Seriously, that weird impulse I get at random to make gigantic lists is calling to me, and this is my response. Do with it as you wish.
These 100 games helped to make the 7th generation special to me. This is not all the games I played this generation; in fact this list does not include ANY DD games. Retail only and PS3 only (not exclusive only, just that they're on the console at all) for this list. Before I begin, let me start by saying that at this time there are two games I have yet to play that could make an impact on this list in some capacity: Rayman Legends and Beyond: Two Souls. They are the last two PS3 games that I have yet to play that I have an interest in, unless I am forgetting something.
Unlike some other features I have done in the past, this list IS ranked and will be presented in five installments, beginning with the lowest ranked and ending with the best ranked games. Each title will have a brief description and my reasoning. For anyone familiar with my grading scale, numbers 100-63 will all be grade D, 62-39 will be grade C, 38-18 will be grade B, 17-2 will be grade A, and only the very top game is grade S.
On to the games!
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#80: The Eye Of Judgement
Early in the PS3's life they released the 7th gen version of their Eyetoy camera, and its main software draw was a card battle game. EOJ took the idea of card battle gameplay and had the camera scan the cards themselves to read your moves, and it would animate your attacks and whatnot as they happened. It was a really cool concept that later was adopted to a point by the Skylanders games and now again by Nintendo's Amiibo, though in different ways from the original source still. The game itself was fine, but I found myself rarely playing it because I just didn't want to set it all up or keep up with card expansions.
#79: Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe
I love MK, but I'm not a big comic book fan. So when this crossover was announced, I was more upset that they were doing this instead of what conceptually seems to have become MKX. But actually playing the game showed me that it wasn't just a cash in. The story mode, which was the first time an MK game adopted this particular style for story presentation, was sufficient to explain the crossover and gameplay wise it was everything that you would want an MK title to be, minus the levels of gore.
#78: MLB 11: The Show
I'm not the biggest fan of baseball, but I did play in my youth and every now and then I find it nice to revisit. This was the first baseball game I had played since High Heat 2004, and it was a much better game than that. Aside from a few glitches causing some minor lag during a pitch every so often (which kills your timing to hit the damn ball every time) and the load times being a bit too long, this was a solid game through and through. My only wish was that it had some sort of Hall of Fame team instead of just current major and minor league teams.
#77: Assassin's Creed III
Up front, this was not a good game. It took FAR too long to get going, and once it did most of the gameplay was pretty boring. Even so, AC3 took a lot of risks to make itself truly unique from AC2, and it succeeded in feeling different if nothing else. I appreciated the story and how everything was presented as far as the Revolution and the social conflict between colonists and natives, though the modern era stuff still was terrible. I would say it's certainly not worth the price of admission when it released, but it was worth a rental.
#76: Mercenaries 2: World In Flames
Open world games may gave taken an evolutionary step since this game came out, but damn if Mercs 2 wasn't hella fun while it lasted. Sure it had a few bumps and bruises, but overall it was a great way to waste an afternoon. It's only so low because of what's come out since that puts it not quite to shame, but definitely in the backseat.
#75: LittleBigPlanet
Love it or hate it, the original LBP was a hell of an idea for a console game. It's not so much about beating the levels as it is creating your own and letting other people play through it. It was about creativity instead of skill or challenge; though it wasn't exactly a cakewalk through. It's sequel upped the ante in just about every way, so there's not much reason left to keep the original itself, but it gets major points for setting the tone.
#74: Fight Night Round 3
FNR3 was one of a handful of games I extensively played on both the PS3 and X360, so some of my fond memories of it were not actually on the system that defines this list. Even so, plenty of bouts were played out on the PS3 itself, and this game was one of the most fun early multiplayer experiences I had in the 7th gen. FNR4 may have brought a much more realistic mechanic to the fight by comparison, but FNR3 easy haymakers made local multiplayer so much more fun.
#73: ModNation Racers
MNR took the LBP concept and crossed it with Mario Kart. You could make your own racers, karts, and tracks and share them all online. The gameplay was pretty good for the first game in a potential series, and the creation/sharing tools let you have everything from Mario characters to Dethklok. My only two gripes were that you couldn't choose the AI racers in local modes and after downloading about 100 shared items, the game had an issue with its autosaves that basically killed the whole experience for me.
#72: Backbreaker
Blitz wasn't the only football game to challenge the Madden throne. Backbreaker didn't have the story or arcade mechanics of the Blitz game, but it did have the best custom team creator I've ever used in a sports game. If it had another shot, I believe they could have refined the mechanics into a better sim football experience than Madden hands down, but alas that just wasn't in the cards.
#71: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
When it came out, it was supposed to be the official bridge between the original trilogy and the new one. It had an interesting plot on paper and at first the powers were really fun. But then it got kind of repetitive, and it got difficult due more to camera and control issues than actual challenges. Even so, I would say that Starkiller's adventure is a must play game for anyone who enjoys Star Wars, if for no other reason than to play with lightsabers.
#70: Warhawk
Early multiplayer experiences on the PS3 were extremely hit and miss. So when Warhawk came out and provided the first truly great multiplayer experience on the system, it was completely engrossing. There's only two multiplayer games that have kept me playing through all hours of the night; COD4 and this. Warhawk was a beautiful balance of aerial, vehicular and ground combat that really gave people the freedom to play how they wanted to. The only reason it started to waver at all was when the expansions came out. I have always found it difficult to justify paying for extra maps in these types of games, and pretty quickly every time I tried to join a game I was kicked out for not having the map.
#69: The Godfather: The Don's Edition
If you try to say that the Wii version was better than this, you're wrong. And I don't care that this is a PS2 port ranking so high on this list either. The Don's Edition added hours of new missions, new hit contracts, new favors, more diversified building layouts so it stopped feeling so cookie cutter, more shortcuts in the world map so it didn't take forever to get from one neighborhood to the next, motion controls for all grab moves (because of your hand position when holding the controller, it actually felt extremely sensible) AND the improved graphics and bruising effects from the X360 version. The only thing the Wii version had that was any different from the 6th gen version was individual punching motion controls. Why people at the time praised the Wii version and not this one is well beyond idiotic. As for the base game itself, if you love the film like I do this is a no brainer; it's the perfect blueprint of how to do a movie game.
#68: Enslaved: Odyssey To the West
Enslaved hit a weird spot with gamers when it released. Its character development was excellent and while its story overall was disappointing. It had certain scenes which by themselves raised the bar for storytelling in games, but its gameplay was a bit too straightforward and linear. Eventually the dissatisfying ending did little to keep people talking or coming back, but what it did manage to accomplish in the dynamic between Monkey and Trip (in its best moments anyway) went unparalleled until The Last Of Us.
#67: Twisted Metal
Do you like vehicles? Do you like carnage? Wanna combine 'em? Then TM is the bees knees. It wasn't particularly deep or long or even inviting, but for its genre there's nothing better. The evolving boss battles were a nice touch in the single player, and the character cutscenes were spot on. I didn't get into the multiplayer so much, and the controls gave me some trouble on occasion, but there was definitely plenty of bang for my buck in this game.
#66: Rock Band 2
There was a time when music games were at the epicenter of the gaming world. Everyone and their mother had plastic instruments and partied with their friends along to a seriously deep library of songs. RB2 gained even longer life by adding new songs for download every single week, but to me none could top the awesomeness that was Stephen and the Colbert's hit single. "Charlene, I'm Right Behind You". Seriously though, RB was the most fun local multiplayer title of the 7th generation, and its appeal lasted way longer than it should have in all honesty. Like everyone else, I eventually walked away from it for months only to find it impossible to resume playing at my previous skill level and intolerable to play it on a lower skill level.
#65: Spec Ops: The Line
Heart Of Darkness is a popular inspiration for films and media, so it was really only a matter of time before a game decided to tackle it. Spec Ops didn't have the best controls or a really well written story, but it did feature a memorable ride through a hellish warzone that actually made you question the over-the-top heroics that define the shooter genre. And that is certainly something well appreciated.
#64: Starhawk
To put it plainly, Starhawk is everything that made Warhawk great and then some. I especially appreciated that they included a single player mode that not only introduced the mechanics, but also game some value to the game once the servers get turned off. Not that the single player was all that great, but it was at least something. I didn't get as hooked on the multiplayer this time around, mostly because I couldn't afford to. By the time this game came out, I was working two jobs and paying my own way through college. I just didn't have the time to get roped in like I did with its predecessor. But I do wish I had more time for it.
#63: Unreal Tournament III
Now this is a game worth talking about MUCH more than it was. Aside from its rock solid arena shooter gameplay, UT3 won my heart over with its post release support. The PS3 version got maps, a big expansion, and tons of mods from the PC community brought over FOR FREE to keep us playing for years after it's first launch. Its single player was little more than a series of arena matches strung together loosely by an over-the-top story that doesn't matter in the least. What does matter is that this game has great gameplay modes, exceptional longevity and terrific fan appreciation. If you like arena shooters, this game is pure heaven. My only complaint is that I wish there was more in depth stats.
#62: Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools Of Destruction
R&CF:TOD was a highlight of the early PS3 life. There's really nothing to say other than the expected. It's a Ratchet and Clank game. By the time this one came out, everyone knew what to expect and it delivered to no disappointment. The only reason I put it so low in my rankings is because A Crack In Time is still better in every way, and there's really no need IMO to have both games unless you're a big R&C fan.
#61: Dead Rising 2: Off The Record
When I sold my X360, DR was one of the games I missed. So I was excited for DR2 on the PS3, but it's lack of the camera made it feel somewhat empty. OTR brought back the camera to shake up the DR2 experience, which did improve things overall. But DR games still have a few design flaws that are unavoidably annoying after you really get into it, and I found it really hard to power my way through the last day. Nonetheless, if you just have an itch to kill a hundred zombies one afternoon, this is a fantastic way to scratch it.
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Let me know your opinions of any of these game or my opinions of them in the comments below. Sound off with your top 100 at your own leisure.
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"I can't say i'm that hard either..."
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Today In Music (September 17th)
Twilight Of The Thunder God by Amon Amarth released on September 17th, 2008. Also released on this day:
- Use Your Illusion I by Guns N' Roses (1991)
- Use Your Illusion II by Guns N' Roses (1991)
- Aenima by Tool (1996)
- No More Tears by Ozzy Osbourne (1991)
- Nil Recurring [EP] by Porcupine Tree (2007)
- Believe by Disturbed (2002)