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Who's number 1 this year? The top 10 titles of 2004 was a much tougher list to compile this year because the quality was much higher than it has been in recent years. Last year, it was boiled down to one masterpiece, six solid titles, and then filling the blanks in. This year, it was very hard. But, after much deliberation and a lot of playing, I have boiled the last down to only ten titles. Here it is: the top 10 video games of 2004.
10. Doom III, PC
Doom III might have received some flak for its multiplayer and being a bit on the repetitive side in the single-player, but few games were this engrossing and this captivating. The game pays its homage to titles like Silent Hill, Half-Life, and Resident Evil, but makes the action all its own with superb visuals, strong challenge, and excellent game design. The story is a gothic one for those that like to put puzzle pieces together with the PDA machines. Doom III is not a perfect game, but its strengths overshadow a great deal of the flaws that it exhibits.
9. Jak III, PS2
We’ve got a trend going already. Jak III is coming off the heels of its magnificent predecessor (#8 in 2003) and it continues the darker storylines that have been going through the series. The strong gameplay and visuals continue to evolve as this game has more of a Western feel to it. The story does an excellent job of having a little bit of fun while being serious at the same time. This is a much tougher game than the last two and I appreciate that because there aren’t that many games that get to be this much fun and be challenging at the same time.
8. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Xbox
I admit that I am a Star Wars junkie. I loved the original KOTOR (#2 in 2003) and this one does just as well as its predecessor. It basically takes the RPG experience and jumps it a couple of notches. The visuals might be a tad on the clunky side, but why carp? Few games are this deep and immersive. This is about as close as you’re going to get to living in the Star Wars galaxy. Getting to be a Sith has never been more of a guilty pleasure until now. Dark side lightning rules. There have been other great SW titles, but this one is probably the most fun to play, in my opinion.
7. World of Warcraft, PC
Speaking of perfection, this MMORPG does everything in its power to make itself to be as good as anything you have ever seen in a PC game and it still doesn’t reach that level. What it does leave behind is one of the best MMORPG titles around. The problem I’ve always had with these kinds of games is that the pace is a bore. WoW makes sure that just about every minute in your odyssey is a great minute. It stays away from being a by-the-numbers game and allows the gamer to explore and have a lot of fun with plenty of games and goodies hidden about. Just make sure you can afford the monthly charges before you go too deep.
6. Halo 2, Xbox
The highly anticipated war game was released to blockbuster sales and rave reviews all around. So, why couldn’t it break the top 5? Reason: the Arbiter missions aren’t that great. Thankfully, Bungie keeps themselves from pulling an MGS2, which would have enraged a lot of fans, by keeping a majority of the action towards our friend Master Chief. The single-player is a mild improvement over its predecessor. The multiplayer, on the other hand, is close to perfect. The map designs are better and playing online has never been easier. The action is fast, furious, and relentless, no matter what you play. I just wish the single-player could have complimented its big brother better, because it sure deserves it.
5. Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, PS2
An odd-ball choice for many people, I suppose, but I was deeply impressed with this unorthodox title, which manages to complete yet another trilogy in high-flying style. This game got the nod over Jak III for being tougher, leaner, and more entertaining. Some of the missions to start with are a little uneven in quality, but as the game progresses you get to see what this game is all about. The online world was virgin territory, but the boys at Insomniac proved their worth by making it just as fun and as wild as its deep single-player mode. This is one of those titles that is unjustly overlooked by the gaming populous because it either looks too kiddy or too dumb. Trust me, folks. This game is neither. It is a pleasant surprise, if nothing else.
4. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, GCN
Metroid has proven that it is the third best dynasty with this risky sequel to the brilliant original (#2 in 2002). While not as entertaining as its predecessor, it does prove to be a worthy addition to the series. The best thing that MPII introduces is the dark reality world that has been used in Zelda before. This allows us to fight a Dark Samus and fight a whole new enemy called the Ing, which are threatening to destroy the planet Aether. More on the narrative side than any of the Metroid games except for Fusion, this new territory is a gambit that pays off in dividends with a remarkable experience that puts this game among the best ever in video games. Added to this, you have an excellent introduction to the multiplayer arena. One could only wonder what an online experience might be like.
3. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, PS2
Through the mild controversies of the second MGS title in the United States, Hideo Kojima listened and he shifted gears to the 1960’s to tell us a tale that is right in the middle of the Cold War at its height. The result is nothing short of staggering. The story is smoother than MGS2 and it is less reliant on shock value and is more focused on telling us a good story filled with intrigue. The PS2 is the weakest of the three systems, but you never would have guessed it looking at these stunning, realistic visuals. I actually jumped when I saw the snakes (a phobia of mine) and I knew how good the visuals were. This is packed with better gameplay that takes good use of the close quarters combat, which is the new thing for the series. All in all, MGS3 is definitely the best title of the MGS saga and now we have to see how MGS4 turns out. Too bad that’s gonna take three years.
2. Half-Life 2, PC
HL2 is the best PC game ever, no question. What it was able to do resulted in a lot of gambles and learning from the mistakes of the past. The result is a superior FPS that answers in resounding volumes with brilliant gameplay, astounding game design, and amazing visuals that will have the gamer floored, to say the least. The single-player is opened up and has more variety than the claustrophobic original. Valve made sure to use the environments to the full and they did. The challenge of the game is also quite staggering as you really are forced to fight for your life. The patterns for the enemies are tougher to read and it provides for a more realistic feel that few games can match. Story not so good, but not like it matters. To go with this, you get a superb multiplayer experience that is better than just about anything on the market. Truth be told, there is nothing better on the PC table than this virtuoso masterpiece.
1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, PS2
No surprise, really. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is truly a pinnacle point for not only the GTA dynasty, but for video games on the whole. Rockstar North has developed a game that is unlike anything we have ever seen. You play as CJ, a man fighting for his family in Los Santos, and we are slowly enveloped into a massive world that is living, breathing, and is very dark and gritty. On top of that, San Andreas all by itself is about five times bigger than Vice City. Three cities and everything in between. The story has more life and heart to it than the other two and is among the best that I have seen in a while. There is some deep satire that John Singleton would appreciate, but there is feeling and emotion and we get it from these characters. They are also helped by a great voice cast including James Woods, Chris Penn, Samuel L. Jackson, and a knockout performance by Young Maylay as CJ. On top of everything else, the longevity of the game beats most RPG’s. This game doesn’t take 20 hours. It takes closer to 60. And you appreciate every minute of it. A better gameplay system has been introduced to do away with one that has bugs. This one still has problems, but you can live with them. While it is not the best visually, the game is still impressive all the same. Visuals don’t mean crap to me. However, what means crap to me is how much fun this game was and how much more I wanted to keep doing. The soundtrack is explosive and there are great talk radio shows, including a brilliant performance by Andy Dick. What is most impressive is how many things this game introduces to the table and how well it does all of them. This is an RPG, an action game, an adventure game, and a movie all rolled up into one. The fun never stops. Not only is this the best game of the year, this is the best game of the decade so far by a mile. The bar has been raised.
-- Chris Vavra, PGNx Media
---- Dec 22, 2004
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