Warmachine

@edsone: All very good points. What it comes down to when I think of the 3 best games in my eyes is what sticks with me. Games like Battlefield and VirtuaFighter are fun at the time, sort of an immediate gratification, but I don't think about them anymore than is required to play them. As far as I can tell there is no depth that would make me ponder it after the experience is over. If you want to define 'great' with a kind of 'entertainment barometer' then I'd say the games that affected me even when I wasn't playing them or the ones that stimulated the most of my brain are the truly great ones. Keep in mind, this is all subjective...which is the best way to keep lists like this safe ;)

@believer258: Oh these definitely aren't immovable. This would have been a very different story 5 years ago.

@Sander: Its on my "Runners-up" list just above Advent Rising but below Hybrid Haven

@edsone: I guess the distinction I'm making is between good and great games. Sure, I like games like MechWarrior and Battlefield, but they're popcorn fun. Its kinda like comparing Transformers and 2001: A Space Odyssey. One is fun but one is provocative, it has staying power, it means something.

I probably shouldn't have numbered them as I don't know which is better than the other, but I'd agree that Half-Life 2 probably isn't my favorite game of all time. The story isn't anything revolutionary either, but it is delivered in such a...I don't know, mature way? It doesn't feel dumb in its content or delivery like so many other games. Its presented in the environment and through characters without feeling like exposition dumps between gameplay moments and without taking player control away. The characters and dialogue seem better realized to me than just about any game to come out this year.

*EDIT* And now I'm gonna add some of that to the post. Didn't have much time to write it to begin with since I'm at work :/

Braid is probably the game that I have thought about on a real intellectual level the most. I actually wrote a paper on it in college. Its a game that at the end you could go "Oh, its a game about a guy who wants to rescue a princess and then it turns out he was the bad guy" but you're only scratching the surface. Its a game that deals with quantum mechanics through the lens of Super Mario which is an achievement in and of itself. And when you consider the real final ending after collecting the secret stars it is apparent that the game was about something so much more than a relationship.

I've been thinking about my favorite games of all time recently and this is what I've come up with:

- Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 is a game that came out 8 years ago and still feels more mature and progressive than most modern games. The story-telling, pacing, variety and mechanics are leaps and bounds ahead of the majority of products in this medium. The story isn't revolutionary but it doesn't feel dumb in its content or delivery like so many other games. Its presented in the environment and through characters without feeling like exposition dumps between gameplay moments and without taking player control away. The characters and dialogue seem better realized to me than just about any game to come out this year.

- Braid

Braid was one of the first and only games that made me stop and digest the content like a good movie or book. It stuck with me afterward and begged for real analysis. It is one of the deepest experiences I've ever come across, not just in terms of narrative, but every aspect of design. One of the most important aspects of design for me is 'justification.' Is every piece of content included in the game justified in the world you are creating? Braid is a game where every piece of code and asset was put there not just for a reason, but because it was necessary to deliver the concepts the artist wished to communicate.

- Alan Wake

I am currently on my 3rd play-through of this game, which, on its own, is proof that I have a deep affection for it. With the amount of entertainment out there it says something that I take time to replay any experience I've had before. Alan Wake crafts such a deep world with rich fiction and profound sense of place that most games never get close to. Like Half-Life, Alan Wake has superb pacing and variety, never keeping you in the same place or doing the same thing for too long. Like Braid, the game stuck with me after completion. The narrative isn't spoon-fed to you and lends itself to being replayed and analyzed.

My girlfriend buys me stuff on Steam all the time so I'd always wished there were a way she could buy me a Whiskey Media Premium membership. Now how to drop the hint...

Excellent news! I bought Bioshock 2 on Steam and loved it and after hearing about Minerva's Den on the Bombcast I was pumped to play it. Glad I'll finally get the chance!

I had low expectations for Bioshock 2 but it was a surprisingly well done game. I'd love to see more single-player content for the game but seeing as I bought it on Steam I could be waiting for a while. Thanks, DICE, for destroying my confidence in PC ports.