Inspired by TerraDelu's great list. These games may no longer be in my top 10 but they were favorites at one time and they'll always have a special place in my gaming library. I'll likely add to the list as I recall more games from my past that hold distinctive memories.
Though I'd been playing games for 8 years prior to Ocarina Of Time's release, this was the first game that felt like more than a quick diversion for me. I was drawn into its world for what seems like months and it will always be one of the greatest entertainment experiences of my life.
After being amazed by the demo at Best Buy, Unreal was one of a few games I got with my family's first PC. While I never beat the game's story mode, got it to work online, or figured out the included level editor, I played endless hours of bot matches and it never got old. This was basically my introduction to arena shooters and the beginning and end of my PC gaming experience as I could never keep up with the technology afterward. :p
The Christmas Shenmue was released I spent my entire vacation, and probably some time afterward, immersed in its world. The game's enchanting soundtrack and light snow storms just felt perfect for the time I played it. It goes without saying that it was a great technical achievement and I remember being constantly excited and amazed by its look and features, but putting you in the life of the character is really what resonated with me and made it feel like a special experience. Many would argue that getting home by curfew, taking your shoes off before you stepped inside, and going to bed wasn't a great gameplay mechanic. To me it was the most important part of the game because it made me feel like I was living this character's life rather than just controlling him in a video game. More than most games, I think Shenmue was a moment in time and you really had to be there to fully appreciate it.
For most gamers it was Halo, for some it was Timesplitters, but of all the multiplayer games last gen Red Faction II was the one I played most. My best friend and I were always completely evenly matched at RFII's deathmatch, I don't think either of us put more time into an offline multiplayer game before or since. We played constantly, it got to a point where we brought a little 13" black & white tv into our high school and got away with playing in the back of one of our classes for a semester senior year. It was a highly overlooked but really solid multiplayer with Red Faction's signature destructive environments, awesome weapons, a ton of unlockable levels, and great bot options that kept things interesting for years.
If not for its "Halo-killer" expectations, I think Killzone would've been at least a 9/10 across the board. As first person shooters go, it delivered one of the finest singleplayer campaigns of its time and one of, if not the best, online multiplayer experiences on the PS2. The reason it makes this list is because it was really my first online game. As an FPS lover, I always yearned to play video games online, I could just never seem to get it to work. After owning the PS2 network adapter for a couple years I finally got it up & running with the release of Killzone; and it was everything I'd hoped for. Thank god the current generation of consoles has made getting online so easy.
Resistance: Fall Of Man was the PS3 game I purchased along with the console, which also made it the first one I played in full HD. I was already in love with the gameplay and visuals after playing for a few months on my old SDTV, but my fondest memory in gaming is probably the first time I played it on my HDTV. I'm not sure what I expected, but seeing every detail enhanced beyond my wildest dreams is one of the most surreal and exciting moments I can remember.
