Warband, ArmA2 and Terran Conflict definitely qualify though, they're all fantastic games.

Minecraft

Human Revolution for me. It's everything I ever wanted in a Deus Ex sequel/prequel, plus more. It's the one single game in the last five or so years that has made me proud to be a gamer again.

With mods, Oblivion is amazing. In fact, even without mods it's far superior to Skyrim.

As for Call of Duty, it has a horrible reputation as a series (some of it justified, some of it due to the sheepish mentality of people hating something just because it's popular) ... but COD4 was fantastic. I don't care what anyone says.

It's sort of a silly question. There are so many different reasons that people love games. Best competitive game, best at getting non-gamers into gaming, best story, best gameplay, most immersive, best artstyle, best use of current technology, most challenging without being gimmicky, etc.


Games like Starcraft, TES/Fallout, GTA, DotA, Counterstrike, Team Fortress, Battlefield, Braid, Halo, WoW all have a very respectable standing in this generation depending on what it is you see as making a game "the pinnacle". On a forum for a company that makes very popular open-world RPGs, my guess is that good single-player and freedom are what people are going to consider to be important for the "pinnacle" of gaming.

This generation? Hmm...

Looking purely at how many hours I've played any specific game, Warhawk.

Second part is true, but that's not because Oblivion is so great.

I was thinking about that one. HR is a fantastic game and a worthy successor to Deus Ex. One of my favourites from the past few years. I didn't mention it in my post because I thought the ending was poor, but then again so was the ending of the original and that's still one of the best games ever made.

I fail to see how a generic fantasy land, copy-pasted a dozen times then filled with boring quests could be a game that is the pinnacle of this generation, and it's hardly superior to Skyrim. Unless you like bland stuff, I guess.

Same. It's amazing how Eidos Montreal, a brand new team who made no previous games together, managed to create a worthy prequel to a 10 year old classic that none of them actually worked on, with a different publisher, and even managing to pull off a good simultaneous multi platform release. A great PC port, and no big issues or changes for the console versions either. GTA 4's PC version was pretty bad, and that's after releasing it 7 months after the console versions.

The original Deus Ex was ported to PS2 but suffered from levels being cut up in several pieces because the PS2 couldn't handle it otherwise. Invisible War was made with the consoles in mind, having those small levels with loads of loading screens on all platforms, along with a crappy PC port with performance issues and a crappy UI/HUD. So well done Eidos.



Also on the indie side of things, Bastion is fantastic. IMO it's the best example of storytelling in videogames done right.

The ending to a game doesn't count for much to me. I believe the most important thing is the journey itself, not the destination. An ending can be bad and can sour a story, but if it was great up until the very end, then I'm happy with it. Besides, one of the hardest things to do with a great story is end it. Sometimes you just can't think of a proper sendoff, no matter how passionate you are about it. That's why so many great stories have very open and abrupt endings; it's often better to just leave it up to the imagination rather than try to do it yourself.

Yes, I think you're right about that. Of course, a great ending makes the rest of the journey feel that much better, but overall HR still had a great story. And the gameplay and level design were superb without a doubt.

The HR ending wasn't that bad. Sure the presentation of buttons was a bit simple (The original Deus Ex had you put more effort in your choice) but it didn't leave a whole lot unresolved like Mass Effect 3's ending did. Though it did end with one of those annoying boss fights...

The best game?

Duke Nukem Forever.

Comparing it with ME3 isn't far, that game took bad endings to a whole new level!

If we are talking the game i've played most this generation it certainly is Oblivion. However as for 'pinnacle' i'm not really sure. I just don't view any one game as the defining moment of this generation. Terraria certainly was a revelation for me though. You get a huge budget and make a game like Gears of War or CoD, yet Re-Logic goes and creates something wonderful without all that money. Obviously just my opinion but it opened my eyes to how in depth good games could still be made, before March this year I was resigned that 99% of games were utter rubbish. There are a few good games around I am not denying that and I am not just jumping on the whole 'eek new game, I hate it' bandwagon. I'm happily on the 'new game: lets have a look, , no thanks' bandwagon.

The only upcoming game I have my eye on is ArmA 3. Sadly I am pretty sure it will make my laptop explode so guess I won't be getting it

One thing I've noticed in this generation compared to the last is that sandbox games gotten much more common, with Assassin's Creed and whatnot, or am I just imagining this? So I guess I should pick a sandbox game to be the pinnacle of this generation, but I do not. Instead I just list my favorite games for the platforms I own

Favorite PC game since 2005: http://www.thewitcher.com/the-witcher/1/
Favorite PS3 game: http://www.niergame.com/#/uk/home/
Favorite Wii game: http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/wii/xenoblade_chronicles_32583.html
Favorite DS game : http://www.atlus.com/radianthistoria/

What they all have in common are great storylines and even greater soundtracks.

It's a good game, yeah. However, I do feel that the original game is quite a bit better, thanks to the larger levels it offer and the exploration and different routes that are available in many of them. In comparison HR is a very linear corridor at times.

EDIT: Arkham Asylum deserves a nod too, excellent game that

For me: Oblivion

For most: CoD 4

Tough question, I think my choices would be either Portal 2, or Skyward Sword. Both of them were extremely fun for me and nigh flawless in execution. Don't make me choose between them though my head will explode.

edit: Gonna have to add Halo 3 to this too.

You shouldn't have to write "in my opinion" after every couple of words in a thread titled "what game in your opinion is the pinnacle of this generation", in my opinion.

Cod 4 is amazing And well hating something that is popular? Hm,Some people hate skyrim. But not becouse it is popular,Or?

And about oblivion better then skyrim,Your opinion. My favourite TES Morrowind/Daggerfall>Skyrim>Oblivion but i do love all TES Games in the main series

Morrowind, Minecraft and/or Mount&Blade Warband. No other game this "generation" catched my interest as much as those three (except of course the "old classics").

I thinks we should be crownin' him
DAH KING OF CONSHOLS!

that's a very difficult question to ask, I have no idea what game could be described as the pinnacle.

Even though I don't like it much you could say it was Gears of War as it literally defined all third-person shooters after it.
You could say it was Mass Effect since it's defined modern story-telling in a video-game
You could say it was Minecraft as it created the most open and fluid sandbox in gaming history.

A just point my liege. I concur, Oblivion svcked unspeakably.

OP: In my opinion it's the Mount and Blade series, particularly With Fire and Sword. A great medieval combat simulator (the best according to some), that is surprisingly historically accurate (well the parts that aren't set in a fantasy land anyway). Furthermore the level that you can get into politics and the whole feudal system that the game is based on is surprisingly deep, and you are often faced with choices that will have actual different effects on the flow of events. You can even start your own kingdom, lay siege to castles or serve a lord etc. The multi-player modes are also great and allow for some awesome teamwork on the field of battle. On top of all this the games are made by a small and independent studio (Tale Worlds) which makes it that much more impressive.

arma 2

for me it has to be any of the elder scrolls games, they have got to be my favourites along with the Tomb Raider games