gaming in 2004: the year's best

The year 2004 will be remembered for being extremely favourable to gamers, PC gamers in particular. I don't think anyone could have expected the quality of the titles that were released during the dreaded Christmas rush. It's a pretty ridiculous custom that I'm never going to get used to, because the clout of the big publishers will almost always drive some unknown gem to the bottom of the pile beneath their ad-driven counterparts. Off the top of my head I regret not being able to play Baten Kaitos, or the Battle for Middle Earth, though most tell me I'm not missing much on the latter. I'm glad I got a chance to play GTA: San Andreas, one of 2004's many blockbuster releases. And even if it is basically more of the same, I'm much more comfortable with the deeper feel of this game, and most importantly, the soundtrack. I don't know if it's just early 90s nostalgia at work here, but it really is top notch. I look forward to its release on the PC this summer.

My excitement over PC gaming's numerous quality releases is reflected in the following list, once again not intended to be comprehensive. It's a welcome change from last year's many console ports.

10. Far Cry (PC)

Crytek should be recognized for giving us a fantastic engine, and a pretty good FPS that isn't designed by id or Valve, all with very little fanfare. The length of the single-player campaign and enormity of the gameworld will keep you busy for some time, but don't expect the multiplayer to extend the game's life. For that, just increase the difficulty. Then imagine the terrorists in Rogue Spear in a run and gun FPS. Oh, and the highly mutated monkeys that can kill you in one hit.

9. Tales of Symphonia (GCN)

Getting an RPG on the Gamecube is like getting a rain in some forsaken desert land, where the populace is so overcome with joy at the sight of liquid, it doesn't matter whether the stuff will actually eat through skin. Tales of Symphonia produced many feelings in me: elation, disappointment, boredom, frustration. When I first started playing my heart almost exploded with uncontainable happiness, because this was a Japanese RPG that I was not embarassed to play. But then I started to think about what was actually happening, and everything became painfully familiar. After a while Symphonia evolves into an exercise in levelling up your characters, preparing them for the insanely difficult boss battles to come. And the story - as magical as it seemed at first - began to show its frayed edges part way through the game, as it easily fell into the saccharine and camp of JRPG traditions. Nevertheless, I kept playing, and this should be some testament to its quality. I still have an unfinished review kicking around on my computer, but I find it unreadable due to the heights of praise and depths of pure rage expressed within. Perhaps in the slow months this year I might actually post it for those that want something more explicit.

8. Thief: Deadly Shadows (PC)

A lot of people thought that Thief: Deadly Shadows would be the end of a franchise. After Invisible War, it wasn't such an outlandish assumption. Where Pandora Tomorrow allows you fully interact with your environment, Thief is purely about the act of sneaking, whether it be hiding in corners or the picking of pockets or snatching items from tables in plain view. I liked the way the game world was set up, even though it was not seamless, and used a lot of "mysterious doors" to bring you to the next area. Instead of going from mission to mission like the typical FPS (and previous Thief games), Deadly Shadows created a "city" where each of your missions were located, and the act of reaching them was involving in itself. Most importantly, though, Deadly Shadows maintained the feel of the previous games while introducing a handy third person view that I now cannot be without in stealth-based games.

7. Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (PC)

Something I left out of my review was my state of mind during out-of-game activities while I was playing the game. I remember coming to work one day, figuring out how I could eliminate all light sources in the building foyer and sneak into one of the elevators undetected. My walk was slower, my eyes darted around for shadow-concealed corners I could retreat to if things got too hot. Then I would exit this trance, wondering how exactly a game got this much under my skin. The game itself is really no different than the original, but the story is frighteningly believable. Whoever scripts these games has a real grasp on world events. They don't exploit the obvious current conflicts, but instead look deeper into the future - like the original Splinter Cell making reference to unrest in western Russia - constructing alternate political realities where one man must be sent to exercise the Fifth Freedom. Multiplayer was short lived on my PC, as I was not dedicated enough to actually develop my skills. But the concept was outstanding, and UbiSoft should be congratulated for showing the gaming world that stealth gaming can be competitive.

6. Astro Boy: Omega Factor (GBA)

Omega Factor resurrected the fun of 2D side scrolling action games. Gameplay is of the simple side scrolling, button-mashing variety, but the actual design of the game is something to be admired. I was a huge fan of beating the snot out of the numerous enemies on screen, and whenever the game was broken up by a boss battle or flying level, I thought to myself, "How nice would it be to get back down to pummeling robots," and in the next level it would be so. There is a definite balance to the levels in this game, making it a well rounded, enjoyable experience that you can pick up and not have to invest too much time or thought into.

5. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GCN)

I never thought that "Echoes" would actually mean the shadowy reflection of an existing world; this was a development that I found out in the weeks before the game's release, and something I was only able to appreciate upon playing. Anyone who has played Metroid Prime will be comfortable with this game, since the tutorial is as transparent as the one in Half Life 2. I was so happy to be transported to an entirely different world; the visuals speak for themselves in their uniqueness and level of detail. Though the novelty does tend to wear thin when familiarity sets in, it still remains one of the best games you could ever play on the Gamecube. One thing about Multiplayer: you can easily play it with people that suck because of the auto-targeting. This also says a lot about its lasting appeal.

4. Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA)

Zero Mission is what every remake should aspire to be. For a clean, pure Metroid experience that is named in some elite circles as the reincarnation of Super Metroid, Zero Mission delivers without compromise. As much as I loved Aria of Sorrow, when I feel I must play a 2D action/adventure this is now the game I usually pick up. Kraid is still a bastard and remains the most annoying boss in the game.

3. Half Life 2 (PC)

Half Life 2 suprised everyone by delivering on old promises, providing the new benchmark for any FPS single player campaign, and creating a new piece of software to drive many people mad with frustration. Regardless, all proper respects to Steam, despite its turbulent launch. It has managed to put the crackdown on video game piracy by stabbing everyone in the face, not just the paying customers. In terms of longevity, I could equate Half Life 2 to a favorite movie, as you can only watch it so often before it begins to becomes comfortably predictable. Playing through this game again over the christmas holidays reinforced my opinion about how great it was, but it also made me realize that its linearity severely limits the number of times you can play it while still gaining the same enjoyment from it. That being said, Half Life 2 is a great achievement in PC gaming as a medium, perhaps the greatest in many years.

2. Rome: Total War (PC)

Rome: Total War kind of snuck up on me, as I enjoyed the demo, but it didn't exactly display everything the game had to offer. I gleefully played it over the Christmas break, and I have to give Creative Assembly tons of credit for growing this series by leaps and bounds since the original Shogun: Total War. It would have been just as easy for them to put a "Rome" theme to Medieval Total War, which was an excellent game in its own right. Instead, Rome: Total War has more depth and a compelling campaign to keep even the most jaded RTS gamers interested. This was a hard decision next to my experiences with Dawn of War - a game I had just as much fun with - but Rome: Total War is clearly the more developed title. Honestly, if there is one RTS game you must play this year, let it be this one.

1. Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines (PC)

To be completely honest this was a really tough call, because I started Bloodlines right after Half Life 2, what I thought would be the best game I would play all year. After wading through the numerous bugs and sloppy combat controls - a significantly different experience from my time with Half Life 2 - I was still able to experience one of the best CRPGs to come out in a long time. From start to finish, this is the most refined interpretation of the World of Darkness I've witnessed. Every character in the game gives a believable performance, perhaps good for some occasional laughs, but Troika used the license to its fullest potential. For those that are afraid of playing some sissy fledgling vampire, there's always the Brujah or Gangrel to make you feel tough. The worst thing you could do is not play this game at all. Half Life 2 was a great accomplishment, but it's still just a first person shooter. For all the play options available in Bloodlines, I can see myself visiting this compelling game world many times over, and for that it deserves the highest praise indeed.

it is now my duty to completely drain you