Knowing that 2025 would be the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Xbox 360, I decided to do a 2005 in Gaming anniversary. There are various concessions though, e.g., if a remaster or faithful remake has been released, I could play those in lieu of the original.
So far, I've tried many games, but have only completed a handful.
Resident Evil 4 (HD, on Series X) - overall, it's playable, but, unlike a lot of people, I don't think it has aged well. Even though I don't mind the original tank controls for the pre-4 Resident Evil games, the controls in 4 are the main reason that I think that it's aged poorly.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Switch) - Good game. Not the best 2D Zelda, but it was nice to go back to the classic style. Also well-paced and doesn't overstay its welcome.
Mario Kart DS (New 3DS) - It's Mario Kart. Certainly not the best, but also not the worst. I remember fondly going to McDonald's to use the free Wi-Fi, that they partnered with Nintendo to implement, to play this online with a friend, since I didn't have wireless Internet at the time.
God of War (HD, on PS3) - Easily one of the best 2005 games I've (re)played so far. Still has a story that feels like an actual Greek tragedy, and the gameplay is still pretty good. I think the level design and ludonarrative cohesion are significantly better than the two most recent God of War games.
Gun (360) - Interesting game to play for the first time. I can see how the story might have seemed more well-written and presented than a lot of its contemporaries, but overall it hasn't aged well. Red Dead Redemption basically made this have obsolete. The world feels so empty and small in comparison.
Call of Duty 2 (Series X) - The other contender for my 2005 Game of the Year so far. Having never played any Call of Duty games other than 4, the campaign in 2 felt very intense for a launch 360 game. There is a constant bombardment of audio/visual goodness to keep you from blinking. I was very impressed with this in every aspect other than pure graphical prowess (the latter of which is expected from a launch game) and plot.
And today I finished Condemned: Criminal Origins on Series X (probably the single worst character models I've seen in a game). Decent enough to play through once, just to know what I missed out on 20 years ago, but not worth playing again, in my opinion.
Remaining for the year, I still have quite a few 2005 games to play or replay;
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (replay, but this time it will be the Dominus Collection, PS5)
Destroy All Humans! (Remake, Series X) - Never played
(Deep breath) Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie - Never played
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (replay, but this time will be the PS5 version)
Jade Empire (Series X - will be like the 4th time I've tried it, but I've never finished it)
Kameo: Elements of Power (Series X, never played)
Perfect Dark Zero (Series X, never finished)
Amped 3 (360, never played)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (360, playing on and off; currently working toward taking out #9)
Project Gotham Racing 3 (360, never played)
