Video games have really evolved in the last decade, mainly thanks to advancements in computer hardware and rendering technology. The first games were made for dedicated devices, sort of like the modern consoles (PS3, Xbox, etc.).
A lot of people may also remember those old arcade game boxes, and there are still a lot of them out today, though I’m guessing they’re not that popular anymore. Why go somewhere to play an outdated game when you can gather with your friends at home and play the latest, high-quality games?
Anyway, the computer is the ultimate test ground for new games with the latest effects, because of it’s modularity and availability of high performance parts (video cards, processors, memory, etc.), that is why you’ll see the most realistic games only for PC. It’s only later that they get released for the consoles.
The last 5 years, there’s been a dramatic increase in the video quality of the games, making a lot of them look just like movies, only more colored and vivid. You’ve got to have a very good computer to see all of their beauty, but it’s totally worth it.
Here are some of the best FPS (First Person Shooters, which traditionally get the latest and greatest graphic improvements first) games of this decade (and mainly the last 5 years), that have introduced a lot of new stuff to the video gaming world and changed the way some people see and play video games.
Crysis. Easily one of the best video games ever made, Crysis was like a small revolution when it came out. With its superb graphics (made even better by DirectX 10), great story and a very interesting open game play, it captivated people’s mind and attention all over the world. It follows the story of a US Special Forces team clad in a lot of advanced technology sent to save an archeological team that was captured by North Koreans on a remote Pacific island. If that is not enough, I will say that you will also have to fight off invading aliens. There is also an expansion available, plus the second game is coming out this summer with better graphics and features, so gamers will have a good time this year.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. This game has given a new life to the Call of Duty series and finally showed game companies that there are other modern wars in the world worth exploring besides the first 2 World Wars. The game is set in an alternate reality/fictional Earth, where you play a few roles, including a British SAS operative and a US marine. You find yourself in various missions from boarding a ship taken by terrorists to fighting a war in a certain Middle East country, and the level of realism is simply stunning. You just have to have a good computer for this AND a seriously good audio system, to be able to enjoy it fully. After completing the single player campaign (with all of its plot twists), all you’ll be able to say is “Wow!”. But the perks of Modern Warfare don’t end here: there’s also the excellent multiplayer mode, which will allow you to play with anyone anywhere in the world, and create real battles and wars of your own. It’s basically the Counter Strike of the new decade. The second game, Modern Warfare 2, continues where the first one left off and introduces only a few minor improvements, but it’s still worth playing. The bad thing about these 2 games is that they’re too short! But fortunately, they’re also quite replayable.
Mass Effect. This is another excellent game, which is technically a First Person Shooter with elements of an RPG (you’ve got a team to command and an inventory, for example). Unlike the previous 2, it’s set in a galaxy far, far away, but the battles are still fought on the ground. The graphics and effects are also fantastic (and I mean it, the game was not made to be a realistic representation of combat, its universe has its own physics), and the battles are great fun. You play as John Sheppard, a Spectre (special agent under direct government command) and command your own ship, the Normandy, a state of the art human vessel, sent on various missions that help save the galaxy and all the races. Yes, it’s as amazing as it sounds, plus the game is vey open – you can go wherever you want before, between or after the main missions. You can search for new weapons, fight pirates, take on other various missions, etc. This ensures you’ll have a lot of playtime and a great replayability, but sometimes it gets tiring sitting int eh front of that galaxy map on your ship.
Far Cry. This game set the standard for modern First Person Shooters, with it’s vast map and open game play, which allows you to go anywhere, do almost anything, drive vehicles, and shoot realistic guns with real problems (like jams and finite bullets). The first game is set in a jungle, where you wash on its shores after you ship comes under attack because of the woman you were hired to sail around the Pacific. The second one sends you on an assassination mission in Africa, and the graphics there are even more stunning. While playing these games, you’ll start to feel like the character, lonely and in danger, as everyone is your enemy and tries to shoot you down (though the jungles in the first game are way scarier than the huts, rocks and armed men in the second one).
BioShock. The last game on this list is also a great game due to its vey unique setting, story and gameplay. Of course, the great graphics are there and they play a good role in delivering the game, but it’s the story that keeps you hooked and wondering until the end. You play as a lone survivor of a plane crash that has found a secret, underwater city called Rapture that was created by a megalomaniacal businessman as a place where there are no rules and no government and people are free to do whatever they want. This leads to a lot of scientific advancements in the city, but the complete lack of control leads to its downfall, as people don’t want to work in low positions like cleaners and maintenance stuff, plus all of them start taking a drug that enhances their physical and mental abilities, but, unknown to them, slowly leads to insanity.
So, when you get there, you’ll find only madmen trying to attack you and a few still-sane people guiding you to the answer and exit. The ending is the most surprising, but another element of the gameplay that makes it great is the Little Sisters, who extract the ADAM drug from dead bodies. You are always in a dilemma: kill them and get more of the drug or save them and get less of it, but have a clear conscience. You use the drug to fight off the mad guys, so it’s pretty necessary, but are you willing to kill little children for it? The choices you make affect the ending. All in all, you just have to check it out to see just how amazing it is.
These are all excellent games, and there are a lot of other god games both in the FPS and other genres. You just have to check them out to see what makes them so special. You’d also want to have a powerful computer with a good video card to see all of the beauty they present.
