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Topic: Your top 3 games that define each 'Generation'

Posts 21 to 40 of 40

Rudy_Manchego

I think the closer a game is to today the harder it is to determine its impact because it takes a long time to be felt. Super Metroid on the SNES was excellently reviewed when it came out but I think it has taken some time for its impact to be felt in terms of gameplay mechanics etc. At the time, I am not sure a lot of people would have seen how many other games it would influence.

With last gen, I think the jury is still out. For example, is the best iteration of a game type better than the first one to do it. Uncharted 2 is a better game than UC1 but UC1 introduced the core story and gameplay mechanics. With Red Dead - in my mind, it is one of the greatest open world games ever made. Possibly the best open world on last gen but at the same time, was it better than GTA4, Skyrim, Fallout 3? In my head, I tend to lump a lot of these together but the genre produced some of the best games. I wonder what the consensus will be in say, 10 years time?

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Tasuki

@KratosMD Let's not over analyze things here. These lists are fun and how people come up with their choices is fine however way they want to. Just because you don't agree with some choices or feel that certain ways people pick games doesn't mean people are wrong.

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kyleforrester87

@Tasuki To be fair he has made a good point, otherwise it's just a list of people's favourite games of the generation which is another topic entirely.

Edited on by kyleforrester87

kyleforrester87

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Tasuki

@KratosMD No one's trying to paint you as anything. These thread are just for fun and create discussion not to criticize people and how they make there choices. If those are the only 3 games a person played from that generation then obviously those are going to be the games that defined a generation for them. Yes GTA III might be have made the generation for alot of people but if I didn't play or like that game it won't be for me. You know what I am saying.

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Tasuki

@KratosMD I am not asking people to make another thread all I am asking for is to be a little less critical of people's choices.

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BAMozzy

@KratosMD To be honest it could be a bit of both. Its the top 3 games that instantly spring to mind and define that generation to you personally. The games that define the generation to the person writing. I have included a number of games in my lists that I personally didn't like (Street Fighter 2 for example) because I realise the importance of that game and its a game I think defines that Era. It may end up being someones Top 3 because to them, those 3 games are what defined that era of gaming for them.

In most eras, you can probably pick a LOT more than 3 games that defined that era, that 'changed' gaming from the previous Era. Like Super Mario 64 defining the 5th Generation (also known as the 3D era) but someone else may think Banjo Kazooie, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, ISS64 or some other game defined the Era more. I have just picked the N64 games but maybe 3 games from PS1, Saturn etc defined that generation better than SM64 did.

Its hard to argue that most of these games didn't define that era to them. I have tried to be more 'objective' myself and I hope that others are too. I can see why most have picked the games they have with only 1 I would possibly consider as going for their favourites over 'defining' games - although I do think of the games was a 'significant' breakthrough for that Era - mixing 2D side scrolling with a First Person bonus level - something I thought was unique at that time for consoles and not something we had experienced before.

I did state that it should be the games that define that generation to them and hoped that they be objective and think about why those games define that generation and I think the majority at least have approached it in a thoughtful manner. If someone were to ask you what 3 games best represented that era of gaming, what 3 games would they choose and why. Maybe those 3 games also happen to be their favourite games and those are the 3 top games they would answer with but I have also asked them to explain why those games are representative of that generation to them - does that make sense?

Do you believe that I have not approached this thread in this manner? I do agree it shouldn't be the 'best' 3 games of that era to the person - that's certainly wasn't my intention with the post.

I do agree with @kyleforrester87 that Destiny would be in my top 3 for the current Gen because we really haven't had a game like it before on Console BUT as this generation still has a while to go, its impossible to say. I could also pick Uncharted 4 because of the Graphics and Facial Animations even though we have seen the game-play before. It could be something major like the jump from 2D to 'proper 3D' like Mario 64 or less major maybe a game that used Speech because the Era before couldn't handle that level of Audio. The visual differences we had moving from say 8bit to 16bit to 32/64bit - the colours, polygons etc could be the best representation of that Era. It doesn't just have to be a 'game-changing' game either but even a little thing like the 'Graphics' - the best example of a 16bit era game for example graphically also defines that 'generation' as no generation before could achieve that and was the 'pinnacle' of the 16bit era from a purely visual perspective. This is why I wanted people to explain their choices to understand why those 3 games defined the generation to them.

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Tasuki

To be honest, this is a public forum and thus setting such guidelines do not exist. If the person responding wants to translate the topic as what games define a generation for them that's fine. If on the other hand they want to interpret it by games that define a generation by industry standards that's fine too.

Point is there is no right or wrong answer and we are all going to have different opinions let's just all remember that.

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themcnoisy

@KratosMD I think the 8 bit games I chose were pretty good. Elite for me is a no brainer as the first proper epic none linear game, Gauntlet was the first 4 player game and huge in the early 80s, it's obviously not held in as high regard now due to its awful sequels. But it was a behemoth in arcades. Lord's of midnight was a personal choice and tbh I totally overlooked the nes as I was thinking about the C64, Spectrum and Amstrad. So Zelda would get in on that basis. Mario got lucky, platform games were abundant already and the plumber made the jump to success. You could argue Mario defined that generation looking back today browsing the internet, but I think we are giving him too much respect in that regard and his legend was only solidified with 3 and world and the fact Mario games are still successful today. Final Fantasy was good looking back, but again that series legend was only stomped in place later on. That's my take on the 8 bit era, Dragons Lair, Dungeon Master, outrun, afterburner, renegade, double dragon, dizzy, Lazer squad and tetris are all up there too.

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Ralizah

I suppose this is the problem with the thread for me. I could dispassionately look at the industry and say which games I think had the biggest impact, but if I don't personally enjoy or care about them, then it's pointless for me. Something like Destiny might be hugely influential, but it's just not something I'm interested in on any level.

This is, I think, the reason I've moved away from playing AAA games since last gen (aside from Nintendo's games). It's the smaller, "niche" games that are keeping me interested in the hobby. Possibly because of the prominence of Western AAA games (and Japanese games aping those same games) in the industry now.

I will say that Dark Souls absolutely deserves to be considered one of the most influential games last gen. It literally created a popular new genre of action game, and its design philosophy has been cropping up everywhere lately, including (in my own humble opinion) the newest Zelda game.

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BAMozzy

I think people are over thinking this. The point was to comment on which top 3 games defined that era for you. If you had to pick 3 games that sum up gaming in that era, which 3 games best represent it. It doesn't matter if they didn't go on to spawn a legacy, doesn't matter if they weren't the first to do 'something'. The point was to pick 3 games that represented that era of gaming for you and tell us why. If its the best example of a 16bit game despite the fact the game-play wasn't unique to that era - its still defining the visual style of that era. It doesn't have to be a 'big' leap like the leap between 2D and 3D. Its about what 3 games best represent that Era and define it to you.

This Era, whilst not over yet, Could be defined by Destiny because of the style of Game-play and the always online nature. Could be defined by the Witcher because it took the RPG to a whole new level, Could be defined by Uncharted 4 because of the facial animations. Those 3 could define and be the best representation of this Era to 'someone' Maybe another person may include Horizon:ZD because of the Robot Dinosaurs that had such incredible behaviour, Days Gone because of the sheer number of enemies hording after you at pace and/or RE7 because it was the first full game to be playable in VR. Maybe they have other 'reasons' for these games or even different games that do a better job of representing the generation and defining it for them - that's why I have asked people to explain their choices.

I hoped people would be objective and think about the era, what made that era of gaming 'special' to them, what defined that era of gaming, and then pick their top 3 games to best represent what that Era of gaming was about for them. Going from 8bit to 16bit was more a change in visual style and improved audio more than any fundamental changes. Obviously the 16bit era dabbled with 3D (like Starfox). So you could pick a game that best illustrated the 16bit era visually. Its not about necessarily picking 'ground breaking' titles. The first game to do true 3D which could be Mario 64 but maybe you think another 3D game would be a better representation of the 3D era. Maybe Mario started it but another game came along and perfected that and would be a better fit to define that generation.

It was meant to be about looking at the era, and picking the best 3 games that represented what 'gaming' in that generation was about. Imagine you are talking to an Alien or young child who had never gamed during those era's and pick the 3 games that represent/define that era of gaming the best and explain why.

Edited on by BAMozzy

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Ralizah

On the subject of current gen, we can't make that call. It's not at all uncommon for the Big Titles to become unimportant to the evolution of the medium in later years, and smaller games can have a big influence. People's minds are always going to jump to the AAA games, but you need the hindsight of time, usually, to make good calls on stuff like this.

@JoeBlogs That's fair, although I feel like it was Dark Souls that polished and really established the foundation set up by Demon's Souls.

How about this: Dark Souls should be included because it polished and established a new genre of action game that had originally been pioneered in Demon's Souls.

Edited on by Ralizah

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FullbringIchigo

NES/Master System Era

Super Mario Bros: do i even need to say how revolutionary that game was

Castlevania: The Dark Souls of it's time ^_^ a game that was fun yet challenging and showed that big atmospheric games were possible

The Legend of Zelda: a huge expansive RPG with lots of secrets and fun engaging gameplay

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BAMozzy

@Ralizah You can consider this generation already. So it might not be over and the games you selected today could very well be different in a year or two. Its not about establishing a franchise or leaving a Legacy that spawns countless clones. Its about the games of a specific era defining what games best represented that Era. As an example could be picking Contra 3: Alien Wars because it was one of the best examples of 16bit Graphics, what that Era could give us. The Game itself may not have been as unique as the first Contra was but it 'defines' the 16 bit era from a purely visual aesthetic. It doesn't necessarily have to be a game like SM64 that defined the 3D era 'just' because it was the 'first' that made proper 3D a reality. Another 3D game from that era could be a better choice, a better example of 'proper' 3D, because it had better camera angles or better environments. Zelda: OoT for example could be used to define that Era better because its jump from 2D to 3D was more significant, the game-play, the story, the immersion etc showcases the Era better than SM64. SM64 maybe the first game to really nail the 3D perspective and movement but it may not be the best example of 3D in that Era or the best game to define what gaming achieved. You only have 3 choices and the point is to define what that era of gaming and in particular, what each generation of consoles were able to do. Therefore it's not necessarily the 'first' game to offer a certain aspect, like 3D or some 'game-play' element that wasn't possible on the previous Generation but the games that 'best' represent and define that era of gaming.

Instead of saying the 16bit era offered a greater pixel density with more colours, better audio etc, its the games that best show what that Era offered, what made that era unique over the previous generation.

Arguably we are seeing less 'progression' nowadays. By that I mean that apart from 'resolution' increases, it appears very little difference between this gen and the last gen. That being said, there is no way last gen could have given us a game like Batman Arkham Asylum because of the sheer size of it with no loading times. The car itself had more polygons than the entire Arkham City. Obviously by the end of the generation, that may well not be a top 3 game that best defines the generation.

Its more about that era itself rather than the games. What top 3 games are the best 3 games that represent and define that era - not necessarily the best 3 games that had the most impact or changed gaming forever although they could still be that because they defined that era the best. Its like picking Uncharted 2 over Uncharted because that game ultimately defines the PS3 era better or maybe even Uncharted 3/Last of Us 'just' because this was the pinnacle of the graphical capability of this era, or Picking Dark Souls because it represents and defines this era better than Demon Souls as long as you explain why you think these games define that generation of gaming, what this era offered over the last era.

Point is to think about what each era of consoles offered over the previous era and then think about the games that define that era the best. Its not about the games that did 'something' first, its about representing what each new generation achieved. Like I said you could pick this era and whilst its not over, there are a number of things that the last era couldn't offer. Picking RE7 for example, whilst not necessarily unique, you can pick it because it represents the birth of VR in this era. Maybe in 2/3 yrs time, another game could be a better representation of what gaming meant in this era. You could pick CoD:MW:r or Crash n'sane trilogy - purely because they defines the fact we are getting so many remasters this generation and these are the 'best' examples of that.

Its particularly more poignant now as we are not getting games that are radically different before. That being said there are still games that could represent and define what gaming in each era could be.

Does this make sense??

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BAMozzy

@JoeBlogs From what I have seen so far, I can't see defining the generations for me. It looks visually impressive but as for the Game-play, the swinging, fighting etc don't break new ground that the last gen of consoles would not of been able to deliver - look at Arkham Asylum and even earlier, SpiderMan 2. That doesn't mean I think its looking bad. or even average, its just that I can't see it being the best example of a game from this generation in any area that highlights what this generation of consoles has brought us that wasn't available before - bar resolution of course. Maybe that will change when I play it. If it releases with HDR I guess you could use it as the 'best' example of HDR, a feature that the previous generations didn't have.

Personally at the moment though, I would certainly have to include RE7 as a game to define this generation - fully playable in VR, HDR and enhanced for 4k so for those reasons it would be a defining game and showcases a number of features that previous consoles were incapable of delivering.

The topic is meant to be more about the what made each generation of consoles, and the games that best highlight and define that era. For example - looking at the 16bit era - the best game that shows off the 16bit graphics that define the level of visuals in that era. It can be something like Halo or SM64 because of what that brought to gaming thanks to the hardware, the great use of Controller, the birth of online gaming (for consoles). These not only defined the era, showcase what the new Hardware could achieve in that era but also defined the genre they were - but whether they are the 'best' games to define the hardware and era, that's down to the individual to reason why.

Edited on by BAMozzy

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Rudy_Manchego

@Ralizah I'd agree with the Dark Souls influence on Zelda Breath of the Wild, in both game design and combat. Though I do think combat is probably the worst aspect of BOTW, the approach to it is very Dark Souls esque.

On the subject of current gen, I think it is too early to say what will be seen to define the current generation. It is about the perception of a game and when it releases and its reception. I mean, gameplay wise, Uncharted 2 is fun but breaks no barriers however the complete package was a big deal. I would say that Spiderman may be the same if it successfully creates a new iteration of superhero gaming, in the way that Batman Arkham Asylum did last gen. Who knows though?

If I were to pitch for this generations major defining titles, I would have to go with:

  • Legend of Zelda: BOTW - I don't think the game is perfect but it does approach the open world genre very differently in a lot of ways. People will refer back to this game when making comparisons.
  • Destiny (though kind of last gen too) - I am not a Destiny player, played hardly any of it but pretty much all major publishers are trying to mimic what activision did with destiny (for better or worse).
  • Witcher 3 - again, I've not played (on my list of games to play when I can spare the time) but this is one of those games that is just universally loved.

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BAMozzy

@JoeBlogs I am just saying that I don't think Spider-Man would be in MY top 3 because its not bringing any thing new to the generation (at least not that I can see from the video's). You could use as an example of what this generation of visuals were capable of I guess but I think there are better examples to show how graphics improved over last generation. You can't say this generation enabled Spider-Man to 'swing' or brought some thing new with the combat that older consoles couldn't manage. If its in HDR, I guess you could use that because this Generation brought HDR to gaming.

The point is to show what this generation of Consoles can do over the previous Gen, what defines this generation of gaming over any others - the things that made this era special. If you can justify why you think Spider-Man defines this generation of Consoles better than any others and would therefore be in your top 3, fair enough. It wouldn't be in mine. I think Uncharted 4 defines this generation better because its the best example of what this era of gaming visuals achieved and raised the bar of expectation. The Witcher 3 is another defining game because of what it achieved both visually and in terms game-play. It too raised the bar. Then that leaves 1 space to pick Maybe Days Gone with so many enemies on screen like that or maybe RDR2, God of War, Anthem (could be a better example than Destiny as Destiny also launched on last gen) of the always online, shared world games that this Gen saw the birth of)

Whether RE7 has slipped out of the minds of others, it still highlights several things that this Generation brought to gaming, something that was never done before and, as it stands right now, sets a standard. That Standard being VR Gaming with the whole game being playable in VR. You could pick say Farpoint as a Defining Game this generation as it highlights the fact VR arrived this Generation. You could also use RE7 for HDR if you wanted too - something else this generation had over last generation.

I am certain that Spider-Man will be a good game and be a 'favourite' game for many but does it really define this generation of gaming better than at least 1 other game to make it into a top 3. It could end up being one of your top 3 games this generation but a 'defining' game. Like I said, its not about your personal favourite games (unless they also define the generation) - like the best example of the visuals this generation enabled but a lot of the game-play, whilst fun, doesn't seem to be particularly new to the generation. If you can explain why you think it deserves to be in the Top 3 of this generation, then fair enough but at the moment, from my point of view, I can't see anything yet, (apart from the visuals obviously) that highlight what gaming in this Era has enabled. To me (and again my PoV), it looks like it could very easily have been ported to last gen with of course the visual downgrades to run on that era of console - things like the Combat (see Arkham Asylum/City too if you want to include open world combat options) and the swinging around, whilst its more accurate and appears to lock onto buildings as opposed to other Spider-Man games that appear to attach some invisible ceiling in the sky, its not something we haven't seen before that this generation really helped to achieve that.

In every one of my Top 3's, I have not picked my 'favourite' games of that generation. They have been games that the specific era was capable of, known for and set a 'standard' that the previous Era would not have been capable of. Its not about looking back 'fondly' at a game and it being your top 3 games for a specific era but highlighting and showcasing what each era brought to us that couldn't be achieved before. In Spider-Mans case, the only thing that appears 'unique' to this Era is the Resolution increase. I don't think it will revolutionise gaming or show something that this era will be known for. There are better examples, in my opinion, of the visual quality that came with the more powerful hardware but again, my opinion - you may well disagree and see something in Spider-Man that I missed, something made possible thanks to the Era we are in and its the 'best' game that defines it,

The point of the Topic is to look at what that specific Era of Hardware brought to gaming and what top 3 games best define that Era. For example, Picking SM64 because it was the first game to set the standards for 3D and 'analogue' movement - something that the N64 brought to gaming with its hardware. You could pick Zelda because of the 3D (32/64bit) Era and Zelda is a better game to showcase what that Era can achieve.

Its not what's your Favourite games of each generation but what's the top 3 games that best define that Era and why? It could be something Big like the jump to 3D that came with new 32/64bit Era or something 'small' like the best 16bit visuals to show what that Era could achieve. Of course its not just what the consoles alone brought, but what 'breakthrough' games that set a 'Standard' in that era and/or best representation of that. RE7 is hardly unique, but it was the first fully playable AAA game that could be played on VR and set the standard to beat. You can also include it for visual enhancements on Pro for UHD resolutions and best example of HDR - those 3 things alone (VR/UHD/HDR) are all unique to this generation and likely to be remembered for that jump to UHD, HDR and VR more than any major breakthroughs in 'gaming' as in 'game-play' terms - like the jump from 2D to 3D. The hardware also enabled the jump from 2colours, to 8 colours to 256 colours, to millions and billions, the jump from beeps, to digitalised speech to full CD quality, to full surround sound and Atmos/DTS-X, from SD to 720p HD to 1080p Full HD to 4k resolutions, from standard dynamic range to HDR - each of these also are quite significant and 'unique' to each Era and as games are not necessarily pushing the game-play forward (i.e not many games these days have broken new territory, so we may have to look more to what the new hardware has brought in recent generations and games that best show off and define what the Hardware brought, more than what the developers could create from a purely game-play perspective.

So based on that, what have you seen, other than visuals that Spider-Man offers that is specific to this generation, that best highlights what this generation of games had over any previous generation? Like I said, I am not criticising Spider-Man, I can't wait to play it, but I haven't seen anything (apart from visuals) that would instantly tell someone exactly what this era of gaming is about or a truly unique mechanic made possible by the hardware of this era. RE7 does, because of VR, HDR and UHD - all 3 unique to this generation - Something we could not have had on PS3 or older consoles. If you honestly believe Spider-Man will be a better game to define this era for what-ever reason, that's up to you to decide but personally, I can't see it (yet) as Game-play mechanic wise, its not groundbreaking, there are better examples of the visuals of the era and unless there is something they haven't shown that truly makes this one of the 'best' games of the era, giving us something truly unique and only made possible by this era, then I can't include it in my Top 3 - even if it breaks into my top 3 games of this gen - or more likely top 3 PS4 exclusive games.

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Ralizah

Rudy_Manchego wrote:

Though I do think combat is probably the worst aspect of BOTW

Really? I love the combat system in BotW. It feels very visceral and immediate, like simplified Souls combat. Do you dislike the system in general, or is this more a reaction to the weapon durability system?

The worst aspect of BOTW, imo, is the dungeon bosses. They're just not terribly memorable or distinct.

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Rudy_Manchego

@Ralizah @JoeBlogs I liked elements of the combat - the weapon breakages were only annoying at the very start of the game. I found the combat challenging, which I don't have a problem with, but I didn't personally like the controls and actually using weapons and locking on etc. didn't feel smooth. Overall I avoided combat more then I embraced it. The rewards for bashing respawning enemies didn't seem high enough to warrant a lot of the time.

It was still fun to play and finally taking down the first Lynel (or however you spell it!) was satisfying, it just wasn't a highlight of the game in any way. The amount of times i accidentally went into a crawl when using my shield almost had me hurling my switch across the room (though undoubtedly my own finger dyslexia).

Also, I got the master sword relatively early and that made the Divine Beast bosses beatable first go with no prep.

Edited on by Rudy_Manchego

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Arminillo

This gens most defining games (so far)
-Persona 5: the return of JRPGs to the western market. Proved its possible for turnbased to still have a place in a ActionRPG world.

-Watch Dogs: Disappointment of generation (could go to NMS as well) had tremendous casual and hardcore goodwill, somehow destroyed it all..

-Overwatch: Almost instantly became ubiquitous with team based gaming, Blizzard created a property with mass appeal, instantly recognizable characters, and is controversial over inclusion/sjw.

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Rudy_Manchego

@KratosMD My same complaint in that I came off Horizon and went straight into BOTW (though I am still playing it, nearly 100 hours in). The combat in Horizon was challenging but really fun. I felt I spent most of my time trying to do flurry attacks in Zelda.

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