I'll explain why they're on the list, but I'm only putting a game in if I played it more than once and thought/dreamt about it when I wasn't playing, that seems to be my definition of greatness.
Demon's Souls/Dark Souls - Honestly this is a tie. Sometimes I love the classic 1-1, 2-1 level design, but the open world-like approach of Dark was a nice change of pace too. I couldn't pick "the better one" if I tried all day. Amazing controls/mechanics, makes you plan and think, emotional reward for accomplishment and marks the first time I "lunged" in RL when getting hit in a looong time. Beauty.
Red Dead Redemption - The amazing thing about this being on the list is that I had no love for westerns, cowboys, or horses going into this game. But the story was gripping, and the MMO style setup made for some addicting play. I've never played a GTA through to the end, this was a step above for me.
Super Mario Galaxy - More than I could have expected. Subtle use of Wii controls without overdoing it and feeling gimmicky, a perfect blend of old and new. Just plain fun and made me smile a lot, which is an important reminder sometimes when things get way serious.
The Binding Of Issac - I wasn't super excited for this because SMB was on and off for me, but the price was right...then WOW. Every playthough a different experience, and a sublime blend of shooter, dungeon crawler, and loot collecting. I put way too many hours into this game, and loved every second of it. I recommend JoytoKey and controllering it up.
Mass Effect - I thought about putting DA:O here, but I cared more for ME's characters and played through it more times. When I finished this game I thought this would be the next generation's Star Wars (timeless as that may be), 2 and 3 just didn't speak to me the same way, the love and care was missing. And I'm one of the crazy people who enjoyed the Mako and exploring the planets for every little thing on the checklist.
Thanks for this topic OP, a lot of good recommendations I haven't played and making this list reminded me that I really need to play Galaxy 2.
Demon's Souls/Dark Souls - Honestly this is a tie. Sometimes I love the classic 1-1, 2-1 level design, but the open world-like approach of Dark was a nice change of pace too. I couldn't pick "the better one" if I tried all day. Amazing controls/mechanics, makes you plan and think, emotional reward for accomplishment and marks the first time I "lunged" in RL when getting hit in a looong time. Beauty.
Red Dead Redemption - The amazing thing about this being on the list is that I had no love for westerns, cowboys, or horses going into this game. But the story was gripping, and the MMO style setup made for some addicting play. I've never played a GTA through to the end, this was a step above for me.
Super Mario Galaxy - More than I could have expected. Subtle use of Wii controls without overdoing it and feeling gimmicky, a perfect blend of old and new. Just plain fun and made me smile a lot, which is an important reminder sometimes when things get way serious.
The Binding Of Issac - I wasn't super excited for this because SMB was on and off for me, but the price was right...then WOW. Every playthough a different experience, and a sublime blend of shooter, dungeon crawler, and loot collecting. I put way too many hours into this game, and loved every second of it. I recommend JoytoKey and controllering it up.
Mass Effect - I thought about putting DA:O here, but I cared more for ME's characters and played through it more times. When I finished this game I thought this would be the next generation's Star Wars (timeless as that may be), 2 and 3 just didn't speak to me the same way, the love and care was missing. And I'm one of the crazy people who enjoyed the Mako and exploring the planets for every little thing on the checklist.
Thanks for this topic OP, a lot of good recommendations I haven't played and making this list reminded me that I really need to play Galaxy 2.
