Aside from a few outstanding titles, 2005 was a weak year for gaming, especially when compared to 2004, which saw the release of three highly touted sequels: “Halo 2,” “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” and “Half-Life 2.” 2004 also gave us “World of Warcraft,” a gaming habit that many can’t seem to kick.
It seems that in 2005, many companies shifted their focus to the next console generation, leaving consumers out in the cold. But there were a few titles that bucked this year’s trend.
2005 Gaming Studs
‘Resident Evil 4’
“Resident Evil 4” is 2005’s game for dedicated gamers. In “RE4” players take control of Leon, a special forces agent on a mission to rescue the president’s daughter from an enigmatic Spanish cult.
“RE4” approaches perfection. The game’s weapons are solid, satisfying and fun to upgrade. The combat is frantic, and the boss battles are intense and memorable. But the game’s standout element is its atmosphere: players get the feeling that it’s them against the world as they shoot their way through old Spanish villages and dank castle corridors. The graphic engine does a great job of rendering the horde of creepy not-quite-zombie villagers.
The fun doesn’t end when players complete the campaign, either. There are loads of unlockables on both the GameCube and PlayStation2 versions of the game. “Resident Evil 4” is one of best single player games that has been released in years. If you haven’t played it then go out and get it. Now.
‘God of War‘
“God of War” is 2005’s game for all gamers. Players take command of Kratos, a Spartan soldier turned hit man for the gods. Kratos flays his way through ancient Greece, gouging out the eyes of Cyclopes, beheading gorgons and impaling Minotaur on a quest to kill Ares, the god of war. Combat in “God of War” is amazing. Kratos takes on his enemies with one of gaming’s coolest weapons: the Blades of Chaos, a pair of large blades attached to Kratos’ arms by chains. “God of War” showcases some of the best boss battles ever seen in gaming. Even the game’s puzzles are entertaining. Although the game is a little on the short end, odds are players will want to play through this masterpiece more than once.
‘Guitar Hero’
Anyone who has ever watched someone play “Dance Dance Revolution” or any of its ilk will be familiar with the concept of “Guitar Hero.” Music plays as colored dots scroll down the screen. These dots correspond with buttons on the neck of the game’s custom guitar controller. All you have to do is hold down the right button and pluck the “string” at the right time, simple enough. That’s the beauty of “Guitar Hero”: it’s simple. Anyone can pick up the game and play through a few songs, which include more than 30 decent covers of artists ranging from Boston to Megadeth. The game starts players with three buttons and a whammy bar, but as the difficulty ramps up players will use all five buttons. “Guitar Hero” is an excellent play and it’s almost impossible to put the guitar down after one song.
“Guitar Hero” is retailing for around $70, but it comes with the game and the controller. With over 30 songs, and four difficulty levels ranging from easy to punishing, “Guitar Hero” is a good choice for any music lover with a PS2.
‘Shadow of Colossus’
“Shadow of Colossus” is 2005’s cult classic. It isn’t for everyone, but those who get into it are in for a treat.
“Shadow of Colossus” feels like no other game. Many games make players slog through a horde of menial enemies as they work their way to the boss. In “Shadow,” the enemies have been replaced by 16 colossi, statuesque creatures that are often the size of skyscrapers. Players will climb and slay these monumental beasts.
Like “RE4,” “Shadow of Colossus” benefits from an amazing sense of atmosphere. The game is quiet and beautiful, and there is an overwhelming sense of solitude as players explore the game’s vast countryside. If you find yourself bored over winter break, go rent “Shadow of Colossus.” It’s definitely worth a few (or more) hours of your time.
‘Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’
It’s a sad state of affairs when the best game released for the Xbox this year was a game that was released on the PS2 last year. “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” on the Xbox is the best “GTA” knockoff we’re going to see on this generation of consoles. It is packed with so much content that it would take the average gamer months to fully complete it. Although the game’s graphics are weak when compared to LucasArts’ “Mercenaries,” another decent title, the game’s solid art direction makes the most of the game’s aging engine. “GTA: San Andreas” makes almost every other free-roam game obsolete.
2005 Gaming Duds
‘Marvel Nemesis’/’Fantastic 4’
Historically, superhero games have sucked, which is odd because superheroes seem to be a perfect fit for games. The past few years have seen a few decent comic-inspired releases including “Spider-Man 2” and “Hulk: Ultimate Destruction,” but for every quality title that hits consoles there is an equally disappointing release.
“Marvel Nemesis” and “The Fantastic 4” are each great examples of licensing gone awry. “Marvel Nemesis” is half-baked brawler that is nowhere near as good as its potential. “Fantastic 4,” which was released at the same time as the movie, is a sub-par brawler that isn’t even a four-player game.
‘NARC’
Midway got its name all over the news in the ’90s when controversy made “Mortal Kombat” a household name. “NARC” reeks of a similar marketing scheme. This controversial “GTA” knockoff allows its players to use street drugs as power-ups. So if you smoke pot, the world slows down and if you take LSD you hallucinate. The gameplay was boring and the drug gimmick didn’t add anything to the game. “NARC” was only $20 when it debuted in March, and I have no doubt Midway was hoping that controversy would sell their shoddy game. Midway, if you’re going to release a game that ticks off parents, at least make it one a kid’s going to want to play.
‘Castelvania: Curse of Darkness’
I’ve always loved “Castelvania” games. The Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS titles have seen the 18-year-old series maturing. The 2D game’s history and style could fit perfectly in a well-developed 3D world. Unfortunately, “Castelvania: Curse of Darkness” sees all the series’ potential squandered on a lukewarm bore. The combat is monotonous and uninspired. The same goes for the game’s boring enemies and lackluster environments.
‘Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland’/ ‘SSX On Tour’
The “Tony Hawk” series has been showing signs of age over the past few years. “American Wasteland” is the sixth sequel since the series’ debut in 1999. The past few iterations have been more about style than they have been about substantial changes to the game’s core gameplay. “American Wasteland” nixes load times and adds a BMX element to the game, but that can’t hide the fact that this is the same game we have been playing for the past six years.
The animated-middle school notebook menus of “SSX On Tour” were the most interesting things about the game. EA is notorious for its sequels and the gaming giant thrives on its successful sports titles. I hope that the next generation of systems will see more original titles, because the sequel-driven game industry is getting a little stale.
The PlayStation Portable
As a gaming device, the PSP is a rip-off. It’s been nine months since its half-decent launch and all PSP owners get is a bunch of stripped down ports. Sure “GTA: Liberty City Stories” is a good game, but is it worth $300? As a music player, it’s expensive, bulky and fragile. And who wants to pay $30 for a copy of “Sin City” that they can only watch on their PSP?
