Your Top Ten Favorite Video Games

[the_great_cessation]

For the sake of of avoiding repetition, I'm going to try to stick to one game per series for the titles that this applies to on this list (for no other reason that its safe to assume if I enjoyed one title in a series enough to list it here I'm likely to enjoy the rest of the series to an almost equal degree...)

1. Twilight Princess / Ocarina of Time : Nostalgia. Simple as that. I was obsessed with The Legend of Zelda to an embarrassing degree growing up and while I could muse on what it was about this series that was so special to an 8-14 year old version of myself, I feel as if no one is interested in reading a god damn novel so I'll try to keep it as brief as possible. Ocarina of Time was the game that established this childhood obsession. This was due largely to its sheer creativity and the way in which it inspired my own imaginative side through its colorful characters, excellent world and lore-building, intricate dungeon design and free-form play style (for its time). I spent literally years of my childhood exploring the land of Hyrule and getting lost in its locations and lore (an honor that can also be applied to A Link to the Past, Majora's Mask and Wind Waker although to a lesser degree).

Twilight Princess then can be seen to represent my enthusiasm for that series at a fever pitch. The unveiling of it in 2004 blew my fragile 13 year old mind and would be the subject of much longing for the final years of my childhood. Most kids have a story of some movie, cartoon, book or game they got overly excited for - Twilight Princess was that piece of fiction for me (well, that and Pokemon Gold and Silver). The final product perfectly embodied the traits I admired so greatly in Ocarina of Time as a child. The sense of adventure, imaginative world, creative characters, etc, were all there and realized as perfectly as they possibly could be. Unlike other things I loved so deeply in my childhood the quality of Zelda's core design (coupled with its narrative subtext) has allowed it to age gracefully. These two games sort of symbolize my childhood and the sort of things I valued when I was young (imagination, heroism, adventure, etc) and as a result will always be some of the most treasured experiences I will have not only with games but fiction more broadly. I apologize for the eulogizing.

With that said, I don't mean to diminish the impact of the games on the rest of the list which are a bit more conducesive to my current tastes

2. Shadow of the Colossus : A beautiful game with a haunting atmosphere, moody art direction and a highly emotive score - Shadow of Colossus is, to me, the perfection of what video game should aspire to be. Add to this an interesting and shocking post-modern story about the nature of free will that blends meta-narration with gameplay that at its core gets the blood pumping at its sheer intensity and you have a title which perfectly appeals to what I consider important in a video game.

3. The Last of Us : While very recent, I am fully assured that this stands as one of the most perfectly made games I have played to date. Every thing in this game is made with .purpose The main appeal of this game is the sheer quality of writing and narrative depth found in its story - making it as much a moving character drama as it is an intense surivival-horror-stealth game. The maturity and elegance in which it tackles its core themes sets a new high for the medium of video games with the gameplay informing the narrative and vice versa. Never have I seen a game in which both aspects were so holistically implemented and built up upon. The oppressive and violent atmosphere stays tonally consitant throughout both and reveal a work wholly dependent on both aspects for its greatness. The Last of Us is a landmark in interactive entertainment, one of the finest "road stories" told to date, a condemnation and celebration of humanist ideals and one of the best designed and satisfying games I have ever played. An absolute classic in every sense of the word.

4. Beyond Good and Evil : While this games has quite a few flaws, I find it so charming and imaginative that it is a title better than the sum of its parts. This can be owed largely to the phenomenal world building found in this title. The sci-fantasy world of Hyllis is one of the few video game fantasies which is derivative of nothing. A completely unique interactive space in which the player is meant to immerse themselves in. It was also one of the first games I ever played with a strong emphasis on true three-dimensional characters and narrative subtext. It also didn't hurt that the blend of adventure, stealth, vehicular exploration and photography made for a game that was highly creative and rarely boring. The only downside for me is that damn cliff hanger ending I've been waiting almost 10 years now to get some closure on...

5. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 : This game is pure butter. Smooth controls and an excellent trick system made this one of my most played games of the early aughts. Likewise, the licensed soundtrack was fantastic and perfectly fit the mood of the game. The game holds up even to this day and is, in my opinion, one of the most enjoyable pure gameplay experiences to this day. While this could easily be any of the Pro Skaters or Underground titles, I went with 2 due to how it revolutionized the series and for how much time I personally sunk into it.

6. Psychonauts : One of my biggest passions is humor. My favorite film is a comedy. My favorite televesion series is also a comedy. Likewise, my favorite novel of all time is a social satire. However, few games really get comedy. Tim Schafer however gets comedy. While I could easily list any of his games , its Psychonauts that has resonated with me the strongest. While the clever writing and quirky characters are a big part of appeal, what I will always remember Psychonauts for is the way in which it perfected the 3D platformer with its creative and memorable level design. It also doesn't hurt that there is a clever reference to the author of my previously mentioned favorite novel of all time in the game.

(Kudos to anyone able to both catch the reference and also figure out my favorite novel as a result).

7. L.A. Noire : I'm a sucker for 1950s Noir. I love it. I love the music. I love the atmosphere. I love the character archetypes. This game is a great send up to that era of story telling while also doing a damn good job in presenting an interesting and engaging noir story of its own. I found its creative approach to game design a breath of fresh air in a AAA-market focused on over the top gunplay or stat managing. Its reliance on subtle and intellegent mystery solving was engaging and actually a lot of fun. I also admire the game for being another great example of a title that seamlessly blends story telling and game-playing into one holistic and immersive experience.

8. Mother 3 : The best JRPG ever made. Mother 3 is a game with a lot of heart and charm. The tale of Lucas and Claus is one brimming with genuine humor, sadness and humanity. It also has one of the most interesting battle systems I have ever seen in a turn based game with a large musical influence (which appeals to the music fan in me). Its really a shame Nintendo hasn't localised this yet as its easily one of the finest games they have ever made.

9. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee : An intelligently designed and highly imaginative adventure/puzzler with a great story and memorable character and a nice level of difficulty. I always loved the Oddworld games for the great puzzles and the way they stimulate your brain. While all the Oddworld titles are of the highest quality, I chose the original for how daring and innovative it was for its time while also having possibly the best atmosphere of any game in the series.

10. Heavy Rain : While notably cheesy, I really admire this game for trying to take gaming in new directions through its focus on emotion instead of adrenaline - creating an experience that is "immersive" without necessarily being "fun". While the story is dripping with melodrama, I would be lying if I said I didn't find myself completely immersed in the experience and geniunely affected by and caring for the cast of characters. However, I can't really speak much on Heavy Rain without veering into spolier territory so I'll leave my summary there...

 

[Glongpre]

1. Ninja Gaiden Black
2. Diablo 2
3. Halo 3
4. Warcraft 3
5. Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo
6. Final Fantasy 7
7. Super Mario 64
8. Vice City(that soundtrack <3)
9. Call of Duty 4
10. Sonic 2

I like a lot more but I will follow the OP.

 

[Breaker deGodot]

10. Silent Hill 2
9. Metal Gear Solid 3
8. Shadow of the Colossus
7. Minecraft
6. System Shock 2
5. Resident Evil 4
4. Deus Ex
3. Mother 3
2. Katawa Shoujo
1. Half-Life 2

 

[Leemaster777]

It's always good to re-evaluate one's personal list of favorite games. Haven't given an active thought about it for awhile, might as well do it now.

1. Bioshock

2. Persona 4

3. Pokemon (any of them really, but White if I HAVE to choose)

4. Kingdom Hearts

5. Super Smash Bros Brawl

6. Super Mario Galaxy

7. Final Fantasy X

8. Katamari Damacy

9. Fallout: New Vegas

10. Starcraft

Hmm... half of my list is made up of RPGs. Guess I know what my favorite genre is, huh?

 

[WoW Killer]

Whenever I make these lists I get a few certain answers immediately but then I run out of ideas and start naming random stuff that I happen to like and don't necessarily think that highly of. So I'll see how many definites I can think of and then just end the list there. Also, unordered, because who wants to choose between two masterpieces when you can have both?

Secret of Mana: This game made me a gamer. I mean this is the game that made me passionate about games. As it turned out, there were three big games from Square during that time (the other two being FF6 and Chrono Trigger), and this was the only one that came to Europe. If I'd played either of the other two at the time then maybe they would be on this list (they're damn good games I'll admit). But either way, I still think Secret of Mana is better. It's the better game in terms of gameplay, and that's what I value above everything else.

Borderlands/Borderlands 2: I'll put them together because I can't decide which is my favourite, and they're both kind of similar. Technically the second is better in almost every way, I'll give you that. But there was something about the loot system in the first that I prefered (and no, not just that the drop rates were better). Can't quite put my finger on why. Anyway, I love these games because they do randomised loot better than anything else. Randomised content can only deal with stats; you can't procedurally generate new mechanics. In the more traditional turn based (or pseudo turn based) combat systems, stats are entirely passive things. In a full action FPS combat system, stats can be more active; accuracy or reload speed, say. In other words, the Borderlands games make randomised loot more of an active and mechanical thing, whereas other similar games can only ever give you statistical upgrades. Of all the randomised loot games I've played, only in the Borderlands games do I have to try a weapon out before I decide whether or not I like it.

Megaman X: A great example of how technology can create better gameplay. The old 8 bit Megaman games were all fine and dandy, but Megaman X blows them away in gameplay terms. New tech doesn't just mean the games look prettier. It meant you could move faster, and controls could be more responsive. Just look at the new features they added: dashing and wall jumping. Both of them all about movement. I happen to really like movement as a gameplay feature, probably because I played games like this in the past. These days I'm seeing things like Tribes: Ascend and Firefall, and I can't help but think back to Megaman X for that first taste of that speed addiction.

Skyrim: I say this over Morrowind and Oblivion despite having played both of them. Skyrim is the technically better game in a lot of ways. But of all things, it's the progression system that most sways me. I'm kind of a power gamer, in that I don't like to create a character that's sub-optimal in some way. I like to put a little bit of research in to how I build a character. But I hate power-levelling. The whole point of TES games is that you go out and explore, and do whatever tasks come your way. In the previous games you were constantly in fear of losing stat points unless you periodically went back to town to spam cantrips at your feet. Oh look, I'm one point from levelling, I'd better go back to town and spam RMB at a brick wall; look I'm RP'ing. Skyrim was the first TES game I played that let me take on content as and when I felt like taking it on. It has the most freedom of the TES games because of that.

Final Fantasy Tactics: Better than every other FF game IMO (I happen to think FF6/3 is phenominal, but it's not one of my games, in that I didn't play it at the time, y'know?). I loved the customisation aspect. I loved that when you'd mastered a job you still gained all sorts of benefits when moving to another job. I love how every other person you speak to has a different idea of what's OP in this game (for me it's Ninjas with Monk skills + Martial Arts, but I bet you've all got your own OP combos).

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night: Most important game in history for me, because it's the game that proved that I was right. The 32 bit era saw all the old genres from platformers to beat-em-ups moving towards 3D. I thought this was wrong. I relished the idea of new genres emerging, but I intensely disliked the idea that older 2D genres weren't viable anymore because they wouldn't sell. I thought that was bollocks. So without any marketing, this tiny little 2D platformer from Konami was left out to fend for itself. And what happened? Through word of mouth alone, it eventually became a massive hit. I say word of mouth alone, I mean through word of mouth and the fact that the game was fucking brilliant. Another triumph for gameplay.

Alright that's six. I'm certain I've responded to topics like this in the past and I'm reasonably sure I posted those same six games, but I couldn't tell you what the others were. Possible contenders: FF6 (best storytelling, and probably the best game overall of all the FF games other than FFT), Chrono Trigger (like FF6, if I'd played it at the time it'd be one of my favourite games, but it's still an obviously great game), Star Ocean (still prefer the first, don't know why everybody has a hard on for the second personally), Front Mission: Gun Hazard (great example of non-trivial controls and movement in an otherwise quite simple RPG), FF7 (first "real" FF game I played, and I still love it for many reasons), Suikoden (first "JRPG" I played if you discount ARPGs, I remember my brother had to explain the combat system to me even though I'd played games like Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, Illusion of Gaia etc.), Xenogears (need to play this one again, because I loved it at the time and I don't remember anything about it), Neverwinter Nights (loved the whole character creation/customisation thing), World of Warcraft (the MMO I've spent most time on, and the one I still think is the best designed despite it's aging tech), DDO (my second most prolific MMO, and the game which I still think has the best character creation system), Minecraft (I made some amazing things in this game, things that amazed me, and that's a great thing for a game to do). I've probably forgotten something important. Sorry.

 

[kingthrall]

lol I reading through the list and my list NOBODY at all has got. its as If I live on a different planet

 

[Xerxesrogue]

In no particular order:

System Shock 2
Dear Esther
Dota 2
Silent Hill 2
Portal
Half Life series
Dark Souls
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
The Darkness
Bioshock

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

10. Dragon Age 2. I was disappointed in DA:O overall, but I still think DA2 is a funny game and Hawke is hilarious. The first time I played it I burst out laughing at the start when people just died right and left. The rest of the game was kind of the same for me, fun to play and made me laugh.

9. The Witcher 2. I thought the first witcher was dull and didn't finish it, but the second one was an improvement on pretty much everything.

8. Alice Madness Returns. I loved the first game, and wasn't sure what to expect from this one other than more platforming. I loved the older Alice, and still think she's the most attractive female character in any game I've ever played. I liked the story, and enjoyed the platforming.

7. Persona 4. I honestly thought the school and every day life parts of the game was much more entertaining than the actual dungeons and battles. I also really liked the characters, their shadows and their psyche manifesting in the form of different dungeons. Unique and pretty great.

6. Hitman Blood Money. I bought this game more than once, for different consoles. I've completed it about ten times or more on different difficulties. It was my first Hitman game, and I loved the freedom and different solutions to the assassinations.

5. Suikoden V. It's one of the few games that has made me cry more than once. It's also one of the few games I've replayed from the start after putting many hours into it, just to get the best end. It doesn't just have regular JRPG battles, but also strategy and duels. There's barely any grinding. It's freaking brilliant.

4. Guild Wars 2. I remember thinking that I shouldn't bother buying it, since I normally can't stand MMORPGs. It wasn't worth my money. I had some friends that were going to play it though. I preordered it in the end. Almost a year later, and I don't think any of the friends I was going to play with still plays. However, it is the only game I've ever played for more than a 1000+ hours. I've had fun times with new people, and Anet keeps releasing free updates. There's not another game that's as priceworthy as GW2, despite its flaws.

3. Saints Row 2. So much fun. I bought the first game, and kind of felt like it was an alright game, but not worth my money. SR2 was a huge improvement. I loved being able to play as a female for the first time in a great, addictive sandbox game that also had an engaging story. I didn't regret buying the first game anymore, after playing this for many hours.

2. Mass Effect 2. I really love the Mass Effect trilogy, for its large cast of interesting characters and probably the best female protagonist in a game. If I had to pick one game though, I'd go with the second one.

1. Ratchet & Clank. My two favourite genres are still RPGs and platform games. I've never been a fan of Mario though. Spyro was a great trilogy, but I think Ratchet & Clank was more magical, because you had a whole galaxy to explore and save. I also liked both of the main characters, and the humour. I couldn't get many games back when I got this one as a gift, so I replayed it a lot, and did the same with the two following games.

 

[Spinhorse]

There are a lot of games I know would come on this list if only I had a Playstation or Xbox, but my whole life i've been playing strictly on PC and Nintendo before they were shit. Nonetheless, here goes:

1. Pokemon (yellow-gold-ruby-fire red- platinum)

I just happen to really like pokemon. My happiest memories as a kid are having my cousin from Panamá visit and lend me his Pokemon games for the GBC

2. The Golden Sun series

Also, much of my love for this games is out of nostalgia. Great music though.

3. Deus Ex

Put on your trenchcoat, etc.

4. TES: Morrowind

Sufficently immersive and deep to make me not mind shoddy combat and the usual Bethesda bugs

5. Dota (2)

It's weird putting a multiplayer only game on this list, but this is the game I have played for the longest and that merits some kind of recognition

6. Tales of Symphonia

The co-op combat on an RPG is the greates idea anyone could have. I had so much fun beating this with friends. Sequel sucked major balls tho.

7. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

8. The GBA Fire Emblems

9. Ragnarok Online

10. Requsite indie: Braid

 

[lacktheknack]

I make no apologies.

1. Mirror's Edge (It's essentially the perfect combination of elements. I am NOT looking forward to the new Mirror's Edge.)
2. .flow (Horror done right, and the endless subtexts make for fun fan speculation.)
3. Day of the Tentacle (The best adventure game ever, bar none. And it's as hilarious as games get.)
4. Myst Online (Such a cool idea done so very, very right.)
5. Myst III (I love Brad Dourif playing the psycho. As in, I LOOOOOOOOVE Brad Dourif playing the psycho.)
6. Sam and Max Hit the Road (The only comedy adventure game to approach Day of the Tentacle, too bad it's so obtuse.)
7. Pharaoh (I have no idea why this is so much more fun than SimCity, but dangit, it works for me so well.)
8. Tomb Raider III (Best Tomb Raider, with the most unique ideas and cool locales and hardest puzzles.)
9. Rayman 2 (An utter triumph in atmosphere, this game goes from wondrous to terrifying to thrilling in quick succession.)
10. Skyrim (Because the modding scene is just that good.)

 

[puff ball]

alright ill do another of these and as a kicker afterward im gonna look through my old posts for past list and edit this post to tell you the differences i would do it before but it would effect my decision.

1)LoZ link to the past
2)elder scrolls oblivion
3)dragon age origins
4)fire emblem path of radiance
5)LoZ OoT
6)Team fortress 2
7)minecraft
8)recetear an item shop tale
9)mount and blade
10)pokemon blue i guess

edit ok so i forgot resident evil 4, fable 1, and fallout 3. while the top 6 are definitely top ten the next 7 to 10 are kinda interchangeable but almost certainly replace Pokemon with resident evil.

 

[Jack Joe Tip Toe]

In no particular order.

1. GTA San Andreas
2. Mass Effect 2
3. The Last of Us
4. Uncharted 2 or 3
5. Def Jam: FFNY (The game is still fun as hell)
6. GTA Vice City
7. Resident Evil 4
8. Deus Ex: HR
9. WWE Smackdown: HCTP
10. Saints Row 2

 

[ShinobiJedi42]

10. Star Trek: Armada
9. F-Zero X
8. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
7. Half-Life 2
6. Minecraft
5. Civilization II
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
3. Metroid: Prime
2. Fallout 3
1. Mass Effect 3, post Ending DLC. Great ending to a fantastic science fiction trilogy.

 

[Charli]

1. Sonic the hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
2. Tales of Symphonia
3. The Warcraft Series (Including WoW)
4. Jak and Daxter
5. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim (While I love Morrowind and Oblivion, Skyrims modding scene is starting to reach levels where I can safely put it on the top spot, want the systems the past games provided? Mod's gotcha covered.)
6. Final Fantasy 9
7. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (People might argue otherwise but the art style sealed the deal for me)
8. Spyro the Dragon 1,2 and 3
9. Super Mario 64
10. Portal 1 & 2


I'm probably not thinking very hard but... these are games I keep returning to, Pokemon gets an honorary mention but since I don't own any system to play it on right now I never get to return to it. Same with Lol but I have a bit of a lovehate relationship with that game.

 

[Strelok]

Hard to pick just 10 I will include series or sequels as well:

1) S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Series
2) Metro 2033/Lastlight
3) Blood/Blood II
4) Tie Fighter
5) Wing Commander Series
6) Battlefield Series (especially 2142 and 3)
7) Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason
8) Brutal Legend
9) Psychonauts
10) Dark Forces Series/Shadow of The Colossus (I couldn't choose between them)
10.1) Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, ok I better stop now or I will have a list of 100s

 

[ghostrider409895]

Based on games that I have played in my life time this is my top 10 list:
1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
2. StarWars: Bounty Hunter (Game Cube)
3. The Punisher (2005 videogame)
4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
5. Dead Space
6. Constantine (PS2)/Spider-man 2 (Game Cube)
7. Red Dead Redemption
8. Fallout: New Vegas
9. Batman: Arkham City
10. Bioshock

Reasons:

Spoiler

I put Deus Ex: HR first because it genuinely made me feel like a spy. I replayed that game one play through after the other to explore all the different ways to get through levels. Plus, I could even get through the game without killing anyone, which really made me feel like a spy (even the boss fights didn't hurt me that much).

With Bounty Hunter, I liked being a Mandalorian bounty hunter. I had fun with it.
Like Bounty Hunter, I liked taking on the role of the Punisher. He is among my favorite Marvel characters, Welcome Back Frank was my second Graphic Novel second to Watchmen, and I liked to hear Tom Jane voice the Punisher again. I had a lot of fun with the game.

Ocarina of Time was the second game I ever played on a Console. I still remember going back and forth from a Game FAQs to the game because I was too young to figure out a lot of the puzzles, which now seem a lot more reasonable. It was my second game, and it was my first RPG style game so it opened up the world of RPGs to me. It showed me how videogames could also tell an incredible story of their own. It was a major game.

Ask anyone who knows me and they will say that I do not like horror movies, horror games, or horror anything. However, I looked into Dead Space. I ended up buying Dead Space, and after playing Dead Space I found out that I really like Dead Space. I liked it so much I went out and watched the movies, and read the novel to go along with the series. I just became a major Dead Space fan.

Both of these games were really fun. Constantine was cool since I was able to go fight demons, while using an assortment of weapons and collecting odd artifacts to fight demons. Spider-man 2 game me all of Manhattan and Rhode Island to explore, and even let me use a helicopter to reach Elis Island. There were fun villains to fight, and Bruce Campbell voiced hints again.

Red Dead Redemption let me live out being a hero of the old west, letting me duplicate actions I saw in great Spaghetti Westerns. The game taught me how to play poker. It had a character that I actually cared about, and was saddened by what happened to him in the end.

Fallout: New Vegas was my first Western style RPG, and I played that game well into the night when I had it for Christmas. It also let me listen to some really good music, and I liked that my actions affected the ending and other characters in game - and that I had the option to be good or evil.

The Scarecrow parts were visually neat in Asylum, and I was upset that they didn't make a reappearance in City, but that being said I thought they really tightened up the combat system, as well as the stealth system, and it made me feel like Batman. If it can make me feel like the character I am, be it spy, chain smoking exorcist, ex-cowboy trying to help his family, or superhero that game succeeded.

Bioshock was my first next gen. video game, and that in conjunction with the fact that I really liked the look, feel, and mystery of it, the game falls on this list.

 

[briankoontz]

1. Deus Ex
2. Baldur's Gate 2
3. Doom
4. Autoduel
5. Street Fighter 2 (arcade)
6. Dark Souls
7. The Sims 2
8. World of Warcraft
9. Planescape: Torment
10. Chrono Trigger

 

[RJ 17]

I would say "Yay! Another one of these threads!" but I'll be fair since this is literally the person's first post/topic ever........which is odd because the topic has actually made it to 3 pages and the OP has yet to make another post.

But oh well, I'm here now so I might as well play along.

10: Star Craft
The reason this one is so low on the list is, quite simply, I fucking hate Blizzard. I've never been able to forgive them for splitting SCII, a game I waited over a decade for, into 3 games. I don't care what anyone says, to me it's nothing but a money grab. Almost every I've spoken to that has played it admits that the vast majority of the campaign missions (which is what I loved about SC and Brood Wars...what can I say? I liked the singleplayer stories, damnit!) are nothing but fluff that don't really add to the story. Out of the 30 missions, you could really chop out about 20 of them and still tell the complete story. 10 missions sounds about like what the campaigns for the SC/BW were, and they managed to fit all those onto one disc. But I'm not here to complain about Blizzard and why I hate them, I'm here to explain why I picked SC to kick off my count down. As I said I really enjoyed the stories in the first game and the expansion. The races were fun, the units were fun, and it was just overall a very fun RTS. I absolutely LOVED laying siege to a mission's main base with a bunch of Siege Tanks. Roll up and deploy with a bunch of goliaths for anti air and a Science Vessel or two for eyes in the sky...of course you can't forget a 5 man SCV team for repairs when needed. Just let your tanks level everything within range then pull up the ones in the back, make some advancement forward, redeploy until you've leveled everything in range, rinse and repeat. Just sooooo much fun.

9: Mario Kart 64
To borrow/modify a line from Idiocracy: "If you don't like Mario Kart 64...Fuck you." Probably the only racing game I was ever good at (I was decent at Burnout Revenge...but come on, that didn't have red fucking turtle shells!) It was also the last in the franchise that I was ever interested in. It was a perfect match between being big without being too big and being complicated without being too complicated. You had to know just when to fire your stuff off to get the maximum effect when playing with multiple people. And lets face it, if you grew up with this game and you didn't have friends over all the time playing Battle Mode then I have absolutely no idea what you were doing with your childhood.

8: Batman: Arkham City
What can one say? It's Batman perfected. I got it, played it, enjoyed it, didn't play it for a couple years, started playing it again earlier this year and good god I couldn't put it down. I think I played through it at least 8 times (four games with four New Game +'s) earlier this year. I just couldn't stop myself. The combat is just cream-in-your-pants good. Especially since I started getting good at the combat....REALLY good. Think my record is a 124 hit combo, completely flawless without getting touched, on one of the harder Riddler Combat Challenges. There's nothing quite like the feeling of Batman'ing the FUCK out a massive group of thugs including two titans and a one-armed giant. The only reason it's not higher on the list is because I'll always be an RPG fan at heart, which brings us to......

7: OBLIVIOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!! (Sorry, but whenever talking about that game with my friends we always yell it out in an over-dramatic voice )
Ohhhhh Oblivion, easily one of the greatest RPGs I've ever played. I had gotten Morrowind for Christmas on my Xbox, but never really got into it because I didn't have any idea what I was doing. Then I saw a friend playing Oblivion while over at his house and wanted to give it a try for myself. Needless to say, I was absolutely hooked. It was the first game I had ever played (well, besides Morrowind, technically) where you get out of the intro area and then the game just throws a MASSIVE world at you and says "Alright, go have fun now." You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want to do it. It was absolutely amazing and for the life of me I couldn't stop playing it. I always ended up playing some kind of thief/assassin with just a splash of magic abilities. Then I got turned into a vampire while exploring a cave and HOLY SHIT! I get a free-spell that I can use as much as I want (i.e. not a daily recharge spell) that gives me Night Vision AND Detect Life?! Yes please! But my favorite part of the game was easily the Dark Brotherhood quests. The Murder Mystery Mansion Party is probably my favorite all-time quest in any game ever. Good lord, that mission was TOO much fun. But as fun as all it was, it still didn't have as much of an impact on me as #6 on my count-down.

6: Mass Effect Series
This is the #1 pick of the bottom-five of the list. Not that the series isn't fan-frickin'-tastic (at least in my opinion), it's just from 5 and up, they all have HEAVY nostalgic points for me, and that heavily weights the decision making in their favor. Unlike the vast majority of gamers, I actually didn't throw my Xbox out the window with the original ending to ME3. I wasn't necessarily thinking it was the greatest possible ending I could have hoped for, for me it was more like a "Huh...well that just happened." But my favorite thing about the ending to ME3 (and something I love to boast about on this forum even though I'm sure no one really gives a damn) is that 1: I never believed in the so-called Indoctrination Theory. To me, that always brought up even more plotholes than trying to take a literal interpretation...namely the fact that no matter what the outcome of the ending, it means that you lost the war. It was said that two out of the three possibilities mean that Shepard ends up Indoctrinated and so the galaxy is fucked, while the other means that Shepard snaps out of the Indoctrination and.......is still laying in a bloody heap on the battlefield of Earth with everyone dying all around him/her. So what did I do? I made up my own theories. I thought of the implications for each possible ending and from those I derived "what would have happened", kinda like making up my own version of an epilogue for each one. I posted these "epilogues" in a topic about 6 days after the game came out...and hot damn, it turns out I accurately predicted all three of the Extended Cut endings almost down to every specific detail long before the EC was even considered as a thing to be made.

As for the rest of the series, I frickin' loved it all. The only game that I've sunk more hours into than the Mass Effect series is the game that's in my #1 spot. I honestly can't count the number of times I've played through each ME game...I think at least 9 characters for each game, each having at the very minimum two playthroughs (with the first and third installments having a minimum of 4 per character). So we're talking a rough minimum estimate of 90 playthroughs........good god, after doing the math that's fucking nuts. o.o Still, though, as I said, even that can't compete with the gaming hours I poured into my #1 game.

5: Dead or Alive fighting series.
No, no, NO! I swear, it's not for the reason you're thinking. I won't deny that I do enjoy the eye-candy as much as anyone, that's actually not the only reason why DoA is the only fighting game (well, series) up here. I love it because it's the only fighting game I'm actually good at. I really like their "paper-rock-scissors" format of hit-beats-throw, throw-beats-counter, and counter-beats-hit. Seems simplistic, but it actually takes a lot of skill and reading your opponents moves to be able to master it. Having grown up getting my ass handed to me in Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat by my older brothers, DoA was the fighting series that finally allowed me to exact my revenge! >

4: AvP2 for the PC.
I was always a huge Predator fan based on the movies and the AvP arcade beat'em-up was my favorite arcade game for a very long while. When I first saw the original AvP shooter for the PC I was like "hooooooooooly shit!" and loved it to death. I became an absolute master at that game's multiplayer. It'd likely be up here on the list but since AvP2 was basically the same sort of deal just with better graphics, mechanics, and an actually damn-good narrative for the singleplayer, I decided to just leave AvP out and put AvP2 up here on the list.

Annnnnnd while I really hate having the top three be all from the same series, I cannot deny that each one of these games has had a huge impact on me and what I intend to do with my life (hopefully become a writer!) So they each get their own slot.

3: FFVI (actually FFIII. When I first saw/played the game it was the original American release on the SNES as FFIII so damnit that's what I'm gonna call it!)
Great story, great characters, really this one is damn near a tie with my #2 game of all time. Sooooo hard to pick. But in the end I don't like ties so I had to chose one or the other. I take off points from this one because, unlike in my #2 pick, there's no real drama in the story. Nobody permanently dies in the game (unless you're impatient while escaping from the Floating Continent). That and the roster is pretty cumbersome. It's really neat that they had soooooo many characters to chose from, but a lot of them were pretty useless. Everyone's got their "badass party of badasses" in FFIII, and for most people that party includes Shadow, Sabin, and Cyan. For me, the 4th slot was Gogo, God of Death and Destruction. :3

2: FFIV (actually FFII. Like with FFI, I first saw it during it's original American release on the SNES as FFII, so that's what it'll always be to me.)
Like I said with FFIII, it's hard for me to pick between this one and that one. These WERE the games that made me love RPGs. I just picked this one because I think it has a better story and good god do I love the soundtrack to it. I mean how can you NOT get pumped for an epic fight while listening to this?

Spoiler: Behold, the Four Fiends!

Now THAT'S some good ol' fashioned FF music!

1: Final Fantasy Tactic (original PS version)
The gameplay was fun and unique for the FF series. I really enjoyed the job class system in it and all the various ways you can set up your characters. My favorite thing to do was nerf myself by not using any of the main characters except Ramza (since he has to be there for the story fights), but instead just have a roster of random units in my battle party. It was just so much fun to me to watch a completely unknown, random recruit go from being just another face in the crowd to being a god-damned hero in their own right. It cot to the point where I'd actually feel a deep sense of emotional loss when/if one of these characters perma-died because I didn't resurrect them soon enough on the battlefield. Put enough time and energy into building your characters and they can become true badasses, and I really liked watching them blossom. Speaking of time and energy, as I mentioned in my Mass Effect series explination: no game has sucked up more of my time than FFT. As I recall, I had about 15 playthroughs, all with completely maxed out game playtime clocks, "99:59:59" Sooooo yeah, I played FFT for a little while. The main reason for this is because I love me a game with a deep, delicious story to sink my teeth into. And I loved the story of this game so much that it inspired me to become a writer, hoping to come up with some great fantasy stories of my own. I just need to get off my lazy ass and actually start writing. >.>

Wow, in looking back over my list, I don't think I've ever put as much time, thought, and effort into making a Top 10 Game list before. What's really sad is I doubt anyone cares enough to read it all. u.u

 

[Nazulu]

I have no idea with my favourite, every time I make a list it changes, but I'll list the usual suspects.

Super Metroid - I still believe this classic has the greatest opening ever and it sucked me in like nothing ever before when I was a kid. It is basically the game that opened my eye's up to that artistic side, and it's not because it played out like a fucking movie like so many modern games try to be. By actually letting me discover everything on my own I found it far more engaging than any film.

Including I have to put this one every time since it out does most games in just about everything, though I can see how some of the techniques you need to learn to make it through certain puzzles can be painful. I find it really unique in that way though since it's one of the few.

Metroid Prime - This game is still possibly the greatest game ever. Beside doing everything really well, I was surprised how un-annoying scanning everything was, and just how many memorable events there are. They were just that... Captivating.

Half-Life 2 - Same goes for this game which I believe is the second highest. I find the pacing is just perfect, and all the level design really goes hand in hand with the simplistic speedy game play. This is on PC by the way, I have no idea how it plays on console but from what I've heard it's not as good.

Shadow of the Colossus - Who knew having to travel to your to each of your opponents would work. Well, it's because of the atmosphere created with the design visuals, lighting, sound and music which is another thing that rarely happens well these days. Because these aspects were so effective you could literally take it in like a breath of fresh air. And some of colossus themselves are a really interesting challenge. Yes, not all, just SOME. It's what makes this game lose the top spot because I don't find trying to re-reach weak spots amazing, it gets old, and some of the idea's I just don't find that extraordinary. However, for the ones that are I do find it worth replaying every now and again, and I really appreciate how pulled it off.

I'll leave it there for now

Sonic Adventure 2 - YES, I KNOW IT MAY NOT HOLD UP AS WELL NOWADAYS BUT I STILL LOVE IT SO VERY MUCH, SHUT UP!

People have a problem with SA2? But it's a fuckin' amazing game with great EVERYTHING! I'd say it holds up more than these critical graphic loving turkey's believe.

 

[IllumInaTIma]

1)Front Mission 3.
I do realize that game doesn't hold so good by todays standards, but I just can't help it. I adore this game. This game is not just my favorite game, it's my DEFINITIVE game, that game defined me as a gamer. Every game that I've ever fallen in love with shared some key elements with Front Mission 3. Here's to you, my good old buddy.

2)Persona 3 and Persona 4.
If not for a random incident and my love for Front Mission 3, I would've never discovered Persona series. I do realize that objectively Persona 4: Golden is superior gameplay version than any Persona 3 release, but I would be a fool to judge Persona games solely by gameplay merits. For me, both Persona 3 and Persona 4 are equally brilliant, but each in a different way, and I looooooove those games.

From now on it's gonna be in no particular order

3)Mass Effect series.
Incredible setting, incredible plot, incredible characters

4)The Last of Us
Incredible setting, wait, I said that already. Ok. When it comes to characters in media, I judge them by three merits. Character itself, Character interaction and Character growth. For the longest time Persona games dominated in first two sections, but then the Fire Nation attacked The Last of Us happened. I've never seen more genuine character interaction than between Joel and Ellie. That game solely justified my purchase of PS3.

5)Dino Crisis 2.
To that day Dino Crisis 2 is the only game that I can say I 100% completed. I've replayed that game too many times and I can speed run it with my eyes closed.

6)King's Bounty:The Legend and King's Bounty:The Armored Princess
If you love turn based strategy games you simply owe yourself to try it. These games stand as true proof of just how much potential there is in Russian developers.

7)Torchlight 2
This is the Action RPG in its purest, most refined form. Incredibly fulfilling and addicting.

8)Call of Duty:Modern Warfare 2
I remember the day MW2 was released. I was in my dorm room, it was midnight, pre-load finished. I launch the game and find myself 5 hours later staring at the credits. Modern Warfare 2's single player campaign is the most enjoyable and intense roller-coaster like experience I ever had.

9)The Walking Dead
Once again, incredible setting and incredible characters is all I need.