By Casey Lynch Dec 22, 2006, 5:41 GMT
So how exactly did 2006 turn out to be such a great year for gaming?
It's time to ring in the New Year - and the new Gaming section here at M&C - with a rundown of the best games of 2006.
Blame it on the launch of 2 new systems – the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii – and the new technology that each introduced.
Or blame it on the first birthday of the Xbox 360, with its industry leading online service, Xbox LIVE.
But really, you should blame it on the games - 2006 saw a slew of titles come to market that delivered some of the most memorable gaming experiences ever, not to mention in one year.
Here at M&C, as we launch our new Gaming section, we thought we’d start off by taking a look back into one of the more memorable years of games in a long while.
After all, like you, we take gaming seriously, and rightfully so – it’s our job to make sure you don’t spend your hard earned cheddar on a lemon.
So, knowing that you’ve got a little downtime between now and the New Year to burn with a new game or three, here’s our must-play, “best of” picks from 2006. Now don’t say we’ve never done anything for you.
Best of PS2/PS3 2006
Obviously the big news coming out of the Sony camp lately has centered on the launch of the PlayStation 3, but make no mistake, the PS2 had a banner year in 2006. Coming off a year of insta-classics in 2005 with titles like God of War, Shadow of the Colossus and Resident Evil 4, the PS2 saw the release of some amazing titles in 2006, not to mention the launch of the heavily anticipated PS3.
Given that the PS3 has only been out for just over a month now, and the majority of current retail PS3 titles are cross-platform, this list is PS2 games heavy, but hey, everyone knows pretty soon the PS3 will over-shadow the PS2 plenty so we’re giving our big-ole’ trusty right-angled console its last hurrah in celebrating these stand-out titles for 2006.
5. Okami – A Celestial Brush, Hokusai-style Japanese woodblock print visuals, and a wolf. Thank goodness the peeps at the now-defunct Clover Studios were willing to take a risk on a non-traditional action-adventure game; otherwise we would’ve missed out on one of the most truly amazing games in the PS2’s lifecycle.
In Okami, you play as sun god Amaterasu, who is embodied as a wolf and must drive out the forces of evil that have taken up residence in Amaterasu’s home turf of medieval Japan.
Very early on you learn that the Celestial Brush is your best friend – a godly instrument that lets you miraculously paint the world into different states of being exactly as you see fit – you’ll fight with it with the Celestial Brush, uncover secret items with it, change day into night, all sorts of wolfen godly stuff.
Bottom line – Okami is in a class all its own – with unparalleled style and some amazing game mechanics, this is a great game to waste the rest of the year away with.
4. Bully – At Bullworth Academy, you can lash out at all the jerks, teachers and, well, more jerks that you wanted to stand up to in school, but didn’t. Over the top schoolyard violence, pranks and hijinks earmark this GTA-in-high school romp.
As protagonist Jimmy Hopkins, you can get a job, go to class (or not,) get into fights, make out with chicks (err, and a few guys,) and basically wreak havoc across the city.
Now, there’s no blood and nobody dies. Oh, and there’s no ho’s, and you can’t jack cars or take out helicopters with bazookas, so it’s different then its GTA brethren on those accounts, but its built with the GTA engine, so fans of that series will have no problem picking this up and jumping right in.
Bottom Line – Crude, offensive, and irresistibly fun to play, Bully lets you break all the rules at Bullworth Academy and make up for some of those days you spent being shoved in a locker.
3. Guitar Hero II – We love Guitar Hero. It’s that simple. If you’re anything like us, you probably developed a serious case of Guitar Hero “claw” while trying to 5-Star “Bark At The Moon” on Expert Difficulty.
But whether or not you actually played the first Guitar Hero, the ultimate beat-matching, musical party game, with Guitar Hero II, there is more of everything – more than 55 new songs, more characters (there’s even a bitchin’ rocker chick named after me, no joke!) and a number of welcome new modes like a great co-op which gives you and a friend a chance to chip away at songs together as lead guitar and bass or rhythm guitar.
There’s also a new practice mode, which lets you take any part of any song and slow it down, giving you a chance to woodshed the hardest parts, which totally rules.
Bottom line - Easily a contender for the best music game of all time, Guitar Hero II does everything the first Guitar Hero did, just better. Here’s your chance to become the rock god you’ll never be.
2. Resistance: Fall of Man – OK, time for some PS3 love. Resistance: Fall of Man is probably the best launch title for any platform, at least since Halo hit stores with the Xbox in 2001.
A frenetically paced and graphically gorgeous first-person shooter, Resistance: Fall of Man takes place in an alternate timeline of world history where World War II never happened, and instead a parasitic race known as the Chimera have swept across Eastern Europe.
Playing as Nathan Hale, an American Ranger that’s seemingly invulnerable to the Chimera virus, you get to use a bevy of great weapons to thwart the Chimera’s gooey scheme to ruin your holiday weekend. The guns really shine, which isn’t surprising considering that the game’s designer Insomniac are the chaps behind the insane weapons and gameplay of the Ratchet and Clank series.
Bottom line – If you managed to get your grubby little hands on a PS3, chances are, you’ll be playing this while you’re sipping your holiday ‘nog. If you own a PS3 and you haven’t picked up Resistance: Fall of Man yet, get away from this damned computer and get it you dillweed!
And for number 1...
1. Final Fantasy XII – It’s been 5 long years since we’ve had a Final Fantasy game proper in 2001’s Final Fantasy X, but Final Fantasy XII makes the wait well worth it.
What’s really remarkable about FFXII is the risks longtime developer Square Enix takes, like introducing a totally new fighting system that all but replaces the typically menu, turn-based combat with a fast, nearly real-time fighting experience.
Thankfully the risks pay-off as Final Fantasy XII is easily the swan song of the series and a fitting end as the PS2 title in the series. Mystery, political intrigue and rebellion abound as you explore the world of Ivalice with the requisite androgynous Final Fantasy hero Vann, and his companions Balthier, a Sky Pirate, and the rabbit-eared Fran.
With a compelling storyline that will pull you in every direction imaginable, Final Fantasy XII boasts some of the best cinematic cut-scenes on the PS2 and shows off the sheer firepower of the ever-faithful PS2 hardware, even in its eleventh hour.
Bottom line – Final Fantasy XII is one of those titles that will go down in PS2 history as a must-play, must-own, must-experience game. It’s accessible to hardcore RPG fans and casual gamers alike, because it’s just a terrifically entertaining game.
Honorable Mentions –
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence – With a new “anything goes” camera and a revamped difficulty system, Subsistence delivers tons of single-player goodness, but it doesn’t stop there. The 12 multiplayer maps and 5 diverse game variants add up to one of the best online games for the PS2, period.
Ridge Racer 7 – With fantastic graphics and a ha-uge emphasis on drifting, this arcade racer definitely has spent a good deal of time loaded up in our PS3. Plus, the seventh Ridge Racer offers a mammoth online community feature with constantly updating ticker information about who is winning and losing what.
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