The Five games that define you as a gamer

[Suicidal_Ferret]

1) Halo CE
This game is what really got me into gaming. Earlier games I enjoyed playing but I also preferred to go outside still. As a kid, this game had it all; the sounds, the setting, the story...and my dad played it a lot with me and I never really got to spend time with my dad growing up. Because of this game, I started reading gaming magazines HEAVILY and visiting halo.bungie.org and keeping up with the latest gaming rumors.

2) Day of Defeat Source
I played this game an ungodly amount and always have a story to tell about "This one time, I was playing..." Always had a blast playing it, even when my team was losing and the other team was spawn camping. It does help that I had a friendly server to hang out on.

3) Ace Combat
Ah...Ace Combat...the first game I can seriously say I ever beat. It had planes. And I fucking love planes. It had ALL the planes. And I got to shoot down OTHER PLANES. Because of Ace Combat, I don't feel too bad about being reject as a fighter pilot because of my shitty vision.

4) Crossfire
This game made me experience uncontrollable gamer rage for the first time. That and it has a game mode that I think is totally awesome and wish I saw in other games. That mode is Ghost Mode. Or as my dad put it,"Anti-submarine warfare meets squad based shooters." Hell, Crossfire sucks but Ghost Mode (and later the Knife only servers) are what will (eventually) bring me back. Crossfire was also the first time I played IN a clan. It was a nice feeling. My clan never lost a game of Ghost Mode and we always won legit. No hacks. We were just that good at it. Take us out of Ghost Mode and we lost 2/3 times.

5) Age of Empires
This got me to fall in love with history. I never played the campaign but I loved goofing off with the map editors and the plain deathmatch.



Jeez, this was actually kind of hard. I mean, there's so many other games that I think helped define me as a gamer, or rather influenced me as a gamer. FFTA, Assassin's Creed, Thief, Metal Gear, Chrono Trigger, Fable, Guild Wars, Navyfield...

 

[Nfritzappa]

DOOM
I'd say this game is the first one to really make me a "gamer." I was the kid who had a super nintendo but only played it for mario and zelda (which are both games worth mentioning, but don't define me). DOOM opened me up to the idea of 3d worlds that could be explored by means of gaming. It was the first game to really suck me in, and it still does to this day. Sure its graphics are dated, but I still think they look great. Duke Nukem was enjoyable, but unlike DOOM, its hard to go back to it and enjoy playing it still this day. DOOM is a classic, and its narrow halls of demon infested research stations will stay trapped in my mind until I die.

Metal Gear Solid
This game introduced me to deep storytelling in gaming. Metal Gear Solid gave me a reason to own a playstation. It was THE game to have back in those days, because no other game quite has a story so intensively developed and explained. Its direction rivals blockbuster movies, and its voice acting rivals that of pixar's movies. Pure bliss from beginning to end, and by end I mean MGS4. That is the thing about MGS that a lot of other serieses lack - 3 solid sequels that are just as mindblowing as the first.

Star Wars: Jedi Knight
Growing up, I loved Star Wars and I wanted to be a jedi. (Come on, who doesn't want to be a Jedi). After playing Star Wars: Dark Forces, I naturally wanted a sequel --Found out there was one and you could play as a jedi. Suh-weet. This game is very underrated. It has solid first person mechanics, fun combat, and an interesting narrative to boot. This game made you feel like a jedi, and not just that, it challenged you too --Not just in difficulty but in choices too: What powers should I use? Should I kill this guy? Is the Dark Side Better? It was awesome, this game was KotOR before KotOR existed. Not just that but its sequels, Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy were equally as good. Jedi Knight also has one of the best multiplayers I've ever played too, and its where I made a lot of friends online. I was very attached to this game and I miss playing it like I used to.

Mass Effect
After KotOR, I hungered for a game similar in style and Mass Effect was right there. It had glorious sci-fi locations and an unmatched sense of exploration. The environments, music, everything was inspired by cult sci fi films and literature and it was awesome. Whether or not you liked the sequels or not, I did. I can say for sure that Mass Effect is one of the best game trilogies I have ever played and like Metal Gear Solid and DOOM - It has a universe that will never escape my thoughts.


Last but not least...
Dark Souls
Holy crap. This game is by far one of the best, most engaging games I've ever played. I'm not even joking - This game, although is difficult and frustrating, is extremely rewarding and has the best world I have ever been in a video game. For one, you start out and you are told you are undead. You are in the undead asylum and once you leave it, you are told one thing that you have to do in the game: "In Lordran use Bonfires to Level Up". That is the only thing you are told other than what NPC's "suggest" to you. The game is so minimal in its presentation but dense in its actuality. Its brilliant. I'm starting to think it is the best game I've ever played, actually. I normally don't get attached to games like I have been with Dark Souls. Its great, don't be afraid to try it.

 

[sonofliber]

mmmm:

1-xcom, my personal best game ever made (the 1st one not the watered down 2012 version)
2- doom (still play it to this day, and is better than most modern fps)
3-FF7, introduce me to RPG
4-Metal gear solid snake
5-Monkey island

 

[loophole92]

Pokemon Red

The first game that I had to wait for. I had it reserved and I can still remember how happy I felt going to the store with my mum to pick it up.

Super Mario Bros.

An obvious choice, perhaps but it means a lot to me. Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a gaming mum who kept her NES which became my gateway into gaming. To this day I still haven't completed it.

Pokemon Snap

This game taught me the rewarding experience that comes with finding all the secrets that a game has to offer. Probably the first game that taught me about replay value as well.

Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time

This was the game that really got me into RPGs. I learned the benefits of pouring a lot of time into a game to watch the story slowly unfold.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

For me, this was the best gaming experience I have ever had. The ingenuity of this game amazes me even to this day. It's the game I weigh all others against.

 

[Zen Bard]

Yay, another post no one will ever read!

I read your post, dude!

But yeah...when these threads start hitting upwards of two-hundred participants, you get to feeling lost in the shuffle.

On topic: This is a great topic for a thread, Phaerim. So here are my contributions

Ultima II
I was a High Schooler when I got my hands on this game. And since it was a pirated copy (sssshhh!) I had no instructions. So I literally had to figure it out as I went along. And it was a totally visceral experience because I was just plopped into a strange and fascinating world with no idea what to do or how to do it. But the more I played, the more I learned and the more powerful my in-game avatar became. It sent me on my own quest, searching for this experience in Computer Role Playing Games ever since.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2
With it's weird story, over-the-top live action cut-scenes and flat-out bizarre tactical units this was the most engaging Real Time Strategy Game I'd ever encountered. It was so awesome, I created a "Gameroom" with a couple of colleagues at work by networking some servers and loading it on. We'd sneak off during breaks and wage multi-player LAN warfare on each other. Not surprisingly, the Army Veteran guy always won...


The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
This game gave me that long lost feeling I missed from "Ultima II"! It was just such a unique and immersive world filled with wonder and danger. It gave the player a sense of freedom that no game (not even later Elder Scrolls games) have ever matched. I remember a buddy and I started playing at the same time. He played as a Nightblade while I was playing as a Spellsword. It was wild how, when we compared notes, we'd both end up solving the same quests in completely different ways. THAT'S what a Role Playing Game should be.

Sheer magic. Wish The Elder Scrolls series would get back to that...

Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
The game that ruined First Person Shooters for me by it's sheer excellence! It started out like a modern version of "Dark Forces" and then throws in lightsabres and Force powers! It did such a great job balancing all those abilities that it never felt too easy or too hard. By endgame, you do end up pretty powerful. But the game makes you feel like you've EARNED the right to be that badass! After that, it would take "Bioshock" to get me behind a virtual gun again.

Assassin's Creed
It was an action adventure the likes of which I'd never seen before. Yes, it had it moments of repetition and tedium but it was just...so...COOL! And it opened me up to a whole series franchise that, unless Ubisoft totally screws the pooch on, I'll be playing for a very long time. And, it got me into parkour. So, thanks Altair...

 

[gideonkain]

Super Mario World
Final Fantasy III (6j)
Half-life 2
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
Street Cleaning Simulator

 

[CarlsonAndPeeters]

1. Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The game that made me go from liking video games to loving them. Certainly the most influential game in my childhood.

2. Shadow of the Colossus
Tough to choose between this and ICO, because both do such a good job of creating alternative ways to tell stories. Never have I been so emotionally affected by a game. The game is as awe-inspiring as the colossi that inhabit it, and its the kind of game that I would be most proud of if I ever could make it.

3. Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed 1 was my perfect game. I love the setting, I love the sword combat, and I love the free-running playground cities. And the assassination missions: I felt like such a BAMF planning my routes and executing them. The series has not taken my favorite path, but AC is still a franchise that I will always love just because the core gameplay is so enjoyable.

4. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
The game I've probably replayed more than any other. There's not too much original about Uncharted, but everything it does so well (except for Nate's jumping animation). The combat, the platforming, the story, and my god, the characters. Its a fantastically fun experience and marvelously executed.

5. Halo 3
This slot goes to the game that I had the most fun playing with friends (SSBB being an honorable mention). I will always remember the countless hours spent creating game modes, killing each other, and trash talking. Local multiplayer is one of my favorite things about video games, and I'm sad to see it slowly dying. Nothing beats sharing a great, replayable game with friends. (note: i have never played more than 2 missions of a Halo campaign)

 

[Greater Evil]

1.
2. Lode Runnert
3. Phantasy Sta
4. Sabre Wulf (Spectrum)
3. Castle of Illusion (Master System)

counting 1 2 3 4 3 seems either like a very subtle Monty Python joke, enough so that I chuckled even if it inadvertant

 

[R4ptur3]

Man a very hard question, probably:

Runescape
This was the first mmo game I played and in fact was the first ever online game I played. This game made me fall in love with PC games and it's online activity.

Halo: Combat Evolved
This is up there for my favourite game of all time. It was in fact my first fps I ever played and I thought it was ok, but then I played the multiplayer and it blew my young mind. The best bit though about this game was the community on the PC, which I am still a part of. I've met so many good people while playing this game, and the only reason I still play it now is to chat with the guys on there now.

Mario kart 64
So many memories playing this game with my 2 cousins and we all still consider this one of the best games ever. I think it may have also been the first mario game I ever played.

Super Smash bros Melee
Man I spent so long on this, much longer than I should of. Had a crap load of nintendo characters, fantastic multiplayer and was a proper challange. beating mission 51 on this game felt like such an achievement. Bitchin' levels, bitchin' music. I couldn't really ask for more.

Mass effect 2
Quality characters, quality storyline, quality gameplay in my opinion, plot choices, and the best final mission I have ever played. Was a sweet game.

 

[Hawkmoon269]

Metroid Fusion - probably my favourite game ever. It took an already brilliantly series, and gave it greater depth and emotional resonance. Plus, it was intense as all hell at times.

Resident Evil 4 - I loved this game because it was, in my opinion, the perfect level of difficulty. I can recall finding this game pretty darn hard, and yet, I can't remember dying once. That speaks volumes.

Mass Effect 3 - Say what you want about its faults, but that final sequence with Mordin Solus...bloody hell.

Super Mario World - bright, colourful, lovable and perfectly balanced. This is pretty much THE game I remember from when I was growing up.

Fallout 3 - open ended games aren't usually my thing, but what really captivated me about Fallout 3 was the immense sense of waste. Travelling through the wasteland, seeing the decimation...it made me realise just how bloody futile nuclear war would be. Then, playing the Anchorage DLC, and seeing the conflict that predated the end of the world, it put everything into perspective, how pointless my actions in the "past" were, because it didn't matter if I beat the Chinese in that war, as just a few months/years later, the bombs would drop, wiping out everything I had been fighting for.

 

[Uzi-Bazooka]

Best game in the series, in my opinion, was actually the spinoff Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds.

HOT DANG someone actually mentioned that.
I am genuinely surprised. I loved that game and I was seriously debating giving it AoEII's spot on my list. I didn't because it's just a carbon copy of the engine all done up in Star Wars, but still.
Come here and give me a hug.

Consider yourself hugged. I've actually talked a lot about SWGB in other topics on this forum, because it was so much more than a clone. It had much better civilization balance and an interesting story, and the air units added a whole new dimension to the gameplay!

 

[Reece Borgars]

in no particular order...

Crash Bandicoot 3 (warped)
the first game i got for ps1 was crash 2, and i loved it. this game was better in my opinion. despite the complete lack of any story, there was enough challenge, variation and humour in it to keep me entertained for a long time (spyro 2 sort of half comes under here too)

Fallout NV
pure awesome. sure its buggy, but there are shoulder mounted nuke launchers. i loved the whole atmosphere the game generates, being more of a casual game id play every now and then for a laugh - i couldnt play for too long at a time or id lose interest (yet i somehow accumulated over 200 hours...) but in short bursts it was really enjoyable - it never took itself too seriously, and was hilarious as a result, especially Old World Blues, Wild Wasteland, Bloody Mess, and Shoulder Mounted Nuke Launchers. Also, theres enough depth in the lore (which is also comical) to make it interesting to explore the landscapes

Pokemon Silver
I had all the pokemon games, but silver was my favourite. They are all essentially the same, but way back when the game was far more challenging, especially with no walkthroughs on the internet (they existed, my household was just yet to invest in a broadband connection). Despite the general challenge of it though, there were few enough pokemon in existence to make completion feasible (excluding mew). Its hard to judge in a technical way as i was like, four when i got it, so i didnt think like that, but i must have played about 500 hours before it broke

Spec Ops: The Line
Im sure you all know whats coming now. For anyone who hasnt played it ill be deliberately vague. just the best story of any shooter. some of the actual game mechanics were a bit dodgey, but ill let that slide because the developers did an awesome job telling the story. As the plot deepened i grew to dislike Walker more and more and stopped wanting to play because i had any empathy for him, but because i just wanted to see the horror come to an end (and i hoped i could see walker get his just desserts). Itll sound crazy and masochistic to anyone who hasnt played it, but it really is fantastic. it makes you think...

Borderlands
This last choice was a tough one, and i couldve easily gone for portal or BFBC2 or ratchet and clank or a lot of others (in retrospect, i'd probably rather go with portal, but ive started now). As you may have noticed, all my choices up to now were single player - deduce what you will from that - and borderlands is no exception. I know it was designed as coop, and ive played coop with my friends and it was awesome. they just got boreder quicker so sod them. first of all, love the graphics. not to everyones taste i know, but i think theyre awesome. Similar to fallout, this game is not to be taken seriously (although, with all the references to other games or films, fallout can almost be seen as "professional". Almost) Borderlands can be quite hilarious at times, although, having not seen Pulp Fiction many references were lost on me and thus appeared slightly cheap. This specific, and sometimes wasted, taste in humour does not take anything away from the fast paced, dynamic combat that you experience. the game starts off fairly hard, but as you level up and find yourself with ridiculous amounts of health, shield and stopping power the combat becomes more of an extension of playtime than a challenge or tense scenario. It never gets boring though - the lack of any substantial health regeneration always keeps you on your toes (while, somewhat ironically, the crazy jump height will keep you off them for the majority of the fights as you avoid attacks). In short, this game is to an acquired taste, and i would not recommend it for anyone i did not know very well, but anything that includes a Superbad Soldier and a Mega Interplanetary Ninja Assassin Claptrap is worth a go.

PS. sod it - heres a line or two on portal - its funny, clever, not too long and you can keep finding new things to make you smile as you play it (as is to be expected from valve). same goes for portal two.

 

[German Borbon]

Super Mario Bros.
kind of obvious but when I was a kid, this game alone saved me from depression, since then I developed a sense of calm and happiness around this game

Fable: the lost chapters
the first game I got for the xbox, at the time I had no idea about Peter Molyneux hype machine so I enjoyed this game a lot

Pokemon Blue
I think I lost almost a whole year of my life playing this game again and again

Assassin´s Creed 2
It´s just so much fun!!!

Bastion
There is something about this game, some kind of magic that makes it my favorite game, it´s clever, smart, with a beautiful lore and the audio, not only the narration, is perfect

 

[tenshi_no_hone]

Super Smash Bros. Melee
The definitive multiplayer experience of my teenage years. Whenever a particular group of friends got together, what we did always included vast amounts of Smash Bros.

Mass Effect 2
Though I love all Bioware games (standard exceptions apply), I completed ME2 an obscene number of times. I had to try every class, every choice, both genders, and then keep going just because I could.

999: Nine Persons, Nine Hours, Nine Doors
Fantastic story and the best VN I had ever played, with really cool escape sections. I could not put this damn game down until I had all the endings, and then I had to play Ever17 because I needed more.

Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Though I played Windwaker and Ocarina of Time first, Majora's Mask pushed the buttons of my imagination like almost no other game. I was so hooked, and spent most of a summer trying to get that couple's mask and beating the Goron race boss over and over because it was so much fun. Mask transformations need to come back in a better way than just a wolf.

Viewtiful Joe
Bizarre, stylish and totally unexpected I was hooked on the timing and skill required. One of the few games I've ever played that made me want to up the ante with difficulty levels, because it just made everything cooler. If only any of the sequels could even touch this. Still hoping for a 3DS version without idiotic touch mechanics...

Just missed out: Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Fantastic characters, voice acting, storytelling, parkour. Aside from combat this game was so close to perfection, and I spent hours taking turns with my sister just trying that next bit of acrobatics!

 

[xPixelatedx]

Super Mario 3
The Perfect Mario game. It was hard, but it never felt unfair. The locations were extremely varied and colorful, too a point that most people had never seen up till then. It set the bar high, and I wonder if gaming might actually be different today had this game never existed.

Super Metroid
Little needs to be said about this game, it's one of the pivotal games in the entire industry, and will be spoken of long after we're all dead.

Silent Hill
People say Silent hill 2 is the best one because it was about a person going crazy. That is the exact same reason why it is not my favorite. A neat as 2 is, 1 is by far superior because saving the world is a bit more exciting then saving someone's soul. Also, the first one was 10x creepier, to... so, yeah. That's a win right there. An Elementary school in pitch black, full of demons? That was a real nightmare I used to have before this game came out. The monsters were so eerie as well, while the monsters of Silent hill 2 just seems so... silly and fetish-based. Silent Hill 1 also as 10x more unforgiving with it's puzzles and exploration, it really put everything on your shoulders. I like that.

Contra 3
I was able to beat this game at my best, without the Konami code. It was also an amazing game and I still think the style in which it was made looks and plays far superior to most new $60 games.

Zelda II
I specifically chose the 2nd game for the same reason it's one of my favorites. This is the hardest-core Zelda game there is or ever will be, particularly because the franchise has gone into a super-casual territory (I can beat TP without picking up a single heart, *sadface*). This game is all game, and very little story. It's for the people who truly appreciate the chemistry of adventure games. Only the most badass gamers can get through it, and while I failed at that task when I was a child, I made up for it by completing it on my wii when I bought it from the online store. I have never had so much satisfaction from a game completion in my life.

 

[esperandote]

1. Marvel Super Heroes (Arcades)
One of the first fighting games I really got into and wich defined as a fighting games player.

2. Parasite Eve (PS)
The fisrt survival horror game i played, its atmosphere and design captured me.

3. Soul reaver (PS)
One of the first adventure games that i liked.

4. Angry Birds (PC)
It represents my passion for certain casual games.

5. ???

 

[dogenzakaminion]

Interesting topic, nice one OP! I don't know if this list are the games that really define me as a gamer...but they are the games that changed the way I view games and gaming, even though it might be a little clichè.

1: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The first major console title I played that really made me love games. The escapism blew my mind and influenced my imagination for years, probably for life.

2: Metroid Prime
Again, a game that sucked me in and really made me interested in the world the game was set in. Grand adventure with mystery and spooky surroundings, I just wanted more.

3: Resident Evil 4
I like the early resident evil games, but the atmosphere, the claustrophobia, the feeling of always being hunted really made me appreciate how gameplay and design affects how you choose to play a game.

4: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
A massive, immersive, and well crafted game. I love this because of how it handles the choices the player makes. The story and characters are all well written and not too over the top.

5: The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
People who have played this will understand. Again, the way this game handles player choices and how it allows you to play it any way you want to really hits home with me. Not to mention the massive and engaging world that I still haven't seen everything of.