Well, here's my top ten games of all time. Considering I did not really start playing games until the N64/PlayStation era, yeah, the classics from before that will be underrepresented. As you can tell, my tastes run toward strategy, shooters and western RPGs.
Oh well, here goes.
Pitch perfect combination of revolutionary technology and peerless art direction. Leading an uprising in this Orwellian dystopia is just gripping.
The game that got me into gaming. The Allies and Soviets duking it out in an alternate WWII-less 1950s is just to packed full of nostalgia for me that this sucker is never budging from my Top 5. Plus Kane shows up at the end!
Oft imitated, but yet to be topped, still the definitive FPS/RPG hybrid.
Of all the great game franchises out there, Metal Gear is the closest to my heart. The series always swings for the fences when it comes to its over-the-top melodrama, but Snake Eater is the entry that consistently nails the series' operatic ambitions, especially as the conspiracy laden plot begins to reveal itself in the final act.
Mass Effect 1 set a high bar, and it's sequel vaulted over it, then did a few flips before sticking the landing perfectly. A perfect "dark middle chapter" to the trilogy, Mass Effect 2 makes full use of the groundwork laid in the first title, packing its game world with memorable characters and cinematic moments as it builds to one of the most heart-pounding and dramatic finales I have seen in years.
Super Metroid somehow seems to stay incredibly fresh, fun and vibrant even almost two decades later. Still the greatest of the "Metroid-vania" games, which is saying something considering the competition it has in that genre.
Using a great license for all its worth, Dawn of War trades the large scale of other strategy games for a more limited scope and focus on tactics and customizing individual squads. And 9 unique factions is a pretty amazing feat in the genre.
An instant classic, KOTOR not only nails the Star Wars vibe in a way that the prequels could only dream of, but features one of the most unforgettable stories in the medium. And hey, who didn't get excited when they got to build their own lightsaber?
A stunning puzzle/platformer that stands out most of all for communicating themes and story points through the gameplay mechanics, instead of cutscenes or other standard conventions. Deep, compelling, and stunningly imaginative, Braid is still the standard by which indie art games are judged.
Packed to the gills with classic boss fights, atmosphere, music and characters, Solid Snake sets out to discover whether love can bloom, even on a battlefield.
When you see my longbowmen marching in perfect formation behind a line of knights, just surrender. Honestly, the formations were half the fun here. The other half was being able to make a huge fortress with gates and walls and towers, since I love to turtle up in my bastion.
"What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets!" Truer words were never spoken.
Forcefully innovative and exciting, featuring enormous stages, no health bars, and a fun injury system, this fighting game is unlike anything else in the genre.
Mind blowing when it came out, Mario's venture into 3D is still one of the best platformers ever made.
The core combat of 2 weapons + grenades + melee, just works so damn well. I played a loooot of split screen Halo in Jr. High.
Big crazy strategy gaming. No pansy little atom bombs here like in Red Alert. What's the deal with that, anyway? Atom bombs in RA miiiiight get a building down to half health. But anyway, Total Annihilation is appropriately titled. Also check out Supreme Commander, a very worthy spiritual sequel.
This was a triumph / I'm making a note here: "HUGE SUCCESS"
When enormous wide open role-playing finally began to click together. A great setting, a fun story, and a whole lot of stealing armor and fencing it. And some appalling combat, but you can't have everything.
While, to my mind, the sequel far surpassed the original, Black Mesa the site of some of the best shooting out there, and was a huge step forward for AI, level design, and scripting.
Simply a joy to play, especially after the uninspired Sunshine.
id never really did it better than here. The fastest, rail guniest, CTFiest, insta-gibbiest meat grinder of em all.
So what the hell was the deal with the President grabbing your balls? I mean, really...
The fight on the truck convoy is one of the best single levels I have ever played. What Naughty Dog did in this game is just amazing.
I like my open world crime games slathered in pastel colors with a huge playlist of 80s tunes.
Spoiler: You are the demons.
I was on board with the game as soon as I heard the premise: A hit has been put out on Ares, the God of War, and your little pale mortal self has to be the one to do it. The audacity of this game, from the premise to the nudity to the wonderful gore, is what makes it so memorable.
The first, and still best (maybe even only...) reason to own a PSP. Kinda ruined other falling block puzzle games for me, sadly.
While it stumbles a bit in trying to plausibly wrap up a plot that is essentially 20 years of sheer madness (a fool's errand), it is still a great finale to the storied franchise. The final battle taking you through the different music, UIs and motifs of the previous games was just inspired.
I don't know why this shooter grabbed hold of me as strongly as it did. It just feels like you are playing through a really great season of 24. Gears of War? Call of Duty? I'll take Vegas anytime, even if I am the only one.
The high water mark of the series, refining the mechanics of the classic first game with a deep and fun single player mode.
One of the best designed, most stylish, and most fun beat-em-ups out there.
Racing games are not really my thing, but the Burnout series is just exciting as all hell, and really kicked it into high gear with this one.
Spies vs. Mercs still stands as one of the best and most original multiplayer modes I have ever played. Gets bonus points for having such a stupid-sounding title that actually becomes pretty cool once the story explains its meaning
So great that it forced EA into the nuclear option to lock up the NFL license. Pour one out for this classic series.
Why the 3rd? Because it includes the first two, thats why!
Specifically the Wii version, which both fully justified the Wii MotionPlus and was the best golf game I ever played.
Assassin's Creed was extremely ambitious, but often the development team's reach exceeded their grasp. The follow up integrated the sci-fi elements far more effectively into the historical narrative, while making smart improvements to the gameplay and introducing a far more engaging protagonist in the form of Ezio.
