Released by Valve in 2007, the Orange Box includes the complete Half-Life 2 series to date, as well as Portal, which has effectively raised the bar on what video games can be. THE CAKE IS A LIE! Half-Life 2 is simply stated, the most immersive gaming environment I've ever experienced. Taking out the Combine and Striders never gets old. Oh yeah, then there's Alyx, Dog and the Gravity Gun.

Aside from Half-Life 2, Nintendo's 2002 revamp of Metroid is the best 1st person shooter I've ever played. The combination of precise shooter elements, awesome Boss Battles, cool puzzle solving, and Samus's patented morph ball make Metroid Prime an incredible gaming experience, with no major flaws to speak of.

In this beautifully creative 2005 Sony game, you battle the immense scale and terror of (16) ancient Colossi with only a boy, his trusty horse, his meager sword, bow and arrows. The vast majority of the Boss battles are very enjoyable, but there are 2 or 3 that seemed unfair in level of difficulty. I cannot fathom how any person could have defeated that freaking sandworm without going online.

Id's Doom is the grandfather of all 1st person shooters, essentially creating the genre when it was first released on the PC back in 1993, later transferred to the Playstation in 1995. Although the game has not aged well graphically, is still contains in my opinion the most superior level designs ever created in the history of video games.

Okami is the game that Zelda Twilight Princess strived to be, yet came up short. This 2006 Capcom release stars a magical wolf and side-kick that you use to literally draw with your PS2 controller. The Okami world is breath-taking, and there are lots of cool battles and Bosses, but the game is really lacking in difficulty.

Bioshock from 2K Games was my most anticipated game from 2007. The first-half was a truly mind-blowing gaming experience, particularly the first Big Daddy battles at the Fish Market. Unfortunately, the novelty of the Big Daddies and your injectable plasmids wears off in the second half, and the storyline takes a dive into stupidity, particularly if you decided not to save the Little Sisters.

FF7 was the most in-depth RPG ever created, and games like Mass Effect and KOTOR could only attempt to reach the epic proportions of this game. Released by SquareSoft in 1997, FF7 was probably the pinnacle of the original Playstation. The graphics or sound do not hold up over a decade, but the story and materia management system are as complex as anything current generation games have to offer.

Krados is a hardcore, brutal, bloodthirsty video game hero, first brought to life in this 2005 classic from Sony. The 3rd person combat controls are nearly flawless, allowing you to fight your way through countless out-numbered encounters. Graphics, sound, and story are all above-average. Level design often lacks creativity, with over-simplified puzzles and too linear a path to follow.

This 2006 1st person shooter from Sierra was really a pleasant surprise for me. FEAR does the basic FPS aspects very well, but then adds another level of terror to the action. The solid graphics, solid AI, superb gun sounds, ability to stop time, and frightening in-game ghost effects all work very well. That little girl is pretty terrifying, reminding me of the movie Ringu / The Ring.

This 2003 game from Ubisoft is an intensely entertaining story of government conspiracy. Jade is a very likeable character, as are her dynamic companions. Beyond Good & Evil would have been much higher on my list, if only the character combat controls were more in-depth, and the confined world more free to explore.

Psychonauts offers perhaps the best voice-acting and dialog I've ever heard in a game. This 2005 Majesco release is a very fun platforming game, with some mind-blowing level design. There are some cool Boss Battles, but also some terribly annoying spots during some of the platforming sequences, particularly during the Circus level at the end.

This 2006 Microsoft release is a superb free-roaming sandbox-style game. You play a Superhero Cop, improving your abilities throughout the game to a point where you can actually jump across the tops of skyscrapers like they are stepping stones. Narrator is awesome, "YOU'RE GETTING STRONGER, AGENT!!" Unfortunately, the storyline missions and boss battles are repetitive, and not very challenging.

Proving that Nintendo was not all kid's games, Eternal Darkness release in 2002 marked one of the most terrifying gaming experiences ever seen on any platform. The game's story was fully engaging, albeit the controls rather clunky. Somehow, the cumbersome controls actually added to the "terror" factor of the game, kind of like the old Resident Evil games.

The "sequel" to Shadow of the Colossus, Ico was actually released by Sony in 2001. The environment of Ico is incredibly vast and expansive, so much so that the game almost feels lonely or overwhelming in its scale. If you're looking for a ton of action to excite the journey, however, look elsewhere.

The 2005 Atari release Indigo Prophecy is less a tradition video game, and more of a "Choose Your Own Adventure" type story. The story is terrific and very deep, and there are some inventive mini-games and cut-scene interactions. I never felt truly immersed in the gaming experience due to the lack of actual control of the character.

This 2006 EA Sports boxing game is truly state-of-the-art as far as incredible graphics and sound. The control of your punches via the right analog stick is very fluid. The career mode is very enjoyable, although the opponents tend to get repetitive.

Lost Planet, released in 2006, features some very cool mechanized suits that you do battle in over the frozen landscapes, and more Boss Battles than you can shake a stick at. Unfortunately, Capcom really detracted from the game experience by making 3 or 4 of the Boss Battles nearly impossible to beat for the casual gamer, ala Ninja Gaiden.

This 2004 EA game is the only racing game that I've ever been able to really get into, mainly due to the stylized car effects, insane speed, and impressive crash physics.

One of the few Movie-to-Game adaptations that was a big success, Ubisoft did a great job with this 2005 release. Some of the battles with the dinosaur raptors are better than the N64 Turok games. Playing as Kong is awesome, but the sequences where you do so are not long enough.

NCAA hoops at its finest, player controls are very tight. Mike Patrick and Jay Bilas are awesome as the announcers. 2003 Syracuse Orange = Greatest College basketball team of all time.