Last year was a great year for gaming. With the release of a new HD game console from Nintendo and plenty of anticipated games, it is hard to choose which games are the best from the rest. So, for convenience, this is a list of the top games from five different genres:
Best first person shooter- Far Cry 3
The first person shooter genre has been done to death. So many games to choose from that most of the great ones are buried underneath “Call of Duty: Black ops Modern Warfare 64.” “Far Cry 3” happens to be one of those greats. “Far Cry 3” is an open world first person shooter that follows Jason Brody whose tropical vacation and life has been ruined by pirate lord Vaas. Vaas has taken Jason’s entire family hostage, and murdered his brother right in front of him. Now that Jason has escaped, he’s dead set on rescuing whoever is left of his family and getting revenge on Vaas. Top off the great story with solid controls, stunning graphics and wonderful characters and it’s no surprise why this game stands out from the rest.
Best role-playing game- Pokémon Black and White 2
Most people know the name “Pokémon,” whether they have played a game in the series or not. The games are just that good, and this new addition is no exception.
“‘Pokémon Black and White 2’ is a Japanese style role-playing game that takes place in a world where there are no animals, only Pokémon,” sophomore “Pokémon” fan Play Freebairn said. “There are wild Pokémon that you can capture, and it’s just really fun because you get to make a team that you can go through the whole game with”
While that is the basic premise for most “Pokémon” games, “Pokémon Black and White 2” is different from others before it.
“It’s a newer game, so it has really good graphics. It also brings back some of the older Pokémon generations, which many fans like,” Freebairn said. “The older Pokémon look great with the newer graphics to. Overall it’s a very, very good game and anybody should play it.”
Best survival horror game- The Walking Dead
Telltale Games is one of the most solid game companies of the modern day. The company has set the bar for episodic games, and “The Walking Dead” is the pinnacle for this style of game. “The Walking Dead” is a point and click, five episode game series that revolves around Lee Everett, Clementine and other characters as they strive to survive against a zombie apocalypse. Each episode goes through the characters trying to find their way to Savannah, Ga., while some of them aren’t lucky enough survive. Hailed as one of the years gaming highlights, this chilling and intriguing serial is truly a marvel of the survival horror genre.
Best indie game- Minecraft
“Minecraft” is the game that took the world by storm. Though the game has been around for many years now, its just recently that this game has hit consoles like the Xbox 360 and Android phones.
“[In Minecraft] you are an entities in a huge world that never ends” sophomore “Minecraft” connoisseur Ross McWilliams said. “It’s not really a role-playing game; you create stuff out of the many different blocks of the world, and each block has different properties.”
This leaves a world of possibilities for players to create what ever they can fathom.
“I like it because it allows my imagination to roam free,” Mcwilliams said. “What ever I’m thinking, I can make 3-D because if you use enough blocks those pixels can become a picture.”
Best adventure/platformer- New Super Mario Bros. U
While some may argue that a fourth installment in the “New Super Mario Bros.” series is just Nintendo beating a dead horse, it is actually a welcome addition to the series, being the first “Super Mario” game in HD. “New Super Mario Bros. U” is still the same basic formula of the series, with 4 player action and simple platforming. But there is a catch. The player with the Wii U game pad has the power to either help the party with platforms to jump on, or hinder their progress with those same blocks throwing them off. It’s still the same basic “Mario” formula; just with stunning new HD visuals and interactive 5th player elements that any casual or hardcore gamer can pick up and enjoy.
