20. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Here it is- what is said to be the best Call of Duty game ever, and the game with the best multiplayer component across all platforms and generations and genres and whatnots. Modern Warfare marked the beginning of a new era for the Call of Duty series, as it took the franchise away from the World War setting, and defined the entire First Person Shooter genre this generation, by bringing in a very exciting and thrilling single player campaign and a great multiplayer component with a ton of modes that had till date kept us addicted to it. All hail Modern Warfare!
19. Bayonetta
Slick, stylish, flashy and pure fun- that’s how we describe Bayonetta. While it does not have the high production values and incredible storyline of God of War, it has an extremely polished, sleek and fun battle system. The combat has more sheen and refinement than what you will see in any other action adventure game. And once you’re through the fifteen hour romp of Bayonetta, you’ll want to come back again for more of the same thrilling, fast-paced action.
18. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 did what no other shooter could. It gave fierce, fierce competition to Modern Warfare/ Modern Warfare 1. It has an excellent single player campaign, a highly addictive and varied multiplayer component, and some gameplay tweaks and innovation that really help up the ante. Bad Company 2 is simply a game you have to get if you like FPS’s. It has taken some really unique aspects of gameplay, given them a Battlefield twist and done a spit shine all over- this is a definitive shooter experience.
17. Batman: Arkham Asylum
A lot was expected of Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Asylum, given the fact that it was releasing around the same time as The Dark Knight and was like a supplement to the movie. When the game was released, it left us all astounded. Arkham Asylum is an awesome game, and there is no other word for it. Not only it captures the spirit and feel of a Batman movie/comic/anime perfectly, it also provides for a wonderful gameplay engine. We hope to see the same, if not better, stuff in Arkham City that we saw in Asylum.
16. Dead Space
Dead Space is one of the most atmospheric, thrilling and spooky games to have been released this generation. It has an excellent campaign which has us on the edge of the seat till the end of the game. Every turn feels like it could be the end of our characters. The spooky shrieks and howls in the background, the terrifying sound effects, the horrific zombie-like creatures all come together to deliver an experience like no other. Dead Space is one of the best survival horror games out there- don’t miss it.
15. Gears of War 2
Gears of War is probably one of this generation’s most revolutionary and most memorable franchises. Many people complaint that Gears of War 2 was not half as good as the original Gears of War, despite the higher production values and the higher epic and badass feel to it. Still, there’s no denying that Gears 2 is one hell of a game, and deserves all the success it ever got. Featuring a fast-paced thrilling single player campaign that is as fun to play through with a friend, a really addictive multiplayer mode and a more story-oriented approach than its predecessor, Gears of War 2 deserves a place in this list for sure.
14. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin’s Creed is an awesome franchise, with two really, really wonderful titles in the canon series. A lot was expected of Brotherhood when it was released, being the semi-sequel it was to the brilliant Assassin’s Creed II. While Brotherhood was not the Assassin’s Creed III everyone was expecting it to be, it was an awesome game with a great single player campaign that introduced revoltuonary new mechanics- such as the entire Brotherhood thing, or the Borgia towers thingie- and boasted of an excellent story with an exciting conclusion. The multiplayer mode was also amazing, with thousands of fans having clocked in innumerable hours into the addictive new component. For every AC fan, Brotherhood is a must-buy.
13. Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV received perfect sores all over the board, and while people often bash it saying that it deviated from the freedom that we saw in past GTA games, and call it overhyped and disappointing, the fact that GTAIV is extremely polished, cinematic, fun and addictive cannot be overlooked even by the biggest haters of the games. Yes, it does not offer half the amount of freedom as say, San Andreas did, but GTA IV is, after all, the most polished and refined game in the series. Having the best story, the most likeable protagonist and an extremely polished gameplay system, GTAIV is a game no one should miss out on.
12. Dragon Age: Origins
With Mass Effect already having been released under the BioWare banner this generation, a lot was expected from BioWare’s new IP, Dragon Age: Origins, and it sure looked promising. But Dragon Age: Origins did something that very few games can- it lived up to the hype, it lived up to all the promises it made. Dragon Age: Origins was a wonderful experience, and worthy of the BioWare banner. We simply love DA:O, and hopefully, Dragon Age II, despite all its changes from the beloved Dragon Age formula, will carry forward the developers’ legacy of producing great games.
11. The Orange Box
The Orange Box, actually, was more of a compilation, but the games that the “Box” consisted of were like none other. Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One, Half Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 and Portal- all of them spectacular experiences, especially Portal, which is probably Valve’s best game till date. There is a lot that can be said about The Orange Box, so why don’t you, who haven’t done so yet, give it a try and prepare to experience one of the best games on the Xbox 360.
