What Games should Every gamer Finish ?

So Today, I was playing Mgs 2 for the first time which I'm actually finding very enjoyable but I feel some sort of guilt for not playing it before since I can see why it's such a iconic and important game. So I've started to think of the games that every gamer should finish and I was wondering what ones you have included.

Honestly? BioShock. I feel like it was an absolutely iconic game with great atmosphere and fantastic story telling. Plus, the twist at the ending is probably one of the biggest "what the fuck" moments in games, and it's handled very well. Everyone should at least play it once.

I thought Metal Gear Solid 2 was the black sheep of the MGS series and the one that you shouldn't play?

Anyway, I think every "gamer", if you like that word, should play Chrono Trigger, Super Metroid, Super Mario Bros., Deus Ex, and Half-Life. And probably Baldur's Gate 2 as well, to have an idea of what Western RPG's were before they became action games with dialogue options, but I haven't personally played that one because, honestly, I like my Western RPG's as action games with dialogue options.

EDIT: And System Shock 2.

Anyway, I suggested those games because all of them are great examples of their genres. Platformer, JRPG, exploring (Metroidvania), FPS, RPG, stealth, etc. There are a whole lot of influential ideas, both in terms of mechanics and story, that are done very well in those games. Of course, they don't cover everything - no RTS'ing in that list, for instance - but they cover a whole hell of a lot.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Portal.

GTA 3

RapeLay

Deus Ex or System Shock 2

@Empirepaintball said:

Honestly? BioShock. I feel like it was an absolutely iconic game with great atmosphere and fantastic story telling. Plus, the twist at the ending is probably one of the biggest "what the fuck" moments in games, and it's handled very well. Everyone should at least play it once.

I strongly disagree. System Shock 2 did everything better. (they even copied SS2 twist)

Portal 2 (might as well grab the newer one) if I am just going for a single game.

I wouldn't wish playing Bioshock on anyone though.

The Witcher 2, The Darkness 2 and Mass Effect trilogy. Those are the most recent examples I can think off.

Rogue.

None, we're all different and our differing experiences allow for pleasant discourse and jolly co-operation.

Also, MGS2 should be completed by anyone that decides to start playing it. It's also worth trying to digest the ending with a cup of tea for around 6 hours afterwards.

@fisk0 said:

Rogue.

I ll agree with this only so people will stop saying Rouge-like, when they mean hard.

That is my video-game pet peeve of 2012 is that every hard game is a "Rouge-Like." I am going to call every game with a gun a "Contra-Like"

Legend of Zelda OoT

Bioshock

GTA 3 or Vice City

Half Life 2

Halo

Gears of War

Super Metriod

Castlevania SoT

Super Mario Bros. 1-3

Chrono Trigger

Doom

Duke Nukem 3D (I know the last one soured people on Duke but 3D is one of the greatest games ever made)

Super Mario 64

Super Street Fight 2 Turbo

Legend of Zelda

Portal

Dark Souls.

@Nentisys said:

Deus Ex or System Shock 2

@Empirepaintball said:

Honestly? BioShock. I feel like it was an absolutely iconic game with great atmosphere and fantastic story telling. Plus, the twist at the ending is probably one of the biggest "what the fuck" moments in games, and it's handled very well. Everyone should at least play it once.

I strongly disagree. System Shock 2 did everything better. (they even copied SS2 twist)

Bioshock is a spiritual sequel to System Shock 2 and led by many of the same people. They might have copied a lot of things, but they copied it from their own work.

Journey.
 
It's short enough that it'd be silly if someone didn't finish it. Also, I'm considering "finishing" and "playing" to be two different things here, since the length of some games I understand makes it difficult to play to completion, if one lacks the time.

A Pokemon game, KOTOR, and Dragon Age: Origins.

@believer258 said:

@Nentisys said:

Deus Ex or System Shock 2

@Empirepaintball said:

Honestly? BioShock. I feel like it was an absolutely iconic game with great atmosphere and fantastic story telling. Plus, the twist at the ending is probably one of the biggest "what the fuck" moments in games, and it's handled very well. Everyone should at least play it once.

I strongly disagree. System Shock 2 did everything better. (they even copied SS2 twist)

Bioshock is a spiritual sequel to System Shock 2 and led by many of the same people. They might have copied a lot of things, but they copied it from their own work.

Yes I know. System Shock 2 still did those things years earlier and better.

Half-Life 2 has a really incredible ending.

None. There is no essential viewing in video games, or in any medium for that matter.

Majora's Mask, Shadow of the Colossus, MGS3 and Dark Souls.

Go play them! D:<

The Witcher 2 , The Legend of Zelda OoT, and the Mass Effect trilogy.

@dabe said:

None, we're all different and our differing experiences allow for pleasant discourse and jolly co-operation.

I came here to say basically this. There is no magic list of games that everyone should finish, because finishing most games is a pretty hefty time commitment. It's not like making a list of movies that everyone should see. For example, I'm not going to spend 30 hours slogging through the rest of Shadow of the Colossus just because a lot of people think it's "important." I think it's dull and controls like shit, and I have better things to do with my time. On the other hand, despite the fact that I spent 200 hours in Dark Souls and it's one of my favorite games of all time, I would never say that everyone "has to" finish it. A lot of people aren't going to like it, and that's ok.

People should just play what they are interested it playing and only finish the games they are enjoying.

Solitaire

@mikey87144 said:

Doom

Duke Nukem 3D (I know the last one soured people on Duke but 3D is one of the greatest games ever made)

When it comes to revisiting old FPSes, I'd probably pick Wolfenstein 3D over Doom or Duke3D. While the others are also excellent games, I think Wolfenstein 3D had so many revolutionary ideas, and managed to deliver on most of them (they did have to cut out stuff like letting you move bodies or picking up nazi uniforms as disguise, making it take another 6-7 years until Thief, Hidden & Dangerous and Hitman popularized those concepts, but it's still intriguing that these were ideas they were considering, and even partly implementing into the code in such an early FPS). The levels felt relatively dynamic, due to how the game had patrol routes for the enemies (unlike in Doom where they stand still until activated), and where every enemy type could be deadly if you weren't on your guard, unlike in Doom and Duke3D where the most common enemy types are only cannon fodder. It's also quite interesting as an "transitional fossil" between the arcade era and modern FPSes - using high scores, lives and that kind of stuff. I think most people should at least finish episode 1 of Wolfenstein 3D.

Ugh...alright, I'll say it (yeah it's a dick thing to say but fuck it).

Every person should finish whatever game they find interesting. There is no such thing as a 'one game' every person should play and finish. Finish what you like not what others tell you to like.

Personally, I prefer to Swedish my games.

@RollingZeppelin said:

Personally, I prefer to Swedish my games.

You MOTHERFUCKER.

I was going to make that joke.

For starters all The Orange Box games plus Portal 2, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, the Metroid Prime's, the Mass Effect's, all the Zelda's, the Super Mario Galaxy's and Mario 64, Killer 7, Bioshock, Secret of Mana, Braid, Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain, the Metal Gear games, Silent Hill Shattered Memories, some Elder Scrolls and Fallout 3 + New Vegas, Valkyria Chronicles, Eternal Darkness, Journey, Bastion, some Assassin's Creed, Alpha Protocol, Bully and Red Dead Redemption, Psychonoauts, and Persona 3 and 4. Not saying all those games are perfect, or even great, but they all have some damned fine ideas buried inside them.

After you've completed all those return to me for your next assignment. (I'm still working my way through the list, myself)

@Empirepaintball said:

Honestly? BioShock. I feel like it was an absolutely iconic game with great atmosphere and fantastic story telling. Plus, the twist at the ending is probably one of the biggest "what the fuck" moments in games, and it's handled very well. Everyone should at least play it once.

BioShock up to the big ol' twist they throw at you. After that, the game just assumes that you're feeling the same way as Jack and pushes you through the most unenjoyable final hours of a game I've ever had the displeasure of playing, in order to get their pathetically anti-climactic boss battle and then watch one of the most dumbed-down, unemotional, binary "good-evil" endings ever made.

I will agree that everyone should play it once, though. But they should play Bioshock 2 first, because Bioshock 2 suffers from still being set in Rapture. Everything else, though, is far superior.

@gladspooky said:

@RollingZeppelin said:

Personally, I prefer to Swedish my games.

You MOTHERFUCKER.

I was going to make that joke.

Muah ha ha it was all part of my dastardly plan!

Duck Hunt's secret ending is still incredible.

Out of the Metal Gear Games, the game you really really have to play is Metal Gear Solid 3. That game is fucking amazing.

@fisk0 said:

@mikey87144 said:

Doom

Duke Nukem 3D (I know the last one soured people on Duke but 3D is one of the greatest games ever made)

When it comes to revisiting old FPSes, I'd probably pick Wolfenstein 3D over Doom or Duke3D. While the others are also excellent games, I think Wolfenstein 3D had so many revolutionary ideas, and managed to deliver on most of them (they did have to cut out stuff like letting you move bodies or picking up nazi uniforms as disguise, making it take another 6-7 years until Thief, Hidden & Dangerous and Hitman popularized those concepts, but it's still intriguing that these were ideas they were considering, and even partly implementing into the code in such an early FPS). The levels felt relatively dynamic, due to how the game had patrol routes for the enemies (unlike in Doom where they stand still until activated), and where every enemy type could be deadly if you weren't on your guard, unlike in Doom and Duke3D where the most common enemy types are only cannon fodder. It's also quite interesting as an "transitional fossil" between the arcade era and modern FPSes - using high scores, lives and that kind of stuff. I think most people should at least finish episode 1 of Wolfenstein 3D.

Can't disagree with anything you said. All I can say is that I forgot about it.

Fallout 3, it's a big open world with plenty of characters to meet and quests to beat that it can absorb a lot of your time.

From this gen I would say Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2 and Journey

Any of the Pokemon games I think, and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I'd also say Half Life 2, I really think modern shooters trace their lineage to this game.

Super Metroid

@Nentisys said:

@believer258 said:

@Nentisys said:

Deus Ex or System Shock 2

@Empirepaintball said:

Honestly? BioShock. I feel like it was an absolutely iconic game with great atmosphere and fantastic story telling. Plus, the twist at the ending is probably one of the biggest "what the fuck" moments in games, and it's handled very well. Everyone should at least play it once.

I strongly disagree. System Shock 2 did everything better. (they even copied SS2 twist)

Bioshock is a spiritual sequel to System Shock 2 and led by many of the same people. They might have copied a lot of things, but they copied it from their own work.

Yes I know. System Shock 2 still did those things years earlier and better.

You're preaching to the many here.

My top 10 would be Tetris, Super Mari Bros. 2, GoldenEye, Final Fantasy 7, Grand Theft Auto 3, Halo CE, Half-life, Starcraft, Civilization 3, and of course, SS2.

Games that you enjoy enough to want to finish.

Black Ops, bro

You should finish games that you want to finish and not worry about some weird list of games "gamers" should play.

StarCraft.

@mikey87144 said:

Legend of Zelda OoT

Bioshock

GTA 3 or Vice City

Half Life 2

Halo

Gears of War

Super Metriod

Castlevania SoT

Super Mario Bros. 1-3

Chrono Trigger

Doom

Duke Nukem 3D (I know the last one soured people on Duke but 3D is one of the greatest games ever made)

Super Mario 64

Super Street Fight 2 Turbo

Legend of Zelda

Portal

I honestly believe that there is not one single game that one could recommend to every gamer to finish. Everyone has really different tastes. Like I couldn't stomach Bioshock and didn't see the big deal about a game like Portal. But I would agree that a game like Gears of War (any of the 3) or Chrono Trigger and Super Mario 64 are games that I genuinely like that I think everyone should make an attempt to enjoy. As well as Ocarina of Time and Streets of Rage 2.

I feel like most of the responses in this thread are shit. They may be games that people should play but very few of them are games that people should finish. Of course I think people should finish what they start but most of these responses don't have endings that are essential to the experience. For example, if you've played two or three hours of Chrono Trigger then you've played enough to know what that game is. It doesn't have a particularly interesting finish or even back half so finishing it isn't essential.

@Rainbowkisses said:

Games that you enjoy enough to want to finish.

Agreed. There is no definitive list of games that all gamers should finish or even attempt to play.

Games have endings?