. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
6. Bioshock
7. Fallout: New Vegas
8. Mass Effect
9. The Walking Dead
10. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
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Hanyou
didn't build that
This generation was kind of awful, but there were some gems. And then there were the top two games on my list, which were miles ahead of anything else in this generation.
I love these games so much that while I could write an essay about them (and I might one day), I'm at a loss for words at this hour. Suffice to say that they stand with my all-time favorites on any platform, in any genre.
1.) Super Mario Galaxy- Not only is this my favorite 7th Generation game, it's my favorite platformer ever. On top of the visual style and music being spectacular, the level design and core gameplay elements are near-perfect. You want to make a case for games as art? This is a good place to start, because the gameplay is part of the art, but little touches like the observatory make for an atmosphere without equal in current-gen platformers.
2.) Xenoblade Chronicles-
[video=youtube;hm1kWbE5hMg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm1kWbE5hMg[/video]
There is nothing I could possibly say about this game to do it justice. It is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. Just watch a few minutes of the Bionis' leg to get a feel for the atmosphere and scope at work here. This is another work of art. Get your hands on this game, even if it costs you $150.
I will tell you why I love it. I play games, generally, to escape to alien worlds, to relax, to be swept away by intriguing stories. Xenoblade offers all of that and more. The environments, when they are beautiful and warm, take hold and never let go; when they are cold and unforgiving, they urge you to press on into the unknown, to save the world you've already fallen in love with. This game encouraged me that there's still creativity, and not every developer insists on action, competition, or an unpleasant experience. This is what gaming at its best is about to me--not defeating a game, but experiencing it.
It is one of the best games of this generation because every aspect of the game is well-designed and polished. Finding a weakness here is exceptionally difficult; almost every system is implemented well, and there's so much to do that it will sap hours, in some cases well over 100 hours, from your life.
----------
Everything else on this list is subject to change. While I honestly can't imagine any games in this mess of a generation topping my 2 favorites (so I would submit that they are "the best,") I don't have a PS3, so I'm missing out on a good number of games. The rest of these are simply favorites, though I'm sure they rank among the best.
3.) Portal 2- Yep, that high up. Good story, good environments, fun gameplay. What more could you ask for?
4.) Tales of Vesperia- Another fantastic RPG. It's a Tales game, so the standard of quality should be obvious to anyone who's played the other big entries in this series. This game, along with a couple Xbox titles, is the only reason my 360 is still hooked up to my TV.
5.) Harvest Moon: Animal Parade- You read that right. I was addicted to this game for weeks, and it gave me my money's worth. Awesome. It distills some of the best parts of the series into one game and adds tons more.
6.) Pokemon Black/White- One of my favorite main series entries.
7.) Donkey Kong Country Returns- My second-favorite DKC game, after DKC 2.
8.) Sonic Generations- This one was actually good!
9.) Skyward Sword- Good ideas and execution. Like many of the best Zelda games, it had a unique style and a story that served the timeline well.
10.) Skyrim- It was nice, but it ain't no Morrowind. Or XENOBLADE, for that matter.
If I were counting Cave Story, Ocarina of Time, and Okami as 7th gen games for their remakes/rereleases, they'd all be pretty high on this list.
I love these games so much that while I could write an essay about them (and I might one day), I'm at a loss for words at this hour. Suffice to say that they stand with my all-time favorites on any platform, in any genre.
1.) Super Mario Galaxy- Not only is this my favorite 7th Generation game, it's my favorite platformer ever. On top of the visual style and music being spectacular, the level design and core gameplay elements are near-perfect. You want to make a case for games as art? This is a good place to start, because the gameplay is part of the art, but little touches like the observatory make for an atmosphere without equal in current-gen platformers.
2.) Xenoblade Chronicles-
[video=youtube;hm1kWbE5hMg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm1kWbE5hMg[/video]
There is nothing I could possibly say about this game to do it justice. It is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. Just watch a few minutes of the Bionis' leg to get a feel for the atmosphere and scope at work here. This is another work of art. Get your hands on this game, even if it costs you $150.
I will tell you why I love it. I play games, generally, to escape to alien worlds, to relax, to be swept away by intriguing stories. Xenoblade offers all of that and more. The environments, when they are beautiful and warm, take hold and never let go; when they are cold and unforgiving, they urge you to press on into the unknown, to save the world you've already fallen in love with. This game encouraged me that there's still creativity, and not every developer insists on action, competition, or an unpleasant experience. This is what gaming at its best is about to me--not defeating a game, but experiencing it.
It is one of the best games of this generation because every aspect of the game is well-designed and polished. Finding a weakness here is exceptionally difficult; almost every system is implemented well, and there's so much to do that it will sap hours, in some cases well over 100 hours, from your life.
----------
Everything else on this list is subject to change. While I honestly can't imagine any games in this mess of a generation topping my 2 favorites (so I would submit that they are "the best,") I don't have a PS3, so I'm missing out on a good number of games. The rest of these are simply favorites, though I'm sure they rank among the best.
3.) Portal 2- Yep, that high up. Good story, good environments, fun gameplay. What more could you ask for?
4.) Tales of Vesperia- Another fantastic RPG. It's a Tales game, so the standard of quality should be obvious to anyone who's played the other big entries in this series. This game, along with a couple Xbox titles, is the only reason my 360 is still hooked up to my TV.
5.) Harvest Moon: Animal Parade- You read that right. I was addicted to this game for weeks, and it gave me my money's worth. Awesome. It distills some of the best parts of the series into one game and adds tons more.
6.) Pokemon Black/White- One of my favorite main series entries.
7.) Donkey Kong Country Returns- My second-favorite DKC game, after DKC 2.
8.) Sonic Generations- This one was actually good!
9.) Skyward Sword- Good ideas and execution. Like many of the best Zelda games, it had a unique style and a story that served the timeline well.
10.) Skyrim- It was nice, but it ain't no Morrowind. Or XENOBLADE, for that matter.
If I were counting Cave Story, Ocarina of Time, and Okami as 7th gen games for their remakes/rereleases, they'd all be pretty high on this list.
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ShadowDiety
Nanomachines, son.
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2012
- Location
- Michigan
I don't think I'll be able to put these in order.
Batman: Arkham City
Portal 2
Twilight Princess
Metal Gear Solid 4
BioShock
Gears of War 2
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Team Fortress 2
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Assassins Creed II
Though there have been a few gems here and there, this generation has to be one of my least favorites.
Batman: Arkham City
Portal 2
Twilight Princess
Metal Gear Solid 4
BioShock
Gears of War 2
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Team Fortress 2
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Assassins Creed II
Though there have been a few gems here and there, this generation has to be one of my least favorites.
I can think of only five at the moment.
1) Dragon Age: Origins
Not only is this my favorite game of the seventh generation, but perhaps my favorite game of all time, a role contested only by the second game on the list. DA: O comes close to being the perfect RPG, with hundreds of factors playing into the story's progression. The story is fine and epic, with characters you love to love and villains you love to hate. The combat feels just right, combining the tactical nature we've come to expect from Bioware's fantastical offerings with the tense nature of real time. The lore is well defined and a joy to read about, and the writing is solid, bordering on brilliant. The five origins offered by the game give it a great sense of replayability, with each origin impacting how your story plays out in a significant way. And let's not forget the DLC that Bioware produced for the game, and boy did they produce a lot. There aren't many video games that can compel me to shell out more money for additional content, but Dragon Age is one of them (I personally didn't, because I bought the Ultimate Edition, but fugedaboudit). Each piece of DLC isn't necessary to play the original game, but each is a heartfelt piece of writing that expanded the universe into what is possibly the best RPG of all time.
Just don't play the second game.
Like, ever.
2) Mass Effect 1/2
It's probably cheating to include two games in one list, but I don't give a **** because this is my list. The first two Mass Effect games are two halves of the second contender for greatest RPG of all time, but the series is so much more than that. It's a space opera, epic in every sense of the word and perhaps the best presented of any RPG ever, combining the cinematic style of the 2009's Star Trek, with depth of player choice rivaled only by other games from the same developer, and some solid shoot 'em up gameplay. Though Metal Gear Solid features the most time-wasting of any game, with its overlong cutscenes and unexplained desire to wave exposition every which way, Mass Effect is the only game to come along and do it well. Until the third game came along and ruined everything. We don't talk about the third game.
3) Rayman Origins
Anyone who's played Rayman Origins can tell you why it makes this list. Colorful, smooth, and featuring a ridiculous difficulty curve that will **** you up the *** as you struggle to complete the final, secret level, Rayman Origins is platforming at is best. It doesn't condescend with big, colorful letters of Too Bad! like the more recent Mario titles. It doesn't feature power ups, or even a lives system. It's platforming simplicity, and that works just fine for Rayman Origins. The art style is easily the best of the generation, and could probably make the top ten list of best looking games in the past twenty years. Mario? **** Mario. Rayman's back.
4) Bioshock
I hadn't thought about Bioshock since finishing it a second time, but reading over the lists of the others who have mentioned it reminds me why it was such a brilliant stand-alone game in the first place. It was moody, atmospheric, and brilliantly written. For a game commonly classified as an RPG, it features one of the most challenging and evolving methods of killing people in any game to date, with the combination of plasmids, weaponry, and environmental hazards creating a tactical mess that is a joy to wade through, something few games these days have managed.
5) Jade Empire
I'm forcing this title onto the list because it was re-released for the PC in 2007, when the seventh generation of gaming was underway. Almost in spite of fantasy norms, where the world is based on a twisted variation of medieval Europe, Jade Empire moves the focus to China, where martial arts take precedence and the existence of spirits governing the world is considered an everyday part of life. While not the longest Bioware RPG, the substance far outweighs the shortcomings, with a well-written story of gods, power, and betrayal. Of all Bioware's games, Jade Empire perhaps features my favorite method of combat, involving a totally real-time system of rock, paper, and scissors, catering to almost anyone's taste, regardless of whether they prefer tactical gampelay, button-mashing, or killing people from a distance.
1) Dragon Age: Origins
Not only is this my favorite game of the seventh generation, but perhaps my favorite game of all time, a role contested only by the second game on the list. DA: O comes close to being the perfect RPG, with hundreds of factors playing into the story's progression. The story is fine and epic, with characters you love to love and villains you love to hate. The combat feels just right, combining the tactical nature we've come to expect from Bioware's fantastical offerings with the tense nature of real time. The lore is well defined and a joy to read about, and the writing is solid, bordering on brilliant. The five origins offered by the game give it a great sense of replayability, with each origin impacting how your story plays out in a significant way. And let's not forget the DLC that Bioware produced for the game, and boy did they produce a lot. There aren't many video games that can compel me to shell out more money for additional content, but Dragon Age is one of them (I personally didn't, because I bought the Ultimate Edition, but fugedaboudit). Each piece of DLC isn't necessary to play the original game, but each is a heartfelt piece of writing that expanded the universe into what is possibly the best RPG of all time.
Just don't play the second game.
Like, ever.
2) Mass Effect 1/2
It's probably cheating to include two games in one list, but I don't give a **** because this is my list. The first two Mass Effect games are two halves of the second contender for greatest RPG of all time, but the series is so much more than that. It's a space opera, epic in every sense of the word and perhaps the best presented of any RPG ever, combining the cinematic style of the 2009's Star Trek, with depth of player choice rivaled only by other games from the same developer, and some solid shoot 'em up gameplay. Though Metal Gear Solid features the most time-wasting of any game, with its overlong cutscenes and unexplained desire to wave exposition every which way, Mass Effect is the only game to come along and do it well. Until the third game came along and ruined everything. We don't talk about the third game.
3) Rayman Origins
Anyone who's played Rayman Origins can tell you why it makes this list. Colorful, smooth, and featuring a ridiculous difficulty curve that will **** you up the *** as you struggle to complete the final, secret level, Rayman Origins is platforming at is best. It doesn't condescend with big, colorful letters of Too Bad! like the more recent Mario titles. It doesn't feature power ups, or even a lives system. It's platforming simplicity, and that works just fine for Rayman Origins. The art style is easily the best of the generation, and could probably make the top ten list of best looking games in the past twenty years. Mario? **** Mario. Rayman's back.
4) Bioshock
I hadn't thought about Bioshock since finishing it a second time, but reading over the lists of the others who have mentioned it reminds me why it was such a brilliant stand-alone game in the first place. It was moody, atmospheric, and brilliantly written. For a game commonly classified as an RPG, it features one of the most challenging and evolving methods of killing people in any game to date, with the combination of plasmids, weaponry, and environmental hazards creating a tactical mess that is a joy to wade through, something few games these days have managed.
5) Jade Empire
I'm forcing this title onto the list because it was re-released for the PC in 2007, when the seventh generation of gaming was underway. Almost in spite of fantasy norms, where the world is based on a twisted variation of medieval Europe, Jade Empire moves the focus to China, where martial arts take precedence and the existence of spirits governing the world is considered an everyday part of life. While not the longest Bioware RPG, the substance far outweighs the shortcomings, with a well-written story of gods, power, and betrayal. Of all Bioware's games, Jade Empire perhaps features my favorite method of combat, involving a totally real-time system of rock, paper, and scissors, catering to almost anyone's taste, regardless of whether they prefer tactical gampelay, button-mashing, or killing people from a distance.
Garo
Boy Wonder
A revision to my list is necessary!
1. BioShock Infinite
2. Portal 2
3. Journey
4. BioShock
5. Portal
6. Mass Effect
7. Heavy Rain
8. Super Mario Galaxy
9. The Unfinished Swan
10. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Yes. In fact, I may even place BioShock Infinite above Majora's Mask as the best game of all time, not just the seventh generation. It's an unbelievable experience. I could wax poetic about it for a very, very long time indeed... but this is neither the time nor the place. Suffice to say, it's easily the best of the seventh generation, and an experience that everybody - whether they liked the original BioShock or not - should have.
1. BioShock Infinite
2. Portal 2
3. Journey
4. BioShock
5. Portal
6. Mass Effect
7. Heavy Rain
8. Super Mario Galaxy
9. The Unfinished Swan
10. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Yes. In fact, I may even place BioShock Infinite above Majora's Mask as the best game of all time, not just the seventh generation. It's an unbelievable experience. I could wax poetic about it for a very, very long time indeed... but this is neither the time nor the place. Suffice to say, it's easily the best of the seventh generation, and an experience that everybody - whether they liked the original BioShock or not - should have.
JuicieJ
SHOW ME YA MOVES!
Slow down, there, Garo. Shouldn't you give yourself a little more time before saying all that? Really, after just finishing a game, that kinda comes off as a fangasm.
ATTENTION
Since I'm considering the year 2013 as part of the 8th generation, I'm being a hypocrite by not considering 2006 part of the 7th generation, since the XBOX 360 came out late 2005. This means I shouldn't be excluding games from 2006. I can now include Okami on this list as a result, since it was released in 2006 on the PS2.
ATTENTION
Since I'm considering the year 2013 as part of the 8th generation, I'm being a hypocrite by not considering 2006 part of the 7th generation, since the XBOX 360 came out late 2005. This means I shouldn't be excluding games from 2006. I can now include Okami on this list as a result, since it was released in 2006 on the PS2.
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Garo
Boy Wonder
If I didn't have reasons to substantiate that claim, then yeah. But oh do I have reasons. 3000 words worth of reasons. I'm rarely so quick to make a change in my top ten - it took me 12 viewings of Moonrise Kingdom to solidify its new place as the best film of all time - but so grand is BioShock Infinite's experience that I have no doubt in my mind that this is one of if not the best games I have ever played. At the moment, it's THE best. We'll see if it holds up to replay as well as the other top contenders.
JuicieJ
SHOW ME YA MOVES!
Reasons or not, I think it's a bit too early to make such a huge claim. You very well may hold the same opinion down the road, and that's cool, but you also very well may be jumping the gun. Just some friendly advice.
Castle
Ch!ld0fV!si0n
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2012
- Location
- Crisis? What Crisis?
- Gender
- Pan-decepticon-transdeliberate-selfidentifying-sodiumbased-extraexistential-temporal anomaly
Yup! Add Infinite to my No. 1 spot as well. Just move everything else back (sorry fallout teh third)
Oh. And, uh, btw... Infinite replays just fine
JuicieJ
SHOW ME YA MOVES!
Oh. And, uh, btw... Infinite replays just fine
It literally hasn't even been out for a week. Again, give the game some time. I'm sure it has replay value, but the point still stands.
Cfrock
Keep it strong
If they think it's the best game of this Generation let them. It doesn't matter how long Infinite has been out, you aren't them and so don't know how much they like it.
I do want to ask a question regarding the 3DS in particular. It's technically an 8th generation portable having released after the DSiXL, but still within the timeframe where the 7th gen was going strong. Does it count as an 8th gen system or not? If it counts as 7th gen, I really need to reform my list.