16. Gears of War 2
My personal favorite in the franchise. It took what was already a badass game in the first entry, and pretty much ramped everything up in the best way possible. Bigger set piece moments, bigger battles, more brutal executions, and the story got some much needed emotional stakes. And, of course, this is also the game that started the now ever popular Horde mode trend. Between that, and competitive MP, this was pretty much the only game I played for almost 2 years lol. Truly one of the defining games of the PS360 generation.
15. Sekiro
I struggle with my placement of this title. I don't think it's the overall best game that FromSoft has ever made - we'll get to that - but it is perhaps my personal favorite to actually play. Arguably, this is the most focused game that FS has made in it's recent history. A singular, somewhat grounded, historically inspired setting. A combat system constructed entirely around one weapon. And probably their most straightforward storytelling. I LOVE the combat in Sekiro. Stripping away stamina, and instead urging the player into an unrelenting assault on your enemies, playing high stakes rock, paper, scissor with katanas, trying to break each others guard. It's just a non-stop adrenaline rush, and mastering it over the course of the game was immensely satisfying. It also features what I would argue is one of the best final bosses in any game ever, that truly tests everything the game has taught you over the course of it's runtime.
14. KOTOR
If you love Star Wars, and you love RPGs, this is going to be somewhere on your list. This was my first Bioware game, and it started a long love affair with the studio, that had them cemented firmly as my favorite developer in the world for most of the next decade. Their character writing, and approach to relationship building within your party, as well as the moral freedom they afforded you to approach the story on your own terms, rather than being forced into the typical hero's journey, were all things I instantly gravitated towards. And you know...I was a teenager, so again...it didn't hurt that it was Star Wars. Also, the Revan plot twist, is probably one of the most memorable in gaming history.
13. Civilization V
Probably my most played game of all time. If not, it's certainly damn close to it. I still go back to it all the time. By far my personal favorite strategy game ever made. I can play it by myself, and kinda multitask if I'm watching a show that doesn't particularly require my full attention. I can play it with friends and kill a whole day. It's got tons of fun mods that add various different factions, maps, gameplay and tech changes, etc. It's just an infinitely re-playable game. I also very much prefer it over Civ 6, both in terms of visual style, and some of the core game design.
12. MGS3: Snake Eater
I don't quite share the general love affair with Kojima, and the Metal Gear franchise, that is common throughout the gaming landscape. Frankly, I think both the franchise, and it's creator, are vastly overrated. That said, I do however consider this particular game to be a masterpiece. It's still a bit silly and convoluted at times, but for the vast majority of it's runtime, I was wholly immersed in the story, and particularly the personal dynamic between Snake, and the Boss. Truly one of the best antagonists ever put forth in a video game. I also think it helps that this is very much a self contained story, forcing Kojima to sort of get on with things in terms of how it's directed. I actually almost skipped this game, after not much caring for MGS2, but I'm very glad that I didn't. I think I replayed this game like 5 times in a row after finishing my initial playthrough.
11. Gothic 2
One of my first experiences with a large, sprawling RPG, I will always have fond memories of this game. It's setting wasn't anything particularly special. Standard medieval fantasy stuff. But I absolutely loved the reactivity of the world. Which faction you joined, which jobs you worked, and how law-abiding you were absolutely defined pretty much every single interaction you had with the people of this world. As such, it really felt like every choice you made had incredible weight to it, and also gave the game immense replay value, experiencing the story in different ways. I honestly remember very little of the story itself, outside of a few particular beats, but I will always remember living in this world. Sometimes, that's a bigger compliment.
