THERE ARE NO PLOT SPOILERS IN THIS ARTICLE THAT PERTAIN TO ANY GAME RELEASED IN 2015.

As with any year, 2015 also saw a slew of new video game releases, perhaps some of the largest in a while, each seemingly more high-def and more anticipated than the last. These factors, however, can make things different for sequels, as fans have already grown accustomed to the last game’s graphics, features, modes, and basically everything else. But to make a solid game, companies have to build onto the prequel significantly while still maintaining the same feeling, which is like adding a fax machine to a basketball and then trying to convince consumers that it’s still functional as both a fax and a basketball. Also, in this current age where everything has to look like it could potentially leave the game, enter the physical world, and kick your Dorito-loving a**, sadly, some content sacrifices are inadvertently made. What happened to the good old days where graphics didn’t matter as long as the story was engaging, or at least fun to follow? I’m not saying that game creators have wholly scrapped storylines to focus on achieving the most realistic muzzle flash, Stormtrooper gloss, or Mirelurk shell, but these new games are lacking in a few departments, or at least I think so. But instead of complaining, it’s much easier to dust off your old Xbox or Playstation, unwrap the cord from around any working controller, and play the prequels that gave their sequels so much hype in 2015. So let’s start off with the game that stole my heart the moment I saw its cement walls and steel ceilings.

1. Fallout 3

"Fallout 3," developed by Bethesda Game Studios, is a post-apocalyptic role-playing game set in Washington, D.C. Your character is the son of Vault 101’s most prominent scientist, James (voiced by Liam Neeson), who leaves the vault to pursue your mother’s dream of bringing clean water to the Capital Wasteland (she died during childbirth). To quote Lucas Simms of Megaton, the first major settlement you run into after following your dad out of the vault, “It’s called ‘The Wasteland’ for a reason,” because the Great War of 2077, during which atomic bombs fell, left Washington and its surrounding area permanently disfigured. Nearly all forms of sustenance have become irradiated, the local wildlife has mutated into bloodthirsty monstrosities, and the people unfortunate enough not to get a spot in one of the vaults are now radiation-mutilated, incapable of thought, and hasty to kill anything that moves. But that’s only counting things that didn’t survive the nuclear holocaust. Some survivors shoot first and some are more trusting, but that trust can wear thin depending on what you say and do. "Fallout 3" is an incredible game with countless ways to play and several different endings depending on both your karmic balance and decisions made throughout your journey in the wasteland. And even after the main storyline ends, there’s a pile of side quests to keep you discovering the dark quirks that make "Fallout 3" a masterpiece.

2. Halo 3

As I remember it, the release of "Halo 3" in 2007 was as monumental as the signing of the Declaration of Independence. No? Did the Declaration ever get onto a Mountain Dew label? Didn’t think so. I was very much oblivious to all of the hype at the time because I was still poring over how awesome the Playstation 2 was, as "Halo" is an Xbox exclusive. The only time I did get to play "Halo 3" was at my friend’s friend’s house. I knew his name and its proper pronunciation, but we never became close, probably because he’d keep spawn-killing me in Forge mode. I was just trying to build a sand fortress, Kyle. But that’s the past now. Bungie’s "Halo 3" is a first-person shooter that follows supersoldier Master Chief’s journey to wipe out the Flood infestation by finally, albeit dangerously, activating a half-a**ed Halo ring, capable of “destroy[ing] all sentient life in the galaxy,” which, although successful, tears Chief’s ship in half, leaving him to drift through space in cryo sleep (Bungie). At the time, I honestly didn’t understand the plot because I was more concerned with not dying, as all preteens are, so the game's story mode was more fun for me than intriguing. Reading the Wiki on it now, though, makes me wish I wasn’t a stupid kid in 2007.

3. Call of Duty: Black Ops

Oh, the days I cared more about my kill-death ratio than sleep or human interaction, as I never talked to anyone else in my online game lobby. Preteens talking about how many other players’ moms they made out with. You know, usual preteen stuff. Despite the fact that playing countless Team Deathmatches on "Call of Duty" ruined both my self-confidence and my desire to game online as a whole, "Black Ops’" story mode was incredible. But first off, I believe making games with multiplayer as the selling point is a mistake. So much is lost when you’re able to invite your “crew” to a game meant to be played alone. “Oh, look, it’s xScrubx360noSCOPEx here in my sensory deprivation tank. Cool.” You wouldn’t ask your bro to tag along on your "Flappy Bird" excursion. Too many wings, too many pipes, certain death. That said, Bethesda, we wanted "Elder Scrolls VI," but you gave us "Tamriel Unlimited." My girlfriend is livid. But thanks for "Fallout 4." Anyway, back to "Black Ops," which follows the interrogations of Alex Mason during the Cold War era, inciting various flashbacks where the player, although free to do whatever, is ultimately subjected to the same scripted trials and information Mason was presented with, such as capture, imprisonment, brainwashing, Viktor Reznov, and sleeper cells. At first, the whole game seemed like Mason’s journey, but, to my utter surprise, it was Reznov’s, a former Russian soldier Mason met while imprisoned. Not to spoil a 5-year-old game for you, though. Don’t play the multiplayer, just stick to the story. Simply incredible.

4. Star Wars Battlefront II

Speaking of games that should have stayed single-player. Though it isn’t exactly a sequel, it’s close enough to count. The recent release of "Star Wars Battlefront" for the Xbox One and other next-gen consoles is missing pretty much everything that made its Playstation 2 predecessor so great. If you haven’t played "Star Wars Battlefront II," I suggest you find it and play it because it is probably one of the most fun games I don’t have functioning controllers for anymore. Really, though, there’s not a lot to the game. The campaign mode is called "Rise of the Empire" and follows, you guessed it, the rise of the Empire from the Battle of Geonosis to the Empire’s assault on Echo Base on Hoth. I was always more of a Jedi, so I didn’t really get into the campaign. However, both Galactic Conquest and Instant Action kept me coming back to the game. Galactic Conquest mode allowed the player to slowly take the galaxy back one planet at a time as either the Rebels or the Empire, sometimes engaging in space battles. The enemy planets you lay siege on depend on your starting scenario. If you’re not for that much structure, Instant Action is more your speed. In this mode, simply, you can pick where you go, when you go (Clone or Galactic Civil wars), who you are, and what you do. I loved mowing down wave after wave of Sith lords outside the Mos Eisley Cantina as Luke Skywalker, obviously using cheat codes to make myself invincible. Sadly, however, the recent "Star Wars Battlefront" release does not feature Galactic Conquest or, to my knowledge, a mode similar enough to Instant Action to win my heart. Sure, the graphics are great and it’s online — I mean, sure, the graphics are great and that’s all, but without those two modes as they were, "Star Wars Battlefront" just isn’t worth the money right now. Sorry, but the Force was stronger on the Playstation 2.

5. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Honestly, the "Tony Hawk’s Underground" games were where it was, but the "Pro Skaters" were just as good, especially "3" for Foundry. And I’ll just give you my opinion of "Pro Skater 5" right now. There’s no way in hell I’m buying it. I haven’t played it and I don’t feel I need to in order to validate my position on it. EA’s "SKATE" effectively destroyed the "Tony Hawk’s" video game franchise when it reared its innovative head in 2007, offering players a more realistic way to skate by utilizing the analog sticks to perform tricks and spin. That was eight years ago and "Pro Skater 5" is still using the same old controls. A to ollie, then ß X to kickflip, whereas "SKATE" is based on Flickit controls, which mimics the actual movements of a skateboarder’s feet. Because the controls in "Pro Skater 5" haven’t changed, the fact that the series’ graphics have improved makes the game feel lazy. The "Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater" games never had much more purpose than spelling “S-K-A-T-E,” racking up points doing ridiculous combos, and finding the hidden tape in every level. Hell, your skater’s eyes were basically two black holes on a pixelated plane; that’s how poor the quality was, compared to today’s graphics where you can see your character’s cells. The game was great, though, because the picture quality matched the gameplay, which was probably as good as it could have been. The skateboarding world, though, has played "SKATE," so they know what the “gold standard” for skateboarding games is, and "Pro Skater 5" is not that. Plus, "Pro Skater 3" had an all-star cast to choose from, including Andrew Reynolds, Chad Muska, and Jamie Thomas. These people, I can assure you, were influential to the growth of skateboarding, and still continue to be. For "Pro Skater 5," I’m pretty sure the creators just took who they could get.

You can either buy any one of these games’ sequels for $60 right now or all of these prequels for under $60 with a little searching. Your pick. Happy holidays!