I play a hell of a lot of games it seems--

so I figured I would compile a list of the games I have played, beaten, loved and hated for this year. Please note, this does not necessarily mean games released this year as I have a tendency to walk away from games that frustrate me until the itch to play them starts again...


GAMES I HAVE BEATEN IN 2007 (for the first time)

Easily the best game I have beaten for pure entertainment value has been Bioshock. Despite a mediocre tacked on ending, this is the first game that for me has displayed the true potential of games as an artform. The painterly art direction combined with thematic depth and subtext of the story make this a true masterpiece, topped off with a real emotional punch.

The Darkness and Mass Effect also demonstrate the power of the next(current?) gen hardware when combined with real storytelling and a commitment to quality, especially in voice-acting. While Mass Effect delivers a ridiculous amount of value in its 25+ hours of gameplay it does suffer from tech issues, such as slowdowns and framerate drops. It is also not as revolutionary as hoped, with an overall feel of Knights of the Old Republic redux. The Darkness delivers top quality writing and performance with a story and delivers a real emotional gut punch early on. While it never again reaches that level of immersion, the graphics and gameplay are excellent.

God of War I & II deliver visceral intensity and pitch-perfect gameplay-the third in this series will be the only reason I buy a PS3 (to date)

VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE:BLOODLINES is one of the rare FPS/RPG's works. Despite the game developer going under and the game being under-cooked at release, a thriving mod community has continued to patch and upgrade the game past the official releases. While the staples of RPG's (grinding, leveling up) are present, the content which explores a mature rating in the best possible way (i.e. not gratuitously) provides massive game play value and entertainment. Like many games of this type, (Mass Effect, Dark Messiah) the combat is nowhere near as tight as one would expect from an FPS/action game but not a deal breaker.

F.E.A.R-FPS action combined with Asian-horror scares makes for a good but short time. The A.I. in this game is unparalleled and even with the visuals scaled down for a low-end machine, it is extremely playable and looks good too. Repetitive level design drag down the imaginative story but the intensity of the action keeps the heart pumping.

GEARS OF WAR & HALO 3 led the action assault in the past 12 months on the Xbox360, each dropping in time for the holidays of 2006 & 2007 respectively. While I originally derided Gears for its repetitive "stop & pop" game play and paper thin story, in the end, the pure intensity of the combat and gorgeous visuals won me over. Halo 3's story is not only thin, but launches itself past ambiguity to incomprehensibility. It is still the perfect FPS for the xbox, with tight responsive controls and well-executed (pun intended) enemy A.I. The graphics are strangely variable from drop dead gorgeous to placeholder matte art that seems to have been missed. The finale (post credits) is a satisfying wrapup to the storyline (such as it is) and solidify the emotional resonance between the Master Chief and Cortana.

CALL OF DUTY 4 was a non-stop thrill-ride from start to finish, with stunning visuals, good (if not original)storytelling and even some resonance. It hides the linear aspect of the game with the intensity of the firefight, though the players squad often take on more than they should, leaving me less the leader of the fight than a follower. Fantastic game.

CRACKDOWN is one of the hidden gems of this year, a game many people only to access the Halo 3 beta unfotunately. Much like Hulk:Ultimate destruction, the open world aspect of the game is fantastic, as is the vertical play, with towering skylines to ascend. Grand Theft Superhero is the best description to apply, though I skipped the driving aspect entirely. A very entertaining way to spend some time shooting things and leaping from tall buildings.

Prince of Perisa:The Sands of Time: After finally reading the manual I figured out how to beat the elevating room sequence and then game....years later. A fantastic entry, improved upon by the second sequel The Two Thrones, which I still haven't beat. The Warrior Within was acquired recently and thought it is a much prettier game visually, it is not as good as the 1st nor the last.

When I have time I will post the games I am still playing, and those I played and ditched.

Much ado about nothing

Led by the rantings of the once-respected now soon to be disbarred Florida Lawyer Jack Thompson, "controversy" has erupted over the release of Rockstar's Manhunt 2. Much maligned as a game that originally received an "AO" rating (ensuring it would not be sold in Walmart or Bestbuy" the developer revisited the code, toning down some of the more extreme moments to receive an "M" rating.

What befuddles me about this "issue" is that not 5 days ago the fourth installment in one of the most gruesome, violent (but entertaining) spectacles in mainstream torture porn was released (Saw IV) earning a $32 million dollar opening weekend. As an adult with kids, I have seen the Saw movies and I have played Manhunt, and brother, Manhunt ain't no Saw. My kids have neither seen nor played either and will not be for years to come because as a responsible, discerning parent I refuse to expose them to this material.

Having worked for years in a video game store I can tell you this attitude towards parental responsibility is rare, as most parents have NO CLUE what their kids are playing or watching. They just nod and smile and give Jimmy what he wants to shut him up.

I wonder if the issue with Manhunt 2 is more about tone and "realism" than about content. The original game placed the gamer in the shoes of a serial killer who is released by a "snuff" film producer in order to make his film. It shares more in game mechanics with stealth games like Splinter Cell than the ultra-violent action of a God of War, however each "kill" triggers a cut scene showing a graphic execution of the victim.

Unlike games like God Of War or even the recently released Conan, Manhunt is not set in a fantasy world and contains few elements that set it outside "reality". Conan allows the player to interactively, not passively observing in a cut scene, decapitate human enemies allowing great gouts of blood to stream from the severed necks. You can also "disarm" an enemy by lopping off both arms at the shoulder with your dual swords. Even a game like "The Darkness" which contains Sopranos level violence, language and drama performed wonderfully by the voice actors occurs in a world of fantasy. Sure you can sneak up behind an enemy and with a button press, stick your pistol in his mouth in closeup and blow the back of his head off most graphically, but your character also has tentacles growing out of his back.

The staggering hypocrisy of the ERSB combined with Rockstar controversy courting ways do gaming a disservice as an art form. For every step forward with a BioShock or a Mass Effect, two steps back are taken as parents continue to tune out to what their kids (and their spouses) are playing.

Bio-Shock redux

Little over an hour in now and the game is just stunning. The stylized art-deco designs mesh perfectly with the atmospheric world gone mad of Rapture. Unlike Doom III, where darkness was a more of a tech demo, the sparing use of light in this game only adds to the unrelenting tension. Vita-chambers are a god send as I am playing the game on Hard and clearly am not as L33T as I thought as I have died countless times already.

Most memorable encounter thus far: upon entering dental, an area already obscured in shadow, the lights suddenly drop out as a raving pack of splicers descend on me-lit only by the muzzle flash of my shotgun I strafe and whirl unable to discern which way is up and die multiple times.

Crazy

Bio-Shocked

30 minutes in and this is already my game of the year pick-un-fricking believable

-more to come