#6 Saints Row: The Third (360, PS3, PC)
Publisher: THQ—Developer: Volition
The Saints Row series has long been the cartoonish alternative for gamers to the now serious and realistic Grand Theft Auto games. Every mistake GTA IV made, Saints Row: The Third fixes. Everything is over-the-top, from the missions to the weapons and the story. The level of polish elevates it from the previous games in the series. But the best part of Saint’s Row: The Third is jumping into co-op and sharing the chaos with a friend.
—Kevin
__________________________________________________________________________________
Best Re-Releases
ICO/Shadow of the Colossus (PS3)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment—Developer: Team Ico
ICO and Shadow of the Colossus were two of the greatest games from the PlayStation 2 era, in large part because of Team ICO’s unique artistic style and take on storytelling. Both unforgettable experiences came to PlayStation 3 on one Blu-ray disc in full HD with 3D capabilities, along with Trophy support in 2011. The games still look and play beautifully, and the collection was almost good enough to make us stop asking about the yet-to-be-released Last Guardian.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (3DS)
Publisher: Nintendo—Developer: Nintendo EAD, Grezzo
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has held its place since the N64 era as not only the best Zelda game ever made but also one of the best gaming experiences, period. Nintendo gave it the 3D treatment here, which is fine and dandy, but it is the portability that gamers should truly appreciate. It’s got a few upgrades as well, but the successful port is more than enough.
God of War: Origins Collection (PS3)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment—Developer: Ready at Dawn Studios
God of War fans without PSPs had been missing two key components to the story of Kratos until this year, when Sony opted to give both Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta a 1080p and 3D remastering, put them on one Blu-ray disc and release it to the PS3 masses. In addition to just upgrading the titles and putting them on a new platform, the collection also thought to include the DLC content for Ghost of Sparta and an extra video. Not too shabby.
–Bill
