Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2006: 10 - 1

By Eurogamer staff Published 29 December, 2006

Happy new Psychonauts!

10. Prof. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain?

DS, Nintendo, Gamepage.

Simon: Sod the mind exercises - I've been playing Tetris for nearly twenty years Kawashima you noob. Where's Brawn Training for these wasted biceps?

Dave: My brain is 20 years old and my best time at 20 calculations is 13.11. Just FYI.

Luke: Nice idea and all but my Brain Age was 20 on day 2. Either its brokenly simple or I'm an actual genius. Kinda killed it for me either way.

Tom: I did this solidly for about two months, and that was without anyone else to play it with. Some of the tasks were rubbish, and the voice recognition was never quite right, but the other stuff was stupidly compulsive. The best "play it every day" game since Polarium Advance.

Alec: After a month of playing this, I still can't spell 'necessary' properly without looking it up. I want my money back.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2006: 10 - 1' Screenshot brain

John: Sorry everyone, but this really isn't that good. It's a collection of very few simplistic puzzles, with an arbitrary score at the end, and some context-sensitive comments from the cartoon man. It's very well made, and writing numbers onto the screen is deeply satisfying. But really it's a bunch of times tables and Kim's game. Can we all get some perspective?

Tom: Surely, given that John clearly doesn't do Brain Training, there's never been a better opportunity to respond thus: Idiot!

James: Kudos to Nintendo for strengthening their conviction that the DS is the only portable gaming tool to bring together the entire family. Apart from Chris Tarrant's, of course.

Kristan: Without doubt my most played handheld game of the year - or of any other year, come to that. At first, the series of arithmetic tests and simple observation/memory assessments seem little more than a novelty, but, sure enough, it suckers you in to daily play. Played with anyone even vaguely completive on the same DS (preferably a partner), it turns into a daily ritual and reminds you what it was like at school when being quick at times tables was a thing you could feel proud of. It's a shame Nintendo didn't cram more tests in there, or I'd probably still be playing it now, but for the month or so that it got its hooks into me, Nintendo deserves warrants huge applause for daring to do something different that, gasp, felt educational. And how many games can you apply that to?

Kieron: On my birthday, I found myself on a (immensely delayed) train journey with a guy who recognised me from my games writing in other places. Between drinking in station bars, I lobbed him my copy of Brain Training for him to have a crack on. I was horrified to see his decade-younger brain effortlessly manage tasks my withered cranium simply wouldn't have any truck with. This confirmed two facts. Firstly, Brain Training is a fascinating and unique game which Nintendo deserve enormous credit for developing. And secondly, I despise young people with their healthy cerebellum.

9. Wii Sports

Wii, Nintendo, Gamepage.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2006: 10 - 1' Screenshot wiisports

Dave: All the people slagging it off on internet forums for being too simple are wrong because that's why it's astonishingly awesome.

James: I was in Thailand last year where I had my first taste of jackfruit. It was amazing! I couldn't believe something so natural could taste so sweet and succulent. The next day I scoffed down a large bag and spent some considerable time afterwards rolling around in pain with stomach cramps. After that, it lost some of its appeal and it's all been in moderation since then. Now try attaching this misshapen metaphor to the Wii's novelty factor: the first taste is the sweetest, we'll over-indulge this Christmas, but this'll be long gone from our minds by next year. (Er, I'm not quite sure how to fit in the intense pain part, though. Um, Wii elbow, anyone?)

Luke: Why do I even bother? The Wii will spawn a generation of kids with arms like Popeye and that don't know which one is the X button. Which makes them even easier to beat at Pro Evo, so I guess it's not all bad. If this was out a few months ago, you'd all have forgotten about it already. Well, technically, it was. It was called EyeToy Play: Sports then, though.

Tom: I've still not played Zelda much. I'm sure it's wonderful, but I'm saving it for the Christmas week off. This, I couldn't help myself. The most significant game of 2006, I'd argue.

John: Everyone was dying to announce how this was crap. A free game? Let's tear it apart for not being Tiger Woods meets Virtua Tennis! Fortunately Tom has a great deal more sense than that, and in the face of mockery from people like Kotaku, proved about the only right-brained online reviewer on the planet. I've taken my Wii to Christmas gatherings, and the moment the Miis are made, Wii Sports has garnered queues for the Wiimotes, from both those desperate to declare the Wii a failure (yes, you Nick) and those who've never been interested in videogames at all. Certainly baseball is cack, but tennis, boxing, golf and especially bowling are all brilliantly fun, and ideally simplistic for encouraging all-comers to have a go. Not enough recognition has gone to the Training section, with its Virtua-style challenges, my favourite being the ever-increasingly large numbers of pins to knock down in bowling. This is exactly how party games should work, playable by everyone who walks past, unlike the ludicrously fussy Guitar Hero.

Kristan: Proof that the Wii remote isn't the complete waste of time that its detractors want it to be. I was as cynical as the next man about how well Wii Sports would turn out - and then I played it. And played it. And fell in love with it. If you have a partner, they will love it too. You'll play bowling in your living room and feel like there's actual skill involved. You'll play golf and have a relaxing time around the green. You'll want to hit each other over the head with your Wiimotes when the other wins. It's truly one of the only games that delivers on the promise of getting casual/lapsed/non gamers back into gaming, and delivers on EyeToy's social gaming promise in a far more satisfying, playable and, above all, enjoyable way. If this is just a hint of what the Wii is capable of, then it's destined to be every bit as successful as the DS.

Oli: Probably the most important game released this year.

Kieron: IQs appear to have dropped when discussing this baby. Put it like this: There's never been a bowling game which has managed to simulate the key aspects of the sport as much as Wii Sports manages. There's never been a Golf game which has managed to simulate the key aspects of the sport as much as Wii Sports manages. There's never been a Baseball game which has managed to simulate the key aspects of the sport as much as Wii Sports manages. There's never been, oh, you get it. Yes, it's because of the controller. So? Trying to discuss the game without reference to how the controller impacts the experience of playing is like going back to the early nineties and arguing, "Yeah, Doom is pretty good - but if it was a 2D top down game, it'd be nothing special." Technological leaps change everything. Accept it and accept this.

Alec: My girlfriend's better than me at Wii Sports. After five years of desperately hoping she'd start playing videogames, I've now changed my mind.

8. Viva Piñata

Xbox 360, Rare, Gamepage.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2006: 10 - 1' Screenshot pinata

Kieron: I like the Romancing.

James: Rare? Are you listening? If you really are getting back in your stride, then heed these words: BLAST CORPS 2! BLAST CORPS 2! BLAST CORPS 2! Thank you.

Dan: These sort of life simulations flourish or die based on their ability to draw you into their virtual world, and keep you entertained once you're there. Sneaking in right at the arse end of the year, Viva Piñata wins on both counts, with the inclusion of (bright and colourful) sacrifice and slaughter making it a bit like Animal Crossing minus the unnerving Japanese furry fetish overtones. Plus, Horstachio. That's still funny.

John: Tom is so incredibly lovely that he bought me this for Christmas. Unfortunately it arrived at the same time as the Wii launched, and Zelda hasn't released me yet. I did play through the tutorial, and I'm wondering if it's ok that all I wanted to do was batter that stupid bleating woman to death with the shovel? However, my housemate jumped on board, and I've sat watching him "romancing" gorgeous creatures in the game's disturbingly incestuous breeding ground, for hours.

Tom: Not the best of the year, but definitely my favourite. Everything flows so beautifully and happily into everything else. The quest to win the interest of one piñata becomes the quest to breed another. This triggers the arrival of new animals. Then you realise you need to be a master breeder of those to get them. Then you realise the crocodile's grumpy so you buy him a hat. All the while you're trying to make the garden beautiful. It's a living thing, constantly in need of reinvention to match the circumstances. And so you toil, and sometimes it's a bit clunky, but throw yourself in and the sores on your thumbs are like calluses from leaning too long on the trowel, with beauty the prize. It's also home to probably the best music all year. It's amazing to find yourself lovingly humming along to stuff that you've been listening to, virtually on loop, for 40 or 50 hours.

It's the game, hopefully, that will stop people banging on about how much Rare cost in 2002. If only by distraction - I've never turned it on and been able to stop playing within three hours.

Simon: Capitalism never looked so freaking cute.

Tom: And I've got a dragon.

Luke: Yes, Rare actually made a good game. Yes, it's their first since Jet Force Gemini. Yes, it's full of funny-looking, colourful creatures, which means that I was guaranteed to love it even if it sucked. But it it didn't. Harvest Moon meets Pokémon meets Dungeon Keeper meets Tamagotchi in the most unique, original and charming 360 title to date.

Tom: And you know what? I like the TV show too. Fergy: best.

7. Gears of War

Xbox 360, Epic Games, Gamepage.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2006: 10 - 1' Screenshot gears

James: Namco? Are you listening? kill.switch 2! kill.switch 2! kill.switch 2! Nah. Doesn't quite work for this one, does it?

Alec: Gives me shoulder-envy. Also: there are far too many very small walls in this game.

Dave: Gears of War? Boring greys and browns of war, more like. I don't understand how people have convinced themselves that this is great. It's not, it's just another boringly gruff shooter that does all the same things that the last one did, except jumping behind cover every so often. Still, it's the most blatantly homoerotic game of all time, so at least it's striking a blow for equality.

Luke: I thought the release of Rainbow Six Vegas made everyone realise they were wrong about GOW in that it was just a bog standard shooter that looked nice. Guess not. WHERE'S THE VEGAS LOVE, PEOPLE?

John: Honestly, I'm the girliest man in the universe, and I'm secure enough in my masculinity not to need to play this. There's something very peculiar about seeing this running on a big widescreen hi-def TV: it's one of the ugliest games I've ever seen. It's technically extremely impressive, and I've not seen a console generate graphics like it before. But it just looks awful. A talented artist can create something beautiful using merely crushed petals and an animal hair brush. Take the new Zelda, clearly built for the GameCube, and yet so utterly breathtakingly beautiful. GoW may have the most impressive graphics of any console game ever, but the artists just didn't know what to do with it. Their attempt to create haunting ruins has failed woefully, resulting in a dull and bland world, a land without a soul. And to go back to my Project 8 point, once more any sense of playing the game has been replaced by hitting a button to initiate the next scripted animation. No thanks.

Dan: Just get over it, OK? It's an 8/10, through and through. It may be a gorgeous, visceral shooter that flirts with your eyeballs and hits all the right macho buttons, but the core "duck and shoot" gameplay is never going to be the stuff of legend. It is, however, an exhilarating blast to play - either alone or with friends - and that alone makes it one of the best of this year. How it holds up five years down the line, let's wait and see...

Keza: I'm sorry, but I don't get it. Gears of War is... trashy. It's gratuitous, brash, full of itself and overall a tad unsavoury, but more importantly it seems really, really simple for a game that's supposed to catapult us all into a Microsoft-branded Next Generation of gaming. It's fun, don't get me wrong, and unbelievably pretty, but I don't understand what the enormous furore is all about.

Tom: I actually rather like Gears. It's sort of like Wac-A-Mole, but with strafing.

Mathew: I'm not trying to be controversial, here, but when played solo Gears of War seems irritatingly flawed; with far too many difficulty spikes, instant deaths and frustrating memory tests. Yet somehow, after almost chewing my tongue off with rage while trying to finish off General Raam on Hardcore, the minute I did I instantly started an Insane difficulty campaign because I just wanted to keep playing. Most remarkably, though, the flaws of the game are erased when played in co-op mode. It truly demands you work as a team, much like the superb Xbox Live multiplayer. Online or off, Gears of War is hypnotically addictive.

Tom: (I love this entry in the top ten. What a wonderful example of everyone submitting their first run of comments separately and assuming they were in a minority.)

Kieron: I love it, but wasn't in my own Top 10. With all the macho-overkill, what actually impresses me most about Gears of War has been kind of overlooked. It's just the small details which generally improve the genre (the reloading, for example, which every-one will be ripping off for the next few years. Or its use of cover. Or how they manage to make "Run" mean something more than "Move twice as quick". Or how they manage to integrate a massive skill-set without burying the game alive in a hellish control system). Also, there's the sense that it may be the terminal point for that Wolfenstein derived school of shooters. In which case, it's a beautiful dinosaur wandering around, wondering what all these little furry things are up to.

Kristan: Like Kieron once said, some of his favourite games of the year are 8/10 games, and this - like a lot of my personal top 10 - is a classic example of how you can fall in love with a game while still being more than happy to admit its flaws. It's a like dating a gorgeous model with rancid breath - you can live with it for the good things it offers. Who could fail to be blown away by its cinematic intensity, beautiful visuals and simple, refined duck n' shoot premise? Even though the campaign mode is way shorter than an epic (no pun intended) game like this should be, it had enough inspired moments to make it a game that every serious gamer should play, if not own. Multiplayer gamers, in particular, can have enormous fun with this - though until it lets you set up clan matches it'll never realise its obvious potential. It's so macho it hurts, but I still love it. And it's still an 8.

6. Lego Star Wars 2

Multi, Traveller's Tales, Gamepage.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2006: 10 - 1' Screenshot lego

John: I would recommend a Lego Star Wars game to anyone. But the odd thing is, they're very temporary games. Playing through both you recognise the fantastic brains behind the design, every scene gleefully fun and silly. But once you're done, you're done. It's like a great cartoon you saw and loved, but you wouldn't buy on DVD. However, you would definitely buy it for your friends who haven't seen it. Oddly, this second game doesn't quite manage the depth of daftness the original offered. I guess this is a response to making a game based on films deserving at least some reverence, rather than those that deserve nothing but mockery. It was the irreverence that made LSW brilliant. It's the puzzles and cheerful recreation of classic scenes that makes LSW2 brilliant.

Alec: I thought I'd never manage any affection for Star Wars again after subjecting myself to the dreadful Revenge of the Sith, but LSW2 meant the healing could begin.

Kristan: Superb fun. Sure, pretty much the same as the original with more variety and better settings, but it just works. Travellers' Tales once again shows us what a quality developer it really is when it gets to work, and deserves massive credit for transforming a C-grade Lego licence into an A-title when other developers would have lovelessly churned out a trite platformer. Excellent in co-op, and so very very moreish. Oh, and hilarious at times too. Han Solo, what a hero.

Dan: An absolute breath of fresh air, the Lego Star Wars games have bucked the system by producing great games despite having two licensing masters to placate. Faithful where needed, cheekily irreverent where appropriate, this game was enough to remind a jaded soul such as myself why I used to love the galaxy far, far away. Charming, witty and stuffed full of fun unlockables, this is just as great as the first entry, but without the handicap of shitty prequel nonsense.

5. Dead Rising

Xbox 360, Capcom, Gamepage.

Luke: Punish zombies any which way you like for as long as you like. Capcom are legends in my eyes anyway and in Dead Rising, they've come out with the game I've always wanted to play. Stick Dawn Of The Dead and Dynasty Warriors in a microwave and this would be the result. Maybe

John: High point: Watching my housemate run over 2000 zombies in twenty minutes with a car.

Mathew: I hadn't thought about this game once before I tried it at E3, but the minute I killed my first zombie by hitting it with a pot plant I was sold. Sure, it's got its share of horrible, arrogant flaws (the tiny text, the save system) but it is the zombie game and the most gleeful example of the potential of the new generation of videogames. Keiji Inafune, I salute you, sir!

Tom: Dead Rising is a very funny game anyway, but particularly funny is that if you cut it all into bits (as is its wont, I suppose), you've basically got crap controls, crap bosses, crap missions, crap AI, crap script and a crap save system. The reason it works is, as much as anything, that urge to be in this situation. Secretly all right-thinking fat geek males want to be in a post-apocalyptic scenario full of slow-moving squidgy mutant-dead. It's because we fancy our chances. Holing up in a shopping centre, waiting for the cavalry, trying not to get shot in the face by the cavalry, trying to undo the Saved By The Bell plot machinations happening over by the popcorn stand. It's disappeared off beyond schlock and set up camp using a tent made of expired money-off vouchers. We wish we were there. Just as important, there's always something to do, find or laugh at, and for once it actually is a living city; if you miss something, you'll just have to play it again one day. Something that, whenever I let my mind slip back into thinking about it, I've a very real desire to just disappear off and do. GTA used to be the game where we all swapped anecdotes; this year it was this.

James: Capcom making our dream come true. The one about smashing the undead in the face with a frying pan, anyway. It doesn't matter that the save system was a little broken and the text hard to read on a SDTV, knowing Capcom's attitude to zombies, there'll be another along in a minute. And another. And another. Quick, hand me that shotgun.

Alec: Trashy and stupid with awful boss fights, but I love that the game Daily Mail readers believe all videogames to be like finally got made.

Kieron: It's hard to go wrong when you've decided to make a game about bludgeoning zombies to death with frying pans. Capcom didn't.

4. Final Fantasy XII

PS2, Square Enix, Gamepage.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2006: 10 - 1' Screenshot ffxii

Kieron: They're still making Final Fantasy games? How quaint.

Dave: This isn't fair. I've been holding out for the PAL version.

Kieron: No, seriously, what the hell is this doing here? I appear to have found myself in the midst of a nest of Final Fantasy fans. Message to command: Drop Napalm on my present position so I can wipe out this hive of villainy.

Simon: Reviewing videogames like Final Fantasy XII is empirically harder than reviewing film. Not only must you consider the cinematics, pacing, costume and set design, casting and acting, camera work and location choice of Square Enix's latest world - but also its interactivity and mechanisms for role-play. The game's brilliance casts bright, perspicacious light on the stagnating genre, illuminating and accusing the flaws of its so-called 'modern' peers and pointing to a future for RPGs that could scarcely have been imagined before its unveiling. Its building blocks are as old as videogame time but the orphan who made good was never such a magnificent or wonderful role to play as in this game.

Tom: Don't you basically just hit stuff and buy potions?

James: For many reasons, there's a lot of games on this list I'll admit to not having played this year. If I was going to, in an Amazon pre-order review-style, pick one of the best of those to rave about, it'd have to be FFXII. Any game that both revolutionises the genre and guarantees my obsessive exploration for hundreds of hours gets my vote.

Oli: The Japanese RPG redefined: endless, painless, supple, subtle, radical and traditional all at once, and proof, alongside Okami, that PS2 can still host the world's most beautiful games.

Luke: In essence an MMO with an actual story (and a decent one at that) for people that aren't quite ready for the seedy underworld of online gaming. The best Final Fantasy since VII in my opinion.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Wii/Cube, Nintendo, Gamepage.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2006: 10 - 1' Screenshot zelda

Kieron: They're still making quaint Zelda games? How quaint.

Actually, a great game. But funnily - much like Gears of War - does seem a little bit of a dinosaur. Or maybe more a dying art. There's so much craft in every aspect of Twilight Princess, and realising that no-one else is doing - or, to be fair, is even capable of doing - similar work, makes you think you're living in some, well, some twilight. And when it's gone, we'll miss it terribly.

They're still making quaint Zelda games? How wonderful.

Kristan: What better reason to buy a Wii? What better reason to dust off the GameCube for one last hurrah? What better reason to get back into gaming? In a year when true classic games have been at a premium, Nintendo's long-awaited sequel reminds us why we love videogames, and why we keep coming back for more. After an admittedly slow start, the game offers such a relentlessly solid run of fantastically enjoyable sections that you don't mind the fact that the game is so huge. In fact, a couple of temples down the line you just want more and more. It's a bit like when I really got into San Andreas - another game with a shaky introduction that just kept getting better all the time and understood that progression should bring rewards. It's less progressive and ambitious than Oblivion, but has way more charm and provides a timely reminder why linearity doesn't have to be a dirty word.

John: Were it released a month earlier, I think this would have had a chance at number one. I've never engaged with Zelda before. I had fun on the GBA, but grew quickly tired of Wind Waker. And for my eternal sins, never gave the earlier games a chance. So I suppose I'm somewhat influenced by this being My First Zelda Love. While the early fishing is unforgivably dreadful, nothing else in the game has come close to being less than great. It's a masterpiece of design, beautiful and constantly expanding, reinventing itself with each new addition, and while I find bosses a tedious and disingenuous farce, here each has been fair and easily passed. Hooray for fairy boys!

James: Formulaic. That's formulaic in the sense that Zelda consistently builds on a traditionally successful underlying structure: get the item, solve the dungeon, defeat the boss, fill a heart container, ad infinitum. The satisfaction of constant reward happily married to the Wii's unique control scheme. Best launch title ever? Of course, the question you're inevitably asking: how much will I get for selling a mint Gamecube version on eBay. Pah! Get out of here. You disgust me. (A straight £25-30 quid for a couple of years then a gradual dip in price for some period before reclaiming its value is my guess.)

2. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

PC/Xbox 360, Bethesda Softworks, Gamepage.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2006: 10 - 1' Screenshot oblivion

Alec: A splendid hybrid of the depth of single-play RPGs and the confused wandering of MMOs. Shame about the pudding-faced characters, though.

John: Horsey!

Mathew: A game so good I've refused to play it more than a couple of hours, as I could feel the addiction I had to living a life that wasn't my own when I played Morrowind starting to take hold. I might book a holiday and install it again, though...

Kristan: Oblivion blew me away like no other game this year. I don't recall any other game giving me so many possibilities at once, and allowing me to forge my own path - all of which I wanted to do at the same time. I really couldn't give a flying fig about the perceived flaws with the level-up system, because - to be honest - I didn't even notice. I was too busy wandering around this vast, beautiful world, going off on one fascinating quest after another and shaping the game around what I wanted to do, rather than the other way around. So much of what this game offered was breathtakingly well executed, feeling more like a grand realisation of what an adventure game should be in 2006. People should get away from the tired notion of pigeon holing it in to the "rat punching" RPG category, because Oblivion is so much more than a game about slaying goblins and gaining XP. It's a game about freedom and possibilities, and one that offers so many hours of entertainment, it feels ungrateful to nitpick. The 360's finest hour so far, and the best reason to own the machine in my opinion.

Dan: Sure, the gameplay beneath the shiny shiny exterior may not be all that revolutionary, and the bulk of the dialogue soon begins to grate, but compared to the enormity of the experience and the enticing freedom to truly Choose Your Own Adventure, this is a game worth making the next gen leap for. It's nerdy as hell, often overwhelming in scale, but where else do you get to fight to the death alongside Sean Bean? Well, apart from a Sheffield pub car park, of course...

James: Confession time: I still haven't played this. Perhaps I shouldn't have promised I'd get round to completing Morrowind first.

Keza: Typically, I have a fifteen-hour limit on games, even ones I really like. Nothing holds my attention for very much longer. My game time clock in Oblivion currently stands at 104 hours and I STILL haven't finished it. If ever a game was worth fifty quid, this is it. I love it unreasonably. But if I start listing things I like about it then we'll be here until next Christmas, probably; I've been enthusing about it all year...

Kieron: The strangest thing about Oblivion is how quickly its critical standing in general gaming discourse dropped. For about one month it was being talked in Best-Game-Ever terms but then, well, a disenfranchisement set in. That it's "only" 2 in the chart speaks volumes. The disenfranchisement itself was strange - even from the very beginning, its primary flaws were obvious (botching its levelling so allowing you to accidentally break the game, mainly) and widely discussed. But the when its standing fell it wasn't actually a backlash. It was just it falling out of conversation. We stopped talking about it. But even if it wasn't quite what we wanted - that is, the best game ever - it was still a triumphant experience and absolutely top-five-of-the-year material. And, for the record, about twice the game Morrowind was.

1. Guitar Hero

PS2, Harmonix, Gamepage.

'Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2006: 10 - 1' Screenshot guitar

Tom: It's no Psychonauts, I'll tell you that.

John: I dunno. Really? I just don't get what's so special. It's got a great controller, and some non-shitty songs. It's a dance mat in your hands. It's fun to compete against friends. But what else? Why so great? Everyone bangs on about RAWKING OUT, but I was over Wayne's World a decade ago. Meh, I'm glad everyone's enjoying themselves, but I'm left sat in the corner staring in confusion.

Mathew: Described as a "rock star" simulator rather than a guitar simulator, it's as true as a description as possible, as it feels just as superb to blast through "Sharp Dressed Man" on easy as it does to struggle through it on expert. Plus! When you play it on easy, you've got more leeway to gyrate your hips and posture for "the ladies".

Simon: It's horrible, ugly, rock pastiche - as if The Darkness distilled their mock 'n roll USP into polygon and pixel and let you play as them; the rawk cliché weeps from every bottle of thrown piss and toilet-themed loading screen but, y'know, maybe parody's not such a bad frame of reference for a game that has you strap a plastic toy to your torso and pose idiotic for five minutes in front of your TV. Guitar Hero made 10-year old Japanese Bemani mechanics actually work on a Western audience at last and, for further widening the boundaries of what mainstream videogames can mean, who wouldn't be ever grateful?

James: Nothing more than a priapic totem to masculine fantasy. Just as it should be. The kind of game that causes spellcheckers to have a fit, because it needs you to spell rock with a capital 'AWWWWW'.

Kristan: Oh look, another 8/10, and another personal fave. It may well be a simple rhythm action game at its core, but, my god, what an inspired peripheral? Transforming what would have otherwise been a mild curiosity (like Harmonix's equally great and under-rated Amplitude and FreQuency) into a global phenomenon, the sight of goonish individuals gurning their way through More Than A Feeling will live long in the memory. The track listing, while not initially chock full of obvious favourites, has more than enough big hitters and hidden gems that have now entered gaming folklore. What was more surprising about Guitar Hero was its ability to appeal to the uber hardcore at the same time as attracting the non-gaming audience, but rather like Singstar, it won't really realise its true world-dominating potential until it becomes a product you can choose your own tracklisting online. But for now, with its low-budget cover version approach and charming simplicity, it definitely goes down as one of the most important games of the year - and unquestionably one of the most effortlessly enjoyable.

Alec: The only videogame I've ever played with my mother.

Kieron: Where to start?

The absolute sense of pure joy which consumed me upon plugging it in at the start of the year, and how a whole day was just consumed in a riff-frenzy? How "More Than A Feeling" is so good that I somehow talked The Escapist into letting me write 2500 words about it for them? How I suspect it managed to extend my relationship of the beginning of the year by a couple of months, as no matter how bad it got, we could always play Guitar Hero together and lighten the mood? How it was the only game she ever completed? How it was the only game which had friends turning up after closing time, banging on our door, demanding a go? How I found myself playing against a man in a Gorilla suit at a party, and losing? How it somehow marries the pure skill of something like Robotron to the social lubricant of Singstar to the faux-fantasy-fulfilment of Football Manager (except a better class of fantasy) to the atmospheric immersion of Looking Glass at their best (always remember: there's Thief alumni over at the Harmonix studio)?

Oh, don't start me talking. I could talk all night.

Keza: If you don't like Guitar Hero, you have NO SOUL.

For more end-of-year excitement, look out for our Readers' Top 50 voting form in the near future.

Picture of Eurogamer.

About Eurogamer staff

Read more articles from Eurogamer by visiting the Eurogamer staff archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (354) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • richardiox #1 5 years ago

    Guitar Hero 2 > Zelda.

    The art, creativity, thought, games design and love put into GH makes Zelda look like pong.

  • UncleLou #2 5 years ago

    Ha.

    None of my top 3 games even made it into your top 50 list. Not even Medieval 2.

    EG and me are drifting away from each other. ;)

  • Errol #3 5 years ago

    Where was BF 2142 in the top 50 ? Why was medieval 2 ommitted ?

    Some very strange choices.

    Oblivion is utterley shite as well. Played it for a day or so, then realised that the developers had put in the most absurd levelling system ever. Also, everywhere in Oblivion looks the same and it has FAR less content than Morrowind (which is, incidentally, a much better game).
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 10:25

  • lost_soul #4 5 years ago

    Well that's a surprise!

    And for once, I acutally agree with them on the number 1 game.

  • Scimarad #5 5 years ago

    Oblivion above FFXII and Zelda!?!?!??

    !?!?

    !???!

    /dies

    /comes back as zombie

    Haven't you realised how crap it is after the first few hours?
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 10:25

  • lost_soul #6 5 years ago

    What were your other 2 games, Lou? (Well, the other 1 as I'm pretty sure Gothic 3 will be up there)

  • urizen #7 5 years ago

    Good to see Oblivion up there. GOTY for me :-)

  • Beano #8 5 years ago

    Thank you Eurogamer... for not rating the over-hyped Gears of War as number one like all the other sites :)

    GH1+2, Zelda: TP and Oblivion are my best-of-2006 :)

  • AgentFosterGrant #9 5 years ago

    Guitar Hero must rock! I couldn't bring myself to twat about with a plastic guitar though.

    Dead Rising at No.5 is the real surprise for me. mind-blowingly bad game IMO. Pretty good top ten otherwise.

  • secombe #10 5 years ago

    Congrats to Lego Star Wars and Wii Sports.

    Games that put smiles on faces, can't ask for more than that.

  • Errol #11 5 years ago

    Oblivion is certainly not (for the record) better than Morrowind.

    It was a backward step in nearly every way.

  • Furbs #12 5 years ago

    Did any one at EG actually like GoW? :)

    Tell me now, I'm about to pick it up today.

  • cuppaTea #13 5 years ago

    Great to see Dead Rising get some recognition. Guitar Hero and Wii sports too. Although I think GH got a bit too much attention.

    /makes own list & posts on blog
    /finds out no one cares

  • itamae #14 5 years ago

    So, um... Gears of War is the most average game everyone has voted for? :-D

  • urizen #15 5 years ago

    Can't agree with you Errol - it was a backward step in terms of the levelling, and the story was just not as interesting, but elsewhere Oblivion trounced Morrowind....AI, spoken dialogue, *much* more interesting quest design, buying property at least gave you something to spend your wealth on, better menus / inventory, improved combat, and no fucking cliff-racers, above all ;-)

    Edit: I'm a massive Morrowind fanboy, btw
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 10:31

  • UncleLou #16 5 years ago

    What were your other 2 games, Lou? (Well, the other 1 as I'm pretty sure Gothic 3 will be up there)

    Not Gothic 3, unfortunately. Dark Messiah and Titan Quest, although admittedly at least TQ might be a bit of an acquired taste. :)


  • ave #17 5 years ago

    "AI, spoken dialogue, *much* more interesting quest design, buying property at least gave you something to spend your wealth on, better menus / inventory, improved combat, and no fucking cliff-racers, above all ;-)"

    It had better AI? After all the hype about about Radiant AI, it turned out scripting NPC's individually would have been a million times better for the player.

    By spoken dialogue do you mean the phrases that all random npc's repeated(sometimes in different voices from the same NPC) or the quest npc's talking? One totally ruins immersion(not to mention just being _stupid_), the other is like 30mins of voice in the whole game.

    As for more interesting quest design, well all anyone can ever say is "DARK BROTHERHOOD DARK BROTHERHOOD" as if 2 good quests make up for 98 generic ones or that Morrowind didnt have some stand out ones.

    Morrowinds holds > buying properties
    Edited by 2 at 29/12/06 @ 10:39

  • Anora #18 5 years ago

    Had alot of fun reading the "arguments", thnx for putting ff12 there ;)

  • BartonFink #19 5 years ago

    Can't say much about #4 as it's not out over here yet (still don't think imports should be counted in this years chart) Haven't played GH as for the rest no complaints. Great year for 360. Hopefully 2007 will be as good if not better.

  • lost_soul #20 5 years ago

    From the Gears of War comments:

    "Also, there's the sense that it may be the terminal point for that Wolfenstein derived school of shooters. In which case, it's a beautiful dinosaur wandering around, wondering what all these little furry things are up to."

    :-)

    Good stuff.

  • urizen #21 5 years ago

    @ ave

    2 good quests? Are you sure we played the same game?

    I agree about Radiant AI being overhyped, but you clearly haven't played Morrowind for a long time, or have some very large rose-tinted specs if you think it's not an improvement in Oblivion.

    As for the spoken dialogue, did you actually prefer wading through text boxes in Morrowind?

  • smoison #22 5 years ago

    Guitar Hero
    lol
    Wii Sports is soo much better IMO.

  • Dizzy #23 5 years ago

    Good last 10... just remove FF.

  • AcidSnake #24 5 years ago

    Well that's a surprise...
    Although I'm not sure about the order, the top games do reflect my opinion...

    Then again, Guitar Hero has no freebird or hangar 18 now has it?
    Oh, and that screenshot gave me something of a recurring trauma attack...

    Edit: Type-O negative...
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 10:47

  • ave #25 5 years ago

    2 good quests? Are you sure we played the same game?
    Yes.

    I agree about Radiant AI being overhyped, but you clearly haven't played Morrowind for a long time, or have some very large rose-tinted specs if you think it's not an improvement in Oblivion.
    How is the AI an improvement?

    As for the spoken dialogue, did you actually prefer wading through text boxes in Morrowind?
    Yes, I quite like text in an RPG, I think you're playing the wrong genre if you dont.

  • HyperShadow #26 5 years ago

    After the shambles of 50-11, I have this to say about your top 10.

    I agree.

    For the most part, because I still don't agree about the inclusion of FFXII, but who can deny that the unifying force of the Air Guitar as the single greatest experience of this year? No other game has drawn crowds round a demo pod like Guitar Hero has (Espicially when me and my brother are playing), and the perfect after party entertainment (well into the early hours of the next morning).

    /tips hat at GH

  • urizen #27 5 years ago

    The fact that NPCs don't just stand there in the same spot, all the bloody time, helps - it's incremental, perhaps, but an improvement nonetheless.

  • AgentFosterGrant #28 5 years ago

    Obliv > Morrowind


    Main reason (as has already been mentioned) is, there are no effing cliff racers!


    Cliiiiiiiffff Raaaceeeerrrrr!!!!!!!


    /coat

  • DUFFKING #29 5 years ago

    Thankfully I can appreciate gears of war for the brash intense shooting action that it is, even if that does make me a mass market simpleton, it's far nicer to be that than those who think they are better than others simply because they don't like the game.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 10:50

  • Rambaldi #30 5 years ago

    I just didn't get Lego Star Wars. It's about as easy as any game I've ever played. I'd rather watch a cartoon and relax instead of being frustrated at the lack of anything remotely engaging.

    Surprised at GH. I play the guitar myself but have never been interested in buying a PS2 just for that. Maybe when it comes out on 360...

    Medieval 2 no show? Poor show EG :(
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 10:50

  • redd #31 5 years ago

    Dead Rising -> my numero uno.
    Its a game where humans are even dumber than zombies but who cares, it was an absolutely crazy, amusing journey.

  • LeD #32 5 years ago

    A great first year for the 360. On the face of this top 50, nobody can argue that the 360 has no great games anymore, even the more retarted trolls (Herod/Frod).

  • Xerx3s #33 5 years ago

    Of course oblivion is better than those shite jrpgs. It's quite a surprise that they are even in this list. As for DR, it's a nice game with innovation but the shitty bossfights with clocks really killed it for me. It's now gathering dust, unfinished. GoW has 10 times as much fun in it in the end.

    Oh well. Lists after all stay lists, they don't define the best game. Just what some blokes down the local pub scribbled on the back of a beermat. As long as you have fun with the game that you like, who cares?

    GoW tonight, anyone? :)

    EDIT: Btw - while we are talking about lists anyway - Oblivion is still the 7th most played game on the 360. And RB6:v is topped by COD3. Speaks for itself I would say. Source: XB activity of last week - MN.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 11:03

  • Subquest #34 5 years ago

    The appeal of Oblivion for me was that is was easier to get into than Morrorwind, a game which I shouldhave liked - but I just kept getting lost and bored.

    Being able to play the game like an RPG version of Thief scored big points with me.

  • ave #35 5 years ago

    The fact that NPCs don't just stand there in the same spot, all the bloody time, helps - it's incremental, perhaps, but an improvement nonetheless.
    The first time I ran into the capital and seen how the NPC's behaved with movement, it made me literally laugh.
    It's like they used Radiant AI to parody RPG's, but no-one except the devs are getting the joke.

  • speedjack #36 5 years ago

    Shame... Thought that Viva Pinita might have it in the bag.

  • Genji #37 5 years ago

    Hgggggnnnnnh... Oblivion ranked #2... can't... breathe... too much rage

    /dies

    Otherwise, good list.

  • secombe #38 5 years ago

    "Shame... Thought that Viva Pinita might have it in the bag."

    Does it matter? As long as you are playing and enjoying it who cares where it falls on a list.

    As fun as it was to read, it doesn't actually mean anything.

  • Xerx3s #39 5 years ago

    +1

  • Psychotext #40 5 years ago

    Why do people always pick brain training over big brain game? The latter is so much more fun and far easier for people to get into.

  • Scimarad #41 5 years ago

    The major problem with oblivion was that it was same bloody dungeon over and over again. This was even worse with those randomly generated Oblivion realms...Also it was so daft that you had bandits jumping out on you wearing better stuff than you got from killing the Daedra!

    It seems like a fantastic game at first. Escaping from the dungeons, travelling to Chorol (helping out the people IN Chorol) and then meeting up with the Knights and retaking that town that had fallen to the Daedra - This was just great! But unfortunately you just end doing this again and again without any variation in the graphics, apart from the excellent towns.

    I just wish they had used more varied locations rather just coming with 1 cave, 1 dungeon and then just mapping 'em out D&D style. It feels like they came up with the construction kit and then just made the game with it...

  • Genji #42 5 years ago

    "but i can't belive some are so threatened by a hyped game, and the desperate need not to be associated with it, and be different in their profession."

    Rephrase?

  • urizen #43 5 years ago

    But..but...you get caves, Ayleid ruins and forts - that's at least three types of dungeon! ;-)

  • Steroyd #44 5 years ago

    Again i must re-iterate WHY O' WHY are games not launched in Europe in that friggen list FFXII i'm lookin at you, that's just carrot dangling infront of me that i can't reach.

    Dave: This isn't fair. I've been holding out for the PAL version.

    So have I, so have frikken I...

    Whoa they didn't half rip into GeoW didn't they?

  • octo #45 5 years ago

    I'll explain my particular Oblivion backlash if you like. It's a wonderful game with an enormous amount of ambition. It looks lovely and the first time you get outside and feel the world around you is one of those great gaming moments. But then you realise for all of it's ambitions, it's the little things that take you out of the game. They become annoying quickly. They become repetitive.

    However I personally went off of Oblivion because of the fucking awful frame rate on my next gen console. I would have preferred loading times breaking up the action to the stuttering mess that could be a horse ride across open countryside. In the end, the technical problems with the game became too annoying to live with and so I sold it.

    Hopefully the next game in the series will put the technical problems with the game right.

  • karlidog #46 5 years ago

    Gears artless, Oblivion at #2. Jesus.

  • Scimarad #47 5 years ago

    "But..but...you get caves, Ayleid ruins and forts - that's at least three types of dungeon! ;-) "

    Granted, that was a bit unfair. The trouble is it seems you spend all your time in the caves and oblivion realms:-(

    My personal favourite mission was one where you ended up travelling way off the map to find an old fallen fortress - Now that was a PROPER adventure! If the rest of the game could manage that quality it would have remained great.

  • neuroniky #48 5 years ago

    All in all, great top 50 IMHO. Guitar Hero 1+2 should have been consolidated in one single entry: the second is better than the first in a lot of ways, and it was worst for you just because of the song selection... for me, the song selection of the second was better, expecially because of the great variety in strumming and solos introduced, and gamingwise the tweaking of HO-PO actually changed the game in a way that made it soooo much more like playing a real guitar (5 starring the last tier of expert song on GH1 would be so much easier using this new implementation... let's just cross our collective fingers in the 360 version having all the GH1 songs as downloadable content...).
    I think the chart shows well how good was 2K6 for the 360... I'm not so in love with Oblivion too but all in all it was a year full of great games for the M$ platform. Swan song games for all the exiting platforms were great (Zelda and FFXII in particular), but this year looks really like it was the year the next gen started, and while it wasn't nothing like I expected, I have to say that the 360 managed (surprisingly) to be so satisfying for the hardcore gamer in a way that remind me of the great times of the Dreamcast...

    Let's hope for an even bigger 2K7. And for more PC attention from EG :D

  • mattigan #49 5 years ago

    GoW is a good game Furbs it doesn't set the world on fire but is very enjoyable, especially in co-op.

  • Eighthours #50 5 years ago

    Simon: Reviewing videogames like Final Fantasy XII is empirically harder than reviewing film. Not only must you consider the cinematics, pacing, costume and set design, casting and acting, camera work and location choice of Square Enix's latest world - but also its interactivity and mechanisms for role-play. The game's brilliance casts bright, perspicacious light on the stagnating genre, illuminating and accusing the flaws of its so-called 'modern' peers and pointing to a future for RPGs that could scarcely have been imagined before its unveiling. Its building blocks are as old as videogame time but the orphan who made good was never such a magnificent or wonderful role to play as in this game.

    Tom: Don't you basically just hit stuff and buy potions?

    Now THIS, ladies and gents, is a comeback. Bravura stuff!

  • krokomkiller #51 5 years ago

    Guitar hero! Now that was a surprise. And a reminder why this is my favorite site.
    Reading eg:s (mostly negative IMO) comments about Gears of War makes me wonder if the reason is too upset the fanboys.
    Given the game still got a top 10 placement.

  • CrunchinJelly #52 5 years ago

    Pleased to Viva Pinata so high, it is magnificent. It sucks away so many hours of your life without you even realising, and it is quite a deep game if you want it to be.

    Not sure if it's Rare's first 'great' game since JFG, though. I thought Kameo was pretty special, and was probably the game I most enjoyed playing through since Rayman 2.

  • Balסּr #53 5 years ago

    Good year for 360 then, in a nutshell if you didn't have a 360 you missed out on most of the years top 10 games. Chances are that momentum will carry over into 2007, with the likes of Alan Wake, Blue Dragon, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Halo 3, Forza 2, GTA 4, Lost Odyssey, Lost Planet and many more real next-gen looking games pencilled for the year.

    EDIT: I just noticed that only 3 of those games are sequels too! Who says originality is dead!
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 11:32

  • Bongo #54 5 years ago

    Only three of the top 10 were 360 exclusives. That's pretty good going though, granted.

    AON: I despise Guitar Hero, however much I want to enjoy it.

  • spiny #55 5 years ago

    Vegas :- shooty shooty shooty killing terrs fun.

  • pjmaybe #56 5 years ago

    "Where was BF 2142 in the top 50 ?"

    Hopefully somewhere around the 291-292 mark...

    Peej

  • marcgiu #57 5 years ago

    How is there no F.E.A.R in the top 50 - it was considered for a 10/10 in the review - f#cking GOW is in the top 10 ?????

  • Crea #58 5 years ago

    I presume because F.E.A.R was originally released in 2005.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 11:53

  • krokomkiller #59 5 years ago

    "How is there no F.E.A.R in the top 50"

    They added new content to the 360 version or what?
    Othervise F.E.A.R belongs to last years list.

  • Eurolamer #60 5 years ago

    No PES 6 in the list? Hmmmmm......

    Not enough fluffy Japanese creatures and goofy, novelty peripherals I suppose...

  • Chtulie #61 5 years ago

    Wasn't a kill switch 2 released, though under a diffirent name?

  • byron_hinson #62 5 years ago

    While I love Guitar Hero, I can#t see how it can beat such a massive, detailed game like Oblivion, I had far more hours of fun on Oblivion than I have had with Guitar Hero, yeah my friends and family join in with GH, but there was just something fantastic about Oblivion.

  • mash the x button #63 5 years ago

    Ha ha, quality gaming is dead! What a load of crap.

  • TheJanitor #64 5 years ago

    "Keza: If you don't like Guitar Hero, you have NO SOUL."

    or maybe i can actually play a guitar and have no need to do it in a stupid game? gotta say i disagree with so many stuff on this top..ah well.

  • marcgiu #65 5 years ago

    F.E.A.R is a great port on to the 360 - it has new content and is a new FPS for the 360.

    It was reviewed and released this year on the 360 and should be considered in 2006

  • killest #66 5 years ago

    love eurogamer. but their comments on GoW are just so weird and unbelievable it makes you wonder if they themselves believe it. my favourite

    'There's something very peculiar about seeing this running on a big widescreen hi-def TV: it's one of the ugliest games I've ever seen. It's technically extremely impressive, and I've not seen a console generate graphics like it before. But it just looks awful.'

    really? ugly? even if u mean artistically... ugly?

  • LeD #67 5 years ago

    Herod

    There's hardly been any car games released this year on 360. You have TDU, and EA's annual NFS increment. That's about it IIRC.

    There's of course a plethora of 'gun' games, but you may have noticed that in the top ten, we have 3 titles that do not focus on this aspect of gaming. No guns in VP, in Oblivion, and while there are guns in DR, you can hardly call it a shooting game.

    What was your point again?

  • MaTTy_P #68 5 years ago

    Seriously Kieron, please oh please get a new line. I hope your standard of journalism does not head down this god awful infested shitty path of...'There still making this guffaww guffaawww' special or what?

    Anyhow enough about a line that got old after the first time it was mentioned.

    As for the list...bleh, not what I'd have chosen, but good reading all the same (apart from the afore mentioned phrase. As mentioned earlier, does anyone at EG actually enjoy GoW?

  • Artemus #69 5 years ago

    /Expects Company of Heroes in top 10. See's it at 37. Cries.

  • Yossarian #70 5 years ago

    they really, really seem to hate it

    it's almost irrational

  • Pablo2k5 #71 5 years ago

    This site should be called 'Console_Gamer' ffs.

    I do own a console, however I've had alot more fun from playing Company of Heroes, Dark messiah, DefCon, FlatOut 2, Battlefield 2142 and of course Medieval 2. All on my trusty old PC...

    This list is BULLSHIT.

    PS - Oblivion sucks donkey balls!

    PPS - Peej, have you played 2142? ...and I don't mean the demo either. I think it's one of the best online shooters ever created. To think some of the sh1t that's on that list too...
    Edited by 2 at 29/12/06 @ 12:29

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #72 5 years ago

    Furbsy, GoW is probably my personal GoTY, I'd definitely recommend it!

    Nice list! They're incredibly hard to put together and always tend towards the reviewer's most played games. Normally there's a strong corrolation between these and the *best* games of the year, but like Lou mentioning TQ, there's those that fall outside and divide opinion. Or something like that.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 12:25

  • Furbs #73 5 years ago

    Well if it gets the Bertie seal of approval, thats worth more than these proper journos to me :)

    Chainsee you soon!

    (see what I did there?)

    Oh by the way, Lea said if I got you to pose for a desktop wallpaper, she'd sort one out of herself for me. So please send a nice 1024x768 photo to my email address and I'll pass on the goods when she comes through. Just dont tell her I said that.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 12:30

  • ValidatorXYZ #74 5 years ago

    LEgo StarWars 2 WHAAAAAT????????????

    Gears of Wars ROCKS !!!!


    2.GoW
    1.Oblivion

    Shitty Ninny games (Zelda) numero TEN

  • Mr_Brown #75 5 years ago

    Can see why Guitar Hero is number one...but don't agree its better than Oblivion, Final Fantasy XII or Gears. Would be in my top 10 , but not number 1. Pretty pissed off theres no Medievil 2 or RocketSlime though...how did these not get in there!? And how did Lego bloody Star Wars get in there?? I still don't get what all the hype is about. Short and easy, tacky lego recap of old films most peoples seen a million times...don't tell me...its got charm because the characters don't talk... >_
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 12:33

  • morriss #76 5 years ago

    :)

  • Agent_Llama #77 5 years ago

    Where is Shadow of the Colossus?!

  • ilmaestro #78 5 years ago

    The top 10 was the best section of the list by far. Apart from the fact that I can't have Wii Sports as a 'game' in its own right, and the fact that FFXII wasn't number one (okay, I appreciate the appeal of Guitar Hero and the need of lots of gamers and journos to not appear overly geeky, but Zelda above FFXII is a bit of a laugh. One great game that does nothing to advance the genre vs. one great game that points the way for the future of a genre?) it's nearly fantastic. However, to sum up the *entire* EG top 50 process:

    Oblivion lol

  • Kiigan #79 5 years ago

    Guitar Hero at #1 is a contentious one probably, since it is so clearly a direct rip off of the (superior, some might argue) Konami Guitar Freaks games.

    If Gears of War can't be mentioned without mentioning kill.switch (and really, aside from being broadly the same genre, and both featuring blind-fire, they are quite different games) I think it only fair to tone back some of the relentless praise of Guitar Hero.

  • Kiigan #80 5 years ago

    But a fun article anyway.

  • Agent_Llama #81 5 years ago

    WHERE IS SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

  • ilmaestro #82 5 years ago

    It was in last year's list, doofus.

  • Agent_Llama #83 5 years ago

    Was it? Oooooooh, another game put in the wrong year's list then... *cough*FFXII*cough*

  • ilmaestro #84 5 years ago

    Well, I was more annoyed last year about the fact that Psychonauts was only put at the top last year due to EG wanting it to get some more attention (noble, but pointless). PS2 imports are readily available and it's easy to get yourself sorted for playing them, so I can see very much why they want games to be considered for the list in their year of review, but it's easier to see the arguements that EG should stick to European releases rather than saying that, for example, EDGE should do as such.

    In short, no, and yes.

  • MaTTy_P #85 5 years ago

    I also find quite funny the fact that this list makes little or no difference to our lives...much like every other top '50' lists or top 100. Yet we debate it as if it matters that much.

    I trust eurogamer mostly for thier reviews and independant journo (and have done for 6/7 years) but at the end of the day I read a review of a game that interests me, play a demo, then decide...strangly enough all by myself.

    After all I'm a grown man and can make my own decisions, or so my mother/boss keep telling me. :)

  • Barkotron #86 5 years ago

    Don't talk rubbish, Oblivion was the best game of the year by miles. If it slows down on the console, get a PC to play it on and see it how it should be seen.

    Wii Sports also deserves to be right up there. Guitar Hero should have been fun apart from the fact that, three or four tracks aside, the music was utterly abysmal 80s [okay, not all 80s, but still shite] cock-rock of the worst kind. Judas Fucking Priest? Please.

    Zelda's quite fun, but I just don't get why it's hailed as such a masterpiece. It's all right, and nothing's ridiculously broken, but it's all a bit meh really.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 13:07

  • Errol #87 5 years ago

    2142 should certainly be in the top 50, just purely because it IS one of the best online multiplayer shooters ever. Better than BF2 as well.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #88 5 years ago

    A photoshoot eh!

    /strips

  • PearOfAnguish #89 5 years ago

    I assume they mean Oblivion at #2 after it's been modded to fix all the problems?
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 13:14

  • BartonFink #90 5 years ago

    Aye fruity totally agree. Was playing the factory level with all the rain last night and it was absolutely visually astounding even in co-op. So what if it's grey it's supposed to look like that. It's a war blighted ruin of a planet. Stunning.

  • AtomicBanana #91 5 years ago

    Looks awful? pffft. Nonsense :p You can choose not to like it, but calling it bad is pretty insulting to them.

  • gogobaka #92 5 years ago

    Gears is rubbish.

    The graphics might move a lot of pixels around, but there's nothing interesting to see.

  • manuel_garcia #93 5 years ago

    Dead Rising..... Dead Rising.... wtf?

    Mind-numbingly awful game. It was fun, for the first five hours. They you have to play through the first five hours again, and again, and it stops being fun.

    Any game that includes a design that makes you replay the first x number of hours in order to be at high enough level to take on the rest of the game is just fundamentally flawed.

    They had a good concept, realised it was fun but wouldnt last more than 10 hours, so elongated it the worst way possible. Silly silly dev people.

    Then again I do know people that absolutely love going back through and doing the same stuff over and over, so what do i know :)

  • Mr_Brown #94 5 years ago

    I was stunned by the visuals in the forest (just before the factory) with the rain running down the desolate trees in the night. I found atmopheric and not at all dull. And to be fair its supposed to look dull and give you a depressed feeling, its a war ravaged earth for god sakes. Gears only suffers because its an easy target. As already mentioned, it was so hyped for so long people don't want to be seen as Gears lovers and following the hype bandwagon, even if its actually a really great game...

    Speaking of overating games because of hype...how many people are still playing Psychnaughts btw?

  • BrokenSymmetry #95 5 years ago

    As many others here, I'm seriously disappointed in Kieron's contributions in this list. Was he drunk when he wrote his comments?

    My favorite game of the year was DreamFall, which is not in this list at all. It got a 5/10 from Eurogamer :(

  • polar #96 5 years ago

    I thought there were plenty of stunning visuals in Gears. As mentioned, each act was unique and locations were sufficiently varied. I was much more impressed playing it than say, Doom 3, which at the time was heralded as the zenith of videogame graphics but proved to be rather bland, with the exception of a few inspiring moments. Gears on the other hand had plenty to see and with the exception of the last level offered more gobsmacking visuals than any other game I've played this year (with Oblivion second imo).

  • BremXJones #97 5 years ago

    Broken Symetry: "Was he drunk when he wrote his comments?"

    As always!

    KG
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 13:35

  • WrongShui #98 5 years ago

    No M2:TW?

    Why do people keep bringing up scores anyway? You can work out yourself what the top 50 would be if done by scores, this has more to do with what has stayed on, maybe Top 50 influential games of 2006 would be a better title?

    As for Oblivion I enjoyed it immensly, but its not as good as Morrowind, which wasn't as good as Gothic 2.

  • Ace_McCloud #99 5 years ago

    God, EG has got massive Indie/Goth kid syndrome. If it's popular we must hate it! Okay okay, you don't think GoW is as good as everyone else seems to think it is. But it made it into your top 10 and you're still abusing it? What are you doing EG? It's christmas! A time for celebration... stop abusing it and herald it for what it does right.





    ...and multiplayer still deserves more than 8/10! Haven't enjoyed online multiplayer this much on a console since........ erm..... nope that's it. Get online split screen with a mate and start shouting "he's coming at me with a chainsaw! Shit! GET HIM! GET HIM! GET HIM!" and how you'll laugh! HO HO HO!

  • darkphoenix #100 5 years ago

    The EG comments on GOW are unbelievable.

    Did we actually played the same game?
    GOW has brilliant art direction, and its a non-stop ride of cleverly designed levels with breathtaking graphics and imagery.
    Does it bring anything new to the genre, did it reinvent the wheel?
    Let me put this way: It is the best in its genre, isn't that enough?

    FFS, it's the only game I've played to the end twice in a row, since Half-Life 2 or KOTOR...

    I like EG, but sometimes when they get picky with a game, they drown themselves in their nonsense.

  • botherer #101 5 years ago

    BrokenSymmetry - I had Dreamfall in my top 10, despite it being one of the most disappointing games of the year. I gave it 77% in another place, so clearly don't think it's rubbish. In fact, I thought in so many ways it was utterly wonderful. It made me laugh very loudly and sob embarrassingly. But, in the end, it failed at one rather important thing: being a game.

    As a story it was beautiful, but as a game it was empty. The disappointment arises since The Longest Journey remains my favourite game of all time, and Dreamfall didn't match it.

    Everyone else - I didn't say GoW was technically unimpressive. It's technically astounding. But I don't connect with it. I found it ugly. When it comes to staring at art, it seems sensible to accept that one person's beautiful is another person's ugly. By which I mean, I am beautiful, and you are all ugly.
    Edited by 2 at 29/12/06 @ 13:54

  • botherer #102 5 years ago

    Heh, yeah, that seems fair.

  • septimus #103 5 years ago

    Wow, I can't believe how completely off I find this list, especially the top 20.

    /stops relying on EU reviews and lists from now.

  • AgentFosterGrant #104 5 years ago

    .......

    'ang on!

    Was SotC released this year? :\

    /tired

  • rotj #105 5 years ago

    Well it's official. A great year for the Xbox 360. And despite claims to the contrary, a lot of diversity in its lineup. The Next Generation Is Now!
    :)

  • captainrentboy #106 5 years ago

    The constant slamming of G.O.W is getting a bit silly on this site(Clearly it's done to generate traffic,but we all keep falling for it),but in all fairness on this occasion I thought Keiron and Kristan's comments on it seemed a bit more thought out and very fair,but the other guy (Can't remember his name) was just spouting total crap,yes everyone's entitled to their own opinion,but his opinion is just so very very wrong :)and his whole contribution just seemed to contradict itself.Yes the game is verry OTT in the macho male department,but graphically and artistically it's absolutely superb,it's a shooter set in a futuristic war torn city what the hell did he want it to look like?
    Ohh I almost forgot about the factory in the rain chapter until Fruity mentioned it,that was fooking gorgeous and probably the sweetest graphics I've seen,as was the mansion mulitiplayer map.

  • rotj #107 5 years ago

    Here's what I wrote in the forums, where concerns the panning Gears of War took:

    It's a shame they had to needlessly rip into Gears of War though. I thought that really blotted their copybook, and exposed the EG mindset for what I, and many others, have always suspected it to be. I mean, it came in at seven for Chrissakes, so clearly they loved it. Why all the venom then? Could they be any more desperate to come over all Edge and 'discerning', and declare their disdain for this "meathead, lowest common denominator American flag-waving shooter"? Their childish putdowns and tasteless diatribes would have had more credibility had Gears not placed so high.....

  • mattigan #108 5 years ago

    You are all aware that you can alter the visuals of GoW to some extent in the options menu?

    I personally prefer the Vivid option as I find it enhances the colour somewhat IMO.

  • AgentFosterGrant #109 5 years ago

    "The top 10 was the best section of the list by far. Apart from the fact that I can't have Wii Sports as a 'game' in its own right, and the fact that FFXII wasn't number one (okay, I appreciate the appeal of Guitar Hero and the need of lots of gamers and journos to not appear overly geeky, but Zelda above FFXII is a bit of a laugh. One great game that does nothing to advance the genre vs. one great game that points the way for the future of a genre?) it's nearly fantastic. However, to sum up the *entire* EG top 50 process:

    Oblivion lol"

    First off; Zelda destroys FFXII with one punch. Second, Oblivion is a great game.

    FFXII doesn't advance the genre at all. It adds bits and bobs from other JRPG's to the FF universe.

    Fanboys lol

  • gieltjegitaar #110 5 years ago

    Eurogamer is God.

    Guitar Hero \o/

  • tinocat #111 5 years ago

    Zelda - game of the year for me.

    (Really loved GeOW too though)

  • Yossarian #112 5 years ago

    incidentally, if you think Gears is too grey you could always, I don't know, CHANGE THE COLOUR SETTINGS

  • skillian #113 5 years ago

    EG is becoming less and less relevant to PC gamers.

    Perhaps we need to club together and buy you guys a graphics card or something.

  • Feanor #114 5 years ago

    "Of course oblivion is better than those shite jrpgs. It's quite a surprise that they are even in this list."

    Yawn. Grow up a little bit.

  • JediMasterMalik #115 5 years ago

    Agent - Have you played FFXII or do you just not like FF games? From wht I've read it's one of the most original RPG's created, from the battle system, to the story.

  • itamae #116 5 years ago

    Don't reply! Your anger sustains him.

  • malloc #117 5 years ago

    On Zelda: "And for my eternal sins, never gave the earlier games a chance."

    ???

    Surely Zelda games have to be required playing for a games journo.

    Eurogamer = Eurogamer - 1

  • Feanor #118 5 years ago

    "God, EG has got massive Indie/Goth kid syndrome. If it's popular we must hate it!"

    If that was true then they wouldn't have made the incredibly popular Guitar Hero number 1, would they.

  • AgentFosterGrant #119 5 years ago

    "Agent - Have you played FFXII or do you just not like FF games? From wht I've read it's one of the most original RPG's created, from the battle system, to the story."

    Yup, I have the game. I play the game. It is a good game. It doesn't bring anything new the the genre at all. It brings some new things to Final Fantasy. It isn't as good as Zelda TP. Bye.

    I'm not angry btw, just very tired and therefore a bit tetchy. ;|

  • Feanor #120 5 years ago

    "FFXII doesn't advance the genre at all. It adds bits and bobs from other JRPG's to the FF universe."

    Uh huh, which JRPG did the battle system come from? Pathetic and ludicrous all at once.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 14:57

  • Scimarad #121 5 years ago

    "First off; Zelda destroys FFXII with one punch. Second, Oblivion is a great game. FFXII doesn't advance the genre at all. It adds bits and bobs from other JRPG's to the FF universe.

    Fanboys lol!"

    Please tell me that 'fanboys' comment was supposed to be in some way ironic!

    What idiot would even compare FFXII, Zelda and Oblivion - They are all totally different styles of games. FFS!

    Fanboys lol!

  • AgentFosterGrant #122 5 years ago

    "Please tell me that 'fanboys' comment was supposed to be in some way ironic!

    What idiot would even compare FFXII, Zelda and Oblivion - They are all totally different styles of games. FFS!

    Fanboys lol!"

    Aye. there was a touch of irony in there. Some games are better than others though. Zelda is better than FFXII, for example.

    Peace love dope.

    /falls asleep at keyboard

  • JediMasterMalik #123 5 years ago

    You complain about FFXII not bringing anything new, which all reviewers say it does. Then you say Zelda is better, when all reviewers said it can be too familiar, and ocarina-esque?

    Yay for double standards. :/

  • CitizenGeek #124 5 years ago

    How does Zelda score lower than FFXII and still place higher on that list?

  • Feanor #125 5 years ago

    Hehe, don't worry about the scores for this list or you'll go nuts. :)

  • TheMoonRat #126 5 years ago

    Because the reviews were from one (or two) peoples opinion - whereas this list is based off many more peoples opinions.

    And Guitar Hero \o/ - They really are great games... sometimes get home from work and strumming away for a few songs is a great way to relax - and on the other hand anyone who comes around and gives it a go is instantly addicted and in love with it. But if I hear "I love rock and roll" ONE more time grrrrrrrrrrrrrr :|
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 15:12

  • waffle #127 5 years ago

    just a little note to all the 2142 fanbois...

    QuakeWorld is actually the finest online fps experience ever coded. No other game has caused me not to blink for 3 hours (this actually happened, it hurt like fuck when I did finally blink).

    QuakeWorld is now obviously "old" and therefore not "cool". Nor has it ever contained flying boxes with forcefields, an big oversight I'm sure.

    The next greatest online fps experience would, of course, be CS. This doesn't mean I won't be giving the 2142 demo a go some time and even though I've not played it yet I am convinced it won't be as enjoyable an experience as QW. No code written since QW has incited in me the same adrenaline rush, no matter how good the game.

    None of this matters of course, preaching to the deaf and all. (winking smiley face)
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 15:24

  • CitizenGeek #128 5 years ago

    FFXII is a better game than Zelda. I have played both games (US import FFXII and TP on GC) and FFXII is completely the better game. I enjoyed TP, but really, it doesn't bring anything new to the table. FFXII on the other hand, is a game so full of beauty, a grandiose story, brilliant characters and a superb new battle system. How can TP be better? Games like FFXII don't come around very often, but games liek TP come around every 4 years.

  • tiddles #129 5 years ago

    I loved Oblivion - the default, vanilla version, "broken" levelling and all. I actually tried the PC mods for a while, then turned them off... people who say it's broken want it to be a different, more familiar game, which is their prerogative, but it works just fine the way it is.

    Sure, daedric bandits were probably a mistake, and yes you can create a custom character who sucks, but it's kept me gripped for over a 100 hours (on PC and 360), and I can't think of another RPG that's kept me so consistently entertained - due in large part to the levelling system, which (for me) preserved just the right amount of challenge throughout the game. Ok, so a lot of the dungeons look the same, but they are far from randomly generated, and if you get bored of doing them, why not go off and do something else in the game?

    In a way, the biggest mistake Oblivion made was to keep the traditional idea of numbered character levels... naturally this led a lot of people to expect the game to have the usual emphasis on gaining levels, whereas in actual fact skills are much more important than levels in Oblivion - had they kept the player's level hidden (but still kept the system of boosting skills and abilities), I think people would have focused more on gaining the latter and worried less about scaling enemies, loot etc.

  • tiddles #130 5 years ago

    I get the feeling Gears Of War would have garnered much more praise from the EG team if they hadn't been subjected to the levels of hype surrounding it... good to see Dead Rising doing so well, though, this was a stand-out game for me despite all its flaws... Structurally it was closer to the Capcom tradition than many people realised, even though it had the facade of being a free-roamer - replace limited ammo with limited time and it's as exacting and anal as any game in the Resident Evil series...

  • rotj #131 5 years ago

    A games journalist who shouts down a game just because it was hyped, is as unprofessional as one who talks it up because it was hyped.

    In My Honest Opinion. Of course!

    :)

  • Agent_Llama #132 5 years ago

    Shadow of the Colossus was released this year, and should have been in this year's list. I do recall it being in last year's list which is stupid, rather like FFXII being in this year's.

    Secondly, Zelda vs. FFXII. As pointed out, with regards to bringing new ideas to the table, Zelda has done nothing to move its own brand of action/adventure forward - and no, I'm not counting waving the Wiimote round. FFXII on the other hand has taken the RPG style it defined and developed it in new ways.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 15:36

  • CitizenGeek #133 5 years ago

    FFXII hasn't just revolutionised the RPG genre, it's shown how well a story can be told thropugh videogames. It's shown just how beautiful a game can look on PS2, it's shown how voice-acting should be done. FFXII being lower than Zelda and Oblivion is just, well, stupid. I haven't played Guitar Hero, so I can't really comment, but surely it;s not as good as FFXII?

  • AgentFosterGrant #134 5 years ago

    Blah waffle blah........

    Both Obliv and Zelda are better games than FFXII. Sheesh. Look, FFXII isn't even the best looking game on the PS2, isn't the best JRPG on the PS2. People like a game and defend it like their lives depend on it. Man alive.

    /twitches

  • Scimarad #135 5 years ago

    "FFXII hasn't just revolutionised the RPG genre, it's shown how well a story can be told thropugh videogames."

    Out of all the good things I could say about FFXII and the new things it has brought to the JRPG genre, decent storytelling isn't one of them. Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic game but it had bugger all in the way of character interaction or plot development compared to something like Suikoden V, Xenosaga 1-3 or Tales of the Abyss. The story was good but it was very minimal which, of course, some peopel will prefer.

  • FabricatedLunatic #136 5 years ago

    Gears of War is very good. It is also very grey.

    What I'm trying to say is... er, I don't know.

    I do wonder why gaming attracts so many fucking retards, though, many of whom are clogging up these threads. I think I need a less stigmatised hobby - trainspotting, for instance.

  • CitizenGeek #137 5 years ago

    I wouldn't say the storytelling was minimal in FFXII (minimal storytelling in an FF game?). The characters are eqach like main characters for a while and the story is very vast and a lot deeper than you'd think. The fact it doesn't have a cutscene for every second corner is also a plus.

  • botherer #138 5 years ago

    "Surely Zelda games have to be required playing for a games journo."

    Not if they review PC games for a living.

    Now I'm all multi-format and edjukated, and catching up with such things. Stop complaining.

    I'm on the very final boss at the end and everything, right NOW. Stop interrupting.

  • FabricatedLunatic #139 5 years ago

    And yeah, where is Suikoden V you corrupt bastards? I notice that PES hasn't made an appearance this year either. Admit it: Konami are the only publisher from whom you haven't received a brown envelope. AM I RITE?

    Eurogamer have lost all credibility, man. I won't be coming back here. Well, not until you give a game I like an unfavourable review (like, 8/10).

  • Ryze #140 5 years ago

    Is it possible to bludgeon with a frying pan?

  • Pachinko #141 5 years ago

    A total joke of a GOTY-like feature, with Gears (an 8) placing way higher than Company of Heroes (a 10) and Okami (not reviewed) in the list. However, the top game is spot on. Guitar Hero defined the year.

  • Tomo #142 5 years ago

    Worst number one ever.

    There I said it :/

  • DudBug #143 5 years ago

    Out of all the games in the Top 10, it is GoW that gets by far the most negative comments from EG. One might be forgiven for thinking that, deep down, they know it's better and that they are trying to justify their controversial decision. Why else would a no.7 game get so few positive comments ...?

  • FabricatedLunatic #144 5 years ago

    Or they want to avoid invoking the inevitable fanboy wrath by placing it lower.

    You did see the trainwreck of a review comments thread when Gears of War received a respectable 8/10, right?

  • DudBug #145 5 years ago

    FabricatedLunatic: "Or they want to avoid invoking the inevitable fanboy wrath by placing it lower."

    So either they put it higher than they think it deserves and let their true feelings be known by slating it in their comments (the Wack-a-Mole remark was just silly and insulting), or they put it lower than, deep down, they think it deserves and slate it to justify their controversial placing.

    The negative comments combined with the place in the Top 10 suggest that EG are, to say the least, insecure about their decision.

  • Mordum #146 5 years ago

    GH? What a letdown.
    Also, I love Dead Rising, but there are other games that have eaten up my time so much more. It did'nt have any Live features, so its longevity is reduced in a big way. Although Oblivion had no online features either... but it was so sodding huge it did'nt need any.

    Including games not released over here yet is an absolute joke too, Top games of 2006, on a site called EUROgamer, there's a clue what games should/should not be included.

    Also, there are games included that gets slagged off by almost all staff members, but still makes it into this list?! Getting the increasing impression that Eurogamer does'nt have a grip on what it's doing half the time.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 16:38

  • Ryze #147 5 years ago

    Eurogamer --

    An annoying list. They could have got together and told us their top 10 games in no particular order.

    Following that, they could maybe have then told us of the other great games of the year, followed by category (not genre!) awards for achievements such as social gaming, online multiplayer, best handheld game, most original, progressive, artistic...

    That would have been original, and would have let you praise GoW for its strengths without handing it any top awards. This list overall has ended up looking like a snobbish, amateurish, vague, childish, inaccurate mess. You've made yourselves as gamers, look stuck up and snotty.

    Gears Of War is not George W. Bush. So chill.

    MOSTLY nice top 20 tho', but with some junk commentary.

    As has been already stated here:

    Eurogamer = Eurogamer -1

    Sorry guys, but so many of us think so highly of the site. But like Dead Rising, if you cut it up into its components...

  • smelly #148 5 years ago

    Oblivion at number 2?

    The most yawniest yawnsville of a game ever!

    But it looks pretty.. so that's okay then...

  • rotj #149 5 years ago

    EG's stance on Gears has been snobby from the start. Can't be seen to be in line with all those Godawful American sites now, can they? Long have I suspected that EG harbour 'Edge-ish' delusions of elitist grandeur, and their uttter shredding of Gears confirms it. That they placed it so high, despite the comments, is a joke. It's almost akin to a guilty pleasure. A game they loved. A game they wanted to give 9/10. But dammit! then they'd look shallow! Oh noes...

    They're getting to be more and more like those loathsome and contemptable movie and music critics, who don't have a story or a note in their heads, but take glee in ripping apart 'mainstream' movies like the sadists they are. Yet they will unashamedly shower praise upon willfully abstract and art-house (and crap) movies, because they believe it bestows upon them a status and an intellect that displays discerning tastes, a hunger for high-brow culture, and other such snobbish aspirations.

    All in my humble opinion, of course.

  • smelly #150 5 years ago

    >An annoying list


    WTF? You nerds REALLY need to get a life. Yeah.. discuss the list, yeah say "meh i wouldnt have put that game there".. But to get upset by it??

    Oh fucking dear.

    Booo hooo!!! My favourite game on my favouritist console got lower on the list than a game on that smelly console that i dont like/own.. boo hoo!

    Get a fucking life you complete saddo nerd!

  • JediMasterMalik #151 5 years ago

    @rotj - Tell me when you're going to stop bitching about Gears so I can come back to the site. Thanks.

  • wayne040576 #152 5 years ago

    "WTF? You nerds REALLY need to get a life. Yeah.. discuss the list, yeah say "meh i wouldnt have put that game there".. But to get upset by it??

    Oh fucking dear.

    Booo hooo!!! My favourite game on my favouritist console got lower on the list than a game on that smelly console that i dont like/own.. boo hoo!

    Get a fucking life you complete saddo nerd! "

    Best post all week.

  • smelly #153 5 years ago

    Back to comments.. I wouldnt have put zelda so highly.. It WAS the best game i've played all year.. But I felt let down as it wasnt as good as OOT or WW. So i'd have put it a bit lower (but only because my expectations were so high).

    Not played GOW so i cant comment.. But Oblivion doesnt even belong in top 20!

    Guitar hero does rock though! Even if a tad hard...

  • Ryze #154 5 years ago

    Not upset, just annoyed at how the averaging pushed certain games lower in the 50 than most gamers would have them.

    Now run along and go take a bath, then maybe you'll get a shag in 2007 to vent all of that pent up aggression you've got.

    Dick.

  • rotj #155 5 years ago

    @JMM

    Funny thing is, I dont even rate Gears that much. I've played it, it's fun, but I need something deeper in my games. I need to be immersed in some sort of an engaging narrative that I can care about. This Gears doesn't deliver, so I can never enjoy it as much as I do, say, Halo.

    But few things in life annoy me more than snobs. Not just within gaming, but life in general. And EG's attitude to Gears is clearly one of "lalalalala, the hype doesn't affect us, meh". I expect more from professionals. I expect more from a site I once really respected, but in time has become more and more random and biased in its gaming critiques.

  • krokomkiller #156 5 years ago

    " Out of all the games in the Top 10, it is GoW that gets by far the most negative comments from EG. One might be forgiven for thinking that, deep down, they know it's better and that they are trying to justify their controversial decision. Why else would a no.7 game get so few positive comments ...? "

    Well maybe, or as I wrote earlier:


    " Reading eg:s (mostly negative IMO) comments about Gears of War makes me wonder if the reason is too upset the fanboys.
    Given the game still got a top 10 placement. "

    /Awaits nobelprice

  • Mordum #157 5 years ago

    @smelly
    "WTF? You nerds REALLY need to get a life. Yeah.. discuss the list, yeah say "meh i wouldnt have put that game there".. But to get upset by it??"


    I find it rather ironic that you're getting really annoyed about people getting really annoyed. People are just voicing their opinions on the games, and the structure of the list itself, that's what this particular comments thread is for, or so I thought... let me go check.

  • blindlemonjefferson #158 5 years ago

    I haven't played most games on the list, so obviously I don't have much expertise, but where - where?! - is Medieval II? I would've thought it'd cannon-blast its way easily into the top 50...

  • smelly #159 5 years ago

    >Not upset, just annoyed

    See? Case closed. Get a life.

  • rotj #160 5 years ago

    What's up smelly? No Weetabix this morning?!

    :D

  • Ryze #161 5 years ago

    Yep, many of the better games of the year aren't in the top 50. Many of the best games in the list are down near the bottom.

    Why, because the EG panel unfortunately haven't played them all or been able to spend the time on them, so the averaging of the ranks would leave Tomb Raider in the top 20, but push loads of the other greats way down to the bottom.

    It's natural, because who can play and love all of the best games of the year? It'd need a bigger sample of gamers to be more accurate, and not the general public, as it'd lead to Need For Speed and FIFA / Madden winning.

    It look's like we'll have to take it with a pinch of salt. But it's a flawed list with a good enough top 10.

  • MadMirko #162 5 years ago

    EG is becoming less and less relevant to PC gamers.

    Maybe it's PCs are less and less relevant to gamers? :)

    Aside from FFXII (oh my) and Oblivion a worthy top 10.

  • smelly #163 5 years ago

    >that you're getting really annoyed about people

    Says who?

    Boo hooo!!! That nasty man smelly is taking the mickey because im upset that a game not on my favouritist console got higher on the list than a game on my favouritist console. I really liked that game, i want everyone to know how great it is to make everyone buy my favouritist console.. Then my console will win and I can feel soo much betterer about my life.. because i've never been kissed or even held hands with a girl, so which console is bestest is soo much important to me.. boo hoooooo!

    Boo hoo!!! Now I bet he's about to say that oblivion sucks and the ps3 is shit.. boo hoo!!! How dare he!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

  • Mordum #164 5 years ago

    lol, ok... seems like you have issues. I'm not actually sure what your response is saying "not upset, just annoyed", that does'nt really make any difference.

    You honestly don't see the irony in the way you complained? Think before you type in future, that way you'll run less risk of making yourself look a little simple in the future. Spend the rest of the day blowing off steam in here if you like... I've got better things to be doing.

  • RevanEleven #165 5 years ago

    Eurogamer = Edge. :-(

  • Ryze #166 5 years ago

    Smelly - fuck off and find something else to do - like suicide.

    I'd be well interested to learn about your exciting film star life. Why? Because it probably doesn't exist. What the fuck are you even doing here?

    Tosser.

  • chischis #167 5 years ago

    The ORIGINAL Guitar Hero at the number one spot?? Hell yeah.

    Puts the tracklist for GH2 to shame, utter shame. Really, GH2 has no Blue Oyster Cult or Queen on it, for starters. I've said it before and I'll say it again: GH2's tracklist is too biased towards sucky American emo/grunge/indie bands. GH1's all over the place, and covers nearly all sides of rock with a near-perfect song selection.

  • Ryze #168 5 years ago

    Smelly, I'd be happy to meet you to tell you all about my life while stamping your head into the pavement.

    Keep your comments to yourself. Try thinking of something original to say. Too hard? Shame.

    Live anywhere near Manchester?

  • thinktank #169 5 years ago

    I bet if EG looked back through that list they would say this alot:

    "shit we forgot........."

    Insert: Medieval 2, shadow of the colossus, MGS 3, etc.........

    good overall but me thinks you guys were rushing out the door to get to the xmas party.

    tut.

    P.S. Wheres the gears love, c'mon is it cool to hate gears?

  • rotj #170 5 years ago

    Precisely. And Halo. And any other hyped-up Microsoft shooter frankly.

  • PearOfAnguish #171 5 years ago

    Oh dear Ryze, you're not doing yourself any favours with the internet tough guy act.

  • smelly #172 5 years ago

    @PearOfAnguish :

    Yeah.. funny as hell isnt it? I'm laughing my ass off here at him.

    Getting this upset at me kinda proves my point too! :-)

  • twelveways #173 5 years ago

    Not having Medieval 2 in the top ten is a travesty.
    Not having it in the top 50 is just inhuman.

  • smelly #174 5 years ago

    "Smelly, I'd be happy to meet you to tell you all about my life"

    Like how your console is the bestest thing in the whole wide world, and why everyone should buy your favouritst game on it as that'd make you feel popular?

    And how its not fair that girls dont like nice guys like you, because they're not as interested in which game is betterer than another one because its not on their favouritist console...

    Boo Hoo!

  • rotj #175 5 years ago

    It's funny smelly, but I can recall you going on many's a rant against people dismissing Nintendo games for being "teh kiddy". End of the day, it's a gaming site, and we all sit around our PC's discussing games. How does that make ANY of us cool?

  • smelly #176 5 years ago

    It doesnt.

    You're the one pretending to be though :-)

    I have no problems with people discussing the top 10 (or whatever), but getting upset about it? Oh dear.

    Some geeks seem to be taking it as a personal insult to their chosen console that one game is above another in the list.. That's just plain sad.

  • smelly #177 5 years ago

    @rdexter : Okay then.. :-)


    >but I can recall you going on many's a rant
    >against people dismissing Nintendo games for being "teh kiddy".

    Thats because game geeks try to justify their hobby of playing with toys by only playing "adult" games. As then if they're shooting stuff and hearing swear words they cant POSSIBLY be playing with a toy can they?

    I find that quite sad personally. I'd much rather that games didnt rely on violence and gore to sell themselves, and therefor developers might spend more time making the the games be fun to play.. And we wouldnt end up with shitty dull games like GOW.


    Edited by 2 at 29/12/06 @ 18:00

  • rotj #178 5 years ago

    I have no problems with people discussing the top 10 (or whatever), but getting upset about it? Oh dear.

    Some geeks seem to be taking it as a personal insult to their chosen console that one game is above another in the list.. That's just plain sad.


    I agree in a way. I mean, my favourite game of the year, PES6, didn't even place! Doesn't bother me. The only think that gets my wick is the snobbish journalism clearly in employ, with regards Gears of War. Still, I think we all need to chill out a bit, don't you think?

    :)
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 18:01

  • rotj #179 5 years ago

    game geeks try to justify their hobby of playing with toys by only playing "adult" games. As then if they're shooting stuff and hearing swear words they cant POSSIBLY be playing with a toy can they?

    I find that quite sad personally. I'd much rather that games didnt rely on violence and gore to sell themselves, and therefor developers might spend more time making the the games be fun to play.. And we wouldnt end up with shitty dull games like GOW.


    Remember that comment I made a way's up about anti-hype journalists being just as unprofessional as those that swallow it whole? Well you're doing the exact same thing! You're criticizing those who don't dig Nintendo games for the kiddy reason...and then you're dumping on Gears, a game which a lot of people consider to be the shizzle, just because its dark and gory and whatever else. Are you not aware of the irony?

  • smelly #180 5 years ago

    "and then you're dumping on Gears, a game which a lot of people consider to be the shizzle, just because its dark and gory and whatever else. "


    Nope.. Im dumping on Gears, as it's shit.. and relies on being dark and gory to make up for the fact its a shit game.

    Boo hoo.. Smelly is slagging off your favouritst game.. thats like smelly is slagging off your favouritist console too!!! That must mean that smelly thinks all 360s are rubbish!! How dare he!! Booo hooo!

  • smelly #181 5 years ago

    "Smelly that's just cheap (seeing as you admitted earlier that you haven't played GoW). "

    Oh .. you noticed? Good show!

    Wait a minute?? Highschool musical is on bbc1 at the moment??? Shit.. Why didnt anyone tell me? I'm off to watch it.. see ya!

  • rotj #182 5 years ago

    *Sigh*

    Clearly you're on the beer or summat, cause you're acting in a very flippant and juvenile manner smelly. You haven't played Gears, and yet it's a shit game relying on its 'adult' factor? Puh-lease. How much more of a blinkered fanboy can one man be?

    I may not be much into Nintendo games personally speaking, but at least I've played Mario, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Nintendogs, etc, and thus can qualify my apathy towards their atmosphere, styling and whatever else with experience.

    I won't bother trying to convince you as to why Gears' gameplay is astounding (cos no doubt you are the sort of Nintendo fanboy that believes only Nintendo games sport good gameplay). All I will say is that your stance is kind of pathetic.

  • rotj #183 5 years ago

    Ubi Soft Montreal. For consistensy and quality of output, nobody comes close.

  • Nobuo #184 5 years ago

    I really am the only person who thinks FFXII is the biggest disapointment this year, aren't I?

    Maybe I'm just not a real gamer anymore. Or has anyone else boycotted GOW based on that Mad World advert alone?

  • Walshicus #185 5 years ago

    FFXII eh? Snore.

    I can see Guitar Hero 2 being well recieved, and I do rather like it - though not enough to buy a PS2 rather than wait for the 360 version. However, I really do get amused by Eurogamer's niche filling as one of the few voices of dissent against Gears of War's brilliance. Their opinion on the matter doesn't seem very well thought out to me, but they're entitled to it.

  • Crea #186 5 years ago

    @rotj

    I'd been thinking the same thing recently, about Ubisoft. Everything I've played of theirs recently has been grade A solid gold.

    I'm peeing my pants waiting for Assassin's Creed.

  • smelly #187 5 years ago

    "Still, Nintendo are the best developer in the world, so all this is a bit moot really."

    Yip.. Shame their consoles arent always up to scratch though.



    "You haven't played Gears, and yet it's a shit game relying on its 'adult' factor?"

    You really are a complete dumbass arent you?

  • ilmaestro #188 5 years ago

    Walshicus, man, you're great. Some of the post-too-frequently trolls could learn a lot from you.

    Don't let them get started on FFXII's story again!

    It was interesting living in the comments section for a few days rather than the forum, not something I think I'll be bothering with again until next year's list, mind you.

  • rotj #189 5 years ago

    @ Crea

    Exactly. I don't even like all their games. I'm a huge Splinter Cell fan, although Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six usually tend to leave me cold (except for Vegas that is). But you can never deny upon leaving any of their games that, for those whom the subject matter interests, their work represents top tier examples.

  • botherer #190 5 years ago

    Oh do hush.

    All this nonsense and no one picks up on Smelly for saying that he'd rank his best game of the year below games he thought were less good. You silly billy.

    Although not as daft as someone's getting angry with EG for giving a game a mark he agrees with, but deciding he's mind-read a different, more evil reason for EG's doing so. I love all these conspiracies. As if any of us have the energy to do anything other than just write what we think.

  • urban #191 5 years ago

    agreed :)

  • patchbox360 #192 5 years ago


    Gears of War is a great game and up there with the best - MGS, Halo etc

    whats the homoerotic stuff about??? - i just see big guys who have to fight big monsters - makes sense

  • mattigan #193 5 years ago

    Come on Smelly, GoW deserves every criticism that EG has levelled at it, but in no way can it be called shit, even if you only play the first level, it WILL make you smile the first time you pull off a chainsaw kill to take down an annoying git who's been dodging your bullets for the last minutes, it's just so satisfying.

    I thought it was a great, fun game, not up there with the Nintendo greats. But what it does, it does extremely well, it's just that some people don't like that sort of game and so will never like it. Where as those who are really into those games will love it.

    I fall in between the two camps, as I suspect do most people, and EG.

  • rotj #194 5 years ago

    Yeah! Surely it's a bit wierd if you look ar Marcus Fenix and go "Yeah! Big boy! Look at you all, muscley and stuff! I'd say you like a bit of rough, don't you..?" Until EG started stuttering and stammering about it, all I ever saw was self-parody in the Arnold Schwarzenegger mould. Nothing more, nothing less.

  • PearOfAnguish #195 5 years ago

    No FlatOut 2 or Yoshi's Island DS in this list? For shame.

  • JediMasterMalik #196 5 years ago

    Gears is homoerotic like Commando. Truly...

  • CitizenGeek #197 5 years ago

    I disgaree, Nintendo are not the best developers. Nintendo's games are fin a lot of the time, but nothing on the scale f the experiance of playing games like the Final Fantasy series and the Metal gear Solid series. Square Enix are the best developers, there are not many games from Square Enix that are bad and how can a company release Dragon Quest VIII, Final Fantasy XII and Kingdom Hearts II in one year and not be best developer?

  • JediMasterMalik #198 5 years ago

    SE are the best JRPG developer, but anything else from them is practically shit. DoC anyone?

    Personally I like Sony's first party efforts of late.

  • Waser #199 5 years ago

    Oblivion is just so over rated, (over blown, over long, etc...)

    Zelda FTW in my eyes.

    And as for Guitar Hero?!? bah...

  • gth #200 5 years ago

    I can't believe I read all that.

  • CitizenGeek #201 5 years ago

    JRPGs are my favourite genre, but I think that regardless of what genre Square Enix games are, they cannot bested as the ultimate in gaming experiences. Music, graphics, sound, cinematography, gameplay - There isn't one facet of a gaming experience that Square Enix don't have down to a tee.

    I actually quite like DoC, though it's poor by SE's standards. SE are great at plenty of other genres too - Mario Basketball, action-RPGs (KH) and tactical games (Final Fantasy Tactics). I think it's about time Square Enix got the recognition they deserve here in the west.

    And yes, Sony's first-party games are brilliant as of late.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 20:46

  • JediMasterMalik #202 5 years ago

    Actually you're right, but it's not a homoerotic game, it just has some homosexual moments. There's a distinct difference. Some of the characters in MGS4 are depicted as clearly being either gay or bisexual (1 or 2 characters), and it adds to the story, and character development.

    Gears is just over masculine. I hope you appreciate the distinction.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 21:01

  • andrewwd #203 5 years ago

    In my view Guitar Hero is nothing short of an act of plagiarism. Sure, it's fun, because Guitar Freaks was excellent, but it's not Harmonix's game and it should lose some kudos over this. And yeah, the whole 'we're too sophisticated for Gears of War' thing is becoming incredibly tiresome.

  • JediMasterMalik #204 5 years ago

    Also don't you think that "Solid Snake" is also "over masculine" and is the gayest name of any character ever?

    Probably, yes. But we aren't talking about names here are we?

  • Agent_Llama #205 5 years ago

    Does it really matter? It's about time games had more gay characters, and I don't mean stereotypical shit like Makoto from Enchanted Arms.

    DoC IS a good game. No, it's not the greatest FPS ever, and it shouldn't be approached as such. It's fun, playable, great to look at, with a good story and an outstanding soundtrack. Just don't expect to understand it completely if you've not finished FFVII.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 21:13

  • JediMasterMalik #206 5 years ago

    How is MGS gay? Is bully gay because you can kiss a guy?

    I'm not saying Gears is gay, I just disagree with the design of the overly masculine characters.

  • squeakyg #207 5 years ago

    You let Kieron take part in these articles? How quaint.

  • JediMasterMalik #208 5 years ago

    So the whole thing is gay because of one thing?

    In bully this can happen, in MGS it happens once. The rest of the game doesn't feel, or contain anything gay.

    In gears you have to look at these guys all the time.

    Get the point?

  • CitizenGeek #209 5 years ago

    Totally agree with Agent_Llama. DoC is most certainly an enjoyable game.

    As for the whole MGS being more homoerotic than GeOW...isn't there something mroe interesting to debate? MGS has actual real gay characters and that's great and adds to the story and character development and all that, but I wouldn't say it's more homoerotic than GeOW. GeOW features overtly-muscular men helping eachother out a lot. That's pretty homoerotic to me.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 21:25

  • themerlin13 #210 5 years ago

    It's easy to see eurogamer are fing on drugs, Gears at 7??? and Guitar Hero at 1??
    Lego SW2 at 6???

    Did Eurogamer get a 2 year old to do this article? they have come out with some sh..rubbish in the past but this takes the lot!!!

    Yes Lego SW2 is fantastic and yes so is guitar hero, but they are short bursts of fun, there is alot more quality and fun to be had with alot more of the lower ranked games. ? GRAW @ 38 ??

    Maybe change your site to Europreschooltoys seems it may be a better vocation.

    Hey thats my 2p worth.

  • CitizenGeek #211 5 years ago

    btw: AdamOfEternia, why the fascination with gay videogames?

  • James_Lyon #212 5 years ago

    Save those irate comments for the Readers' Top 50, everyone. For those arguing about the position of each game in the charts, take note of what Tom said in his intro: it's not just about the best of the best, it's about the hype (or lack of), the talking about it with your friends, the what do you pick off your shelf when you've got thirty minutes or thirty hours to kill, what you'd impulse purchase in Gamestation when you've got thirty-five quid burning a hole in your pocket, what you blog about the most. That counts much more than a scientifically accurate list of games. And if that doesn't justify my voting for FFXII when I haven't played a single minute, I don't know what does :)

  • skuzzbag #213 5 years ago

    Oblivion - Spot on in my opinon, I've got a total of 160+ hours of play out of it so far, and still have to complete 3 of the 4 guild mission quest lines and the knights of the nine mission pack.

    The only complaint I have about it is that on the 360 they shouldn't have bothered with the huge draw distance, and instead concentrated on using the power for some decent texture draw-in in the middle distance stuff. Oh and the actors get well boring after a bit, and there are no plot forks dependant upon what you say.

    Flawed but brilliant!

  • JediMasterMalik #214 5 years ago

    Oblivion dissappointed me with it's depth compared to Morrowind, it seemed dumbed down in parts. Overall it was a better gme, I just thought it could have been so much more.

  • Harmonica #215 5 years ago

    I'm sure the purpose of the article was to entertain more than inform the gaming community of THE EXACT 50 TOP GAMES IN 2006, and I laughed quite a lot so it suceeded in my book.

    Do we really have to have the same backlash every time someone makes a top games list?

    However, as people have said, I did find the earbashing that GoW received a little more disconcerting than amusing, especially given the strong review, its high placement, and the fact that it *is* a quality title, despite the hype machine. EG's desire to champion the alternative over the obvious, no matter how well made, obviously still needs to be remedied.

    I can't really pick between GoW or Guitar Hero for sheer fun factor. They're both stupid in some ways and are ultimately not saying much about anything, but then that's pretty much gaming in 2006.

    Anyway, I read EG for opinion and not a de facto ruling on whether something is good or not. It's pretty easy to take it with a pinch of salt, no? :)

    Dead Rising was my GOTY simply because it did almost everything it set out to do very very well.

  • CitizenGeek #216 5 years ago

    AdamOfEternia,

    They help eachother kill giant aliens. That's what I meant. If the game isn't homoerotic, then why do they need to be that muscular?

  • MarkGLocoRoco #217 5 years ago

    WTF?

    Hello? Anyone remember Shadow of the Colossus?

    Does anyone realise how hard a 10/10 is on Eurogamer?

    And so well deserved.....

    Pah!

    I sneeze on your opinions.....

    :-(

  • MarkGLocoRoco #218 5 years ago

    And......

    was released Feb 2006.

    And.........?

  • PearOfAnguish #219 5 years ago

    You know what else is totally gay?

    The PlayStation 3.

    The resemblance to a George Foreman grill is deliberate for two reasons - 1) only gay men cook 2) George himself is a large, powerful man who - being a black gentleman - has probably got a really big cock.
    The PS3's smooth lines are obviously made to resemble the tight buttocks of its owner's male lovers, so that they may caress it during lonely times, while its small trayless disc drive is clearly meant to conjure images of the tight arsehole of a young, innocent virgin.

    Therefore, we can conclude that anyone who owns or is planning to own a PS3, definitely loves the cock.
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 22:35

  • Harmonica #220 5 years ago

    disc: These type of arguments only ever reach their logical conclusion at the pub over a good pint. By which I mean, everybody goes home none the wiser but by the end nobody really cares all that much. On the internet everyone is at each others throats, ad infinitum.

    Comment on the actual writing, absolutely.

  • CitizenGeek #221 5 years ago

    It's not as hard to get a perfect score on Eurogamer as it is everywhere else...

  • CitizenGeek #222 5 years ago

    PearOfAnguish,

    Theres a little something called 'good taste' and 'bad taste' and I think that pushed the boundaries a little. Try to keep at least some class on EG, maybe?

    AdamOfEternia,

    I don't think musles = gay either. But having so many guys that muscular is something that just doesn't happen in every videogame.

  • Harmonica #223 5 years ago

    AdamOfEternia: There is a massive homoerotic undertone to Gears. It's self-parodic. A capstone on big burly FPSs.

    This is not a detractor.

  • The-Bodybuilder #224 5 years ago

    The sad fact about all of this is that I'm certain the EG crew STILL don't believe they are snubbish and are justified in thier snubbish behaviour (because it's funny, how quaint), much like the "teh real next gen" saga where they went for many months without even admiting they made a mistake in being suckered with the killzone vid.

    Like edge, music, movie and many tv reviewers (that one guy that reviews tv shows in the sun, who only seems to take pleasure in finding new ways to be witty whilst distroying every tv show), EG just cannot see thier own faults. They cannot see the fact that hating a game based on muscular characters is sad (but ok to like all the estrogen-filled j-rpg characters), or the fact that it's a shooter loved by americans (EG probably see them as the lowest of the low), or the fact that it is an ugly game (only a stupid person does not realize art is context sensitive. Not every game needs to look like okami, and the art must be in context of the game).

    That's probably the saddest part of EG. They never seem to acknowledge thier faults or mistake, but rather hide behind the "It's my opinion. tralalalalaaa" card to justify thier snubbishness.

    I still come to this site (I'm too used to coming here), but I just don't trust thier reviews and I can't stand thier arrogance and snobbishness.

  • The-Bodybuilder #225 5 years ago

    And leave smelly alone, he's a blind, and mangry ninty fanboy. I would say he's probably one of the worst fanboys around.
    How he got away with it for so long is beyond me.

  • Ali #226 5 years ago

    I've been recently introduced to Guitar Hero, and it's point blank the most fun I've ever had with a videogame. There are moments where you get so lost in following the fretboard and hitting the right notes that you actually become convinced you're playing beautiful music, not just pounding the hell out of a cheap plastic peripheral.

    There's that, and there's the trippy visual effect you get when you've been playing for too long and look away.

    Best game I've played all year, without a doubt.

  • Feanor #227 5 years ago

    "Aside from FFXII (oh my) and Oblivion a worthy top 10."

    Bizarre. How long did you play those two games?

  • Harmonica #228 5 years ago

    AdamOfEternia: you need to make haste to your Collins Gem and look up homoerotic in a dictionary. And stop posting for a few years.

  • Feanor #229 5 years ago

    "The sad fact about all of this is that I'm certain the EG crew STILL don't believe they are snubbish and are justified in thier snubbish behaviour (because it's funny, how quaint), much like the "teh real next gen" saga where they went for many months without even admiting they made a mistake in being suckered with the killzone vid."

    You really hit the nail on the head there.

  • CitizenGeek #230 5 years ago

    AdamOfEternia,

    Now I see why you are in such denial of GeOW's homoerotica (be it parody or not), you're obvioulsy in some way homophobic. Makes sense as that seems to be the way of most Xbox users to be honest....

  • The-Bodybuilder #231 5 years ago

    >"I don't think musles = gay either. But having so many guys that muscular is something that just doesn't happen in every videogame. "

    IMO, the only real homoerotic scene is the stranded bit of act 2, where all the stranded happened to be.......men. What? women couldn't survive?

    That bit was a missed opportunity IMO. They had the opportunity to do a terminator-eque scene, with children camping around fire tvs. It was a chance to show the complete downfall of mankind, but ended up being a stranded men's campsite.

  • Harmonica #232 5 years ago

    Bodybuilder: I think you're right, though. It's an all-male post-apocolyptic society. It's not a coincidence that the sometimes-narrator Locust Queen is a female (and that this feels somewhat threatening to a male player), or that Anya looks pretty damn blokish.

    edit: I'd also like to point out that even though the game is massively, massively masculine (over masculine, yes), this means the game is open to female players like other FPSs aren't, simply because it's so ridiculously OTT that they don't actually feel uncomfortable slipping into the role of Marcus. He's not your generic FPS man, he's a cartoon.

    VV maybe not that homophobic but your attitude towards homosexuality has the integrity of a viking invasion.
    Edited by 4 at 29/12/06 @ 23:08

  • CitizenGeek #233 5 years ago

    When did I say I was gay? Assuming someone is gay simply becasue they don;t like homophobic slurs isn't really the way to go about things. And also saying that the only way anyone could possibly think something you hold so dear is gay is if they themselves are inclined to "bum cracks" doesn;t come across as a little homophobic to you?

  • JediMasterMalik #234 5 years ago

    It's best not to argue with Adam, he'll never give up.

  • smelly #235 5 years ago

    "The only complaint I have about it is that on the 360 they shouldn't have bothered with the huge draw distance"

    .. yeah.. they shouldve spent more time making it.. fun..

  • Harmonica #236 5 years ago

    "It's best not to argue with Adam, he'll never give up."

    I guess there's a first time for everything then :)

  • JediMasterMalik #237 5 years ago

    He hardly gave up. He called Geek, gay, and went off to play a game. Well maybe I shoulda said "he'll never admit he's wrong". ;)

  • CitizenGeek #238 5 years ago

    AdamOfEternia,

    I'm not gay for your information and I suggest you learn to understand that not thinking disrespectful and tasteless comments about gay men are not funny does not automatically make someone gay. This was never really a debate anyway, not when someone is as immature as to actually think that " Gay men do like other mens bums, stating a fact is not being homophobic." is a worthwhile comment....
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/06 @ 23:28

  • smelly #239 5 years ago

    "And leave smelly alone, he's a blind, and mangry ninty fanboy. I would say he's probably one of the worst fanboys around. "


    ... I am a fan of nintendo GAMES.. yes. Just like i'm a fan of square-enix games, and trackmania games..

    Is it a bad thing to like games made by a company? Surely that's the whole point of playing games? To play games you like?

    Now liking games for no other reason than they're on a particular piece of hardware, or whatever is a bit sad imho.

    If nintendo did a sega and went multi-format (and that aint ever gonna happen), then I'll still say their games are the best in the world. Maybe then the saddo fanboys who only buy games becasue they're on a certain platform will realise what they've been missing out on.

    But I make no appologese for liking one of the best game developers in the world!

  • botherer #240 5 years ago

    There's an important difference between being "snobbish" and "intelligent".

  • DjWhizzkidd #241 5 years ago

    Games are fun.

  • Harmonica #242 5 years ago

    botherer: I thought he actually meant 'snubbish' and it wasn't just a typo.

  • botherer #243 5 years ago

    I'm not sure what being "snubbish" is. I hope I do it though.

  • The-Bodybuilder #244 5 years ago

    >"There's an important difference between being "snobbish" and "intelligent". "

    What is intelligent of "how quaint?" or talking about art without addressing the obvious fact that art is subjective to its context (GOW shouldn't look like okami)? Or completely disliking a game that has macho characters (like the conan movies, commando, rambo, aliens or predator)? Or rarely bothering to speak about the positives of a game they regard as the 7th best of the year? Or disliking a game simply because it got a lot of hype?

    Trying to be the polar-opposite of americans doesn't automatically make someone intelligence. Intelligence is constructive criticism. In fact, automatically presuming american reviewers are dumb and illiterate is actually unintelligent and snobbish.

  • haowan #245 5 years ago

    Not incorrect, you'll note.

  • PhakeDC #246 5 years ago

    I think we ought to come up with another law to complement Godwin's ;)

  • DjWhizzkidd #247 5 years ago

    Wii sports, Lego Star Wars, Brain Training. Im scared. These are top ten titles. Im not sure what to say next.

  • smelly #248 5 years ago

    > These are top ten titles.

    Why not? Let me guess, because they dont have blood guts and swearing in them?

  • SexyBodyBuilderDude #249 5 years ago

    Dude,

    I am one of the TWO MILLION people in the last six weeks that have purchased Gears of War for the Xbox 360, because we KNOW it is the best game released this year!

    Just look at all of those dozens and dozens of websites, magazines, radio shows, and TV shows that have already given Gears of War the Best Game of the Year award.

    Gears of War lets you do SO MANY special things that other shooting games don't do.

    In Gears of War, you can do things like hide behind the back of a car for cover, but then push the car forward toward the enemies who are shooting at you; that way you will get closer shots and better angles.

    Anyone who has fought a Berserker in Gears of War knows that it is revolutionary in terms of the way the fight is carried out. Berserkers are almost invincible in Gears of War; the only way to kill them is with the "Hammer of Dawn" satellite weapon, which can only be used outside, because the satellite needs to target the Berserker with your laser. The cool thing is that when you start fighting the Berserker, you are doing so INDOORS! You need to shoot the Berserker in order to get his attention, and then, just as the Berserker is about to hit you when you are near a wall, you need to roll out of the way so that the Berserker crashes through the wall and goes to the next room! When you do that a few times, you can get the Berserker to go outside, and then you can use the Hammer of Dawn satellite weapon to target him and kill him with a few shots. The whole experience of fighting a Berserker is AWESOME, FUN, and INNOVATIVE!!!

    There is another spot in the game where you are on a cargo train, and you need to fight a Berserker outdoors, but this time the Hammer of Dawn can't target him. This time, you need to find a way to get the Berserker away from you, and the best way to do that is to lure him onto another part of the train, then run back and disconnect the cars that the Berserker is standing on from the cars that you are standing on! It is funny, because I actually had the Berserker run off the train while chasing me, and he rolled up into a ball of damaged flesh when he ran off the train and hit the ground! Marcus Fenix yells, "Piece-a-Sh*t!"...and it is SO funny and SO awesome!

    Dude, Gears of War provides LOTS of replay value, because there are sections when you are given a choice of what you want to do, and who you want to go with in the game. There is no way that you will see everything in the game or unlock all the achievements the first time you beat it. You will need to go back into the game and make different choices if you want to unlock all the Xbox 360 Achievements.

    My friends and I have SO MUCH FUN with the way you can try to gather all 30 of the COG Tags that are hidden throughout the game. Right now, I have unlocked the Achievement for finding two-thirds of the COG Tags in the game. I have found 23 of the COG (Coalition of Organized Goverment) Tags.

    The graphics in Gears of War really are BY FAR the BEST EVER in any game on any system. The framerate is SO smoooooth at all times, and the lighting is 100% amazing! When you are taking cover, you can literally see the eyeballs of your character and the other people fighting with and against you! The lighting is absolutely amazing, too! Different lighting situations allow you to see different scars on the face of your character, Marcus Fenix.

    The sound is amazing, too! Some of the enemies are SO SCARY and make such SCARY noises that you SERIOUSLY feel SCARED!!!

    Everyone has heard how awesome it is to walk up to an enemy and use your Lancer automatic machine gun with the chainsaw attachment to just chainsaw the enemy to death and watch blood splatter all over the screen! That is true! But it is also cool to watch the people fighting with you do that to the enemies too! And sometimes both of you will chainsaw an enemy at the same time, and your CPU friends will say things like, "Man, that was nasty!"

    One of the other cool things that Gears of War lets you do is shoot the enemies in the knees and the lower legs. It won't kill the enemies, but it prevents them from standing up, and it keeps them on the ground. You can just walk up to them and shoot them to finish the job, or, if you want to see something cool, you can just press X and STOMP their head into the ground!!! That makes just as much of a mess as the chainsaw does, and it looks just as cool!!!

    No doubt about it...Gears of War is my favorite game EVER!

  • haowan #250 5 years ago

    I think we need to draw another line between "seriously messed up" and "sarcastic as all hell" because I'm stumped.

  • Load_2.0 #251 5 years ago

    Wow my uncharacteristic foray into the comments section was well worth it. Anyway back to the safety of the forum.

  • thinktank #252 5 years ago

    This is amazing, I mean its only really the music industry that has more passionate fans than us gamers.

    I love it,

    Snipe abuse and just blatantly troll away, its so much better to be passionate than despondent.

  • Genji #253 5 years ago

    "Smelly - fuck off and find something else to do - like suicide."

    I really don't think that's appropriate.

  • Harmonica #254 5 years ago

    SexyBodyBuilderDude: I hope it was as tiring to type all that as it was to read, because you just about used up the world's supply of retarded humour in one post. Labouring the point, much?

    Nobody is claiming it's revolutionary or the second coming. That's the one thing you'll hear time and time again even from those like me who are still playing it to death. Reason it's in the top 10? Same as the others: it's fun to play and it's solidly made.

    The only discrepancy is that it made the top 10 and then all of a sudden EG rush to disclaim it! Why? Put your money where your mouths are for once.

  • Furbs #255 5 years ago

    It used to be. Before the dark times.

    Damnit Load"$", the first rule of the forum is you dont talk about the forum.

  • smelly #256 5 years ago

    "I am one of the TWO MILLION people in the last six weeks that have purchased Gears of War for the Xbox 360, because we KNOW it is the best game released this year!" *


    * On the 360.

  • smelly #257 5 years ago

    "If it's like here it's not even worth putting a toe inside, but then if there are serious and intelligent discussions... "


    You can TRY to have intelligent discussions. But I find what normally happens is, lets say for example, I try to discuss why I dont think oblivion is a good game. I'll list all the reasons i dont like it, and try to open up a discussion as maybe there is some part to it i've missed out on and i've been missing out on a great game, etc etc.

    But because you dare to mention a game which is specific to one platform, everyone automatically presumes you're "anti" the console its on.. And everyone starts going "boo hoo.. how dare you slag off my machine.. waaah!"

    In pretty much the same way that SOME (not all) people on this comments thread are sulking because a game on their console didnt get as high as a game on another console (or other such nonsense).

    That said.. this is no where NEAR as bad as it'd be if EG dared to put a nintendo game at number 1.. Especially a nintendo game with cartoony graphics and stuff.. that's the sort of stuff which'll REALLY wind up the kiddy winks!

    If anyone out there doesnt agree that guitar hero is the most fun game of the year, then they either have no soul.. or havent played it.

  • Genji #258 5 years ago

    @faelnor

    There are still utter dicks in the forums, but the level of discussion is generally fantastic. It's far better than most gaming forums I've seen.

  • Masarin #259 5 years ago

    I still luvve Eurogamer. Drunk or not.

  • smelly #260 5 years ago

    "So what you're really saying is "Boo Hoo, my Ninty game didn't make No1 because EG are biased" "


    Eh? Wtf? Have you READ anything i've written?

    I dont give a flying fuck which game gets higher than which. In my humble opinion zelda should be lower down (due to high expectations it didnt live up to previous encarnations) and wii sports shouldnt be in that list at all (and ditto to oblivion).. Hmm.. actually looking back, last year was a shit year for good games..

    But as per usual.. feel free to ignore that above paragraph and think I actually care about all this "my console is better than yours" bullshit.

    Just because you may be a saddo nerd who cares which platform what game is on, dont tard me with the same brush!

    All I care about is whether or not games are fun.

    I never understand all this rediculous fanboy nonsense and never will. I can only presume what with puberty and stuff kids will probably just grow out of it.

  • smelly #261 5 years ago

    @faelnor : Actually reading back.. AdamOfEternia has just proved my point!

    Good show :-)

    Also worth a noting is daring to mention that GOW is crap.. That's always good for a laugh :-)

  • AgentFosterGrant #262 5 years ago

    Hmm. GoW best game on 360 this year? No bloody chance. Soz and all that. The best thing about GoW is because of the MASSIVE hype around it, it is bringing the 360 right to the front of the...er...thing. Coz, like, even my brother has bought a 360 because he "heard Gears of War was fucking brilliant fun". He's only at home 1 day out of the week too, so he's hardly gonna play it that much.

    In short; GoW is good for MS and the 360, even if it isn't *that* good a game.

  • foxy2006 #263 5 years ago

    R6 vegas absolutely shits all over Queers of War.

    That and Psychonauts and its been a great xmas for me

    happy new year all!

  • Moonprince #264 5 years ago

    Heh, you're funny Adam.

    Loving the way you totaly miss Smelly's little jokes and misread him.

    Keep it up!
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/06 @ 09:22

  • NthSimulachum #265 5 years ago

    Gears of War ugly?

    Now, it may be unoriginal, sorely frustrating in places, and laced with a delightful self-parodic homoerotic subtext, but it most certainly is not ugly. Nor even grey and drab if you choose the vivid colour setting.

    Speaking as a level designer working since the humble days of quake, I was frequently astonished at the realisation of such gorgeous and elaborate architecture and design. The cornices, the gargoyles, the oxidised copper... things, the flagstones, the frosted corner windows, the distant forested estates, the follies, plazas and arcades. It is without a doubt not just the most technically beautiful game I've ever seen, but also one of the better artistically designed games of it's ilk.

    But the other criticism stands:) Back to Viva Pinata for me. Even if every ten seconds I'm back in that bloody shop with the mad woman.

  • orakio #266 5 years ago

    I'm still a bit shocked there was no sign of medieval2: Total War. Perhaps they all just forgot to put it on their list, thinking another would do it instead?

  • pjmaybe #267 5 years ago

    Guitar Hero didn't deserve the top slot (but who cares).

    Glad it wasn't TP though - I've had the game for 2 weeks and I really couldn't be more "meh" about how fucking SLOW it is to get into. So slow in fact that I've got absolutely no incentive to carry on with it. GAH! I never thought I'd say that about the Wii's supposed "killer app" but it says a lot when you'd rather piss about making Miis for an hour than get an hour further in Zelda...

    Peej

  • davisorle #268 5 years ago

    Ok.. I guess its just the 2 million people of us that stupid playing all the time GoW and they are the onesw that have the right to know what we like or what is good gaming..

    You know what this freakin article was full of shit and with no respect to the people's opinion. wtf? Pages promoting Sony or just against xbox games should have a warning cause this is pathetic. They could never mean that shit about GoW and tell me I have no soul cause I find quitar hero THAT STUPID game to be the best of the year. OMFG

  • AgentFosterGrant #269 5 years ago

    "Glad it wasn't TP though - I've had the game for 2 weeks and I really couldn't be more "meh" about how fucking SLOW it is to get into. So slow in fact that I've got absolutely no incentive to carry on with it. GAH! I never thought I'd say that about the Wii's supposed "killer app" but it says a lot when you'd rather piss about making Miis for an hour than get an hour further in Zelda... "


    I... I don't know what to say. :(

    TP is so good it makes me a bit horny when I play it.

  • Katsumoto #270 5 years ago

    ! omfg ! I didn't completely agree with the 50 games nor the order in which they were posted! This site is shit!

  • FaceOmeter #271 5 years ago

    wallhax wallhax as if Rhythm Tengoku only got in at #36... in my opinion this game should have been in #35!!!!1 I will therefore set fire to brighton shortly because you're clearly all n00000blers

  • Daikon #272 5 years ago

    rotfl @ SexyBodyBuilderDude's mile long post

    Some of the enemies are SO SCARY and make such SCARY noises that you SERIOUSLY feel SCARED!!!

    lolololol

  • Moonprince #273 5 years ago

    Surely that's a joke post. He can't be serious, right..?

  • haowan #274 5 years ago

    smelly, you should go back to the forum and post in rotj's threads. He'd love that

  • Hughes. #275 5 years ago

    This is my oar, I'm sticking it in.

    First, a moment's silence for AoE, gone, but, forgotten.

    Second, I enjoyed the comedy stylings of SexyBodyBuilderDude, and would like to subscribe to his newsletter.

    Third, I enjoyed the word "n00000blers"

    Fourth, did Gillen really inflict that crap-phrase on us for 5 days just for that bloody awful pay-off on the Zelda comment? *gags*

    Fifth, I thought Gears might get a different place in this top 10, say 8/10?

    And finally. I like some of these games more than the reviewers did, and also disliked some more than the reviewers did, and if it had been my choice, I might well have put these games in a different order. Because of this intolerable situation I shall actually die.

    /dies

  • Furbs #276 5 years ago

    Hehehehe. Thats so damn crazy it might just work. Could the forum handle them both though?

  • Feet #277 5 years ago

    I really enjoyed reading the top 50, a most amusing set of comments, and it's hilarious watching the reaction.

    Two words however...

    Dwarf Fortress

    !!!

    Bestest management game in years surely?

  • Steroyd #278 5 years ago

    /checks EG on the weekend

    Whoa!!! someones feathers have been ruffled.

    /runs away

    @SexyBodyBuilderDude

    Dude grow up.

    Nintendogs is an okay game, it doesn't set the world on fire, and the dogs piss me off when they're unresponsive to the microphone to the point that i'm screaming down the microphone which you can't do because they don't read your voice patterns very frustrating game.

    That game got an 8 (a 7 average) on this site and that game is being enjoyed by 5 million people as we speak and still going strong.

    Did EG rate the game wrong? Shoul it have got a 10/10 because of the hype?
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/06 @ 13:07

  • The-Bodybuilder #279 5 years ago

    What is it with me, and having people make username's based on me?

    IT ALWAYS HAPPENS, in every site, no matter the username I chose.

    But lol to the big sexy dude.

  • pasiip #280 5 years ago

    Thise ppl seem to have very strange taste -.- They just complain and don´t see the big picture.

  • AgentFosterGrant #281 5 years ago

    "I need some advice. What would be my best option, to wait, maybe up to 6 months to get a Wii and TP, or to get it asap on gamecube?"

    GC version if you don't mind the lack of no widescreen option.

  • BremXJones #282 5 years ago

    "Fourth, did Gillen really inflict that crap-phrase on us for 5 days just for that bloody awful pay-off on the Zelda comment? *gags* "

    Yup.

    (In my shitty way, I was trying to draw a line between all those sequel things which bore me rigid and stuff which is more of a tradition or something like that. I was kind of undermining my original snobbishness, and the snobbishness of anyone who'd take the "How Quaint" position. But I was drunk.)

    KG
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/06 @ 13:38

  • ilmaestro #283 5 years ago

    And yet all you actually did was prove how completely invalid any of your input was across each and every article.

  • BremXJones #284 5 years ago

    You wins somes and you loses somes.

    KG

  • Aria #285 5 years ago

    I'm still in shock! This list is just unbelievably ridiculous!

  • CitizenGeek #286 5 years ago

    I have to agree. Brain Training may have been 'new', but there is not a chance is a better game than LocoRoco. EG seem to be confused. Just becasue something is innovative, that doesn;t make it a better game. Games like God of War and Dragon Quest VIII that refined their genres are 10 times better than any of the recent Nintendo 'innovative games'

  • JediMasterMalik #287 5 years ago

    GoW2 for GotY 2007?

    I think so. :D

  • NthSimulachum #288 5 years ago

    Beh, GOW 2 won't be out till '08 at the earliest.

  • The-Bodybuilder #289 5 years ago

    Isn't it strange that in todays gaming society, you're gay for using a testosterone-filled muscled up character in the vain of G.I Joe, but you're straight for liking a a frail, prepubescent teenage japanese boy with small clothes, feminine features and a giant sword.

    I guess women do now rule the world.
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/06 @ 16:47

  • JediMasterMalik #290 5 years ago

    I was talking about God of War, replying to CitzenGeek's post. -_-

  • Lonestar #291 5 years ago

    A Top Games list?


    How quaint.

  • Yossarian #292 5 years ago

    "Isn't it strange that in todays gaming society, you're gay for using a testosterone-filled muscled up character in the vain of G.I Joe, but you're straight for liking a a frail, prepubescent teenage japanese boy with small clothes, feminine features and a giant sword.

    I guess women do now rule the world."

    this kinda stuff is such bullshit, you should be ashamed

    but it is a fair point that EG clearly appreciate some vapid, uninteresting, substance-less stereotypes than others

  • AOFanboi #293 5 years ago

    Gears of War fanboys scare me - I mean it's in the fricking top ten and they hate EG for not putting it at #1. And don't quote sales figures shithead or bestest game is going to be Pokémon. Mystery Dungeon is a great "Roguelike" that should be in the list. But I don't whine just because EG didn't think so.

  • JediMasterMalik #294 5 years ago

    They complain because the comments made don't fit into a "top 10" game. And I agree to some extent, just not as much as the Gears lovers.

  • haowan #295 5 years ago

    >>"Isn't it strange that in todays gaming society, you're gay for using a
    >>testosterone-filled muscled up character in the vain
    >>of G.I Joe, but you're straight for
    >>liking a a frail, prepubescent teenage japanese
    >>boy with small clothes, feminine features and a giant sword.
    >>
    >>I guess women do now rule the world."
    >
    >this kinda stuff is such bullshit, you should be ashamed

    +1 Yossarian

  • The-Bodybuilder #296 5 years ago

    >"this kinda stuff is such bullshit, you should be ashamed"

    How so? Clearly no mention of j-rpg's feminine-esque characters are ever mentioned during many reviews (EG or other), but GOW is being laballed as a homoerotic game because it features muscular men.

    Even in movies, the tough-guy action stars cease to exist and are quickly labelled homerotic, yet beckham and toby "meguire" (sp) on aothers are regarded as action stars of today.

  • captain-future #297 5 years ago

    GUITAR HERO was also my choice this year.

    Also I'll watchout for article from "James" in 2007, the comments were just gold! And buddy, you're dead right when you say kill.switch v2.0 = Gears of the Year, only much much better made.
    Edited by 1 at 30/12/06 @ 17:56

  • quantumsheep #298 5 years ago

    Hiya, I'm a mate of John and I brought a bottle - is it too late to come in? ;)

    I've always liked these lists!

    Top games of the year then, eh? Well, Guitar Hero did define a lot of my social life for a long long time - going down the pub then afterwards inviting mates round for a session or going round to theirs to play.

    I think half the company bought a copy on the same day - was madness!

    And though it isn't as 'pick up and play' as something like Wii Sports is for non-gamers, it still brought joy to their faces. And that's a good thing! =)

    I'm far more interested these days in the social aspects of having people round to play in your living room and entertaining them as opposed to the Xbox LIVE thing I used to love a few years ago for example that used to *exclude* my then girlfriend in her own living room...

    Maybe that's the change in EG too? Maybe they're realised that yes, you can play alone if you want but you don't *have* to. And that sometimes it's more fun to play games while hanging out with friends, introducing non-gamers to your hobby, and having a laugh with them.

    Both types of play are totally valid and have their good and bad points. I've started to prefer the 'shared experience' of videogames though, and I think EG has as well perhaps? ;)

  • smelly #299 5 years ago

    "I need some advice. What would be my best option, to wait, maybe up to 6 months to get a Wii and TP, or to get it asap on gamecube?"


    Well yer obviously not going to get an unbiased answer to that one, as very few people here wouldve actually have played both versions!

    The wii version has widescreen, and pointing at the screen to control bow & arrow/boomerang is easier/quicker than using analogue stick (As per other versions).

    Also there has been rumours from nintendo about downloadable levels at a later date on the wii (although I dont believe these for one second).

    But the cube verison is available now if you dont have a wii.. and it is a good game (probably one of the best this year.. but dont expect it to be up there with OOT or MM quality!)

  • smelly #300 5 years ago

    "Gears of War fanboys scare me - I mean it's in the fricking top ten and they hate EG for not putting it at #"


    .. ah.. you see you have to enter the mind of the fanboy. The 360 has so far had a lack of high quality exclusives (considering how long its been out). So when one does come along the fanboys will defend it to the hilt saying its the bestest thing in the whole wide world.. Disagreeing with that is like you're slagging off their beloved console, and their choice of purchase, and then (due to them not having much of a social life and therefore these things mattering more to them than it should do) you're insulting them themselves.

    They'll get all whinny and go "boo hoo... this list has really pissed me off, etc etc"

  • smelly #301 5 years ago

    "smelly, you should go back to the forum and post in rotj's threads. He'd love that "


    I dont know if i'd dare.

    Blind fanboyism scares me.. And I might get wound up and upset people.. :-)

  • Moonprince #302 5 years ago

    These comments made me go to the forums for the first time in search of a rotj post.

    Well funny.

    I particularly like one reply to him...

    "3) Get a blog. Prefererably one on a computer not linked to the web."

    Good one :D

  • cyber_nicco #303 5 years ago

    You guys crack me up!

    LOL Well done! Guitar hero? snicker snicker snort

  • CitizenGeek #304 5 years ago

    I don't think GoW2 will win next year. It'll probably be hyped and successful and it would appear that hype and success = a lesser game, to Eurogamer.

    Really, though, EVERYONE disgarees with that list in some way...

  • Agent_Llama #305 5 years ago

    Hmmm, can we all just agree to disagree? I love these threads.

    Oh and Mr. Gillen, please fuck off with your inane comments in the article. If they were wanted we'd pick up a copy of the Official Nintendo Mag or some other shit.

    Merci.

  • smelly #306 5 years ago

    "Oh and Mr. Gillen, please fuck off with your inane comments in the article."


    .. and yet another person who has needlessly gotten upset! This is incredible!

  • The12thMonkey #307 5 years ago

    GH, not played.
    FFXII, not played (yet! I will have you, PAL demon).
    Lego Star Wars 2, Not played, though I enjoyed number 1 for a few evenings.
    Gears of War, not played. Got a 360, but I think I'll wait for a price drop before I consider it.
    Brain Training, got. Must. Get. Brain. Below. Age. 33.!.
    Twilight Princess, got. Last dungeon, atm. Love it crazy, but it's infuriated me on one or two occasions with a few forgivable design nasties.
    Wii Sports. Pro Bowler agogo!
    Dead Rising. Nice demo, don't think I'll invest.
    Oblivion. Western RPGs always make me snore.
    Viva Pinata. Looks nice. Maybe pickup on pre-owned.

    Oh, and I also enjoyed the word n00000blers.

  • Agent_Llama #308 5 years ago

    Why would I get upset over Gillen? I just wish he'd leave commenting to the professionals, so to speak.

    ;o)

  • Pablo2k5 #309 5 years ago

    Does anyone think smelly's comments make him sound like a complete prick?
    Either that or a big fuckin' wind-up merchant...

  • ave #310 5 years ago

    Quiet Pablo, or he'll write a 400word essay on how your opinion makes you the fanboy troll.

  • smelly #311 5 years ago

    "Does anyone think smelly's comments make him sound like a complete prick? "

    Yet ANOTHER person getting upset about absolutely nothing!

    Boo fucking hoo.

  • Harmonica #312 5 years ago

    I wonder if all you guys moaning about KG actually read ANY gaming mags during the 90s/00s? Gillen baiting is a national pastime but you guys make to pass it off like you're oh so incredibly witty for calling him out. Christ.*

    I won't say how quaint wasn't a little tired by the end - but hell: drunkmas. Get over it.

    (* some of us remember when it was limited to to sending in poorly edited snaps to Gamer, or jockeying for yet another demeaning photo shoot.

    You're making us look bad.)

  • gelf #313 5 years ago

    This thread makes me proud that the days I had blind loyalty to the systems I owned are long in the past. Its also pretty funny.

  • mkreku #314 5 years ago

    Oblivion at number two?

    So it wasn't enough to make yourself look insanely stupid ONCE by giving this game a perfect ten? You had to continue pretending like this piece of overhyped shit actually is THAT good, huh? Swallow your pride, Eurogamer, just admit what everyone else already found out a few hours into the game: it's shallow, it's completely linear and the auto-levelling of your enemies is the dumbest invention since.. someone invented the solar powered flashlight.

    Apart from that, I thought the last part of the list got a tad bit better than the laughable 50-20. Still one of the most useless lists I've ever read. A huge let-down as Eurogamer is supposed to be my favourite game site. Not sure now.

  • Svecke #315 5 years ago

    Oblivion made it into the top three. I am at peace. Ooommmm..... Ooooommm..... OooooomygodIgottaplayitsomemore! 600+ hours isn't enough! 0_0

  • AgentFosterGrant #316 5 years ago

    "but dont expect it to be up there with OOT or *MM* quality!"

    O_o

  • Xerx3s #317 5 years ago

    This list is BULLSHIT.

    Say it ain't so! ¬_¬

  • Xerx3s #318 5 years ago

    I really have to disgree. I think you're wrong, totally wrong on this one. The artists knew exactly what they were doing. Gear's ruins are grey, dusty, war-torn, battle-dry, epic environments. With some of the best architecture in this game than any other, it's lovely. I could understand if people had a go at Gears of War because it offered nothing but samey grey corridor after samey grey corridor. But it didn't, very rarely is the next place like the last, each stage is so different and the different Acts are so different. Whether it be a rainy factory or the mines. Epic's artists did a very good job and I think it's pretty rude to say they failed. Gears never stopped surprising me throughout, I wanted to continue just to see what piece of stunning visuals came next.

    +1

    Gears is rubbish.

    The graphics might move a lot of pixels around, but there's nothing interesting to see.

    You know what's funny? Every time I hear someone saying that, he turns out to just speculate on what others said. When I actually invite them to come and play some games, they quickly change their mind and want more (the last one being Friday in a great execution session with death gibbon). If you really want to prove your 'argument' give us your gamertag so we can have some sessions and then come back to us that it is shite. Or don't you have a gamertag?

    But I guess that gears is the new halo, stamp on it as much as possible to look cool. Oh well, the haters are so obvious that it's rather sad imo.

    Sure, it's not the best game ever, but it's without doubt the best looking game ever and the art is rock solid. And so is the gameplay mechanics. This game is absolute fun.

  • Agent_Llama #319 5 years ago

    I'm well aware of Mr. Gillen's previous work, which is why I'd expect him to come up with better than the crap he did in that article. Some of us are actually interested in what the EG folks have to say.

  • kangarootoo #320 5 years ago

    "Still one of the most useless lists I've ever read"

    Ah, now you see all this time I'd been missing the point. I didn't realise the list was supposed to actually have a USE.

    I thought it was just a light hearted collection of some of the more popular games of the year, with some staff comment thrown alongside, all in the spirit of Xmas cheer etc. Its not like a rubber stamp that validates your DNA you know. You can still continue to exist despite the fact that Oblivion got a higher placing than Disgae 2.

    Q. Could a list of 50 subjective items EVER match the preferences of everyone who reads this site.

    A. Course it f'cking couldn't, because its SUBJECTIVE. So stop bloody crying and put on a hat if your head is cold. Bloody children.

  • Xerx3s #321 5 years ago

    Heh, this is smelly when he is in his good mood, you should see him with a hangover :p

  • CitizenGeek #322 5 years ago

    I hate to be a 'FANBOI!!!', btu I stll cannot get over how Final Fantasy XII came in lower than TP. I mean wtf? Not only is FFXII the better, more original game, not only did the world's most respected gaming magazine, EDGE award it Best Game of the year, not only has it turned a genre on it's head, but Eurogamer actually gave FFXII a higher score than TP. I think it's so unfair that Square Enix get such little recognition within gaming circles. Square Enix are like the only 3rd party (aside from Sega) that have fans or fanboys - Surely that speaks volumes about the company?

    Oh well, I guess thems the ways.

  • Xerx3s #323 5 years ago

    Square Enix are like the only 3rd party (aside from Sega) that have fans or fanboys - Surely that speaks volumes about the company?

    You don't play to many other games, do you?

    And because some average bloke at edge thinks that it's the best game, it automatically becomes just that? A) Lists are pointless as they represent the biassed opinion of some bloke. B) if your logic is anything to go by, GoW would have won hands down.

    As for those two games...they are both shite, play oblivion instead.

  • haowan #324 5 years ago

    I'll stab you!!!!

  • Pablo2k5 #325 5 years ago

    Smelly said... "Yet ANOTHER person getting upset about absolutely nothing! Boo fucking hoo."

    I'm not upset at all. I just asked if anyone thought you were a prick, because that's what I think. You ought to try actually reading what people post in the future.

  • immateriaux #326 5 years ago

    That long post does give the impression that GOW lovers simply haven't played many FPS games before (or just games even, going by the "Wow, scary noises!" comment).

  • CitizenGeek #327 5 years ago

    Xerx3s,

    I do play a lot of games, as a matter of fact. So, please, stop saying that as if it's stupidly obvious that other 3ed parties have as significant a fanbase as Square Enix.

    I wouldn't call those who work at EDGE 'average'. Afterall, I don;t think there are too many people who work for a widely respected magazine and are paid to play videogames. I never said it automatically makes it so, just that it's a good indication of how good a game is.

    Oblivion is totally charmless and just gets boring. I picked it up for PC and after about 6 days I gave up. I tend to prefer games that don't rely overly on pure gameplay and realistic graphics so I don't know why I picked it up in the first place....

  • immateriaux #328 5 years ago

    kato,
    the poster referred to "innovative" features that are already in FPS games, in particular, out some time now. Hence my comment.

  • mattigan #329 5 years ago

    Is this still going on? It's the same every year!

  • Santino #330 5 years ago

    CitizenGeek, TP came in higher than FFXII simply because more people preferred it. you obviously didnt so while it destroys you inside piece by piece, please spare the rest of us your feelings. TP is my game of the year, am i upset that it wasn't top in this list? no that would be a waste of time and i am not a big headed bastard who believes their opinion to be superior to everybody elses. so please, either go cry in the corner about how outrageous it is for someone to have a different opinion or keep your mouth shut on the subject.
    Oh, and whoever wrote that gigantic love letter to Geow, please masterbate somewhere else i feel sick after reading it how someone oculd have such passion towards a game.
    Edited by 1 at 31/12/06 @ 18:31

  • smelly #331 5 years ago

    "I'm not upset at all. I just asked if anyone thought you were a prick, because that's what I think"

    So why do you think i'm a prick? Because i disagree with you? Or because im not crying because my favouritist console game got lower than a game on another console i dont own? Or other reasons?

  • Steroyd #332 5 years ago

    /looks into crystal ball for next year.

    People will count how many PS3 and Xbox 360 games are on the top 50 list and start e-dick waving.

    GTA and Halo are going to be in the top 10 next year and people will be pissed because they're around 4th - 7th on the list.

    And last but not least...

    Killzone PS3 will take the top spot and the EG website will implode on epic proportions...

    .... yeah i was Joking about the last part... please don't kill me. :(

  • Khanivor #333 5 years ago

    I think fans of Rockstar, Blizzard (who have fucking fan conventions FFS) Bioware and many, mnay others would disagree with you.

  • Kafeen #334 5 years ago

    4. Final Fantasy XII
    - Does it count since it isn't out in Europe yet?

    2. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
    - I still say its shit. I'm a big RPG fan but I really can't stand to play it.

  • wayn3h #335 5 years ago

    400!



    Keep it going spacktards.

  • zoidberg #336 5 years ago

    401... and also, happy new year everyone!

  • smelly #337 5 years ago

    "- I still say its shit. I'm a big RPG fan but I really can't stand to play it. "

    Well I guess a whole year, and that it's been announced for another platform now..

    .. Because if you'd said that this time last year, everyone would be calling you some sort of anti-xbox fanboy or something.

    :-)

    I agree though.. I hate it. Never ever ever have i practically forceed myself to play a game in the vane hope i can find out why everyone says its so fucking great! The only good things i have to say about it are it's big and its pretty.

    (kinda like my cock)

  • captain-future #338 5 years ago

    @quantumsheep's post from 30-Dec-06 18:16:11.

    Thanks for this great input - this post says it all.

    Happy New Year @all :-)

  • Daikon #339 5 years ago

    Say what you will about the EG end-of-year lists, but at least they dare to be different and push some superb underdogs into the limelight.
    I'm still eternally grateful to them for choosing Psychonauts as nr 1 last year, it's a superb game and I don't think I'd have picked it up weren't it on top of the list.

  • Masarin #340 5 years ago

    Happy new year/fear/tear everyone.

  • Genji #341 5 years ago

    Some people in this thread really need a hug.

    /hugs

    Happy New Year, too.

  • Pablo2k5 #342 5 years ago

    Smelly asked... "So why do you think i'm a prick?"

    Erm, take a look at the comments you've posted... You just sound like you're a horrible person that's all. Are you a horrible person?

  • Rambaldi #343 5 years ago

    All this fuss over an arbitrary list that a handful of people throw together?

    Clearly ANY game that makes it into the list has merit. Does it matter what order they're in or if a few are missing?

    Can't we all just, get along?

  • Pablo2k5 #344 5 years ago

    "Can't we all just, get along?"

    It would be nice wouldn't it.

    However, people take their gaming seriously because they are very passionate about it. Eurogamer used to be a site people could trust, with mature attitudes and well written reviews. They used to cover all platforms evenly and fairly with no gimmicks. Sadly those days are gone........
    People here are just reacting to this and others are reacting to those people, creating the 'mess' this site represents these days. Sad really.

  • kangarootoo #345 5 years ago

    Rubbish.

    People aren't reacting to the apparent change in editorial of the site. Its way more basic than that. They are simply reacting because their idea of a top 50 doesn't match that of the EG staff, and that makes them absurdly upset.

    "However, people take their gaming seriously because they are very passionate about it."

    Its not about passion, and its not about taking gaming seriously. Its about people not able to bear opinions that differ from their own. And when people see an opinion that differs from their own, they call conspiracy on it because they feel it must somehow be invalid.

    I remember the letters in printed magazines fighting over whether the Amiga was better than the Atari ST, or whether the ZX Spectrum had better games than the C64. And you only have to look at pretty much any games forum on the web to see that there is immaturity everywhere. Its got nothing to do with EG.

  • AOFanboi #346 5 years ago

    <em>Erm, take a look at the comments you've posted... You just sound like you're a horrible person that's all. Are you a horrible person?</em>

    Yes, laughing at fools who whine about how someone else's ranking/taste is wrong by being different than theirs is horrible. It's like laughing at retards. Smelly, stop it!

  • Rambaldi #347 5 years ago

    "the ST was a joke compared to the Amiga"

    Right, enough of this peace and love crap!

    /rolls sleeves up

    Only yoking ;) I don't see any bias in EGs reporting of late. There was a time when IMHO they were bigging up the PS3 based on a few tech demos and Sony hyperbole, but I could have been wrong. I think it's a pretty balanced site really. I don't agree with all their reviews, but they're only there as a guide y'know - there's plenty of other sites out there to help complete the picture of a game. The whole idea of taking just ONE person's opinon as gospel has always seemed a bit odd, no? And, don't forget, you can always write your own reviews - something which the real forum bitches almost NEVER seem to do.

  • PhakeDC #348 5 years ago

    I'm glad I kept my PS2. GodHand is so much fun. Is it out in PAL territories yet? I have to replace my Japanese version, since I can't read Japanese! ^^

  • PhakeDC #349 5 years ago

    I sincerely hope games don't go way of the music. I can't see myself buying (nor listening to) new records.

  • CitizenGeek #350 5 years ago

    Santino,

    The point of the commenting option is so people can express their opinions on whatever Eurogamer writes. So, I won't be told to keep my mouth shut by you. I'm not crying over it, I won't loose sleep over it, it hasn't upset me. I was simply expressing my opinion on FFXII and TP. You obviously prefer TP and so, my opinion doesn't suit you, so you try to dress up what I said as being whining or something like it.

    Why is everyone so fucking hostile on this site?

  • Katsumoto #351 5 years ago

    I echo Kangarootoo's comment. I think we have to draw the line between disagreeing and saying why, which is partly the point of a comments section, and calling EG "FUCKING RETARDS", or whatever, because you disagree.

  • Xerx3s #352 5 years ago

    Xerx3s,

    I do play a lot of games, as a matter of fact. So, please, stop saying that as if it's stupidly obvious that other 3rd parties have as significant a fanbase as Square Enix.

    My post was about saying how much bollocks you crammed into one line, but you failed to see that. SE may have a fanbase (being a fan of a company?!), but so do a lot of others.


    I wouldn't call those who work at EDGE 'average'. After all, I don;t think there are too many people who work for a widely respected magazine and are paid to play video games. I never said it automatically makes it so, just that it's a good indication of how good a game is.



    Still says nothing. Just another brand name that has some people writing for it. Just because it's edge doesn't make their list any more or less valuable or relevant. I read edge as well and think that they have some great stuff there but it's just another magazine, nothing more, nothing less. Credit is a ghostly thing in terms of the games coverage industry.


    Oblivion is totally charmless and just gets boring. I picked it up for PC and after about 6 days I gave up. I tend to prefer games that don't rely overly on pure gameplay and realistic graphics so I don't know why I picked it up in the first place....

    Great, so you say it's crap because it's based purely on gameplay? What else would you want? 99% clichéd, over the top film? Oh wait...

    In other anecdotal opinions, I played oblivion for over 500 hours now and still pick it up every now and then. I think that it's great. Yep, that really changes the quality.


    You like ff and think it's No. 1. Others don't. Boehoo. Does that make your opinion less good? Does that make other opinions less good? Does it somehow make the game less good?

    Lists are just lists.

    Oh f*ck it.

  • smelly #353 5 years ago

    I just noticed... Where's sensible soccer on the list :-)

  • kentmonkey #354 5 years ago

    Smelly wrote:

    I just noticed... Where's sensible soccer on the list :-)

    Post...of...the...year! :o)

  • Genji #355 5 years ago

    "/Claps with one hand at how clever smelly is"

    Are you jerking it with the other hand?

  • CitizenGeek #356 5 years ago

    My post was about saying how much bollocks you crammed into one line, but you failed to see that. SE may have a fanbase (being a fan of a company?!), but so do a lot of others


    Do people have to swear so much around here? A lot of others? Sorry, but last time I checked into reality EA, Activision, Criterion or any other publisher/developer did not have as siginifcant a fanbase as SE does. Maybe, if you actually named one these "a lot of others", then you might be a little more believeable.


    Still says nothing. Just another brand name that has some people writing for it. Just because it's edge doesn't make their list any more or less valuable or relevant. I read edge as well and think that they have some great stuff there but it's just another magazine, nothing more, nothing less. Credit is a ghostly thing in terms of the games coverage industry


    Edge are revered in the industry. Edge have a great reputation. I still think therir opinion stands for something, given how experienced they are.


    Great, so you say it's crap because it's based purely on gameplay? What else would you want? 99% clichéd, over the top film? Oh wait...


    Yes, I want 99% over the top film, d'uh. If I like FF, it's not because of a long and thought provoking narrative complimenting great gameplay, it's not for stunning FMVs sequences every now and again, it's not for deep character development - It's for 99% clichéd over the top film. *sigh*

    Also, if you want to talk about cliché, then you need look no further than Oblivion. And I never actually said Oblvion was crap.


    You like ff and think it's No. 1. Others don't. Boehoo. Does that make your opinion less good? Does that make other opinions less good? Does it somehow make the game less good?


    When did I say this? Why such drama? I never said that everyone's opinion is automatically wrong because I disagree with it. I never said that. All i did was express my opinion and then try to give some credibilty to it. Sheesh.
    Edited by 3 at 01/01/07 @ 23:02

  • Genji #357 5 years ago

    "Genji this isn't that kind of site. Christ, next you'll be asking me if I'm on cam :l"

    Don't give me ideas. I can't control myself when I'm horny.

  • NegativeZero #358 5 years ago

    Shadow of the Colossus had its PAL release in 2006, but it's not even listed here? How disappointing. :(

  • JediMasterMalik #359 5 years ago

    Because it's US release was the year before. And EG played them the year before. Same as the other 2007 games in this list. You understand?

  • smelly #360 5 years ago

    (am flabbergasted at kato's stupidity on that one)

  • smelly #361 5 years ago

    Erm.. nope.. just amazed about how much my comment went over your head to the point that you just really dont "get" the humour in it...

  • smelly #362 5 years ago

    Either that, or you're truely the most dimmest person i've ever met on the interweb.

  • Genji #363 5 years ago

    You guys.

  • ScottyXTUK #364 5 years ago

    "PPS - Peej, have you played 2142? ...and I don't mean the demo either. I think it's one of the best online shooters ever created. To think some of the sh1t that's on that list too..."

    Totally agree, BF2142 should be in the Top 10. It's the best multiplayer game out there at the moment for me, very enjoyable and much more balanced and enjoyable than BF2.

    I also think Test Drive Unlimited should be somewhere in there. GoW is massively overhyped, a good game but boring after a while and in no way a classic. Yes it has lovely graphics but the gameplay is so repetitive and uninspiring. Oblivion deserves to be up there, I never usually play these sort of games but this had me hooked and I put a lot of time into it. Oh and GTR2 should defo be in there, without doubt the finest racing game to date anywhere. Suprised Splinter Cell Double Agent isn't in there, that is a really enjoyable and engrossing game as well. Even Rockstar's Table Tennis should get an honourable mention too.

    Anyway everyone has their own opinions, as long as you enjoyed the games you think should be in there then who cares?

    Here's looking forward to some top games in 2007.
    Edited by 2 at 03/01/07 @ 00:02

  • zendragon #365 5 years ago

    Ah ha! What a quaint little list!
    Games that are given a very hard to earn 10 drop under the radar!
    Best games that have not released in EUROland!
    A list that doesn't even make any sense because of the way it's made.

    A pictoresque little game as number one lol! If you accept nerd simulator as number one, then pokemon, nintendogs, need for speed or even plain old tetris could be number one.
    What a deliberate effort to put something quaint as number one!

    What a crapola list. This is like asking a bunch of girls that only watch the news and soap operas on tv which are the best programs! Ridiculous.

    Some professionals haven't even played the top games of the year.

    There is even someone saying that he wouldn't put his best game of the year at number one, lol!
    ...

  • smelly #366 5 years ago

    @kato:

    You obviously werent around when it happened. EG got an exclusive on sensible soccer and gave it 9/10, but everyone else slagged it off.

    Which led most people on these forums to start slagging off EG for fibbing or wotever (despite ignoring that maybe, just maybe they DID actually enjoy it).

    ... erm.. ah soddit.. i cant be bothered.
    Edited by 1 at 03/01/07 @ 02:21

  • Harmonica #367 5 years ago

    zendragon: "best games of the year" /= "top games of the year".

  • miiiguel #368 5 years ago

    you guys are still on that "system wars" crap ? Man..., that's so passe...
    360 allready sold 10 millions, it's here to stay. Just don't talk about it, maybe if you try real hard you can pretend there's only Playstation (my mother also keeps calling Playstation to my 360, but she's older than you Sony-old-timers, I bet...). Can we move on now ?

    And (smelly and friends): do you guys feel hip to bash on a game that everybody plays, I mean... there are going to be sequels, lots of them for Gears, you're gonna have to look at it, whetever you want it or not (welcome to the capitalist world), and mark my words Psychonauts; Oddworld, and those great games are unfortunatly dead. May they rest in peace in your dreams...

    This list is funny, like almost every single article on EG, it has an attitude and very little relevance.
    Edited by 3 at 04/01/07 @ 17:56