Five Games Collecting Dust That Shouldn’t Be…

In light of the rapidly approaching holidays and shopping seasons, I decided to compile a list of five games collecting dust on gamer’s shelves (mine specifically) that aren’t getting played anymore, even though their quality warrants it.  It’s worth saying that this list, as with any “top five” list, is completely objective;  if you have any other suggestions, post them in the comments for readers to consider.  That said, it’s my opinion that these games are not only quality representatives in terms of story and mechanics, but that they often warrant multiple playthroughs.  A lot of times, we set these games aside after beating them once (maybe twice on a harder difficulty) and move on to the next hot ticket.  Hit the jump to see my, and Resume Play’s “Top Five Games Collecting Dust that Shouldn’t Be…”

Like I said, this list is in no particular order, so the first game I see on my shelf with a thick layer of dust that disappoints me is….

1) Mass Effect

Alright, before the hardcore fans jump on me, I’m just saying that this game isn’t getting much play lately, especially with new holiday season games out like Dragon Age.  In my opinion, this is a gaming masterpiece, one that draws the gamer in as an active participant, forces them to make tough decisions for good or for bad, and really throws the player around before bringing them a relatively clean conclusion.

With the sequel coming out next year, I’m sure Mass Effect has garnered a revival of sorts, with sales this holiday season as people gear up for the follow-up.  But I also think that if you haven’t played this game, you absolutely should.  I’m not a huge RPG fan, but this is an entry into gaming’s epic canon without question.  I remember buying Mass Effect and moving quickly through it, not paying really close attention.  When I got to the end, I was disappointed that it was over and I had hardly noticed how amazing and emotionally intuitive the story really was.

So, here’s my plug: if you haven’t played Mass Effect, create your own Commander Shepard and play it.  If you have, then play it again (maybe Renegade instead of Paragon or vice versa?) and get ready for what should be a truly epic sequel.

2) Bioshock

Another epic entry, Bioshock got its revival when Sony got the rights to a PS3 version.  My copy still reads on the cover jacket “Only on Xbox 360 and Windows.”  But, while I was at first bitter about the console jump, eventually I realized that my gaming compatriots who stayed loyal to the Sony brand deserved to play this amazing game.  In many professional opinions, Bioshock is a legendary game, combining an artful story with poignant character development and contemptible enemies.

Again, with the sequel coming out next year, this game hasn’t truly fallen off people’s radar.  But I am guilty of playing this game through twice, gaining about 900/1000 gamerscore, and moving on.  The opening scene is so utterly confusing when it first occurs that it acts as a perfect hook, drawing the player in for a ride that doesn’t end, even with the conclusion (generally regarded as anti-climactic).

Do yourself a favor before the sequel drops, give this game another playthrough- it is truly deserving.

3) The Orange Box

In most stores, this game is under $20 (USD).  So if you don’t have it and are into shooters at all, grab it for the holidays.  How can you argue with a game that includes three completely unique stories/experiences with two add-ons for the driving force: Half-Life 2?  As usual, Valve doesn’t disappoint, and if nothing else, Portal is STILL getting positive word of mouth, with it’s only knock being that it was too short.

Team Fortress 2 is no “modern” online shooter, and for those loyalists this game will almost certainly disappoint.  But in many ways, it encourages genuine teamwork and one good player can’t backpack his entire team.  In many ways, this compilation’s multiplayer component is its biggest dust-collector.  Most people played Half-Life and its two additional episodes, and ran through Portal while ignoring this truly unique multiplayer experience.  It takes some getting used to, but Team Fortress is really a well-crafted sequel to the original PC mod for Half-Life.

Very little bad can be said about this collection (aside from playing as one of the Incredibles in Team-Fortress 2’s strange graphic style) and it is definitely guilty of being overlooked recently, as many new shooters have been released.  Remember, the original PC Half-Life was, for a long time, one of gaming’s most successful shooters.  Valve gives five good reasons to not forget this revival.

4) FarCry 2

A lot of people either didn’t like this game or never heard of it.  It wasn’t marketed very well, despite its predecessor’s success, and there are a few quirks that got overblown by critics, causing this game’s stock to fall.   Ignoring the mainstream opinion in gaming can, at times, provide a fruitful experience, and I think FarCry 2 is a good case for this point.

Graphically, this game’s impact is resounding, with well-crafted environments and people.  The completely open-ended travel proves disappointing at times, only because of length of time to travel from one corner of the map to another.  However, this also speaks to the size and detail of the map.

Basically, FarCry 2 utilized extravagant attention to detail at every corner of this game.  The guns will deteriorate and jam more often with use, fire spreads believably though the environment and is impacted by in-game wind, enemy AI will search for the player realistically, and even the heal sequence causes the player to dig into their wound with a knife or pliers to pull out a bullet.

I included this game in this list misleadingly since a lot of people don’t own it in the first place.  But I believe it absolutely warrants a playthrough, and in my case, a completion (since I never beat it in the first place).  If nothing else- owning an HD capable device and TV will provide a truly amazing graphic experience with this title.

5) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Flame, flame, flame.  I know, blasphemy to put this game on the list of games deserving more play when its “obviously superior” sequel was recently released.  Here’s the deal- first of all, CoD4 was the most popular multiplayer shooter of all time because it caught on. Modern Warfare 2 is now the most popular multiplayer shooter of all time because of Call of Duty 4.  This game is the originator.

Second, Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer rewards people for long killstreaks, which encourages either extraordinarily quick reaction or careful camping.  I’m not totally knocking that style of play (though admittedly, it’s not mine) I’m just saying that CoD4 allowed people to “run ‘n gun” OR “camp.”  Because the levels weren’t designed completely vertically, with excessive tiers and windows, “runners” could sneak up on “campers” and had a fair shot without having to run across the middle of the map to be shot from a window.

Multiplayer aside, the story in this game is phenomenal; the antagonist (Imran Zakhaev) was a believable threat of evil, motivating the player to put an end to the Ultranationalist agenda.  Also, MW2’s end scene couldn’t have been as cool if it hadn’t been done before, in CoD4.

My personal frustrations with the sequel aside, this game garnered award after award and was Infinity Ward’s masterpiece, taking the crown from the previously acclaimed Call of Duty 2.  The fact that there are still a significant amount of people playing CoD4’s multiplayer says something about the loyalty of its fan base.  Give it another shot, and if nothing else, see where MW2 came from, who its parents are.

So, break out the feather-dusters and give these old-timers a shot.  Many of them have sequels coming out (or already out) so take the chance before the holiday swoon catches us all in the newness of 2009’s holiday placenta.  These games are all widely regarded as successful, so spend the little bit of dough they’re worth (even used) and give them the time they deserve.  After all, everybody knows games are like grandmas- they need constant attention or they wither and die.

Tags: Bioshock cod4 farcry 2 Mass Effect PS3 the orange box Xbox 360