With the year a little more half over (or with half the year remaining if you are the optimistic type) we decided to talk to the staff to see what three games they really liked and what three game they thought they could have been better off without as well as what new industry trend they saw and liked. There was some consensus among the group (GRAW was a big winner and X-Men: The Official game a big stinker) and some disagreement (Sean and Charles both liked New Super Mario Brother while Matt thought it was a bad trip down nostalgia lane) but the curious thing was that there were a few people who had trouble coming up with three bad games. This either means that there haven’t been a lot of really bad games out this year or that our bad game detection system has stopped a lot of poor purchases. Either way here’s our list of what we have and have not enjoyed so far this year.

Randy Kalista – Staff Writer

Top three from the first half of 2006

Let’s skip the no-brainers (Oblivion, Half-Life 2: Episode One, and Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords. There, happy?) Now, here are my next to theTop Three games of 2006:

1. Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (PC) The game draws uncanny parallels to contemporary social tribulations. With the most memorable cast I’ve encountered all year, this action adventure unapologetically battles the evils of colonialism, military occupation, religious oppression, and racial profiling. Complain about the clunky combat controls if you want, but this is the finest interactive storytelling I’ve witnessed since Indigo Prophecy.
2. Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach (PC) – This choice will undoubtedly elicit some boos from the crowd: But I stand firm. The character system places unspeakable significance upon the unique abilities of each individual class; the art style boldly pushes the steam punk and high fantasy envelopes; and the adventures have some of the most preeminent writers on the planet cooking up tasty, full course meals. And it has one of the most mature populations you’ll find in online gaming -- a factor that cannot be ignored in MMOs.
3. Hitman: Blood Money (Xbox). The bald man is so back with six million ways to make other people die. The settings are richly planned from every angle; the scenarios are intensely gratifying to complete, although -- and this is my only nitpick -- the gameplay feels a little too familiar for returning fans. Not that these chapters are any easier to complete the first time around; it’s just a little less heart-pounding if you already know the deal.

Worst three from the first half of 2006

I’ve been lucky. I haven’t subjected myself to the buckets of drek that splashed store shelves this year (True Crime: N...