System War's Must-Play Games This Gen: Voting Closes Monday at Midnight

The Wii-U is coming.

It's hard to believe, folks, but this generation is ending. In a little more than a month, everything changes. Hell, System Wars might even get interesting again.

With that in mind, we at System Wars Monthly have decided to determine the Essential 50 Games you had to play this gen. So we decided to make a list, and write some articles. Initially, we were going to do this among the SWM staff.

But this is System Wars. And what is System Wars if not a putrid, filthy, democracy made up of the cries of the unwashed masses?

Which is why I, DarkLink, King of System Wars and Lord of Hate, propsed we put the question to you, the people.

Notice we said "Essential," not best. What's the difference, you ask? An essential game could be a bad game, or a game you don't like. Take Wii Sports or Duke Nukem Forever, for instance. One isn't one of the games we like to talk about, and the other is pretty bad. But they both represent some of what this gen has been about, and they've been a key part of it.

So when we say "essential, think of it this way: If you were trying to explain this generation to someone, and you had 50 games, and only 50 games, what games would you give them? What defines this gen?

The Rules:

1. You'll make a list of ten games. The first game on the list will receive 10 points, the second game 9 points, the third 8 points, and so on. We'll tally the points, and combine it with the list made by our editors. This will be the Essential 50.

For example:

1. Wii Sports - This would gets 10 points

2. Call of Duty 4 - This would get 9 points

3. Gears of War -etc

4. League of Legends

5. The Legends of Zelda: Skyward Sword

6. Duke Nukem Forever

7. Halo 3

8. StarCraft II

9. Super Mario Galaxy 2

10. Rock Band

2. Please no games from the same franchise. If you pick a Halo game, pick one Halo game. Same with Call of Duty, Uncharted, etc.

Optional: Write a little blurb about why this game is essential. It can be as long or short as you want. The best ones will be featured with the list. If you're really attached to a game that gets voted in and you want to do the full write-up on it, please PM me once I've posted the results. After all, this is a community thing. And hopefully, it'll be fun. You're welcome.

FAQ:

Q: What games count?

A:These are the gamest that count this gen.

Games on the DS
Games on the PSP
Games on the 360
Games on the PS3
PC Games that came out November 05, and after(probably should count all 05 games).

Games on the Wii.

Remakes, port jobs, and sh1t like that don't count. This gen is defined by the hardware and major players. What the GBA got(like Mother 3 and its excellence) and what the 3DS got don't really count to what happened with this gen. 3DS in a lot of ways is kickstarting the next gen. Handhelds just seem to go first for whatever reason.

-Thanks to jg4xchamp for the above.

Q: Why can I only have one game per franchise?

A: This is to prevent one series (Call of Duty, Uncharted, Halo, etc) from taking up a significant number of slots. If you really feel stringly about it, feel free to post in the thread, give your reasons, and we'll see.

Q: So, wait, I can do the write up for one of the games?

A: Yes. Once all the votes are tallied, we will determine the final list, which will be posted in a separate thread. If anyone wants to do the write up after that, all they have to do is PM me. Write-ups will be assigned on a first come, first served basis, unless other circumstances apply.

1. Uncharted 3
2. Call of Duty: MW2
3. God of War 3
4. Mass Effect 2
5. Final Fantasy XIII-2
6. Little Big Planet
7. Ratchet and Clank: Crack in Time
8. infamous 2
9. valkyria chronicles
10. b1

woo for top 10

1- Uncharted 2

2- God of War III

3- Metal Gear Solid 4

4- Mass Effect 2

5- Batman Arkham City

6- Red Dead Redemption

7- Assassin's Creed II

8- Demon's Souls

9- Portal 2

10- Heavy Rain

I guess dude change it to 10 now.

Change my list and rearranged the order based on points system.

Ah, nice. I only have one question, do handheld games count?charizard1605

Well this is pretty hard with so many awesome games, oh well

1. Metal Gear Solid 4
2. Uncharted 2
3. Mass Effect 2
4. Super Mario Galaxy 2
5. P0rtal2
6. Demons Souls
7. Arkham City
8. Skyrim
9. Little Big Planet
10. Braid

Maybe I'll do a few edits...

Ah, nice. I only have one question, do handheld games count?charizard1605

When have they ever counted?

[spoiler] You owe me $15 for posting, Darklink [/spoiler]

[QUOTE="charizard1605"]Ah, nice. I only have one question, do handheld games count?DarkLink77

1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2. Mass Effect 2
3. Assassin's Creed II
4. Super Mario Galaxy 2
5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
6. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
7. Mario Kart DS
8. Wii Sports
9. Gears of War
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops

[QUOTE="DarkLink77"][QUOTE="charizard1605"]Ah, nice. I only have one question, do handheld games count?charizard1605

Noooo i forgot about Mass Effect!..argh this 5 list is dumb.. this has to be list the top 20 >.<

[QUOTE="DarkLink77"][QUOTE="charizard1605"]Ah, nice. I only have one question, do handheld games count?charizard1605

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="DarkLink77"] Everything counts, as long as it was released after the 360.finalstar2007

Noooo i forgot about Mass Effect!..argh this 5 list is dumb.. this has to be list the top 20 >.<

1. Call of Duty 4

2. World of Warcraft

3. Wii Sports

4. Braid

5. Portal

6. Uncharted 2

7. Left 4 Dead

8. Bioshock

9. Team Fortress 2

10. Rock Band

i hope you arent ranking the 50, there no such thing as first, third, 12th most generation-defining game. many different trends in this gen.

[QUOTE="charizard1605"]Ah, nice. I only have one question, do handheld games count?Yangire

When have they ever counted?

[spoiler] You owe me $15 for posting, Darklink [/spoiler]

1. Super Mario Galaxy 2

2. Witcher 2

3. Monster Hunter Tri

4.Super Smash bros brawl

5. Sonic generations

6.Wii Sports

7.Uncharted 2

8. Portal

9.Borderlands

10.Halo 3

1. Battlefield 3

2. Diablo III

3. Left4Dead2

4. Portal 2

5. The Witcher 2

Edited my top 10

What defined this gen?

1. CoD MW2
2. Gears of War
3. Minecraft
4. Wii Sports
5. Final Fantasy 13 not only defines the franchises downfall, but also the dive in quality of console JRPG's in general.
6. Uncharted 2
7. Castle Crashers I just chose a random XBLA game, to show the rise in popularity of download only console games.
8. TES4 Oblivion This was not only the first game to show how to do DLC poorly (Horse Armor), but also how to do it right (Shivering Isles).
9. Mass Effect One of the first RPG's to show the shift from JRPG's on consoles to Western ones.
10. Dance Central

Gears of War and Oblivion are the only game on this list that enjoyed. And even Gears got old by the time I got to Gears 3.

Pokemon Black and White

Call of Duty Modern Warfare

Batman Arkham City

Portal 2

Mario Kart DS

Journey

Uncharted 2

Grand Theft Auto China Town Wars

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Demon Souls

[QUOTE="Yangire"]

[QUOTE="charizard1605"]Ah, nice. I only have one question, do handheld games count?DarkLink77

When have they ever counted?

[spoiler] You owe me $15 for posting, Darklink [/spoiler]

I listened to a mans plea, his request. He asked for support in this threads time of need and I responded.

[spoiler] But my fee is $15 [/spoiler]

Also, guys, don't forget to change your lists to top 10. We probably won't get 50 games otherwise.

1. MGS4
2. Human Revolution
3. Max Payne 3
4. Uncharted 3
5. God of War 3
6. Infamous 2
7. Demon's Souls
8. Dark Souls
9. Skyrim
10. Fallout 3

[QUOTE="DarkLink77"][QUOTE="Yangire"]

When have they ever counted?

[spoiler] You owe me $15 for posting, Darklink [/spoiler]

Yangire

I listened to a mans plea, his request. He asked for support in this threads time of need and I responded.

[spoiler] But my fee is $15 [/spoiler]

[QUOTE="Yangire"]

[QUOTE="DarkLink77"] Dafuq do I owe you money?Jonwh18

I listened to a mans plea, his request. He asked for support in this threads time of need and I responded.

[spoiler] But my fee is $15 [/spoiler]

1. Bioshock
2. HL2: Ep2
3. Portal
4. Left 4 Dead 2
5. Mirrors Edge
6. Skyrim
7. STALKER
8. Metro 2033
9. Uncharted 2
10. Trine

i cant write borderlands on my post cuz it keeps saying cencored so i wrote it s b1 :(

i cant write borderlands on my post cuz it keeps saying cencored so i wrote it s b1 :(

finalstar2007

1) Braid

2) Demon's Souls

3) Portal

4) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

5) L.A. Noire

6) Bioshock

7) Left 4 Dead

8) Mass Effect 3

9) Madworld

10) Wii Sports

It seems more like games indicative of the generation than must-plays (I guess that might be reason enough to play them) so that's what I listed.

Well this is pretty hard with so many awesome games, oh well

1. Metal Gear Solid 4
2. Uncharted 2
3. Mass Effect 2
4. Super Mario Galaxy 2
5. P0rtal2
6. Demons Souls
7. Arkham City
8. Skyrim
9. Little Big Planet
10. Braid

Maybe I'll do a few edits...

Giancar

1. The World Ends With You
2. Super Mario Galaxy
3. Bayonetta
4. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
5. Dark Souls
6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
7. Super Street Fighter IV
8. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
9. Gears of War 3
10. Assassin's Creed II

1. The World Ends With You
2. Super Mario Galaxy
3. Bayonetta
4. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
5. Dark Souls
6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
7. Super Street Fighter IV
8. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
9. Gears of War 3
10. Assassin's Creed II

Aljosa23

1. Super Meat Boy

2. To the Moon

3. Starcraft 2

4. LittleBigPlanet

5. Dark Souls

6. World of Goo

7. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare

8. Team Fortress 2

9. Gears of War

10. Trials Evolution

So, essential games, eh...When I think of how this gen is defined I think of accessibility and the "blue ocean." Almost all games now a days are focused on being less complex and bringing in a new market. As an extension, games are more about action than strategy or player choice. Under all that, I also think of online and multiplayer which have taken a big turn this gen, for sure.

1. Wii Sports. Hits most of the key points about this gen and is the game that started it all. It's more about being casual and accessible, rather than complex or deep. It defines motion controls and easy interface. It's about having fun with friends and turns gaming into something perceived as "cool" which is what this whole gen has been about.
2. COD4. A lot of CODs success, I think, is based off of Wii Sports. COD is popular because it's easy to get into, fun, and doesn't require much out of you. Many games are focused more on accomplishing this, now a days.
3. Uncharted 2. A lot of people like to say Uncharted hasn't done a lot to the industry because it's mechanics aren't what you would call "innovative" but that is just lol worthy. Since Uncharted 2 has released, the popularity of flashy scripted events, and high action based scenarios and cinematics sky rocketed. COD copied it, Dead Space copied it, Resi 6 copied it *insert game* copied it.
4. Gears of War. Gears of War has defined how a lot of game play this gen (as well as look), through it's mechanics and multiplayer. 3rd person cover shooters are a dime a dozen and everything has horde mode.
5. LittleBigPlanet. LBP has created a new type of multiplayer and community. You have the whole creation aspect and the sidescrolling multiplayer element LBP certainly made popular (the creation aspect, I feel will become it's own next gen). It's something you see a lot of now a days. I think a lot of LBPs influence will spread into Next-Gen too, which is more than I can say about the games above.
6. (EDIT: Just realized it's 10 not 5. Will just list them now)League of Legends
7. Assassin's Creed
8. Red Dead Redemption
9. Braid
10. Err...I guess Minecraft

As for next gen, I think Skyward Sword is going to be the game people keep coming back to when they think of a game that's had the most impact on the future. Next gen is going to be a lot about user interface and control. Skyward Sword fit right down that alley and is simply just far beyond all game this gen in that aspect. Like I said though, it's true impact won't be seen till next gen.

1. Starcraft 2

2, Super Mario Galaxy 2

3. Guild Wars 2

4. Uncharted 2

5. Crysis

6. Demon Souls

7. Portal 2

8. Team Fortress 2

9. Minecraft

10. Wii Sports

1. The Witcher 2

2. Starcraft 2

3. Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations

4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

6. Super Mario Galaxy

7. Serious Sam 3: BFE

8. World of Warcraft (2004, but still supported through expansions so it counts right?)

9. Darksiders 2

10. Crysis

1. The Witcher 2

2. Starcraft 2

3. Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations

4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

6. Super Mario Galaxy

7. Serious Sam 3: BFE

8. World of Warcraft (2004, but still supported through expansions so it counts right?)

9. Darksiders 2

10. Resident Evil: Revelations

ChubbyGuy40

[QUOTE="ChubbyGuy40"]

1. The Witcher 2

2. Starcraft 2

3. Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations

4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

6. Super Mario Galaxy

7. Serious Sam 3: BFE

8. World of Warcraft (2004, but still supported through expansions so it counts right?)

9. Darksiders 2

10. Resident Evil: Revelations

charizard1605

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="ChubbyGuy40"]

1. The Witcher 2

2. Starcraft 2

3. Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations

4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

6. Super Mario Galaxy

7. Serious Sam 3: BFE

8. World of Warcraft (2004, but still supported through expansions so it counts right?)

9. Darksiders 2

10. Resident Evil: Revelations

ArisShadows

3DS is next gen. I don't think it counts. Also, DS games that released before the 360 should count, no?

1. Red Dead Redemption
2. Bioshock
3. Assassin's Creed II
4. Alan Wake
5. Batman Arkham City
6. Gears of War
7. Heavy Rain
8. Mirrors Edge
9. Amnesia The Dark Descent
10. Team Fortress 2

3DS is next gen. I don't think it counts. Also, DS games that released before the 360 should count, no?

AmayaPapaya

1 - Mass Effect 2 (It's really the trilogy that should be considered. The three ME games make for one of the best gaming experiences you could have this generation. But as it's only one game, let's pick the best of the three.)
.
2 - The Orange Box
3 - Batman Arkham City
4 - Bioshock
5 -Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
6 - Bayonetta
7 - Tomb Raider Anniversary
8 - Gears of War 3
9 - Civilization V
10 - Portal 2

To help darklink out. These are the gamest that count this gen.

Games on the DS
Games on the PSP
Games on the 360
Games on the PS3
PC Games that came out November 05, and after(probably should count all 05 games).

Remakes, port jobs, and sh1t like that don't count. This gen is defined by the hardware and major players. What the GBA got(like Mother 3 and its excellence) and what the 3DS got don't really count to what happened with this gen. 3DS in a lot of ways is kickstarting the next gen. Handhelds just seem to go first for whatever reason.

To help darklink out. These are the gamest that count this gen.

Games on the DS
Games on the PSP
Games on the 360
Games on the PS3
PC Games that came out November 05, and after(probably should count all 05 games).

Remakes, port jobs, and sh1t like that don't count. This gen is defined by the hardware and major players. What the GBA got(like Mother 3 and its excellence) and what the 3DS got don't really count to what happened with this gen. 3DS in a lot of ways is kickstarting the next gen. Handhelds just seem to go first for whatever reason.

jg4xchamp

[QUOTE="jg4xchamp"]

To help darklink out. These are the gamest that count this gen.

Games on the DS
Games on the PSP
Games on the 360
Games on the PS3
PC Games that came out November 05, and after(probably should count all 05 games).

Remakes, port jobs, and sh1t like that don't count. This gen is defined by the hardware and major players. What the GBA got(like Mother 3 and its excellence) and what the 3DS got don't really count to what happened with this gen. 3DS in a lot of ways is kickstarting the next gen. Handhelds just seem to go first for whatever reason.

siLVURcross