This is a thread to discuss the games that impressed you the most on the Wii/360/PS3/PC. Impressions posted should discuss the advances felt compared to previous game entries of GC/PS2/XBOX/PC. Game should be categorized by genre or some other type of component.

I was most impressed by the following:

Action: Ninja Gaiden 2 - the best combat ever experienced in a game of its genre. I haven't played Ninja Gaiden, but I have read from experts on Gamefaqs that it is more defensive and that the combat is far faster and exciting in the sequel despite the poor sequences that interlude the best action moments. Watching the pros play NG2 with a sliver of health furiously bounding from enemy to enemy to kill them granting them small respite of invincibility from explosive kunai knives is far superior to what I've seen uploaded of NG. [I haven't played Ninja Blade beyond its demo but I was not impressed with it. I can barely recall it. It has QTEs in such fast-paced combat which makes me think less of it. I certainly have it on my radar, but I can't see it impressing me more than Ninja Gaiden 2 besides having better consistency.]

Vanquish - the best shooting combat I've ever experienced in a game of its genre. At first this game did not click because I was sucking hard at killing thie first boss. Once I got past that and started enjoying the boosting movement from cover to cover to enemy to enemy this game immediately triumphed as superior to all that came before it. Shooting grenades, using various cool weaponry (i.e. the Disc Launcher which allows for chainsaw action close combat and delimbing group annihilating projectile use), the boosting [SideNote: Super Mario Sunshine started this great sliding trend], robot explosions -- this game is too cool.

Multi-player: Senko No Ronde - this game is just a blast to play. 1 v 1 action. It's all about versus mode. The game is aesthetic mayhem and is impossible not to love. The full-circle command + shot to see missiles come out circling your character (my main was Lily) and then launch out; wow! A game you want to play and want to watch others play too. It's always stayed on my mind to spend the $300 plus dollars to get an import 360 and its sequel. Soon enough.

Style: Mad World - the most stylish black-n-white aesthetic mayhem I've seen a game pull off. Yes, the game's combat mechanics and enemy aggressiveness aren't great. This game is to be appreciated on aesthetic grounds. It's a very exciting to see the button prompt to do a move and then see that move carried out.

First-Person or Immersion: Far Cry 2 - have only played it for maybe 4 hours. This game is crazy impressive. It shouldn't really impress me after playing the Prime games, but its outdoor environment creates a grand sense of exploration. It's a game where you feel so impacted by it your sense of reality when real-life driving reminds you of it. I found getting shot to be extremely irritating when trying to find kill someone shooting at you [Note: I played this on a standard tv and I need to buy a hd tv that doesn't lag. -_-]. It didn't leave me a negative impression. It's just that good I guess. Burn down all of Africa to kill one person who is somewhere around shooting at you. ha.

Mirror's Edge - while Far Cry is exploratory this game is fast-paced running action. Very immersive and has very cool movements (i.e. sliding, wall running, etc.). The soundtrack really added to the immersion too. The only problem I had was the poor design in single player that stunted the running process by either slowing me down or straight up killing me to then having a quick-save bring me back improperly into a level. Death really was dis-immersion. I didn't think the combat was bad; I actually enjoyed being able to switch things up and start shooting. The only part I got annoyed with was one segment (QTE, really) where one enemy attacked my character and the weapon turns red to prompt you and for some reason it was hard during this moment to disarm my attacker. Anyhow, I read the time trial modes are the best thing ever in the game and I haven't tried that.

I still play the PS3 and 360, and have many games on my backlog (which I may or may never get to play at this rate), so is it really "last-gen"? That said, two games that quickly come to mind are:

Dragon Knight Saga (360)
Dark Souls (PS3)

Those two games really made me feel that gaming had reached a new plateau. Open-world environment where many many things are interactive. Lots of dialogue, amazing music, go most anywhere and explore... it was fantastic. Of course there were other games I loved too, but those two definitely come to mind. Arguably, a large part of it is which games you play first. Although I've had my PS3 for years, I really don't play much (blame the girlfriend So maybe when I do play it's more memorable...

I don't think generations are determined by what you're still playing, otherwise NES would still be current gen as well

As for me, this should not come as a surprise, but the game that wowed me most was Xenoblade.
Never seen such a gorgeously realized and original game world.
I mean, there are better-looking games graphically, obviously, but design counts for a LOT more in my book, and more graphically impressive games like Skyrim and its ilk, no matter how much I like them, just don't nearly have as interesting, varied and unpredictable worlds as Xenoblade.

Can't wait to see what they do with the sequel!

Whoa whoa, wait a second.

So in reading this I take you've played NG2... but not Ninja Gaiden? If that is so why on earth would you take an opinion from someone else's "experts" and even bother stating it like it matters when it's your opinion that ultimately matters...? I can't believe I'm even SAYING this given that opinion is yours... and I generally don't care what you have to say... but I'm sorry, I want to know what YOU think... I don't care what some website says.

And yes, in this instance you don't have anything to say cause you haven't played the game. So say "I've heard..." as the "experts on Gamefaqs" part is insanely pointless. I don't need to where you read it.

Also, I know you may take this as ribbing from the other thread but the word your looking for is "excerpts" not "experts."

1. Played NG2 first and was very impressed by it.
2. Watched NG videos and was less impressed with the combat.
3. Read from people who have cleared both games on the hardest settings under the hardest conditions (No Ninpo runs) that the combat is better in NG2.
4. My favorite combat weapon is not in NG; the kusari-gama.
5. I prefer all-out offensive-oriented fighting than defensive block-then-hit fighting.

Looking over the paragraph I think what was left out was the word "I've" from insertion into "best combat ever experienced" which subsequently was included in the Vanquish paragraph. This thread is about games that impressed you the most, not the most impressive games.

It certainly is in bad taste to insult games one hasn't played based on outside testimony, but it isn't a sin [Note: It's lesser bad taste] to downplay them based on what you've seen or read and your preferences... 

Experts - Their opinion matters to me because these people played and understand both games to an excessive degree (i.e. master ninja no ninpo runs). I'm not able to fully breakdown combat in NG1 based on my not-yet playthrough. I also haven't gotten around to playing NGS2 which experts have mentioned that the changes to the game (less blood, move damage differences, less enemies) make it inferior. I also haven't gotten around to playing DMC2 which experts have pronounced an inferior game to DMC. I can't play everything. That's why people look to experts: to save them time finding the best stuff. Ultimately, when I get the chance I will want to play Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden: Black, Ninja Gaiden 2: Sigma, Devil May Cry 2, Devil May Cry 3, Devil May Cry 4, I-Ninja, God of War 3, Heavenly Sword, No More Heroes 2, etc.

If someone wants to contradict the opinion that NG2 has the best combat one can experience of its genre I will enjoy reading the reasoning. I certainly did not think from my demo playthrough that Platinum's Bayonetta's combat was well executed due to it's terrible button mashing guillotine finishers that are visually unsatisfying for all the tapping done [Quick Mention: God Hand got button mashing right by making the attack done visually impressive as its represented & synced with the tapping, not some crank lever meter bar] and what seemed like far less aggressive enemy combatants. Metal Gear Rising looks good, but I haven't read or seen anything that has its combat being the pinnacle of its genre.

So a "if you're impressed by this, you'll really be impressed by this" is something positive to take from the thread. Or we could attack each other.

Street Fighter IV and Marvel vs Capcom 3. Impressive because Capcom actually remembered how to make 2D fighters after a long and painful hiatus. Neither is perfect, but they measure up to their respective series' in terms of quality/competitiveness.