I played 29 Xbox 360 games for fun in 2008 and finished 11 of them.
As I did last year, I've compiled a list of the games that I played for fun in 2008. One list per major gaming platform.
(Check out the rest of my 2008 Gaming Playlists for other platforms, updated daily until New Year's.)
Today's entry is all about the Xbox 360, the system on which I played and finished the most games in 2008.
What did I play? And which 11 games did I finish?
Take a look below:
My 2008 Xbox 360 Playlist
(Games I completed are italicized)
1) Army of Two - I played this with Joystiq's Chris Grant. We played a couple of levels and I wasn't enjoying myself.
2) Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts - I was skeptical that a "Banjo" return was going to be anything better than a "Phantom Menace," but the vehicle-based platforming plays well and the game looks great.
3) Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway - This was my first "Brothers in Arms." I like the strategic cover-based squad-shooter gameplay. I'd like to play more.
4) Call of Duty: World At War - Better than I expected and a continuation of the franchise's welcome dabbling with the morally-compromised moments of warfare.
5) Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
6) Fable II - Possibly my game of the year, but I can't say for sure before playing a lot more of the next two games on the list. What I can say already is that all role-playing game makers should study up on Lionhead's ability to offer side quest after side quest that neither feel frivolous or become forgettable.
7) Fallout 3
8 ) Far Cry 2
9) Gears of War 2 - I played through co-op with Newsweek's N'Gai Croal. I got annihilated in competitive multiplayer against Soulja Boy.
10) Grand Theft Auto IV - Loved Brooklyn (Broker). Liked Queens (Dukes). Liked the Bronx (Bohan). Loved Manhattan (Algonquin). Disliked New Jersey (Alderney).
11) Infinite Undiscovery or The Last Remnant - I could look up which of these oddly named role-playing games I played through the first dungeon of. But I'm running short on time. Decent excuse?
12) Kane & Lynch - Jeff Gerstmann was right? For the most part. But this buddy crime adventure has some surprisingly powerful emotional moments and some spectacular police shootouts.
13) Lost Odyssey - I actually liked this Japanese role-playing game, but I don't think I have enough time to get back to it.
14) Left4Dead - I co-opped this one with N'Gai and still remember the drama of having the helicopter leave me behind.
15) Lego Indiana Jones
16) Madden NFL 09 - Yeah, I played a sports game this year.
17) Ninja Gaiden II
18) Overlord
19) Prince of Persia - Has the second-best ending of the year and is the first-best platformer. Gamers who like to think deeply about games need to play this one, through to the end.
20) Rock Band 2 - Thanks for the no-fail mode, Harmonix. That makes this game much more fun at parties.
21) Shadowrun - I finally tried it. And learned that only people with ninja skills are still playing this (then again, compared to me, everyone on Xbox Live is a ninja).
22) Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
23) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - This had some of the best story-telling and graphics of any game in 2008.
24) Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 - Played this a little online with Kotaku's Brian Crecente.
25) Tomb Raider: Underworld - This was my first "Tomb Raider." I'd like it more if there was less combat and puzzles that felt even more natural. The animation's amazing, though.
26) Too Human - I'm eager to go back to this game and see if the parts I liked held up. Those parts were the basic combat and leveling systems. I was not a fan, however, of the overly large levels. Good storyline conclusion, though. I hope we get a sequel to see what's next.
27) Turning Point: Fall Of Liberty
28) Universe At War
29) Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise - I played many hours of this and expanded my garden to maximum size. Wonderful game with some amazingly cute critters.
(Game I missed - "Tom Clancy's End War.")
Xbox 360 Games of 2008: Played 29 / Finished 11
What did you play? And what did I miss?
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