Listmania!
A newbie gamer gets an Xbox 360...
By an Amazon.com customer
Portal: Still Alive [Online Game Code]Portal: Still Alive [Online Game Code]
Buy new: $15.00
One of my all time favorite games. Its a FPS but you use a portal gun to move around an increasingly difficult series of test chambers. And then there's the great ending. You'll play nothing like it for a long time. GLaDOS forever!
Mass EffectMass Effect
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $14.39
Best game i'm ever played, so far. RPG is second to none, with moral consequences, fight system is great, graphics wonderful, good story, characters...
Half Life 2Half Life 2
Buy new: $54.90 / Used from: $14.99
One of the best FPS/Action adventure games ever made. You NEED to play this right now if you've never. Beware the headcrabs...
Star Wars Knights of the Old RepublicStar Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Buy new: $115.56 / Used from: $17.75
One of the first games I played on my new console; an incredible role playing experience. One of the pitfalls of playing a Bioware RPG is that the rest of the RPG world pales in comparison. The fight mechanics, however, stink - they are visual representations of a turn-based system. But even so, a thrilling game experience, especially for SW fans.
Assassin's CreedAssassin's Creed
Buy new: $18.72 / Used from: $12.70
A great stealth/assassin game with incredible locales/graphics and a very cool fight system. The gameplay quickly gets repetative but the way you kill and climb and run are so fun that it mitigates it somewhat. And the sound is fantastic.
Call of Duty 2Call of Duty 2
Buy used from: $8.49
This is THE FPS for me. Loads of fun, quickly gets you into the action, great save checkpoints, sound, etc.
Call of Duty 3Call of Duty 3
Buy new: $82.68 / Used from: $7.49
More of the same but with longer cutscenes and the ability to throw back grenades. Both these games have insane replay value. Looking forward to World at War.
Call of Duty 4: Modern WarfareCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Buy used from: $19.90
Way fun. And the sniper mission just has to be experienced. Almost finished and I can't wait to replay..
Call of Duty: World at WarCall of Duty: World at War
Buy new: $51.77 / Used from: $21.00
Not as constantly gratifying as CoD 2,3 or 4, but some of the battles are great esp. the Reichstag.
Fable IIFable II
Buy new: $27.99 / Used from: $16.00
A great fantasy/action game. Your player changes physically over time depending on how you level up and the moral choices you make. Great fight dynamics; good story; nice sandboxing as well.
Dead SpaceDead Space
Buy new: $19.96 / Used from: $15.81
This is a GREAT game, tho intense and really scary. It has a great story, great visuals, cool controls, etc. There are real scares here and the creatures are disgusting/creepy.
Gears Of WarGears Of War
Buy new: $81.94 / Used from: $4.75
LOVE the main character but the fights get repetative. However, the weapons are cool and later in the game the scenarios get more interesting. Still stuck on last boss tho...
Gears of War 2Gears of War 2
Buy new: $68.94 / Used from: $20.00
Even better than the first game. Wow.
BioShockBioShock
Buy new: $18.99 / Used from: $13.89
A good shooter. Not much of a story, but great atmospherics, good save points and weapons.
Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV
Buy new: $27.99 / Used from: $16.99
Incredible sandbox capability and very immsersive. I stopped after a while because the moral tone is just so down and viscious. I feel 'bad' after playing this game too much. But it's an amazing experience.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year EditionElder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition
Buy new: $27.98 / Used from: $23.98
I had the unfortunate experience of playing Bioware's best RPG's before this, and as a result, find this game pretty lame. If you want to spend lots of time hunting for herbs and building spells, you're in for a treat, but the main quests are pretty standard dungeon crawls and get very repetative. The RPG aspect is pretty dull as well. Great voice talent, but a dull game.
Jade EmpireJade Empire
Buy new: $16.56 / Used from: $2.78
A definite step down for Bioware after SW: KOTOR. It's still a good game, but the martial arts fighting is somewhat 'button mashy' and the characters and story not nearly as compelling as ST: KOTOR or Mass Effect.
Halo: Combat EvolvedHalo: Combat Evolved
Buy new: $12.99 / Used from: $6.99
A lot of fun and a potentially great story marred somewhat by VERY repetative gameplay. Each Covenant bunker looks and feels exactly the same as the last one. But there are thrilling sequences and the end run (stolen by Mass Effect) is fantastic.
Halo 2Halo 2
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $10.75
NOt nearly as addicting as the fist game. And frankly, I found playing as the convenant sorta lame.
Dead RisingDead Rising
Buy new: $19.82 / Used from: $7.91
This was a frustrating experience; i feel like the 2nd one will be the one to get. This one gets mired in an ATROCIOUS save-game mechanic. It's so bad that as intriguing and well thought out as the game truly is, you just can't commit to replaying long stretches of missions over and over again because you can't get to a save point. But this is a genre-topper in waiting.
Battlefield: Bad CompanyBattlefield: Bad Company
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $8.73
Good graphics but strangely uncompelling gameplay. It's sort of a CoD:MW knock off and doesn't have nearly the fun playability of the CoD franchise.
Brothers in Arms: Hell's HighwayBrothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Buy new: $12.42 / Used from: $8.50
Another CoD pretender, this one offers control of platoon/squad. While I found the idea intriguing and fairly well though out, it just slows down the action. This is sort of a more strategic version of CoD, for those who might like it. I don't so much.
Call of Juarez: Bound in BloodCall of Juarez: Bound in Blood
Buy new: $36.99 / Used from: $11.99
Great graphics and fun sound/action, but in the end, i was sorta bored by it. Not really sure why.
Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $6.44
This is a TERRIBLE game. The mechanics and ship fighting are very, very lame. It's sort of like Galaga for 3D console. Skip!
ConanConan
Buy new: $14.77 / Used from: $6.04
Another game that I thought was lame. Platformy but with clunky controls and viewpoints. Good VO by Ron Perlman and flashy end-moves can't save this one.
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber DuelsStar Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels
Buy new: $16.39 / Used from: $11.96
Great idea but poorly executed. It's the Wii version of a button masher (wand-waver?). YOu don't feel like you are really controlling the saber as much as manipulating combo moves, so you wave the damn thing around and lo and behold, every once and a while, you hit something.
Marvel Ultimate AllianceMarvel Ultimate Alliance
Buy new: $24.98 / Used from: $2.99
Button masher disguised as a real charater/powers game. Skip.
Ninja Gaiden II (Platinum Hits)Ninja Gaiden II (Platinum Hits)
Buy new: $15.76 / Used from: $10.29
I felt like this was a martial arts button masher. Graphics were only ok and there's no story.
Resident Evil 5Resident Evil 5
Buy new: $36.99 / Used from: $18.95
This looks great but the weapon sighting leaves a LOT to be desired. Might be better on a second play through...
Star Trek: LegacyStar Trek: Legacy
Buy new: $97.19 / Used from: $28.98
Terrible! A great idea of ship-to-ship combat but the mechanics of it are really lame. And the voiceover work by Scott Bakula, whom you start with, stinks. ST is still waiting for a platform killer...
Batman: Arkham Asylum Signature Series GuideBatman: Arkham Asylum Signature Series Guide by BradyGames
Buy new: $13.59 / Used from: $11.11
This is really cool! Great ideas and neat fight mechanics. Excellent VO from the animated series' cast. I was knocked out by the demo. Can't wait to play through.
WETWET
Buy new: $56.99 / Used from: $32.49
This will vanish very quickly. The idea here is that you can be in a Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez movie as a hot chick and kill in cool ways. AFter trying a few running up the walls and slow motion targeting, you'll take a snooze.
PreyPrey
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $4.00
Definitely a solid "B" game, but it's fun and there are some really neat gravity puzzles and perspectives that make me think they could really rock a sequel.
TimeshiftTimeshift
Buy new: $19.70 / Used from: $7.49
The time controls are a bit odd at first, but once you get them it's a really fun game, good mechanics and guns.
Mirror's EdgeMirror's Edge
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $9.67
I really enjoyed the first third of this game, then I just started dying a LOT and it got frustrating. It's a neat concept, a 'First Person Runner,' but it could be done better.