Top Video Games of 2005
Well guys, it’s the end of the year. And sadly, the only two topics I feel qualified to comment on any more are video games and television. Television list to come later. Here are my top picks for video games:
5) Battlefield 2 (PC): My favorite PC gaming franchise returns. Battlefield 2’s setting may not be revolutionary as most of what it does was already done in the free Battlefield: 1942 expansion Desert Combat, but the addition of real time strategy and RPG-style unlockables and experience points deserves merit. Still, something about the game feels off. It’s fun, but as in past installments, the maps are a little too sprawling, even when set for 8 versus 8.
4) Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (XBOX): Although it’s called “Battlefield 2,” BF2: MC has virtually nothing to do with the PC version of the game. It shares a similar modern setting and lacks the RTS enhancements of the PC version, but I favor it for its fast-paced play and focused map design. It make look like a PS2 game (which it effectively is), but it’s still a heck of a lot of fun. The addition of the a single player mode that’s almost enjoyable as the multiplayer game is a first for the Battlefield series. As in the PC version, most of my time was spent trying to collect medals and raise ranks.
3) Halo 2: Map Pack (XBOX): Halo 2 has the distinction of being one of the few games I continued to play long after it was first released. The Map Pack definitely extended its life considerably. Not exactly a full game, the new multiplayer maps are some of the best designed in the FPS genre. Nothing on any system — even the XBOX 360 (which I’ve yet to play, but I’ve read enough about its games to make this sagely assertion) — comes close to the excellence of Halo.
2) World of Warcraft: Who could have ever thought an MMORPG could actually be fun? I only played it a month, but I had a great time with my undead character. Definitely worth a spin.
1) Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory: Revolutionary sequel to the stealth classic. Forget Metal Gear, Splinter Cell is the best stealth franchise. Not only does it include one of the best single player games to be experienced on the XBOX, the adversarial multiplayer mode from Splinter Cell 2, but also an online cooperative mode that can only be played with two players. My friend Michael and I spent many a weekend last summer with this one. Despite some technical issues, the online coop alone was worth the price of admission.
