CVXFREAK's choice:
Onimusha 3
This was a blast to play. The fully 3D graphics engine is beautiful, and the game played faster and smoother than the previous Onimusha games. The Paris-time travel dynamic worked out well, adding up to a long, enjoyable experience. There's plenty to unlock and replay value is decent. The game is easily more accessible than its predecessors. The voice acting is decent, the movie direction is fantastic and Jean Reno isn't in the very least distracting or out of place.
|
DCharlie's choice:
Half-Life 2
With a lot to live up to, Half-Life 2 was the experience I thought it would be, and then some. Fantastic graphics, well crafted atmosphere giving a sense of helplessness and doom, and some great set pieces all helped HL2 become an obsession until it was completed. Although the game does have its negative points such as some sound glitches and some badly timed load times (which could be fixed), the big boon that comes with HL2 is the inevitable mod scene that will follow. At least that will keep us entertained until HL3...
|
JonnyRam's choice:
Gradius V
My love affair with the Gradius series stretches way back to 1985, and while those two decades have given us more Madonna albums than Gradius games, Treasure's addition to the mix makes me feel like I was "touched for the very first time". The staple Gradius ingredients are almost all present - the power-up system, options, cores, and remixed Gradius tunes. The only thing fans may miss is the famous Easter Island stage. 21st century graphics and music form the icing on Gradius V's all too tasty cake. A must for shmup fans everywhere.
|
LEOsh's choice:
Monster Hunter
The online capability made this a strong candidate amongst other games but that was not its only quality. The world setting and concepts were unique. Characters did not level up with experience points as other RPGs do. It requires the improvement of player skills, equipment, coordination and communication to work with other players. Although challenging, it was exciting to see yourself beat a dragon you used to get creamed by. Even considering the issues it had such as the heavily loaded servers at the start of its service and the badly designed in-game chat, Monster Hunter got a large amount of my gaming time in 2004.
|
