My Top Video Games
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However, in my opinion Halo 3 is not the best 'First Person Shooter', that honour goes to Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the most realistic, exciting and downright fantastic modern warfare shooter I've player. The graphics are superb but with a full Dolby Digital setup you appreciate how much effort went into creating the sound, which is truly amazing. The campaign is very good, but as with Halo 3 it is the online play that makes this game really stand out. The ranking system keeps you coming back again and again just to gain that extra experience and rank up to the next level which unlocks a different weapon or an add-on. Perks are also unlocked as you rank up enabling you to do such things as increase bullet damage or your own health or sprint for longer distances, or my favourite 'martyrdom', where you drop a live grenade every time you are killed! Just to give you an idea of how good this game is in recent months it has taken over from Halo 3 as our online game of choice.

Over the years I have also been impressed by the 'Action Adventure' genre of which The Chronicles of Riddick on the Xbox, and God of War on the PS2 standout. However the Xbox only release of Ninja Gaiden has to be one of the best 'Fantasy Action Adventure' games ever made, with amazing graphics, gripping gameplay and intuitive controls. Ninja Gaiden is the kind of game that, even if you're just watching, will completely absorb you with it's constant fast paced action. Ninja Gaiden has been followed by Ninja Gaiden Sigma on the PS3 and then the full sequel Ninja Gaiden II, which this time round was a multi-platform release.

So is Ninja Gaiden the best 'Action Adventure' game ever; not quite! In March 2005 Capcom released Resident Evil 4, which not only redefined the Resident Evil series but redefined the sub-genre of 'Horror Action Adventure'. Amazingly this is a Gamecube game which is not only an excellent advert for this console but a extremely good reason to go buy one. It has also subsequently been released on the Wii and the intuitive control scheme using the movement sensitive Wii controllers has made it even better (if that was at all possible). The deliberate slow pace of the game, resulting in claustrophobic encounters with dozens of zombies is great, particularly when you're running low on ammo. The graphics are Gamecube/Wii but the gameplay is top notch and at the end of the day High Definiton graphics do not make or break a game, although they certainly help.

Does Resident Evil 4 get my vote as top game? As a stand alone game then most definitely yes but for an online game my vote has to go with Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. So that's the best stand alone game and the best online game covered but what about when all your friends come over and you just want to have some fun. Well if you've got a loud amp and big telly then there is nothing quite as much fun and picking up two guitars and playing 'The Killers - When We Were Young' in co-op mode on Guitar Hero III. Yep, the Guitar Hero series really is that good, and that addictive! The introduction of a new wireless Les Paul guitar means you can jump around pressing those coloured fret keys, strumming the bar and banging your head to 'Bloc Party's - Helicopter' to your hearts content, without get your wires in a tangle! When my mates came round for poker weekend recently we had to prize some of them (Andy!) off Guitar Hero III to play poker, now that really is product endorsement! So if you've got friend and even a passing interest in music then go get Guitar Hero III, you won't be disappointed. I've even dedicated a page on this web site to all those friends who I've introduced to the game and who have either gone out and bought it themselves or now frequently turn up at my house to just to play on a really loud amp. Check them out on my Guitar Hero page.