About Rainier

PC gamer, WorthPlaying EIC, globe-trotting couch potato, patriot, '80s headbanger, movie watcher, music lover, foodie and man in black -- squirrel!

Advertising

As an Amazon Associate, we earn commission from qualifying purchases.





'WorthPlaying's Top Games of 2006' - Countdown, 10-1

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2007 @ 7:12 a.m. PST

So far, we've revealed the honorable mentions, top handheld titles, top console/PC offerings, and the countdown of games 11-20. Today we're finishing up the countdown of the top 20 titles, including what WP considers to be the best game of 2006. Read more for the final results!

10. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)

In the end, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is an excellent game. It is fun, packed to the brim with side quests, looks great, plays fantastically well and is overall a top-notch Zelda offering. Those looking for a title for their Wiis are strongly encouraged to pick this up, and those looking for a reason to buy a Wii: Look no further. If there is one must-own game for the Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is it.

9. Kingdom Hearts II (PS2)

Once you sink into the fantastic world Kingdom Hearts II presents, it's hard not to get addicted to its immense variety and kinetic pace. Completing the journey through all hundred hours of gameplay it offers is the sort of thing you discuss fondly with gamer friends and reminisce years on down the road. Being able to inspire this kind of intense devotion is what turned Final Fantasy VII into the perennial classic it's become, and there's no doubting that Kingdom Hearts II will be regarded just as fondly 10 years from now.

8. New Super Mario Bros. (NDS)

This fast-paced adventure will have Mario fans cheering as they make their way over fields, under water, through castles and into the air. New and familiar enemies are everywhere, not to mention mind-blowing challenges made possible by the dual screens of the NDS, and also wireless multiplayer with a friend.

7. Guitar Hero II (PS2)

If you're looking for a different experience or just love rock music, and you never got a chance to pick up the original, you are doing yourself a disservice if you don't give Guitar Hero II a spin. It creates a new sense of fun that allows non-gamers and gamers alike to come together in harmony and rock delight.

6. Company of Heroes (PC)

Company of Heroes is without doubt a fun and addictive game. In many ways, it has done for real-time strategy what the Battlefield franchise did for first-person shooters. It has made it an immersive and enjoyable experience that is both challenging and fun to play and will help ensure the genre remains popular with gamers for years to come.

5. Dead Rising (X360)

Indeed, Dead Rising is a well-made game, and the closest the Xbox 360 has at the moment to a "killer app," in point of that it's the first Xbox 360 game to really showcase what the next-gen era is capable of beyond shiny graphics. It's not for everyone, but it's worth a try for everybody who has the system, on the novelty of its concept alone.

4. Okami (PS2)

Upon completing Okami, you may feel like you have just taken in a classic Miyazaki film. The visual/aural presentation and sprawling narrative combine to present the game as an extended vision of an anime epic – equal parts The Legend of the Dog Warriors: The Hakkenden and Princess Mononoke, with a dash of Ranma ½ for kicks. The innovative visual style and use of the Celestial Brush make Okami a gaming experience unlike any other. Though the PlayStation 2 has given us a slew of fantastic releases in the last six years, Okami easily earns its spot in the upper echelon of those titles.

3. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (X360/PC)

Simply put, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is now the title that all other RPGs will be measured against, and now more than ever, Bethesda is one of the crown princes of the genre. Oblivion not only raises the bar in the visual and audio modules but also in the gameplay and presentation department, making it easily one of the most recommendable titles to anyone who has ever enjoyed the thought of truly doing whatever they want in a video game, in a world where actions actually mean something.

2. Final Fantasy XII (PS2)

When all of these features and concepts come together, it's obvious that the team behind FFXII – most of whom never worked on a flagship Final Fantasy title before – was trying to change the status quo of the franchise, as well as the genre. They've succeeded. This is a nearly seamless world that feels so much more alive than the mechanical settings and story development and gameplay that we've been used to for so long. Ivalice is more alive than any other setting in Square-Enix history, and in FFXII, it's taken to an entirely new level.

1. Gears of War (X360)

What it all boils down to is this: Gears of War is fun to play and will monopolize your time for a good long while. It is one of the few games to arrive on the 360 that just about every gamer can agree is worth the price of admission. If GoW can get this many things right, then hopes are high for the eventual sequel.

blog comments powered by Disqus