EDGE ranks the ten best games of the generation

The new wave of consoles have been out for quite some time. As such, EDGE decided to take one last look at the past generation of systems by choosing the top ten games of that era.

[Geobros]

Nice list!!

[xHeavYx]

That's a horrible list IMO. COD made the top 10? What a joke

[mochachino]

COD 4 revolutionized FPS games, every FPS that came afterwards has a bit of COD in it.

At the time the game was fantastic, the only problem with the COD series is that they've essentially made the same game over and over every year ever since.

[zeal0us]

Well to be fair it was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Usually I see people stating this was one of the best CoD games in the series.

Also to be fair its quite hard to make a top 10 list(that everyone would agree on) when last gen last almost 10 years.

[Sitdown]

Obligatory knock on COD huh? While I don't necessarily agree with Mochachino that COD 4 revolutionized FPS games, thought that honor had been given to Halo, it is often considered as the pinnacle of the COD franchise.

[mikeslemonade]

Revised and better list:

1. COD4
2. Uncharted 2
3. Gears of War 1
4. Bioshock
5. Mass Effect
6. The Last of Us
7. GTA5
8. Bayonetta
9. Red Dead
10. Portal

[breakpad]

No MGS4 ?? or VAnquish ? at least like VAnquish there is no other game out there ...and when i say none i mean it ..No game managed to revolutionize action gaming like Vanquish and its quality is over the top..it had not sales but makes Gears of War (and every other actionTPS) to run for their money

[dcortz2027]

COD4 was epic when it came out. Even COD haters will admit it. COD today is recycled trash with camper friendly maps. No creativity at all. They added so many unnecessary garbage and made the game nub friendly.

[bouzebbal]

i played 7/10.
Super Mario Galaxy and TLoU are the best of all the others imo

[HighResHero]

I have to agree HeavY. Even though COD4 was good, I feel that that franchise had more of a negative effect in general.

mochachino:
"COD 4 revolutionized FPS games, every FPS that came afterwards has a bit of COD in it."
That is also a bad thing. Many would say it ruined many games, including non FPS games. Of course you are correct to an extent though.

Also a lot of the stuff that COD got praised for were already in Counterstrike etc. mods 10 years ago.

[scark92]

COD4 is fantastic imo I am glad it made the list! I am much happier than LBP did too! It is not the worst list!

[Sashamaz]

Not a single Moba on that list LoL should be on there (No Dota please)
What about Batman AA, it has changed fighting systems in many games and is probably the 1st super hero game done right
Mass effect - It filled a gap in story telling that I felt was much needed.
Gears of War 1 - Dude bro nuff said
Assassin's Creed - It might have had issues of being repetitive but the game was definitely a revolution

[ABizzel1]

I don't know if I'd say these all were the top 10, but I'd say it's a good list if it's most influential. Demon's Souls and Dark Souls are interchangeable (they should put a slash there)

As much as I love Bayonetta I don't think it should be on this list, or Street Fighter.

Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2, Gears of War 3, MGS4, Bioshock, Twilight Princess, Heavy Rain, God of War 3 are all just as deserving IMO of being on this list.

One things for sure it was a great generation.

[frostypants]

Good list.

COD4 was awesome. It's the followups that sucked.

Also, putting Dark Souls #1 = win. That game and Demon's Souls are my favorite games of the last decade.

I only disagree with the placement of GTA V, which felt like just another GTA 3 rehash to me.

[WombBat]

@WhoEverSaidVanquish

I love you.

vanquish is one the best games of the last generation when we speak of gameplay. that game was sooooo fluid and fast paced, i wish there was like multiplayer or something.

I cant believe theres no gears or halo. id take out a few of those games and replace them

[zeuanimals]

"COD 4 revolutionized FPS games, every FPS that came afterwards has a bit of COD in it."

I really don't see how it revolutionized anything. It added an XP bar to MP, sure, but I'd hardly call that revolutionary. Everything else was pretty standard stuff. I guess it also brought regenerating health, but I'm pretty sure games did that before too. What it did do was create an incredibly linear and boring set piece shooter that people seemed to like 7 years ago (I didn't care for it), I don't think I like what it did to the FPS genre.

http://husks.files.wordpres...

Don't get me wrong, the game's not bad in any sense (except for the rather lackluster SP), I'd even say it's one of the best modern online FPS games I've played, but it didn't do anything "revolutionary".

[midnight_23]

In my life in gaming, cod 4 is a legendary game.

[darren_poolies]

COD4 was fucking fantastic and I'm glad Edge shares as much love for Dark Souls as I do, may favourite game of all time.

[BitbyDeath]

I can understand COD being on there but honestly the following should not have made it -

LittleBigPlanet
Bayonetta
Super Street Fighter IV

Uncharted 2 should be on the list, as like with COD a number of devs were influenced by it with their own games.

I'd also include Heavy Rain as it was amazing and unique.

And 3rd I would add Gears of War 1/MGS4.
Take your pick there, both were insanely popular.

[Ezz2013]

guys guys
it's just a list

i don't know what the point of fighting over those list every damn time
it's just their opinion ...that's all
you can't tel them their opinion is wrong or laughable because you disagree
you can do the same and you will have someone who will laugh at your list too

make your own list ...that's what matter to you

[solar]

i want to know how CoD:4 revolutionized the FPS genre per mochachino. the only thing CoD:4 did was make FPS mainstream on console. everything other then the stupid kill streak perks had been done before hand.

[RosweeSon]

Yeah recent call of dutys are awful but there's no disputing modern warfare 1 changed the game and was epic everyone played that online and if not the following years, got bored by modern warfare 2 black ops 2 still great games just same old same old, list isn't far off tho bayonetta was awesome mario Galaxy 1 is much better than 2, Red dead, GTA5 not bad at all would have Prob slipped batman arkham City in myself and remove dark souls as it's not my bag suprised to see it at number 1 but edge don't feck about. Just because I don't like doesn't mean people do i know my friends a fan but yeah not a bad list that one, now for next/new gen! ;)

[Insomnia_84]

They need to replace Dark Souls with DEMONS SOULS ffs!!!!

[assdan]

Yeah. COD4 deserves that. This is a great top 10 list for the gen. I personally would take boyonetta off and put UC2 on, and then replace dark souls with Demon's souls.

[mokkeyrg2]

cod4 is the best cod yet so yes it makes top 10!

[guitarded77]

CoD 4 may not be on my top 10, but it was the breakthrough shooter for last gen. Anyone who denies it is lying to themselves.

One that has to be in my top 10 is Journey. It was IMO one of the ten best for me.

[DragonKnight]

I'm glad a Souls game was #1 considering it revitalized challenge in the age of casuals, but they chose the wrong game. Demon's Souls should be the choice, it has yet to be surpassed in overall quality. Most veterans of the Souls series that I speak to on a regular basis consistently state that Demon's Souls is the best of the series and with really good reason.

Either way, I'm not gonna complain that a Souls game is number 1.

[Prime157]

I really need someone to help me with the COD aspect...

I must be old as I miss arena shooters like ut99...

[jrshankill]

To be honest, I personally think Super Mario Galaxy 2 should be rated higher than Super Mario Galaxy 1. Super Street Fighter IV should also be ranked higher than Dark Souls.

Just my opinion though.

[Kumomeme]

COD revolutionize fps?
not really...lot of stuff in there already present in other games before that...it just being used again

[Jaqen_Hghar]

COD 4 actually had a good SP and reinvented online MP. It deserves a spot.

[MazzingerZ]

@gamepard
Yeah, I'm right there with you, Vanquish was a fantastic game! worth your money every second of it and lets you asking for more!

Not directly commenting EDGE's list but just wanted to let you know there's more like you that specially loved that game

When it comes to this kind of list, even in one platform I have difficulties making a Top 10, let alone across all platforms, it was a great generation and the most fair is a list per platform so more of those great games receives the recognition they deserve...you can easily make a top 20 in each of them where number 20 will still be a great game.

[Starbucks_Fan]

which generation? did you even read the article?

[OutcastMosquito]

Starbucks has disgusting coffee. Tim Hortons has way better coffe at a better price too.

[DragonKnight]

TIMMIES! Damn right. I get I Hot Choffee myself. That's 3/4 Hot chocolate and 1/4 coffee. Frickin' amazing drink, and you can get a large for $1.90 where Starbucks it'd cost like $4.

[3-4-5]

Terrible List.

* Read Dead definitely belongs on there.

* GTA 4 was MUCH better than GTA 5 in terms of fun and gameplay. GTA 5 was a step back...gameplay wise it feels like an OG Xbox game like GTA 3 or something.

* COD should be at least in the top 20 for how it changed the FPS landscape, but nothing higher than 15.

They are missing Handheld & PC games from that list, therefore it's a bogus list.

[I_am_Batman]

*Red Dead Redemption is at number 6.

*You're the first person I've ever seen that prefers GTA 4 over 5.

*You can't expect any top 10 list to have the same games as your own. All of the games on the list are critically acclaimed therefore it's a legit list. Of course I could name dozens of games that would've deserved to be on a list like this but it's only a top 10 list after all.

[-Foxtrot]

GTA4 was more "fun" then GTA5....Whaaaaaa

[MysticStrummer]

I liked GTA4's story better than 5's, but overall GTA5 was a better game imo.

[Alicornium]

"GTA 4 was Much better than GTA 5 in terms of fun and gameplay"

HAHAHAH! Keep dreaming, bud

[Chard]

GTA4 was nowhere near as good as V. I've been a big GTA fan since the GTA1, and 4 was a letdown. Every character other than Niko was unbearable, the driving was less fun, they took out several cool weapons etc. V brought back everything I like about the series, but 4 was the tipping point for me when I realised how unreliable mainstream reviews had become.
Also COD4 deserves all the praise it gets imo.

[il-JumperMT]

Saint Rows 3 > GTA 5

[midnight_23]

I think I see where your coming from when you say "gta 4 was much better than gta 5 in terms of fun and gameplay." The only thing I liked more about gta 4's gameplay over 5's was the physics system and I believe that is the MOST IMPORTANT part of gta's gameplay. It almost entirely makes the sandbox. I think I may have liked the driving in 4 as well, but 5's is enjoyable too. But in the end 5 surpasses 4 in almost every aspect of a gta game. But, I just wish the old physics system was integrated in 5. It felt downgraded in many ways compared to 4 the way I saw it. There was more weight to it and it felt more realistic.

[Plagasx]

I actually felt retarded after reading this:

"GTA 4 was MUCH better than GTA 5 in terms of fun and gameplay"

...You can't be serious. It is a FACT that GTA V is leaps better than GTA IV.

Better story? Now that is debatable...but fun and gameplay? LOL.

[RosweeSon]

There is no way GTA4 is better than 5 sorry, GTA4 was a great game for sure but the driving was cack compared to older GTA's the fun was missing the proper laugh out loud fun, sure you can make your own fun on these games but not only does 5 look and play better it's just all around better no one hassling you to go bowling every 10-15 minutes. GTA5 all day every day people just reviewed number 4 far to high left no room for a better review(s) which gta5 deserved without a shadow of doubt.

[3-4-5]

I KNOW Read Dead is there...IT BELONGS THERE.

* GTA 4s Physics = Realistic

* GTA 5 physics = Fake & last last gen.

[DragonKnight]

Nobody is ever going to put Handheld or PC games on these lists. They aren't ever in the same league of consciousness that console games are. PC games have no advertisement and rely on the users to find them themselves, and handheld games are the afterthought people have when they can't game on consoles for some reason.

[DARK WITNESS]

" GTA 5 was a step back...gameplay wise it feels like an OG Xbox game like GTA 3 or something."

I can't believe I just read that....

whaaaaaa ???????

let me get this right, GTA5 plays more like the old classic GTA's like GTA3 and Vice City, and that is suppose to be a bad thing?

Most gamers I know hated GTA4 because it was not as much fun as the past GTA games like 3, vice city, San Andreas.

I am having a hard time believing you actually wrote that.

[Clunkyd]

No PC exclusives on the list.... :(

[johndoe11211]

Exactly which pc exclusive deserves to be on that list???

[ScottyHoss]

I've never gamed PC (let's talk as gamers not as adversaries), but I plan on building one soon, what games would you say should have made the list?

[frostypants]

List some that should be. The issue is that the PC hasn't HAD any exclusives worthy of this list. It's been over a decade since such a game was exclusive to the PC.

[lelo2play]

"Exactly which pc exclusive deserves to be on that list???"

Civ 5, Starcraft 2, Witcher... among other games released this year like Divinity Original Sin or Wasteland 2. Anyone of these games I would put in my top list of games.
What about the countless MMO's and MOBA's the PC has? What about promising games to be released in the next few months like Pillars of Eternity, Civilization: Beyond Earth, Grim Dawn or Star Citizen?
Who ever says PC doesn't have exclusives, must live in a cave.

Take a look at PC exclusives released on 2014 or to be released on 2015...
http://www.gamespot.com/for...

[AKS]

You can get about half of them on PC. What does it matter if it's exclusive to PC?

You'll have access to every Valve game on PC and incredible Steam sales. You can get Blizzard's games. Tons of superb strategy/ RTS games. Mouse and keyboard works extremely well for certain genres. And Half-Life 3...someday...maybe. That's not enough motivation to interest you?

[Clunkyd]

Yeah I agree, most PC games are bland.

[MysticStrummer]

"of the generation" should have told you not to expect PC games on this list. If it said "of the last decade" then I'd say you have a legit complaint/gripe/question. PCs don't have well defined generations like consoles do.

I didn't hit disagree by the way.

[Seafort]

A few of the games on the list started as PC exclusives but were ported to consoles later.

Clunkyd no point mentioning PC games on N4G as PC gamers and gaming is hated here.

It's a console haven where everything PC is downrated.

Check out most of the comments above mine as evidence.

The only reason PC exclusives don't get noticed is because they don't have multi billion dollar companies behind them and multi million dollar marketing campaigns to support them.

[DragonbornZ]

Good list, but I think Mass Effect should've been on there.

[DeathOfTheFanBoy]

No halo 3 or Gears of war!!!???

[Magicite]

You must be kidding, They must be kidding!!!

[garos82]

agreed . ive played all of them and have enjoyed each and everyone of them. Dark souls/demon souls have been my favourite last gen followed closely by the last of us

[Rodney25]

No matter how many dislikes I get I still say MGS4 was one of the biggest disappointments I've had. The game was 90% cutscenes 1% stealth and 9% Metal Gears of war. It always astonishes me how people consider it to be so great. What was good about it? No seriously. The gameplay mechanics you barley got to use, the ridiculous story where everything is explained with Nano-machines, The game taking a dump on Snake every turn? I really don't care for dislikes about this topic because people obviously don't agree but MGS3 was still the best.

[C-H-E-F]

no MGS4 ??? lmfao wow... I'm done

[callahan09]

Hard to argue with Dark Souls at #1 for me personally, though Demon's Souls was better in my opinion.

Where is Uncharted 2? That game was purely brilliant from top to bottom and is most likely one of the most influential games of the generation in terms of how designers are making single-player story-campaign experiences in action games ever since.

LittleBigPlanet is unquestionably a better and more important game than Bayonetta, and it's an effing joke that it's not higher on the list. The rest above it, I guess you could make a case for depending on taste... but come on, Bayonetta was not a better or more important game than LBP.

[otherZinc]

LMAO!
What a terrible list!
This is why I don't trust reviewers.

Nuts created this list.

[Starbucks_Fan]

Dark Souls at number 1? Interesting...

[Mr_Writer85]

Yeah I'm baffled by that also.

For starters Demon Souls is a better Souls game.

For me, GTA5 instead of 4

And TLOU in 1st with Demon Souls 2nd.

The others are fine.

[AKS]

Dark Souls and Demon's Souls were pretty close. Demon's Souls was a bit more challenging and had the advantage of being the first in this epic series, but I can't think of many games with a more spectacularly integrated game world or with a melee better combat system than Dark Souls. Also, the covenant system was a very welcome edition despite some quirks. Preferences vary, but either would have been an excellent choice for the top spot.

[Anon1974]

I agree. For me, TLOU was simply the best gaming experience I've had this past generation. Easily my top game. Demon Souls would also have been my next pick. Dark Souls just felt like a rehash to me and I could never get into it. I'm firmly in the GTA4 camp rather than GTA5. Again, that's just personal preference. GTA4's story just gripped me more than GTA5 which I don't think I got half way through before I grew bored. I might give it another crack on the PS4 if I have nothing else to play.

Uncharted 2, Mass Effect 2, Gears of War 2 and Skyrim would have also made my top list. Bioshock should have been somewhere up there too. Again, it just comes down to personal preference. There's nothing on this list that seems out of place. It's a solid list. Just not my list. :)

[-Foxtrot]

Dark Souls over Demon Souls...come on

Dark Souls came from Demon Souls so at least with Demon Souls it was fresh, new and amazing for your first time playing a game like that.

I'd have to take Super Street Fighter IV or COD off and replace it with Bioshock

[TheWackyMan]

Dark Souls is far more popular and has had more of an impact than Demon Souls, plus most people would argue that it is the better game.

Now that you mention it, why isn't Bioshock 1 on that list? It was one of the most influential and memorable games last generation.

[-Foxtrot]

It's only more popular because it was multiplatform

Demon Souls was the first game to give us that experience, it was the whole foundation of Dark Souls which just improved a little on it, without Demons Souls there would be no Dark Souls. So if your going to have a Top 10 list of the best games then you would pick the first game.

It's like if they put Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the list instead of the first one. You got more fresh "wow" factor from the first game then the second.

I disagree, Demons Souls was a much better game, it was more challenging in my opinion.

Yes Bioshock was kind of the game for me which pushed FPS into a new direction, much more then COD which I think PC gamers had already been doing with Counter Strike for years, COD just dumbed down that experience and made it on consoles.

[hulk_bash1987]

@TheWackyMan
Dark Souls was possible because Demons Souls was so well received. So in terms of having a bigger impact, I'd say Demons Souls takes the cake.

[TheWackyMan]

But if Galaxy 2 was the better game, why not put it on the list. This is a list of the top 10 BEST games right? Demon souls came first, but dark souls was an improvement in basically every single way. Open world, more bosses, more armor/weapon variety, better controls, better graphics.

[MysticStrummer]

Though I loved Dark Souls… Demon's Souls > Dark Souls

More people obviously played Dark Souls, but there would be no Dark Souls if Demon's Souls didn't have a significant impact.

[trouble_bubble]

@wacky
Lbp2 was better than lbp1 but they picked the original that started it all. Portal2 added soooo much to portal including a full AAA story and coop, yet they went with the first. Same should apply to Souls. Demons Souls started it all. Dark Souls needs to know it's role as the multiplat consolation prize . Demons Souls was the revolution.

Frankly I'd take out DMC's little sister sarahpalinetta, that sega couldn't even fund a sequel for on their own, and replace it with something truly special like Bioshock or mass effect. Oh edge

[AKS]

" Now that you mention it, why isn't Bioshock 1 on that list? It was one of the most influential and memorable games last generation."

Perhaps they authors have already played System Shock 2, which was even more powerful for its time than Bioshock. Bioshock isn't as impressive or revolutionary to those who have already experienced System Shock 2 back in the day.

[AKS]

" More people obviously played Dark Souls, but there would be no Dark Souls if Demon's Souls didn't have a significant impact."

There would be no Uncharted 2 without Uncharted 1. There would be no GTA III or V without the previous games. There would be no Red Dead Redemption without Red Dead Revolver.

[capt-schmo]

I think most would side with the game they played first, given that there isn't much out there like the Souls series. Personally I'm torn between the two, I like the large interconnected world of Dark Souls, but the atmosphere of Demons Souls was better.

[callahan09]

I agree with Foxtrot. They put COD4 on the list instead of any of the others that have come since and have had more features, game modes, etc. Because the first Modern Warfare was the one that revolutionized it and paved the way for the others. It's the same reason why Grand Theft Auto 4 is on that list instead of GTA5. It's why Portal is on the list instead of Portal 2. It's why Super Mario Galaxy is on the list instead of SMG2. It would be one thing if it was one of those situations where the first game didn't hold a candle, but was just enough that the developers wound up making a second game. A lot of people might put Uncharted vs Uncharted 2 in that category... but in the case of Demon's Souls vs Dark Souls, nobody would say that. I still think Demon's Souls is by far the best of the three (and having played the Bloodborne alpha, while it doesn't give you much of a hint as to the full experience you'll get, I still think Demon's Souls is better than what I played of Bloodborne as well).

[HighResHero]

Good point below. Bioshock pushed the genre and blew my mind more than any COD ever could. I am still mad about the the copycat cod's with lots of health regen and perks introducing much hot trash into the gaming shelves though. So I may be a bit biased.
I would list DeSouls also but I have a feeling they listed DaSouls because it is multi-platform and a bigger seller.

[-Foxtrot]

I think they mainly put Dark Souls down because they already had LittleBigPlanet and the Last of Us as Sony first party exclusives, if they listed Demon Souls, especially at number 1 people might of thought they were biased or something

[Metallox]

Was hoping to read this. Demon's Souls was an incredible fun mess for me. I had a better time with it than any of the Souls games.

[MEsoJD]

Demons Souls started it all, but Dark Souls was fined tuned. They analyzed what did and didn't work in Demons Souls and applied that to Dark. That's why Dark is praised more and payed more attention to in the gaming community. My favorite aspect of Dark Souls is how involved the community got involved into Deciphering the world/lore.

[Walker]

Uncharted 2 should be in TOP5 and The Last of Us should be in th first rank !

[-Foxtrot]

Yeah it's funny not seeing Uncharted 2 on there, that was the game that really opened peoples eyes with story telling in video games. Not just how it was written but how it was acted out.

The acting, the story, the level design, the characters...it was fantastic and had film like qualities.

[killer4fun53]

That train level man,that train level

[RosweeSon]

As I'm finding out this weekend, great game so far, yeah I'm a bit behind on my PS3, darn you ps+ at least my xbox is finally getting retired this week. I'm getting there, might get my ps4 back out its box again soon, games drought?! Never ;)

[LightDiego]

True, i missed Uncharted 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, Bioshock, Demon's Souls, Fallout 3, Skyrim, Ni no Kuni and Super Mario Galaxy 2, i love the first game, but the second is better.
Modern Warfare is important for the FPS genre but i would not include, Bioshock is more special because of the great narrative.
Street Fighter 4 is great, but not to be in a top ten list, that goes to Portal too. And i really love Bayonetta, can't wait to play the sequel, but i'm not sure if belongs to the top ten games from the last generation, maybe top 20, lol.
Dark Souls is great, but Demon's Souls is the first game and the beginning of the series.

[AceBlazer13]

So many more games worthy of taking that street fighter spot on this list.

Good list for the most part though.

And yh why DaS over DeS? The foundation of DaS should have it's spot no?

[capt-schmo]

While I agree, its hard to ignore the impact that SF4 had on bringing fighting games back into the mainstream. In the previous generation the genre really began to stagnate.

[lelo2play]

Ok list, but wouldn't be my choices as the top 10 games the past generation... but everybody is entitled to their opinion.

I can't agree with a list that leaves out games like Oblivion, Fallout 3 (+ New Vegas), Gears, Batman's, Civ 5, Tomb Raider, Dishonered, Deus Ex, Mass Effect's, XCOM, among others... I would probably need to make a top 20-30 games of last gen. 10 is not enough.

[kalimero2]

1 nintendo exclusive: Super Mario Galaxy

2 SONY exclusives: THE LAST OF US, LITTLE BIG PLANET

0 x360 exclusives

[q8kik]

they should have put Demon souls instead of Dark souls imo. 90% of the people that played both games say Demon souls was better (including me)
So that would make it 3 ps exclusives :p

[DoctorJones]

'90% of the people that played both games say Demon souls was better'

Yeah? Where did this statistic come from? You pulled it out of your ass.

Demons Souls was great, but Dark Souls was much better.

[KingKelloggTheWH]

Agreed, Demons Souls is Far superior, on the soul forums people trashed Dark souls becuase it was so plagued with problems compared to Demons Souls.

[All_Consoles]

Halo 3 is better than the last of us and gears of war is better than little big planet by a mile. But it's all an opinion

[guyman]

And that's all it ever will be, but of course, you would bash anything sony, i've seen your rants. Furthermore, the comparison of halo 3 vs the last of us and LPB vs gears is one that gives your opinion zero credibility. We all know you just want to say the 360 has better exclusives than the ps3 (which isn't true). Next time, rather compare like for like. Example: Gears of war vs the last of us.

[Ben Dover]

Halo 3 better than The Last of Us?
Gears of War better than Little Big Planet?

LOL! Do you even game? An opinion is fine but your post shouldn't even be allowed on the internet.

[All_Consoles]

False guy man, I perferred PS3 to xbox 360 last generation. Don't assume things about me that you don't know. Also I wasn't comparing them, I was stating which I perferred

Ben, yes it's my opinion and obviously some agree with me. You don't have to immature about it

Personally I think uncharted 2 and God of war 3 are deserving of spots instead

[andibandit]

yeah but I would easily have put Halo or Gears before....of all things: StreetFighter!?!?!?!

[etownone]

Yep...
Gears 1 should definitely be there..

And Halo 3..

Had so much fun with those games...
Not just cause of the addictive multi-player of both.... But the co-op campaign too.

Bioshock 1 too... Blew my mind at the time

[coolbeans]

Consider that and then think of the vitriol they'd get over the years whenever a random PS3 exclusive would get a less-than-desired score from them.

[mochachino]

I agree with almost half of that list.

Of course, the list is entirely subjective but personally I'd put Batman AC, MGS4, Uncharted 2 and 3, Halo Reach, Oblivion/Skyrim/Fallout, Gears 1, and Deus Ex HR before games like Bayonetta, Portal, and Galaxy. Also, I never really had any fun in LBP but I respect it and see why others love it. Dishonoured was also an excellent game and better than many on that list IMO.

In fact, I think Bayonetta, Portal, and the Galaxy series are very overrated. To me they're at best 8.5 out of 10 games IMO. Good for one playthrough but I was happy when they were over and seemed to drag on.

[mochachino]

I normally don't reply to my own post but I can't believe I forgot to mention Mass Effect. That game definitely deserves to be in a top 10 of the gen list.

[etownone]

Mass Effect 2.

Not the first.

And Galaxy def deserves to be on that list... I guess you can say they revolutionized the platformer genre and bought new life to a 20 year old franchise.

[Blueraven316]

Horrible list, bayonetta and Mario galaxy???????Wheres Skyrim???

[Mikefizzled]

To be fair Mario Galaxy is flawless. Games don't get 97 on Metacritic for no reason. But its cool to hate on Nintendo.

Edge gave Bayonetta 1 & 2 10/10 so they are obviously big fans of it. On 360 Bayonetta is the epitome of Hack and Slash.

[Yokan]

I cringe when people call Bayonetta a hack n slash. Technically it is correct but the reality is that it is much more than that. It is stylish action at its best. When i hear hack n slash i think god of war or maybe even the DmC reboot (not the originals).

[Ikonic]

Meh, games also score 0 on metacritic, site isn't so reliable. All I'm saying. And since when is hating Nintendo cool I've heard nothing but good things from nintendos camp?

[Mikefizzled]

Because the Wii was more kid centric some PS3 and 360 players thought they were more of a gamer than someone who played Wii. I usually use Metacritic as a gauge to public opinion. But yes there is many flaws with the system.

[Onenyte]

"Where's skyrim"

Still loading I presume ....

[Ragthorn]

@Blueraven316

I believe Oblivion is better than Skyrim imho. Definitely beats it in story aswell (not the main story, but the sidequests).

[reaperofsouls]

agreed but i also prefered morrowind to oblivion

[StormLegend]

Mario Galaxy is the best Mario game on Wii/WiiU

[Manic2014]

Where's Halo 3, it deserves a place more than COD. Same goes with Uncharted 2.

[Vegamyster]

I loved Halo 3 but CoD 4 felt so fresh and new, personally both would be in my top 10.

[Picnic]

Dishonored should be in there.

Uncharted 2 might be linear but it probably should be there- it is far and away the best Uncharted game so far. It's like a very well directed film. I usuaully pay little attention to story but this game felt like it had a satisfying story.

Edge didn't like the original Bioshock. Whilst it's not of Half Life 2 quality, it's still perhaps a less annoyingly drawn out game than Bioshock Infinite. And Bioshock is scary in the first hour or so.

We really shouldn't get so worked up about this. They're just monkies who managed to get jobs on a magazine who maybe wrote a little bit better than the other monkies who applied or whose names were 'supplied'.

[lemoncake]

Limiting to just a top ten is so hard from last gens if you are including all consoles, even ranking them is difficult. Last gen we were so spoilt for choice as gamers, there were just so many good games. Mario galaxy, mass effect, fallout, batman, unchartered, TLOU, gears, red dead, Alan wake, little big planet, gta, halo, skyim, bio shock, far cry, etc, etc, etc. the list goes on and on and that doesn't even include all the great PC games.

[bsmith61]

Replace Dark Souls with Demon's Souls

[DoctorJones]

Why replace a superior game with an inferior one? Dark Souls deserves its place.

[KingKelloggTheWH]

No soul fan would say that.

[MEsoJD]

Grass hoarding, world tendency, op magic, less customization, world hub, stock burden, gender locked gear, etc... Yeah, I like Demons, but how is it a better game? Fuck nostalgia. To Demons credit, the Tower was an awesome level and it had dedicated servers (though this cant last forever).

[Imalwaysright]

Dark Souls as number 1!! Personally, I can't choose between Demon's and Dark Souls but they're definetely my favorites of last gen.

[MysticStrummer]

Demon's Souls #1 for me, Dark Souls #2, on my personal list from last gen. Both awesome.

[capt-schmo]

I like you guys. For me it is Demons Souls, Dark Souls, Red Dead Redemption, Spelunky, and The Last of Us as my top five the last gen.

[KingKelloggTheWH]

Demons souls for the win!

[holtzy]

really Bayonetta made it in the top ten that was one of the worst games of the last generation hands down. the game was just wash and repeat over and over again.

[ajax17]

Mass Effect 2 should be included.

[cell989]

They forgot Uncharted 2 lol and I thought Demons Soul was better than Dark Souls

[bleedsoe9mm]

i wouldn't have bayonetta,LBP or Super Street Fighter IV on my list , cod should be higher one of the most important games of the generation

[mixelon]

Nice list. I'd choose a completely different set of stuff, but that's expected, nobody rates the same things equally.

It's nice to see LBP getting some credit. And Portal for that matter.

[Trekster_Gamer]

Edge ranks best games.
Edge judges
2 nintendo and 1 sony fanboy
List is lame for the most part..

[lolosgolos]

Mass Effect, Witcher 2, Not even one Halo on there?, No Bioshock. Limited exposure to games I guess

[mixelon]

Are you suggesting Edge have limited exposure to games? XD

[lolosgolos]

That's exactly what I'm saying. This looks like something Ppl who work together in an offic came up with(Like minds with similar tastes). A better list I can point you to is the gamespot. Series of the Decade where we voted which was more diverse with thousands of minds as a sample of what the best is

[mixelon]

But edge review pretty much everything. They just have different criteria to what you think is important.

There is no way to objectively rate the 10 best games of the last decade. None. Majority don't decide quality. They likely have totally legit reasons for including their choices, while someone else could have legit reasons for including their choices.

[lolosgolos]

Point taken. As for the game of the decade being Dark Souls on that list which is one of my favorites, I would say only 2% of gamers would consider it as the game of the decade and that is questionable in regards to the critaria used. Majority does decide what is quality and value for money example being reviews of products and even democracy Lol

[skulz7]

Assassins Creed 2
Batman: Arkham City
Dishonored

should be on there

[Movieworld]

FIFA needs to be on there straight up and down.

[Ryan741]

No Mass Effect! Crazy.

[GreenUp]

Bad Company 2 is missing from that list...

[Relientk77]

Where's

BioShock
Uncharted 2
Dishonored
Borderlands 1/2
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Assassin's Creed II
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

[scark92]

I really really need to try Ni No Kuni, I only hear great things!

[q8kik]

Go try it. Then you will think to yourself ( that was a very well spent 50 hours of my time) :)

[LAWSON72]

I could not create such a list. I enjoyed way to many games, however I will say Halo 3 and Mass Effect 1 are at the top

[Skankinruby]

No uncharted, bioshock, or mass effect? An idiot made this list, name of the website says it all I guess.

[gamerfan0909]

It's a joke that Gears of war 1 or 2 is not on this list. That game revolutionized third person shooters. Every single third person game you see today takes from gears gameplay mechanics and to snub it out of the top 10 for games like bayonetta, dark souls, Super Street Fighter IV, little big planet, ect is a joke. Btw where the hell is mass effect and bioshock on this lift? How is edge grading these games? Because if you're going to do a top 10 games of an entire generation then innovation, impact, sales, and critical acclaim has to be the standard. If we're going by all of that then you simply cannot put half of these games up there.

[mixelon]

Given that Uncharted and Gears are both absent - I'm guessing Edge just don't rate third person shooters at all for some reason.

Which is fair enough, their call.

[trouble_bubble]

LBP hits all of your bulletpoints for innovation, impact, sales, critical acclaim. Why should it budge? Uncharted isn't on there either. Bayonetta should forfeit if anything

[q8kik]

That's not true gears of war cover system was inspired by a game that came much earlier i think it's called Kill switch. so it wasn't a revolution, it was an evolution of the mechanic.

[Giantbomb82]

Yeah right, Gears is just Kill switch and RE4 rolled into one. Sure. Cliffy B loved paint ball and chainsaw's. There's your inspiration right their. THE END. Awesome franchise. Active Reload, The multiplayer, The co op, the weapons.

[Master-H]

Gears over Dark Souls ? now that is a joke!

[gamerfan0909]

Name one thing Dark Souls innovated? It's a standard action RPG. THERE WERE NO third person shooters like gears before that game came out. The sales, critical acclaim, and the countless games that try to copy it and implement that cover system and multiplayer in their games is proof of its impact.

[callahan09]

@gamerfan0909, are you for real? You think Gears of War was more innovative than Demon's Souls (Dark Souls, as Edge puts it, but whatever)?

It was so innovative that it's hard to even quantify or put into words what it did differently. The whole souls as experience & currency thing was unique when coupled with the "die and lose it all, but you get 1 chance to go back to the location of your death and recover it" system. That was definitely a unique, fresh, brand new mechanic.

The body vs soul differential was unique and fresh.

The online features, such as the bloodstains of those who died around you that you can touch and see how they died, or the little ghost outlines of other players around you, the way you can summon, or be summoned, or INVADE other players' worlds... very unique and fresh freatures.

The message and rating system were fresh and unique.

The fighting mechanics were unique, in how every single move with every single weapon has its own animation and you have to get the timing down perfectly so you know your vulnerabilities and the enemies vulnerabilities.

The stamina system being tied in with your attacks, running, dodge/rolls, and blocking was a unique and fresh way to design the interactivity of combat.

The world tendency features!

The NG+ features and how that effects the way you go about playing the game and how you can't possibly get everything in the game without having to go to multiple NG+'s.

It was unique, fresh, and innovative in ways that you can barely begin to describe, you just have to play the game to understand it.

[Skankinruby]

Please enlighten me, exactly how did gears of war revolutionize anything at all? It was nothing more than a generic third person shooter with a simplistic cover system and one of the worst stories and main characters of all last gen.

[Giantbomb82]

Ask Neil Druckmann of Naughty Dog. He'll enlighten you. Only thing missing in the Last of Us MP is the Locust and the Lancer otherwise it would just be Gears. 4 v 4 third person Tactical, cover based, spotting enemies and gruesome execution moves. Sounds familiar to me. Are you being ignorant on purpose? Or do you just hate anything Xbox like everyone else on this site. Almost every shooter has done their own version of Horde Mode since Gears 2. Even Mass Effect. Uncharted had great stories? Not to me. Congrats for having better cut scenes. PLaying Gears 3 MP on the map Gridlock for the first time and the "Mad world" theme starts playing in the background sends chills. And is better than anything Naughty Dog MUltiplayer or anything they attempt to rip off

[callahan09]

@Giantbomb82, yeah, you didn't play The Last of Us, did you? It's a survival game. You get limited resources. You often have to rely on stealth. The world is also a lot more interactive, with climbing and exploration mechanics that weren't present in Gears. The two might look in some arbitrary videos of the games to play similarly because they both have cover mechanics, but The Last of Us plays completely different and requires completely different strategies, it really isn't even similar.

[Gamer777]

My personal Top 10

10.Call of Duty 4
9. Bayonetta
8. Far Cry 3
7. Batman:Arkham City
6. Halo 4
5. Gear of War 2
4. Red Dead Redemption
3. Uncharted 2
2. Fallout 3
1. Mass Effect 2

This was based on playtime and pure enjoyment. Everybody has a right to their opinion. My list should just be taken as my opinion. I only played on two platforms and skipped alot of games during the 7th gen.

[OutcastMosquito]

Fallout 3 is DEFINITELY one of the greatest games ever created.

[Gamer777]

I know. I strangely love Fallout 3 yet I can't finish New Vegas.

[Metallox]

I had good times additionally with BioShock, Left 4 Dead, TF2, Mass Effect 2, Twilight Princess, Demon's Souls, Xenoblade and another bunch of AAA games.

It's a fair list though, good games for its own.

[ashen122]

nice list i'd just reorder it.

p.s. two ps3 exclusives yea boy

[OutcastMosquito]

Well not everyone has the same opinions, so I'll share mine:

10. Pokemon X/Y (huge change to the main series with 3D models of all pokemon)
9. Killzone 2 (biggest change in a sequel ever)
8. Uncharted 2 (blown away at the visuals and overall quality of the game)
7. Max Payne 3 (very underrated. Expertly made)
6. Far Cry 3 (redefined the series and was a blast to explore. No pun intended...)
5. Red Dead Redemption (awesome story and mechanics)
4. Battlefield 3 (redefined the series)
3. Grand Theft Auto IV (overall fun and great story as well as the greatest in-game engine period)
2. Fallout 3 (I've never had this much fun exploring in a game before)
1. Metal Gear Solid 4 (tear-jerking conclusion to an amazing series)

[DLConspiracy]

Shouldn't there be a 5th article about drive club instead of this. I want to hear more about drive club today.

[NewAgeisHere]

Dark Souls no.1 I agree with 100%, Last of Us as well, but where is Mass Effect?

[64commando]

!. Dark Souls? 2. Super Mario??? Idk bout that

[Subaruwrx]

Any list for best of last generation that doesn't include an Uncharted game and a Mass Effect game is, imo, pure BS.

[il-JumperMT]

Bayonetta, GTA5, Street Fighter 4? Joke list.

Street Fighter 4 is worst in the series and doesn't even dent best Fighting game let alone top 10.

Ni No Kuni, Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid 4, Mass Effect I can go on.

[Subaruwrx]

Another example of why listicles are stupid. There are many different game genres. I like action/adventure, rpgs and racing games that focus on the single player experience. That said, an Uncharted game, a Mass Effect game, and Persona 4 Golden Vita would be on my list.

[SoCalledMe]

While I agree with the 1st place not adding Bioshock and Mass Effect is a crime , also Fallout 3 but not as big of a deal as not adding ME or Bioshock

[FanboysKiller]

I appreciate more if they just say we pick our 10 favorite games instead of listing them in order.

[Flotche]

A top ten without Uncharted? Are u serious?

[S2Killinit]

never got to play Dark Souls, if its above The Last of Us, then it must be something special.

[Djinn]

There list is shit. Mine is perfect. In no particular order....

Final Fantasy XIII
Mass Effect 3
Uncharted 2
Valkyria Chronicles
InFamous 2
Bioshock Infinite
Batman Arkham City
God of War 3
DMC Devil May Cry
Heavenly Sword

[DarXyde]

Apparently, my tastes are a little deviant from what people generally like. Personally, my list (looking strictly at AAA titles) looks a bit more like...

10. Bayonetta (PS3/X360)
9. Burnout Revenge (X360)
8. Grand Theft Auto V (PS3)
7. Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)
6. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots/Metal Gear Online (PS3)
5. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
4. The Last of Us (PS3)
3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
1. Toss up between Demon's Souls(PS3) & Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)

Not the most traditional list, but it's mine.

[newflesh]

Fallout 3 , TES: Oblivion are definetely more influential than Street Fighter and Bayonetta, IMO. Also I think Portal 2 was a much better game than the 1st one. Especially as they decided to choose Dark over Demon's souls.

[KingKelloggTheWH]

They Chose Dark souls over Demons Souls? what the heck?!
Just no!! That is horrible, Demons is far superior!

[fanboysmackdown]

Where the hell is Bioshock? what a joke list.

[StrawberryDiesel420]

How about Fallout 3, Demon's Souls, Gears of War? That's why it should be done by genre.

[bunfighterii]

Uncharted 2 and Skyrim are missing. Bayonetta shouldnt be on there.

In no particular order:

Uncharted 2; COD Modern Warfare 2; Skyrim; Red Dead Redemption; GTA V; MGS 5; Super Mario Galaxy; Gran Turismo 6; Dark Souls; Battlefield Bad Company 2.

EDIT: looking at other's lists, i realise in missing so many great games, it makes this exercise impossible for me lol

[90Supra]

No Uncharted 2?

smh...

[StrawberryDiesel420]

Demon's Souls is far superior to Dark Souls. Dark Souls was bigger and it was good, Demon's Souls is just full of perfection though. Lists like this should go by genre, not overall. There are too many amazing games to mash them together. Top ten RPG, FPS, Action/Adventure, Racing game, sci fi, open world etc...that gives all the great games credit they deserve. Break them down by top five/ten per genre.

[MEsoJD]

Grass hoarding, world tendency, op magic, less customization, world hub, stock burden, gender locked gear, etc... These are some of the annoyances that were addressed in Dark Souls. It's a great game, but cmon man.

[zugdar]

I agree with other feedback the Xenoblade and Bioshock should have made the list. Not sure who to replace (street fighter??). It blew the entire classic JRPG genre out of the water on a much weaker system. And Bioshock can still hold a conversation with its strong story.

[SynestheticRoar]

Edge list reek of ass.

[ELpork]

Minus 1,3,5,7,8, and 9 I'd say it's a pretty ok list....

[BillytheBarbarian]

If it wasn't for Gears of War and the Fallouts/Oblivion RPGs I wouldn't have cared for last generation.

The list seems a bit Playstation happy.

[StormLegend]

They need to take out Super Street Fighter IV and Bayonetta and replace it with Uncharted 2 & Zelda Skyward Sword.

[Subaruwrx]

Imo, Zelda: Twilight Princess was superior to Skyward Sword.

[urwifeminder]

No battlestations pacific pathetic.

[PS3and4_HAS_GAMES]

whoa wheres uncharted 2?!?!?!?!?! that game has to be there. other than that its a pretty decent list.

[m2stech]

It's just one man's opinion, cant agree and cant blame him.

[beatled]

#1 starcraft 2
#2 the witcher
#3 stalker
#4 dark souls
#5 morrowind
#6 far cry 3
#7 tomb raider
#8 xenoblade chronicles
#9 age of wonders 3
#10 civ V

[DanzoSAMA]

WTF where is HALO !!!!!!

[led1090]

Dark Souls and Portal definitely deserve to be there. They changed gaming for me. In terms of impact and revolutionizing gaming, they're not many games better than those two

[nondescriptcitizen]

this list dosen't make sense...Only a few of those belong there.

[DafunkyRebel]

Uncharted 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, Mass Effect, Oblivion and Bioshock 1? like seriously wth. Is the writer a little kid born in the 2000s? Did they start gaming when we hit 2010 or something?

[squeezx]

Dark Souls?! No. Sorry try again.

[Assassingamer136]

Why is super mario galaxy number 1 tho? The last of us is heaps and bounds better in my opinion. I think I would have loved super mario galaxy but the wii remote killed the game for me as it kept hurting my wrist

[SouljAx360]

Oh man, that list looks terrible to me. Street Fighter? LoL
Dark Souls was okay but I wouldn't call it top 10.
I personally think Fallout, Bioshock, Resident Evil 5, Borderlands, Dead Space, Batman Arkham, Dragon Age, and Uncharted would have been to good names to see...before Street Fighter LoL

[ps360s]

COD4 was and still is the best COD game and it did earn it's credit of being 1 of the best fps

but won't be my number 1

it's all opinions...mine properly be more rpg's lol

[urwifeminder]

He should stick to playing guitar with Bono instead of trying to pick good games.

[higgins78]

SMG nailed it like no other game I played last gen, even if I did have some particular favourites. Please, if you did NOT own a Wii last gen keep your opinions to yourself, because you honestly can't claim to be a true fan of videogames.

[herbaldoctor77]

This article is opinion. Facts are facts.cod makes a billion dollars a year no game does that every year. Cod4 started the madmess. Should be number 1

[CoryHG]

No Skyrim or Uncharted. Fail.

[lfc_4eva]

What?

No Fallout 3 or New Vegas?

That list is crazy!!!!

[shammgod]

I can't argue with the list. It looks like they tried to put a little something from every genre. I would definitely have Skyrim and Uncharted 2 or 3 (take your pick) though.

Also, i'm not a fighter fan so Street Fighter would be tossed from my list...not because it isnt a good game, i'm just not a fan of the genre.

[JAT]

Not a good list.

No Bethesda games? SF4 is on there?

What are they on?

Dark Souls as number one? LOL

No RockBand? No Fallout, No Skyrim?

Bayonetta? who makes these lists.

Might as well put Lost Planet on there ....

[Jaqen_Hghar]

In addition to a man's earlier adjustments SF4 should be replaced with Skyrim or Batman Arkham Asylum. Then again a man values how great a game is over how much it "revolutionized the industry" or whatever. A man doesn't care if you did it first or fifth if you did it best. It's often the more refined versions that took inspiration from past games that man ends up enjoying and going back to more (Resistance 3 over 1, Ratchet and Clank ACiT over 2, Uncharted 3 over 2, and Arkham City over Asylum to name a few).

[bobdog626]

No just No Halo is one of the best but the Best game is SKyrim .

[MookaTek]

I can't at all agree with this list as I have only played four of the games mentioned on it. These games are Little Big Planet, Super Mario Galaxy, Red Dead Redemption, and Grand Theft Auto 5, none of which would make my own personal top ten list; though, other than Little Big Planet, I consider them all excellent games (Little Big Planet was okay, but I'll admit I never got into the creative aspect of it, so maybe I missed something).

Obviously, no one can make a true, objective top ten list. It's simply impossible, especially when an artistic medium is involved.

If pressed, here is the list that I would make, in no particular order:

1. Just Cause 2
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
3. Lost Odyssey
4. Fallout 3
5. Xenoblade Chronicles
6. Tales of Graces F
7. Risen 3
8. Two Worlds
9. Dragon's Dogma
10. Ni No Kuni

Well, I ran out of numbers, and I feel bad leaving out several other games. This is an improvised list, and even this brief attempt at making such an audacious list seems absurd to me, so I honestly can't fathom why any legitimate publication would endeavor to permanently enter into print such a pointless list. But I've been dealing with these lists for decades and will likely suffer them for decades more.

[MoveTheGlow]

Man, I was all ready to jump all over this list, but I really can't argue with this. Dark Souls isn't just a great game, it changed the minds of countless developers on exactly who their audiences were and what they wanted out of a game. Even COD4 I understand - I'm not a military shooter fan, but I played the heck out of that single-player campaign.

Bayonetta's an interesting one. It was a technical marvel and it out-DMC'd DMC4 and the DmC reboot. It was grand and setpiece-laden without being having that awful green-brown shade of Western "cinematic" aesthetics in the 2000's. It was also a homage to a ton of awesome other games. It's like a postmodern classic or something. SEGA also botched the port to PS3, and I feel like that's a black mark on the title itself, not the system, but still, I get it. I played it on PS3, and I still loved it.

[Jaqen_Hghar]

A man would swap Portal (played through that game and felt absolutely nothing for it) for Uncharted 3 (yes 3) and Bayonetta for Ratchet and Clank A Crack in Time.

[Insane087]

street fighter but no fallout 3 or minecraft guess they got confused which gen the list was for