Yo yo niggas fo sho. I was having a little convo earlier with a friend regarding our all time favourite video games. We moved on from that to series and character favourites and was wanting to spread it on here, just because I am bored. Well, not neccessarily favourites, more in your opinion what are the best. Ideally discuss why you think your chosen ones are the best. I know alot of people won't really agree with my choices, it is reflective of the consoles I own but I can only base this on my experiences. It is likely that if I owned more consoles, this list would be different but there ya go.
Top 10 Best Games Ever
1 - Final Fantasy VII - I loved just about every aspect of it. For me, an RPG must have a strong and engaging plot with a solid cast of characters. FF7 made me care about the characters, most if not all were strong characters unlike many other RPG's I have played, when Aries is killed I was totally shocked and it lasted for days, credit to the game for making me care.
I loved the pace of the story, from the outset I just knew that it was going to be epic and the way it builds from a bunch of terrorists blowing shit up to fighting to save the planet, exploring each of the characters motivations as the story unfolds, unravelling secrets of the past in order to change the present and the way it makes you contemplate the relationship bewteen ourselves and the planet, really in my opinion, created an unforgettable and totally amazing gaming experience.
2 - Command and Conquer Red Alert - Best PC game ever made. I fucking loved this game. The way each campaign pans out, with a far more serious tone than its sequel was epic. I struggle to find words to describe this game. It will forever hold a special place in my heart, an even more special place than the rest of the games listed. This was the first game that I got properly hooked on. It really made you feel like you were this badass commander and had a more realistic feel than the original Command and Conquer.
3 - Shadow of the Colossus - Beautiful. A totally refreshing approach to game design, on paper this game looks shit, 16 consequetive(sp) boss fights with the barest of plot pretences. How could it work? Beauty and atmosphere, thats how. The sense of isolation that builds with the deliberate lack of music as you run across barren lands to the tune of your horses steps, till eventually you encounter a moving mountain and are greeted by an epic musical score and even more epic a battle. Words really cannot do this game justice, it must be experienced.
4 - Resident Evil 4 - Whilst the original Resident Evil was pretty groundbreaking at its time, it was a long wait for the series to hit its peak. I must admit, I had a terrible struggle to get into the game, it took me over a year before I sat down and gave it a proper go. And looking back...this to me is what video games are all about.
RPGs tend to lean towards epic stories and strong characters with fairly basic and non testing gameplay (which I usually like), whilst alot of action adventure games focus more on its gameplay, they are more challenging and the story usually serves as a frame for the actual action gameplay. Not often does a game come along that not only strikes a nice balance between them, but is comprised with such excellence in its components.
This is a journey through a virtual, rural European hellhole that managed to create a brilliant sense of tension as you creep around, constantly looking over your shoulder for a derranged local ina desparate attempt to stay alive and find someone. The characters are strong, the plot takes you on a rollercoaster ride that is engaging and pulls you in and it is driven by some excellent gameplay mechanics.
Not necessarily anything original, it doesn't need to be. It is an example of tried and tested mechanics done well and set in a darkly atmoshperic world and plot and it just works.
5 - Sonic and Knuckles - I was a Sega man in the 90's, so instead of playing Mario, I played Sonic. Of all the Sonic games, my favourite and in my opinion the best was Sonic and Knuckles. For its time it looked amazing, it was an audio visual treat, the music from the Lava Reef Zone is my favourite game music of all time. I really felt a sense of climax to it as you neared the end of the game, winning over Knuckles and preparing to stop the deathegg was one of the most epic experiences available at the time.
The fast paced platform gameplay really appealed to me, integrated with the stunning backdrops, this was probably the closest thing to eye candy I had experienced at the time and for me was the best example of the genre I had encountered.
6 - Tekken 2 - Of all the beatem ups I have played, this one will always be in my eyes the best. I loved Mortal Combat, Street Fighter and just about every beatem up on the 16 bit consoles. On the 32 bit and above, Soul Blade/Calibur was excellent but Tekken 2 was just brilliant. At the time, it was a revelation. You could sit up all night having Tekken 2 tournaments with your friends...what a fucking game.
7 - Okami - Like Resident Evil 4, this game manages to strike an excellent balance between gameplay mechanics and plot and whilst some of the gameplay mechanics are a little weaker than they should be, the plot, environments and characters more than make up for it. This, like Shadow of the Colossus, is a work of beauty. It has a strange, almost childlike and naive charm about it, which at first can be hard to stomach but once you get into the adventure you come to love it.
8 - Streets of Rage - Oh shit son, best 2 player game ever. This was just fun, especially with a friend to play it with as you battle through the hordes of scum, trying not to fight your friend as a bottle hits you and he denies it, but you know he did it and then you use your special attack (calling the cops) just beforea boss to spite him and he gets pissed off and stops talking to you, but you keep going and get to the last boss, but he dies and you don't, you keep going and nail the fucker and all is forgiven and you maybe hug, but I don't because Im not gay.
9 - Gran Turismo 2 - I am not a fan of this genre but the Gran Turismo series, specifically the 2nd installment got me hooked. The career mode where you win races, get money, supe your car and try to get the driving licenses was awesome fun. It looked superb and it played like I imagined driving would be like. I include this mainly because it is a genre that does not appeal to me in the slightest, yet for some reason I couldn't put it down.
10 - World of Warcraft - I am not going to waste my time justifying this, people probably hate me enough for including it, but its a fucking phenomenon and as much as you may hate it, or play other ones to show that your not all like a sheep ya, games don't get this big unless it has something going for it.
I wanted to do like a best characters etc but I am tired. I will do some other time.
