BOOM! Finished my epic list! Here are my top 5:
#5.
It was difficult for me to decide where this game or Mario RPG reigns supreme as my favorite RPG, but at the end of the day, this one wins by a hair, primarily based off the multiplayer, which adds a new element of fun to an already epic masterpiece. But I also appreciate the fast-paced and simplistic battle system and prefer it over the turn based system of Mario RPG. The elements of brilliance here are standard of many games on my list - amazing soundtrack, colorful and eye pleasing environments, and of course, solid gameplay.
#4.
About a year ago, this game came completly out of nowhere, and dominated almost all others on my list as one of my favorite games. If you are a fan of open-world gameplay, and begin to play this game, you will soon see why. It simply gives you an exhileration of adventure and a feeling of accomplishment that few games can pull off. The world is your oyster - explore anywhere you want, above ground or below, slay anything you want, customize your inventory, collect, build, etc. It is a sandbox game that stands above all the others, not only it the massive worlds and freedom of choice, but the sheer fun this game grants. And let's not forget the memorable and frightening creepers, that put the zombies in Resident Evil to shame.
#3.
Another game that grants you the power to craft - this time with massive sci-fi armies of men or aliens to battle with. Blizzard perfected the real time strategy genre with this game. It has that perfect formula of easy-to-learn-tough-to-master that is a prime ingridient in making a masterful game. It is relatively simple to pick up, yet very in depth and allows for so much customization and is so much damn fun, it's actually been made into a competitive sport in Korea. Any game that can pull THAT off must be pretty damn good..
#2.
While all three Gears of War titles are pretty similar, this latest entry is the clear cut best of the three, and is one of my favorite all time games, with the Gears of War series as a whole easily being my most played series ever. Why do I love it so much? Where to start.. The presentation is masterful, the graphics amazing, the campaign epic (no pun intended), and the story actually somewhat decent. The weapons, in typical Gears fashion, are unique and so damn fun to use. But for me, what makes this game and series immortal is the insanely fun multiplayer, which I have made almost a routine out of playing. It is, simply put, THE definitive go to game for me when I am looking for a boredom killer.
#1.
Like Donkey Kong Country 2, this game took everything that made its predecessor great and radically expanded upon it, creating a much more colorful and memorable universe, that awesome koopa kids, more fun and interesting levels, and kick ass new power-ups like the Tanooki Suit. While the game is no doubt tricky, it just makes it that much more gratifying when you finally do beat it, and adds to the replay value since you spend so much time trying to get over the hurdle. And believe me, you will want to spend MUCH time playing this gem. This is the title that not only got me into Nintendo games, but made me a gamer.
