Since this is a retro gaming site I figured some of you may have had an experience like mine. I grew up playing awesome video games. I still regularly go back and play those games. Somewhere around the xbox/gc/ps2 to 360/wii/ps3 trasition I became disenchanted with most video games. Gaming exploded, with big productions financed by mega publishers, but the games felt empty to me. MW3, Gears, etc.
I had a 360 but never played it much. That is until I got the Orange Box. Portal amazed me. It was a game that I couldn't wait to finish just so I could play it again. A few games since then piqued my interest, but nothing griped me like Portal (and Portal 2). Then this past christmas I got a Ps3 (I didn't really even ask for it). That's when I discovered Uncharted. Here was another game that I actually felt compelled to complete! It wasn't another chore to slog through to the end (I'm looking at you Skyward Sword).
So my question is, what games reinvigorated you when you were disenchanted with the state of modern gaming?

TL;DR version: What modern games do you hipsters play

I find keeping tabs on what's coming out from indie developers helps stave off disenchantment in the ho-hum aspects of modern gaming. When "AAA" publishers are pumping out stuff that comes off as homogenized crap, I just look at games like Super Met Boy, or Dust Force, or Rochard, and countless others that remind me that there are fun, interesting titles that I like amidst the sea of new games vying for a lowest common denominator.

The best games this generation that I've played (there's a lot I haven't played that I still want to due to budget constraints):

XBox 360:
-Batman: Arkham Asylum
-Bionic Commando: Rearmed
-Dead Rising
-Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
-Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
-Halo 3
-Marvel Ultimate Alliance
-Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (yet I seem to be the only fan of this game)
-Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
-Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
-WWE: Legends of Wrestlemania
-X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Nintendo Wii:
-The Bit Trip Series
-Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
-New Super Mario Bros. Wii
-Wii Sports
-Wii Sports Resort

Nintendo DS:
-Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
-Contra 4
-The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
-New Super Mario Bros.
-Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
-Super Scribblenauts (I still haven't played the first game)

So yeah, I obviously have a leaning towards the more old-school oriented stuff rather than what's mostly considered "modern" games.

Demon's Souls not only renewed my faith in the gaming industry, but it (temporarily) renewed my faith in humanity.

Radiant Historia.

Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel really stood out for me. They don't really focus on bringing a realistic or cinematic experience to your console, but just plain old fun and lot's of it. To me, these are the greatest games this generation of consoles.

Of course there are more examples, but these two games really did it for me.

YES


After a game like Demon Souls,its hard to play another game (this Gen) without it being too easy.

I really don't like a lot of the modern games coming out, but fighters and racers are better than ever. Cool strategy games like Valkyria Chronicles are great too. Dark Souls got a nod and it's pretty awesome. The real magic is on the handhelds, though. Much better game design on DS and PSP. More old-school style games with less nonsense. RPGs on the PSP are especially awesome. We get pretty 2D graphics and anime cutscenes and great music but they're mostly refined and no nonsense. Real nice.

The modern games that have made the biggest impression on me are:

Call of Duty 4
The Orange Box
Batman: Arkham City

COD4 and The Orange Box both brought new things to the FPS genre, or at least took what was already there and did it better than ever before. Arkham City was the first superhero game I've ever played that actually felt like a movie.

I never lost my interest. There's tons of good games across all generations.