What are your top 3 must play games?

What are your 3 games that you feel every informed gamer should play at least once?

This can be due to importance in the industry to your own personal preference, though I imagine the answers may lie somewhere between the two.

Well, I guessed that this thread was going to be what games haven't I played yet that I feel like I must play at some point, and my answer was going to be Earthbound and I don't know what else... But now that I know the actual question, I suppose I'd say:

• Holy shit this is hard, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• I don't know that I can answer this question, Portal
• Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck... Secret of Mana
  

Final Fantasy VI

Super Metroid

Super Mario Bros. 3

That should do it.

• Pong
• Super Mario Bros 3/Super Mario World (pick one)
• Half-Life 2

Pong because it's important to see where we came from. Granted, it's not the first true video game, but I think it demonstrates the roots of video games more concisely than Spacewar! does

I have a hard time choosing between SMB3 and SMW. I've got more of a nostalgia boner for SMB3 but I think SMW might be more of an important game.

Half-Life 2 is the most video-gamey "modern" video game I can think of that's not too far up its own ass with tropes that have taken over the industry in the past ten years.

Persona 4

Dark Souls

Metal Gear Solid series

Totally personal preference:

Maniac Mansion

Red Dead Redemption

Batman Arkham City

Vagrant Story, Super Metroid, Super Mario World

Link to the Past is 4th

Persona 4

Resident Evil 4

Dark souls

As usual, I think of an interesting question that I would like to see how people answer it, and then I realize I don't really have an answer myself.

So, after much deliberation:

• Portal --- I'm not exactly the biggest fanboy of this game, at current, but if there is ever a game that someone said "I haven't played that yet," to which I would respond, "Are you serious? You have to play it at least once," it would be this game. It's such a tight, wonderful, and fascinating game that I feel like everyone should experience, even if, like me, they only play it once. It's also easily completed in 4 hours, so it's not like you have to dedicate a month to it.
• Super Mario World --- Everyone has to play one Super Mario game. That's just a rule. Not everyone can handle the original, and if we're going to be gentle on some people's lack of ability to handle less than stellar graphics, then this game has aged the best graphically. It's also easily arguable as one of the best Mario games of all time, up there with Super Mario 3 and Super Mario 64.
• Mass Effect 2 --- That was hard. I was trying to think of a game that would get some people out of their comfort zones, and trying something new. I'm a huge fan of RPGs, from the SNES Final Fantasies to the Infinity Engine games, and if there was ever a game that I feel would bridge the gap between modern gaming and the potentially more complex world of RPGs and/or narrative based gaming, it would be this one. It doesn't hurt that this game is polished, modern, and has enough of everything to please nearly everyone. Honestly, even if you never play the original or the sequel, everyone who is able to should at least play this game once.

Oddly enough, none of those games would make my personal top 10.

Symphony of the Night. And uh.

Okay fuck it 100% personal preference instead of 50% for the rest of the list.

Bayonetta and Dark Souls.

Portal, Symphony of the night, and Uncharted 2.Personally, I feel these represent there respective genres the best.

Super Metroid, Silent Hill 2, and Pac Man CE DX.

Scratch that just make my three choices Pac Man CE DX.

Vectorman

Cyborg Justice

Jet Set Radio Future

Super Metroid

Metal Gear Solid

Portal

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4

Super Street Fighter II Turbo

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Persona 4

Red Dead Redemption

Portal

Pac-Man - This was the most popular game of a generation. Ask people who don't play games and chances are they'll have played Pac-Man.

Super Mario 64 - This one created the free floating 3rd person camera and thus all 3rd person games to follow have adopted some aspect of its design.

System Shock 2 - This game was ahead of its time by incorporating RPG elements into a first-person shooter. Gaming has finally caught up to its 1990's ideas.

ilomilo

braid

zeno clash

• Persona 4 (watch ER or play it, either works)
• Eternal Darkness
• Max Payne

• Secret of Mana
  
• BioShock
• Super Mario Bros. 3

Mother 3, Planescape Torment, Fallout 2.

Link to the Past

Final Fantasy VI

and I dont know if its just because Im playing it now but my god Fire Emblem: Awakening has been one of my favorite gaming experiences Ive had in almost ever...sooooo

Fire Emblem: Awakening

If not that then...Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario World

Hells yeah! Rep that Cyborg Justice!

Suck it, @video_game_king

Well, Doom because it was the precursor of the modern FPS genre. Super Mario Bros. because it was the precursor of the platformer genre and is the most important game released for consoles as it saved that aspect of the gaming industry. And, finally, Wii Sports Resort as it is still the best example of what motion control is and is capable of.

@ravenlight:

No, it sucks all kinds of ass.

I guess mine are all games that do something very well in how they play or teach you to, their mechanics or through their story.

Portal- For the story and the controls and game mechanics.

Red Dead Redemption- A game I would say you should play for the story, though the gameplay and world are fun.

Minecraft- Fun and no real story. Mostly about what you put into it, your creativity and making something.

1. Persona 4

2.Portal 2.

3. Dark Souls/Ghost Trick.

Super Mario World, Ocarina of Time, and Wii Sports. Yes, seriously, Wii Sports. When I think of the games that represent the culture, business, and fun of gaming, those are the ones I keep coming around to. Super Mario World is a well-defined gaming classic that's playable by just about anyone familiar with a game controller, and should be picked up at least once by anyone with even a remote interest in gaming.

Ocarina of Time is the logical next step after Super Mario World - it's not only an amazing game and still immensely playable, but it's a blueprint. Every action game that came after owes at least a little something to Ocarina of Time. It's a history lesson of a game, and an incredibly fun one at that, too. None of the Zelda games that followed it ever quite captured its magic for me.

And finally, you show me a person who doesn't enjoy getting a group together and playing some Wii Sports. Sure, it's not complex. It's not flashy. It's simplistic and made for the masses - but that doesn't stop it from being one of the most iconic games of all time. They had this game in nursing homes, for crying out loud. Just about everyone from a kid to a grandparent can pick this up and have fun with it. It's harmless, it gets you up and moving, it's become the party game of the last five or six years, and I'd bet even the most jaded bastard in the world would have a bit of fun bowling with friends.

Spoiler: there is no answer. There's nothing that everyone has to play, lest they are not a true gamer, or whatever. A heap of games listed in this thread I have no interest in; didn't think too highly of when I played them; or started playing, but stopped because I wasn't enjoying them.
So, I'm just taking this to mean three games you must play if you want to become me:

• Lemmings
• Day of the Tentacle
• BioShock

Top 3 games everyone should play once

Its quite late but here i go

	1. Journey In the past this would of been Shadow of the Colossus. They occupy the same space for me, they both tell a timeless story (for me one is a about doing anything for love, the other is the hardships and acceptance of death) and they tell the story in such a way that gets you caught up in the experience without telling you outright the story. Seeing how a game can do this effectively is something i consider everyone should experience and that is why it made my list.
	2. Minecraft Now this game might not be for everyone but i think everyone should try to see what its about. A truly open-world game, you can pretty much do everything, do nothing at all, or both in a sense. The fun in this game is almost entirely up to the player's creativity and that is the best thing about the game and the reason why its on my list.
	3. Spyro the Dragon This third game was hard to choose. I felt like I needed a 3d platformer for some reason and i chose my favorite. Spyro had some great platforming in vivid interesting environments filled with quirky characters with great animations. This may not be the first 3d platformer but i think its the best and should be played

Take that Mario and Link!

runners up: Bayonetta for being absolutely crazy.....i still regret it not making the cut

From this generation specifically:

Mass Effect 2

Fallout 3

Bioshock

I don't think there are specific games. It's fine if you haven't played CoD4, but if you haven't played a single modern FPS you probably should give one a go, and so on.

Deus Ex.

Metroid Prime.

Half Life 2.

If I have to make a choice at gunpoint at the top of a skyscraper with my arch nemesis taunting, while I'm calculating the right angle to jump down so I can start my jetpack before the adrenaline turns me into my final form EVERREAPER- THE FLAYER OF FLESH :

Heretic II

Dishonored

DMC 1

Yup, seems about right.

In terms of games I think everyoneinterested in video games should play:

1. The Ultimate Doom
2. Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
3. Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Amnesia would certainly not be to everyone's taste, but it is the most singular and unique experience I've ever had with any form of interactive media. That sounds hyperbolic, but I just can't think of a better way to describe it. I will never forget the first time I played that game.

This is an incredibly hard question, I believe every excellent game deserve to be played or at least tried but if I must choose, I'll say :

Consoles/PC:

• Metal Gear Solid 1
• Mass Effect 1
• The Walking Dead

Handled:

• 9 hours 9 persons 9 doors
• Fire Emblem
• Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Three ain't enough but I would compel anyone to at least try these games out:
1. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines

2. The World Ends With You

3. System Shock 2

Three games is not enough to be 'informed'. Instead, I will choose three games that I would give to an Alien to teach them about what we do for recreation.

Skyrim, Call of Duty 4, Angry Birds

I think, for a major series, any game in that series is usually sufficient to get the important parts across.

So Grand Theft Auto, Starcraft, and some point and click adventure if I have to say three. That does leave out having a call of duty style shooter, or a good traditional (Doom/Quake/many variants) shooter example though. Not to mention RPGs and racing simulations.

Driv3r
Rapeplay

E.T

Ninja Gaiden Black

Super Mario World

Shadow of the Colossus

Super Metroid

NBA Jam Tournament Edition

Metal Gear Solid

The Witcher 2 was a beautiful game graphically and had fun gameplay and a great mature story that you don't get to see in many games nowadays.

Gothic 2 mostly because I'm biased against it. The Gothic series got me into gaming as a hobby and it's been one of my favourites ever since (The first one as well)

Fallout 2 because it's awesome.

Super Metroid, Chrono Trigger, and Portal 2. But there are far more than just three.

Ocarina of Time

Half-life 2

Thief 2

Black Ops II

FIFA 13

The Sims 3

Bioshock

Final Fantasy VI

MGS 2

the witcher

mass affect

uncharted

All time? Who cares.

Current games;

SOTS: The Pit

Super House Of Dead Ninjas

Runner2: Future Legend Of Rhythm Alien

Banner Saga: Factions

"Every informed gamer" should be playing those right now. You can get all of them for less money than one (1) new console release, they'll run on just about any PC, and they're all great.