#8

Change YoY: =   My Rating: 9.6 / 10

If I'd be looking at all of the games objectively, Bloodborne would likely be the best Soulsborne game I've ever played, or at least tied with Elden Ring. It's only due to more abstract elements like atmosphere and the feeling and emotions another soulsborne game gives me that makes it "only" the second highest ranking out of them all on my list. Bloodborne is a masterpiece, plain and simple. Everything in the game is near perfect, from its fast-paced gameplay to the gorgeous visual design that perfectly evokes Gothic and cosmic horror. The bosses are almost universally excellent, and the soundtrack is amazing. I also love the game's story and lore. The eldritch horror theme of the game's world is perfectly realized, and the tragedy that befell it due to human error and hubris is quite disturbing the more you learn about it. Fear the old blood indeed.

However, in a lot of ways the true star of Bloodborne is its world. It features unquestionably one of the most memorable settings in video game history. Yharnam, the beautifully decrepit Victorian Gothic city is an awe-inspiring place to explore and be terrified in, one very much unlike any other that isn't just directly ripping of Bloodborne. In general, the look and style of the world of Bloodborne is impeccable. Whether its the towering spires of Yharnam, the snow-covered rooftops of Castle Cainhurst, or the abandoned Byrgenwerth school, every location you discover is incredible and often very unnerving.

Bloodborne also received one of the all-time greatest DLC expansions in The Old Hunters. It gives the story and many of its characters more context, introduces quite a few new ones, and makes the events of the game even more tragic than they already were as you learn what the hunters had done in the past. It also features some of the best bosses in the entire FromSoftware catalog. There's pretty much nothing about this game that I don't love. Now if only we could get a sequel at some point, perhaps set in some other part of this world outside Yharnam.

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it!

I had my #10 and #9 guessed a couple days ago, but kinda lost motivation to write about them when my computer randomly crashed when I was nearly done writing a really good piece on #10. So, that was frustrating... Well, I'll start over when I get a bit more free time, but for now, I'll drop the next three hints.

#8 - The first game in this series to have the protagonist wear purple. She's worn purple in nearly every game since.
#7 - The second game from this famed director who just announced his fourth game at this year's Game Awards.
#6 - The first game by this studio whose long-awaited sequel was announced to release in 2023, but still hasn't...

#7 has to be Shadow of the Colossus, right?

Indeed it is.

Was too busy this year, more so than past years. Humor me for my top 10 at least.

10- The Protagonist doesn't really say much, but when he does it is usually during extremely impactful moments in the story.
9- Going from a futuristic beach world and crashing into a medieval world.
8- Digimon game with 3v3 JRPG battles and a nifty fusion system.
7- The desert, Greece, Halloween and the sea make an appearance in this game.
6- A tactics game set in the 3 kingdoms in China. Is the 2nd and final game in the series to be released way back in 2003.

Life has been a busy struggle this year. 

I wanted to do more reassessing of my top 50 list. There are some games on my list that I feel like are probably more nostalgia picks than anything else at this point. But I only ended up making a small number of changes. Maybe I can rethink some things for next year. 

Notable changes: 

Age of Empires IV at #25 - Age of Empires II is one of my most played games ever. When I play Age of Empires IV, it feels kind of like a side grade. There are things that it's doing differently to avoid "problems" that you faced in AoE2. Like how the town centers would be locked to making more people while you were advancing to the next age. But overall I don't feel like AoE4 is a huge improvement or anything. Some things I feel like are subjectively worse with Age 4.

Elden Ring pushed down to #12. I have a really hard time with placing Elden Ring. A lot of the Souls games are in my top 10 ever. There's a lot of stuff that's really awesome about Elden Ring. Overall for me, ER has some of the highest highs (after Bloodborne), but also some lows. I replayed Dark Souls 1, Elden Ring back to back for the second time, and I overall felt like I was having more fun with DS1. 

Astro Bot at #7. I feel like Astro Bot doesn't quite hit the same highs as Rescue Mission on VR. But the game is awesome. I beat the game like a couple weeks after it came out, and it's so fun. I think at the time I would've given it a 9/10. I've watched my kids play through the game, and I've had to help them with a few spots, and it's so fun tearing through a level. A lot of the games in my top 10, I would struggle to find as fun in just any random 5 minute increment. 

Games #50 to #41  

#40 Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

The writing in this game is simply top-notch, the story touches upon themes of morality and has a lot of memorable plot moments with a political tone and intrigue, which I really liked, since it made the story more engaging. The characters are also well-written and show that different people have different methods of achieving what they consider morally correct. The turn-based gameplay is engaging and, as expected from this game genre, there's a lot of strategy involved in defeating enemies. The job system is very fun to play around with and the encounters have varied designs.

#39 Super Mario 64

In this game, it just feels very good to control Mario, he has great mobility and his set of moves is highly varied. The freedom that this game gives you to explore its levels is something that I really enjoy. The levels are overall well designed and some are really inventive (for example, the Tiny-Huge island). Also, I really like the mysterious and even creepy vibe that some of them have. The stars that the worlds contain can be obtained mostly in the order you want, and the missions to get them are enjoyable and don't become frustrating or tedious. Also, I absolutely adore the soundtrack. 

#38 Okami

This is such a charming and memorable adventure, with a lot of touching moments throughout the story. I also really liked the side characters and their own mini-stories. The gorgeous art style gives this game such a unique and immersive atmosphere, which I love. The battle system, based on brushing different patterns to perform attacks and other kinds of moves, is very enjoyable, and I liked how you can use your brushing abilities to solve puzzles and get treasures in dungeons and the overworld, which has a lot of stuff to find while exploring.

#37 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

This is one of the most unique Zelda experiences, as you leave the usual Hyrule setting and embark on a journey that takes you to an unknown island, from which you have to escape. I love the mysterious atmosphere that Koholint island conveys, and the game does a great job at making you feel attached to its inhabitants. The ending of this game is one of the most unique in the Zelda series and was very emotional to me. The overworld is intricate, and denser than in A Link To The Past, and it offers good rewards for exploring. The dungeons are well-made and some of my favorites in the 2D Zelda games.

#36 Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

This is my favorite of the Ratchet & Clank games I've played. Just like in previous installments of the series, the combat in this game is fluid and dynamic, with a lot of weapons to use and many different ways to defeat enemies. However, some things stood out in this game for me, compared to others in the series. Firstly, its story is really engaging, with a lot of background regarding Ratchet and the Lombax. I also loved how, unlike other Ratchet games, you can explore the outer space and find moons with a lot of extra challenges and useful stuff for your travels. The puzzles in the Clank sections are very well designed.

#35 Final Fantasy X

Final Fantasy X has an incredibly engrossing and well-paced story, with a lot of memorable moments and twists. I love the exotic and mysterious atmosphere of the game's world, which has well-developed lore. Unlike the PS1 games, the battle system in this has no ATB bar, but it's still very fluid and fast-paced. I love that you can switch characters on the fly during combat to choose the one(s) with the most effective attacks against the enemies you're fighting. It's also very fun to play around with the Sphere Grid to choose abilities for your characters and make them stronger. The visuals and art style are gorgeous, and the OST is simply incredible.

#34 Pokémon HeartGold

I absolutely love the atmosphere of the Johto region, with its ancestral buildings and history, I think they did a fantastic job at recapturing the region's vibe in this remake. HeartGold (and SoulSilver) is one of the most content-rich Pokémon games, with a post-game that includes the whole Kanto region, where you can fight all the 8 gym leaders, for a total of 16 for the whole game. The events from the Crystal version are also included in this remake, as well as the Gen 4 version of the Battle Frontier and the Safari Zone. Also, this has one of my favorite OSTs from Pokémon games.

#33 Super Mario Galaxy

This game is such a magical and mindblowing experience, especially the first time you play it, I loved the sense of being in an interstellar adventure, visiting different beautiful and sometimes weird worlds across the galaxies. The gameplay flow of going from planetoid to planetoid and clearing platforming challenges, solving puzzles and battling enemies is highly satisfying, with really good level and puzzle designs. The Mario power-ups are overall well used. The little backstory of Rosalina was so moving to me and it actually made me cry the first time I played the game. The OST is probably my favorite among platformers.

#32 Final Fantasy VII

This is a game with a lot of memorable and highly impacting story moments, and a well executed plot of self-discovery for the protagonist Cloud. I think Cloud's development is one of the best parts of the story. They also nailed the sense of adventure with the varied locations in the game's world. The ATB-based combat system is enjoyable, and the Materia system is really deep and very fun to play around with. There is also a great amount of side content in this game, I spent so many hours breeding Chocobos and  finding stuff in the overworld. Also, the Gold Saucer minigames were addicting to me. The OST is one of my favorites in video games.

#31 Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

This is a very heartwarming game with a lot of emotional moments (certain event at the beginning of the game made me cry), charming characters, and a great sense of adventure. This game's world is very well crafted, with one of my favorite World Maps in J-RPGs, and well-developed lore with lots of details, for example, the mini-stories you can read in the Wizard's Companion Book. The towns and locations are really beautiful and have very varied styles. The Pokémon-esque monster collecting is something that I enjoyed in this game, although I can see why it can be divisive among people. Also, I just adore the gorgeous Ghibli visual style and the music in this game.

Current list - https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/248646/post-only-once-the-official-thread-the-15th-annual-greatest-games-event/4/#4

10 - Resident Evil
- This game, which launched a major franchise, was originally conceived as a remake of another title.
- Wow, what a mansion!
- “You have once again entered the world of survival horror. Good luck!” You will see this message when you load a game.

09
- This sequel takes players outside of the United States for the first time, with competitions based in France and Mexico. That said, there are still plenty of American locations to visit.
- One of the bonus levels sees you dropped from a helicopter onto a small platform in the middle of the ocean, whilst the other gives you the opportunity to skate around Heaven itself.
- One of the unlockable characters in this highly rated extreme sports sequel is a web slinging superhero.

08 (incorrect guesses - Breath of the Wild, Super Mario 64)
- 11 / 96 (for minimalists / for completionists).
- This game introduced a beloved character to the series. The character’s main function here was conceived as an idea for previous games, but the hardware at the time was not powerful enough for it to come to fruition.
- This game was a launch title for one of the most beloved consoles of all time.

06 - Tomb Raider
- An adventure that has levels based in South America, Europe, Africa, and a mythical location.
- Or more specifically - Peru, Greece, Egypt, and Atlantis.
- First game in this series that features probably the most well known female video character.

Will try but these are kinda hard.

10) That's a lot of JRPGs isn't it... Persona 5?

9) The only thing I can think of is FFX but I don't think that's right

8) Still don't really know anything about Digimon games, but I remember one is called Cyber Sleuth

7) Eh, Kingdom Hearts?

6) Dynasty Tactics 2?

10) Resident Evil?

8) I'm unsure between two options but I'm gonna try Super Mario 64

6) Tomb Raider

10 and 6 are correct.

7 is close but no.