Games That Change the Way You See Gaming

[BrawlMan]

Ico: Showed to me that games could have a quiet beauty and awe, majesty, to them. I know the "are games art" debate is tired and old but this was the game that was the one that told me "yes" they can be.

The only ones bothering with that "debate" are those that already have something against gaming to begin with (mostly old people and those that never lived a day in their life), and philistine "gamers" who are only there for the shallowest of reasons. I.e, they're only there for the gore, sex, violence and not much else. Or they don't want to think about it but their own pleasures or fantasy.

Ristar - it showed me that you can have a platformer that doesn't have to be like Sonic or Mario. Nor be a platformer with run and gun gameplay. The game where the character stretches his arms and uses his face as a weapon.

Splatterhouse Trilogy - Not that I need this lesson before, but it shows how having a simple story that's executed well makes a better story than an overcomplicated one. Plus, the franchise has one of the best romances in gaming. I just wish that the reboot was good.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Majora's Mask: Showed to me that dark doesn't have to be dull, gorey or violent. Bright colors and silliness, energy and such can also be dark. The darkness of insanity and mixing light elements in with the dark.

Cave Story: That making games was not something only companies could do, but that anyone with a will and a way can make a great game.

 

[ralfy]

Starflight - I only realized later that they were able to cram so much content and playability in very small storage space

Below the Root - same, but this time an adventure game with some RPG elements

Ultima IV and some of the others in the series - the first RPG that I finished playing, and my intro to RPGs (I never played desktop, but a cousin did)

Crusade in Europe and others in the series - very good and realistics wargame even though the AI was limited

Battlefield 2 - It was the first time I played an online game, and after that as part of a campaign with a clan

Mass Effect - It was the first time that I played a third-person sci-fi game with RPG elements with a complex storyline and characters; too bad it went under after the second game

World of Tanks - very complex skill sets needed, where you have to know a lot about characteristics of each tank and map

 

[Gyrobot]

Majora's Mask: Showed to me that dark doesn't have to be dull, gorey or violent. Bright colors and silliness, energy and such can also be dark. The darkness of insanity and mixing light elements in with the dark.

Cave Story: That making games was not something only companies could do, but that anyone with a will and a way can make a great game.

Hoyoverse: How a bunch of weebs in Shanghai create one of the biggest successors and love letters to their love for anime among reactionaries who can only complain.

Saints Row Reboot: There is no god for these reactionary gangstas and hoes nostalgists. Just no god.

 

[CriticalGaming]

I forgot to include this game in my original list.

Diablo 2 - This revolutionized the way I saw RPG's. The loot was crazy and I was blown away when your character would look different with every piece of armor. The cinematics were fucking crazy, and the gameplay itself was amazing with all kinds of build and challenge potential and the hunt for better and better loot started my love of ARPG's.

 

[Silvanus]

Ico: Just as Specter said, showed me how well games can evoke majesty, mystery and contemplativeness. Made me truly focus on how the game made me feel rather than purely on the technical/gameplay aspects. And a masterclass in understated, subtle storytelling through atmosphere and environment.

Silent Hill 2: was the first SH game I played. Convinced me that games are (currently) perhaps the best medium for the horror genre, by showing me how putting the player in control forces them to really embody and feel the isolation and panic of the protagonist.

Night in the Woods: of course I knew games didn't necessarily need combat. And of course I knew games could tackle relatable mature themes like young-adult-directionlessness, social alienation, the death of the small town, and mental illness. But bloody hell, NITW convinced me just how effectively they can do it.

 

[mirbrownbread]

Half-Life - The first video game that fully consumed my attention and dominated my free time back then (and deservedly so). The opening sequence alone is incredibly gripping and somehow "heralds" the gravity of the sci-fi incident that's already brewing. And of course - that moment when Gordon equips the suit for the first time.

Deus Ex - A title that keeps on making so much sense more than 20 years after the fact - its futuristic world full of grimness due to a government-made virus and super-soldiers being frankensteined out of selected DNA-strings... Then there's the score, most noticeable when we make it safely back to the HQ and feel like we've truly "helped the world" at first (haha). But very soon we get to witness how that sense of security slowly drifts away as the mystery unfolds.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Still the best 2D game I've ever played. Everything from the madness of the castle's layout, the dozens of bosses and the exciting powers we keep on unearthing - swirl into a cohesive whole that's bustling with quality. Not to mention the genius of the story and how easy it is to miss no less than half of the game if we don't follow our intuition and dig deeper...

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - Not that the first two MGS titles didn't blow me away (they totally did!), but there's something even more special about Snake Eater. Don't know if it is due to the setting (a non-existent Russian jungle), the altered camera view (in the Subsistence version), or simply the strength of the story - but it's all simply unforgettable. And that song... that freaking song...

Dark Souls - Though I consider Bloodborne to be my favorite game of all time, I'll never ever forget that special first playthrough across the land of Lordran. Dark Souls is the game that made me feel utter dread like no other title. A world so masterfully crafted that every single inch of it deserves to be there (safe for Lost Izalith, but I'm giving it a pass). An incredibly hard-hitting experience that aims to break one's spirit - yet, a mere facade for that ultra-elating feeling waiting for those who pierce through.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Half-Life - The first video game that fully consumed my attention and dominated my free time back then (and deservedly so). The opening sequence alone is incredibly gripping and somehow "heralds" the gravity of the sci-fi incident that's already brewing. And of course - that moment when Gordon equips the suit for the first time.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Still the best 2D game I've ever played. Everything from the madness of the castle's layout, the dozens of bosses and the exciting powers we keep on unearthing - swirl into a cohesive whole that's bustling with quality. Not to mention the genius of the story and how easy it is to miss no less than half of the game if we don't follow our intuition and dig deeper...

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - Not that the first two MGS titles didn't blow me away (they totally did!), but there's something even more special about Snake Eater. Don't know if it is due to the setting (a non-existent Russian jungle), the altered camera view (in the Subsistence version), or simply the strength of the story - but it's all simply unforgettable. And that song... that freaking song...

Yeah I’d add these to my list too but would say HL2 over the original personally, because I played it first. I think it more fully realized what was started in the first, so it hit harder right out of the gate for me. The physics and presentation were particularly what made the game world feel so interesting and engaging.

 

[LegoDnD]

High on Life taught me that some actors can get away with inflating their own paycheck by over-stuffing the audio with a suffocating excess of annoying junk dialogue.