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 Features
Question of the Year Responses:
Top 3 Games Of 2005?
"Shadow of the Colossus - With most releases these days adhering to storied videogame conventions, it's always a relief to see a game that isn't afraid to try something new. The vast, lonely landscape, sparse yet meaningful story and magnificent enemy/boss encounters makes Colossus stand out from the crowd. And who said innovation in games was dead?
Indigo Prophecy - Sure, it was more of an interactive movie than a game, and yes the plot did disintegrate into gibberish near the end, but Indigo Prophecy also pushed the limits of narrative in gaming without sacrificing the player's enjoyment. Besides, who'd have thought "The Fugitive" meets " Shenmue" would actually make for a respectable game?
Guitar Hero - There's a reason Guitar Hero is tearing up the charts; it's just that good. How Harmonix managed to streamline the heart and soul behind Frequency and Amplitude into an accessible (or at least less niche) game is a triumph of design; and the possibility of add-on packs with more songs is music to my ears. Here's hoping Harmonix understands the hit they've got so they can round out the band with Bass, Drum and Keyboard Hero!"
-Ben Serviss, Creo Ludus
Shadow of the Colossus
"I don't know if it's necessarily the most innovative, or surprising, or even well-polished game of 2005, but Nintendo's Osu! Tatake! Ouendan is sitting in my DS right now. This is significant because I mastered the game on its highest difficult setting about three months ago, and yet, it's still there. Sure, I've played some other great DS games - Mario Kart DS, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Animal Crossing: Wild World - but in the end, I always find myself coming back to a wacky rhythm game about imaginary cheerleading men inspiring kids to do their homework, secretaries to seduce their hunky bosses, and orchestral violinists to overcome constipation, all to the tune of sugary sweet Japanese pop. And that really says something. Specifically, it says that Ouendan is the best game of 2005.
When I first saw screenshots of Capcom's Killer 7, way back in early 2003, I knew I'd like it. I didn't know what the game was about, I didn't know how the game controlled or what the objective was or the name of one single person involved. None of that mattered though, because those shots oozed style. It was as if someone looked at an untextured, in-production game, with its simple placeholder tiles and barren landscapes, and said, "Hey, this looks kind of cool." And indeed, Killer 7, when it eventually came out, was cool. It was ice cold, bitter and frightening, like drinking cheap scotch over ice in a dimly-lit bar in the wrong part of town, knowing that there's a price on your head and hoping against all hope that this is all just a bad dream. And at the same time, hoping that it's not.
I played a lot of other great games this year. I can't choose a third favorite, so I'm going to cheat and start listing a few off. Double Fine's Psychonauts was incredible, up until my Xbox stopped reading the disc. Thankfully, I got to experience the pure brilliance of the Milk Man before that happened. Shadow of the Colossus was also good. Too good, in fact. I killed about five of the buggers before I realized that I wasn't doing the game justice by playing it at my leisure. The disc is sitting on my shelf until I can devote an entire night to it. Sonic Rush is the greatest 2D Sonic game of all time, and this is coming from someone who previously thought that the series died after the 16-bit era. Take out the lame story segments and make the bosses more interesting, and it might be perfect."
-Frank Cifaldi, Gamasutra
"World of Warcraft. Well, I don't know where you class it with the different launch dates for different continents and all. But at least it deserves an honourable mention, however old it is. In our house, where a great many games are played, it is simply known as "the game," that speaks volumes.
Age of Empires 3. About time we had a new installment there, and it is a typical Ensemble Studios job - polished, solid and very well playing. It has been taking a lot of flak for lack of innovation, but that is not why you buy an installment of a series; you love what you played before, and you want more of the same. Ensemble Studios delivered, of course...
Nintendogs on the DS. Big fat kudos to Nintendo for actually doing something to taking games into the mainstream. Such efforts makes you wonder if we even have any clue of all the things a game actually can be. And that is a nice heartwarming thought in this age of generic FPS titles and GTA rip offs."
-Marque Pierre Sondergaard, Heroes Team
Darwinia
"1) Activision's Gun (PC) - reminds me of Zelda: OOT (N64). It has just got a nice flow about it. I like Montana - never been there but still like it. The side missions are great and you can stop at any time to return to the story. Also there are no loading screens and a large game world! I enjoy the way you can jump on and off your horse (it just animates nicely - and it's not like you stop to get on it and can't move - you can start sprinting on your horse the moment you press a button to get on it - that's one of the things that makes this game really flow.) And sure the graphics are good. I like the story and the cutscenes - that always ices the cake for me.
2) EA's NFS: Most Wanted (PS2) - the best Need for Speed I've played since NFS 3: Hot Pursuit . It is a must have game.
3) AOE III - Age of Empires in 3D - wow. It is just a good series. It has always been a top strategy game - and given the improvements it's worth three thumbs up."
-Grant Fowler
"Narrowing a short-list of favorites to just three is tough in a year that's seen its share of blockbusters (God Of War and Resident Evil 4), a healthy crop of art-house hits (Psychonauts, Killer 7, and We <3 Katamari). In addition, there are a number of essential imports (many of which we're confirmed to see in 2006, like Chibi-Robo and Electroplankton, and others, like Ouendan, we may or may not), all of which are worthy competitors in their own right.
Too often overlooked in the usual yearly roundup lists, though, and maybe just by nature of its early arrival, was one of the year's first best games: Oddworld Stranger's Wrath. Aggressively gorgeous and every bit as socially progressive and anti-establishment as its predecessors, albeit less blatantly, it took the Oddworld universe into what should have been its most commercially accessible realm with its emphasis on smart first person combat (just don't call it an FPS). It also had what might be the year's finest plot twist -- after lulling you into complacency with a rigorously structured first act, it completely switched gears for its second, and with it brought a host of emotional and motivational quandaries for the player to work through.
Similarly underappreciated, at least on this side of the Atlantic divide was Introversion's Darwinia, which may now finally get the credit its due with its arrival via Steam and multiple top nominations in the Indie Games Fest. A perfect blend of retro-futurist gameplay and visual design, it pays homage to all the hits of yesteryear (Cannon Fodder, et al) while still managing to maintain its own unique identity and never devolving into cheap derivative. It's also probably the first game I can remember that's nearly as fun simply to quit and restart to see all of the team's throwbacks to 8-bit intros, cracktros, and the Game of Life (Conway's, not Hasbro's).
And mirroring the sentiments of several others, Harmonix's Guitar Hero has to be mentioned as perhaps the most invigorating thing to happen to music/rhythm gaming since Parappa first chop-kicked it all off. It's the most compulsively addictive game I've played all year, where hardly a day passes that I don't pause for a Spanish Castle Magic or Even Rats fix. I haven't met a person yet who's laid hands on it and not come away firmly under its spell.
And, if I can cheat the rules just a bit, I've got to give one final shout-out to Earth Defense Force 2 for PlayStation 2, easily the finest of D3's Japanese budget Simple Series games, which, like Guitar Hero, has managed to charm everyone that's been exposed to it. Like its header would suggest, it's a Simple premise -- choose two weapons, choose your level, and lock and load against an unimaginable number of giant insect, UFO and monster B-movie hordes, but beyond the kitschiness is truly visceral impact that many of the year's big budget shooters failed to elicit. Its first volume saw limited release in Europe , but there's no word yet of localization of the second, so if you've got the means to import, take the $20 risk -- I guarantee you won't be disappointed."
-Brandon Boyer, GameSetWatch
Civilization IV
"My top three in no particular order would have to be Shadow of the Colossus, Guitar Hero, and Lumines. These are games I consider to be a part of my permanent game library, Maybe i'll even take them to the grave with me.
What hasn't been already been said about Shadow of the Colossus? This game has an amazing sense of atmosphere, the art direction is the best i've ever seen in a video game, and it says so much with so little. I'm glad they didn't bother littering the areas between each colossus with petty battles, instead focusing the game only on the ones that matter. It just takes you from one memorable moment to the next.
Guitar Hero is the little game that could...and did! Very few publishers would be brave enough to take on the risk of a game that required a special peripheral (I thank Capcom every day for Steel Battalion). The game is worth more than its price tag, I embarrass myself on a regular basis in front of my wife while playing this game but I don't care, Guitar Hero lets me live out my rock n' roll dreams!
Hailed by some as the only reason to own a PSP, Lumines tops my pick for handheld game. Awesome music plus a deep puzzle mechanic makes for a very zen-like experience. I normally play handheld games in short bursts but once you get into Lumines it's hard to stop, I just wish the PSP battery could keep up."
-Carlo Delallana, Ubisoft
"Psychonauts - A return to witty, chuckle-inducing games of yesteryear. This game succeeds at being an addictive platformer for a wide audience while creating a zany, immersive world to bounce around in.
Civilization 4 - A pitch-perfect game that revamps the turn-based strategy PC game into something anyone, anytime can pick up and play.
F.E.A.R. - Most horror games quickly revert to "monster spawns, player yawns" clichés. F.E.A.R.'s AI is so good and the atmosphere is so chillingly stark that every battle is engrossing and every spooky twist is unnerving."
-Jason Diehl, The Art Intitute- Orange County
"My three favorite video games of 2005 are Project Gotham Racing 3, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, and Forza Motorsport. I think PGR3 is the best launch title for the Xbox 360, and it symbolizes everything I love about cars: the speed, the exotic machines, and the competition. Everything else - the interiors and the Live components- are just icing on the cake. Geometry Wars is easy to pick up and play, and is a pleasure to play - everything a video game should be. Finally, Forza is a great simulator, and is engrossing."
-Alex Nigro
"God of War is easily one of the best-looking, best-sounding, and best-playing action games of the year and it defies the rules of what is possible on Playstation 2 hardware. It features fantastic cinematic production values and on top of that it supports 16:9 and 480p progressive scan which is something all current generation console games should do by default!
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones - After the undeservedly disappointing press about Ubisoft's last Prince of Persia game (Warrior Within), Ubisoft went back to the roots of this generation's Prince of Persia series and the move was for the better. It features some fantastic platforming/puzzle sequences, a more refined, satisfying combat system, and excellent cinematic sequences and voice acting. Easily one of the best in the action/adventure genre this year. Thumbs up also go to Ubisoft for the widescreen support for the Xbox version.
Resident Evil 4 - Capcom took a dead genre and a dead series and re-injected new life into it. In fact they did such a good job that this game for me was easily the best action/survival horror game (in fact just the best game) of 2005. Fantastic art direction in conjunction with great audio and a well-balanced plot combine to produce an atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire game. It was disappointing to see the (overall superior) GameCube version only receive the letter box treatment but at least Capcom somewhat redeemed themselves with full 480p and true anamorphic widescreen support in the PS2 version."
-David Skoumbourdis
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 [back to] Introduction
[Please note that the opinions of individual employees responding to the Question Of The Week may not represent those of their company.]
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