YES NO. Was this article informative? In This Article. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Rage features intense first-person action and vehicle combat delivered through jaw-dropping graphics powered by id's revolutionary idTech 5 technology.
Release Date. The Biggest Games of IGN Logo Recommends. Hitman 3 Jared Moore Raised By Wolves Jim Vejvoda Wolf Like Me Review 2h ago - The show about werewolves that will make you cry. Wolf Like Me Matt Fowler A legend in a grave. Twelve years passed between Doom 3 — which would prove to be the final Doom from the original id Software team — and the Doom reboot in But against the odds, the new generation of id developers did it: they reimagined Doom as a fast-action modern-day demon-slaying experience while still respecting the satisfying feel of the classic originals.
Glory kills, aggressive monster mobs, big weapon and ability upgrades, and speed, speed, speed define the new Doom. Play this game first and then run straight for Doom Eternal , which evolves the formula in very smart, very fun ways you won't soon forget.
Into the Breach is a puzzle game masquerading in turn-based tactics clothing. Each mission presents you with overwhelming odds and limited options — a seemingly impossible task. Each turn becomes a puzzle for you to solve, using your limited actions for maximum effect. Into the Breach made our updated list of the 10 best roguelikes.
Few games will make you fear for your life upon encountering the most mundane of inanimate objects the way Prey does — and fewer still will then give you the power to become those objects yourself. Developer Arkane Austin is now working on Redfall , an open-world, co-op vampire shooter.
No game simulates the feeling of being in command of a starship flying by the seat of your pants like FTL: Faster Than Light. It's a game you shouldn't expect to survive — more likely, you'll be blasted out of the sky by a vastly superior enemy ship or boarded by a death squad of giant killer insects who massacre your crew.
Maybe your life-support system will be hacked and everyone will suffocate. Its tactical combat never gets old, tons of loot and random events keep every game feeling unpredictable, and unlockable ships force you to change up your strategies on subsequent runs.
And every so often, you might even win. MOBAs have earned a reputation for being dense and difficult to learn, but immensely strategic for those who put in the time. Because every second matters, matches are always exciting even when they seem slow.
Are you farming gold? Are you scouting the enemy? Or crossing the map to help out a teammate? Or heading back to base to heal? Its complexity can scare players off, but those who stick through it will be rewarded with some of the most strategic gameplay around.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is the closest thing we've had to a near-perfect recreation of the real world in the virtual space. Using real-time Bing data to allow you to fly to and from any place on the entire planet has raised the bar for simulations to heights never seen before. Accessible to anyone, or as realistic as you want, this is open-world at its most literal.
Free-flying around the globe, participating in landing challenges at some of the world's most famously difficult airports, or just sightseeing, Microsoft Flight Simulator is an unparalleled achievement. Don't forget to grab one of the best PC joysticks to make this flight-sim experience that more immersive.
The marvelous PC port overhauled and further enhanced the gorgeous wild western atmosphere of Rockstar's most recent open-world adventure and added even more activities, unlockables, and impossibly fine details to its expansive map. It's possibly one of the biggest and best single-player PC games ever and it has an extensive multiplayer mode too. RDR2 on PC is handily a must-play for anyone with a rig beefy enough to run it. Through its relaunch and subsequent three expansions FFXIV has slowly morphed from a relatively generic good-versus-evil plot into a sprawling, political, and fantastical thriller.
Story missions are intended to be tackled solo, and even instanced dungeons now have an option for you to enter with computer-controlled party members instead of forcing you into a group with strangers.
Square Enix had to temporarily stop selling FF14 upon its release, as the expansion's popularity exceeded the company's server capacity. As well as transplanting the dice-rolls and deep dialogue options from Dungeons and Dragons into a lesser-seen noir-detective setting, it offers entirely original ways to play, such as such as debating against 24 different sections of your own brain, each representative of a different skill or trait.
Your down-and-out detective is thrust into circumstances where you must solve a murder, but with all great stories its not the conclusion that is solely gratifying, but the journey you took to get there as its ludicrously detailed world and cast of characters drive it along, supported by some of the best writing seen in a game.
Nier: Automata is, by all accounts, a game that shouldn't exist. Director Yoko Taro's original Nier flopped back in , but it nevertheless developed a ravenous fanbase — and for good reason. To put it simply: Nier: Automata does what the original sought to do, learning from its failures and building on its successes to create a blend of hardcore and fluid combat, bullet-hell shoot 'em up segments, and visual novel stylings.
It all coalesces into something entirely new. Despite a frustrating PC port that the fanbase had to fix themselves with the all-but-mandatory FAR mod, Nier: Automata's staying power is etched somewhere within its philosophical musings of humanity, pain of existence, and ability to find the humor in between.
What we said: "For all the ideas that don't quite take flight, for all the design decisions that feel restrictive rather than liberating, when the credits rolled I was already itching to devote another odd hours to reliving it all again. JdEvangelion said: "One of the most disappointing games of the year - a lazy sequel to Dragon Age which in itself was a pale imitation of Baldur's Gate 2.
Despite all that this still ranks in my top five. Not sure what that says for the rest of the industry. But it's far and away the most compelling game I've played this year. While the characters initially seem to seem your usual RPG archetypes, they really grow as the game progresses, and some of the interactions between NPCs are a real delight. Also Planescape: Torment levels. Boki said: "While a lot of people may whine that the game is bad, shallow, not an RPG etc, it is under the surface that you'll find how truly great the game is.
The characters are well-written and are different enough that if you take time to listen to their story you'll come to like them. Voice acting is top notch, the combat is visceral and it's pretty hard to go back to the slower-paced Origins after this. Yes environments are reused, but it doesn't take away from the enjoyment as much as people claim. What we said: "Occasionally, it shows flashes of originality, flair and Lucas-powered matinee excitement that set it apart.
We'll need even more time with it to tell if the romance of Star Wars and BioWare's narrative ambitions can carry it past its rivals. Astrates said: "BioWare. With friends. Nothing more really needs to be said. Getting an amazing storyline told to you that's unique for your class with major decisions to be made that shape the story, then also you can take your friend along as you choose to sacrifice an entire engineering team just because you couldn't be bothered to run around.
Rootminusone said: "Takes the essence of the Star Wars universe, as realised in the magnificent Knights of the Old Republic games, and explodes it into baffling scale. Technically it does little to mix up decades-old MMO formulae, but the addition of meaningful story and character relationships is a long-overdue and wonderful addition to the genre. What we said: "Great art means different things to you at different points in your life. Ocarina of Time means something different to me now than it did 13 years ago.
But the fact that it still has so much meaning is an affirmation of something I've long suspected: that this game is one of the greatest things that video games have ever achieved. Lexx87 said: "An old classic that manages to stay fresh over a decade later, this remake is pure class. Gameplay that lasts through the ages and will never get old. The redrawn graphics and having the inventory on the touch-screen make this the definitive version for me.
Loved it on the N64, love it even more now. Mikeeeboy1 said: " was certainly the year of HD remasters, with varying results - but nobody could argue with the return of one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time. Where the resurrection of other games of old could only muster an increased texture quality, Japanese developer Grezzo had the advantage of pushing Ocarina of Time into new dimensions thanks to the 3DS. And push it they did, with a resounding success that inspired many a lapsed gamer not to think twice about buying a 3DS just to roam Hyrule Field yet again.
Upon playing it on my dusty 3DS I was able for the first time to understand what all the fuss was about, while finally seeing the potential of my expensive doorstop.
It's not the best game I played this year but the game that justified my 3DS and allowed me to play what is essentially a gaming masterpiece. Perhaps overburdened by hype and history, the fact that Rage was merely a solid, enjoyable game with some excellent weaponry and snazzy graphics condemned it to the ignominy of 'relative failure' in commercial terms, but we still loved it.
Bring on Doom 4! What we said: "Judged on game design and content, it's slightly anachronistic, but as a toy box full of things you can only do in games, Rage is warm-hearted and refreshing. It's not going to change the world, but it does serve as a timely reminder of that other thing id Software games always did besides smashing through some new technological barrier. They made shooting things fun, and it's nice to have that back. By far the best FPS of the year.
Linear, loud and focused entirely on what makes shooters so great: the guns. Oh, and gorgeous to boot. Rage is a fantastic showcase of what arcade FPS games should be like.
You don't need realism to create a thrilling atmosphere and compelling gameplay where the kill itself brings more satisfaction than the completion of an area. What we said: "Those expecting revelatory improvements in areas like AI may be mildly disappointed by Shogun 2. Those after a sumptious, weekend-whittling strategy epic heaving with flavour and challenge can reach for their uchi-bukuro with confidence. This is a corker.
Boki said: The attention to detail is amazing and the campaign is deep, with lots of customisation options and factions to play through. Then there is multiplayer and co-op mode. It speaks volumes of the game as a whole when the weakest part feels like the actual large-scale battles.
Even though the Japanese setting might not be for everyone, Shogun 2 is a magnificent game polished to the last helmet on your samurai's head. Just incredible. What we said: "UGC aside, inFamous 2 is a great example of the iterative approach to sequels: it's driven by tweaks, fixes, and subtle refinements, and there's a sense throughout that the series is starting to come into focus.
During its best moments, it feels like something we might have been given by the Assassin's Creed team if they'd grown up immersed in the works of Steve Ditko rather than Umberto Eco: a hard-edged pulp adventure where your tools are perfectly matched to your missions.
If the original game gave Cole a purpose, this one provides a little personality to go with it. Olemak said: "While this game was good rather than great, I played it to completion and then some. Can't say as much for many other games that have come out this year.
Epcotman said: "While Arkham City really nailed being Batman, inFamous 2 nailed having super powers - leaving you vulnerable enough to be scared but powerful enough for smart players to thrive with their new super-human status.
What we said: "Killzone 3 is a powerful, impressive game that sets an imposing standard for Sony's 3D, Move-enabled future output; it's just a shame that in doing so, it's lost just a little of what made the series stand out in the first place.
Killzone is still an outcast in the first-person shooter crowd, but its third iteration is nonetheless the best online shooting experience I had this year. Killerbee said: "Despite the rivalry of BF3 and MW3, it was Killzone 3 that represented the best three-quel shooter in Proper co-op through the campaign, some of the finest game modes in MP Warzone and Operations , great visuals and a unique feel. I loved it. What we said: "Perhaps BioWare's greatest success in Mass Effect 2 has been taking a complex RPG and making it effortless to understand, play and enjoy on a constant basis, because it has done this in a manner that should prove utterly essential to veterans and newcomers alike.
Fletche said: "Not perfect, but an engaging game that will keep you playing until the end. The storyline is fantastic and keeps everything ticking over, so much so that you can forget any failings with the conversations. ShiftBreaker said: "Not only one of my favourite games of the year, but one of my favourite games of all time. Never before have I finished a game that lasted 50 hours then immediately gone through it again doing a lot of things differently.
It was enough to encourage me to get the first game on , even though I can only play it when back home from university over the holidays. Kangoo said: "So big in scope and developer ambition and such a rich universe. Can't think of another game that you want to start again the second you have finished. A game that is so much more than the sum of its parts. Can't wait for March to finish the story.
What we said: "Ubisoft Montpellier has indisputably crafted a delightful, playful, occasionally exhilarating platformer. But while this is a game whose visuals point to a bright, alternative future, its systems too often rely on the dusty past. Half of a classic, then. Brutally difficult but fair and utter gorgeous visuals. Stefarooh said: "The most exquisitely beautiful game of also turns into my surprise game of the year with platforming fun that challenges Mario for his crown.
Definitely this generation's platformer and the kind of game to make you fall in love with gaming all over again. Which means I have plenty of good days to spare. What we said: "This is a game that wants you to laugh so hard that you sneeze on yourself, but it's also a game that wants you to experiment as much as possible with the tools you've been given.
Its cleverness is as lightly worn as it is unexpected. It's the best kind of guilty pleasure. JollyNiceSoup said: "The love child of Geometry Wars and Doom, Bulletstorm tied a compulsive score-chasing mechanic to a beautiful and inventive shooter.
Plus it had the most creative use of swearwords since Malcolm Tucker. A skillfully produced shooter. It was a big year for PS3 and Xbox but in the end they were both able to match one another technically on most major games.
Check out Digital Foundry's PS3 vs. Xbox Crysis 2 face-off video above to see how Crytek did at the start of the year. What we said: "The long road through the game, winding its way towards Central Park, lacks variation, but then it was never intended to be a Bond-style rollercoaster ride around diverse global tourist locations.
Rather, this was always intended to be a game about a suit, and what that represents. In almost every way that matters then, Crysis 2 is dressed for success. The tactical freedom and sheer coolness of the suit made me prefer this to all the generic corridor shooters. Looked great with the DX11 patch on PC too.
It's stunning to look at and encourages you devise your own plan of action to navigate a destroyed New York whilst experimenting with your range of powers.
Great fun! CFacto said: "It gained good reviews, but I think this was the most underrated shooter of the year by players. The story was nonsense, but the graphics and both single-player and multiplayer gameplay were different and interesting. I had no more problem with lag than with any other online FPS. Not on par with the scope of the first game but a very solid enjoyable romp. What we said: "It's still fairly entertaining amid all its missteps, as the heart of Assassin's Creed perseveres to a degree.
The disappointment is that Ubisoft is enamoured with its own glitter here, cramming Revelations so full of unnecessary adornments that there's not as much room for players to bring their own ingenuity and sense of adventure to the table. LividCarrion said: "I always enjoy the Assassin's Creed games and although it was probably the weakest one in the series I still enjoyed the story and loved the ending. I would play 20 iterations of it, it's that good!
We're sure all the Grand Theft Auto baiting done during Saints Row 2's promotion a few years ago in no way entered the minds of Rockstar when it scheduled the unveiling of Grand Theft Auto 5 about 10 minutes before The Third came out. What we said: "There are traces of that excess here, but they arrive too late and change the formula too little to really make a meaningful difference.
It's still a cynical slice of dirty fun, but the most damning aspect of Saints Row: The Third is that where the all-important lulz are concerned, there's precious little here that you couldn't already do in Saints Row 2. But for player-orientated design it's a big yay. Mining a road and a couple of passersby with multiple remote sticky bombs that you can then fire off individually kept me entertained for hours. I've never seen a game allow you to do this before - normally its one remote bomb you can use at a time.
Seeing the NPCs running around, alarmed and panicked, with a sticky bomb attached to them and the other NPCs trying to avoid them is just one of its many great touches. It's full of lovely little touches and laughs.
The only thing I would like to add to it would be a Just Cause style grappling hook. Simply the most fun I have had with a game for ages. Vehicles are good and wide ranging and the weapon variation is excellent. It's a shame that you cannot record a video in-game, but easily my best game of the year.
What we said: "I suspect this will be one of those games that will be justifiably mocked by the majority for its many flaws but embraced by a forgiving minority, and passionately defended for its underdog status. Neither response will be entirely wrong. Much like gnawing on human flesh, Dead Island's clumsy horror-action role-player is the definition of an acquired taste. Astrates said: "It looked great from trailers, it looked terrible from reviews, and in game it was mediocre in single-player.
Then though, your two co-workers get it, two of them are brutes, zombie comes at them and BLAM he's down. I'm playing as a hack and slash kinda gal. I can take off limbs and see them damage in real time with every swing. For all its many problems, I haven't had as much fun in a co-op game in years.
Gotta hand it to them, it was the co-op Dead Rising needed. Far-flung from the poignant CGI trailer everyone flipped over, what this wacked-out action RPG hybrid does well it does excellently, i. JayG said: "Not the game to play the week before you go to Crete. Too many flashbacks with endless decaying old flesh throwing itself at you. That umbrella was sooo tempting. Great game. After all the noise about the disintegration of Infinity Ward, Modern Warfare was more polished than ever on release.
Not much had really changed, but it didn't bother any of us that much. What we said: "Whatever next year's entry brings, some measure of reinvention will be essential. For now, its exuberant blend of testicular bravado and blockbuster gloss ensures that Call of Duty retains its crown as the shooter genre's biggest, boldest rollercoaster ride for at least one more year. Chester said: "Multiplayer Kill Confirmed mode puts an end to Mr 'Ooo-look-at-me-hiding-up-here-cowardly-sniping-everyone' and forces him out of his cosy den to face reality.
Not so cosy now, eh, Mr. I don't need a game to be realistic so this ticks all the boxes. The multiplayer is just an added bonus that makes it well worth 40 quid. One of the only games I buy on release day.
Incredibly intense and uncompromising single-player that revels in it's ultraviolent opulence and sociopathic monsters of main characters arguably, the Ian Fleming of this day. Fun Spec Ops side missions and an addictive multiplayer. Infinity Ward still has it - let's see if they can still keep it. Not much has changed, but the fans don't really mind Still, it does have the tightest single-player of the series, a brilliant co-op, and a multiplayer that might be more of the same yet manages to be slightly better.
What we said: "After playing FIFA 12, going back to previous entries in the series seems almost unimaginable. It's another step closer to reality, and this time it's a very welcome one. By no means the definitive football game, with bugs and glitches quite often seen, but the Career mode is unlike any other.
Player Impact Engine is hilarious. But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Not without its faults but if you're a fan of the beautiful game can't say this isn't the best representation of it yet. Head to Head Seasons is superbly addictive and Ultimate Team is no longer a case of who has the quickest defenders wins the game.
What we said: "The series' steely heart has softened, revealing a game that's as exhaustive as it is exhilarating and that's now been infused with a little extra passion. Forza has always been a series to admire, but now it's a little easier to fall in love with it too. Iliad said: "Wonderful visuals, gameplay and maintains 60 frames-per-second even with 16 online maniacs behind the wheel, plus the introduction of Rivals mode is far more addictive in friendly competition times than NFS's Autolog ever was.
Still, Rivals alone elevated it above the shortcomings and made for more heart-pumping racing with friends than I ever imagined possible. MahtiK said: "Forza Motorsport 4 is the best car game in existence. Autovista is extremely impressive feature, if only it had more cars.
The handling took an enormous leap from Forza 3 which took me by surprise. Driving is now hugely enjoyable.
FlamingCarrot said: "Great graphics and sound contribute to a very good game. More realistic AI would help as there's nothing better than other drivers totally losing it. Multiplayer is spoiled by rear-enders. Now make a dedicated s F1 simulator like GP Legends. What we said: "It's a lovely restoration job, and the kind of thing Ubisoft could learn a thing or two from.
Beyond the joys of seeing the games sharper and less shaky, and in 3D if you've got the right telly, is the simple pleasure of having them on the same disc and the same loading menu, where you can flick back and forth between them and ponder the way that they fit together. YobRenoops said: "These games were always on my 'must play at some point' list, but in playing Ico and Shadow of the Colossus in HD it shows how polarised the current gaming landscape has become.
Lalaland said: "Yay! Great games deserve respectful rereleases like this where the updating is restricted to locking in frame-rates and allowing the underlying art to shine. Any further and you're almost remaking the game and diluting the essence of what the title was. After the initial excitement that such a collection was in the works, concerns were raised that better textures and improved frame-rates would wipe clean some of the fragile charms of the Team Ico twosome.
Thankfully, Bluepoint Games did a magnificent job - ensuring that both games continue to remain as relevant and exciting as they were upon their original releases. Holding Yorda's hand and clinging on a colossus' fur for dear life has not yet been bettered.
What we said: "You could wish for 3D Land to be a little more challenging in places, but you couldn't wish for it to be any denser, any more imaginative, or any more daring. Most importantly, you couldn't wish for it to be any more playful. BIGsheep said: "It reaffirmed my faith in the plumber. Having thought he was coasting, playing it safe with New Super Mario Bros, this tour de force of his skills is reason enough to own a 3DS.
Short, sweet levels, ideal for a portable, and post-game content that is actually worth playing. For all the superlatives gushed about the recent Galaxy games, this somehow managed to capture the spirit of what made the Mario titles all that they were in the nineties and bottle it up for a new generation.
The fact that it's the clearest argument for 3D gaming to date is almost an afterthought. What we said: "No Japanese RPG has more successfully married its various components this hardware generation. It's a game that invites us to reassess an entire genre, pointing to a bold future while nodding its respect towards the past. It's a towering triumph. It also has one of the best battle systems of modern RPGs. The combat is fantastic and manages to always keep you involved.
In addition to the original and fluent combat that it embraces, the game still manages to cling on to all of the mainstay RPG qualities that this genre has always been famous for. It bucks the modern trend of diminishing depth and game length to deliver a lengthy, epic tale with just the right level of customisation and tweaking to keep you going back to those menu screens in between all of the action and exploration.
Xenoblade is truly a fantastic game like no other released this year and a must for anyone who misses how console RPGs used to be. Scrapper said: "This game proves that it is possible to make massive, ambitious RPG game worlds without crippling bugs.
What we said: "Minecraft is a towering achievement in the very possibilities of gaming, and it does this without losing itself to either esoterica or cynicism. It is a game anyone can play and anyone can get something out of, no matter how skilled or imaginative they are.
They will make something and they will have an experience that feels like theirs and theirs alone. Lexx87 said: "It gives you the tools and a whole world to play with.
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