5 Games I Think You Should Go Play

Here are five games, in no particular order, I think people should go play.

1. Jak and Daxter

Jak and Daxter was the first game to feature a world with no loading screens. It was the first time you could just play a game with no interruptions from start to finish.This sparked a trend with other game developers trying to innovate in making games even more seamless and immersive. Jak and Daxter also improved upon animation and environment interaction. Jak waded through water, jumped back when he was hurt and skidded on slopes. All of the above, combined with stylistic visuals, awesome gameplay and narrative makes this a game that should stand the test of time.


2. The Sims

The Sims had unique gameplay and character. I think it was the first life-simulation game of its kind. You make and control your own family, design your own house and create a good or bad life for them. On paper, it doesn't sound fun, but it was. I particularly enjoyed the gibberish language they spoke.

3. Half Life

Half Life reinvented the FPS shooter by creating a game that used scripted sequence to tell a story. This approach created a very immersive and cinematic game heavily influencing the genre itself. It was also the first appearence of the world's coolest physicist, Gordon Freeman.

4. Max Payne

Max Payne is a stylised run 'n gun shooter featuring a gritty noir tale, comic book cut scenes and bullet time. The game follows Max trying to find the killers of his wife and child, usually with gun in hand stopping anything coming in his way. This blend of noir and comic book cut scenes allows Max Payne to stand out from other shooters.The game's trademark was bullet time. This feature allowed players to slow down time and dive while shooting and dodging bullets. It was the first time bullet time was implement in a game. Players would blast their way through each level watching the gunfight unfold beautifully in slow motion. It was an awesome game to both watch and play.

5. Portal

Portal was praised for its original ideas, design and black humour. What makes it is truly remarkable is that the narrative and humor is carried by one character, GLaDOS, the megalomaniac computer running the facility. The gameplay is fantastic, shooting portals to get to an exit sounds simple enough, but when turrets, cubes and neurotoxin come into play, it can lead to some mind-bending puzzles.