Welp here goes
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
After reading the first post I realized how much this game had going for it and really I don't See any other game approaching it in terms of how well rounded it was. It offered player choice, great narrative, thoughtful level design, the list really goes on and on for this game. Its as near perfect as it got in this last decade.
Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
Elder scrolls as a whole really made its mark this gen and as awesome as the content was in Skyrim I still give the edge to Oblivion. The openness of the game mechanics that Morrowind offered and The accesability they eventually achieved in Skyrim sort of had a perfect Marriage in Oblivion. I also want to say shivering Isles is probably the best most worthwhile DLC of any game this whole gen.
Dark Souls
I'm going to come out right now and admit that I have yet to finish this game. Not because of its famed "difficulty" but because everytime I start to play I learn more about the game and I want to start over with the knowledge I had gained. that is What Dark Souls has going for it. It's Not particularly difficult it just requires critical thinking skills and use of active learning something that has been lost in todays games. The way in which it stimulates your senses and induces stress are top notch. Nothing comes close to Dark Souls Pure display of game design.
Rainbow 6 Vegas 2
This shooter is the grandaddy of all modern shooters Gears, COD, Halo all have borrowed from this games structure, persistent XP, Horde mode, loadouts, Cover, it had all of that. It had a great Co-Op campaign Maps that were pretty yet still functional and very well designed at the same time. It had that perfect mix of CS precision while still erring towards the arcade military style we got out of the COD series. Cream of the shooter crop as far as I'm Concerned
Uncharted 2
Yep while were doing shooters we might as well get this one out of the way. This game did everything MGS did this gen but boiled it down a bit and made it fluid. That's what this game is in one word fluid. I cant think of many games I have ever played through as many times as I did Uncharted 2. Its a perfect mix of platforming and cover based shooting and not only was the single player campaign one of the best paced campaigns I've ever played, the game mechanics made for amazing multiplayer. I easily sunk 200 hours into the online no small feat for a shooter to get me to do. The maps were very well balanced and well thought out.
Halo 3
ok I'm done with the shooters after this but Halo 3 has to get a mention. It's risen into the echelon of consoles equivalent to CS1.6 and quake 3. It is the epitome of competition and 3 iterations later this is the one people still ask to play in tournament. There are few games that will ever be as balanced as halo 3, guns, maps, spawns, all well thought out yet still balanced in a way that allow for growth and pick up and playability.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
I know where I'm posting first and foremost but anyone whos played the game knows why its probably the best fighter of the generation. The freedom this game gives you is second to none, the depth it offers is second to none, the fan service is second to none, theres nothing Tekken Tag 2 as a fighting game doesn't give you. Tekken Tag 2 is a learning experience theres no end to the amount of knowledge you gain while playing it. Everything has a counter, a punish or an answer, the balance of gameplay is amazing, and your characters do not limit you. I highly recommend this game to anyone who hasn't given it a serious shot nothing is as rewarding as getting good in Tekken.
Grand Theft Auto 4
4 was a great evolution for the series. The small additions and nuances changed the direction of the series in more important ways than 5 did IMO. + I think it was one of the few games that did interactions with npc's to get you to care about them right. It was (and kind of still is) a fad but GTA 4 did it with taste. It also incorporated decent shooting driving etc so it let you do everything in a useable fashion .
Devil May Cry 4
I was only going to put one action game on my List because frankly they have been weak this generation the holy trinity of last gen: God of War, Devil May Cry, and Ninja Gaiden all had WEAKER releases this gen Ninja gaiden 2 was meh 3 poop and While GOW 3 I platted and then still did another playthrough or two I just wasn't compelled by it. DMC4 is a game I liked well enough when it came out but like maybe some of you out there didn't get a real appreciation for it Till DmC came and disrespected the franchise in such a harsh way. Honestly now DMC4 was kind of ahead of its time Nero was an awesome addition and variation to the gameplay Uber Dante was a blast. It was tight, it was fun, it was technical, DMC4 was the best of the action genre this gen, and has actually grown to be my favorite in the series overall.
Castle Crashers
Lets be real who hasn't poured a couple hundred hours into this game if theres one thing next gen needs its more co-op brawlers and hopefully they are at least 1/3 as good as Castle Crashers.*Forest Gump Voice* and that's all I have to say about that"
