My Favourite Games of All Time
I may one day have the time to write down WHY these are my favourite games... maybe.
List items
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There is something almost immeasurable when it comes to my love for Persona 4, let alone the Golden edition. It captures a sense of fun and friendship that reminds me of some of the best years of my life. The joy I felt when getting to know the characters and world, learning to care for them and protecting them in this game is only matched by the fact that I have re-experienced it 5-6 times, and can continue to do so in the future.
Although the graphics are dated, the music, acting and writing have an everlasting quality that assures this game the top spot in my heart for years to come. Unless Atlus forges pure magic with P5.
Previously this spot was given to Persona 4, but Golden is a better version in every way so it supplants the position entirely. Plus, it'd be redundant to have Persona 4 as my #1 AND #2 (however accurate that may be).
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The Last of Us didn't rocket to this position the moment I finished it, nor the day after, nor the day after that. Instead, what this game "is" took quite a while to sink in.
I honestly believe that not only does TLoU hit at the same level as greats such as Metal Gear Solid or (for others) Ocarina of Time in terms of well-designed gameplay, but - perhaps more importantly - I believe this game creates an argument for the medium of gaming on a universal level. It competes favourably with movies such as Requiem for a Dream and books like Crime and Punishment in terms of the quality and delivery of its storytelling, and is in my opinion the first game to ever do so.
Most profoundly, the story of The Last of Us could only be delivered to such a degree in a videogame - you just couldn't get to know the characters and world as deeply in any other way. From the magical soundtrack to the rumble of the controller when Joel fights for his life or being able to simply stand on a ledge and look at wildlife, TLoU utilises the medium to demonstrate that games can come to life in a way that nothing else can. However, although one could argue that games have done all of that before, the true innovation lies in how those factors resonate with the structure and delivery of TLoU’s story. Instead of pursuing tried and true aspects of gaming such as fun, or wonderment, or discovery such as a similarly great Bioshock / Bioshock: Infinite, it forges a new path. It makes an argument for “compelling” being just as valid as “fun”, it makes an argument for ambiguity over direct wish-fulfilment-fantasy and subtly over pomp and circumstance. It sets a standard that no other game has matched, but perhaps more importantly, it forges a path for other games to follow in. Sadly, to say any more would spoil the fun of discovering it for yourself.
The best element of The Last of Us taking second spot on my favourites list is that I fully expect it to be dethroned – but the game which will dethrone it shall be built upon its shoulders, and could possibly only be green lit because of TLoU’s success. To me, it is the game which defines how far gaming has moved in the 7th/3rd generation – and yes, I’m pulling out that fearful acronym, “GOTG”.
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I don't know if I'll ever have the time to sit down and write out the many reasons I love Mass Effect 2.
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Interchangeable with Metal Gear Solid IV on any given day.
These games expanded my view on what games as a medium can be and inspired a fandom within me that will last until the end of days.
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I am SUCH a sucker for crime fiction, and this is just a fun, loveable adventure.
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Interchangeable with Final Fantasy X on any given day.
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Lost to Tales from the Borderlands in the year of release, but the DLC brings it back around. What an incredible game.
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After finishing the Royal edition, and I have to say, Royal is the game I was hoping Persona 5 would be when first it came out. Now as a TRUE successor to P4G, I loved every second of it, and GDAMN it might be one of the best RPGs ever made. Its definitely the best Persona game, even if it's not my favourite (mostly cos of my attachment to the story/characters of 4).
But still, the additions in Royal were truly spectacular. They added so much depth to each system and character that although the new ending isn't as happy as the original, its far more meaningful in its own way. Plus, it was designed to transition into Persona 5: Scramble, so I forgive the abruptness of the last cutscene a little bit.
Originally I wasn't too sad when Persona 5 ended, but when Royal ended, I wanted to jump right back into NG+. I dont have time for that right now (my first playthrough of P5R was 149 hours >_>), but I'm going to pick up P5: Scramble DAY ONE when it comes to the west.
Update 15 Dec 2020: Finished my first NG+ (now total playtime of 260 hours), and - though it doesn't have the replayability of Persona 4 Golden - the 2nd playthrough really cemented Royal as one of my favorite games ever.
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Note: This game knocked Uncharted 2 off the list only because I felt bad having 2 separate uncharted games taking up spots in my top 10. Uncharted 2 was previously at Number 8 and now bows out from its previous position as the best Uncharted game (/best of any game of this ilk).
Now that I've had some time away from it, I think I now know how to distil what I feel about Uncharted 4 down to words. This game reminds me what "growing up" really is. I can't say much more without spoilers, but I will say that that's a theme which few other games address, and no game of this type has ever addressed as well before.
In the midst of all the crazy shit going on, real people problems are at the heart of this in a way that it feels like they should be in more things. Because of that, I felt closer to some of the characters in Uncharted 4 than almost any other game. When things happen to them, you feel it in your guts. You feel heart break, despair, love, sadness, joy - all through empathy with what is happening on screen. At the core of it, it's all about relationships.
Oh, and it almost goes without saying to anyone else who's finished this game, that Uncharted 4 made me feel awe unlike any other game. Through a combination of best-in-class graphics and art design, the environments, set pieces, etc, etc, etc, are unlike anything else. Very few games inspire true awe and this is absolutely the highest among them.
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This game made me cry. Straight up, face-waterfall motherfucking-bawling-like-a-baby cry. Some of those tears were of sadness, others happiness and once I even cried out of sheer melancholy. Man.
The strengths of this game are its solid writing, likeable characters, good pacing and above all, an amazing original soundtrack.
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The game that partially defined my childhood.
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Easily my favourite Telltale game.
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