Engaging your Game

I'm taking a dump and posting this from my iPhone so I'm not going to cover all the bases in favor of getting this out as quickly as possible.

Don't you all get tired of playing the same games over and over? Essentially, the pleasure center in your little brains has been tickled by the same, copied first person shooter since Goldeneye graced the n64.

The purchases you make towards your “halos” and “call of dutys” has rendered the business into a Justin Bieber, for profit, 0 intelligence, shite sludge. (Though many will argue this is the way it’s always been, I would argue that the medium was constantly forced to reinvent itself through its early years making each game less and less about a formula.)

It's like paying $60 to watch the latest Twilight Series regurgitation, while a grand slam like The Lord of the Rings series goes untouched. Why would you remove so much intelligence, heart, and soul from your entertainment? Is it in the name of ease and laziness? (ex: I come home from work, I don't want to engage, I want to relax). Whatever the reason, it is time to man the frick up. Play something new. You'll only help the industry by spreading the wealth. EA and Activision don't need any more of your dollars to churn out a cookie cutter game with updated multiplayer. Expand your horizons.

Here's some suggestions:

Heavy Rain (PS3)- quantic dreams' max payne meets se7en. A completely new, story driven experience. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to be absolutely mesmerized by the boundaries of ingame storytelling. Trust me. You didn't think this one was possible. It is.

Team ICO collection (PS2/3) -[ICO, shadow of the colossus, Trico [unreleased]. These fit the bill. You won't find any random encounters, no roaming npc's, just pure adventure. They are a minimalists dream. In a good way.

LittleBigPlanet - (PS3) is it a platformer? Is it a create your own adventure game? Is it a sim theme park-esque ride? It's all of these combined, full of family flavor and fun. If you like Mario, creation, and originality, you’ll love this one

Silent Hill series - (PSX/2/3 xbox/360, PSP) No, this isn't some shitty resident evil "survival horror" game where you are a roid-raging, rocket launching, Hogan who has to battle a less than intimidating mutant T-Virus that never seems to infect you, no matter how many times you are bitten. Silent Hill is about the psychology behind a scare. Brilliant Ambience, strict usage of light and dark, and the fear of the unknown turn this series into something more than just a “fight” for survival – but for your sanity as well.

The Elder Scrolls Series: (PC, Xbox 360, Xbox, PS3) If you haven’t played Oblivion, or even more importantly, if you haven’t play Morrowind, stop reading this now and do yourself a favor and pick up one of the most polished, adventure games of all time. The single player RPG is dying, I’d say our last hope is Bethesda and the work that they do. Fallout 3 came close – very close. But It isn’t Morrowind or Oblivion.
(I don’t have time to explain any more but off the top of my head, scribblenauts and okami should be on this list.)

Go ahead and pick me apart. I don’t mind. This isn’t exactly thought out. It’s just been rattling around for awhile upstairs. The direction I would rather see this go is, instead, a list of equally original titles. Let’s get a conversation going about how we can save this industry from the Hannah Montanas and Lindsey Lohans. What games have resonated with you personally? What games do you see changing the industry? What developers? Etc.