As we all know, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. We can spend time with family and/or friends to eat turkey, watch football, give thanks for all you have, and obviously play video games. With that in mind, I've decided to make this blog telling you guys about what I'm most thankful for in modern video games. This will be both certain games that I'm especially happy got developed, on top of certain features that has sort of become the usual in video games that I don't think I could play a game without (or at least without pulling some hair out and throwing a controller through the wall). This is just my opinion, so please don't take this for a fact. Enjoy!
(Autosave) I can't tell you guys how happy I am when I die from a particularly hard boss, but I get to start back at the halfway point of their health. If the game wouldn't have saved for me, than I would have to have probably started over from about an hour in a half back in the game. Most games nowadays use it, but there is the occasional game that doesn't, and usually that game finds a way to irritate me. And while an uneven Autosave can also irritate me, I'm still glad that one is there. Autosave is probably one of the most important features to a game, due to the fact that, for me, I can easily forget to save my game. The fact that it can save itself is what makes really happy.
(Bioshock) The first Bioshock is truly the best game of the last generation of consoles (in my humble opinion), and there's a reason for it. I can still go back today and play it all the way through and say, "That was great." That's the sort of thing that I've never been able to any other game (other than maybe GTA IV & V). Unlike most games, which need to include another mode of some kind to keep me coming back, Bioshock hasn't needed to. All it has is the main story, and I've never played a more enjoyable game.
(Iron Sights) This is an argument that is actually pretty heated, with some people wanting to go back to iron sightless weapons, Halo style, while others love iron sights and wants them to be in every shooter. While I think that certain games work better without them, I do most definitely prefer them. Nothing makes feel quite as empowered in a shooter as I do when I aim down the sights of an M4A1 and see my intended targets. Iron Sights just do that for me, and I couldn't play COD, Battlefield, or any other military shooter, for that matter, without them.
(Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare) While the COD franchise has become arguably diluted with some questionable game releases ("cough, cough" World at War), COD 4 definitely was a need for this franchise, as well as the rest of the industry. Most (if not all) of the military shooters were taking place in WWII, more thanks to the truly great film Saving Private Ryan. Everybody wanted a piece of the Nazi murdering, but Infinity Ward did something different. They decided for a more modern shooter, and it worked out magnificently. I can't help but still go back and play some COD 4 today (a good 6 years after its original release). Out of all of the COD releases, this is easily the most important, to both the game industry as a whole, along with myself.
(Xbox 360) A console actually made its way here, and I've chosen an appropriately great console for the list. The Xbox 360 isn't just an overly exceptional console; it's what got me into the game industry, and it's what has made me want to be in the gaming industry. That alone makes this console mean something real special to me personally. But, on top of that, it's really had some great exclusives, like Forza Motorsports 4, Gears of War 3, Halo 3, Fable II, and many more. And Microsoft also gave us a gaming experience unlike anything we've ever been able to play before. While many will argue that Microsoft has lost this generation already, I think that we should give it some time. But for now, I'm going to be happy knowing that Microsoft did something truly right here.
(Marketplace) I can't tell you guys how happy the marketplace actually makes me. Instead of having to go to Gamestop or Walmart every time I wanted to buy a game, I can just go to the marketplace and buy Telltale's The Walking Dead: Season 2 online. The marketplace makes shopping for new games a lot easier, and it's much easier to just go to the games section and play whichever game I want without having to put in a disc and having to hope that the disc works (I've had that problem in the past).
(Resident Evil) The Resident Evil franchise is definitely one worth remembering. And while it definitely has some issues, there's no denying that it's had an impact on this generation of gaming (not to mention the last few generations as well). Resident Evil's changed from a survival horror franchise to an action oriented 3rd person shooter with horror elements. Many criticize the franchise for this sudden switch of genre, but I personally think that it's still working (although nowhere near as well). And Capcom is planning another Resident Evil game (which they say will actually go back to survival horror). I can't wait.
(Valve) There's no game developer that I can think of that I'm more thankful of. From Left 4 Dead 2, to Half-life 2, to Portal 2; these guys know how to make a good game, and they have been doing so ever since they started making games. And while some are more memorable than others (Counter-Strike!), there's no denying that Valve is a force to be reckoned with, and they aren't staying to just games. They run the incredible (and maybe revolutionary) Steam, which is probably the best possible way to play games on the PC. And they haven't stopped there, because they most recently announced the Steam Machine (along with the Steam Controller).
(Mini-Map) This little bugger is probably the most helpful thing imaginable in an open world game (especially GTA IV & V). If this little thing weren't to exist, than I would tear my hair out trying to figure out where to go and how to get there. But because that little mini map is there, letting me see where everything is, I don't have to even attempt to fight this game's crazy map and look at it every 10 seconds for about an hour.
(Non-motion Controls) As much as I enjoy randomly waving my arms around and maybe breaking my TV with a Wii remote, I prefer to play a game with a regular controller. If I use a regular controller, than I can have precision when playing a shooter, unlike with motion controls, where I pretty much hope that I get lucky enough to get a kill. Maybe they will improve motion controls for this generation, but I have to say that for the past generation, I've been very happy with just sitting down and using a Dualshock 3 or an Xbox 360 controller to enjoy my games.
Hope you've enjoyed this look into what I'm thankful in the gaming industry. Tell me what you're thankful for in gaming, what you think I should have included on this list, or just how you liked the blog, in the comments below. Have a nice day, and have a happy Thanksgiving!