For this post I thought I'd keep it simple, so here it is, my personal top 10 Xbox 360 games as of May 2015. To summarise this list isn't in a particular order although I will explain why every game has earned its spot on the list. I will attempt to leave out any spoilers, but be warned if a game is on the list for a particular reason that may contain spoilers it will be pre-ceeded by SPOILER ALERT! consider yourself pre-warned readers!
There are a few honourable mentions that narrowly missed getting onto this list. Arkham City whilst being a great game, and by far my favourite of all the Arkham games, with it's great cast of villains, I will say one thing though I miss from Arkham Asylum was the Scarecrow fear toxin dream sequences, although by the looks of it Arkham Knight will be bringing him back so good news all round! Anyways onto the Top 10!
10. Fable 2
Firstly we come to Fable 2, I have always been a fan of RPGs and as far as RPGs go the Fable series is one of my favourite. With the release of Fable 3 and the re-release of Fable on Xbox 360, there is no shortage of Fable on the 360. Choosing between these games wasn't easy, but I finally settled on Fable 2 due to my feeling that the story was a strong continuation of the over-arching storyline, the introduction of the character of Reaver (played by Stephen Fry.) Stephen Fry's character of Reaver makes the game much more interesting, this combined with a very strong storyline and the usual good/evil choices that shape your characters aesthetics.
9. Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V is the latest game in the GTA series and sees us return to the city of Los Santos and the surrounding region of Blaine County. As a departure from the usual storytelling, GTAV introduces us to 3 playable protagonists, each with their own distinct characteristics. This diversity makes GTA V the strongest game in the series for me. However it did have it's hiccups, with Grand Theft Auto Online when the game shipped, these have mostly been resolved, with the recent introduction of online heists. The strong story along with an enjoyable online experience earns GTA V a spot on this list.
8. Portal 2
Portal 2 is the second game in the series and by far my favourite of the portal games, due to some memorable quotes and some great voice acting and characters. The character of Wheatley (voiced by Stephen Merchant) adds a great dose of comedy, as well as being one of the main characters in the story. The co-op mode introduced into Portal 2 adds a greater level of complication to each test room, as well as prime opportunities for comedy as you drop your co-op partner into the water, or open up a portal beneath them!
7. Brütal Legend
Brütal Legend makes this list for the great gameplay combined with the voice acting skills of some of rock's greatest musicians. The game was one of the most enjoyable games I have ever played, combining RTS (Real-Time Strategy) elements with the more action packed combat system. With the campaign your limited to playing as Eddie Riggs (voiced by Jack Black) and the Ironheade faction. Playing the game after you have completed the campaign, allows you to play as the Drowning Doom or Taited Coil factions. Each faction feels unique and individual when playing them online, which allows for a greater choice when playing online multiplayer.
6. Left 4 Dead 2
5. Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3 is the third instalment in the Gears of War franchise, and in my opinion the strongest. It was a difficult decision to choose between this and Gears of War 2 for which would take the franchise's spot on this list, but in terms of overall gameplay and features Gears of War 3 just about takes the biscuit! The improvements made to Horde mode and the inclusion of Beast mode meant that I enjoyed playing those with friends more than the previous Horde modes from Gears of War 1 and 2. The actual storyline and the additional DLC for the game were great additions to the franchise, and did a good job of wrapping up Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad's storyline. In addition to the games there has been a series of books and comics which I would recommend to any Gears fan, as they do provide more of a backdrop to the Gearverse and it's characters, who are often depicted as emotionless meatheads (which is far from the truth!)
4. Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is set in the Caribbean at a time when pirates terrorised the seven seas. In the game we play as Pirate Assassin Edward Kenway (Grandfather of Connor from AC3), As Edward we get to take the helm of a fully manned Pirate ship (The Jackdaw) as we explore the Caribbean at the height of piracy. The improved ship mechanics from Assassin's Creeed 3 make manoeuvring your ship in combat much easier than in its predecessor. Along with the improved ship mechanics, there is a strong storyline and a fun combat system. As with previous games there is enough side missions to keep you distracted from the main story for as long as you wish! and of course you also get to do a little bit of Pirateering whilst your at it.
3. Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is the middle segment of the Mass Effect trilogy, and also it's strongest instalment. The game picks up where Mass Effect left off and develops the arching storyline of the trilogy. That is not to say that you need to import a character from Mass Effect to play the game, as you can also create a new character, although I feel you get a richer experience if you import your character from the first Mass Effect into the game. Along with some returning characters, you take on board a selection of new characters that all have their own charms, and I found myself mixing up my squad for missions more than I did in the original. The reason this takes top spot for me is the continuation of the story and the spectacular finale mission, I won't give anything away here, but it is one of the most dramatic and enjoyable endings to a game I've ever played.
2. Fallout 3
Fallout 3 was by far my favourite of the Fallout games to be released on Xbox 360. As exciting as the setting for Fallout: New Vegas was, I enjoyed the campaign and dlc of Fallout 3 far more, I mean come on visiting an actual alien spacecraft in Mothership Zeta! what can be more fun than that! I'll admit the Old World Blues dlc from Fallout: New Vegas was an enjoyable bit of dlc that not only helped tie the story of the game as a whole together but also injected some very memorable humour from the Think-Tank and characters such as the Toaster from the Sink. Fallout 3 makes it to second place on this list for being one of the first games I was able to 100% in terms of Achievements, as well as it being so damn hard to put the controller down no matter what time in the morning it was! With the vintage soundtrack that comes as standard with all Fallout games, it really helps to immerse you into the post-apocalyptic world, a world in which your actions and choices can have quite the impact!
1. Bioshock
Bioshock is the one game on this list that if you haven't played any of them, I would advise you to play, no seriously, like right now! Drop whatever it is your doing and go out there and buy it! Anyway, being an Microsoft exclusive (That is being only available on Xbox 360 and Windows) when it first released meant that many a gamer missed out on what has to be one of the best experiences I have ever had playing a video game. *Mild Spoiler Warning, highlight if you wish to read* The game starts after a brief cut-scene which sees you stranded in the ocean, with the only sign of life being a derelict lighthouse. You then proceed to enter the lighthouse and instead of ascending towards the top descend downwards, which in itself is a bit odd, but just roll with it. At the bottom of the steps you arrive at the door of a submarine, and after descending down more than 18 fathoms (18 is the last check we're shown) a video starts playing. Upon Andrew Ryan stating the name of the city (Rapture) the city itself is revealed for the first time, this entrance is the perfect way to introduce the city of Rapture in all of it's glory! *End of Spoiler* The game-play itself is that of a traditional fps, but with the added use of Plasmids, essentially super-powers that allow you to shoot fire/lightning from your hand to name a couple of examples. This mixed along with the art-deco stylings of the city and that superb opening 10 minutes of game-play are what set this up to be my number one game of the generation! Sure there was two sequels to Bioshock but nothing quite beats the feeling of seeing and setting foot in Rapture for the first time.
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