Left 4 Dead 2 is already in my favorites list. And I haven't played it yet (obviously.)
As for games I'll add to that list, Iji. A freeware game, created by one single person. Still? It beats the crap out of one too many modern games of its genre.
Also, first action game ever that has one of the challenges be to beat the game without killing a single enemy. And it's quite doable (if you've got the skills.)
And it lets you play as many things, a One Woman Army, a pacifist, a hacker, a "kick and run" type... But it doesn't let you Mary Sue your character away, you will never be able to max out all her abilities. A bit frustrating at first, but later on adds to the challenge of the game as a whole.
The ultimate difficulty level, though, is what all games should try to do. You've got enemies pumped up on attack and defense, you can't upgrade any of your abilities but health (hence it's always the long, hard road out of hell,) and you've got a timer on your suit that makes it explode if you ever take more time than you should in a level.
Another Anime Freak's Guild
