Last-Gen Memories

I’ve little interest in the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. With a hefty backlog of PS3 games and a dwindling amount of gaming time, I see no reason to upgrade (just now, anyway). However, now that the Xbox 360 and PS3 are officially ‘last-gen’, I thought this was good time to look back on my memories of playing these consoles. Here they are:

The Good

Making everyone who came through my house on Christmas Day, 2007 play Crew Expendable in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Waiting at that damn ferris wheel. Creeping around all ghillied up.

“Don’t shoot the dog” being my favourite gaming easter egg ever.

Making everyone who came through my house on Christmas Day, 2009 play the No Russian level of Modern Warfare 2. Watching a family friend apologise to innocent people while simultaneously gunning them down.

“We don’t go to Ravenholm”—the moment when I became sure that Half-Life 2 was the greatest game ever invented (a game I only played when it came out in the Orange Box, so I’m counting it as last-gen).

I’m Nathan Drake in a collapsing building. Men are shooting at me as the floor I’m crouched above slams right, then left. Realising Uncharted 2 was the second-best game I’d ever played.

I’m Nathan Drake on a boat. I punch out one pirate and shoot another. A grenade arcs towards me. I jump off the boat and dive to safety. Then I return, grab a sniper rifle and shoot two more pirates with it before dropping down to start fighting again. Realising Uncharted 3 was the third-best game I’d ever played.

Having a night in all alone, and spending that time exploring the universe of Mass Effect. Discovering how rich that universe was. Cheering when Shepard got his own ship.

A feeling of dread developing as the fatal consequences of Rex’s ultimatum became clear. I’ve never had a more emotional response to a game.

Laughing like a fool playing Heavy Rain, realising that gameplay required shaving and placing dishes on a table.

Laughing at the ridiculousness of trying to catch up to a jeep in Far Cry 2, when both vehicles are moving at the same speed in a straight line. Knocking down a zebra.

Mirror’s Edge getting my pulse racing like no other game had, as the popo chased me across and off rooftops.

Switching roles with the Joker in Arkham Asylum. Trying to escape a giant Scarecrow.

Being amazed at how good the prison looked in Gears of War 1.

Mourning a friend in Gears of War 3.

The smug satisfaction of peering down a sniper rifle scope to see someone covering beside a fuel cell on the Last Resort map of Halo 3.

Still Alive.

Waking up with a hangover, then remembering that I didn’t need to get up to turn on the 360, I could power it up from the controller.

The suspense of being unable to locate a sobbing Witch in Left 4 Dead. The fear when the Tank’s theme began.

Sending my AI slaves into a perfectly-synchronised, multilateral attack in Rainbow Six: Vegas. Completely ballsing it up and having to resort to smoke grenades and thermal vision to escape.

The Bad/Regrettable

The day the power went off in my work and I got away at 1pm, with plans to do so much when I got home. Then playing Mirror’s Edge for eight hours instead and going to bed hating myself, realising I lacked self-discipline.

Really wanting to like Fallout 3, Red Dead Redemption, Bioshock, Resident Evil 5, and Assassin’s Creed. Not being able to get into any of them.

Giving up on Dead Space on the first zero-gravity level.

Trying to recapture the stealthy enjoyment I felt during the first two games of the series by buying Splinter Cell: Conviction, then realising that ship had (quietly) sailed.

Realising that, as good as they are, NBA 2K games will never get as close to feeling like real basketball as I want them to.

Admitting that the loop of work…hours of Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer…sleep, probably wasn’t the best use of my time.

Buying Halo 4. Loading it up. Getting to play one minute of it before the RRod hit.

Playing games I didn’t like. Continuing to play them.

Accepting the sad fact that gaming makes me irritable and impatient.