The Xbox 360 had some seriously fun titles in years past -- Oblivion, Dead Rising, GRAW, [Your Favorite Here]. But the past year has churned out some amazing stuff. Gears of War tided me over for a while, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance was fun for a change of pace, but the stars of Christmas 2006 to Christmas 2007 were these:
Call of Duty 3: The end of an era. I think everyone was satisfied with the WWII genre of gaming, starting with Medal of Honor, evolving into Call of Duty, exploding into Battlefield 1942 (almost a genre unto itself), going retro with Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and returning again and again to Medal of Honor and Call of Duty sequels. Countless spinoffs took flight, with Blazing Angels, Battlestations Midway, and any number of other games concerning the gritty combat of 60+ years ago. It served its purpose: It's more fun to play a slightly historical shooter than to play yet another sci-fi or anime snoozefest. When it comes down to it, there's two kinds of gamers -- the kind that want to play Naruto: Rise of a Ninja and those that want to play the best WWII first person shooter ever made, Call of Duty 3. Which one are you?
Rainbow Six Vegas: I was a die-hard Ghost Recon fan. I still am, really. But I've played through SIX different Ghost Recon games in the past five years. It's had its ups and downs, but I've always been faithful. I tried my hardest to like any of the three Rainbows on the original Xbox, but I hated them, especially online. Then I was talked into R6 Vegas by a friend and wow, I think it redefines the tactical shooter genre. I'm sold. I've seen so many cool battles, great graphical effects and other unique touches in this game. I'll buy the next Rainbow sight unseen. Yea Ubisoft. Those French and Canadians are ruling the Xbox scene.
Forza Motorsport 2: My progression of video game racing over the past 15 years goes something like this: Test Drive ---> Need for Speed ---> Gran Turismo ---> Project Gotham ---> RalliSport ---> Forza Motorsport. And that's where it ends. If a RalliSport for the 360 ever hits the scene, I'm there, but for now Forza 2 rules. Project Gotham lost me after PGR3. Fully customizable rides didn't exactly start with Forza 2, but it perfected the idea, and the racing beats everthing that came before it.
Call of Duty 4 Modern Combat: It's everything Battlefield 2: Modern Combat wasn't, and far more. It's missing vehicles? People would care if it didn't include an excellent custom class system, great weapons and unlockables, and some addictive gameplay modes. Well worth the hype. When they say it's the most photo-realistic, beautiful, deep shooter ever seen, they're not lying. It's definitely in contention for best FPS ever.
Assassin's Creed: So we didn't get Grand Theft Auto IV this year. Well, if you want engrossing storylines, immersive gameplay, beautiful graphics and scenery and top-notch action, this is the best game since Oblivion. I haven't played it through, but I can only hope it's half as deep as it looks. Middle East assassins are the new ninja.
Merry Christmas. Peace.