The Greatest Games of the Decade: The Year 2006

2006 was the first fully "next-gen" year, with the Wii and the PS3 both finally launching. The Xbox 360 hadn't been out for long either though. It seems to me that besides a few standouts (most of which I think made this list) game developers hadn't yet caught up with all the new hardware, which is why in 2006 there is still a lack of great next-gen games. The next-gen games finally start to pick up in 2007, but that will be covered in the next entry. As for 2006, while there were a few really good or great games, for me, one stands out above the rest:





The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: RPG, First Person Action
Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Publisher: 2K Games, Bethesda
Release Date (NA): March 20, 2006 (Xbox 360, PC)
Rating: M


Oblivion is the fourth game in The Elder Scrolls series, though the plot is not directly related to any of the other games in the series (besides just the world in which the game is based). To the untrained eye this game might appear very similar to The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and while the game engine does look somewhat the same, Bethesda improved on Morrowind's gameplay (one of its weaker points) in almost every way. The level-up system is better, the combat is better (though still not great), the graphics are better, and even smaller things like spells and the stealth/lock-picking system work a lot better. The story, while perhaps not the most interesting you'll play in a video game, is more intriguing and easier to follow, while still allowing the player almost complete freedom in a huge open world sandbox to do what she wants when she wants to.

Overall, I remember Oblivion as a great fantasy game with a unique level-up system and great character customization. The more you do something in the game, the better you get at it. This can be exploited by experience hungry players, but in theory it's actually a really interesting idea. The game runs really smoothly and really lets you get immersed in a huge, beautiful world. And the game's graphics (especially for the time) were absolutely amazing, even on a standard definition TV. As much as my usually philosophy for RPG's is "graphics dont matter that much," the graphics in this game (especially the environments) were so good that I would often just stop and look around for a bit and take it in. And to show what I mean when I say the game takes place in an "open world sandbox": there are no area transitions (besides going in and out of cities); the whole world is one big area you can travel for hours without seeing a load screen.

For me, Oblivion is definitely one of the best games ever (let alone from 2006), but it's not perfect. I liked the story, but most of the characters are largely forgettable. The only two exceptions that come to mind are Picard (the Emperor), who they kill off in prologue, and the Grey Fox, who was actually pretty cool and had a good personal story. Martin was alright too, I guess. Besides them, it's hard to really think of any other characters, and many times the computer characters in an RPG are what make the game so great to me. Also, as stated before, the combat wasn't that great. It was good enough to get the job done and add some action to the game, but it wasn't anything to write home about. Still though, I'll always remember that this was the first "next-gen" game that made me say "Wow!" just from watching someone else play for a few minutes.


Honorable Mentions:

Wii Sports (Wii)- This game came packaged with all Wii systems, so most people have played it or at least seen it be played. While not a game with a huge amount of content, Wii Sports showed what a Wii game could do when in the right developer's hands. The motion controls work very well (besides maybe boxing), and the game is a lot of fun, especially when played with other people. A very innovative title that showed the first signs that Nintendo may have been on to something with the whole "motion control" and "casual gaming" thing.

Dead Rising (Xbox 360)- I am personally not a big fan of this game, but a lot of people love it, so I'll put it on the list. Killing zombies is always fun, and Dead Rising really takes the idea of "the more the merrier" to a new extreme. This game definitely has its problems, but it was innovative in many ways as well.

Okami (PS2, Wii)- Haven't played this game at all, but I've only ever heard good things. It's on my "someday" list.

Gears of War (Xbox 360)- A great shooter with great graphics, good online play, and a really innovative cover system. Also great for co-op play (how I played it). Started a good story too.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)- The first really good game for Wii. Used motion controls well without trying to over-use them. Haven't played all of this game yet, but once again have only ever heard really good things.


And there you have it: 2006. I'll give you a minute to say your goodbyes... okay. 2006 was a little short on games, in my opinion because there were all these new consoles and game developers needed some time to learn how to make good games that take advantage of all the new hardware power. But stay tuned, because as we'll see from all the great games that came out in 2007 - it didn't take them long to learn.