Your top 5 current-gen games

[J T]

Ooh, good question. It's a little hard to answer because I don't own a current gen console, but I do play current gen PC games. However, a lot of the games I most loved in the past 5 or 6 years have been indie games that don't really utilize the power of modern hardware. I guess I can make two lists of five to represent the indies and the mainstream games.

Mainstream Games
1. Half Life 2 (and ep. 1 & 2):
This stands out to me as one of the best examples of how storytelling can be done in a game. No cut-scenes, just atmosphere, dramatic scenarios, and people talking to you while you work your way through the game.
2. Street Fighter IV:
There were so many nights of "just one more match" that I have to include it. It brought me back to my Street Fighter II roots, but updated the graphics and added more depth.
3. Mass Effect:
This is the pinnacle of space opera. I haven't played the sequel yet, which I hear is even better, but Mass Effect creates a palpable and rich sci-fi world that you just want to lose hours in.
4. Left 4 Dead 2:
I think the way the game is designed to promote teamwork is brilliant. That was true in the first Left 4 Dead as well, but the sequel just does everything better. Plus, I've always loved New Orleans.
5. Borderlands:
For bringing Diablo to the 3D FPS world and doing so with brilliant style in all its cell-shaded glory. I just love the cowboy feel you get from roaming the deserts and endlessly picking up loot. I actually haven't played this game much because it's a dangerous time suck of a game. Everytime I do sit down to play it, hours just slip by without me noticing.

Indie Games
1. Minecraft:
This is the great indie success story. It's more phenomenon than game. Notch holds a God-like nerd celebrity status now. It sold more than 1 million copies. And it deserves every bit of success it has earned. It's utterly brilliant. By having the abstract goal of survive and have fun while you're doing it, Minecraft became a wellspring for gamer creativity. Some of the monuments of creativity people have accomplished in this game are stunning.
2. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Hands down the scariest game of all time. Amnesia teaches you to avoid the light and be afraid of the dark. The sound design really puts it over the top. Hearing Daniel's heavy breathing, the clinking of chains, drafts in the cellar. Dear God, it's a total nightmare. This was one of the most visceral gaming experiences I've ever head. I feel like I really lived through those god awful dungeons and I also feel like I almost died in them too.
3. Braid
While somehow simultaneously paying tribute to Super Mario Bros and examining the mentality of people that would lead us to nuclear war, Braid also managed to deliver some of the most inventive, brain twisting puzzles ever seen. I really loved how it took the time bending mechanic and just twisted it and turned it and came up with every possible use for the technique imaginable.
4. Zeno Clash
The brutal fantasy world of Zeno Clash is both gorgeous and frightening. The art direction in this game was bold, surreal, and simply fantastic. I could just swim in the visuals for days. I think I spent more time admiring the scenery than I did working on mission objectives. But the creativity doesn't end there-- the first person beatemup gameplay was very unique and expertly executed.
5. Shatter
This took the core concept of Breakout and added layer after layer of creative gameplay ideas to it. But the main standout for this game is the Justice influenced soundtrack by Module. For awhile, I was just playing this game so I could listen to the music some more. Eventually I just tracked down the soundtrack and bought it. I've listened to it many time since then. This was a beautiful marriage of music and enhanced old school gameplay.

[Xeogred]

I kind of consider Half-Life 2 last gen, but if it counts here then that's definitely pretty high on my list. Haven't beaten it so many times I've lost count.

[Bradtemple87]

Deathsmiles
Marvel vs Capcom 3, I love it, dont hate!
Gears of War 2
Borderlands
God of War III

[Flake]

So, what's the fifth most fun game you've played this gen?

It's all the same after the Metroids. Only the eye patch matters.

[Weekend_Warrior]

Call of Duty Classic (360)
Medal of Honor: Airborne (360)
Dead Space (360)
Bioshock (360)

and... dun dunn dunnnn

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Wii)

[J T]

I kind of consider Half-Life 2 last gen, but if it counts here then that's definitely pretty high on my list. Haven't beaten it so many times I've lost count.

I was a little unsure about this too. But the Orange Box was released this gen, so I included it.

[Xeogred]

I kind of consider Half-Life 2 last gen, but if it counts here then that's definitely pretty high on my list. Haven't beaten it so many times I've lost count.

I was a little unsure about this too. But the Orange Box was released this gen, so I included it.

Cheater.

When I think of HL2 and how old it is I tend to always picture Halo 2 in my mind as well and we probably shouldn't even go there, HL2 obviously being several mountains above Halo 2 . It's almost kind of awkward, HL2 doesn't seem that old at all... weird to know it's been that long.

[the7k]

1.) Demon's Souls - It renewed my faith in RPGs and gaming in general. Was ready to give up on games as a whole, but this game came and brought that old-school challenge with a unique atmosphere and very fun gameplay. For the first few months that this was out, this was all I did. Eat, Work, Sleep, and Demon's Souls in between.

2.) Marvel vs Capcom 3 - I'm still playing this game as much as I can, at every opportunity. I'm actually planning to take out-of-state drives just to play this game in more competitive (and most importantly, lag-free) environments. The character balance for this game is incredible - every character has the chance to be the star of the show. Sure, some are better (Wesker, Dante, Akuma) and some are worse (Ryu, Captain America, MODOK), but even the worst character has the potential to shine given the right assists. It's like Vampire Savior - sure, some characters are 'inferior', but even the low-tier characters have so many options that they can stand a chance again high-tier characters. It's what Marvel vs Capcom 2 was so badly lacking.

3.) ModNation Racers - Yet another game that I spent months on after it came out. The racing was solid, actually. I enjoyed it more than Mario Kart, if you can believe that. Of course, the amount of creativity that you could unleash is what kept me glued - and, unlike LBP, the tools were easy enough to use that you didn't need to attend classes just to build a simple stage.

4.) Shatter - Bought it for the PC and for the PS3. I'd buy it again on a decent portable given the chance. It's just endlessly fun to play. And Oh My God, Dat Music. I love it. It's like potato chips, I just can't stop.

5.) Scott Pilgrim vs The World - Another game I put a ton of time into. Even deleted save files just so I'd have an excuse to play it again - something I've only done on one other game: Jet Grind Radio. I found the gameplay really fun with tons of people, but it was deep enough that playing it solo was just as rewarding. Plus, dat art and dat music.

[dsheinem]

This was VERY hard...it easily could have been a top 10 or 20 list. So many great games left out....

1. Uncharted 2
2. Mass Effect 2
3. God of War III
4. Dragon Age: Origins (+ Awakenings expansion)
5. Super Mario Galaxy 2

[brunoafh]

I'm surprised to see that the FPS genre is so popular among the lists.

1.) Demon's Souls - It renewed my faith in RPGs and gaming in general. Was ready to give up on games as a whole, but this game came and brought that old-school challenge with a unique atmosphere and very fun gameplay. For the first few months that this was out, this was all I did. Eat, Work, Sleep, and Demon's Souls in between.

This describes my reaction to the game perfectly, especially the part about it renewing my faith in gaming. I think I've put something like 300 hours into this game, and I've seen people claim to have dumped 800 hours into it.