Numbers 9 -7.
9) Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
I have a confession to make, Halo 3 was the first, and is the only Halo game of the series I've actually played. With the 1st two, I never owned an original Xbox (I was a PS2 boy). And I've never got round to playing them, even though I could on my 360. (I have Halo 2 now, just not played it yet). As a result the whole Halo phenomenon kinda passed me by. Yeah I was aware of it, but in all honesty I just didn't pay too much attention to it. Due to this, it took me around 6 months to pick up Halo 3 once I got my 360, and that was only cos it was cheap. But I must say I'm glad I eventually got into it. I enjoyed the Campaign, even though I sucked at it. (Honestly, for a gamer of 20 years you wouldn't believe how rubbish I am at most games). The reason why I loved it was because I played it co-op online. First on 'Normal' with my housemate Charlie, then on 'Legendary' with Charlie and a friend of ours a few months later. As I said, I sucked (I won't lie - I was carried through the game). I still enjoyed it though. The co-op added so much fun to it. Much like my GoW experience, 'fighting' the enemies along side real friends added a sense of camaraderie to the campaign. I felt gameplay was an ease too. Its a game you can pick up for 1st time and within minutes you feel completly comfortabke with it.
And then there's the multiplayer. Halo 3 is the game I've spent most time online with. Again, I suck. But I slowly have gotten better. For first few months I get 1-2 kills a game. Then 3-4. I'd say I now average 10-12 kills a game. Not great I know, but hey, it's an improvement. It's easy to play and even with Reach being out, there are still people playing Halo 3 online. It's easy to pick up and easy to find a game. But like the Campaign, I suck, but I enjoy it. And at the end of the day that's the whole point of playing.
8) Assassin's Creed 2 (Xbox 360/PS3)
I love the Assassin's Creed games, And the 2nd game is a shining example of the series. It has all the qualities of a top next-gen game. It has great graphics, showing off great scenery. It has superb gameplay, improving vastly on the first game. Having listening to fans they ironed out the little niggles that almost stopped the 1st being a great game (only almost though). Like swimming. That may not sound like much, but in the 1st game, you'd drown in 2 feet of water. That was extremely annoying. But sorted for the 2nd game. Then there's the storyline. I don't want to spoil anything, I'll just say it's awesome. Too many games in this generation of consoles lack too much in the story aspect of the game. (Including games on my list GoW and Halo 3). Yes, they're superb games with fantastic gameplay and graphics, but great stories they don't have. And without a great story I sometimes find it hard to fully care and get excited about what's going on. With AC2 the story keeps you gripped and makes you want to carry on. And for that's the shining factor with this game. And throw in the great graphics and gameplay and you've got a great title. If you haven't played it, I'd advise picking up AC1, 2 and Brotherhood and starting them soon. And trust me, by the time you're finished you won't be able to wait for Assassin's Creed Revelations when it comes out in November.
7) Resident Evil 2 (ps1)
Survival Horror was massive. And looking back it's easy to see why. This is, in my opinion the finest example of the genre. The 1st game was superb, but I think it was a little before it's time. Plus there was the hilarious bad voice acting. But Resi 2 just improved everything. The graphics and voice acting are great (for the time). The storyline is great, exploring further the horrors of Raccoon City, moving from the Mansion to Raccoon City Police Station. The characters are good additions to the Resi World. Policeman Leon S. Kennedy is up there with Chris Redfield, and there's Chris' younger sister Claire. And with both characters there is separate intertwining campaign missions. 2 for each character, spanning over 2 discs. The constant threat of running out of ammo with a horde of zombies in front of you is always there. As a result you're always glad to a save point. I just think this was the best game in the series before it went down the action-horror route starting with Resi 4. If you can get ya hands on a copy you should, and either re-visit an old great or experience the horror for the first time.
