1. Portal 2
Remember when I said that I put two examples of art to define the generation on this list, back with Journey? Well, Portal 2 is the other one. For me, Portal 2 is one of the main showcases of a game as a game. It is a rareity these days to get a AAA title that really has its roots in the mechanics of what makes gaming unique as opposed to an extension/progression of movies. Portal 2 is a game with a core gameplay mechanic that is wrapped in a story. The puzzle solving aspect of the game is really the jumping off point and basis for the entire narrative. A story that is based in a location that a player experiences through play. These are concepts that can be conveyed in film, but not in the same way or to as great effect as in Portal 2. (Much in the same way a cutscene can be conveyed in a video game, but it is rarely as effective as a scene in a film). Portal 2 will hopefully looked back upon as a wonderful piece of art and example of the medium. While the current generation is often obsessed with creating massive set pieces, forcing camera angles and relying on cutscenes, Portal 2 helps it remember its strengths by going in completely the opposite way and telling its story through the experience of game mechanics, exploration and space. SPPPPAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCEEEEEEE!!!! So, let me point out, this was a pretty tough list to put together. There are tons and tons of really great games that I would love to add but I didn't feel would be remembered as part of this generation or really pointed to where we were going. However, feel free to tell me how wrong I am about not including Halo 3 for the first explosion of multiplayer this generation, Gears of War for really pushing the hardware to being with and chest high walls, Metal Gear Solid 4 for being utterly insane and showing the power of cutscenes, Football Manager for bringing text based games to an audience that would never have played them before, The Walking Dead for how it has revolutionised episodic content going into the next generation, Sim City for foretelling the pitfalls of horrendous publisher decsions, Dead Space 3 for bringing microtransactions to AAA gaming, Uncharted 2 for showing the power of games being cinematic and keeping their dignity as a medium, Little Big Planet for being the most innovative platform this generation (or Super Mario Galaxy for that point). and allowing players to use games a creative spaces. Trust me! I have considered many many games for the list. But as I said, feel free to tell me how incredibly wrong I am.