Reg's top 10 games of 2000-2010 (3-1)

Here's the end of the list. I fully expect multiple people to disagree with these three entries, but I feel that each of these three, in their own way, are the pinnacle of gaming for the past eleven years.

Number three is another visual novel, and one that I hold very dear to me. Tsukihime may not have been my first visual novel, but it's definitely my favorite. The story follows Shiki Tohno, an anemic young man with the power to see death, and his misadventures dealing with (primarily) vampires and getting the girl of his choice. This was Nasu Kinoko's first visual novel, and at the time of this writing, it's right about 10 years old. The story's strongest aspect is its cast of characters. With little exception, every single character is an absolutely great one. It's also probably not a coincidence that they all tend towards yandere tendancies, either <.< Either way, Tsukihime is dear to me for being an engrossing story that I'd take over most actual books, which is most strongly supported by its utterly amazing cast of characters. Best Parts: The Coffee Talk. You know the one, if you've read it. Also, Shiki's "This is what it means to kill something" speech scores points for being probably the most badass thing he'll ever do. And he does lots of badass things. Moving along, Number 2 goes to Portal. This little gem of a game originated as the overlooked little brother of the Orange Box games, and for a while it was constantly overshadowed by Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2. However, Portal is quite possibly the best puzzle game since Tetris. The game itself is a hybrid FPS/Puzzler. You use a gun to shoot portals that function much like you'd expect (In one, out the other), and use that to navigate a series of chambers to get your precious cake reward at the end. Naturally, being a puzzle game, the chambers becomre more and more complex as you move on. Another thing of note is GLaDOS. GLaDOS is a sentient computer that gets you started on your quest by freeing you from your room at the start and promising you cake if you complete all the test chambers. Throughout the game, she gives you general directions loaded with tons of unintentional(?) humor and snark. I'm not going to go into any detail there, so that if you don't already know it you can experience it for the first time without knowing.
Best Part: 4000 degrees Kelvin to the end. Full stop. Alternatively, all of it.

My number one game of 2000-2010 is a choice that I honestly don't expect a single one of you to agree with. Star Wars: Battlefront II is an absolutely brilliant game that takes everything great about Star Wars except the Trench Run and puts you into the action. The main mode, Instant Action literally has you choosing a battle ground and a faction and just jumping into a fight. Battlefront is, in part, the direct predecessor to modern FPSes, where you take a soldier, fight the enemy, and respawn upon death. However, what really separates it from the crowd is the setting. Battlefront takes many of the well-known Star Wars locales, such as the interior of the Death Star, the city of Mos Eisely, and the Rebel Base on Hoth, and accurately recreates them into battlefields for the two opposing factions to fight over. As a huge Star Wars fan, Battlefront appeals to me on many levels that most other shooters can't. However, even beyond that, the quality of the gameplay is superb, and even though I've had this game since the day it came out, it still never grows old. Battlefront, in my opinion, is a clear pick for the best game of the past eleven years.
Best Parts: Playing as Han Solo, and taking out a Jedi/Sith really gets the blood pumping. But there's also Galactic Conquest, where you and a friend or the AI fight it out over most all of the battlegrounds and in space for control of the galaxy. It takes a while, but taking a planet that you just haven't been able to get away from your buddy is oh so satisfying.