Welcome to the second part of my three part series celebrating the best of 2006. These are my favorite computer games of the last year sorted by genre. When a game wins game of the year it can not compete in any other genre categorize. I should have the best of movies posted very soon.
Best Computer Games of 2006: (Categorized)
Real Time Strategy: Company of Heroes – I have not played much of this game but what I have seen is pretty amazing. This game includes fully destructible environments and a fresh take on WW2. Personally this is not my favorite type of strategy game (I like more of a large scale strategy games like Rome Total War) but the innovations this game brings makes it the best real time strategy game of the year.
Turn Based Strategy: Civilization 4 – Way better then Civilization 3 and a new 3d interface makes this the best Civilization game to date.
Simulation: Microsoft Flight Simulator X – I have not had much experience with flight sims in the past but having the ability to fly any ware in the world got me interested. After much practice I can now land a jumbo jet so if I am ever on a plan full of snakes and the pilot is dead I am the man to call.
Role Playing Game: Neverwinter Nights 2 – Not the best RPG of the year but it is still great. It plays like the original except with one major difference you have a party in single player. This means it is easier to play a support class because you can have another character tank for you.
First Person Shooter: Battlefield 2142 – More of a mod then a full game, Battlefield 2142 is the latest in the long running Battlefield franchise. As much as it’s a very similar to the last game (Battlefield 2, winner of last years best shooter) I find my self playing it more and having a better time. I have just reached the rank of Chief Petty Officer.
Game of the Year: Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion – This game is huge and at the same time rich in detail. It also has some of the nicest graphics from last year; you can lose your self just walking through a lush forest for hours. I will not write much more about this game because I have already talked about it in detail back in march (look in the archives). If you are like me and can’t get enough of Oblivion you should be happy to hear that Bethesda Software has announced a full on expansion featuring a new continent to explore called the Shivering Isles; you can learn more hear.
New Computer Hardware: Dual Core Processors – Running more then one application at a time is great. If you are going to buy a new CPU make sure it is a dual core. One of the coolest things is if a program is locked up you computer will still function because the other core will be unaffected. I still don’t see any benefit to gaming in the short run but as more and more games support dual cores this will become a huge benefit.
Liberty don’t give it up without a fight!
PS: If anyone cares today is the official launch of Windows Vista, I will post my thoughts and experiences after I have had some fun messing around with it.