What are the top 5 console games that defined last generation for you? Not the best games - but the ones you felt had the most influence, an influence you can even see today.

5. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved - a random choice, but really proved the idea of indie gaming on consoles. This would pave the way for indie domination later in the generation. I remember this being my most played 360 game when I first got the 360. I was thinking of putting Braid on here but I think Geometry Wars was first and more influential.

4. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - WRPGs were on consoles before (Morrowind, KOTOR, Fable) but this "next generation" RPG which released very early in the Xbox 360 life cycle completely changed the game. Huge open world, great graphics, and it's one of the reasons WRPGs eclipsed JRPGs the last generation.

3. Gears of War - it didn't invent the cover mechanic, but it sure popularized it. Every game had it - from Metal Gear Solid to GTA, from Killzone to Uncharted. It made Unreal Engine 3 a super popular engine for last generation. Also it was the Halo for the Xbox 360 - the reason you had to buy a 360.

2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Added so much to multiplayer gaming. Basically copied from every FPS from then on - including Halo. The series was getting so popular it was ridiculous. FPS were the most popular genre last generation and Call of Duty led the way.

1. Wii Sports - The most popular console game of all time. Opened gaming to the mainstream. Was all over the world when it came out. To call it a phenomenon would be selling it short. Sony and Microsoft attempted to copy it with the Move and Kinect, respectively. In fact, Microsoft changed the strategy for the Xbox 360 half-way during the generation because of it (going from a hardcore gaming machine to a Kinect machine pretty much). It got older people, women, little kids, to play more games. To prove it wasn't just a fad, Wii Sports Resort sold over 33 million. Wow.

Honorable mentions: Demon's Souls, Grand Theft Auto IV, Uncharted 2, Braid, Street Fighter IV, Wii Fit, Super Mario Galaxy

Judging by your list I'm guessing you want stuff that came out early as opposed to the all time memorable (though some overlap exists).

Mine according to what you said before your list would be
1. TLoU: cinematic storytelling an a game that will forever be remembered as THE 7th gen gem (not my favorite but 200+ GOTY awards says so)
2. Uncharted 2: even though 3 was better this was more impactful
3. Heavy Rain: Proved that cinematic QTE games like Telltale's could work though it had way more story impact for your choices
4. Skyrim: The definitive WRPG for the gen
5. LBP: Proved user created content could fuel a game for years on consoles in an entirely new way. Project spark, minecraft, terrerria...you're welcome

Demons Souls (awesome action W/JRPGs)

Uncharted (adventure games with great story telling)

Valkyria Chronicles (represents some of the awesome japanese games i played last gen)

Battlefield 3 (one of the 4 shooters that i spent houndreds of hours playing)

GTA V (represents all awesome open world games i played)

In no particular order:

Mass Effect
Gears of War
CoD
Assassin's Creed
Uncharted

Anyone who says otherwise is wrong

Wii Sports
Call Of Duty 4
Assassin's Creed II
Skyrim
Super Mario Galaxy

Hard to leave Halo 3 off the list but Call Of Duty 4 which came right after it was more defining of this (last) generation, while Halo CE was probably more defining of the one before.

These aren't my favourite games at all, not even close.

Wii Sports & Call of Duty 4 & Uncharted 2 & Wii Sports & Call of Duty 4.

I think Castle Crashers deserves a mention.

• Bayonetta
• Gears of War
• Burnout Paradise
• Metal gear Solid 4
• The Last Story

Hm.

Wii Sports
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Mass Effect
Assassin's Creed

Overall not an easy list to make I think Unchared or Gears of War could also easily fit into that list but overall that's what comes to mind for what defined 7th gen as a whole for me.

Super Mario Galaxy, Call of Duty 4, BioShock, Uncharted 2 and Xenoblade are the games that defined the 7th gen for me!