For me Braid is incredibly special in that it has some element to it that surpasses what games are normally able to aspire to through just mechanics and even normal story. It's puzzles are beautifully crafted and ingenious, but that is not what makes this game special. It is the perfect marriage of this gameplay with the moving, slightly cryptic story behind it that sets it apart. It creates a unique and special atmosphere which culminates in an incredible ending with a twist that changes everything. Even beyond that it seems the story might hold greater significance than you first think, and whatever the truth is of what it's a metaphor for, the game seems to have extra weight once you're aware of this. This is almost my perfect game. I mean it to be more than mere hyperbole when I say it transcends almost any other game ever made.

Check out the list of my top 9 colossi for a flavour of why I love this game so much and my experiences within it.

A really fantastic game. I think the most important thing for me ended up being the fully fleshed out world that is created within the game and which it then had me adventuring through. It really did feel like a grand adventure and moreso than the first I would stop to look at the details within the environments and take it all in to build my sense of what Aperture Science etc. is all about. The story is so good as are all the characters and the pacing is really perfect I think. There's the bits just by yourself where you're puzzling things out in isolated areas and there's more dramatic moments and they all work. It just ended up being a very satisfying and enjoyable experience from top to bottom. I wish more games were like this and had such colour, care and detail in their world and the stories they tell with them.

I was hyped for this from a few years before it got released and played it more than a year after release. It didn't disappoint and I really loved it. Just having the freedom to move about the world and approach situations as I pleased made it immensely satisfying and counts for a lot. I loved the world with the richness of all the different habits nestled together, especially where my actions had the ability to change it permanently. I've had few better moments in gaming than lying in some long jungle grass in a heavy downpour carefully lining up sniper shots to take out a few dudes across a valley from me.

I love the story and probably value that above the gameplay, though that in itself has a good mix of puzzle and action. Couldn't wait to get out of Ravenhlom - that place was just creepy. Enjoyed the open enviroments when going between the different locations and using the vehicles. Also, can't beat controlling a squad of antlions.

I want more games like this: a mysterious environment to explore forming the major part of the gameplay and combat of a sort, while present, was more incidental that in the vast majority of games. I think its greatest achievement for me was the successful creation of a sense of place in the castle you're exploring. I was drawn in by the story and a fondness and connection to Yorda naturally and inevitably comes as it was meant to, just from progressing through the entire game with her at your side. There's a great sense of atmosphere, especially in the final act, which I played through in one sitting having been about end my play session shortly before it began. Fighting through the dark in driving rain beautifully mirrored and set up the emotional intensity of the last moments of the game. I tracked this game down to play and I'm glad I did so.

I was one of those who loved this game. I know that many didn't and I understand those gripes, but sometimes a game just ticks many of your special boxes - those things that are deeply ingrained that excite and compel no matter the external packaging. I love being sneaky. I love the freedom to roam and explore. I love beautiful exotic environments and architecture and Assassin's Creed delivers wonderfully given those measures. I appreciated the heights to which this game aspired even if it was too much to fully flesh it out on the first pass.

I was hyped for this game and it delivered for me. The narrative and general immersiveness is what pulled me in, with such a large and well-realised universe. I loved just wandering around the Citadel at the start and exploring and finding about the characters and races. Learning about the members of my squad was also great. It's interesting how the storyline can really diverge for different players based on your choices, as well.

I bought the Orange Box and I absolutely loved Portal - it was the first thing myself and all my housemates from uni played upon getting it. A really awesome and innovative concept that was made so much better by the atmosphere that was created by GLaDOS and the rooms themselves. A really great continuous and immersive single-player experience

A very unique game that manages to conquer up a haunting yet beautiful atmosphere that really drew me into it. I think I really felt like I was playing inside of a virtual space within a computer. The personality of the Darwinians really added a lot to the game as well despite it being seemingly minimal. Definitely left an effect that seems to be greater than the sum of its parts.

I've now playing well over 80 hours of soldier alone. Yes it's a great game for just chilling and relaxing with some action. The fact that you can change up the game-play whenever you want with a different class is great pull for coming back for more and not getting tired of it.

This became the go-to online game among my friends and uni housemates for many months. I've played many hours of it and gotten pretty good and used to the strategies involved in both surviving as the survivors and then dividing and conquering as the infected ... I love being the smoker. I've had some pretty embarrassing tank deaths though - falling off the top of No Mercy hospital anyone? Has given me many great gaming experiences and it's so good when you're all together chatting over Skype when playing.

Really loved this game, more so than Episode One because the creepy environments gave way to wide open, bright forest environments which I just felt more at ease in when playing.