The Count | Best Of 2008

Braid (XBLA)

Braid is incredible. It was, in my opinion, the best game of 2008, and one of two (maybe 3) "perfect 10s" I've ever played. From its ingenious time-manipulating gameplay to its emotionally powered story to its beautiful audio and visuals, I have trouble finding any way to fault this masterpiece. While most puzzle games wear out their welcome in a matter of days (or less), Braid's puzzle/platform action is still one of my go-to titles on a rainy day (or any day, for that matter), because it is so much more than your everyday gaming experience.

Penumbra: Black Plague (PC)

Penumbra is probably not something you'd expect to find on this sort of list, as it is a relatively obscure PC title from a tiny Swedish development studio, and was released very early in the year. Nevertheless, this combat-less first-person horror adventure did so many things so well that it is impossible to ignore. The Lovecraftian atmosphere delivered a genuinely frightful experience (something rare in gaming), the physics-based puzzles were clever and engaging, and the story and characters had depth and meaning uncommon to the medium at large. Black Plague was simply excellent.

Fallout 3 (PC)

Bethesda's done it again. If Fallout 3 was just "Oblivion with guns," that'd be enough, but it's much more than that. The game refines the mechanics of its predecessor while adding the entirely new aspects of gameplay necessary to do justice to the cherished Fallout license. It may have cut back on the lore of Oblivion, but for everything taken out, something equally as impressive was added.

Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)

Oh Kojima. Although he could be called the Jackson Pollak of videogame designers, the end result of his throw-everything-at-'em approach to storytelling is truly epic. There has never been a game that could rival MGS4's meticulously directed cinematography, and the heavy themes found therein are also somewhat unprecedented. As a game (because it's true that much of it plays like a semi-interactive film), MGS4 mixes it up with a variety of gameplay, and always keeps things interesting. By the time this game is over, players feel like they've just taken part in something monumentally historic, and in a way, they have.

Mirror's Edge (360, PS3)

I'll admit that I am both a bit of a neophile and a whore for climbing and acrobatics, so when a game like Mirror's Edge comes out, it seems tailor-made for someone like me. This parkour-based first-person platformer doesn't dial down the excitement, because even during the moments Faith isn't being chased by squads of riot-ready guards, the free-flowing gameplay builds a sense of motion and momentum that keeps your hands glued to the controller and your eyes fixated on the action. The minimalist Orwellian plot set an intriguing stage for the action, as well, even if the main story arc wasn't exactly the most compelling narrative. In any case, this one was tough to put down.

LittleBigPlanet (PS3)

I named it "Best of E3 2008," and LittleBigPlanet remains one of the best games of the entire year. There is limitless fun to be had with this game, be it via offline solo play, online co-op, level-building, or even simply customizing and re-customizing your Sackboy as you scour each level for new items, stickers, and decorations. The best part, though, is the fact that the game never ends, as members of the community are constantly conjuring up new content that is arguably better than the core game itself. LittleBigPlanet is the closest thing to a virtual toy that I've seen in the videogame world, and never fails to put a smile on my face.

Honorable mentions: Too Human, Persona 4, God of War: Chains of Olympus, Left 4 Dead

The Count | My Holiday Wishlist '08

5. Left 4 Dead

I’ve played Left 4 Dead. I loved Left 4 Dead. I want to play more Left 4 Dead.

I have some friends. They have Left 4 Dead. We like to kill zombies. We can do this together.

4. Time to play Fallout 3

Like Sinan said in his Silly Season editorial, it would be a crime to give a game as special as Fallout 3 anything less than my undivided attention. I’ve had this thing installed on my PC for about a month, and have yet to play past my in-game childhood. I have so many other games to play and obligations to satisfy, so I just keep pushing this beautiful blend of the Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises back to an imaginary time when I will be free to roam the post-apocalyptic world, uninterrupted. Maybe I should have wished for a time machine...

3. Metal Gear Solid 4 on 360

I love Metal Gear Solid. The truth of that statement alone would have been enough for me to grab a PS3 earlier this year, but rumors of an eventual Xbox 360 port kept me from dropping those Benjamins. Now, after all of the critical acclaim, my love and desire burns even stronger. I MUST play MGS4 soon, and a 360 port would be a big help in realizing that dream.

2. LittleBigPlanet & a PS3 to play it on

Yes, I know this sort of negates my last wish, but I’m not putting all of my eggs in one basket. LittleBigPlanet earned my vote for Best of E3, but alas, I haven’t played the game since then. Somehow, buying a new console for just a couple of exclusive titles seems ill-advised in today’s economic landscape, so I wait. Regardless, LittlBigPlanet is the game that I have drooled over the most this year, and I am dying to experience what it has to offer. From the excellent platforming gameplay to the robust community features (so long as Sony doesn’t absolutely cripple that part), this game has WIN written all over it.

1. Prince of Persia

I am a huge fan of the Sands of Time trilogy, but somehow the newest game flew under my radar for quite a while. Maybe it was just that I knew the game was coming, had it on my "get these games" list, and needed to pay no more attention than that; it was a done deal. Now, though, as we draw ever closer to the game’s release, I become more and more excited by the day. What I have seen of the game thus far conjures up fantstical images of a game where Sands of Time meets Shadow of the Colossus meets the Assassin’s Creed engine meets incredible artwork...and more. Why wouldn’t this be my #1?

There Will Come Hard Bullets -- Fallout 3 Preview

I had the chance to meet with Bethesda Softworks on Tuesday at E3 for some hands-on time with the upcoming Fallout 3 for the Xbox 360, and although time was relatively short, I got a look at enough content to know that my eager anticipation for the title is certainly warranted.

For those of you who don't already know, Fallout 3 is a first/third-person shooter set in a post-apocalyptic Washington DC. Details regarding the story are scant as of yet, however, as our friends at Bethesda would prefer not to spoil the experience for gamers.

The game world itself appears to be quite vast, and is expected to be 50-80% the size of Oblivion's enormous map. Decorating the lightly rolling landscapes of the demo were the remains of urban and suburban infrastructure, ranging from relatively intact buildings to mostly dilapidated ones to fully blown-out and utterly destroyed husks of former architecture. Overall, the visual representation of the city and surrounding area really communicates the post-apocalyptic feeling that the team was aiming for.

Combat was at the forefront of my demo time with Fallout 3. I encountered spiders, wolf-type creatures, and a small squad of bandits on my way to the lone town situated in the middle of the desolate landscape. Judging from what I saw, if you're satisfied with first- or third-person real-time shooting and melee combat, then Fallout 3 has you covered. The controls are responsive and the action can heat up quickly. Players can hotkey any weapon, piece of armor, or consumable item to the cardinal directions of the d-pad, also. This is all well and good, but for Fallout fans or anyone seeking something a little more complex, there is V.A.T.S. mode.

Hitting the right bumper pauses the action and lets the player target individual body parts, each of which displays the player's probability of making successful contact. Each attack performed in V.A.T.S. mode consumes a bit of AP, and results in a short but sweet animation of your character assaulting his enemy. When a targeted attack doesn't kill an opponent, there is also a chance that it will cripple the body part in question and have a significant impact on the rest of the encounter. V.A.T.S. really captures the feeling of the old Fallout games, although I couldn't target my enemies' eyes every time.

I had to hurry up and get to town if I wanted to see any of the game's dialog within my allotted time, so I hightailed it to Megaton and visited with some NPCs. The system looks similar to the Elder Scrolls and old Fallout games, with many options in the tree and the ability to use your character's skills to your advantage. There is nothing terribly revolutionary here, but it definitely looks like players will be able to cultivate the character personality of their choice using the appropriate dialog selections.

Character customization plays an important roll in Fallout 3. Fans of previous Fallout games will be happy to learn that the game retains many of the specific design elements of earlier titles in that area. Each character will have the familiar basic statistics of strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility, and luck, as well as a long list of skills that can be leveled up independently in order to shape the individual play style of each character. From energy weapons, small guns, melee combat, and explosives to science, sneak, speech, and medicine, there are plenty of skills that players can focus on. Lastly, perks are back. They grant players bonuses to certain skills or provide other benefits like faster leveling or increased damage to certain types of enemies.

And that's about all I had the time to see in the world of Fallout 3. The game is scheduled for a simultaneous release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this fall.