A real eye-opener in terms of scale, execution and ambition back in 2001, the first 3D GTA is also by far the most enjoyable as far as I'm concerned, feeling more focused, less bloated, and more joyous than it's successors, who gradually deviated and diluted the formula. Combining the driving stunts of late 90s minor classic Driver with on foot elements, cutting satire, a wide array of missions, and most importantly, the freedom to wander the city doing whatever you wanted until the law intervened, GTA3 was a truly immense video game.2. Tomb Raider Anniversary (2007, Crystal Dynamics)
Expanded remake of the now clunky original Tomb Raider, Anniversary felt like a bit of an oddity in the gaming world by 2007, with a more cerebral style and sedate pace compared to most modern action games. This, to me, is to its benefit rather than its detriment, although thanks to some nightmarishly hard bosses, I never managed to finish it off, making it amongst the more frustrating games on this list. 3. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003, Remedy Entertainment)
The less popular sequel to bullet-time gamings most influential game, Max Payne 2 still holds a lot of appeal to me - quite aside from being a very atmospheric noir thriller, to this day it is nigh on impossible to kill game characters in a cooler looking way, more satisfying fashion.
4. Beyond Good and Evil (2003, Ubisoft)
One of the jewels in the crown of the under-rated field of French gaming, Beyond Good and Evil features one of the most sympathetic, engaging, and downright stylish lead characters in a video game, and the gaming world she explores is full of plenty of Gallic invention and charm too. Be warned though, for her pig-shaped occasional sidekick is gaming's equivalent of Chris Tucker in the Fifth Element - he will annoy you enormously when on screen.
5. Resident Evil: Code: Veronica (2000, Nexteth) 
One of the more minor entries in the Resident Evil series for most people, but by far my favourite - it has the slower, more tense ambience of the earlier, more innovative games in the series, but it has looks and technical finesse more in keeping with the later, more action oriented entries. Like Tomb Raider, it is beset with what, for a gaming weakling like me, is an absolutely unbeatable boss quite some distance from the end, so even after 10 years I still haven't seen the end. Curses!
One of the more minor entries in the Resident Evil series for most people, but by far my favourite - it has the slower, more tense ambience of the earlier, more innovative games in the series, but it has looks and technical finesse more in keeping with the later, more action oriented entries. Like Tomb Raider, it is beset with what, for a gaming weakling like me, is an absolutely unbeatable boss quite some distance from the end, so even after 10 years I still haven't seen the end. Curses!6. Psychonauts (2005, Double Fine Productions)
Created by Tim Schaffer of LucasArts fame, Psychonauts may not be a latter day graphic adventure like you might expect, but it does feature plenty of the same anarchic humour and invention, trapped inside the body of an above average 3D platform game.
7. The Prince of Persia (1989, Broderbund)
Featuring astonishing graphics and fluidity of movement for its time, the original Prince of Persia has since been eclipsed by an endless stream of sequels (and a film), one of which Sands of Time, would be worthy of a place on this list were it not for the superior impact made on me by the first game. Nightmarishly hard, once again, but so innovative and atmospheric is this game that it still captivates to this day.
8. Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy (2005, Quantic Dream)
Although my beloved graphic adventure genre effectively died out as the 90s came to a close, elements of those games still found ways to endure, usually by taking the fundamentals of plot, character and puzzle solving, and adding 3D action sequences. The imaginative if slightly flawed Fahrenheit is a prime example of this, with its adult if a tad pretentious storytelling and rather fiddly action sequences. It's a very memorable game nonetheless, but a fair way from perfect. See also the mostly marvellous third Broken Sword game, which is undermined somewhat by a constant stream of half baked Tomb Raider style block puzzles.
9. Flashback (1992, Delphine Software)
10. Ico (2001, Team Ico)
One of the key Art House games of the 21st century so far, Ico boasts a beautiful setting, an understated and unusual (for a game) way of tugging at emotional heartstrings, and yet more infuriatingly hard gameplay for useless gamers like me. Sigh...
Created by Tim Schaffer of LucasArts fame, Psychonauts may not be a latter day graphic adventure like you might expect, but it does feature plenty of the same anarchic humour and invention, trapped inside the body of an above average 3D platform game. 7. The Prince of Persia (1989, Broderbund)
Featuring astonishing graphics and fluidity of movement for its time, the original Prince of Persia has since been eclipsed by an endless stream of sequels (and a film), one of which Sands of Time, would be worthy of a place on this list were it not for the superior impact made on me by the first game. Nightmarishly hard, once again, but so innovative and atmospheric is this game that it still captivates to this day. 8. Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy (2005, Quantic Dream)
Although my beloved graphic adventure genre effectively died out as the 90s came to a close, elements of those games still found ways to endure, usually by taking the fundamentals of plot, character and puzzle solving, and adding 3D action sequences. The imaginative if slightly flawed Fahrenheit is a prime example of this, with its adult if a tad pretentious storytelling and rather fiddly action sequences. It's a very memorable game nonetheless, but a fair way from perfect. See also the mostly marvellous third Broken Sword game, which is undermined somewhat by a constant stream of half baked Tomb Raider style block puzzles. 9. Flashback (1992, Delphine Software)
Another French game, and also one which took the Prince of Persia template and moved it forward, adding a luscious sci-fi setting, and guns.
10. Ico (2001, Team Ico)
One of the key Art House games of the 21st century so far, Ico boasts a beautiful setting, an understated and unusual (for a game) way of tugging at emotional heartstrings, and yet more infuriatingly hard gameplay for useless gamers like me. Sigh...
No comments:
Post a Comment