We've done an awful lot of discussing videogames around here the past several years. However, unlike NBA Dish, where the questions "who's the greatest player ever?" and "what's your all-time allstar team?" have been discussed ad-nauseum, I don't know if there's ever been a straight-up "what're the greatest games ever?" thread. I think I've done threads on great obscure games, great old games, and great RPGs, but never actually met the big question head-on. No idea if this will take off, if anyone cares, whatever. But I, for one, would be interested to see everyone's list of what are the greatest games ever. Two important guidelines: 1. List nothing that's purely nostalgia-based greatness, or "for-its-time" greatness. We all loved the original Super Mario Brothers, but it doesn't stand up well to Super Mario Brothers 3, for example. I loved Quake, but Quake doesn't stand up well to Killzone 2. For tinman, there's little or no reason to choose the original Street Fighter 2 when Street Fighter 2 HD Remix is out. 2. Every same-genre game you list must be equally as good in your mind as the others. So no matter how much I LOVE Xenosaga 3, I can't list it, because I consider Xenogears and FF7 categorically better. No matter how much I LOVE Tekken 5, I believe it to be outclassed right now by Street Fighter 4. I expect to add Tales of Vesperia and Mass Effect to this list soon enough... I just haven't actually played them yet. Alright... here's my list, ordered by genre, then (approximately) chronologically: RPGs Chrono Trigger With Streets of Rage 2, one of the oldest games on my list. Features a wonderful story, and a true turn-based combat system that not only prominently features team attacks, but also doesn't transition to an alternate "battle mode" as most RPGs do. Far ahead of its time, which is probably why it has such longevity. Final Fantasy 7 The standard to which other RPGs are held. Good story, battle system, and some good extra side-questing to do. Xenogears Definitely one of the best stories ever told in a game. Combat was satisfying and challenging, and being able to rotate the camera at will was awesome. Chrono Cross Rife with small innovations, some that have become the norm, and others that seem conspicuous in their absence in ensuing games. Wonderful story with multiple endings, and a charming art style that holds up despite the decade of age. Final Fantasy X Lots and lots of good side-questing. Pretty graphics. Lovable characters (except for Tidus). Valkyria Chronicles You could call this a strategy game too. I'm in awe at this game's prettiness every time I turn it on. The story-telling mechanics and style are superb, and the battle system is exceedingly immersive. My only real criticism is that it's just a touch too easy (Scouts get evilly overpowered by the end of the game). Fallout 3 A landmark game by pretty much any standard. It pretty much takes Oblivion and moves it to a setting which is more appropriate to the gameplay style, as well as tweaks said gameplay and fixes the broken leveling system. Action/Adventure Streets of Rage 2 Ah, one of the oldest games on my list. Remember all those side-scrollin' beat-'em-ups that were all the rage 20 years ago? Well this was the best of the best. And I never cease to be amazed that it still holds up as a great game today, nostalgia or no. Okami Without doubt one of the most innovative mechanics ever in a game, to go with beautiful art, music, and a lot of heart. Going against most great action games which often seem to be over too soon, Okami takes over 50 hours for most people to beat. Shadow of the Colossus I struggle to think of even one other boss in any other game that matches the scale of what you faced regularly in SotC. I've played a lot of games, so that's really saying something. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune To me, this was certainly the PS3's first knock-your-socks-off exclusive title, now joined by Killzone 2 and Valkyria Chronicles. It manages to do pretty much everything well, the crowning jewel of which is the Hollywood-quality voice acting and characters (actually, that probably gives Hollywood too much credit). Shooters Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 About as close as I've seen a shooter get to the real thing. Exceedingly well-executed. Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 Extremely impressed with the sound in this game. Also love the frequent multiple entry points that allow for strategic engagements. Gears of War 2 As arcadey as a "tactical" shooter can get, Gears 2 is an improvement on Gears 1 in many small ways: weapon balance, ability for downed foes to crawl, more spacious levels, more logical outcomes when 2 chainsaws meet. Killzone 2* I asterisk this one because I've barely dug into it yet. But from what I've played... wow. I'm EXTREMELY impressed. Without doubt the best graphics yet on a console. It makes everything else look positively ugly. Fighting Capcom vs. SNK 2 HUGE roster of great characters, and basically a 100% customizable fighting system. You can't go wrong. Def Jam: Fight for NY Anyone who hasn't actually played this has to wonder what it's doing on this list. Oh yeah... it's really that good. Trust me. Or better yet, don't trust me. Go buy it. Super Smash Brothers: Brawl Classic Nintendo anyone-can-pick-up-and-play. Street Fighter 4 I tend to maintain that Capcom vs. SNK is the greatest fighting game ever, but there IS something to be said for a consistent set of rules. SF4 takes an already great formula, makes small but good changes (the counter hits that can absorb hits, the 4-part bar that can juice up supers, the no-longer ambiguous throw mechanic), and slaps very pretty graphics on top of it all. Superb. Racing SSX 3 No one was more disappointed than me by SSX On Tour. There hasn't been a serious effort at another "real" entry in the SSX line in way, way too long. But this one will hold up for another couple decades. It's got speed, it's got style, it's got great courses, and some of the best sound design ever, in anything. Burnout Paradise This is the fastest you're going to be able to go in a game on land, and it's also where you'll see the most spectacular crashes, bar-none. Mario Kart Wii Truly, this game never really gets old. It's always fun to play with friends, since no one is ever out of a race (better power-ups for being in the back). Sports Super Mario Strikers Few things are as fun to play co-op, even if no one's ever played it before. Tiger Woods 2004 Just before the series (IMO) took a turn for the worse, and just after it got enough courses to keep you occupied for basically forever. Strategy X-Com: the UFO Defense Rule #2 really came back to bite me here. I mostly lost my taste for strategy games fairly early on in life, even though my resolve was tested severely by the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series and Master of Orion 2. The reason? X-Com just absolutely outclasses EVERYTHING. To this day. Decades old, and still no one's topped it (perhaps yes in one aspect or another, but not as a complete package). Misc Trauma Center: New Blood You haven't lived until you've completed a grueling Wii-surgery teamed up with a friend.
Here are some games that I really enjoyed playing Shooting: Halo Counter Strike Source RPG: Diablo 2 Sports: NHL 08
The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery Return to Castle Wolfenstein Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Everquest (Original one, before any expansions came out) Farcry Witcher Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Are you kidding me? God of War is he BEST game I have ever played. I played everyday after work for a week.
I don't really care to list a bunch of genre specific categories. I just don't play a lot of different genres to be honest. I've just really started to get into my 2nd fps ever, for instance, and I'm really enjoying it(half life 2). Oh, and I'm behind on this gen and am just barely getting in on the 360, so my list reflects that. Anyway, I'm going to go with games that entertained the hell out of me and games that I could just go back and pick up and play. - Tales of Symphonia(I love the blend of rpg + action. Haven't played another action rpg yet that is as good, though abyss is close) - Street Fighter 2(whatever version. Best fighter ever) - Galaga(simple, but so fun) - Baten Kaitos Origins (great characters, and fun, unique battle system) - Resident Evil 4(fun action fest) - Super Mario Brothers 3(this game spoiled me for just about all other platformers, haven't really enjoyed any others nearly as much since) - Paper Mario and the thousand year door(love the humor and battle system) - Final Fantasy 9 (when I first played this game I thought it was meh, but I've come to love it) - Metroid Prime ( what an awesome transition to 3d for one of the best series of all time. Captured the feel of Super Metroid to perfection imo) I'm sure I'm leaving out some. Fwiw, right now I'm playing Phoenix Wright, FF4 remake and the Orange Box. Am really looking forward to playing Bioshock, Fallout 3, and Tales of Vesperia, among others. Wish I had more time.
Eliminated by rule #2. Killzone 2 and RSV2 are both better games... Because I didn't like it. At least, not compared to the 4 I listed.
I don't even like turn based RPG's but man Chrono Trigger was amazing. I loved that game! I never got the chance to play a Zelda or Mario title past SNES, kind of sad... I am gonna throw Civilization III into the mix. That game, like Chrono Trigger, transcends its genre.
Was that really that good? I think I played it for like 15 minutes once. Not enough time to form an opinion either way. Clearly that's one I missed that I really need to get around to playing eventually. I reeeaaaally want to play those eventually. A lot of people on here recommended HoMM3 in the last big games thread, and I hear good things about Riddick... shame Microsoft apparently hates me, because the 360 doesn't support it, I'd have to get the PC version. Have you played Devil May Cry 3? I thought that was far better. What made you come to love it? The overly cutesy characters and weapon experience system drove me nuts... I hated feeling forced into using inferior weapons. You know, come to think of it, I think perhaps Mario 64 deserves to be on my list... hmmmm...
