I have a bit of an eclectic taste in games, with many of my favorites being games that were more cult classics. I tend to not be a fan of big-name games (Halo, Call of Duty, et al) and prefer games that stand out for providing maybe not the most polished experience, but one that either in terms of story, theme, or gameplay, provide something unique.
The Walking Dead - Telltale Games
This game has gained some popularity due to its critical acclaim, and deserves it wholeheartedly. Zombies are terribly played out in games, but The Walking Dead utilizes them not as the source of conflict, but as a backdrop. They set the stage for the real driving conflict within the game, which is your interactions with others.
The game brilliantly characterizes each of your companions and they each react to the apocalyptic world around them in incredibly human ways. Some are bitter and distrusting, caring only about their own survival, others have been forced to confront what makes and keeps us all human in a world where people must scrape and scrounge to get by.
While all this makes the game stellar in its own right, one aspect of the game that particularly stands out for me is how it is able to engender within the player the emotions that come with being a parent. The first character you partner with is an 8-year old girl named Clementine. Most games do little to characterize children, relying on our natural desire to protect them rather than making them actual people. This usually leads to them not only being not compelling, but often child characters are actually annoying. Clementine is a beautiful departure from this norm, being more than just someone to protect, but a fully fleshed out character in her own right. You are actually encouraged to be honest with her about the danger and sadness of the world, but rely on her to motivate you to continue fighting to survive.
R.A.D. - Robot Alchemic Drive - Enix
This game is awful. The graphics are bland and blocky, the effects in the game are either overblown or completely under-exaggerated, and the voice acting is some of the worst this side of
Castle Shikigami. However, the game has a quirky and unique combat and control system that are slow to pick up, but a blast once you get used to them.
You play the game alternating between a giant robot and its human controller. However, the human does not pilot the mech, but rather uses a comically oversized Playstation 2 controller with an antenna to control the robot. You control the legs with the Left and Right shoulder buttons respectively, and use the analog sticks to punch, with different motions on the stick relating to different types of melee attacks. There are also weapons used by pressing the face buttons. It sounds a bit complex, and it is at first, but once you acclimate yourself, there's a sense of weight and mass that I like to think was intentional.
Fighting also has interesting aspects that come into play. While controlling the robot, your human character is exposed and must stand still. You are only able to see what the human character would be able to see from their perspective, so you must constantly adjust and find new vantage points as the battle progresses. However, to do so you will need to leave your robot motionless and susceptible to attack. Furthermore, some enemies will go after your human character directly, destroying buildings you are using for a vantage point over the battle.
There are also a couple different variety of mechs, some that transform into vehicles, others whose transformation boosts damage and defense for a limited time, but if you don't finish the battle by the end of that time limit, the mech self-destructs and you fail. There's a gem of fun at the heart of this game, it's just wrapped in layer after layer of garbage. Doesn't stop me from loving it, though.
Also, the writing is terrible.
