FEATURE
10 Games Anyone Can Play
Turned off by today's overly complex video games? Check out ten of our favorite accessible classics.
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Not enough for you? Here are five more games that don't require twenty years of gaming experience to enjoy.
6. Katamari Damacy
It's like this: You roll stuff up. Into a big ball. And that's about it. Thanks to an inspiringly simple concept, a delightful, accessible sense of scale, and a generous helping of kitschy Japanese style, this oddball roll-em-up became a breakout success. You start by gathering up pencils, mice and sushi, and twenty minutes later your ball of accumulated stuff is big enough to nab planes, skyscrapers, continents and even planets. No matter which of the many Katamari games you pick up (they're all the same, really) you're in for a bizarre ride to the surreal side.
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7. Rock Band
Is there seriously anyone who doesn't entertain vague fantasies of forming their own rock band? This 2007 smash hit hails from the developer of the original Guitar Hero, and takes the plastic-instrument concept to its logical extreme: you and three friends, wielding two guitars, a drum set and a microphone, can sing, strum, and drum along to a vast setlist of rock classics. If you can play the drums on the higher difficulty levels, you can pretty much play them for real - but don't let that put you off, as even the most rhythmically-challenged putz can tap along with the easier tracks.
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8. Carcassonne (Xbox Live)
Based on a board game based on a picturesque French walled town, Carcassonne has a simple theme: you take turns to lay down tiles to create a map. Completing various map features grants you points, and when the map's finished, so is the game. Simple, eh? Carcassonne took Xbox Live by storm at its 2007 release, and since then two of the board game's expansions are also available for the 360 version. Although it's quite simple to learn, you'll sink an awful lot of time into understanding Carcassonne's intricacies.
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9. Rez HD
Part sonic experience, part psychedelic visual feast and part shooter, Rez was one of the most celebrated games ever released for Sega's ill-fated Dreamcast console. Thanks to Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade, though, it's capturing a whole new generation of fans. Once shipped with a dedicated "trance vibrator" controller, the game creates a synergy between hypnotic graphics, rhythmic music and physical interaction. Take the advice of its creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi, and hook up an extra two controllers: put one under your feet and one in the small of your back. It'll make the earth move, no matter who you are.
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10. World of Warcraft
While it might be responsible for the odd divorce here and there, World of Warcraft enjoys unprecedented popularity among PC gamers. More than ten million people around the world are part of Blizzard's fantasy role-playing game, including many players who'd never have dreamed of engrossing themselves in an online game before. Thanks to a clear, customizable interface, an approachable difficulty curve, and a game engine that's forgiving to older PCs, Warcraft is still the gold standard for massively multiplayer games, and you'd be surprised at quite how easy it is for a novice to end up hooked. Just try to stay married.
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Posted: 20 Feb 2008