
Actions taken (or not taken) within the game changed the way the story unfolded, and unusually for this class of game, those actions were not all signposted with quick time events. Black Ops 2 included a seamlessly branching storyline.

#List of moba games 2014 series
Black Ops 2 showed us that the Call of Duty series had the potential to offer so much more than the narrow, linear gameplay for which the series has become known. Another title in the ever-growing Call of Duty series, this mechanically sound first-person shooter with a cinematic single-player campaign and twitchy multiplayer mode seems like another well-regarded member of the series, not a standout.īut this entry is underrated in my book. Sam Machkovech Batman: Arkham City (2013)Įvery game in the Arkham series (with the exception of unworthy "Blackgate" DLC) are fantastic experiences, but Arkham City has to be my favorite because of its great story, sheer length, and scope-it keeps going on and on and on.įurther Reading The politics of Black Ops 2‘s rogue dronesThis may seem like a surprising pick. (I should admit that this vote is swayed in part by the other scary games inspired by Amnesia’s launch, including the free, and incredibly creepy, Imscared.) And these days, that’s okay! Employ a smaller development team, and focus less on excessive length and more on tight, focused horror moments, and you can make a better scary game that still sells zillions of copies. Amnesia’s desolation and mind-melting tricks leave an indelible mark on anyone who plays this game, but this is no lengthy, $60 boxed product. The now-omniprescent indie-gaming revolution has introduced a lot of cool things to the gaming sphere, but for my money, none are as compelling as the scare-horror genre getting a serious shot in the arm. Jennifer Hahn Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010) What other game can you kill murderous teapots with a pepper grinder? None (as far as I know)! It’s creepy, ridiculous, frustrating fun.

(Sorry.) Advertisementįurther Reading Alice: Madness Returns brings solid platforming, tedious lengthI thought it would be a waste of $2.98, but this platform/adventure keeps me coming back. Smash Bros.) and endless iterations in on-going series, the idea of an homage doesn’t really come into. Beyond familiar faces in new places (i.e. Other mediums use this freely (see the rumored Ghostbusters movies for just the latest example) but gaming seems somewhat hesitant. Modern pop-culture loves old pop-culture. With another five years ahead before this decade's a wrap, who knows how many more great titles will stand with these classics on the next such list. The resulting list, below, is an expansive collection of the game's we'll collectively think about when we fondly look back on the games of the early-post-aughts (nope, that phrasing doesn't work either). We didn't allow more than two editors to pick any one game to ensure a list that wasn't just a bunch of repetitive selections of the same old titles.

These are personal picks that reflect the eclectic and wide-ranging tastes of our individual editors, not necessarily the games that will be regarded as the "best" by the critical establishment.

To that end, we asked Ars editors to pick up to five games as personal favorites from the past five years.įor this list, we were looking for games that have stuck with us over the years, the games we've spent countless hours immersed inside, the games we recommend to friends without reservation. Mid-decade breaks are a good chance for introspection and retrospection, so we've decided to look back at what the decade so far has brought to the world of gaming. Still, we're finding it hard to get used to the fact that we're about to be in the second half of the second decade of the "new" millennium. The passage of time being what it is, we guess this moment was inevitable. It may be hard to believe, but on January 1, 2015, we will be halfway through the decade known as the 2010s (the '10s? The teens? The twenty-teens? None of these sound right.).
