Game Of The Year Picks: Creo Ludus' Ben Serviss

As part of Gamasutra's end of year round-up, we've asked our readers to submit their choices for top three games of 2005, which we will publish over the next few days alongside picks from the Gamasutra staff. Today's first picks come from Creo Ludus' Ben Serviss, whose top titles are as follows: "Shadow of the Colossus - With most releases these days adhering to storied videogame conventions, it's always a relief to see a game that isn't afraid to try something new. The vast, lonely landscape, sparse yet meaningful story and magnificent enemy/boss encounters makes Colossus stand out from the crowd. And who said innovation in games was dead? Indigo Prophecy - Sure, it was more of an interactive movie than a game, and yes the plot did disintegrate into gibberish near the end, but Indigo Prophecy also pushed the limits of narrative in gaming without sacrificing the player's enjoyment. Besides, who'd have thought "The Fugitive" meets "Shenmue" would actually make for a respectable game? Guitar Hero - There's a reason Guitar Hero is tearing up the charts; it's just that good. How Harmonix managed to streamline the heart and soul behind Frequency and Amplitude into an accessible (or at least less niche) game is a triumph of design; and the possibility of add-on packs with more songs is music to my ears. Here's hoping Harmonix understands the hit they've got so they can round out the band with Bass, Drum and Keyboard Hero!" Anyone else interested in answering this question should use the official Question Of The Week page until January 2, 2006. Respondents should ideally keep their answers under 500 words.