2020 marks the expected release for both Sony and Microsoft's next generation consoles, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Even better, both companies have promised potential buyers backwards compatibility with games from past console generations. So when Pandora's Box of old school video games is opened for the masses, what games should Gen Z prioritize to dust off the digital cobwebs? Allow an elder millennial to show you young'uns the ropes.
1. Black
The first throwback on this list is a first-person shooter (FPS) originally released in 2005 on PS2 and Xbox called Black. This was one of the most influential releases for modern day first-person shooters in a couple ways. Most importantly, it was the first modern shooter to properly implement destructible environments. Most games prior to Black's release, and even in the immediate years following, featured worlds that would remain fully intact no matter what was happening around it. But in Black the environments weren't just affected by the surrounding carnage; Rather, the player was actively encouraged to utilize the destructible environments to eliminate enemies by shooting through walls or using a grenade to make a structure tumble onto multiple foes.
Another lasting legacy of the game was the pacing. Released two years prior to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare––the breakout game that skyrocketed the CoD franchise's success––Black majorly influenced the changes that made CoD 4 so much smoother than CoD 3. Today, we expect our FPS games to move at breakneck speeds, with any lull in action warranting enough reason to turn the game off forever. You can thank Black for that, considering it provided some of the most intense moments imaginable in a video game. (It also may or may not have cost me a few smashed controllers). Black is graphically dated, but the action is still as good as any new AAA release. What better time than the 2020 video game slump to inject some adrenaline into your system?
2. ESPN NFL 2k5
If sports titles are more your speed, you owe it to yourself to check out ESPN NFL 2K5. Released by Visual Concepts in 2004 on Playstation 2 and Xbox, ESPN NFL 2K5 was the last NFL game made by any company other than EA Sports due to exclusive licensing rights. It also just so happens to be the best football simulation ever made. Notable features included a first-person mode (camera view from your controlled player's helmet), a halftime show with highlights from your game, and the "Crib," a virtual apartment that you could customize and interact with––later adopted by the NBA 2K series.
Typically, sports games improve year after year, alongside newer game engines and enhanced graphic technology. But in this rare instance, the reigning champion of football video games was, indeed, released 16 years ago. Having played every football game from Tecmo Super Bowl to Joe Montana Football, the lack of improvements made to the annual Madden releases are frustrating at best. To this day, NFL 2K5 was the best simulator for forming a "pocket" for the quarterback, which makes the passing game feel more realistic and makes the defensive task of getting a sack on the quarterback much more challenging. In Madden, the common practice when passing is to immediately drop back as far and fast as possible in order to have enough time and space to throw the ball to your receiver. This doesn't happen in real life, because you would end up in stupid situations all the time. Moreover, NFL 2K5 had small details and intricacies in the players' motions that haven't been replicated until the most recent Madden titles. The game has carved out such a large and lasting fanbase that user-generated roster updates are still being made today.
