Your banner has 3 of my 5 picks.
#1. Bioshock - Atmosphere and story-telling in this game are just top notch. The twist at the end is fun too. Being completely immersed in Rapture was one of my favorite gaming experiences of all time, let alone Gen 7. This game made enough of an impact on me that I have a Big Daddy tattoo on my arm.
#2. Mass Effect (the series as a whole) - Mass Effect filled a void that I felt KOTOR left behind when a third game never came. The fact that they made such a massive shift in gameplay from 1 to 2 yet were still able to keep the core of the game feeling the same was a rare feat.
#3. Catherine - When I first heard about this game I thought "that sounds like the worst thing ever made." Then I played it, on a whim, and it became one of my favorite Gen 7 games. The puzzle aspect was just complex enough to be challenging without being daunting. The story and animation were great as well.
#4. Red Dead Redemption - I HATE the wild west. Hate it. Movies? Screw that. Games? Nope. RDR was suggested by a friend who offered to buy it for me because it was "that good" and he was not wrong. It wasn't enough to change my opinion of the wild west genre, but it was enough to make me forgive it for the quality of the game.
#5. Dead Space (just the first one) - I never really bought into Resident Evil or Silent Hill in previous gens. So, Dead Space was my first real introduction to the horror genre of gaming. The weapons were fun and the controls perfect for the environment the game provided.
