GOONL!NE

We’ve all heard of the infamous saying Kaz Hirai said during the infamous Sony press conference at E3 2006:

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDGE RACER!

No, not that one! No, this one:

The PLAYSTATION 3 will retail for $599.

JESUS CHRIST, NOT THAT ONE, THIS ONE!

The next generation doesn’t start until we say it does

Except, that is more or less wrong. Next gen started when we were blown away by a game which showed absolutely great potential. So, what kicked off this gen for you, what was the first game you were blown away by?

Many people will say it was genre defining games like Call of Duty 4, Metal Gear Solid 4, Super Mario Galaxy etc but personally for me, it kicked off on Thursday March 29th 2007, when the first ever screens and first ever trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV came out.

I was insantly wowed right away as to what this type of game could possibly do. It wasnt down to the graphics like next gen was billed to be, although they did look great. It was more or less the world of Liberty City which made me go wow, it was what people were doing like walking about Star Junction, doing their business while taxi’s are going across one of the bridges.

It’s diverse world was just beyond incredible, absolutely amazing. Of course, that was probably why it was over-hyped alot until it’s release last April but it still is a great game, I hugely suggest to anybody to go and get it for the PS3 or 360 (PC, if you dont have a console).

But the game that has wowed me this gen has to be, without a shadow of a doubt, Metal Gear Solid 4. You couldn’t ask for a better story nor anything else from anybody else, this is simply the pinnicle of the generation so far, just magic and epic in every sense of the word.

As far as other games that pretty much made me say wow so far this gen, you have to look at games on a graphical bar like Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune or more recently, Killzone 2. On an online front, Halo 3, Resistance 2 and again, Killzone 2 but not just because of the fact they’re full to the brim multiplayer’s, no. It’s because of great community support from Bungie, Insomniac and Guerilla Games.

As for sheer fun, you have to give credit to it, the Wii has produced some fun games, the prime example is Super Mario Galaxy, it’s just pure joy but not just Galaxy, Smash Bros. Brawl has given the Wii some life into it away from the casual games, it’s just pure fun.

Finally for sheer value, hands down no question, The Orange Box. The Half Life 2 saga plus Portal and Team Fortress 2 all for £40, maybe even less now, you’d be a fucking idiot to turn that down. Simply, a fine package and one that any gamer must pick up if they’re feeling the pinch of the recession right now.

But what about future games which could redefine genres this gen? Well, you got Alan Wake, a new Mario and Zelda in the works, Heavy Rain, Team ICO, COD: Modern Warfare 2, I could go on but I wont but needless to say, there will be a couple of more games yet tohat will make you say wow this generation with bleak delight and make you screem bloody murder with delight of how fucking incredible this games have the potential to be.

What about you, what were the games that let you know that this gen has arrived and I am loving it? Let us know in the comments below.