What are your top five (or 10) games of all time?

Video Games
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in no particular order

Final Fantasy IX: my first game of the series and the one i cherish the most, i love everything about it and i played it countless times. can’t wait for the PC port to come out

Resident Evil 4: this was my first RE, so i could appreciate it entirely instead of being one of the many disappointed long-time fans. survival horror isn’t really a genre i dig, so i was glad about the direction this chapter took, being more action-oriented but still giving that feeling of unease and sometimes scaring you (damn chainsaw ladies lol). this game (as far as i know) also introduced the over-the-shoulder third person camera that almost every single TPS shooter uses these days, making it an important stepping stone in modern videogame history

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: awesome characters, cool cases and an amazing soundtrack. it has its highs and lows throughout the saga, but even the weakest games are still a blast to play (imo JFA and Apollo Justice, despite having two of the best cases in the entire saga they aren’t as good as the other titles overall)

999/Virtue’s Last Reward: it’s hard to find the words to describe how much these games blew my mind while playing them. probably the best storytelling i’ve had to pleasure to witness in a videogame. the soundtrack is really great too, it complements very well with the atmosphere and makes playing these games a unique experience

Pokèmon: started playing this when i was like 8 years old, now i’m 26 and i still enjoy my share of capturing and training little critters. if i had to choose one of the games as my absolute favorite, i’d go with Gold&Silver, although Platinum and BW2 are pretty good candidates too

Metal Gear Solid 2: i know that many people will think i’m a heretic by choosing this over 3, but i just enjoy the setting and game mechanics more in the second chapter. also, recently i’ve come to discover some theories about the real nature of MGS2, and that made me appreciate the game much, much more. if anyone is interested, here’s a video about it: The Reality of Metal Gear Solid 2 (obviously spoiler)

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner: fun as hell, engaging gameplay, coolest robots i’ve ever seen. i can’t even count how many times i’ve played this

Persona 4: i decided to give this game a shot back in 2010 and i fell in love with it. i liked literally everything: characters, atmosphere, gameplay, story. that made me come back and play the game another two or three times on my PS2. then Golden came out, and i was astonished by how much they had improved a game that already was so good. i also have to say that, despite already knowing everything about the story and the numerous plot twists, every time i play i still get the same feeling of satisfaction that i got the first time

Kingdom Hearts: when i saw the trailer of this i immediately decided that i HAD to buy this game. i mean, fighting with Goofy and Donald Duck, which are my favorite Disney characters? hell yeah
i really like this game, very simple story but with a very good execution and interesting mix of hack 'n slash and classic jrpg combat elements. sadly the gameplay after playing the sequel feels a little clunky, but i’ll take this a million times over the horrible mess they made with the plot in the later installments of the series

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: simply the best GTA: enormous variety in missions, three different cities to explore, best feeling of “do whatever you want” - i remember spending hours just driving in the desert of Las Venturas by listening to the radio, it made me feel so good. also, the feeling that the story gives is great: a man that wants to make it big and has to make his way (almost) by himself, discovering some really uncomfortable truths along the way about who he had always believed to be his friends. the final mission is always so damn satisfying to finish

honorable mentions

Final Fantasy VII: my second most played Final Fantasy, wasn’t a big fan at first but it got better each time i replayed and the themes of the game are still actual to these days

Grand Theft Auto V: played it twice in the last year. the characters and their dialogues are among the best things i’ve seen in the medium, and the story is really intriguing despite being kinda lazy in certain parts. also the driving system doesn’t suck like GTA IV
it was a tough choice between this and SA, but sadly this game doesn’t make me feel like there’s much else to do aside from the main story, except minigames i don’t really care about

Max Payne: great game, nice noir atmosphere that sadly got lost in the sequels. also the narration is simply outstanding, thanks to the graphic novel style and the clever way the characters express themselves - it really draws you into the story

Dragon Quest VIII: one of my favorite JRPGs. great gameplay, good challenge, beautiful world and great narration of the usual “good vs evil” story. also Jessica is hot

Dark Souls: despite making me wanting give up out of frustration many times, i still consider it one of the best games of the last years, thanks to its awesome gameplay, great locations and how damn satisfied it makes you be when you get through the hard parts. sadly the sequel wasn’t able to give me the same feelings, i hope the third will make the magic come back

YS Origin: got into the YS series last january and this is the game that made me feel invested the most in its story. really, really good, although it’s hard to appreciate it without playing the rest of the saga (despite it being a prequel) and, since you have to play through it thrice to get the real ending, it may get repetitive after a while

Undertale: after months spent getting mad at the sole mention of this because it was literally everywhere, i decided to play it and it turned out that i was an idiot for blindly hating it. shortly after i started playing i was already invested in its atmosphere, the characters and the story. there are one too many memes in it, that’s for sure, but it doesn’t really affect the great feeling the game gives so i can easily get over it. even after finishing the game i find myself listening to the OST every single day, which alone is worth the 10 dollars the game costs

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Yay for Dark Souls! I agree with you, DS2 was a huge disappointment. Although Bloodborne was a masterpiece; let’s hope they put Bloodborne-level quality into DS3.

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@Aku Yay for Final Fantasy IX. That game seldom gets the love it deserves. It was phenomenal and one my absolute favourites to play.

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There’s a lot of noise around the Final Fantasy series. In truth, I’ve never played any of them. It has always been confusing for me, since there are so many in the series. All I know is there’s a dude with weird hair and a gigantic sword.
If I wanted to try the series, what’s a good entry point? Should I play one of the modern ones or an old classic? Also I’ve heard that FFVII is being remade for the PS4, should I wait and try that, or should I play one of the originals first? Are the games all connected like do I need to play FF1 through FF6 to understand/appreciate FF7?

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most of them are standalone except for FFX-2 and the XIII trilogy. you are free to start from wherever you want, but you shouldn’t consider the first three imo - their outdated mechanics will just bug you to hell if you’re used to modern JRPGs, like annoying encounter rate, too much grind to do and you’ll probably waste half of your playtime wandering the map since it’s never clear what to do and where to go. i’ve tried to play FF III like four times in the past years, the last one being a few months ago, but i don’t think i’ll ever finish it
also the VII remake will be significantly different from the original game, so you should play that first

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I haven’t played 7 yet so I can’t speak for it, but I’m assuming it and its remake will be completely different from each other. So if you play the original and like it, you’re probably going to want to play the remake as well. Personally, If I were you, I’d give 9 a try as your first since it’s coming out on Steam soon. It’s classic Final Fantasy through and through and is very charming. I’m playing through it now and am having a blast! You could buy 6 on Steam and I’ve also heard that the re-release of 4 is good.

Like @Aku said, you don’t have to play any of them in order unless stated in the title. For example, X-2 and XIII-2 are sequels to X and XIII and IV:The After Years is a sequel to 4. Everything else is fair game.

If you do go with 9, say hi to Hippaul for me!

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@Torgo
You can start from any main series title. They all have common elements, but each game has a unique story, and world to it. My personal opinion is that X, VII, and XII were the best, but really you can just pick any main instalment that seems cool. The spin offs do tie in to their respective game, but the main instalments are not connected story wise. FFVII is being remade, but it won’t be for a while, ( I’ve heard late 2016 a few times, but who knows) so I’d try the original first. You don’t have to play one to understand another.

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@Torgo If you can take advantage of it, there is a sale on classic Final Fantasy games in the PlayStation store that ends on 2 February. They are currently half off. You could pick up a few and enjoy them all.

A starting point may be Final Fantasy VI. Originally titled Final Fantasy III on SNES in North America, it was the sixth game in the series and definitely one of the best games of its era, and of the Final Fantasy series.

Esseintially the games are linked more thematically and mechanically (in some respects) rather than stroy. So as others have mentioned you can jump in anywhere. VI may be a good starting point if you want to go back to the SNES 2D era.

Here are some thoughts on the games:

  • FFVI: a stellar 2D RPG that has a robust story and more traditional turn based JRPG elements.
  • FFVII: the first with real time rendered representational 3D graphics (albeit with pre-rendered backgrounds). For many this was their first entry into the Final Fantasy series and thus beloved. While still fun to play it has arguably aged the worst of all the games given it’s historical moment and the technology of the time. You may even find VI far more aesthetically pleasing than VII, but that is highly subjective.
  • FFVIII: for some this is the weakest of the Final Fantasy games given some of its stranger mechanics. For others this is a favourite. A noticiable step up in visuals and real time rendered characters.
  • FFIX: a return to some more traditional mechanics and a nod to some of the earliest Final Fantasy games story wise. Personally I have a soft spot for IX but I think it is one of the games that requires a prior love of the Final Fantasy series of games.
  • FFX: The first PS2 title, and one that benefits from an HD remaster. Also the first with voice acted dialogue (this fact alone can make the game far more enjoyable for some, especially those not accustomed to traditional JRPGs).
  • FFXI: Final Fantasy Online, the first FF MMO.
  • FFXII: another favourite for some. A more politically charged narrative in certain respects.
  • FFXIII: a very polarizing title. Some love and some absolutely loath FFXIII. The later group often cite the linear nature of the game as a major failing. Independant of this it is a stunning game. I count myself in the group that love the game but acknowledge that in certain respects it was somewhat flawed.
  • FFXIV: Final Fantasy Online. The second MMO in the series and one that has gone through two incarnations. The first was somewhat of a failure (despite having a decent player base) given some of its more frustrating elements. The game was rebooted in 2014 as A Realm Reborn and has since drawn a large user base. If you enjoy MMOs this is a superb game to play.

One final thought. If you have not played many classic JRPGs in general you may want to try something akin to Final Fantasy but not part of the series. Chrono Trigger was also put out by Square Soft in the 90s and represents one of their finest works to date. It is highly regarded, has a robust and enjoyable story, has multiple narrative forks and possible endings and superb artistic design. For many who cut their teeth on JRPGs in the 90s, Chrono Trigger represents both an entry point and a high point of gaming. I would highly recommend giving Chrono Trigger a go if you have not had the pleasure.

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49

You could just grab a couple of dice and roll until you hit a 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, or 12.

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this is a toughie but what the hell, here it goes.

at least as of now

1.) Smash Bros. Melee
2.) Undertale
3.) Gears of War
4.) Bastion
5.) Dynasty Warriors 4 (what’s up? :grinning:)

melee being what i believe to be the best couch fighter/competitive fighter of all tine. undertale/bastion being the games i feel like i’ve been the most emotionally invested into ever. dynasty 4 is the game i remember that started my hack n’ slash crave. i am a sucker to this day with all those warriors games. can i get a woohoo for hyrule warriors?

also while i’m talking about my hack n’ slash crave… does anyone else remember samurai western for the PS2? that game really blew my mind when i was a lil’ guy. i have to go back and play that!

obviously this my personal top 5 and not what i believe to be the best five games of all time. that’s a whole different conversation!

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  1. Legend of Grimrock 2
  2. Baldur’s Gate 2
  3. Planescape: Torment
  4. Persona 4 Golden
  5. Fire Emblem: Awakening
  6. Witcher 3
  7. Dark Souls
  8. Shadowrun: Dragonfall
  9. … bioshockmasseffectthelongestjourneymonkeyislandmemoriamorrowind… and so much more.

… so yeah, I kinda like RPGs.

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I saved your big comment to a text file for future reference! I’m both excited and daunted about diving in to the JRPG genre. :open_mouth:
I’ve heard a lot about Chrono Trigger in fact I’ve watched an LP of the first hour or so of the game, it’s one of those legendary titles that’s been on my bucket list for a while. That and also Earthbound which is another one everyone tells me I should play. Oh, and Secret of Mana! I’m overwhelmed, don’t know where to begin lol.

In some ways I kinda miss the good old days of the 90’s. I would probably come across one game every year or something when a floppy disk would coincidentally filter down to me through relatives/friends; a battered pirate copy of “Monkey Island” or whatever, and then I would play the hell out of it for years, with no internet to offer advice. I would thirst for games and seek them out but there wasn’t really a place to purchase or obtain them in Australia, they just kind of materialised magically. Nowadays it’s the opposite problem: thousands of games breeding and multiplying in my steam library & the added choice anxiety (sorry went a bit off-topic there).

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Nowadays it’s the opposite problem: thousands of games breeding and multiplying in my steam library & the added choice anxiety

I completely agree. Choice and access is at an all time high. Which is wonderful for so many reasons. However, which choice comes decision and it can be difficult when your backlog is full of games and growing. All the same, I love that we have far more and varied games with more voices and stories and styles to enjoy. I also love that I can chose from almost the entire history of gaming. We simply have so much access. Which means you can play something like Chrono Trigger years After release and experience everything you might have decades ago. But I’m 100% with you on appreciating the challenge that choice presents.

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Yeah, I even have an exact order:

1. Undertale
Best comunication between videogame and creator. Best narrative. Strongest impact.

2. Silent Hill 2
Best world building. Best characters. Best atmosphere.

3. FF IX/X
Best fantasy story.

4. Dark Souls
Best lore. Best adventure.

5. Resident Evil
Tightest design

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Yes, that’s certainly an incredible and unexpected advantage of our current era. All games from history: MS-DOS, NES, SNES, Atari, etc. We can play all of them with ease, it’s wonderful. I love putting my old DOS games on my 55" TV and playing them with my wireless controller, so completely different from when I was a kid hunched over a 15" CRT monitor using the keyboard, hearing the grinding noise of the floppy drive.
The only gap is games from the 32bit Windows 95 era which are notoriously hard to get working on modern systems, but GOG helps out in that department. I’ve also managed to get a ‘virtual machine’ running, it works quite well.

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@Torgo I know what you mean regarding Win 95 games. So many great games from that era that were impossible to re-play until recently. Gladly I have picked up some via re-release and GOG. Sam and Max anyone?

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I must be a bit wrong in the head, but I have loads of great memories of Win95 and the PC game explosion that occurred around then. Jesus, that’s like 20 years ago now!!

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Right before the Win95 era was my introduction to PC gaming. It’s when I learned to love adventure games. I still replay King’s Quest VI every other year or so because I love reliving that story and adventure. GOG makes that so much easier to do now.

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Nah I think you’re right in the head. In fact I think the games back then were better, if you look at the top 10 of my ‘favourite games of all time’ list (Torgo's Favourites Shelf | Grouvee) seven of them (out of 10) are from that period. Although the graphics were obviously less impressive at the time, the actual quality of game design was far superior (in general). Plus PC games had the BIG BOXES!! :heart_eyes:
My theory is this: back in those days I feel like gaming was still nerdy, it wasn’t particularly mainstream. For this reason it was a bit intellectual in a sense, so games were a smaller market and they were produced for clever nerds. But today the games market is much larger (by far the biggest profit share in the entertainment sector) and games have mass appeal; they’re not nerdy any more, everyone plays games. For this reason games have been dumbed down. The sport jocks and soccer moms from the 90’s are now gamers so games are designed to appeal to your Shrek and Miley Cyrus general populace. It’s like the big movie industry, how all this heinous sewerage is created with mass appeal: Shrek 5 and endless superhero reboots and Adam Sandler comedies. The games industry has turned into mass production of the game equivalent of Adam Sandler films. That’s my theory anyway. Though there are notable exceptions.
BUT! In recent years I think people have become fed up and horrified with the AAA market and are opting for indie or niche titles instead. And also big developers have started actually making niche games through things like Kickstarter (or Grow Home: an “indie game” made by a huge developer) so perhaps the tide is turning. Especially when you see the gaming community recoiling in horror en-masse from things like Arkham Knight or Sleeping Dogs.
(Sorry, my rant got a little out of hand :cold_sweat:)

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Arkham Knight on PS4? I played that game a little. Thought it was pretty decent. Maybe start to finish it’s terrible but just fooling around the city was sweet.

Video games weren’t mainstream during the 80’s-90’s. They were exclusive and there weren’t many out there. I’m not sure if games were made better back then, probably but did we enjoy them so much b/c we were kids and it was a brand new form of entertainment? The were more difficult and took some dedication and intelligence, definitely agree with you there.

Modern games have way too much stuff you can do. There are menus, modes, multiple HUDs, tons of buttons, a billion inventory items, controls are all weird. The games look amazing and I’ve had some fun playing them, but if I have to wait ten minutes through a cut scene before I can even play a level then I’m not going back to the game. Thank the tireless efforts of the indie devs for cranking out some fun games that don’t break the bank and can run on my basic lap top.

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