Both correct!

Guessed by Darashiva

This impressive game boosted my view of the PlayStation 3 as a whole. The graphics, the gameplay, the characterisation and narrative, it was all mindblowing. The entire 'Uncharted' series is one of PlayStation's highlights, but the sequels haven't topped the second game. 'Among Thieves' was the most polished, had the most engaging story and set pieces and the best antagonist. This is also the game that comes with the most memorable levels. The third and fourth game also have their moments, the third especially, but none would win out against 'Uncharted 2's' prologue level, the train level later on, and of course the crumbling high-rise building which showed remarkable physics. All in all, this was just a good game.

#23: It appears Metal beats pretty much everything. It's overpowered really. But awesome.

Correct!

Mega Man 2?

Yes to both. 27 has the caveat on PS1 as being called Command & Conquer Red Alert: Retaliation, which just means it came with both expansions and some extras.

#25

Hollow Knight (PC)

Change From Last Year: +3

There have been very few games in recent years that have struck a chord with me quite like Hollow Knight did when I played through it last year. From the stellar world design that takes inspiration from games like Metroid and Dark Souls, to the gorgeous visuals, excellent music, near-perfect gameplay, and one of the best examples of subtle storytelling in video game history, everything about this game is exceptional. Every time I think about it I feel an urge to go back and replay it just so I can discover all the little secrets I missed the first time around, and the countless tiny, wonderful details Team Cherry put into this game that makes it feel so vibrant and memorable.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if next year Hollow Knight ends up even higher on my list, especially if I do end up replaying it at some point within the next 12 months. If you like games like Metroid, Dark Souls, Castlevania and the like and haven't yet played Hollow Knight, you're missing out on one of the absolute best video games of the last five years.

This is one of those games I want to try. It's on PS Now and I'm subscribed so hopefully I'll get some time to try it soon. Is the Dark Souls influence just aesthetic or is it in the gameplay too? I ask because I love Metroid and Castlevania, but I'm not so keen on Dark Souls.

The Dark Souls influence is perhaps more on how Hollow Knight tells its story. It lets the player discover much of the story elements as they travel around and explore the world. There aren't many cutscenes or the like, so the story is told through dialogue with NPCs and things like item descriptions. In terms of gameplay, it's probaby closer to the other two games, though probably a fair bit more challenging.

It is time.

I've been playing video games for 37-38 years.  With the exception of Pong, I've been around long enough to remember when every single major video game was considered current as long as it released in North America (which is where video games began).  I've seen both the peak and demise of the arcades.  I've seen consoles be wildly popular, die off and come back again several years later.  I've literally played thousands of games, so many that I really have no idea how many I've played.

For a game to get into my top 50 is a serious feat.  There are games I've spent hundreds of hours playing and still never made the top 50.  I love those games, but the top 50 is an exclusive list.  There are also games like Final Fantasy 1, which was one of my top 3 NES games 30 years ago, and yet it didn't make top 50.  A game has to be very fun or exceptional even with the passing of time.  And now it is time for me to give clues for my top 20, the creme de la creme.  Given, my list is dominated by RPGs, Strategy games, and 2D action games.  But acknowledging my biases, I really feel these are the top 20.

Here are the clues:

20  Fans of this series tend to really love this PS1 game.  Ironically it didn't sell nearly as well as several other entries of the series.  The fact that it released after the launch of the PS2 may have had something to do with it.

19  In spite of this game being called a black sheep today, this game sold amazingly well.  It was almost impossible to find a copy of this game in North American stores even several months after its release.

18  I really wanted Sega to make another game in the Shining Force series.  Instead they released this game on the PS3, which I like even better.

#24 - The last RPG from the franchise for PS1. In this game you have a Princess, a Black mage and a Knight in your party.