Possibly the best in the series, with significantly better combat than previous in the series and less ramshackle, finicky puzzles.

Half Life is the basis for every modern first person shooter. Blindly ignoring its lack of levels or removal from the main character's perspective, both of which are now par for the course, it is best known for revolutionizing the scripted event, non-playable characters and enemy tactics. Every game we play today is either a shoot-fest, descended from Doom, or a thinking man's shooter that traces its lineage to Half Life. Its multiplayer and mod scene also gave birth to the class shooter, due to the proliferation of Team Fortress via the updated "Classic" version as well as the realistic shooter and multiplayer-only shooter, courtesy Counterstrike.

Half Life 2 offered physics as a gameplay mechanic, which is why we have Portal and any other FPS title that has weaponry suited to interact rather than merely destroy. It doesn't get enough credit for its structure, however, though I suspect many developers know what I am talking about. From hopping into a car for a long drive, hitting the waves for a chase or setting up turrets for the oncoming storm, the reason games now have segments that break from the monotony of their formal genre is because HL2 proved how perfectly you can blend them.

The worst game in the series, HL2 Episode 1, is merely one of the best titles in the genre. It is also one of the most groundbreaking, forcing the player to rely on an A.I. controlled partner for the firepower on enemies lit up with a flashlight OR to invent a weapon for every encounter with the gravity gun. These mechanics still have yet to be equaled by any other title featuring computer-controlled allies.

Do you want some more action? HL Ep. 2 has your action. Jump in your car and ram those ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Hunters while you race to get a magnusson device onto the Strider's back in time to save White Forest. Simply the most intense action sequences in the history of the FPS medium, no matter how many times we revisit Normandy in the next Call of Battlefield. All done without sacrificing a hint of nuance or story for which the series is so well remembered.

So yes--yes I nominate to award this, the last entry in the series, as the GAME THAT DESERVES A SEQUEL. Rise and shine, Mister Freeman. Rise and... shine. Not that I... wish to imply you have been sleeping on the job. No one is more deserving of a rest, and all the effort in the world would have gone to waste until... well, let's just say your hour has... come again.

A grand idea of interplay and puzzling solving that is bogged down with an intentionally mean spirited story and repetitive gameplay. A typical session involves moving three avatars individually slowly through the same area with numerous instances of tedious backtracking. There was an idea here, a concept worth exploring. Unfortunately, that concept materialized into a title that overstays its welcome despite its short length.

With gorgeous, hand crafted visuals and lovely music, Dust: An Elysian Tail could manage a recommendation on its astetics alone. It goes a step beyond that, with tight combat and a wonderful Action-RPG / Metroidvania game world to explore. It is an easy recommendation that all experience the travels of Dust and his nimbat sidekick Fidget as they fight to save the world of Falana.

A narrative game. Beautiful, wonderful storytelling and a testament to the various ways this new medium we call gaming can open worlds through interaction. Clocking in at two hours exactly if, like me, you love picking up bottles and examining them to a ridiculous level; you can also probably clear it in about ninety minutes. The gaming press, politically driven, sadly overhyped this title but it does offer players the chance to experience something new and magical.

A game of platforms, beauty and song, Rayman Legends picks up where the previous masterpiece Rayman Origins left off, with the heroes of the glade sleeping. In their absence, the Dark Teensies have unleashed all manner of nasty upon the glade and various worlds. Someone wake Rayman up, we got real problems here.

The heroes, along with new Barbarian Princess additions, will need punch, slap, jump, run, glide and swim through worlds to rescue the Teensies held prisoner. Along the way they'll encounter a variety of gameplay types unparrelled in the genre and do so in realms with visuals that put most modern cartoons to shame. And of course, the music. A score lovingly constructed for its atmosphere and ability to illict unbridled joy in the player, you'll be humming the kazoo and whistles for weeks to come.

Rayman Legends deserves its title, deserves to be mentioned in the same breathe as platforming legends of days gone by and, maybe, belongs ahead of them all.