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[badgenome]

31. Medieval II: Total War (PC)



Puts the "grand" in "grand strategy game". Medieval II has about a million problems, ranging from dodgy AI to broken units to fatal crashes when the computer doesn't know how to handle a given situation, but it's probably stolen more hours of my life precious than any other game because there's nothing else quite like it. Just when I'll think I've finally had enough of this game and its unending bullshit, that itch to conquer Europe will find me again.

30. Secret of Mana (SNES, iOS, not XBLA/PSN for some fucking reason)



The above picture has always left me awestruck to the point of being near tears. In that way it's pretty representative of the game itself, as Secret of Mana boasts a world that is just so huge and varied that it inspires an almost constant sense of wonder. Although it is almost relentlessly colorful and whimsical (overalls for armor, healing with magic candy, and, of course, rabites), its save-the-world storyline is definitely "Square epic" and gets surprisingly heavy at times. I was already a worshiper at the altar of Squaresoft thanks to Final Fantasy IV, but playing a Square game with a friend usually meant one person plays while the other watches. Secret of Mana's support for drop in, drop out co-op was nothing short of a revelation. (Another revelation: I only just discovered within the past year or so that the Girl actually has pointed ears! I always thought it was just her hair covering part of her ear. My head is still spinning!)

29. Mass Effect 3 (X360, PS3, PC, Wii U)



Sure, the end is shit and a terrible send off for a truly great trilogy, but the 99% of the game's content that precedes it is some of the most emotionally engaging stuff I've ever experienced from a video game. The prior two installments' worth of decisions culminated in such a way that it gave a remarkable sense of ownership to the proceedings - this was my story. I'd grown to love and depend on all these characters, and the resolution of their stories mattered to me. Bioware did not disappoint there, in many instances even exceeding my lofty expectations. Such a shame about that ending!

28. Doom (approximately every system ever)



When I was 11, what I most appreciated about Doom was its shocking ultraviolence. But as I grow older and games become increasingly like interactive movies, it's the above that makes me come to appreciate Doom more and more with each passing year.