Kobra's Picks for Best Games of 2004

Someone else posted a blog of top 10 games of 2004, and I was astounded by how many "Bad" games were in that list. But then again, lists are nothing more than opinions I guess. But I consider myself a gamer with very discerning tastes, I like games with challenge, and I like them with depth. I don't like easy or pretty games with no backbone. So with that in mind, here are my picks of 2004 for PC gaming.

Kohan 2

Despite not being as good as Kohan 1, this game delivered high quality and exciting gameplay. The AI was exceedingly hard to beat, but kept the challenge level high. Most of the new features were accepted by the masses, but most Kohan 1 fans didn't like them. Even with that being said, this was easily one of the best games of the year, and warrants a close inspection by anyone that missed it.

Warhammer 40K Dawn of War

A great fast action RTS game with excellent graphics and tactical presentation. Despite lacking a good campaign mode, this game shined as one of the best examples of the RTS genre released in 2004. Long term playability is questionable, but what it delivers to you in the short term, is undeniable.

World of Warcraft

If you like traditional exponential leveling treadmill MMO's, then there is no better product than World of Warcraft. Despite the grind and repetitive gameplay, this product offers a rich environment and reasonably sound PvP to keep fans happy. I personally don't play MMO's anymore because of their time commitment, but this one is the best of the "Traditional" MMOs. (Traditional meaning levels + grind + rigid classes)

Rome Total War

Few would argue that this isn't one of the best tactical strategy games ever released. If you don't own it, you should. Although I admit I didn't give this as much playtime as I should have, I still feel its the best - and plan on going back to it as time permits. Its epic in scale, exciting, and filled with replayability.

Chaos League

This is an extremely overlooked, yet amazingly incredible title. I'm not even sure if this recieved any major release status in the USA. However, it is well worth picking up, as its one of the best RTS games ever concieved. The graphics are incredible, the gameplay is stunning, and the presentation is top notch. Not to be missed!

Soldiers: Heroes of WWII

Yet another title that got almost no press. This is a tactical RTS with a fully destructable environment. The gameplay is incredibly engrossing, and involved, yet fast action and exciting. This is another must purchase title, although its reasonably hard to find. Not to be missed!

Half Life 2

The JUGGERNAUT of games in 2004. Not only the best FPS of the year, but probably the best FPS game ever released. Nothing more needs to be said really, as its all been said before. Perhaps one of the top games of all time.

Poltical Machine

The real sleeper of this list. The timing of its release was impeccable, and its delivery was stylish and fresh. Best of all, it continues to provide quality and involved gameplay for me a considerable time after its release. This is on my shortlist of one of the better strategy games I've ever played. Part of my attraction I believe is that I love the style they used in it. Stardock broke from traditions and set new standards with this title in my opinion.

Combat Missions: Afrika Korps

Never heard of it? I'm not surprised.. This is the third installment of the famous CM series of games, and is easily one of the best strategy games ever released. The developers of this series have turned to self publishing, and released Afrika Korps this year, and few people took notice - well I did! This is a great game, through and through, and can be enjoyed by anyone. Not to be missed! You can find it here...

Starshatter

Another independant game, but one that is worthy of serious recognition. This game provides a deep fleet based combat simulation on a tactical level. It sports exciting 3D graphics, and a clean interface that has tons of options for the diehard gamers. Few people have probably heard of this, and it was released only a few months ago. Yet it has gameplay that few other games in this genre can trump. To find out more click here..

Castle Strike

This game was released with absolutely zero fanfare in 2004. Yet it has some mechanics in it that make it stand out from the crowd in the RTS field. The least of which is its unique method of managing Peons. In your typical RTS game you have to constantly select and re-select your peons and task them. In Castle Strike, you control them with a diamond shape slider and move the slider around to automatically task them on the fly - I can't believe more games don't use this system. Aside from this, Castle Strike is a definite must purchase at only $19 for any RTS fan. The graphics are incredible, and the custom castle building interface really stands out.

Joint Operations

This title DWARFED the other multiplayer FPS's of the year in my opinion - and it was up against some heavy hitters. Rock solid network code made games of 100+ people not only possible, but totally fluid. Incredible graphics, fast and furious gameplay, and incredibly large maps made for some great gaming! Add to that their occlusion LOS system that actually allowed you to be a "Sniper" in the sense that the enemy was presented with an image of how it should look if the grass was actually there. Vehicles and controls were solid as well. The result is some of the best multiplayer gaming you can find. The expansion that arrived only adds more greatness to this title.

Tiger Woods 2005

Its not often I find a golfing game that I really love, and Tiger Woods 2005 was a rare exception. It seemed like a pinnacle of golfing games to me. Basically the best synergy of all previous golf games, wrapped up in a title so complete, few people would complain. My only downstrike on it was the graphics, I wish they were more scaled up for the PC market, and shared a bit too much in common with the consoles. Even so, this was easily one of the best games of the year - even for non-golf fans.