The official mandate has come down from the top—that it is December, and we all write about games, so we all have to pick some arbitrary number of them that we enjoyed above all others this year. I am taking on this task in the way of our forefathers, using their traditional number (10) and order (from great to most greatest). Games were chosen for this list using a highly scientific list of criteria, including but not limited to dopamine levels, blood alcohol content, darts, and how well the box art fit into my photo mosaic of Satoru Iwata. Today is #4-#2.
4. No More Heroes
I don’t think I’ve ever cackled with glee more often at a game than I have at No More Heroes. It’s the ultimate otaku fantasy simulator, and it revels in obsession and bombast. It’s also the ultimate otaku simulator, and it revels in loneliness and sociopathy. Were the clunky town-based elements a bad impersonation of western sandbox design, or a cynical elbow to the ribs of western sandbox design? Is it a legitimately great game or a bad game that’s ironically great, and could it somehow be both? And what was up with that real ending? For No More Heroes, a game that loves and hates itself in equal measure, these questions could be debated endlessly. The most outrageous game of the year, and the must-play of the last twelve months that most people didn’t.
3. Grand Theft Auto IV
I’m fine with pouring the backlash on GTA IV. The game sold approximately five hojillion copies, so it can take it. But it’s important to not let that backlash become the entirety of the dialogue about the game, because the game accomplished so much. Niko Bellic, an unattractive man haunted by a violent life in Serbia, was a bold choice for the protagonist of a mainstream game. Liberty City was a palpable game world that stood at the forefront of environmental design both stylistically and, for a time, technically. It never held back, but it also didn’t court controversy for the sake of it. It always felt like it had something to say. And yes, it was a blast to play, the controls finally refined so it didn’t feel like you were in a constant battle with them (only an infrequent battle). It’s the best Grand Theft Auto by a country mile, it made me a fan of the series, and it’s also the first time I’ve been proud of the franchise for the way in which it represents the medium to the nation at large. The vast majority of GTA IV is what’s right about gaming, not what’s wrong with it—and to see that diminished in the face of PC bug discussions and whether or not the ending crumbled would be sad.
2. Rock Band 2
I spent most of 2008 playing Rock Band, and loving every second of it. But Rock Band 2 completely obsolesces its predecessor in every way, thanks to the most consumer-friendly feature list ever devised by a developer. Just about every issue with the first game, from nitpicking interface problems to frustrating band requirements, were all eliminated. The track list was of course killer but the game also included backwards compatibility with not just all downloaded songs, but the songs on the original game’s disc. The new online elements are interesting, varied, and keep Harmonix constantly in touch with the community. The DLC content grows without bound, getting better all the time. The only reason Rock Band 2 is not my number one game of the year is because most of the innovation happened in the 2007 version. But the series will end up defining the generation for me. This is the height of rhythm gaming, the height of party gaming, and the height of cooperative gaming. It might also just be the height of layperson ways to experience music.
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