No. 50: Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP)
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/game/7385/crisis-core-final-fantasy-vii/
The PSP action-RPG prequel to the best selling Final Fantasy game. It fills in the gaps left in the Final Fantasy VII story and actually provides a decent FFVII spin-off. You take on the role of Zack, and discover the full truth behind the events leading up to FFVII including how Cloud ended up in Midgar in the state he was in, the nature of Aeris' previous relationship and Sephiroth's shady past. The action gameplay is both tactical and fun, the graphics are the some of the best on the PSP (excluding the 2 God of War games it is the best imo), and the story is highly engaging. It also has extra missions that fit in nicely for a hand-held game. A fine prequel to a classic game.
No. 49: God of War II (PS2, HD remake on PS3)
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/game/6078/god-of-war-ii/
Sequel to the gloriously epic hack n' slash God of War. The God of War series is filled with amazing action gameplay, brutal and gory combos, massive boss battles and epic scale. This is my fave of the series (although I've yet to play God of War III). The story is told well but what really impressed me was just how far they managed to push the PS2 hardware and how brilliant the level design was. Awesome game.
No. 48: Starquake (Amstrad CPC, also available on Atari, Amiga, BBC Micro, DOS, Commodore 64)
First game that's not in the VGChartz database. This game is about as old as me (25 years) and holds a special place in my heart as I used to play this constantly on my old tape based Amstrad CPC. This game really pushed my imagination with it's sheer size and scale. You control B.L.O.B (Bio-Logically Operated Being) whose ship has crash-landed on planet and the crash has disrupted the planets core. In order to stabilise the planet and leave, you have to collect different ship components spread across the planet and bring them back together. Of course, the planets lifeforms see you as hostile and try to kill you.
This game had so many different elements, especially for a game made in 1985. Teleporters (where you had to remember the name of each location to type in), hover boards and BLOB has the ability to build his own platforms to climb. The only problem I had was the game was too damn hard as the component locations kept shifting with each new game and the place you had to take them also shifted. The play area was absolutely massive as seen here (too big to post):
http://maps.speccy.cz/map.php?id=Starquake
No. 47: Goldeneye 007 (N64)
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/game/877/goldeneye-007/
"Shock! Horror! What is Goldeneye doing so low down the list?!" I hear many ask. Well, the reason for this is I never owned an N64 and I never played further than the first level in single player. My experiences of Goldeneye are all from 4-player N64 parties where we spent at least 60% of the time playing this game, and that alone was enough to cement a place in my top 50. I have fond memories of playing this in multiplayer as a kid. This game proved FPS' could be popular on consoles and is one of the best multiplayer games ever created.
No. 46: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii, also on Gamecube)
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/game/4573/the-legend-of-zelda-twilight-princess/
My favourite Wii game so far, and the first non-handheld title of the gen to make the list. This brought so many memories back of the 2D Zelda's having skipped the N64 and and Gamecube. It epitomised so many things that make Zelda the great franchise it is today. Solid combat, fun overworld, interesting dungeons and the introduction of some gameplay elements like the wolf changing dynamic worked really well and added a new dimension to the game. Not without its flaws, for instance it seemed that some of the dungeons weren't integrated into the game as a whole as certain items were redundant after their first dungeon. However, overall it was a brilliant game.
No. 45 Tomb Raider Legend (PC)
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/game/13233/tomb-raider-legend/
After the disaster of Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, the Tomb Raider franchise needed a reboot. Tomb Raider Legend delivered that reboot masterfully. I've always been a fan of the Tomb Raider games, and this one delivered some much needed gameplay changes with a good story to boot. Rather than the clunky gameplay of previous games, it used some Prince of Persia-esque platforming combined with some great puzzles. It also had a section set in Nepal which is where my parents are from so it holds a special place for me personally.
No. 44: Duke Nukem 3D (PC)
Hail to the King Baby! Probably the fourth FPS I ever played, and boy was it fun. Great action, fun enemies (pig cops anyone?), original weaponry, the most cliched hero in existence, sexual content and some good adult humor to boot (which was extra funny c'os I was only 9/10 when I first played it :P). After games like Doom and Wolfenstein where you could only shoot straight, it was refreshing to have a game where you could not only aim up and down, but also fly around in a jetpack. Basically, a fun FPS that doesn't take itself too seriously (seriously, ripping an alien's head off and taking a dump down it's neck?!).
No. 43: Prince of Persia (PS3, also on 360 & PC)
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/game/24825/prince-of-persia/
This was my first Prince of Persia game and quite simply, the platforming was sublime. It's not without it's flaws; the enemies are repetitive and combat's too simple, but overall it was a good experience. I liked the way they circumvented the need to reload from checkpoints and the dying mechanic and the art style was a refreshing change from the usual brown and grey of games released around the sametime. The way the relationship between the Prince and Elika was built was also done very well. I think part of the reason I enjoyed the game is because gameplay mechanics were actually relaxing. I could play at my own pace whilst enjoying the artwork, the platforming mechanics just plain worked, and it was near impossible to become frustrated because there was never a reload screen. Underrated and misunderstood game imo.
No. 42: Rise of Nations (PC)
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/game/12711/rise-of-nations/
First RTS game on the list and what an RTS it is! This game is so very addictive. Spaning the dawn of civilisation to the modern day, this game blended the balanced RTS of Age of Empires with the depth of Civilisation into one awesome package. I love civilisation and epoch based strategy games so this was right up my alley. The game was just great fun. The only downside was if the game went to the final age then things became very insane to the point where strategy went out the window and you just went all out. To be honest though, I kinda liked the insanity!
No. 41: Tekken 5 (PS2)
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/game/2346/tekken-5/
The Tekken series has been my favourite beat-em-up franchise since Tekken 2. This represents the best of Tekken (with the possible exception of Tekken 6 which I've yet to play). It takes the Tekken formula, and optimises it whilst rectifying some of the annoyances of Tekken 4 (e.g. small arenas). The only thing that could have made this better was if the brough in the tag mode from Tekken Tag. My favourite 3D fighter.
No. 40: Heavy Rain (PS3)
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/game/7703/heavy-rain/
Having played Farenheit/Indigo Prophecy before, I was really looking forward to this game and it surpassed it's spiritual predecessor in every way. The story was engrossing, the characters entertaining and was overall a top experience. It's not without faults, as the story has a few plot holes and considerring how your actions manipulate the story, I was hoping that the killer would change with your actions. However, it's still an entertaining adventure game that does something different in an HD market filled with multiplayer focused shooters.
No. 39: Bomb Jack (Amstrad CPC, also on ZX Spectrum, Commodore 16 & 64, Arcades, Game Boy, Atari, Amiga Java ME and Wii Virtual Console)
Quite a graphical difference from no. 40 Heavy Rain! This 2D platformer is easily one of my fave games of all time. A simple concept and pure retro gameplay. You could jump, leap high and glide; simple! You play superhero Bomb Jack, who has to collect 24 bombs placed in five tourist locations. As soon as you got the first bomb another would start sparkling and if you collected >19 sparkling bombs then you got bonus points. Once you collected all 24 bombs, you moved onto the next stage. Of course, you had robot enemies chasing you who moved and spawned faster with every level. This game was so addictive, I even managed to get my mum to play this regularly.
No. 38: Final Fantasy X (PS2)
A somewhat controversial choice. I was really looking forward to this when it was released and I remember my original thoughts were "Holy crap, this looks amazing!". The graphics really were amazing for the time, but on top of that it had some entertaining characters, some good level design, and a battle system that both improved the pace and strategy of the battles. The story was also quite interesting although let down by the horrible Western voice acting. The FF purists may complain it lacked a world map and was too linear, but playing through again it actually has a variety of different areas to visit & later revisit, a good number of optional bosses and an enjoyable mini game in Blitzball.
No. 37: Warcraft 3 and Frozen Throne Expansion (PC)
Before the monster that is World of Warcraft, there was a humble fantasy RTS series with RPG elements. The third in the series was the one to suck me in. Very rarely is a single player story mode done as well in the RTS genre as Blizzard manage it and Warcraft 3 epitomised how Blizzard are so successful in that department. This is saying nothing of the 4 races, the balance between them and the cool fantasy world that ended up spawning the biggest MMO to date. The only downside was that levelling your hero sometimes took focus away from the startegy in the game, but it was fun nonetheless.
No. 36: Portal (PC, also on 360, and PS3 Orange Box)
This was pure genius. Only a few hours long with a few bonus maps, but everything was sheer brilliance. The innovative portal gun, some inventive and mind bending physics puzzles and wonderfully funny. I played this on my own and went through the whole thing in a single sitting. A few weeks later I spent a few hours of a gaming session with some mates going through the campaign and simply laughing at their reactions. Pure gaming genius.
No. 35: Assassin's Creed 2 (PS3, also on 360)
I enjoyed the first, but it had its flaws. This fixed the flaws and expanded on the good things in the original. The free running, platforming and cool assassinations remained, but there was also a quality sandbox game with numerous activities, and a decently fleshed out story with enough mystery to keep things interesting.
No. 34: The Witcher (PC)
Oddly I got this game after a Zero Punctuation review (he hated it!). Everything he complained about I knew I would enjoy and I was right. The fantasy and magical world created by Adrzej Sapkowski is one filled interesting characters, deadly politics and ambiguous morality and this translated beautifully into the game. Unlike most Western RPGs where moral choices are almost clearly defined by good/bad/neutral (think Mass Effect wheel, Forgotten Realms alignment, Light/Dark side in SW), in The Witcher, your choices had major outcomes where there was no clear right or wrong. The way they handled the "adult" content was a bit weird, but otherwise, a superb WRPG. Can't wait for the sequel!
No. 33: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (PC, also on X-box)
Obsidian have a knack for making good sequels using someone elses' tech and world. This was a top quality sequel which in many aspects and features, improved on the original. Characters were well fleshed out and highly interesting with your character having a major influence on them to the point of turning them to the light or dark side. Unfortunately, it feels unfinished towards the end (well, it actually was unfinished), resulting it it landing at a reasonable 33rd place. Modders on the PC version have tried to restore the cut content, but I have yet to try these mods.
No. 32: Call of Duty (PC, now on PSN and X-Box Live)
The original, and some would say the best. IMO, the World War 2 genre would have died a lot sooner had it not been for this game. It cemented all the core elements that made the sequels as huge as they are. A solid single-player campaign told from 3 aspects (American, English & Russian), each with its own style and the core multiplayer CoD gameplay. Unlike most games at the time, it added a stealth element to the multiplayer making it all the more fun. When I think back to CoDs humble beginnings, I can't help but feel that some of the charm and passion present in this are now missing from the most recent iterations with fun but rather cheap gimmicks like Zombie mode.
No. 31: Neverwinter Nights 2 (& Mask of the Betrayer) (PC)
Another RPG, another sequel, another game developed by Obsidian. This game was highly enjoyable. with some amazing characters and was a welcome return to the Forgotten Realms. A welcome feature was the return to 4-character parties rather than just the single sidekick of NWN1. It had virtually everything you'd want from a WRPG and even added a lil' bit of sim city when you get your fort. The only downsides were that it ran poorly (poorly optimised) for a game that looked good, but not amazing and that Neverwinter (the city) seemed smaller than the original. It also didn't really bring anything truly innovative to table and stuck to the typical WRPG formula (not neccessarily a bad thing mind).
No. 30: Unreal Tournament (PC also on DC, PS2)
Players of all online multiplayer FPS' owe this game a lot. This was the first to prove that online and multiplayer focused FPS' could sell. It had some amazing and fun arenas (Matrix-like Morpheous and Facing Worlds come to mind straight away), lots of different game modes, innovative mods and interesting weapons. The fast paced action was only rivaled by Quake III Arena, but the sheer plethora of extra features made Unreal Tournament the better package for me. Add to this the fact that it was a PC game that could run off the disc and the fact that it was one of the first games to fully push online play and you have both a pioneer and a classic in the same package.
No. 29: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Game Boy)
You'll all probably be suprised to hear this is the highest Zelda on my list. It's also the first Zelda game I ever played and quite simply, I played this solidly for months (at home, at school, on the way to school/home, before dinner, after dinner etc.). It was just so addicitive and really pushed my young imagination. I didn't care the graphics were 2D or that the graphics had no colour (prior to GB Colour), it was pure adventure gaming bliss. I completed it twice, and in my 2nd playthrough I didn't die once and pretty much did everything (including collecting the heart pieces). Love this game.
No. 28 Tomb Raider (PS & PC, also on Sega Saturn, remade as Tomb Raider Anniversary)
The game that lead to numerous sequels, sparked off the careers of a number of attractive models and spawned two films starring the gorgeous Angelina Jolie. During the PS1 era when 3D graphics were only just taking off, this game was revolutionary. Full 3D worlds to traverse, interesting puzzles and some stand out shock moments. It spawned many sequels and eventually needed a full re-envisioning in the following console gen, but the original in itself was a fantastic game.
No. 27 Age of Mythology & Titans expansion (PC)
After Age of Empires and Age of Empires 2 came Age of Mythology. Rather than the strict rules of history Ensemble decided to go the route of incorporating mythology which opened up the game to a whole new batch of units and gameplay options. Myth units such as Collossi, Krakens, Hydras, Mummy's, Frost Giants and Dragons to god powers such as massive lightning strikes, wolves attacking enemy town centers and underworld passages to quickly transport your units. Three (later four) unique factions and a suprisingly good and well-told single player story mode. Not particularly balanced if I'm honest, but the additions made it good solid fun.
No. 26 Counterstrike & Counterstrike: Source (PC)
One of only a few multiplayer only games on this list. This game is simply superb and still being played today by many, many people, even though it started over 10 years ago as nothing more than a Half-Life mod. Since then it's been updated with the Source engine and is just a simply brilliant multiplayer game. I remember not being particularly good, but loving it nonetheless.
No. 25 Final Fantasy VI (PS, also played on ZSNES emulator, also on SNES, GBA)
Completely expecting a "too early, lawl lawl" from Darth here and to be honest I'm suprised this is so early as it's my second fave Final Fantasy (too many good games!). The cast of characters is just brilliant and really well fleshed out with a great story and steam-punk world. It also has the famous Opera scene and the near-perfect balance of story driven and open world gameplay. To be honest, this game is near perfection for the Final Fantasy games.
No. 24 Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
The end of a fantastic series for Solid Snake. This rounded up the loose ends of the Metal Gear story with an amazing package. Did it have too many cut-scenes? Possibly, but in many ways they were neccessary to flesh out the complex story Hideo Kojima had created and to link in all the previous games. The first two levels were fantastic, the game mechanics vastly improved upon and it was the perfect end to Solid Snake's story in the world of Metal Gear.
No. 23 Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
It's difficult to compare this game to anything else. It's a series of boss battles where each one is it's own puzzle adventure as you try to figure out how to defeat them and each one is unique and brilliant in design. The game is highly unique with it's minimalist design. Nothing interferes with your exploration of the game. The immense freedom and the feeling of lonliness somehow just works with the game's atmosphere and enable you to bond with Agro (the horse). On a number of occassions I found myself just wandering the world with Agro and just taking in the scenery. And the visuals for a PS2 were absolutely fantastic. HDR lighting on a PS2?! Impressive stuff.
No. 22 Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Game of the Year Edition (PC, also on X-box)
It seems fitting that I post this today, a little after Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been announced. This game just shows why the Elder Scrolls series is considerred one of the best WRPG franchises in existence. A wonderful open world that's highly unique in it's art-style and architecture; cities made from the carcasses of giant crabs, nomadic tribes, mechanical ruins and a range of natural scenery. As soon as you get off the boat there is just so much to do, so many skills to learn, places to explore and guilds to join. One of the best open-world RPGs ever created.
No. 21 Starcraft (PC)
If you like RTS, then you have to have played this game. Looking back, it was a little unoriginal; 2 resources, 3 factions, basic RTS gameplay. The appeal of Starcraft was that you didn't care because it did all these things better than nearly any other game. The balance of the factions was near perfect and would attain perfection over the comming years, the multiplayer was great fun, and the single-player was the best for its time. Easily, one of the best RTS games ever created.
No. 20 Chrono Trigger (SNES)
The SNES and PS1 gens saw some of the greatest JRPGs ever created. Among that pack of great games, this stands out as one of the best. This games feels epic in both scope and scale. It added some original aspects to the genre by giving the user a huge amount of freedom in how they played the game, including when to play the final boss fight. The battle system was simple and intuitive, the storyline captivating and overall, it still stands as a game that others in the genre should take note of and influence from.
No. 19 Fallout 3 (PC, also on 360 & PS3)
Fallout 1 & 2 were classic old-school RPGs. Fallout 3 is Oblivion with guns! When I found out Bethesda were doing the new game I was very excited and it didn't dissappoint. Large open sprawling world, the perks that made the original games great and an odd mix of old school Fallout atmosphere mixed with modern open-world Oblivion-esque gameplay. It just seemed to have a great mix of old and new WRPG elements. Nearly all of my gamer points are thanks to this game (A full 1500 thanks to the DLC!).
No. 18 Neverwinter Nights Expansions (PC)
After hearing so much about Baldurs Gate and Icewind Dale, this signified my first foray into D&D/Forgotten Realms and it didn't dissappoint. The story had a depth I hadn't really experienced before with the plague of Neverwinter and the tale of Aribeth and her lover, the wealth of options available was astounding and the game mechanics just plain worked. I remember playing as a Ranger with lil' Tomi Undergallows as my henchman and summoning my Dire Wolf desperately before every area. I also had loads of fun playing through the expansions with my partner (we'd both individually completed the main game). Great RPG.
No. 17 Age of Empires II Conquerers Expansion (PC)
Sequel to the award winning Age of Empires and one of the greatest multiplayer RTS' ever created. The civs were well balanced, there was a whole range to choose from and each had their unique specialties (I both loved and cursed British longbowman!). Take your Civ from the Dark Ages, through to an era of castles and trebuchets, cavalry charges, infantry rushes, Korean war wagons and those blasted longbowman! A great RTS.
No. 16 Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty (PC)
Two RTS games and two sequels. Sequel to the game that's a Korean national sport and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, Starcraft 2 is just superb. Everyone knows its popular in multiplayer (although the Terrans were somewhat overpowered and the Zerg the opposite on release), but what I was suprised with was the excellent single player campaign. You can see a lot of care and effort went into building a good story and campaign mode. Bring on Heart of the Swarm!
No. 15 Dragon Age Origins (PC, also on PS3 & 360)
Spiritiual successor to Baldurs Gate, 5 years in the making and with a unique twist with the 6 different Origin stories. So far I've played through this game five times and I still haven't bought or played Awakening yet (still gotta be a Dwarven commoner!) The story is your basic modern fantasy fare; Tolkien-like but much darker. However, what it lacks in orginality it makes up for in old-school gameplay and a mix of interesting characters ranging from the sterotypical to the bizzare. The Origin stories were an especially interesting route with some rather unique twists for each one. A great RPG from Bioware.
No. 14 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2 & PC, also on X-box)
The only GTA game on my list as it's quite simply brilliant. For me, the content in this game alone was enough to push this game up to 14th. All the aspects that made GTAIII and Vice City great were thrown into this game and then the content was doubled to create a gloriously fun package. Great missions, lots of cars, diverse environments (3 different cities, countryside, dessert) and flying jets! I preffered the mafia story of Vice City, but the sheer volume of the game world and the variety of things to do make this game the best GTA game ever created!
No. 13 Half-Life (PC also on PS2)
I think this game really needs to be put into perspective to truly appreciate the revolution it brough to the FPS genre and general single-player storytelling in video games. It came out in a time where FPS' were all arcade shooters like Quake, Doom or Unreal, had little to no narrative, poor AI, unrealistic damage models (didn't matter where you hit someone, the damage was the same) and where everyone was a beefed up generic soldier (actually, not much has changed in that respect). Half-Life broke the mold. You played a geeky scientist, headshots would actually kill, the AI actually flanked you and flushed you out with grenades rather than running into walls and the narrative was excellent and told throughout the game world.
Quite simply, it was the first game to truly combine all these aspects into one revolutionary package. The narrative especially; for the first level you didn't even get a gun as it just built-up tension and set the scene for the rest of the game. The lack of cut-scenes and the fact that everything was seen in first-person also meant that a greater level of immersion could be maintained making you actually feel like you were Gordon Freeman. It also balanced the action with superb level design and puzzle elements requiring you to actually use a modicum of thought as opposed to the pure gibb-fest of previous FPS titles.
It's also worth remembering that the mods that sprung from this game (namely Counterstrike, but others like Day of Defeat as well) have gone on to become some of the greatest and most popular multiplayer FPS' in the world, many still being played today. Basically, nearly every FPS on the market today has been influenced in one way or another by Half-Life.
No. 12 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)
I was dissappointed with Metal Gear Solid 2 and so I didn't bother playing this one immediately. After it went platinum I purchased it and realised I was missing out on an amazing game. It retained the gameplay that made Metal Gear Solid great, but evolved it for the new jungle environment. It also got rid of the radar and added a camouflage system due to the older technology in its cold war time period.The graphics as well were some of the best on PS2 and when played on an upscaled BC PS3, are still superior to a good number of early HD titles.
However, what really pushses this game to no. 12 is the storyline and the bosses. A common theme in Metal Gear is the relationship between mentor and student and here we learn of the relationship between Naked Snake (soon to be Big Boss) and his mentor The Boss. The ending is one of the most emotional I've seen/played in video games but also opens a range of questions for MGS4 whilst explaining some of the questions posed in MGS 1 & 2.
MGS boss fights are always spectacular, and MGS3 doesn't dissappoint. For this though, all I'll say is "The End" and "Sniper battle"
No. 11 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC, also on X-box)
Bioware make great RPGs. Mix Bioware and Star Wars and you get the greatest Star Wars game ever created. The game was pretty much an entire Star Wars trilogy wrapped into a single game and even with its own lil' "I am your Father" shock moment. The story was superb, the characters were deep and interesting but still quintessentially Star Wars. The relationship between you and the other characters was still player influenced as with older WRPGs, but were given a new level of polish due to the focus on story and the new graphical hardware available. Being set 5000 years before the original Star Wars trilogy also helped by giving the game greater freedom in comparison to other Star Wars games; not trapped by the original storyline but still balanced within the coolness of the Star Wars universe with lightsabers, force powers and space fights.
No. 10 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC, also on PS3, 360 and Wii as Reflex)
As a fan of Call of Duty from the very beginning, this game was the pinnacle of the series for me and showed off everything the franchise can be. Moving the time period from the over-done world war II setting to the modern day (meaning some very cool weaponry and varied gameplay) yet still retaining everything that made Call of Duty 1 & 2 great; a glorious single player campaign combined with a superb multiplayer.
The single-player campaign, whilst relatively short, is perhaps one of the most memorable and shocking. A solid narrative pushed you along, but added some truly shocking moments not seen in video games that made full use of the first-person perspective (nuke anyone?). The multiplaer in Call of Duty has always been good, and CoD4 was no different. New weaponry and a levelling system added to solid CoD gameplay. In many ways, this was the last (and arguably only) Call of Duty game to truly innovate.
No. 9 Age of Empires & Rise of Rome Expansion (PC)
Original? No. Brilliant? Hell Yes! The original Age of Empires is easily my favourite Age of game. Everything just seems to click for me. This and Starcraft were my two RTS games of the 90s, but with AoE, everything just clicked. Brilliantly balanced gameplay, loads of factions/civilisations to choose from, a good variety of maps, hilarious sound effects (erectus! Nineveh!), fun multiplayer, and the most interesting time period (for me). In fact, when I get a new PC/format a HDD, this is one of the few games that has to be installed on my PC.
Of course, it has flaws that were fixed in later sequels, but the charm and attention to detail of the original still makes this the best RTS game on my list. Oh, and the cheats were bloody hilarious; catapults firing cows?!
No. 8 Uncharted 2 (PS3)
The original was good, but didn't even make it onto my list. The sequel on the other hand took everything that made the original good, subtracted the crap and added an extra layer of awesome! Everything in this game just clicked and it acheived everything I want from a story-driven third-person action adventure game. It combined the platforming and puzzles elements of Tomb Raider with the shooting and cover system of Gears but also added a more strategic stealth element to the game rather than relying on the constant spawning of enemies in the original. Not particularly original you might say, but extremely ambitious and very difficult to pull off with the amount of polish they acheived.
I haven't even mentioned the amazing set-pieces that are quite simply mind-blowing. Gun-fights in a collapsing building, platforming on bombarded debris and an amazing combination of platforming and shooting for the train section. These were all aided with some clever physics, amazing visuals and some of the most beautiful vistas I've ever seen in video games. The views on the mountains and at the top of the hotel are truly amazing.
The co-op and multiplayer are also very good fun and works very well, although the single-player is really what makes it for me. Lastly, it's set in Nepal for a large portion of the game, and as I'm Nepali by descent, it holds a special place in my heart :P
No. 7 Super Mario World (SNES, VC)
Simply put: 2D platforming perfection! This is one of the few times I'll say "if you disagree, you're wrong!". Nintendo took the gameplay elements that made the NES games great and perfected them. Then they gave you a dinosaur to ride that could eat up your enemies! (Yoshi FTW btw). This is quite simply the pinnacle of 2D platformers. Nothing even comes close in terms of quality.
Other than the gameplay being perfect, it also had hundreds of diverse levels, some beautiful worlds to explore, brilliant level design and countless extras and hidden worlds with ridiculously hard challenges. I found the artwork especially enchanting as it really worked my imagination; I genuinely felt like I was in this amazing world where dinosaurs and plumbers could co-exist :P
I'm sure nostalgia plays a big part of my love for this game, but it's one of the few games I keep going back to just for the sake of playing. Give me a SNES and Super Mario World and I'll be satisfied for many years.
No. 6 Final Fantasy VII (PS, PC, PSN on PS3 & PSP)
The first 3D final fantasy, my first RPG and my favourite in the series. I had avoided most RPGs prior to this as I wasn't much into fantasy (oh how times change!) and they all seemed to revolve around fantasy settings. FF7 completely changed all that. A fresh new cyber punk world, an eclectic mix of characters, a combo of bizzare science & magic and ridiculously gigantic swords! The first 3-4 hours spent in Midgar & Kalm drew me into the story (and is probably the best intro to a JRPG I can think of) and then the apparent freedom of the world map completely astounded me.
Looking back this had nearly everything I want in a JRPG. The story was intense and emotional but it also had a great degree of freedom and player choice in the game world. I'll admit, the materia system isn't the best system in a JRPG as it didn't give a huge amount of customisation, and many characters seemed to be very similar no matter what materia you added. However, the plot, the world, the towns and hidden extras all made up for it.
I also think the optional quests were some of the best in a Final Fantasy game: Chocobo breeding and racing, two optional characters with backstory, the Weapon bosses, the mini-games (Submarine, snowboarding, motorbike), the range of vehicles, the hidden locations and the little tit-bits of backstory. All added to an utterly amazing game.
No. 5 Mass Effect 2 (PC, also on 360, soon to be on PS3)
Another sequel where the original doesn't make the list but the sequel is ridiculously high up! Mass Effect 1 was good, but was plagued with poor shooting mechanics, a clunky RPG interface and some rather horrible bugs. ME2 fixed all that and then refined the experience to become more of a shooter/RPG hybrid than an RPG with tacked on shooter controls. Guess what? It worked brilliantly.
Rather than focus on weapon customisation and RPG-levelling, the RPG focus was shifted more towards character development and story-telling that helped to bring the player into the Mass Effect universe. The shooting elements were also changed so reloading and ammo conservation now became important. Gone were the numerous bugs that plagued the original. All these when combined together produced one of the best RPG/shooter hybrids on the market.
The characters were some of the most intriguing seen in a video game. Mordin was brilliant and hilarious, Thane was deep and philosophical and Miranda loyal and ideological. However, summing up these characters in a couple of words doesn't really do them justice. The vast majority of missions were based on the characters as you built your team and new layers were added as you did each mission. Discovering motivations and each characters personal story, as well as managing interactions between crew members were all part of what makes this game so amazing. The main story itself was actually relatively simplistic, but the smaller character stories were what made the game.
Add into the mix that all the decisions you made in ME1 are carried over to ME2 and you get a truly great RPG experience.
No. 4 Metal Gear Solid (PS also on PC, Gamecube (as The Twin Snakes) and PSN)
Back in the late 90s, everyone was talking about this game. The story, the stealth mechanics, the guards throwing grenades down vent shafts, the boss fights! I however, didn't know what the fuss was about and ignored it... until I played the demo. I then went out and bought it the next day.
So much about this game felt fresh and innovative. The stealth mechanics were amazing; constantly hiding behind cover, ensuring you didn't leave footprints in the snow; using camera blind-spots. It was all new. The level design was also superb using the keycards to gain specific access to new areas but still immersing you into the idea that this was a top secret facility that you were infiltrating. Even backtracking was fun!
It also had the unique Kojima style that rewarded clever and original thinking. The fight with Psycho Mantis is a clear example of this (switching controller input around). Most games and designers wouldn't dare breach the fourth-wall for fear it would destroy immersion, yet in MGS it they breach the fourth wall on numerous occasions yet it actually improves immersion into the game world. Other examples of rewarding original thinking by the player include having the wolves piss on a cardboard box, thereby enabling you to traverse their territory without getting attacked or using cigarette smoke to ID potential laser traps.
No. 3 Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Shivering Isles & DLC (PC, also on PS3 & X-box 360)
The elder scrolls games have always offered immense freedom and player choice, and Oblivion was no different. However, they also had their share of problems and the storytelling aspects weren't always as strong as perhaps they should have been. Oblivion's storytelling improved greatly upon those found in Morrowind but also added elements to make the game more immersive. Voice acting helped to bring you into the world, especially in the main quest. No longer did you attack something without hitting it; gone was the background die roll. Attacks were now based upon your own skill rather than purely based on stats. Mini-games meant a mixture skill as well as statistics contributed to aspects like lockpicking. And the guild quest-lines each had their own fully developed storylines that felt as if they belonged in their own seperate game.
The content of Elder scrolls games is always massive and Oblivion didn't dissappoint, but it also avoided much of the problems of generic tasks that open world games typically have. It incorporated some brilliant quests with ingenius and genuinely interesting tasks. One such example is the dark brotherhood quest which tasks you kill five people in a locked mansion without the others knowing. Each one becomes more paranoid and scared and each has their own biases as you kill each character. The fighters guild quest which tasks you go undercover to find out the secret behind the rival guild. Or the main-line quest where you witness the destruction of Kvatch and has you entering your first Oblivion gate. The storylines (Main and guilds) were all engaging and interesting and even the one-off questlines added to the sense that this was a vibarnt and living world.
No. 2 Half-Life 2 Episodes 1 & 2 (PC, also on X-box (HL2) and 360 & PS3 in The Orange Box)
Sequel to what is probably the most innovative FPS to ever grace the market, Half-Life 2 had a lot to live up to, but boy did it deliver. When released, the animations were some of the best ever seen, the graphics were superb even on a low spec PC, the physics implementation was revolutionary, the characters felt real, the battles were suitably epic in scale and it introduced the superb concept of the gravity based weapon.
Much like the original, HL2 retained the immersion by sticking to the first-person perspective. As the silent protagonist Gordon Freeman, you had the chance to let your imagination place your own persona into the image of Gordon Freeman. However, Valve took this concept and blew it out of the water with its dystopian setting and storytelling. Hidden extras in the world reveal tit-bits of info on the story and events leading up to HL2 and potential events in future games. You are always Gordon Freeman, so when/if you miss them, Gordon misses them. Control of Gordon's movements is always with the player, so when Gordon's physical abilities are impaired the feeling of being powerless is amplified. This is done well near the end of HL2 but utilised expertly throughout Episode 2.
Another factor that I think is often overlooked is the acting and animations of the characters. In most games, the acting is terrible and the characters feel like they're just generic plot devices. In HL2, the characters actually engage in real life actions. The actions of Alyx are where this is most apparent. Yes she's with you (or Gordon) and talking to you through large segments with good animation, but also little details like when she's teleported to her fathers lab and she smiles and gives him a kiss on the cheek. Easily missed, but little details like this help to breathe life into the characters.
I haven't even mentioned the superb game design Valve implement where early on they allow you to explore an area to get the lay of the land before entering a gun fight. Or the immense battles vs soldiers and gunships on dystopian rooftops closely followed by mass battles with striders. Or the well paced vehicle sections where just as they start to get boring, you move onto something else. Or the little puzzle sections that give you breathing room. The sheer variety and depth in the game is epic in every sense of the word. No other pure FPS does what Half-Life 2 manages in a single package.
1. Deus Ex (PC, also on PS2)
So, finally we reach number 1. This is quite simply the greatest game ever created! So many different play-styles, so many different decision trees, and a fantastic story to boot. If you like FPS or you like RPGs (even better if you like both!), this game has to be played. The tech may be old, but the story and the gameplay are timeless.
Set in a cyber punk world (set in the not too distant future) where a wide array of hidden political groups, terrorist factions, freedom fighters and advanced computer AI are all vying for for their ideological future. You play JC Denton, a new nano-augmented agent for anti-terrorist organisation UNATCO. The first level shoves you in the deep end and immediately sets the tone for the rest of the game. You enter the docks to find terrorists have attacked the base to steal the months supply of a vaccine for a global plague. You're tasked with finding the terrorist leader (alive). Immediately, your brother (a fellow agent) gives you the option of which weapon you want to carry: crossbow, sniper rifle or RPG.
You then have multiple options; Do you use stealth and sneak around? Do you go to the other side of the island and meet with the contact for the key to the front door? Do you pick the lock? Do you find a back way in? Do you hack the security systems and disable the cameras? Do you make for the ammo caches first? Do you go in guns blazing or silently take them down? Do you kill your enemies or just stun them? Do you avoid them alltogether? Do you bother with the secondary objective and save the captured agent or leave him? If you do rescue him do you give him a gun? When you reach your final objective do you follow orders or outright kill him?
All those decisions are on the first level and can have an immediate effect on the way other characters interact with you. In the future, the choices you make have serious repercussions on the characters around you including whether they live or die. The repercussions aren't always clear-cut either. Whether your pilot Jock lives at the end of the game is based solely on your curiosity rather than a clear positive/negative decision tree seen in most RPGs. All these decision trees and the detail in the world (you can drink and eat food, read newspapers, hack computers to read e-mails, get drunk/high etc.) make this game deeply immersive.
The games is ridiculously immersive to the point of embarrassment for me. I actually mistook the beeping of a stopwatch (in real life) for the sound the explosives make when they're about to go off and dived into the opposite room. Luckily, no-one saw, but yeah...
I haven't even talked about the story yet. The storyline is one of the best in video games history. A deep and involving plot that combines political intrigue, conspiracy and advanced science into one amazing package. What's so extraordinary is that it manages to retain an excellent storyline whilst still giving the player such huge freedom and choice. Only a select few games have ever acheived this, and I can't think of one that had as much choice as that offered in Deus Ex.
Add to all this the variety of weapons that included a measly batton/knife, grenades (EMP, gas, explosive), assault rifles, shotguns, RPGs, sniper rifles and massive energy weapons, and the variety of nano augmentations (enhancements) that included invisibility to either bots or organics, healing, super speed and jumping, spy bots, balistic protection and visual enhancements, and you get an amazing package.
So the game was perfect in single player, many will complain the multiplayer wasn't that good. I entered the multiplayer with this in mind but have to say, I found it thoroughly enjoyable. The sheer variety of weapons and nano-augmentations kept it fresh and different and was actually a lot of fun.
Bascially, this game is incredible, and if you haven't played it, you owe it to yourself to give this a go. Oh and it also predicts the future as it predicted 9/11 a year before it happened! Play this game for a view into our future... woooooo!
