MadTelegraph: 50 лучших игр ушедшего поколения.
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Why it's here Brotherhood is the perfectly-judged peak of Ubisoft’s swashbuckling Assassin’s Creed, one of the generation’s most popular series.
What we said “When Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood was announced so soon after the release of its predecessor, there was the suspicion that it would be a lightweight affair and more of a stop-gap in the series than a solid entry in its own right. As it turns out the opposite was true and then some; Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is the franchise's best entry to date”
Batman Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Why it's here You could argue all day over which is the best Arkham game, but Asylum is where it started, Rocksteady games crafting an evocative, compelling and unique take on the Dark Knight.
What we said “Arkham is a true gothic madhouse, which crumbles and morphs under the Joker’s insane rule. The show-stealing Hamill’s Joker taunts Batman over the asylum’s PA system, and teases his own henchman as they’re battered into a pulp by the Dark Knight. Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman does a fine job with his stoic rumble, but it’s the bad guys that are the life of the Joker’s maniacal party.”
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Xbox 360)
Why it's here Like many, we rather underrated Rare’s return to Banjo Kazooie, but hindsight reveals a fabulously colourful and creative game, the likes of which the generation never saw again.
What we said “Small ones, tall ones, mile-wide planes, boats, hovercrafts, tanks, cars with fists protruding from the front. As long as it has an engine and somewhere for our furry protagonist Banjo the bear to sit, you can build any type of vehicle you can think of. Providing you have the parts, of course.”
Bayonetta (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Why it's here Simply the craziest, most inventive and rewarding action game ever made.
What we said "Somehow, you can’t see the west producing an action game starring a schoolmistress-cum-dominatrix with guns on her heels, whose primary form of defence is punching angels heads off with her magical hair extensions."
BioShock (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Why it's here Irrational’s first trip to the magnificently realised Rapture was a revelation that influenced many story-driven shooters that followed. A triumph of stage-setting and video game storytelling.
Braid (Xbox 360)
Why it's here Jonathan Blow’s indie darling was an early standard-bearer for the Xbox Live Arcade; a thoughtful, evocative time-travelling platform game that lingers in the memory.
Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Why it's here There’s a reason that many arcade racer fans hanker for Criterion to break away from Need for Speed and return to the fizz and carnage of Burnout. The twisting open-roads of Paradise City remain the Guildford’s studio’s greatest triumph.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Why it's here One of the most impactful video games of all time, Infinity Ward’s shift to a modern setting from World War II heralded the thundering arrival of the military FPS, a genre that has dominated sales charts for six years. Many have tried to replicate Call of Duty’s success, few have come close.
What we said "The shift from World War II into modern day conflicts was a brave and ultimately inspired move by Infinity Ward. Its campaign was praised for its evocative storytelling and compelling bombast, throwing the player from one spectacular set-piece to the next in a rollercoaster ride."
Condemned (Xbox 360)
Why it's here Launch games rarely stand the test of time, but Condemned’s thick, horrifying atmosphere and brutal first-person melee combat ensure its legacy as one of the generation’s best horror games.
Crackdown (Xbox 360)
Why it's here Its wide-open super-powered city exploration arguably influenced some of the generation’s most high-profile adventures.
Dark Souls (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Why it's here Intensely atmospheric and richly rewarding, Dark Souls litany of brilliant design flashes make it one of a kind. Its implementation of online —sharing tips and invading worlds— was a particular slice of genius that has influenced games following in its imposing wake
What we said "Dark Souls is a game in which you must improve yourself before progress can be won. In that sense it is as orthodox as the earliest arcade games and yet, in sticking fast to this fundamental, feels like the freshest game of the year. It’s a game that asks you to look before you leap, to learn enemy attack patterns before launching your own offensives, to observe."
Dead Rising (Xbox 360)
Why it's here Bonkers, brilliant and singularly inventive, Dead Rising’s success at manic zombie-slaying and breathless time-keeping has never been replicated. Even by its sequels.
Deadly Premonition (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Why it's here Ok, so we might be hard-pressed to class Swery65’s scrappy, maniacal Twin Peaks tribute as one of the generation’s ‘best’, but few games are as characterful, divisive or endlessly fascinating.
What we said "It's an experience like no other, if not always for the right reasons. I adored it, but couldn't tell you in earnest that you will feel the same. But I will tell you this: you absolutely must play it. How else would you ever know?"
Dishonored (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Why it's here Channeling the spirit of the thinking man shooters of the late 1990s, Dishonored’s evocative art design and thoughtful action were a welcome break from the bombast of its competition.
What we said "The levels are intricate playgrounds, with multiple pathways towards your target offering a wealth of options. You can scrabble up to the rooftops and sneak into a bedroom window, possess a fish and swim in through the drainage system, or just bowl up to the front door and chop everyone to bits."
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Why it's here This generation’s Elder Scrolls duet of Oblivion and Skyrim were both humongous achievements in role-playing fantasy. Skyrim’s scope and enormous success marks it as the one with the greatest impact.
Fable II (Xbox 360)
Why it's here It's charm, choice and the sheer joy in its execution make Lionhead's idiosyncratic fantasy a firm favourite.
What we said "Albion is a place you want to spend time in, a place where you can see yourself settling down. Get a job. Maybe get married and have a few kids. Buy up some property and rent it out or sell it on. Get drunk at the Cow and Corset before holding an impromptu dance party in the middle of town. Flip villagers the finger or fart in their general direction."
Fallout 3 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Why it's here Huge in scale, thrilling in action and rich in detail, Fallout 3’s trip to post-apocalyptic Washington will be many’s favourite, all-consuming adventure of the generation.
What we said "The gorgeous expanses, with accompanying wilderness sound effects and minimalist music, all combine to fill players with the eerie sense of impending doom that hangs over even the most serene vistas."
FIFA 09 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Why it's here FIFA was always popular, but this generation saw it wrestle the title of ‘finest football game on the market’ from Pro Evolution Soccer. A rebuilding that marks it as one of the finest sports games ever made, FIFA 09 was the moment it unequivocally toppled the reigning champion. Has only improved since.
What we said "The game moves with superb fluidity as you sweep the ball across the turf, enhanced by the stunning animation as players jostle, shimmy, tackle and shoot in each compelling match."
Forza Motorsport 4 (Xbox 360)
Why it's here The quality of Forza’s racing has never been in doubt, this generation saw it become more accessible and injected with fresh personality. Forza 4 was this generation’s zenith of driving simulation.
What we said "On the road, Forza 4’s handling is deliciously pliable. It’s fiercer and more terrifying than the previous game, with cars eager to plough into under-steer or aggressive over-steer as you blister into the corners."
Gears of War (Xbox 360)
Why it's here The Xbox 360’s early flagship game, Gears’ brilliant, brutal third-person cover blasting was as influential as it was satisfying.
Geometry Wars (Xbox 360)
Why it's here Much of the Xbox 360’s popularity in the past generation was due to its Xbox Live Arcade offering of small games packing a big punch. Geometry Wars inimitable shape-shooting became an obsession for many. Bizarre Creations will be remembered as a racing game creator, but Geometry Wars may be its finest success. That the Liverpool studio is no longer with us is one of the generation’s greatest tragedies.
Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Why it's here It is the biggest video game on the planet, a cultural behemoth that transcended its industry to become truly mainstream. Beyond that, it was a brilliant game, an enormous, defining culmination of the generation’s work. Some may prefer IV’s gritty compactness, but V will be Rockstar’s lasting legacy.
What we said "Lavishness seeps from every pore of Los Santos... a virtual world of such tremendous scale and fine detail that it continues to baffle how the developers have managed to squeeze it all onto current generation hardware."
Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
Why it's here You could argue that the fact the first Halo game released this generation remained the strongest is a disappointment, but that only speaks to Halo 3’s brilliance. A fine finale for a hugely influential trilogy of sci-fi shooters.
Heavy Rain (PlayStation 3)
Why it's here Occasionally creaky, often clunky, Heavy Rain nevertheless is one of the generation’s most memorable achievements. It approached topics the medium rarely dares touch and delivered its interaction in a breathless trade of intense decision-making and fascinating mundanity.
What we said "It’s a unique and brave piece of work, one that has put itself under a measure of heavy burden, and it carries much of it with remarkable style... a harrowing tale of how real people react and crumble under intense pressure."
Journey (PlayStation 3)
Why it's here Beautiful, mesmerising, devastating; Journey’s spiritual pilgrimage was a work of art that even the most game-illiterate could appreciate.
What we said "Journey's visual language is its most important tool, speaking to an equally sparse control scheme and dragging you through ever-shifting environments, desert giving way to crumbled temples and snow-swept carapace."
The Last of Us
Why it’s here Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic road trip was one of the generation’s most evocative triumphs. A bold exploration of relationships, violence and human nature. Visually and mechanically brilliant too. The thinking man’s blockbuster.
What we said "The broad strokes are spectacular, but the finer details impress the most, the environment telling its own stories as Joel and Ellie explore. Burst, discarded basketballs signaling the sudden end of a pick-up game, desperate notes from lovers separated in the chaos, the gruesome discovery of a scavenger’s butchery, an underground network of tunnels repurposed into a makeshift school. Humanity helping and killing each other in order to survive."
Left 4 Dead 2
Why it's here Valve’s terrifying and exhilarating co-op zombie blaster is a rare triumph of multiplayer narrative. Only the stories are made and told by you after a thrilling escape from a screeching witch and thundering Charger.
What we said "The best reason to play Left 4 Dead 2 is that no other shooter of recent memory can inspire the same level of camaraderie in players, regardless of whether they're meeting online for the first time or lifelong mates."
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Why it's here Skyward Sword was the Wii remote’s finest hour, Nintendo combining innovative motion control with an epic adventure.
What we said "It is a game of constant crescendo, each dungeon and area seemingly designed purely to outdo the last. Traditional beginnings of slingshots and bombs, dungeons that span two timezones simultaneously, areas that change complexion as new elements make their force felt, rickety minecart rides, tunic-rippling skydives and tense platforming dashes in a dark realm that take advantage of Link’s newfound athleticism."
LittleBigPlanet
Why it's here Media Molecule’s revered platformed was a vanguard for user-generated content on consoles, allowing players to craft their own levels from LBP’s stitched, intuitive toolbox
What we said For every inevitable tribute to Super Mario Bros, there was something altogether quirkier, such as the painstakingly assembled wall of sound samples which, when you drove past it on a wooden car, played Guns N' Roses' Sweet Child o' Mine."
Mass Effect 2
Why it's here Taken as a complete series, BioWare’s space opera had few equals, with decisions players had taken while saving the galaxy echoing throughout the trilogy. Mass Effect 2 was the series strong point: focussed, epic, thrilling.
What we said "All the environments feel like genuine living breathing cities; players are as likely to lose themselves in the glistening cityscape of Illium as they are in the burned out war zone of Tuchunka or the seedy criminal hive of Omega."
Metal Gear Solid 4
Why it's here Metal Gear remains a divisive series, but the world would be a duller place without it. MGS4 was every bit as beautiful, engaging and overblown as you would expect from Hideo Kojima. That there was only one mainline Metal Gear made this generation —and in its infancy too— somehow makes it more special.
Mirror’s Edge
Why it's here Twinning kinetic first-person-parkour with a wondrously vivid aesthetic made Mirror’s Edge a unique and much-loved break from the norm.
What we said "Sliding under obstacles, vaulting fences before taking a giant leap of faith from 50 stories up, all the while gunshots ringing in your ears. It’s as unique and exciting a game I’ve played in years and an experience that not everybody will like, but one everybody should try."
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Why it's here Criterion showed that noone does high-octane arcade racing quite like them when they placed themselves under the NFS banner. Also introduced the pervasive social network Autolog, the influence of which is now felt across the entire industry.
What we said "Nobody could accuse Hot Pursuit of being stingy with ideas. If it’s possible within the game’s very narrow framework, Hot Pursuit does it. The fictional town of Seacrest County is at once frigid mountaintop and beach resort; it’s farmland and big city, motorway and dirt track, bridge and tunnel."
Portal 2
Why it's here Clever, hilarious, precisely constructed, Valve’s puzzle-comedy was a slice of sheer genius.
What we said "A diverse piece of engineering that opens up staggering possibilities, sometimes supplemented by just a box, a button and a door. Then Valve wrap it all up in their astute understanding of video game storytelling, providing a world and characters that stick in the mind even after those credits roll."
Rayman Legends
Why it's here Ubisoft crafted the best, prettiest and most inventive 2D platform game we have seen since Super Mario’s 2D heyday.
Red Dead Redemption
Why it's here GTAV may be Rockstar’s greatest success, but many will remember Red Dead Redemption most fondly. A beautiful, sprawling engrossing tribute to the Old West.
What we said "It looks and feels like the genuine article in every detail, from the ramshackle, imperfect wooden structures, to the unpredictable movements of a stagecoach as it travels over uneven ground, to the irregular progression of a tumbleweed as it is blown across a street."
Rock Band 3
Why it's here The plastic instrument craze reached its peak in this generation —a startling ascent matched only by its fall. Rock Band 3, with its vast music catalogue, customisation and admirable attempt at a real world teaching tool was the genre’s greatest triumph.
What we said "The fact that Rock Band 3 is both easy to pick up and play while offering an intricate learning tool is a remarkable thing. Harmonix have covered both ends of the scale in style too, producing nothing less than the finest music video game ever made."
Saints Row The Third
Why it's here Saints Row started life as a passable GTA knock-off. By the third game, developers Volition had stepped out of Rockstar’s shadow to go in a new direction: unbridled insanity. And boy did it work. A valuable lesson that games do not have to follow a template to be successful.
What we said "It's impossible to stress just how exhilarating it is to dive out of a helicopter onto the roof of a luxury condo, while 'The Power' plays from an unseen sound system. Saints Row 3 is filled with moments like this; over the top, bombastic setpieces that make other games look pedestrian."
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Why it's here A wonderful, haunting piece of video game storytelling. Shattered Memories was more of an understated ghost walk than a traditional video game horror, but its psychological impact was devastating.
What we said "Perhaps Konami could have been braver and released it as brand new intellectual property, but the few strands of DNA it shares with its predecessors shouldn’t hold it back from the praise it undoubtedly deserves. Shattered Memories’ daring differences should be celebrated; it’s one of the most innovative and enjoyable survival horrors for many a year."
Street Fighter IV
Why it's here The triumphant rebirth of the greatest fighting series on the planet. Bogglingly deep for pros but accessible to newcomers, this is Capcom and Yoshinori Ono at the top of their game.
What we said "Where Street Fighter IV makes its mark is through human competition, fierce, unbridled one-on-one fighting. It’s a close as video gaming gets to becoming a skilled sport. And by that marker, Street Fighter is as flawless a fighting machine as you can get."
Super Mario Galaxy
Why it's here Nintendo’s piece de resistance, Super Mario Galaxy is nothing less than the finest work of pure video game design in history. Well, it was until its sequel anyway. Endlessly inventive. Utterly joyous.
What we said "The ideas (of all shapes and sizes) come in a relentless, joyful flow, each galaxy wildly different to the last. Ideas that other titles would attempt to build an entire game around come and go with delightful regularity."
Super Meat Boy
Why it's here Hardcore twitch-platforming saw something of a renaissance in the indie scene. The devilish Super Meat Boy was the best.
Tomb Raider
Why it's here Rebooting Lara Croft as a grittier and more vulnerable heroine was always going to be fraught with danger, but Crystal Dynamics adventure was a thrilling success.
What we said "The fact the game makes such great use of its exemplary traversal mechanic during combat keeps things fresh, turning every enemy encounter into a memorable, dramatic experience."
Uncharted 2
Why it's here The beautifully realised matinee adventure trilogy will stand as one of this generation’s greatest success. Uncharted 2 was the best of the three: fabulous action and characters to care for.
What we said "The connection between play and plot continues with Naughty Dog’s exceptional sense of pacing. There’s a pulsating rhythm to Among Thieves, oscillating between thunderous set pieces and more considered platform-puzzle sections."
Vanquish
Why it's here Shinji Mikami’s ferocious deconstruction of the third-person shooter didn’t set the charts on fire, but is one of the most exciting and singular action games out there.
What we said "It's difficult to describe the experience of playing Vanquish, but I can only imagine it compares to being dragged behind a speedboat with no waterskis."
Telltale’s The Walking Dead
Why it's here Made video game storytelling look easy with its simple paternal tale of a remorseful convict and a plucky young girl during the zombie apocalypse. Made your choices count and created a bond with its fabulous cast of characters.
What we said " Rather than falling back on the often one-dimensional approach to video game characterisation, they've produced a cast of interesting, complicated, detailed people - believable people, above all."
Wii Sports
Why it's here One of the most influential games of all time, Wii Sports begun the motion control craze with simple, endlessly enjoyable mini-games. The main reason for Wii’s enormous success.
The Witcher II
Why it's here A high-fantasy epic that painted a striking world of violence and political intrigue. The closest video games has to its Game of Thrones.
What we said "It’s a fabulously believable world, albeit a fabulously disgusting one, full of violence, sex, regicide and arm-wrestling dwarves. It’s enabled by some of the best writing the medium has to offer. Dialogue is rich and fruity, denizens speaking in their local tongue of politics, nights on the lam and hanging buckets from certain body appendages."
XCOM Enemy Unknown
Why it's here A surprise success that catapulted the XCOM name back into relevancy. Did the same for turn-based strategy with an accessible but deep sci-fi adventure.
What we said "Every loss compels you onward in the war and the story. Where most games are frustratingly punishing, XCOM delivers a masterclass in challenge and escalation."
Xenoblade Chronicles
Why it's here A lovely narrative and slick, accessible battling made Xenoblade Chronicles one of the freshest and most appealing Japanese role-playing-games in several years.
Много эксов так и бокса, так и плойки, а значит, составитель настоящий ОИЦ
Фанаты твин пикса оценили 
И Wii Sports 
.. Марио Галакси 
.. Ещё бы Данки Конга с Кирби впихнули (Клёёва бы).. Кто в здравом уме вообще считает Heavy Rain игрой? Это как если б в фильме Трансформеры -"Нажмите кнопку X.. и Прайм ударит Мегатрона ПО СЮЖЕТУ 
Отличный дизайн их планеты, отличный шутан.. А вид транфиков ЛУЧШИЙ за всю их историю. Огромная работа. Падение за Кибертрон вообще шедевр. Хуле, детишки нынче слабоумные пошли, не понимают ничё в этом. 
Интерактивное мыльное кинцо за 2300.. 
