We were originally going to have this Ask PSLS be about whether or not we would turn all of Chandler’s bones into adamantium if given the choice (read this and watch this at 3:00 to understand that), but with Amazon UK holding a poll to determine the greatest game of the generation when the generation still has many games coming out, the switch seemed obvious.
So, without excluding any systems, we asked the PSLS staff: What is Your Favorite Game of the Generation so Far?
Anthony Severino – The Dead Rim (@Sev_Anthony)
This is a tough call, because we’re talking about the best of the best, and many that are so different that comparison isn’t appropriate. How can you compare an open-world game like Skyrim to a directed experience like The Last of Us? For me, The Last of Us is the better “experience” and is better for the video game industry, but I’ve logged more hours playing Skyrim, and enjoyed it more overall than any other game released this generation.
Another favorite of mine, Red Dead Redemption, is the perfect balance of what makes Skyrim and TLOU special. RDR is a more directed experience than Skyrim, with a more human story that resonates with people very similar to how TLOU’s world and story does, but it also has that open world aspect that Skyrim does so well.
In the end, my choice is Skyrim, simply because I’m such a fan of the series, the lore, and put more hours into it than anything else. And I seem to have been one of the very limited few who were lucky enough to reach level 99 without any technical issues on the PS3. Then again, I do own it on PC as well.
Cameron Teague – no (@Cameron_PSLS)
The best game of this generation comes down to two RPGs that, to me, gave new life to the genre. The first one is a game that got far too much hype for not having trophies, instead of being a genre-defining, awesome game. Yes, I am talking about Valkyria Chronicles. Too many people didn’t try it because of lack of trophies and they really missed out on an epic experience. It is tied though with Ni no Kuni, which gave me a child-like joy whenever I sat down to play it, and made me forget all my worries and just get lost in the magic.
Chandler Wood – Redemption (@FinchStrife)
I agree with Anthony about this being a very difficult question to answer. I am going to end up regretting whatever I choose simply because I will think of a different title that I didn’t necessarily like better, but had a different, yet equally enjoyable experience with. The Last of Us, Ni no Kuni, and BioShock: Infinite immediately spring to mind, obviously being the three games this year that we have given perfect 10s to.
Thankfully, Anthony did also mention Red Dead Redemption, which is what I have to choose. For its incredible story, awe-inspiring world, and fun open world multiplayer, this was probably the most enjoyable game that I played this gen, and the one that I would most like to revisit in the form of a sequel, to see what they could do with advanced knowledge, mechanics and perhaps most importantly, next-gen hardware.
Dan Oravasaari – Fell Out (@FoolsJoker)
Picking a single game is difficult, there have been so many titles that were epic. So, since I have to only pick one game, I will have to choose Fallout 3. It has to be one of the most well balanced open world games I have ever played. The story that was wrapped around it, and it’s endless attention to detail has to make it one of the best games of this generation.
Jason Dunning – You Blew It Up! (@Jasonad21)
Damn you Amazon UK for prompting such a loaded question!
For me, this is a really tough question to answer. If I want to take the easy way out, I could just say Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition since it’s an upgraded version of my favorite game of all-time. Since I don’t want to do that though, it could be something like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a game that I spent hours upon hours trying to master. Or, it could be a game like BioShock that blew my mind when it first came out. Likewise, it could be Halo: Reach because I spent hundreds of hours in the multiplayer, campaign, and firefight. As well, I could choose The Walking Dead for it actually making me care about characters and what happened to them.
There are just so many good choices, but I’m actually going to go with The Last of Us. Not because it has the absolute best mechanics of any game this generation, or even multiplayer and storytelling. The reason it gets my choice is because of the fact that it combines all the elements of what makes a game truly great, while being highly memorable at the same time. Even two months after beating The Last of Us, and finishing other games in between, I still can’t stop thinking about it and how it pushed not only the third-person action genre forward, but games in general.
Louis Edwards – Riiiiiiidddddddgggggeeee Racerrrrrr! (@ftwrthtx)
With so many great games released during the last generation, singling out one is no easy task. If I went by the hours I played each title, Ridge Racer 7 would have to win hands down. For a launch title to run at 1080p, look that great, and have a fun and lasting online experience, it’s hard to beat. The fact that it was a PS3 launch title and one of the few games I owned at the time, did make me want to play it more. I still play from time to time, and the Vita version is basically a knock off of that game. The friends met and made playing that game are still my friends today, and with the help of Facebook, they aren’t just PS3 friends, but friends in real life as well.
Sebastian Moss – Inappropriate Touching (@SebMoss)
Medieval II Total War is awesome, but a tad too easy. Heavy Rain is pretty damn stellar, but a bit too French. The Last of Us is incredible, but it may be too fresh on the mind to judge conclusively. So my vote goes to Naughty Dog’s other creation – the Uncharted franchise. I’m actually going to pick Drake’s Fortune because, even though Among Thieves was technically better, I expected it to be so good. As the first in the series, DF was a surprise and a real gem. And the first time I got my hands on Drake… oh boy.
What is your favorite game of the generation so far? Let us know in the comments below.
