Top 10 Games - Any Platform

[NAto]

Defense of the Ancients (DotA)

I've probably wasted too much time and energy on this game, reaching the inhouse league in my country. I just can't believe how fantastic this game is though. The strategy, planning and skill involved makes this game incredibly dynamic. The teamwork element can either have you and your team patting each other on the back for perfectly executed team moves or at each other's throats for incompetence. The graphics and atmosphere of course lack due to the limited WarCraft3 engine, but to be honest in terms of gameplay the engine suits it perfectly. I was almost like it was made for DotA, as opposed to DotA being made as an addon for WC3. All in all I've had some great laughs, fun and frustration with friends and randoms like within this game.

World of Warcraft

This game got me through the honours year of my degree. The social element kept me company after my late hours of studying and insomnia from stress. The competitive element kept me on edge and having fun. Blizzard sticked true to their high reputation in this game, as there is much more to it than just the grinding/addictive gameplay. The atmosphere, sounds and music are wonderful and one can easily immerse oneself in the setting (I often had private roleplaying in my mind when playing). The PvP system is incredibly complex and fun and caters for your every playstyle with battlegrounds, arenas and different classes. PvE can be a little boring if you're grinding, but trying to do a dungeon/raid with friends can be loads of fun if you've never completed it before. All in all though, this game probably takes too much time and attention and I'd rather not play it again.

Blood

I remember seeing Daedalus play this game at his house when Blood just came out. We switched the lights off and it was actually kind of scary for us. I rediscovered Blood when I was in my first year of university and played it quite a lot since then. I don't think I have to comment on the game itself, as I'm sure you all know enough

Dawn of War

The best RTS ever made. It is totally unmatched in atmosphere and sound. The gameplay seems to fit right in with the atmosphere as well. The developers seemed to have mixed their own style of play (seen on Company of Heroes as well) with the tabletop WH2K style. The result is some really epic battles that keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole game. Had tons of fun with Matt specifically on this one. For the Emprah!

Starcraft

This applies to all releases of the game. The game's balance and competitive element is incredible. I had many hours of fun playing this with friends (SC1 and 2). Needless to say the campaigns, music and atmosphere are wonderful as well.

Diablo

I have spent a disgusting amount of time on this game (1 and 2). The atmosphere, music and visuals are incredible if properly appreciated. The gameplay is great, but I still wonder why I keep playing this game over and over. Anyway, I've also had many hours of fun with friends on this one.

Baldur's Gate

Undoubtedly the best RPG of all time (Mainly Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal). This game is incredible in just about every single way. One of the most impressive achievements, which I don't think any other game has achieved ever, is that not one single fight in that game is random or pointless. There is always a reason or story for fighting the enemies you fight. Whether it be some muggers who want your coin, the crazy wizard you fight in the underdark or the giant dragon in his lair, there is dialogue and a reason behind EVERYTHING. I have played this game many, many times and if I had the opportunity I'd play it many times more in the future.

Jedi Knight

I only played the ones from Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II and onwards. I can't think of anything particularly fantastic to say about this game, other than that I really liked the gameplay and played them all many times. There's just something about those lightsaber fights which makes me win, load and replay them many times, savouring each moment.

Deus Ex

I only played through this game twice, but even so I think it is one of the best games I ever played. Story, gameplay, atmosphere, music, etc. They're all perfect and work together to form a masterpiece of a game. I wish I had given this game more attention, but oh well.

I think I'll leave it at that, as I can't decide on the final one. I'll just leave honourable mentions

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Age of Empires, Red Alert, Worms, STALKER, The Witcher, Unreal, Quake, Left4Dead, Half-Life, Alpha Centauri, Mass Effect, Master of Orion 2.

[Daedolon]

I should probably do an updated list soon.

[Six]

I'll take a crack at this.



1. Doom: Cliché perhaps, but Doom has, and will always be my all time favourite, mostly due the the fact that it was the first game i ever played back in '94. I was a young lad at the tender age of 5. My step dad introduced me to the game and i was absolutely mesmerized, the monsters were cool, the violence was heavy, the levels were daunting, and these were a perfect build up of anticipation, i just had to play the game myself! I have very vague memories of me playing certain levels all those years ago, really revives the nostalgia. Of course even to this day i'm an avid player and mapper of Doom, also being part of the community.

2. Blood: I first discovered Blood around 10 years ago in 2002, and man alive it was a breath of fresh air. After the years previous playing games like the Quake series, Duke Nukem 3D etc, Blood was unfortunate in arriving late in my life, but even still, after experiencing the more modern shooters, it stood out in its magnificence. If i could select any game that resembles a pure work of art, Blood would be this tittle. It's such a shame that there hasn't been another game like it ever since, but to replicate the same formula that created the game would be incredibly difficult.



3. Resident Evil (Remake): Being a horror fan, playing the first Resident Evil on the Playstation was an incredible experience. I remember renting the game twice because i didn't manage to finish the game the first time around, and i had a week with each rental! Granted i was only 10 at the time so my puzzle solving skills weren't as advanced as today's. Nevertheless, after embarking the game cube remake, i was astounded. The game was brought to life buy its incredible visuals and atmosphere. I had never played a game so detailed, so advanced, and even to this day the graphics are still absolutely excellent and the realism in the animations are top quality, especially for a 2002 game.



4. Silent Hill 3: I discovered the title purely by chance. I was in the video game store in 2003 just browsing the PS2 titles, and i saw Silent Hill 3. The cover art drew me in like an enchantment, simple in design, but creates a sense of foreboding, as if to say that if i did play this game, i would wet my pants. After purchasing and popping the game into the console, i was hooked. The game was very disturbing, very dark and chaotic, and the atmosphere was through the roof. Every step stood in the game was an intense build up of fear. The noises, the locations, it was horror in its purist form.

5. Manhunt: A very brutal, yet incredibly fun game. Stealth and survival have been utilized here very efficiently, creating a game that's both intense and immersive. The atmosphere is gritty and chaotic and the story is alluding but these are a blend that create the perfect setting. You're a man bent on survival, and if others must die then so be it.

6. Hexen: Puzzle solving galore! But this is what made the game a great adventure. Progressing through the game and its many hubs really created the sense of journey and progression. With every step stood was a step into a whole other world of exploration.

7. Heretic: Believe it or not i do prefer Hexen to Heretic, but not by a huge margin. Heretic is a great experience in a surreal world, with each episode introducing new monsters and darker surroundings, it was very fun to play through and will always hold a spot in the top 10.

8. Tomb Raider 3: Even though the first of the series was grand and introduced a new league of exploration, and the second explored a wider range of locations and gameplay, the third instalment to me is the most memorable, purely by the fact that it drove me crazy. Tomb raider 3 was a whole new range of difficulty, and this is precisely the reason i love it. I remember all the times i failed and died miserably that its fixed in my mind forever, but even so i enjoyed every moment of it. The game is giant, and the locations are excellent, London being my all time favourite.



9. GTA3: Perhaps the first sandbox game i ever had the pleasure to play. The settings and gritty urban theme is what keeps me coming back to this title. I never got the same feeling from the newer titles.



10. Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare: The game everyone loves to hate, but i love it because it reminds me of the Resident Evil series. Great atmosphere, great gameplay, great memories.

[Suture]

Fuck yeah, Grand Theft Auto III is still my favourite installment in the GTA series. I suppose I should take a crack at this as well.

10. SimCity 3000 Unlimited

My favourite one out of the series because it came with a built-in building editor. I used to BAP like crazy in the old days (which was like 10 years ago from now). And because playing this is so nostalgic it goes on my Top 10. Crazy thing is is that the old site is still up and people actually still submit their BAPping creations.

9. BioShock

Atmosphere was great, weapons were fun to use, all around fun but slightly repetitive game.

8. Grand Theft Auto III

First real sandbox game I ever played, and as Six said, the atmosphere just keeps me coming back for more.

7. Duke Nukem 3D

Loved the weapons and some of the levels. All the custom singleplayer missions keep me playing this however and because of that I'd say it's my one of Top 10.

6. DOOM II

Call me a weirdo for not liking the original as much, but blame my father. As an accident he got me the sequel instead of the original for my birthday years and years ago. I suppose that's the reason why when I think of DOOM, I think of Map01's song from DOOM II instead of E1M1 from DOOM.

5. Half-Life

This game right here, got me back into PC gaming a few years ago. Aside from it being fun as hell to play deathmatch, I hammer out maps for it once in awhile.

4. Half-Life: Opposing Force

It's pretty strange that I would have two titles from the same series on my Top 10, but this game is just so fucking fun I had to put it on the list. If you're interested in some classic Deathmatch action sometime, I have a server for Opposing Force CTF and Deathmatch.

3. Blood

For all of the obvious reasons.

2. Deus Ex

No explanation needed for how great this game is.

1. Zombies Ate My Neighbors

My first game that I had ever played. It really has an atmosphere that has never been duplicated and the way it pokes fun at 50's B-Movies is hilarious, well deserved #1 in my opinion. Such a shame that Ghoul Patrol was such a failure...

[Daedalus]

Somewhat disturbing lack of Blood at position 1 around here.

Six - we've got some folks here who appreciate Doom. Feel free to make a thread shamelessly plugging your Doom work if you like. (;

[Six]

I might just do that in future

Of course i would need to actually finish material before producing it. I have a habit of starting a map, but never finishing it.

[ryu91]

Top 10 games eh. All right then writing time.

10: Super Mario 3D Land.

I spent countless hours playing this. Rather short, what Mario game isn't, but I have played a Mario title so addicting since Bros 1 and 3 on the original NES. Not only is the gameplay very familiar, but the new features from older titles make a return which is awesome (along with some familiar music tracks). Check it out if you get the chance, especially if you loved older Super Mario titles.

9: Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Ah yes the new MMO that just came out last month. This game beats the addiction I had with Star Wars Galaxies. I love a good story, but the gameplay (while MMOish) I actually enjoy a lot. Maybe because of the universe it takes place in, plus it was developed by BioWare. A game company which dedicates itself to their games. Currently I'm playing as a Smuggler Scoundrel and after the beta weekends, I actually began to enjoy my class a hell of a lot more.

8. Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

What a great prequel to one of the greatest FPS/RPG hybrids ever created. So good that I ended up bragging about it to my fiance (She LOVES video games and I try to get her to purchase some great games... Even if I have to be evil to make her >.> which actually worked because she bought herself Skyrim). Honestly I believe this is the directions First Person Shooters should be heading. And that's being said in turn of Story, Gameplay, etc. You're no ordinary human, you're augmented and in the world of Deus Ex, Augmentations = Super Soldier. Even if the stealth was heavily focused on, it ranks up the most Experience, thus you level up faster and use your Praxis Points to increase your effectiveness in combat. And at the end of the game who couldn't resist singing Yahtzee's lyrics to the original theme.

7: Fallout 3.

If it wasn't for this title I wouldn't even care for the Deus Ex series. Granted Fallout's world is MUCH more broad than Human Revolution. And also there's something about mutants or monsters that I find more fun to kill than say RUSSIANS. I apologize to anyone here who is Russian, but I'm sure you'll understand that we have WAY too many shooters centered around a war with Russia. Where was I... oh yes Fallout. I honestly love how the story is handled and the many side quests to do in between the Main Quest. The weapons are great to use as well (especially a GIANT FUCKING ROBOT), whether you prefer melee or ranged. I find the combat to be as effective as the character you're roleplaying as.

6: Final Fantasy VI.

I love RPGs, I mean I just named a couple which I had the most fun playing. Now we delve into which Final Fantasy is the greatest. VI is definitely one of my favorites, very close to IX which was my first PlayStation Final Fantasy. The story, the characters, and how valuable a character can be in combat. Plus the music was fantastic. EVERY track was perfect for each scene it represented, and I could play for hours and not be bored.

5: Star Wars: Tie Fighter

This was THE definitive Star Wars experience, especially with the fact that you're an Imperial Pilot. Flying really really weak Star Fighters the Empire would always send to their deaths. But you weren't canon fodder, with your skills, you made one a laughable ship into a dangerous weapon. I would watch my father play it for hours until years later I got a copy on 5 floppy discs. Oh wow, the days of using a joystick in a flight sim were fun, but also frustrating. Plus it had some amazing tracks, the gameplay was improved over X-Wing's, and the story was really good in defining the Galactic Empire. Oh and each Star Fighter were great to fly, especially the TIE Defender.

4: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

C'mon some people should've seen this coming after I mentioned it. Here is the standpoint where we need RPG to be. The customization I think is unheard of, and possibly the greatest use of it. Depending on how YOU want to play, the gameplay allows you to develop in that way. Rather than have to use several points to make your character better, level up and use one perk to advance your profession. And Dragons... Nothing is as epic as facing a dragon with a sword and shield and in First Person. Also the side quest are quite fun to do, and I ended up becoming a Companion (WOO WEREWOLVES!!!!)

3: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Oh Majora's Mask. I love stories with a dark and depressing setting, and playing a role in which you have to fix it all. Also a nice change from the usual Zelda story. The masks also made a quite a difference in gameplay, whether transformation or a special ability that saves items or aquires them. Majora's Mask set itself apart as in pretty much all aspects of a Zelda title. Definitely worth a playthrough.

2: Killing Floor.

LOADS OF MONEEEEEY!!!!! I honestly enjoyed playing this game, it's a round survival horror game centered around you, five people, loads of guns, clone cannibals, a mad scientist and DOSH!!!! For a game running a on the UT 2.5 engine, it actually look as good, if not better, than say Modern Warfare. Not only that but it get's pretty tense on harder difficulties and 6 players on a server. Oh and you get perks which you can level up and actually have a use. Especially if you prefer to play as a certain type of character.

1: Blood.

As much as I love Killing Floor, there is just something about Blood. I love everything about the game and then some. I'm no horror buff, but Blood changed that. I love horror and I love how twisted Blood is. It's like you're an action hero badass who heals himself with hearts, use magical items, and spit out witty one liners that never get old. It's like the game for me because if I see monsters, mutants, or just evil religious fanatics I basically want to destroy them in any possible way. Hopefully where they're just gory remains. To me I find that very satisfying, especially when they scream in pain as they die. There is no game like Blood and honestly it has possibly some of the best ideas for a cheap, fun, next gen indie title.

[Umnir]

^ Quite young titles, kind of hard to take it seriously to be honest. Looks like excitement of new, rather than looking back and remembering the good ones.

[ryu91]

Yes they are quite young, but still were very enjoyable. Sadly while I was growing up I had to miss out on games like System Shock, Deus Ex (thankfully that's on Steam), Quake, Blood (I got into it around mid 2000s), Thief, and some other classics. It was only until I had a job that I started getting more and more into DOS and Windows 9x titles.

[Panoptic Blur]

I just finished Majora's Mask. Really amazing game - well worth trying. A much darker take on the Zelda characters than the usual Zelda fare, and the game is somewhat non-canonical because of it. But a truly amazing breadth of NPCs and side quests to accomplish.

Some of them are just tiny vignettes, others have surprising depth and ethical questions raised. In one example, if you go to the inn at a given (but arbitrary) time and check in, you'll be given a key and told you have a reservation even though you do not. Going up to the room allows you to open a chest there, which has a large sum of money in it. So far, so good.

But later in the day, a guest arrives. It's his reservation you just took. The innkeeper deals with him and he is turned out into the street. If you leave the inn again, you'll see him sleeping against the wall just outside the inn. Nothing else is made of this, but the player is left to ask all the questions - have I just defrauded a harmless third party out of their room, their reservation, and their money in the bedroom?


The same innkeeper is the center of one of the most well-done, bittersweet, emotionally realistic romance plots I've ever seen in a game. SPOILERS FOLLOW.

Spoiler: show

Anju and Kafei have known each other since childhood and are engaged to be married. Anju has made her bride mask and gown, but Kafei has gone missing. At first it seems like Kafei has jilted and abandoned Anju - and if you do nothing, then this is essentially what the story becomes. Anju takes breaks from her work at the inn to ask passersby about her missing fiancé, and if you catch her at the laundry pool in an unguarded moment, you can see her weeping with the possibility that he left her because of who she was. If you do nothing, Anju remains convinced that Kafei is out there, but she doesn't know where. Eventually her friends and family flee to a ranch, and she goes with them, crying. She abandons her mask and gown in the bedroom. When the moon strikes, she dies in hiding along with everybody else.

If you try to help, there are several different levels of success and failure you can achieve. Follow Anju around, and you'll see a different story develop: Kafei is still sending her letters, and Anju gives you a letter to deliver to Kafei.

If you follow the mailman around, you see him deliver the letter to Kafei - and you learn Kafei's secret: he has been transformed into a little boy, and somebody stole his bridegroom mask. He gives you a necklace that belongs to Anju. If you give her the necklace, she decides to wait for Kafei, even though the world will be destroyed on the eve of their wedding.

If you do nothing else, Kafei will become trapped in the mask-stealer's lair, and die there along with everybody else when the world ends. Anju will die in her bedroom, faithfully awaiting a betrothed who never arrives.

If you help Kafei find the thief who stole his mask and help him recover it, Kafei takes the mask and runs back to town as fast as he can, as midnight is approaching. With just a few hours left before the world is destroyed, Kafei makes it back to Anju's room just before midnight. She looks at him, sees that he's become a child, but is carrying the mask that shows he's going to marry her. And all she says is, "Welcome home."

They are quickly married in a simple ceremony, with Anju having to kneel in order to embrace the child Kafei. You are the only witness, because all their family and friends have abandoned the town ahead of the impending disaster. With just a few minutes left before the moon strikes the earth, they both look out of her window and they tell you to take cover and leave them: "We will greet the morning together," they say. If you do not stop the destruction of the world, the couple will die - after indeed spending the short remainder of their lives together.

The only way to have a happy ending is to do everything right, and then finish the main quest (stopping the world from being destroyed). In an epilogue cutscene, you see Anju at a wedding, from the implied viewpoint of Kafei, the groom. The heights are roughly level, suggesting that Kafei's childhood curse was lifted and he returned to being a grown man once more.

It's one of the most powerful stories I'd ever seen in a video game. And it comes from a game that's 12 years old, so facial animations were still in their infancy. Furthermore, the game was translated from the Japanese.




Both of these side stories can be seen in this side quest runthrough here: