The DP Challenge
The DP Challenge is a research project in which you play and analyze the top 100 games ever to hit your console(s). At the end of this project, I hope to be a better writer with a host of ideas for my own projects. I anticipate that I will learn more from the games that are in genres that I don't usually play or simply from games I wouldn't usually pick up than from the games I love. I'm looking forward to that education!
Information on the DP Challenge can be found at: http://www.dpfiles.com/dpfileswiki/index.php?title=THE_DP_CHALLENGE
**Note: As it takes a long time to evaluate 100+ games and new games are constantly being rolled out, my top 100 list continually changes. There will undoubtedly be discrepancies in the numeric rating of my list. As I catch them, I'll try to update them, but, I want to play all of the great games, so I know I'll be changing the list often.
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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Game InfoPublisher: ActivisionDeveloper: Neversoft EntertainmentPlatform: PS2Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Players: 1ESRB Rating: T (Teen)Release Date: April 8, 2003Intro: It’s not what the intro does; it’s how it does it. Splinter Cell tells
the story of two agents sent in behind enemy lines and captured. You
are then introduced to Sam, who will be sent in to rescue them. For a PS2 game, the pine cone and tree graphics blew me away. But here’s why Splinte... Continue reading ...
Dante’s Inferno Game InfoPublisher: Electronic ArtsDeveloper: Visceral GamesPlatform: PS3Genre(s): ActionPlayers: 1 PlayerESRB Rating: M (Mature)Release Date: February 09, 2010Intro:The
beginning of the game tells the backstory. Some of it is told in
narrative writing, some in a freakishly disturbing cut scene, and some
in an odd sort of comic style that seems out of place with the amazing
graphics in the game. Getting Going:The
comic gives way to action and we find Dante in the cen... Continue reading ...
Posted by Shelly Warmuth on Wednesday, March 2, 2011,
In :
Platformer
#69 Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando  Game InfoPublisher: Sony Computer EntertainmentDeveloper: Insomniac GamesPlatform: PS2Genre(s): PlatformerPlayers: 1ESRB Rating: T (Teen)Release Date: November 11, 2003Intro:Ratchet & Clank give
an interview about their adventures as champions of the Universe, which
is seen by someone in need of assistance. In no time, they are whisked
away on another adventure. The intro draws the player briefly into the
backstory of our two heroes without being dr... Continue reading ...
#76 Viewtiful Joe Game InfoPublisher: CapcomDeveloper: Clover StudioPlatform: PS2Genre(s): ActionPlayers: 1ESRB Rating: T (Teen)Release Date: August 24, 2004Intro:Joe
takes his girlfriend to the movies to see a classic superhero movie,
his favorite. When his hero is defeated, the villain snatches his girl,
bringing her into the movie. His hero, grabs him from the seats and
takes him into the movie, as well, granting him the super powers to save
his girl and the day.Getting Going:Viewti... Continue reading ...
#87 Shadow of the Colossus Game InfoPublisher: SCEADeveloper: SCEIPlatform: PS2Genre(s): Action/AdventurePlayers: 1 PlayerESRB Rating: T(Teen)Release Date: October 18, 2005Intro: Poignant
and ethereal, the 10 minute intro simply shows a young man on his horse
traveling through the countryside. It is only when he arrives at his
destination that we see the girl and find out the reason for his travel.
The graphics appear misty, adding to the mood. The game is told in a
made up language th... Continue reading ...
#100 Metal Gear: Portable Ops Game Info Publisher: Konami Developer: Kojima Productions Genre(s): Action AdventurePlatform: PSP Players: 1-6 Players ESRB Rating: M (Mature) Release Date: December 5, 2006Intro:A
slideshow intro of screenshots gives way to a story-establishing cut
scene. We become aware that this will be the story of Big Boss/Naked
Snake and exactly what the mission is about. Getting Going:You
ha... Continue reading ...
#74 BioShock 2 Game Info Publisher: 2K Games Developer: 2K Marin - 2K Australia - Digital Extremes Genre(s): First-Person ShooterPlatform: PS3 Players: 8 ESRB Rating: M (Mature) Release Date: February 9, 2010Intro:BioShock 2 is
a big install, requiring 5011 MB of hard drive space. It took a half
hour to make room on my hard drive and another 10 minutes to install it.
Even with this huge install, the... Continue reading ...
#43 Assassin's Creed II Game Info Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Genre(s): Action, AdventurePlatform: PS3 Players: 1 ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release
Date:
November 17, 2009Intro:
The beginning CG and
walk about gives the player a refresher course regarding the previous
game’s story and the character of Desmond. Players are able to briefly
take control of Desmond and it become... Continue reading ...
#19 God of War III Game Info Publisher: Sony Computer
Entertainment Developer: SCE Studios Santa Monica
Genre(s): Third-Person Action,
AdventurePlatform: PS3 Players: 1 ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release
Date:
March 16, 2010Intro:Silhouettes in gold
and red or shadows in black against a gold and red background highlight
this stylish introduction to God of War III. The opening soundtrack is epic,
le... Continue reading ...
#7 Red Dead Redemption
Game Info Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar San Diego
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, ShooterPlatform: PS3 Players: 16 ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release
Date:
May 18, 2010Intro:
A scarred gunslinger
walks on the docks between two important-looking men. It is unclear
whether he is under arrest, to be hanged, or to help. None of the men
say anything. He carries a... Continue reading ...
#15 God of War Collection Game Info
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Bluepoint Games - SCE Santa Monica
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure,
Compilation
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: November 17, 2009
The God of War Collection is God of War and God of War II, re-mastered. The graphics have been given a complete overhaul, including improved lighting and texturing. Trophies have been added to gameplay, as well. Bonus features th... Continue reading ...
#33 God of War II Game InfoPublisher: Sony Computer
Entertainment America Developer: SCE Santa Monica
Genre(s): Third-Person Action,
AdventurePlatform:
PS2
Players: 1 ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release
Date:
March 13, 2007Intro:
The intro is very
brief, telling the backstory of Kratos, whose bitterness towards the
gods of Olympus has grown. Kratos, is himself, a god now and the
Spartans fight for him. But, ... Continue reading ...
#21 Devil May Cry Game Info Publisher: CapcomDeveloper: CapcomPlatform: PS2 Genre(s): Action
Players: 1 ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release
Date:
October 17, 2001Intro:
Figures of flame move
against a solid dark background, sometimes brandishing a sword, and
sometimes, dual pistols. As the story begins, a mysterious woman jumps
down from a building top. She looks down the street to a neon sign that
says “Devil... Continue reading ...
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence Game InfoPublisher:
Konami Developer: Kojima Productions Platform:
PS2
Genre(s): Third-Person Action Players:
8 ESRB Rating: M (Mature) Release Date: March
14, 2006 I'm not going to dissect this game thoroughly simply
because the main game is actually an extended "director's cut" of
SnakeEater. The 2 disc set here also includes copies of Metal Gear
Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Solid Snake. In addition, Kojima
Productions has added features such as the Hidden... Continue reading ...
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Game InfoPublisher:
Konami Developer: Kojima Productions Platform:
PS3
Genre(s): Third-Person Action Players:
16 ESRB Rating: M (Mature) Release Date: June
12, 2008 Intro: Before the game even starts,
there is an odd commercial for a workout video and one for a weapons
company. Metal Gear Solid 4 then launches with Snake ruminating
on the fortunes of war. We find him in the back of a truck, traveling
with other soldiers, and moving through a battle-... Continue reading ...
Resident Evil 4Game InfoPublisher:
Capcom Entertainment Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4 Platform:
PS2
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure, Survival
Horror Players: 1 ESRB Rating: M (Mature) Release
Date: October 25, 2005 Intro:Resident Evil 4
begins with a brief history lesson of Raccoon City and an update of
what the government has done about the Umbrella Corporation that
released the virus on an unsuspecting world. Players are introduced, or
re-introduced, to Leon who has becom... Continue reading ...
Grand Theft Auto IV Game InfoPublisher:
Rockstar Games Developer: Rockstar North Genre(s):
Action, Adventure, Racing Platform: PS3
Players:
16 ESRB Rating: M (Mature) Release Date:
April 29, 2008
Intro:
There is an
opening CG in which we are introduced to Niko, a Russian coming to
Liberty City, on a barge, to live the American dream as his cousin has
described it to him in letters. America will not be all that his cousin
has made it out to be, however, and Roman, the cousin, has a bit of a
... Continue reading ...
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Game InfoPublisher:
Konami Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan Platform:
PS2
Genre(s): Action Players: 1 ESRB
Rating: M (Mature) Release Date: November 17, 2004
Intro: As
in all of the Metal Gear Solid games, Metal Gear Solid 3:
Snake Eater begins with an extended cinemagraphic. Just prior to
loading the game, the player is asked if they are new to the franchise,
liked Metal Gear Solid or Metal Gear Solid 2. The
decision makes a small difference in ... Continue reading ...
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Game InfoPublisher:
Rockstar Games Developer: Rockstar North Platform:
PS2
Genre(s): Action, Racing Players: 2 ESRB
Rating: AO (Adults Only) Release Date: October 26,
2004
Intro:The intro to Grand Theft Auto: San
Andreas is rather nondescript. Random snapshots of gangster-type
personalities flash across the screen as music plays and the credits
roll. The player becomes aware that San Andreas will be about
gangs, but while the mostly Hispanic shots give away the... Continue reading ...
Flower Game InfoPublisher: Sony Computer
Entertainment Developer: thatgamecompany Platform:
PS3 Download
Genre(s): Action Players: 1 ESRB
Rating: E (Everyone) Release Date: February 12, 2009
Intro:
The scene closes in on a single flower bud in a pot on a
windowsill. The world outside is bleak, making this flower the
brightest, happiest part of the scene. Using the capabilities of the
SIXAXIS controller, the player hovers over the bud and pushes any button
to enter the world of Flower.
Ge... Continue reading ...
Kick-Ass Game InfoPublisher: WHA
Entertainment Developer: Frozen Codebase Platform:
PS3 (Download)
Genre(s): Fighting, Action Players:
2 ESRB Rating: M (Mature) Release Date: April
29, 2010
Intro: Kick-Ass is a game
based on the movie of the same title. The game begins in the same way
the movie does, using a clip straight from the movie. Once the player
chooses a player character, a flyover shows the first scene of the game
and Kick-Ass gets his ass kicked.
Getting
Going: Once you take co... Continue reading ...
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Game InfoPublisher:
Rockstar Games Developer: Rockstar Leeds Platform:
PSP
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure Players:
4 ESRB Rating: M (Mature) Release Date:
October 24, 2005
Intro:
As the
credits roll, comic book-style pictures of tough-looking characters play
across the screen, most of them carrying guns. Tony is out and Mr.
Leone tells Tony that he's family and that he will take care of him.
Tony gets in the car and heads out for the safe h... Continue reading ...
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Game InfoPublisher:
Rockstar Games Developer: Rockstar North Platform:
PS2
Genre(s): Action, Racing Players: 1 ESRB
Rating: M (Mature) Release Date: October 28, 2002
Intro:
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City begins with a Miami
Vice-style video montage of girls in bathing suits, cars, and neon
lights, while the credits appear on-screen. There are no gameplay
scenes in the opening credits, but the game effectively brings the
player back into the 80's using nostalgic ima... Continue reading ...
Posted by Shelly Warmuth on Sunday, April 25, 2010,
In :
Racing Genre
Burnout 3: TakedownGame InfoPublisher:
Electronic Arts Developer: Criterion Games Platform:
PS2
Genre(s): Racing, Driving, Action Players:
8 ESRB Rating: T (Teen) Release Date:
September 7, 2004
Intro: Burnout 3
begins with a musical smorgasbord of driving action and spectacular
crashes ending with an airborne sports car crashing dramatically into
traffic and exploding. It's a rush and it does draw the player into
gameplay instantly.
Getting Going:
Identify
yourself in your ... Continue reading ...
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Game Info
Publisher:
Konami
Developer: Konami
Platform: PS2
Genre(s):
Action
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release
Date: November 13, 2001
Intro:
The
opening credits is accompanied by a montage of soldier scenes amongst
names and chemical symbols. It looks very much like the opening credits
of a movie. Following the opening credits, the story begins with Snake
on a bridge over the Hudson River. Without spoiling... Continue reading ...
TimeSplitters 2Game InfoPublisher:
Eidos Interactive Developer: Free Radical Design Genre(s):
First-Person Shooter, Action Platform: PS2
Players:
16 ESRB Rating: T (Teen) Release Date:
October 8, 2002
Intro: The game starts on
an apparent spaceship with a Stargate-type portal on the bridge.
Creatures of a sort, called TimeSplitters have taken a crystal
and are entering one-by-one into the portal with pieces of this crystal
while a male and female who look somewhat like bounty hunters try to... Continue reading ...
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Game Info
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Insomniac Games
Platform: PS2
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Platform
Players: 8
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: November 2, 2004
Intro:
After a montage of gameplay scenes designed to get the player
excited about gameplay, the scene opens on a chess-type game between
Ratchet and Clank. There is a minor power struggle here followed by a
video where we see that... Continue reading ...
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog Platform: PS3
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Shooter
Players: 10
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: October 13, 2009 Intro:You
awaken on a train which, unexpectedly begins to plummet, with you in
it. With no idea what is going on, the player is immediately thrust
into gameplay, moving Drake to safety. This is a tremendous
introduction to gameplay that will require the player to think and to
kee... Continue reading ...
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Game Info
Publisher: Eidos Interactive / Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Platform: PS3
Genre(s): Action, Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Intro:
Batman: Arkham Asylum begins with the familiar environment
we've come to expect from any Batman media. It's dark and rainy. The
Bat Signal is in the clouded sky and the Batmobile is racing down a
wooded road. It doesn't quite say why Batman is transporting Jok... Continue reading ...
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction Game Info
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Insomniac Games Platform: PS3
Genre(s): Action, Platform
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)
Release Date: October 23, 2007 Intro:
The intro shows a futuristic planet with flying airships and immediately gives players a sense of Ratchet's enthusiasm and longing for adventure. Effectively setting up the goal of the game, it is evident that ne... Continue reading ...
LittleBigPlanet
Game Info
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Media Molecule
Platform: PS3
Genre(s): Action
Players: 4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Intro:
The cute little sack boy gets an instant introduction on a blackened
screen under a spotlight. A disembodied voice tells the player how to
move and he moves along past amusing pictures. It's an innovative and
creative way to do game credits at the beginning of the game, allowing
the player to ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Shelly Warmuth on Thursday, December 3, 2009,
In :
Strategy
Valkyria Chronicles
#100 Valkyria Chronicles
Game Info
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Platform: PS3
Genre(s): Action, Role-Playing Game
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: November 4, 2008
Intro:
The intro is shown with music only. There are no words, no story,
just a montage of storybook-style pictures. It was easy to catch a
glimpse of a love story to come and to realize that this would be a war
game, but neither the graphics nor the music ne... Continue reading ...
Posted by Shelly Warmuth on Sunday, November 22, 2009,
In :
Fighting
#48 Soul Calibur IIGame Info
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco Platform: PS2
Genre(s): Fighting, Action
Players: 2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: August 26, 2003
Intro:
The
dynamic intro to this game gets is visually stunning. From the
multiple player characters to the scenery, weapons and sound,
everything about this intro made me want to dig into this game and
play. It doesn't give a backstory, it simply teases the player into
action.
Getting Go... Continue reading ...
#43 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Game Info
Publisher: Ubi Soft
Developer: Ubi Soft Montreal
Platform: PS2
Genre(s): Action, Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: November 6, 2003
Intro:
My first thought was "what intro?". It seemed to have a floating
camera scene leading to an extreme close-up of a female then curtains
and voila, there was a guy on the veranda. I was waiting for the cut
scene until I realized I was supposed ... Continue reading ...
# 23 God of War
Game Info
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: SCE Studios Santa Monica
Platform: PS2
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: March 22, 2005
Intro:
The intro to God of War is brief and confusing. That's actually a good
thing. I didn't know why Kratos was mad at the gods or why he felt his
life was no longer worth living, but I figured the story would unfold.
This ... Continue reading ...
#4 Grand Theft Auto IIIGame Info
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: DMA Design
Platform: PS2
Genre(s): Action
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: October 23, 2001
Intro:
The intro is brief. I liked that. I was able to get going in the
game pretty rapidly. It established the back-story, at least a little
bit and got me going in the game quickly.
Getting Going:
An in-game tutorial lets you know what to do pretty effectively.
The camera angles wer... Continue reading ...
Posted by Shelly Warmuth on Sunday, November 1, 2009,
In :
Sports
#3 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Game Info
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Neversoft Entertainment
Platform: PS2
Genre(s): Sports, Action
Players: 2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: October 30, 2001
Intro:
While Ace of Spades plays, 13 professional skaters perform stunning
skating feats and, really, who doesn't want to try that out? The intro
is very effective at drawing the player in and giving them a small
taste of the gameplay that might be coming. ... Continue reading ...
#107 inFAMOUSGame Info
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Sucker Punch Platform: PS3
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: May 26, 2009
Intro: As
you enter the game, Empire City is a buzzing metropolis. Your finger
hovers over the start button, the game prompts you to push "start" and
you set off an explosion that destroys the city. This is the
introduction to inFAMOUS. You wake up and ... Continue reading ...
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