Zelda Breath of the Wild?

Guessed by Kakadu18

Nintendo already made something that was basically perfect when they released 'Super Mario 64' (#3), so how could that ever be topped. I certainly didn't think it would happen just one-and-a-half years later. Or did I? There had never been a game, and there never has been a game for which I was more hyped in anticipation of its release. Remember this was the day before internet forums and trailers on Youtube, so I really had to do it with whatever glimpse I could get in gaming magazines that I couldn't have when I happened to be in the supermarket. Nevertheless my hype was huge, and I asked, no, whined, NO, prayed to pretty much any family member old enough to buy this game for me come holiday period. I drew pictures of its logo, that were incorrect but whatever, to show people, so they would know exactly what to get. Luckily, I didn't really need to look far, because it was one of my parents that bought it for me.

The hype turned out to be justified, this was everything I could ever wish to be. It still is really, it's not just a simple case of "nostalgia". Like I said earlier that only counts for 'Mario Kart 64' (#8). No, this game feels like it was particularly made especially for me personally. The story, the control, the level-design, the world, the characterisation and last but definitely not least the soundtrack, it's all as if the designers had pictures of the anatomy of my hands and read-outs of my brain right there with them on the drawing board. Everything is exactly how I want it. So thanks Nintendo, for making a game for good old S.Peelman, I feel very honoured. I didn't find out until decades later that I wasn't exactly alone, because this apparently was the highest rated game ever and it was featured at the top of like a billion 'best-of' lists. It still is. So I guess, there's got to be some truth in it.

Exactly.

My #1 is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Gonna write an essay on why it's the greatest thing in existence later.

I'll be happy to read it.

That's how I feel about Breath of the Wild.

I appreciate it a lot.

Honorable mentions and games #50 to #45: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9345764

Games #44 to #40: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9345857

Games #39 to #36: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9345971

Games #35 to #31: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9346168

Games #30 to #26: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9346322

Games #25 to #21: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9346754

Games #20 to #16: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9346987

Games #15 to #11: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9347256

Games #10 to #6: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9347463

And to finish, the top 5 :

#05 - Chrono Trigger

This was one of my first J-RPG experiences, and it's such a masterpiece that has some of the most memorable and emotional story moments in any game I've played, with a time travel plot that is very well written, engaging and excellently paced, the idea of going through different eras of the game's world gives a sense of being in a grand adventure that not many games can match. The characters are also just so memorable, likeable, and their backstories are endearing and well written. The side-quests in this game are fantastic, as they all have their mini-stories and help to flesh out the main cast, the villains, and several secondary characters. I really love the way your actions in a certain era affect what happens in future eras. This game's ATB-based battle system is engaging and dynamic, and I love the idea of the double and triple techniques, as well as the fact that enemies are visible on the map. The OST is one of my favorites in gaming (in my top 3), and the sprites are just beautiful and expressive.

#04 - NieR: Automata

NieR: Automata's story is one that left a big impact on me, I couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened in the game even long after I had already finished it, there were so many moments and plot reveals that left me completely shocked, and the struggles of the characters were truly heartbreaking. I also love how the plot deals with topics of existentialism, which are reflected both in the main story and in the sidequests. The lore of the game's world is incredibly deep and well written, and does a fantastic job at making you feel interested in said world, and I love how the sidequests give you a lot of insight into the lives and feelings of the different NPCs. The battle system feels really good to play, and the three playable characters have very different battle styles. The parts where the game changes genres to shoot-'em-up, sidescroller, rail shooter, etc. are pretty fun too. I must say that Automata has one of my favorite OSTs in gaming, I'd say it's in my top 3.

#03 - Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

Dragon Quest VIII is the definition of a magical grand adventure, this game just has so many charming, magical and moving moments, which happen mainly in the form of little stories or vignettes that occur in each town you visit. The characters, both the main cast and the different NPCs that you meet during the vignettes, are just so endearing and well developed. DQVIII's world is simply amazing, and it's one of the main reasons the game is so high in this list, as it has so many fully explorable towns that feel truly alive and have really varied aesthetics, as well as an overworld that you can explore at your leisure in an almost open world fashion and that has many secrets to discover. Overall, the game does a fantastic job at giving you a great sense of adventure, which is also helped by all the methods of transportation that you can use to explore. I must say that I absolutely adore DQVIII's art-style.

#02 - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The sense of discovery and immersion that this game offers is truly something else, you'll always be wanting to know what you'll find next while exploring, and I love that you can go anywhere you want whenever you want. This game's overworld is just so very well made, with a lot of secrets to discover, amazing scope, a good variety of environments, and towns which feel really alive (my favorite is Gerudo Town), the sense of being in a grand adventure is certainly one of BotW's biggest strengths. But the exploration in this game wouldn't be so satisfying without Link's great mobility and the way you can interact with almost everything you see, with a physics system that is incredibly flexible and can be used in many interesting ways, for example, to damage enemies, to solve puzzles inside the shrines, or simply to play around with the environment. Another aspect that I really like about this game are the Shrine Quests, which offer some really interesting riddles for you to solve and allow you to know more about the little stories of some NPCs and the game's world. 

#01 - Xenoblade Chronicles

This is a game that truly blowed me away the first time I played it (and even when I replayed it), and one of the main reasons is its amazing world, which offers such a great variety of environments to explore, with areas that have truly beautiful art direction and feel really alive with all the fauna that you can see roaming around in them, and where the different species even have their own behavior patterns. I absolutely adore the whole concept of the game's world, which consists of two huge titans over whom people and machines live, as well as all the lore that they wrote for it, and the whole contrast between the environments of Bionis and Mechonis. Xenoblade's story is incredibly engaging, well paced, and has many really great plot twists and memorable events. The characters are just so likeable, and all of them have believable motivations to be in their trip with Shulk, plus the Heart-to-Hearts do a great job at fleshing them out even more. I really enjoy the game's battle system, as well as the different gameplay sub-systems such as gem crafting and Skill Links. Also, this game's OST is glorious and in my trinity along with Nier Automata's and Chrono Trigger's.

Happy new year to everyone !

Nice set of stats! I’ll do mine tomorrow probably.

And also of course, Happy New Year to everyone!

StarCraft 2?

The end of 2021 was so busy, I totally missed all the awesome conversations here. I'll do a better job participating this year :)

Overall, my 2021 list was very similar to last year's list; there was just a bit of reshuffling. The only new game was Metroid Dread, which debuted at #46. Breath of the Wild retains its #1 spot, five years running.

As always, big thanks to @mZuzek for managing this amazing event!