Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Our first "next gen" game on the list, which is actually quite a shit list, looking back, is Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. This is such a man's game, yet so many women play it. This is why this makes it in, it's universal. Well, actually probably more unisex than universal, especially online.
Now, what makes this game great is its uncompromising and blatant similarity to the War on Terror, and it's lovely and well placed storyline featuring the player being able to blow the living hell out of basically anyone. The storyline deviates from previous Call of Duty games, and does not even bear even the slightest of resemblances to the overworked World War 2 game play and timeline. With improved gadgets, new guns, insane explosions, open ended arenas, new threats and more challenging game play, this game is simply quite awesome. The game culminates it's power in it's ability to immerse the player so completely into the role of the heroin (the hero, not the drug), and allowing YOU to perform most if not all of the hard work. Even though I am an American, I was growing tired of the old American bravado prevailing and winning the war for the rest of the useless world. So it was nice to see Britain actually doing something for once, even if they won't in real life (). Still, did think it was a bit much to have basically every American racially wiped out in an atomic blast, but hey, that's war. Not to mention the last surviving moments of Paul Jackson's life being playable in a post apocalyptic shithole.
Great game and the online mode is reason enough to buy this game, although prestige mode IS a bit of a gimmick.
The Sims 2
Strange as it may be, the highest selling games around seem to be the ones where you basically play yourself living out your rather shitty and unproductive life. Although with the Sims 2, your shitty and unproductive life isn't shitty and unproductive at all, in fact, it is the epitome of everything you'd like it to be, and thus, a high selling game is born. Being you controlling you, the game in theory is actually a mind-bending consecutive mirror, like an image in a mirror, reflecting a mirror, reflecting a mirror and reflecting a mirror into eternity.
With catastrophic events such as a family member nonchalantly incinerating in a kitchen blaze (which, oddly enough, they won't seem to move off the spot) to life altering happy altercations such as coming home from work to be promoted to King of Earth even though you were a lowly lab technician three days prior, this game is simply the embodiment of mindless self indulgence and self promotion. Amazing at it may be (and as unrealistic as it may be) the Sims 2 grants every player the power to live out their perfect lives, even if it's in a somewhat abstract and chaotic way. Just don't forget to use the toilet, or you may end up casually pissing yourself like an old age pensioner upon winning the lottery on the front garden in front of the paperboy.
Manhunt
Violence is not the answer. History as well as many a wet-blanket school guidance counsellor has told us this. That is, of course, unless you happen to be James Earl Cash (which is actually a pretty wank name) and you're surrounded by a large number of thuggish morons with a taste for killing. So, for the snuff! The beautifully visceral aspect of thrill in this game is executed (no pun intended) perfectly as your only intention in this nightmarish prospect of a game is to slaughter as many foes as is humanly possible using only the common household objects and blunt instruments you find strewn around the rat infested shithole that is Carcer City.
Not only that, but why not do it as violently as conceivably possible whilst catching it on tape!? Not only is this game fucking awesome, it is Rockstar's second entry upon our twisted list of craziness, making itself viable for honorary mention in the Game of the Year awards. Sadly, this game has been blamed for many a murder, because the actual crimes were...."similar" to those depicted in Manhunt. For example, one man was found stabbed to death-yeah, nobody would have thought of that, it must have been a sick, twisted idea that spawned from Dan Houser's supposedly sick mind.
Overall, I say this game is so simplistic in nature, yet also so damn challenging. The synopsis is basically get from one point to another against a maniacal catalogue of lunatics and murderers out for your blood, slaying as many as possible with decapitations, strangling, blindings, electrocution, beatings, bludgeoning, burnings, stabbings and impalement.
