Chase

The convenience of buying these cheap games may bite us in the ass later in life.
 
God forbid Steam servers shut down and you miss the chance to re-download all your games. Or games start being "always online," then we're screwed either way if the servers go down. Then I wasted hundreds of dollars on games I'm never going to play. Maybe I did that anyway.
 
Digital is supposed to make me feel like my games are more secure and accessible, not less. At this point in time, I still don't feel like digital is a better deal, just equal or maybe even less. Hard drive space is limited, downloads take a long time (especially PS4 games), and I can't return or sell my digital purchases. Bought a shitty game? Too bad. 
 
With that said, I do think most companies are at least attempting to give me access to my purchases, albeit in different ways.
 
Valve is probably my favorite model right now, but even they aren't perfect. For instance, even with Steam, I still don't technically "own" my game, I buy a license to use it for an indefinite amount of time. One could argue that a license bought at $7 is still a fantastic deal, and it is, but you can also purchase new games for $49.99 or more with the same stipulations, so it isn't perfect.
 
Sony is probably the next best to Valve, with Playstation Plus giving me access to free rentals of relatively new games for as long as my subscription lasts. They also allow cross-buy with PS4, PS3, and Vita, so you don't have to repurchase the same game twice or thrice. And, as far as I can tell, they are attempting to give PS4 users access to their PS1, PS2, and possibly PS3 digital libraries with emulators and Playstation Now. 
 
Nintendo has a stick up their ass, and they do some baffling things. Like tying digital purchases to a console. So that if the console breaks (it inevitably will), you have to send the console to Nintendo to get it fixed. 30 years from now (let's be honest, I'll still be replaying Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time in 30 years), will my Wii U still work? Will Nintendo still fix it if it doesn't? They seem to be fixing this problem with Club Nintendo, sort of. If you connect your Club Nintendo profile with your Wii U and 3DS, all the purchases now show up on both systems. That said, if you want to buy the same game for Wii U and the 3DS, like Megaman 2 for instance, you have to purchase it twice. This is aggravating and archaic, when Sony and Valve both allow cross-compatibility. Also, how many times do I have to repurchase the same game before I can call it good? I swear I've bought Mario 64 at least 3 times, and I've bought Ocarina of Time over 7. "Play it on the system you bought it," isn't a very logical argument, because obviously as new tech comes out I'm going to be upgrading and there is only so much room under my television. Game companies need to figure this stuff out now before we move further into digital products. Nintendo is very much still in the past and is (in my opinion) ripping customers off by making them purchase the same game multiple times if they want to play it on a new system.
 
Xbox isn't doing backwards compatibility at all. So. Uh. Not like they have many good games of the past anyway, but it would be REALLY NICE to play my digital 360 library, Microsoft. What the puppy are you doing? Kinect?

The convenience of buying these cheap games may bite us in the ass later in life.
 
God forbid Steam servers shut down and you miss the chance to re-download all your games. Or games start being "always online," then we're screwed either way if the servers go down. Then I wasted hundreds of dollars on games I'm never going to play. Maybe I did that anyway.
 
Digital is supposed to make me feel like my games are more secure and accessible, not less. At this point in time, I still don't feel like digital is a better deal, just equal or maybe even less. Hard drive space is limited, downloads take a long time (especially PS4 games), and I can't return or sell my digital purchases. Bought a shitty game? Too bad. 
 
With that said, I do think most companies are at least attempting to give me access to my purchases, albeit in different ways.
 
Valve is probably my favorite model right now, but even they aren't perfect. For instance, even with Steam, I still don't technically "own" my game, I buy a license to use it for an indefinite amount of time. One could argue that a license bought at $7 is still a fantastic deal, and it is, but you can also purchase new games for $49.99 or more with the same stipulations, so it isn't perfect.
 
Sony is probably the next best to Valve, with Playstation Plus giving me access to free rentals of relatively new games for as long as my subscription lasts. They also allow cross-buy with PS4, PS3, and Vita, so you don't have to repurchase the same game twice or thrice. And, as far as I can tell, they are attempting to give PS4 users access to their PS1, PS2, and possibly PS3 digital libraries with emulators and Playstation Now. 
 
Nintendo has a stick up their ass, and they do some baffling things. Like tying digital purchases to a console. So that if the console breaks (it inevitably will), you have to send the console to Nintendo to get it fixed. 30 years from now (let's be honest, I'll still be replaying Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time in 30 years), will my Wii U still work? Will Nintendo still fix it if it doesn't? They seem to be fixing this problem with Club Nintendo, sort of. If you connect your Club Nintendo profile with your Wii U and 3DS, all the purchases now show up on both systems. That said, if you want to buy the same game for Wii U and the 3DS, like Megaman 2 for instance, you have to purchase it twice. This is aggravating and archaic, when Sony and Valve both allow cross-compatibility. Also, how many times do I have to repurchase the same game before I can call it good? I swear I've bought Mario 64 at least 3 times, and I've bought Ocarina of Time over 7. "Play it on the system you bought it," isn't a very logical argument, because obviously as new tech comes out I'm going to be upgrading and there is only so much room under my television. Game companies need to figure this stuff out now before we move further into digital products. Nintendo is very much still in the past and is (in my opinion) ripping customers off by making them purchase the same game multiple times if they want to play it on a new system.
 
Xbox isn't doing backwards compatibility at all. So. Uh. Not like they have many good games of the past anyway, but it would be REALLY NICE to play my digital 360 library, Microsoft. What the puppy are you doing? Kinect?

Saw it here, too.

Why, as a society, are we so concerned with "testing" our knowledge? That we cram information into the heads of students at ridiculous speeds and in ridiculous amounts in the hopes that something will stick.
 
It's sick and absurd that I pay so much money for college, and yet I only get a 4 year education that briefly covers EVERYTHING EVER you're supposed to know. It's ridiculous. 
 
Experts are not so because of school. School is a building block to becoming an expert on a subject. Expertise takes time, patience, and a willingness to teach YOURSELF. I pay over 2000 dollars a semester for multiple "online" classes that I teach myself. Sure, the professor provides powerpoints, tests, etc. And you do receive a grade. But you NEVER meet in class. You never discuss things with fellow students, or the supposed expert. I teach myself, and I pay them to allow me to do it. I have issue with that.
 
I make As and Bs in classes where I have NO BUSINESS making those kinds of grades, because I do not learn the material! This is such a foundational flaw in the system. Not only is the system moving too fast to learn efficiently, but it's also moving too fast to test efficiently. We cram for tests, pass, then forget the material. 

I'm sorry, but can we just take a moment to chuckle a little bit at Phanta's post.

I want to say I'm sorry, because I unintentionally misled my friends on here. I didn't know better at the time, but that isn't a good excuse. Like most people, I was spouting what I had been taught, without much question. 
 
As a child, I always believed in God. I can't recall a time when I didn't. However, church, the concept of hell, and the seemingly different nature of a wrathful God and a forgiving God in the Old and New Testament, respectively, didn't sit well with me. They never have, and they still don't. 
 
Why would a God, who is the embodiment of love, torture and punish people forever? It has never made sense to me, and I've always either hid it in the back of my mind, or dismissed the notion entirely. When it came up in debates, I would usually point to it being the person's choice to choose to go to hell by disbelieving in Christ. Why anyone would choose it upon finding out that eternal damnation does exist, I have no idea. But that was my reasoning to explain away a hypocritical God. 
 
I've done a lot of reading and soul-searching since then, and I've figured some things out. It's complicated, but please bear with me as I try to explain what has changed in me.
 
Like I said, I've always had an issue with hell. After some intense studying and searching, I came across some sites that put the literal hebrew and greek interpretations next to the modern interpretations. It turns out, there's a lot that's changed.   First, there is no concept of an eternal soul in the Bible. Keep in mind, Spirit and soul are not interchangeable in this instance, they are different words with different meanings in the original Hebrew text. You will not find "immortal soul" anywhere in the Old Testament. Similarly, "hell," as it as been interpreted today, is nowhere in the Bible. There were actually 4 different words for hell, none of which describing an eternal fire. Sheol, Gehenna, Hades, and Tartarus. The Christian "hell" is a some combination of these.    "Sheol" means "the grave," which the King James translators wrongly translated to sometimes mean "hell." Conveniently, they only did this when it didn't pertain to God's people. The Israelites believed all people would go to "sheol." Do you think they meant grave, or hell? I'm assuming the former.   "Gehenna," also known as the Valley of Hinnom, is probably where most people derived their "fire and brimstone" version of hell from. It was a dumping ground for dead bodies that burned continuously outside of Jerusalem. It is a literal place that is filled with suburban homes today, lol. The bodies were burned continuously to avoid infection. Usually criminals and very sick people were burned there.   "Hades" is actually a pagan version of hell where souls go when they die. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the concept of hades. It's a Greek word, but they got it from the Egyptians "amenti," who probably got it from someone else. Dante's Inferno is a great interpretation of the Greek hades.   "Tartarus" is a place to punish angels. Humans are never said to go there anywhere in the Bible, by any translation.   Now that we have a better understanding of hell, and what it really is, we can apply this to Christian doctrine. Christians believe in a version of hades, which is from the Greeks, who got it from the Egyptians, etc. Why don't Christians believe in a hell inspired by Hebrew beliefs? They didn't have a hell! The original Hebrew text only used "sheol" which means the grave. It was later interpreted by the KJV translators to sometimes mean "the grave" and sometimes "hell." Why? To keep in line with what they'd been taught to believe!   Amenti begot hades, which begot hell. Nowhere in the New Testament, the one that WE Christians are supposed to follow, do the apostles warn of an eternal fire.    I feel like such a moron, because it's been right in front of my face this whole time, and I've either ignored it, or pushed it aside, choosing instead to believe that a Catholic church couldn't be wrong about the most important thing, right? Salvation? Right? Turns out, almost ALL Christian churches, Catholic and Protestant, are wrong.    Jesus Christ didn't die to save us from an eternal hell.   Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins (today!).   I'm going to pull from a website called mercifultruth.com. If you have some time, definitely go and read what he has to say about salvation.   THIS makes so much more sense. I implore you to go read the rest. Why has a God of eternal punishment and cruelty not ever made sense to me? Because that God doesn't exist!   God wants everyone to be saved. So, everyone will be saved. Whether through grace or by punishment. And the punishment isn't an eternal fire of hatred and evil, it is a measurable, just punishment. Mainly it seems our punishment is what we do to ourselves, not what God does to us. He simply gives us over to our own evil desires. After we have been sufficiently broken down and humbled, and we cry out to him, that is when we will be made new.   Jesus is trying to save us all from that right NOW, in our daily lives. The kingdom of God is NOW, and the only way to true "Life" is through Christ. He wants us to cast off our sins and live in the kingdom right in our daily lives. We don't have to wait till the afterlife to be free from sin. We can do it today. Right now. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, because it is going on as we speak. Our bodies are a temple, and Christ will reside in them if we ask. "Church" is not a physical place, but a spiritual one, that all true believers are a part of. It's a connection that forms a spiritual body.   Everyone will be saved eventually, but those who choose to believe and profess freely, those who choose to cast off sin, pick up their cross, and follow Christ, will be called "sons of God" and will be elite in the coming eons. They will reign with Christ over all the others, who will come into his kingdom after they have been humbled and profess that he is Lord.    THAT's what the apostles were warning about. They don't want people to experience the shame/brokenness of their own evil filth and desires.    The Prodigal Son parable is the perfect example of this.   A father (God) has two sons. One son (the righteous) helps his father and does everything that is asked of him. The other son (the sinner/unbeliever) doesn't want to work on the farm with his family. The prodigal son then goes to his father and asks for his inheritance, which his father gives him. Then the son precedes to waste it all on wild parties and lewd living. Eventually, he is forced to sell himself as a worker and cannot even feed himself. He often longs for the food that is fed to the pigs. Eventually, he wakes up and realizes how foolish he has been, that his father's servants always had food to eat. He gets up and goes to his father, willing to offer himself as a servant to his father in exchange for food. Instead, the father greets his son with open arms and slaughters the fattest calf in celebration of his arrival. The righteous son is angry with the father, saying "I've worked with you all these years and never left! Why do you celebrate him, when he's been gone all this time?!" The father replies, "Son. You know that I love you and all that I have is yours. But your brother was once lost and is now found."   In this way, unbelievers will go through a similar process of pride, then shame. They will eventually be brought into understanding, through God's reprimands.    God calls us to shed sin today, so that we may avoid this process, for sin leads to death and all kinds of evil desires. Instead, we are to put on the armor of Christ and live righteously, so that we may be purified in mind and spirit while our body is destroyed in death. God will raise those elect saints and they will serve as judges in the coming ages.    Also, the narrow gate that Jesus is referring to is this very process. Few people will choose to give up their lives in true service to God and other people. Most will not bother with it and will enter into the wide gate, which leads to punishment for your sins and eventual reconciliation.    Keep in mind that Christ's death on the cross was the most integral part to all of this. Christ could not conquer death for us if he were not able to do so for himself. Christians are so close to the truth, but still seem to fall short due to false teachings of the antichrists.    Anyway, I just wanted to apologize again for misleading you, as I have never had any intention of doing so. I always believe what I post, you can be sure of that. I love you guys and I can't tell you how relieved I am to come to the realization that I will see each and every one of you again with purified spiritual bodies.   Anyway, God bless <3   -Oh, a little p.s.- I was right in thinking that we actually, literally die. People aren't watching over you from heaven. You will definitely die. But Christ will raise us from the dead, so no worries there. It's not like you're going to have any feelings or emotions during death because, well, you're dead. So you won't realize you're dead. You'll just be dead.  

I want to say I'm sorry, because I unintentionally misled my friends on here. I didn't know better at the time, but that isn't a good excuse. Like most people, I was spouting what I had been taught, without much question. 
 
As a child, I always believed in God. I can't recall a time when I didn't. However, church, the concept of hell, and the seemingly different nature of a wrathful God and a forgiving God in the Old and New Testament, respectively, didn't sit well with me. They never have, and they still don't. 
 
Why would a God, who is the embodiment of love, torture and punish people forever? It has never made sense to me, and I've always either hid it in the back of my mind, or dismissed the notion entirely. When it came up in debates, I would usually point to it being the person's choice to choose to go to hell by disbelieving in Christ. Why anyone would choose it upon finding out that eternal damnation does exist, I have no idea. But that was my reasoning to explain away a hypocritical God. 
 
I've done a lot of reading and soul-searching since then, and I've figured some things out. It's complicated, but please bear with me as I try to explain what has changed in me.
 
Like I said, I've always had an issue with hell. After some intense studying and searching, I came across some sites that put the literal hebrew and greek interpretations next to the modern interpretations. It turns out, there's a lot that's changed.   First, there is no concept of an eternal soul in the Bible. Keep in mind, Spirit and soul are not interchangeable in this instance, they are different words with different meanings in the original Hebrew text. You will not find "immortal soul" anywhere in the Old Testament. Similarly, "hell," as it as been interpreted today, is nowhere in the Bible. There were actually 4 different words for hell, none of which describing an eternal fire. Sheol, Gehenna, Hades, and Tartarus. The Christian "hell" is a some combination of these.    "Sheol" means "the grave," which the King James translators wrongly translated to sometimes mean "hell." Conveniently, they only did this when it didn't pertain to God's people. The Israelites believed all people would go to "sheol." Do you think they meant grave, or hell? I'm assuming the former.   "Gehenna," also known as the Valley of Hinnom, is probably where most people derived their "fire and brimstone" version of hell from. It was a dumping ground for dead bodies that burned continuously outside of Jerusalem. It is a literal place that is filled with suburban homes today, lol. The bodies were burned continuously to avoid infection. Usually criminals and very sick people were burned there.   "Hades" is actually a pagan version of hell where souls go when they die. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the concept of hades. It's a Greek word, but they got it from the Egyptians "amenti," who probably got it from someone else. Dante's Inferno is a great interpretation of the Greek hades.   "Tartarus" is a place to punish angels. Humans are never said to go there anywhere in the Bible, by any translation.   Now that we have a better understanding of hell, and what it really is, we can apply this to Christian doctrine. Christians believe in a version of hades, which is from the Greeks, who got it from the Egyptians, etc. Why don't Christians believe in a hell inspired by Hebrew beliefs? They didn't have a hell! The original Hebrew text only used "sheol" which means the grave. It was later interpreted by the KJV translators to sometimes mean "the grave" and sometimes "hell." Why? To keep in line with what they'd been taught to believe!   Amenti begot hades, which begot hell. Nowhere in the New Testament, the one that WE Christians are supposed to follow, do the apostles warn of an eternal fire.    I feel like such a moron, because it's been right in front of my face this whole time, and I've either ignored it, or pushed it aside, choosing instead to believe that a Catholic church couldn't be wrong about the most important thing, right? Salvation? Right? Turns out, almost ALL Christian churches, Catholic and Protestant, are wrong.    Jesus Christ didn't die to save us from an eternal hell.   Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins (today!).   I'm going to pull from a website called mercifultruth.com. If you have some time, definitely go and read what he has to say about salvation.   THIS makes so much more sense. I implore you to go read the rest. Why has a God of eternal punishment and cruelty not ever made sense to me? Because that God doesn't exist!   God wants everyone to be saved. So, everyone will be saved. Whether through grace or by punishment. And the punishment isn't an eternal fire of hatred and evil, it is a measurable, just punishment. Mainly it seems our punishment is what we do to ourselves, not what God does to us. He simply gives us over to our own evil desires. After we have been sufficiently broken down and humbled, and we cry out to him, that is when we will be made new.   Jesus is trying to save us all from that right NOW, in our daily lives. The kingdom of God is NOW, and the only way to true "Life" is through Christ. He wants us to cast off our sins and live in the kingdom right in our daily lives. We don't have to wait till the afterlife to be free from sin. We can do it today. Right now. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, because it is going on as we speak. Our bodies are a temple, and Christ will reside in them if we ask. "Church" is not a physical place, but a spiritual one, that all true believers are a part of. It's a connection that forms a spiritual body.   Everyone will be saved eventually, but those who choose to believe and profess freely, those who choose to cast off sin, pick up their cross, and follow Christ, will be called "sons of God" and will be elite in the coming eons. They will reign with Christ over all the others, who will come into his kingdom after they have been humbled and profess that he is Lord.    THAT's what the apostles were warning about. They don't want people to experience the shame/brokenness of their own evil filth and desires.    The Prodigal Son parable is the perfect example of this.   A father (God) has two sons. One son (the righteous) helps his father and does everything that is asked of him. The other son (the sinner/unbeliever) doesn't want to work on the farm with his family. The prodigal son then goes to his father and asks for his inheritance, which his father gives him. Then the son precedes to waste it all on wild parties and lewd living. Eventually, he is forced to sell himself as a worker and cannot even feed himself. He often longs for the food that is fed to the pigs. Eventually, he wakes up and realizes how foolish he has been, that his father's servants always had food to eat. He gets up and goes to his father, willing to offer himself as a servant to his father in exchange for food. Instead, the father greets his son with open arms and slaughters the fattest calf in celebration of his arrival. The righteous son is angry with the father, saying "I've worked with you all these years and never left! Why do you celebrate him, when he's been gone all this time?!" The father replies, "Son. You know that I love you and all that I have is yours. But your brother was once lost and is now found."   In this way, unbelievers will go through a similar process of pride, then shame. They will eventually be brought into understanding, through God's reprimands.    God calls us to shed sin today, so that we may avoid this process, for sin leads to death and all kinds of evil desires. Instead, we are to put on the armor of Christ and live righteously, so that we may be purified in mind and spirit while our body is destroyed in death. God will raise those elect saints and they will serve as judges in the coming ages.    Also, the narrow gate that Jesus is referring to is this very process. Few people will choose to give up their lives in true service to God and other people. Most will not bother with it and will enter into the wide gate, which leads to punishment for your sins and eventual reconciliation.    Keep in mind that Christ's death on the cross was the most integral part to all of this. Christ could not conquer death for us if he were not able to do so for himself. Christians are so close to the truth, but still seem to fall short due to false teachings of the antichrists.    Anyway, I just wanted to apologize again for misleading you, as I have never had any intention of doing so. I always believe what I post, you can be sure of that. I love you guys and I can't tell you how relieved I am to come to the realization that I will see each and every one of you again with purified spiritual bodies.   Anyway, God bless <3   -Oh, a little p.s.- I was right in thinking that we actually, literally die. People aren't watching over you from heaven. You will definitely die. But Christ will raise us from the dead, so no worries there. It's not like you're going to have any feelings or emotions during death because, well, you're dead. So you won't realize you're dead. You'll just be dead.  

Zuzu!!!
 
Holy magic cow!

Yo.
Try the website Tin Eye.
its a reverse image search. you upload an image, it tells you where it came from.

What a load of 5am-value wank. I actually did still hold some of this to heart when I woke up this morning, but with less grandeur and enthusiasm, with some comic cynicism mixed in to preserve some humility. I joined the gym/swimming pool, looked into piano lessons, and asked around for work at 12 places. Previously, when looking for work, I would linger outside the shop I was going to ask in, too afraid to interact, and 9 times out of 10 I would walk away without even going inside, and if I did manage to ask, it would be flustered. But I managed to keep my cool through all 12 interactions, and I felt like a good ol' proper person, talking well enough and not seeming incredibly nervous. So whatever clicked last night lasted until today, and even if this confidence doesn't last for long I did good today.
 
I still kind of feel like there's a sort of strength in being able to band together your body and mind to serve a common purpose. Being able to take conscious thought and put it into action, instead of just thinking "maybe not" while your body lies flat on its' back, waiting for the committee of the mind to decide what it should make the body do. It sounds like a silly metaphor or idea, but it makes some sense.
 
Riding the confidence train feels like those magic moments in games where you hit a really good run and you're scoring tons of combos, and you wonder "How is this going on so long!", but when you get too confident in it, and you become aware of it, that can be when it falls flat. I hope it isn't the same case now, since I've just sat down after today, and all of that energy might just dissipate and not come back for days or weeks. But it's like, I feel like if I stop, I'll lose it all. But I'll try not to think so seriously about it and just enjoy it, and hope that it wont go away too soon, and I'll be able to continue doing the things I want to do. That the cooperation between my intentions and my actions wont end.

Doh!

Eh, I dunno. I'd only give it....
 
Four stars.

Good luck finding the other six

Doh!

Doh!

Doh!

Not sure about being annexed, but I think it'd be interesting if some of the states seceded and started their own country.

Wow. I can't believe the last generation of consoles is almost over. It was a long run, but it brought us some amazing experiences in gaming. The following list is a personal one, and the choices are based on my own experiences. If you disagree, that's fine, but I wanted to make this list with the hope that some of you will be driven to play these games. Every game on this list is the absolute best of what last generation had to offer, so I fully recommend that you find the time to play every game, including the honorable mentions. That said, I know we don't have enough time to play everything, so I'm putting them in the order that I believe they should be played. 
 
I'm also only listing one game per franchise, just for the sake of variety. Some games should be played in order, though (Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 should be played in order) so keep in mind that, just because it's my favorite and it's the one on the list, that doesn't mean you shouldn't play the honorable mentions or other games in the series first.
 
Also, this is only a console game list. I will make a separate list for DS and PSP games.
 
 
Without further ado, here is my list of the best games of the generation:
 
1. The Last of Us- For me, THE best game of last generation. The best graphics, the best story, the best characters, and Splinter Cell-like gameplay. What more can you ask for? Ellie is my favorite female character in gaming. I resonated with Joel near the end of the game, and I would do the same thing he did at the end. Dat giraffe scene. This game is a must play for anyone. Seriously, this game is worth buying a PS3 for. Play it all the way to the end. You owe it to yourself to experience this story. The characters in this game emit real emotions, and you will grow to love Ellie like a daughter.   2. Fallout 3- The Fallout series is one of the most immersive series in gaming. Nothing will top the moment I stepped out of the vault and was blinded by the sunlight. After regaining sight, I marveled at the huge, open world before me. This was the first time I really felt that “next gen” was here, and it was glorious. I poured over 300 hours into Fallout 3, and I could go back to it today. This would be one of the games I’d take to a deserted island. honorable mention: Fallout: New Vegas.   3. Mass Effect 2- My favorite game in the Mass Effect trilogy. It was the perfect balance of everything that makes Mass Effect great. Interesting, well-developed characters, fun combat, space exploration, and Commander Shepard. The ending was epic and set up for the 3rd game. Oh, and Miranda Yvonne Lawson. Mmmmmmmmmmmm. honorable mention: Mass Effect 3   4. Bioshock- I was blown away by the story of this game. Fortunately, the twist was not ruined for me, so I got to experience Ryan’s “would you kindly?” first hand. The game is dated, now, but I still rank it this highly because of the initial experience. If the game has been spoiled for you, play Bioshock Infinite and skip Bioshock.  honorable mention: Bioshock Infinite    5. Super Mario Galaxy 2- Possibly my favorite Mario game. It’s hard to beat 64 because of pure nostalgia, but Galaxy 2 is one of the best games I’ve ever played, Mario or otherwise. The sweeping, orchestral music is charming and easy to listen to. The levels are varied, the challenge is balanced, and the powerups are fun to use. honorable mention: Super Mario Galaxy    6. Uncharted 2- I love this game so hard. It’s like the perfect Indiana Jones game. Everything about it (except the final boss fight) is perfect. I play this game every once in a while and I think I’ll play it every summer from now on. The voice actors are spot on (Nolan North!) and the characters move realistically. I often forgot I was playing a video game. honorable mention: Uncharted 3   7. The Witcher 2- This game feels so mature to me. It was a point where I said, “yes. Games are as mature as movies and television.” It's certainly not for everyone, but the choices you make in the game lead you down extremely different paths and the game is worth playing through multiple times just to experience everything. Also, best romance scenes in any video game thus far.   8. Twilight Princess- Far from my favorite Zelda game, but Twilight Princess is still a great game. I waited a very long time for this game, so long, in fact, that another console came out (Wii) before I was able to play it on my Gamecube. Was I disappointed? Yes, but I can’t deny that this game is a blast to play and is one of the darker Zelda titles. It won’t make the list of my top 5 Zelda games, but it still holds a special place in my heart for last generation. honorable mention: Skyward Sword   9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare- I must admit, I was never a big shooter fan before this game. I didn’t see the appeal, really. CoD4 changed everything about the FPS genre. It was groundbreaking, revolutionary, and fantastic. I spent hundreds of hours on the multiplayer alone. All Ghillied Up is one of the best missions in any game. honorable mention: Call of Duty 2   10. Resident Evil 5- I can see a lot of people disagreeing with me here, and that’s fine. Resident Evil 5 is definitely not the best Resident Evil game (that goes to 4), but it is an action-packed co-op survival game. It has better co-op than any game last generation, so I feel like it gets a lot of undeserved hate for not being Resident Evil 4. In a way, I agree, but I’ve put more hours into this game than any of the Resident Evil titles, and I think that says something.  honorable mention: Resident Evil 6   11. Red Dead Redemption- I’ve always wanted a good western game. RDR surprised me by not only being a fantastic western game (the best one ever made, no contest), but by being one of the best games of the generation. I’m not a fan of GTA games, so I was surprised to find that I enjoyed Rockstar’s western so much. I’ll replay this game again in the future, I’m sure.   12. Batman: Arkham Asylum- A GOOD Batman game? I had a side-scrolling brawler for my Super Nintendo that was pretty good, but this game took it to another level. It was finally Batman at his best. Here’s hoping Rocksteady can continue making amazing Batman games in the future. honorable mention: Batman: Arkham City; Batman: Arkham Origins   13. Assassin’s Creed II- I thought the first Assassin’s Creed game was very monotonous, but it was groundbreaking for its time. ACII took everything the first game did right and refined it. It’s my favorite Assassin’s Creed game to date (though IV is giving it a run for its money) and the series hasn’t been as good since. honorable mention: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood   14. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim- What do I have to say about Skyrim? What can I say about Skyrim? It’s huge, it’s amazing, you fight dragons, you can do anything, go play it. honorable mention: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion   15. Metal Gear Solid IV- It held the title of best looking game on the PS3 for a long time. A very short game with a very large amount of cutscenes, but MGSIV was certainly an experience. While MGS3 will probably remain my favorite, I enjoyed my time with IV and will eventually get around to earning those trophies that were FINALLY PATCHED IN.   16. Telltale's The Walking Dead- Clementine. If you don’t understand, play all 5 episodes of the game and come talk to me. I want to hear about the choices you made.   17. Dark Souls- A challenging, but rewarding game. This is a love it or hate it type of game. You’ll either play for 5 minutes and throw the controller in anger because you keep dying at the weak enemies, or you’ll delve deep into the experience and emerge victorious, praising the sun all the while. honorable mention: Demon’s Souls   18. Dead Space 2- I think this game is the quintessential Dead Space experience. It’s got a good blend of horror, action, and gore. I will never, ever stick a needle anywhere near my eye after playing this game. honorable mention: Dead Space   19. Tomb Raider- The new Tomb Raider does Lara Croft right. It borrows from the Tomb Raider games of the past, as well as adding some newer Uncharted and Arkham Asylum mechanics. What you end up with is a fun survival/action game that definitely should be played by any fan of the previous Tomb Raider games, or fans of the Uncharted series.   20. Final Fantasy XIII- Another potentially controversial choice, but despite the horrible, horrible grind to getting the platinum, I enjoyed my time with the characters of XIII. Lightning, Snow, Hope, Vanille, Sazh, and Fang were all memorable and the story was well written. Was it the Final Fantasy game I wanted/expected? No. Was it still a good game? Absolutely. If not for the Final Fantasy namesake, I feel that many people would praise this game for its attempt to shake up the RPG genre.  honorable mention: Final Fantasy XIII-2   21. Xenoblade Chronicles- The best RPG on the Wii. I still need to put more time into this game (it might be higher on the list after I see the end), but so far, it’s one of my favorite games from last generation.   22. Halo 3- Halo 2 is the best Halo game ever made, agreed? Agreed. With that said, Halo 3 was the most anticipated game for the Xbox 360 that I can recall. Everyone wanted this game. Even stores like Hot Topic had it in stock. I first got to play it at my friend Emily’s house, on her brother’s big screen television. It was a new experience for me. Looking back, the graphics look like PS2-era graphics and the story leaves a lot to be desired, but you can’t deny what Halo has done for the Xbox brand, and continues to do to this day. honorable mention: Halo 4   23. Portal 2- The first Portal was a witty, short puzzle game with a villain more quotable than any other in existence. Portal 2 took the wit and the puzzles to new heights. This is unmistakably Valve’s best game. honorable mentions: Portal   24. CATHERINE- This game would be better off without the puzzles. There, I said it. I could not get into the puzzle system in the game. However, the story is so engrossing I had to keep playing to find out what would happen with Vincent. If you’ve ever cheated or thought about cheating on a significant other, you should play this game. If you want to learn interesting facts about alcohol, you should play this game. If you like sheep and seeing your protagonist in his underwear, you should play this game.    25. Dishonored- I feel like no one will understand why this game ranks so highly compared to everything else last generation. If you didn’t play through the game with no kills, no alarms, and with no powers...you won’t understand. This game is one of the best stealth games I have ever played, with a very dark, interesting story and true consequences for your actions. It’s sad this game was overlooked by so many, because it deserves to be played the correct way. No kills, no alarms, no powers. Just a man on a mission to save his kingdom and a little girl.     More honorable mentions: Infamous 2- Great Superhero sandbox game. Gears of War 2- Chainsaw Bayonet. Yes. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption- The end to an epic trilogy. Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch- A charming RPG about loss, friendship, and innocence. VANQUISH- Fast, arcade shooting, with the best controls in a 3rd person shooter, ever. Made by the guy that made Resident Evil 4. Short, intense campaign. Worth playing. Dragon’s Dogma- The fighting in this game feels amazing. If it weren’t for some confusing elements, this would be in the top 25. Just Cause 2- Cause chaos in an open-world sandbox. More fun than GTA. GTA without the drama, really. Borderlands 2- Amazing co-op play. Decently good story and villain. Awesome for people who like scrounging for loot. Half-Life 2- Valve’s story driven FPS. Didn’t love it as much as everyone else, but it had some great moments. Left 4 Dead- Co-op zombie killing fun. Don’t play alone.     There. Phew. I haven't played every game from last generation, so if there is a great one I missed, please let me know so I can put it on my list of games to play!

Wow. I can't believe the last generation of consoles is almost over. It was a long run, but it brought us some amazing experiences in gaming. The following list is a personal one, and the choices are based on my own experiences. If you disagree, that's fine, but I wanted to make this list with the hope that some of you will be driven to play these games. Every game on this list is the absolute best of what last generation had to offer, so I fully recommend that you find the time to play every game, including the honorable mentions. That said, I know we don't have enough time to play everything, so I'm putting them in the order that I believe they should be played. 
 
I'm also only listing one game per franchise, just for the sake of variety. Some games should be played in order, though (Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 should be played in order) so keep in mind that, just because it's my favorite and it's the one on the list, that doesn't mean you shouldn't play the honorable mentions or other games in the series first.
 
Also, this is only a console game list. I will make a separate list for DS and PSP games.
 
 
Without further ado, here is my list of the best games of the generation:
 
1. The Last of Us- For me, THE best game of last generation. The best graphics, the best story, the best characters, and Splinter Cell-like gameplay. What more can you ask for? Ellie is my favorite female character in gaming. I resonated with Joel near the end of the game, and I would do the same thing he did at the end. Dat giraffe scene. This game is a must play for anyone. Seriously, this game is worth buying a PS3 for. Play it all the way to the end. You owe it to yourself to experience this story. The characters in this game emit real emotions, and you will grow to love Ellie like a daughter.   2. Fallout 3- The Fallout series is one of the most immersive series in gaming. Nothing will top the moment I stepped out of the vault and was blinded by the sunlight. After regaining sight, I marveled at the huge, open world before me. This was the first time I really felt that “next gen” was here, and it was glorious. I poured over 300 hours into Fallout 3, and I could go back to it today. This would be one of the games I’d take to a deserted island. honorable mention: Fallout: New Vegas.   3. Mass Effect 2- My favorite game in the Mass Effect trilogy. It was the perfect balance of everything that makes Mass Effect great. Interesting, well-developed characters, fun combat, space exploration, and Commander Shepard. The ending was epic and set up for the 3rd game. Oh, and Miranda Yvonne Lawson. Mmmmmmmmmmmm. honorable mention: Mass Effect 3   4. Bioshock- I was blown away by the story of this game. Fortunately, the twist was not ruined for me, so I got to experience Ryan’s “would you kindly?” first hand. The game is dated, now, but I still rank it this highly because of the initial experience. If the game has been spoiled for you, play Bioshock Infinite and skip Bioshock.  honorable mention: Bioshock Infinite    5. Super Mario Galaxy 2- Possibly my favorite Mario game. It’s hard to beat 64 because of pure nostalgia, but Galaxy 2 is one of the best games I’ve ever played, Mario or otherwise. The sweeping, orchestral music is charming and easy to listen to. The levels are varied, the challenge is balanced, and the powerups are fun to use. honorable mention: Super Mario Galaxy    6. Uncharted 2- I love this game so hard. It’s like the perfect Indiana Jones game. Everything about it (except the final boss fight) is perfect. I play this game every once in a while and I think I’ll play it every summer from now on. The voice actors are spot on (Nolan North!) and the characters move realistically. I often forgot I was playing a video game. honorable mention: Uncharted 3   7. The Witcher 2- This game feels so mature to me. It was a point where I said, “yes. Games are as mature as movies and television.” It's certainly not for everyone, but the choices you make in the game lead you down extremely different paths and the game is worth playing through multiple times just to experience everything. Also, best romance scenes in any video game thus far.   8. Twilight Princess- Far from my favorite Zelda game, but Twilight Princess is still a great game. I waited a very long time for this game, so long, in fact, that another console came out (Wii) before I was able to play it on my Gamecube. Was I disappointed? Yes, but I can’t deny that this game is a blast to play and is one of the darker Zelda titles. It won’t make the list of my top 5 Zelda games, but it still holds a special place in my heart for last generation. honorable mention: Skyward Sword   9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare- I must admit, I was never a big shooter fan before this game. I didn’t see the appeal, really. CoD4 changed everything about the FPS genre. It was groundbreaking, revolutionary, and fantastic. I spent hundreds of hours on the multiplayer alone. All Ghillied Up is one of the best missions in any game. honorable mention: Call of Duty 2   10. Resident Evil 5- I can see a lot of people disagreeing with me here, and that’s fine. Resident Evil 5 is definitely not the best Resident Evil game (that goes to 4), but it is an action-packed co-op survival game. It has better co-op than any game last generation, so I feel like it gets a lot of undeserved hate for not being Resident Evil 4. In a way, I agree, but I’ve put more hours into this game than any of the Resident Evil titles, and I think that says something.  honorable mention: Resident Evil 6   11. Red Dead Redemption- I’ve always wanted a good western game. RDR surprised me by not only being a fantastic western game (the best one ever made, no contest), but by being one of the best games of the generation. I’m not a fan of GTA games, so I was surprised to find that I enjoyed Rockstar’s western so much. I’ll replay this game again in the future, I’m sure.   12. Batman: Arkham Asylum- A GOOD Batman game? I had a side-scrolling brawler for my Super Nintendo that was pretty good, but this game took it to another level. It was finally Batman at his best. Here’s hoping Rocksteady can continue making amazing Batman games in the future. honorable mention: Batman: Arkham City; Batman: Arkham Origins   13. Assassin’s Creed II- I thought the first Assassin’s Creed game was very monotonous, but it was groundbreaking for its time. ACII took everything the first game did right and refined it. It’s my favorite Assassin’s Creed game to date (though IV is giving it a run for its money) and the series hasn’t been as good since. honorable mention: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood   14. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim- What do I have to say about Skyrim? What can I say about Skyrim? It’s huge, it’s amazing, you fight dragons, you can do anything, go play it. honorable mention: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion   15. Metal Gear Solid IV- It held the title of best looking game on the PS3 for a long time. A very short game with a very large amount of cutscenes, but MGSIV was certainly an experience. While MGS3 will probably remain my favorite, I enjoyed my time with IV and will eventually get around to earning those trophies that were FINALLY PATCHED IN.   16. Telltale's The Walking Dead- Clementine. If you don’t understand, play all 5 episodes of the game and come talk to me. I want to hear about the choices you made.   17. Dark Souls- A challenging, but rewarding game. This is a love it or hate it type of game. You’ll either play for 5 minutes and throw the controller in anger because you keep dying at the weak enemies, or you’ll delve deep into the experience and emerge victorious, praising the sun all the while. honorable mention: Demon’s Souls   18. Dead Space 2- I think this game is the quintessential Dead Space experience. It’s got a good blend of horror, action, and gore. I will never, ever stick a needle anywhere near my eye after playing this game. honorable mention: Dead Space   19. Tomb Raider- The new Tomb Raider does Lara Croft right. It borrows from the Tomb Raider games of the past, as well as adding some newer Uncharted and Arkham Asylum mechanics. What you end up with is a fun survival/action game that definitely should be played by any fan of the previous Tomb Raider games, or fans of the Uncharted series.   20. Final Fantasy XIII- Another potentially controversial choice, but despite the horrible, horrible grind to getting the platinum, I enjoyed my time with the characters of XIII. Lightning, Snow, Hope, Vanille, Sazh, and Fang were all memorable and the story was well written. Was it the Final Fantasy game I wanted/expected? No. Was it still a good game? Absolutely. If not for the Final Fantasy namesake, I feel that many people would praise this game for its attempt to shake up the RPG genre.  honorable mention: Final Fantasy XIII-2   21. Xenoblade Chronicles- The best RPG on the Wii. I still need to put more time into this game (it might be higher on the list after I see the end), but so far, it’s one of my favorite games from last generation.   22. Halo 3- Halo 2 is the best Halo game ever made, agreed? Agreed. With that said, Halo 3 was the most anticipated game for the Xbox 360 that I can recall. Everyone wanted this game. Even stores like Hot Topic had it in stock. I first got to play it at my friend Emily’s house, on her brother’s big screen television. It was a new experience for me. Looking back, the graphics look like PS2-era graphics and the story leaves a lot to be desired, but you can’t deny what Halo has done for the Xbox brand, and continues to do to this day. honorable mention: Halo 4   23. Portal 2- The first Portal was a witty, short puzzle game with a villain more quotable than any other in existence. Portal 2 took the wit and the puzzles to new heights. This is unmistakably Valve’s best game. honorable mentions: Portal   24. CATHERINE- This game would be better off without the puzzles. There, I said it. I could not get into the puzzle system in the game. However, the story is so engrossing I had to keep playing to find out what would happen with Vincent. If you’ve ever cheated or thought about cheating on a significant other, you should play this game. If you want to learn interesting facts about alcohol, you should play this game. If you like sheep and seeing your protagonist in his underwear, you should play this game.    25. Dishonored- I feel like no one will understand why this game ranks so highly compared to everything else last generation. If you didn’t play through the game with no kills, no alarms, and with no powers...you won’t understand. This game is one of the best stealth games I have ever played, with a very dark, interesting story and true consequences for your actions. It’s sad this game was overlooked by so many, because it deserves to be played the correct way. No kills, no alarms, no powers. Just a man on a mission to save his kingdom and a little girl.     More honorable mentions: Infamous 2- Great Superhero sandbox game. Gears of War 2- Chainsaw Bayonet. Yes. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption- The end to an epic trilogy. Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch- A charming RPG about loss, friendship, and innocence. VANQUISH- Fast, arcade shooting, with the best controls in a 3rd person shooter, ever. Made by the guy that made Resident Evil 4. Short, intense campaign. Worth playing. Dragon’s Dogma- The fighting in this game feels amazing. If it weren’t for some confusing elements, this would be in the top 25. Just Cause 2- Cause chaos in an open-world sandbox. More fun than GTA. GTA without the drama, really. Borderlands 2- Amazing co-op play. Decently good story and villain. Awesome for people who like scrounging for loot. Half-Life 2- Valve’s story driven FPS. Didn’t love it as much as everyone else, but it had some great moments. Left 4 Dead- Co-op zombie killing fun. Don’t play alone.     There. Phew. I haven't played every game from last generation, so if there is a great one I missed, please let me know so I can put it on my list of games to play!

Everyone who ever kisses Jennifer Lawrence. Except me.

Everyone who ever kisses Jennifer Lawrence. Except me.

I will kill you

I will kill you

I will kill you

I will kill you