My 11-20 Favorite Video Games

Forever ago, I wrote a top 10 favorite video games list.  I regret some of my entries (my top 10 now would have a few changes) but instead of rewriting it, I'm just going to leave it as is and talk about some honorable mentions.  Well, that was the plan, but this got long enough that I decided to just go with a straight 11-20 list.

I'm using the same rules as before, one game per franchise and no arcade cabinets which should be its own list.  Also, the last 3 or 4 (or, 17-ish to 20) get pretty fuzzy so this is more a list of what I think at the moment rather than something set in stone forever.

11.  The Last of Us

This was my final cut when I wrote my top 10 and I only really cut it because the game was only a year old by then.  I regret that because it's really the culmination of a lot of video game trends from the previous generation.  No video game "felt like playing a movie" more than this game.  I'm indifferent to the idea of games trying to be movies as long as EVERY game is not trying too.  I know some people hate this, and that's fine, I just like all sorts of styles of games.  The Last of Us is probably the best game trying to be a movie we may ever see since current gaming trends have moved more to open world and/or emergent storytelling, as well as desperately trying to convince us VR isn't just a fancier Nintendo Wii.

This game has great characters, great storytelling, a cliche setting, and solid gameplay.  The gameplay uses a great stealth system despite few actually considering this a stealth game.  Yeah...I don't know why Joel has super human hearing either but I didn't use it much and still stealthed my way around.  The gun play is straight up an Uncharted clone which is acceptable.  The setting is post-apocalypse zombie times but you rarely fight zombies in the game as the majority of enemies are rival human groups.  At least the zombies get a twist on their creation with a fungus actually found in nature.  They all look like grotesque human-mushrooms too.

Well, mushroom-esque.

The characters and story really sell this game though.  The first 20-30 minutes is notorious for getting players teary.  That has to be some sort of record for "fastest time to get players emotionally invested".  I personally really like the games softer periods during exploration/scavenging sections since they really build character.  It gives the player time to relax and appreciate some banter (can't be TOO relaxed though as sudden zombie/human attacks can happen).  Joel and Ellie's character arcs are fantastic and their relationship grows during the course of the game.  Spoiler but (highlight to read), Joel goes from hating Ellie and considering her "baggage" to eventually considering her to be his surrogate daughter.  The voice work is among the best ever done in a video game, if not, the best of all time I'm not kidding.  It's so good that the occasional weirdness with Ellie being an escort AI can seem more jarring here.  Unlike Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite for example, there is no reason for Ellie to be mostly ignored by enemies.  She does occasionally get in trouble and requires saving but it's pretty rare.

Maybe the only game that makes you care about a character as a parent type.

That ending though!  Possibly my favorite ending in video game history.  A lot of people at the time seemed confused or hated it but that is because gamers are fucking stupid.  Ambiguous endings are fine and this one isn't even that ambiguous.  We know the fate of these characters and you'd have to be an idiot to not know.  No, the only thing ambiguous is, Spoilers again, did Ellie know Joel lied?  They must have spent a ton of time on that final shot cutscene because you can see Ellie thinking it over before saying, "okay".  Joel doubles down on his lie when pressured to tell the truth.  I think, Ellie knows Joel lied, but accepts it.  She knows Joel can't bare to lose another daughter...even if that means dooming humanity.  People also hated the ending because of Joel not being a perfect hero.  Why?  He is an anti-hero.  He has had questionable decisions earlier in the game.  I'm sorry a video game made you play a murder machine who isn't a bastion of good.

Finally, about The Last of Us 2.  I'm...torn.  I loved that perfect ending and now we might get resolution to something that didn't need it.  It would be stupid not to make another considering this game nearly swept game of the year awards and sold a fuck load, but hey man.  What about art?

12.  Resident Evil 4

RE4 is fantastic and one of the most influential games of all time...for better and worse.

It invented the over the shoulder camera for 3rd person shooters.  Actually, 3rd person shooter wasn't really a thing until this game.  Everything from Gears of War to Mass Effect to The Last of Us above owe a debt to inventing this camera angle.  It seems innocuous now but before RE4, 3rd person perspective was always behind the back and elevated even if shooting was a mechanic.  Many had to use a lock on aim mechanic and enemies became bullet sponges (sometimes, still are).  Think the early Tomb Raider games.

RE4 also popularized the escort mission.  These were awful until the AI improved and designers realized escort characters should be able to defend themselves or be mostly invincible like Ellie in The Last of Us or ALWAYS invincible like Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite.  The escort character in this game is Ashley and she is, the worst usually.  You had some basic commands like wait/follow so "wait" was frequently used until you cleared an area of all danger.  Even then, there are scripted moments where you have to protect her while also fighting enemies attacking yourself like the elevated castle area where you protect her trying to pull levers to open a gate (if you played this game you know what spot I'm talking about).  Those scripted moments are tense but also frustrating.  It's weird.

Agreed.

The game also popularized, but did not invent like so many people think so....quick time events.  Failing these usually meant immediate death and some, like a long ass cutscene knife fight, required a dozen button presses.  It was annoying as hell.

Still though, this game is pretty awesome.  It seems to go through drastic tone changes in its 3 acts.  The village is the only part that has horror moments but even then, something about protagonist Leon Kennedy's lines seem a bit off.  After a super intense fight in the village, everybody leaves after the church bell calls them and Leon says, "Where did everybody go?  Bingo?"  AH YES.  This is the first, and so far, last Resident Evil to finally make fun of itself.  Act 2 in the castle gets super cheesy.  The main villain in this act is just....well, watch.  I mean.  Come on.  That is Premium Grade A cheddar.  Act 3 goes straight action as any pretense of this game being a survival horror game is thrown out the door with chain gun wielding zombies (they're not actually zombies but, they are).

Even with a game having fun with itself and being cheesy, there are still times when its horror roots appear.  Even in act 3, the Regenerators.....*shudder*, the breathing.  Oh god, the breathing.  I can't deal.  You always, ALWAYS, hear the breathing before you actually see one and panic sets in (they are really tough to take down too).

Also, the merchant.  The fuck is this guys deal?  Why is he here?  Why is he always ahead of me?  I'm pretty sure I'm his only customer yet he's so into it.  Possibly the most bizarre NPC in video games from a narrative stand point.  His existence doesn't even start to make sense but he's just so pleasant and a welcome sight in a game when upgrades and better weapons are really needed.  Fights are usually by the skin of your teeth (you can't take much damage, usually, and some enemies have one hit kill attacks).  This guy has not appeared in another Resident Evil because every game after this took themselves way too seriously.

You BETTER buy it at a high price.

If RE 1-3 are basically the same style, how come RE 4-6 messed up?  5 and 6 are basically the same as 4 in gameplay but it's missing the same "style".  They feel off.  RE7 looks to be the start of a new trend and WOW did they take a long time to go "indie horror game".  Or...lets do PT/Silent Hills since it got cancelled and make Konami look stupid.  I'm okay with that.

13.  Silent Hill 2

Out of any game I'm going to regret on this list, it's probably this one.  Most of my memories of this game center around the beginning and it's sort of twist that everything might be happening in the protagonists head (sorry to spoil a 16 year old game but you probably knew that)  It's weird to still like James Sunderland after all this time since his writing and acting is pretty awful.  The gameplay isn't really that great either with early 2000's cameras (yeah, remember those?) that would suddenly switch sides and disorient the player.  IF those were on purpose, and a big IF, is still up to debate.

The tone, setting, atmosphere, and general direction was so good its flaws felt lost in the fog (Ed note - come up with a better joke).  The opening 30 minutes is very quiet and very foreboding.  Silent Hill's iconic fog becomes thicker and thicker as you move through the park.  After you encounter the first monster, they appear after you are aware one is around you due to a radio static mechanic.  You don't know where, due to the fog, and it's so nerve racking.

A lot of people consider this the scariest game of all time but I don't think so.  What it does instead is make you wonder what person James is.  Is he hallucinating all this or not?  This game is famous for playing on psychological dread.  The beginning, in retrospect, should be a red flag since the story starts out with James getting a message from his dead wife to meet her in a park.  Uh, yeah, that's a ghost brah.  Also, the story shows that James might not be the best person...

Yeah I trust this.

I should note that this game has the first appearance of Pyramid Head (link is NSFW??) who is also in the Silent Hill movie and....just.....the worst*.  In the game, he is tricksy.  James shoots him a bunch from the closet in the first cutscene with him (you can actually see him through a gated hallway before hand and ITS VERY INTIMIDATING) and he just runs off like a little bitch.  It's okay though because he later just torments you via cutscene until a tough boss fight.  He's basically a plot device.

*I've seen an absurd amount of video game movies, yes, including some of the Uwe Boll ones.  I should...do a thing.

14.  Super Metroid

Back to old school stuff.  I didn't own a SNES but this is the game I played a lot off when I borrowed my friends (along with Chrono Trigger).  As far as the best game that FEELS Nintendo now, this is the best SNES game ever, even though I consider Chrono Trigger much better....does that make sense?

This game has two special aspects in my heart.  The first is the creepy intro with the awesome music and sudden boss fight with Ridley.  The other is its world style.  I have liked many games that share the same style of game world.  It's kind of like a 2-D open world but not really.

Super Metroid usually had gear/equipment requirements to get to a new area making it a bit more linear, but so many games have copied the "map".  Remember VVVVVV?  Same style of map. Castlevainia games also do this (but I never played those) hence the term, "Metroidvania" for these types of game worlds.  There are a ton of old Newgrounds games, Adult Swim games, and a personal soft spot of mine, Knytt Underground, that had the same world-style that I just adore.

This map.

And here is where I need to make a note considering the lack of Nintendo games in my top 20, as this is the last Nintendo game to be on here. - Mario and Zelda are never going to be that high on any of my lists.  Outside of my sister's NES, my friend's SNES, and a lazy babysitter/older cousin who just sat us in front of a NES, I haven't played that much Nintendo.  A friend of mine in high school (aging myself here) had a Gamecube and we played the shit out of some Smash Bros....the first one.  Another friend had a N64 and we mostly played Goldeneye (severely overrated game fucking fight me nerds).  But I also had a killer PC because my dad loved new tech so PC + Genesis/Playstation was enough.  I HAVE played most of the early Marios but very few to completion.  Zelda?  Not, a, single, one.  I've never played a Zelda game and honestly, have no desire too.  It seems like "My first action-RPG" and no thank you.  That said, Breath of the Wild looks cool.

Super Metroid failed to make me want to play more Metroid games.  It's spot on this list was introducing me to a game style that I really like and that many games have copied.  It invented a sub-genre that seems quaint now but it's that broadening of styles that I wish more games would do.

15.  Portal

I like clever puzzle games and Portal might be the cleverest.  "Lets make a FPS with sort of real physics and portals and puzzles," said nobody ever.  Yet, Portal happened.  I know that Valve bought the rights to a game that was basically the same thing and expanding it to "the cake is a lie" proportions but it's still clever.  (Ed note - Christ Jason!  These jokes are terrible).

The backstory to this game is astounding considering there is no codex or any dialogue outside of one character.  All speech comes from GlaDOS who is sneakily evil....the BEST kind of evil....while also being sympathetic.  She is a weird anomaly in media these days, GOOD VILLAINS.  But the hype around this game is sort of a negative too as emergent and "environmental" storytelling really takes off after Portal.  While I'm not against these things, not even a little, I hate it when they become the ONLY things that provide narrative.  Just because it worked in Portal doesn't mean it's going to work elsewhere.

Hey sweetie.

I seriously contemplated putting Portal 2 here instead but I just love the companion cube so much.  It's hard enough for games to make you care about characters yet Portal made you care about an inanimate object.  That....is kind of bizarre.  There is a weird loneliness vibe to this game that I haven't really felt since the original Doom games, 1 and 2.  (Okay....maybe Shadow of the Colossus as well).  The only real character other than Chell, yourself, is the villain so....*

*...I know there are other characters but none actually exist in the game world.  You don't meet any of them.

Valve hates trilogies though so of course no Half- Life 3 Portal 3.  If only developers could make a good third game.....

16.  Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

You knew this was coming assholes...uh...at least, one MGS game.

This is probably the only game in the MGS franchise that nailed the ridiculousness of MGS and the seriousness of its story line.  This was secretly the best stealth game ever made until Deus Ex: Human Revolution came along and was actually successful in hitting the player in the feels despite the ridiculous melodrama.

I have talked way too much about Metal Gear Solid on this blog so I'll leave this entry as this:  Birth of Big Boss is brilliant.  The Boss (different character) is the only person who explained the point of the entire franchise.  "Snake you've created a time paradox" comes from this game and actually makes sense.  And yes.  MGS has time travel that isn't stupid....well...it's more of an Ass Creed Animus thing but gahhhhh moving on.

17.  To The Moon.

Don't you roll your eyes at me.  This game is great.  While I know a lot of people know the title, I'm pretty sure a lot of you don't know what this game is actually about.

You play as two scientists named Evaline (Eva) and Neil who have sci-fi technology that allows them to manipulate peoples memories.  Old people on their death bed hire them to re-write memories so they can right a wrong or die happy or whatever.  (A misconception about this game is that they travel through time and change it.  They don't do that.  Reality stays the same they can just change memories).  A man named Johnny hires them so that he can go to the moon in his memories except...he doesn't know why he wants to go to the moon.

This game is on the list, and my highest rated indie game, solely due to the story.  It's really impressive as Eva and Neil learn about Johnny and his wife River in reverse order.  They have to reach his earliest memory to re-write it so he goes to the moon.  They start at his old man memories and work backward.  And as for the reason he wants to go to the moon?...oh my god.  I shit you not but this is the only game ever that got me straight up crying.  It's notorious for it.*  If you cry more from tragedy or sentimentality it doesn't matter because this game has BOTH.

*The game has a lot of really good humor too so don't expect it to be some depressing slog.

...I'm getting teary just looking at it.

Gameplay is mostly just exploration and clicking on things.  You get some light puzzles, most of which are panel flipping to "make a picture", but there is also a bizarre action sequence late.  The game is made in RPG Maker even though it doesn't use any 16-bit RPG staples other than "notes" that appear in an inventory screen and classic text bubbles.  This is yet another game that maybe shouldn't be considered a game but who cares.

Again, I cannot express the emotional impact this game has even if it seems manipulative in retrospect.  It is incredibly unique in this regard and one of only a few games that can provoke a strong emotional response like other mediums can.  Aerith dying in Final Fantasy 7?  Whatever, kid shit.  This game will leave everyone crying.

18.  Catherine

Yes, Alternate Covers.

Ha, WOW.  This is quite the tonal shift.

An Atlus game made by the same team that makes the Persona games, Catherine is unlike any game ever made.  The number of games I can say are truly unique I could count on one hand and this is one of them.  Catherine is a...um...anime TV show drama/psychological thriller/alcohol enthusiast trivia game with block pushing/tower climbing gameplay that also uses a player choice driven narrative?  Yeah....yeah that's kinda close.

I don't usually put puzzle games this high but along with Portal, this game is too good to ignore.  The puzzle sections, which is half the game, are really good.  The objective is to climb a tower of blocks by pushing or pulling blocks, usually with gravity defying physics, with a timer gradually taking lower levels away.  There are also different types of blocks like immovable ones, ice ones, bombs, spikes, etc.  For all the talk about the puzzles being super hard, they start pretty easy...but holy shit do they get hard and the timer/trap blocks just increase the tension.  Unfortunately some towers require you to move behind the tower via a hanging mechanic (like platform hanging) and the camera is balls when you do this as it doesn't follow you.  Also, for some stupid reason, the controls become reversed and it is super disorientating.  Still though, conquering each stage is satisfying as fuck.

This game has a very adult themed story and a story not really ever covered in games.  The story is about cheating on your girlfriend, as the cheater, only maybe you didn't?  Or you did?  Of course with the Persona team, the story is much weirder than a normal infidelity story*.  The game also has a forced confessional that asks you some...honestly, pretty tough binary questions about what you consider a relationship, emotional commitment, what you see in potential partners, and yeah, sex.  Whoever wrote these questions is a genius demon by the way as they start benign and kinda stupid, but they eventually get pretty tough.  Also, you can see the answers via pie graph of every other person who played the game and compare them to your own.  Some have a 80/20 split but others have close to 50/50.

Since sex is a major theme of this game, for once NO, the characters are not pointlessly sexualized.  

*The ending kind of ruins the story but I don't think it's that big of a deal.  The player's choices can effect who you end up with, or neither.  Spoiler (Highlight to read):  Catherine is a succubus so it makes the whole cheating thing cheap.  It would have been a stronger story if it wasn't clouded in demon nonsense but the player can manipulate choices to end up with her anyway.  Basically, the player can choose to be with the succubus.  

BTW, this game has 9 endings.  3 with Catherine, 3 with Katherine, and 3 called the "freedom" endings which ends up with the player with neither.  I'm not sure if that is a MRA joke or not.

Finally, you're probably wondering how a story about infidelity has anything to do with tower climbing and block moving.  It's actually super weird and kind of a spoiler but I will say the puzzle sections only happen after leaving the bar every night (with drink trivia) and occur in your sleep.  But if you die in your sleep you die in real life blah blah blah.  It...play the game it makes more sense.  Man I should replay this.  It's worthy of its own post.

19.  Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Not going to make the same mistake I did with The Last of Us.  This game absolutely deserves a spot on here and for once, a game I've written about before (twice).

Open world games are better off trying to copy this world than GTA or The Elder Scrolls.  Secondary quests are just as good in quality as the main quests.  Witcher contracts are surprisingly good as side quests as well.  There is dumb Ubisoft collect-a-thon icons on the map, a ton of them, but that is really the only big flaw of this game to me because #AllQuestsMatter.  Still though, the quality of the good stuff covers up the quantity of stupid shit really well.

The story is fantastic.  The characters are great too even if Geralt's line delivery is sometimes dull as a butter knife.  I know, "emotionless Witcher" blah blah, but it is weird when he does show the slight hint of emotion.  Everything with the Wild Hunt and especially Ciri are really, really top notch.  Even the love triangle is pretty good for a video game even though by other media standards it is pretty blah.  (Also, it's a subplot so don't be too weirded out that I bring this up after entry #18.  Just a coincidence I swear).  And I've mentioned this in the review but the Crones can go fuck themselves.  Great story there too but seriously fuck em.

I feel bad because if you clicked on my review links...I'm just repeating myself so moving on.

This game might move up my list in time depending on how this game ages and the ones above it age.  Honestly, Ultima was way too high, Sonic probably too high as well, and maybe Total War.  Nostalgia is hard to gage.  Even Shinobi 3 was hard because that game is seriously....too low.  I love that game man.

20.  Uh...Let's go...

I'm not going to do a 21-30 list because that would be dumb. I'm probably forgetting a game I will remember 6 months from now.  This will be slightly controversial but lets go,

Oxenfree

Get fucked previous entry I had here.

Just read my Oxenfree review.  This game is fucking rad.
...................................................................................................................................................................

Follow me on Twitter.

Favorite and Not Favorite Video Games of 2016 Sort Of

I totally wanted to do this for 2015 as well but I suddenly needed to move to another city in December which cut down on the time I had for writing.  So...each category, where applicable, I have included a 2015 version for shits and giggles.  

Ground rules: I must have played the game....that's it.  Here are the best, and a little bit of the worst, games of 2016.  

Game of 2016 That Came Out in 2016...

Overwatch

Review here.
Competetive Season One Thoughts here.
A super inaccurate beta impressions here.  (Don't read that).

Like it was going to be something else?  I typically shy away from multiplayer only games but this was too good to ignore.  The gameplay is really good even if the balance is still a little off (poor useless Bastion).  They added a much needed arcade mode for more casual stuff as well as making Quick Play more of a practice mode for Comp even though the entire rule set isn't the same yet.

The characters really sell it though, from inspiring to...lets say, thirsty.  For such a shitty 2016 for minorities and women, Overwatch has a ton of representation.  While three women follow typical sexy game models (Tracer, Mercy, and Widowmaker...though I guess she represents the blueish-purple skinned people), others don't.  Pharah is old school Samus from Metroid in full armor and that's just to start.  Ana is a grandmother, Mei is short and chunky (also, bae), and Zarya is a hero to beefcake women who might be Trans according to every fan theory.  Also, recently released Sombra has been welcomed with a ton of applause from the Hispanic community because holy shit.  What other Hispanic women characters can you name in video games?  Not a whole lot out there.

The dudes are all over the place too.  Roadhog looks like he weighs 1000 lbs, Junkrat is a scraggly fucker, Reinhardt is ancient, and some of them....are robots.  Lucio might be a BIT of a stereotype as a black DJ but how many also roller blade?  Yeah.  Exactly.

The only thing that might kill this game is the community.  Don't get me wrong, it's still mostly fine.  It's not toxic.  It's also popular enough that toxicity tends to be sort of rare.  But, that liiiiiittle bit always annoys me.  I work in service jobs.  My tolerance for asshats during my gaming time isn't that high and a big reason I stick to singleplayer games most of the time.  In the right mood, I can either laugh them off or talk shit right back IF they are directing their angst to me.  Other times, even when it's not directly at me but just the whole team, which is the most common, sometimes I'm just like nah.  Quit the game and open Civilization VI instead.  Wish that wasn't the case but what are you gonna do?

2015 version:  Life is Strange.

Review here
Criticism review here.

Still love this game.  Season 2 is gonna be weird with all new characters but hey, I'm down.

Almost every critical review of this game has a, "but I can't help but kind of love it" vibe.  Yeah.  I get ya.  It's rare to see a game revolve around a relationship, specifically between two teenage girls friendship/potentially romantic relationship depending on how you played it.  That...sounds like a dumb porn but trust me it's not.  It's sweet, and touching, and heartbreaking, and all those emotions David Cage wishes he could do in his games.  There is a layer of authenticity here in its characterization that is SUPER rare in video games and something I cherish.

Runner Up Game of 2016 That Came out in 2016...

Deus Ex:Mankind Divided.

Review here.
Story review here.
Microtransaction bullshit here.  Also, one of my least read things.  I make good arguments against this practice yo.

Despite all my bitching, I do really like this game.  I'm currently playing through it a second time to try a perfect stealth, no kill run (except for some scripted moments where you have to be seen).  It's going well but I'm not at the hard parts yet.

Most of my complaining was about this games pretty good story just hitting the wrong marks.  WELL...that was before heir Trump got elected so now....I'M NOT SO SURE.  I'm (sort of) kidding here as its themes don't really match its real world references but hey, they mostly don't match BECAUSE the previous game is one of my all time favorites.  On its own, it kind of works in a sick way.

2015 version:  Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Review here.
Quiet controversy here.
Spoiler filled hate fest here.

I'm seriously sick of talking about this game but 3 real quick points.  1.  The gameplay is phenomenal and I still stand by my position that this is the best stealth gameplay of all time.  2.  The story is bizarre while also being so unlike any other Metal Gear Solid story it will infuriate long time fans.  3.  Fuck Konami.

Best Game Of The Last Two Years Because I Played It In 2016 Despite Coming Out In 2015 And Yes, Better Than Overwatch...

Baddest ass picture ever

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Review Here......That is all I said about this fantastic game?!?!

I can not rave about this game enough.  I want to do a 11-20 favorite game post even though it gets kinda fuzzy after 15 and this one is seriously climbing the more I think about it.  First open world game I've loved.  Even in my review, my criticisms were pretty nitpicky which...I HAD TO DO because the game is that good.  One of the two non-nitpick complaints was about the oppressive number of random bullshit to do on the map but I remembered, "hey! I don't actually have to do all that if I don't want too"...so I didn't.  The other was about the absurd amount of running around needed for the crafting to work right but that's only if you want to get the best gear.  The main quests and secondary quests (which were given as much care as the main quests) were more than enough to still push this game over 60 hours on that stuff alone.  All the rest puts this game into marathon territory (I played 120 hours and still didn't do everything).

I want to talk about 3 things I didn't mention in the review.

1.  I have complained about the villain deficit in fiction a lot but the villains in this game are great.  Top to bottom!  Raid a bandit camp and afterward you will find a letter the bandit never got to send (because you murdered everyone) to his wife and kids.  It will say something about how this last robbery will let them be able to buy bread for a few weeks.  Augh...my heart breaks.  Why are you humanizing this game's version of Goombas game?  And at the top, even the main villains, the Wild Hunt, are sympathetic as fuck.  I still don't want to spoil it but trust me.  You kind of feel bad for them.

This game takes the M rating for real.  Instead of just for violence and bewbs (okay lets be fair, just bewbs) it actually deals with adult themes that younger players wouldn't notice or understand.  This game takes the phrase, "Nobody sees themselves as the villain", and makes it a trope.  It's great.  Granted, many of the monsters in the game are just fodder, but like I said in the review, even some of them are sympathetic and some question the idea of if they should even be considered monsters.  But, this is a choice orientated game.  You can choose to slay them, or not.  It's so fucking good.

2.  For a story with as much misery as this story has, this game is smart in taking time off and doing............borderline comic relief moments.  WAIT, wait, hear me out.  For being an emotionless Witcher, Geralt sure does have some sick one liners at times.  They even make fun of the ridiculous trailer to this game that seems out of character and WOW did they rush that scene out.  Also, there is a point in the game were Geralt decides to get drunk with his Witcher buddies.  Protip:  Go all the way.  Trust me.  Fun times happen.  Since this is a choice orientated game, there are times when you can quit drinking and you might think you should because the wife will get mad but I don't even care if this is a spoiler....it doesn't matter.  It won't effect anything.  Just go for it.

3.  There are a couple battle themes but Steel for Humans is fantastic battle music.

I don't have a 2015 version of this.  I just wanted to say Witcher 3 is the best game of 2015 and 2016!  It is that damn good.  I just happened to play it the year after release.  

Worst Game of 2016...

No Man's Sky

Review here.

I was skeptical of this game being like Spore in its promises but didn't want to be right and damnit...I was right.  (Yes, I will gloat about that).  But what is TRULY weird is that the game ended up being like Spore in design too.  The procedurally generated animals in the game do sort of look like Spore animals.  It's fucking bizarre.  I mean, sure, they are less penis shaped, but they are still a weird amalgamation of things....

....OH.  EXCEPT FOR SONIC.  LOVE HIM. * Best thing to come out of this game.  He just wants to go fast.....ahem, anyway.

*Why can't I embed your video bro?

I know a base building update recently came out which is super bizarre since the size of the universe makes back tracking nearly impossible.  You leave the planet you built that base on, gooooood fucking luck ever finding it again.  Also, why does so much of this game seem to rip off Subnautica, yet Subnautica still looks way better?

This game desperately needs a purpose.  It's an existential nightmare.  I think the reason so many of these survival crafting games never make it out of "Steam early access" is because they fail at, you know, THE POINT.  Why am I doing any of this?  I can play around with mechanics in a setting for a while but without a reason to do so, I get bored.  And for such a huge game world, this is one of the loneliest I've ever seen.  Why do the AI aliens suck so hard?  How was that part of the game fucked up so bad?  They're like 1990's (hell, maybe 80's) era PC adventure game NPCs.  They were not good then.  I just remember thinking, "Man, I can't wait for technology to advance to the point where these NPCs can walk around and be active and act like they exist".

I shouldn't dog pile so much on an indie developer that bit off more than it can chew but come on.  They bought into their own hype and over sold their product to an insane degree.  I'd love it if a indie game could compete with AAA games and....wait.  I forgot.  One already did.  It's called Minecraft.


Other Noteworthy Video Game Things:

Shockingly good soundtrack:  VA-11 HALL-A

I gotta course correct here.  In my review I linked to the soundtrack and picked the song that LEAST represents that game.  If anything, take one of my favorites, Every Day is Night.  Yeah it's poppy (no singing though if you are scared) but I dare your head not to start bopping.  I love the transition at 1:40.

I also really like Skyline, which has a slow start but it builds, and You've Got Me which I think is a re-work of the same song.  It sounds like an 80's love ballad.  It's great.

A Horror Game That Was Actually Scary:  Anatomy

While not nightmare inducing, I did distract myself with non-scary Youtube videos before going to bed.  I'm super bummed my stream of it kept quitting and also didn't record but I fixed the recording part at least.  It also made my wife wonder what the hell I was buying when I bought something from someone named "Kitty Horrorshow" on my checking account.

A Game I've Played A Lot But Can't Write a Review On:  Civilization VI

It's like any other Civ ever.  It's the same good game with minor adjustments here and there.  Don't fix what is not broken.  That said..

Probably Best Game I Didn't Play:  Firewatch

It's pretty up my alley.  It just didn't happen and I've seen so much of it I may not actually get around to it for a long time.  Also, 2015 version: Undertale

Two games inexplicably missing...

Back in January, I wrote about 5 games I looked forward to in 2016.*  I've played one of them, Deus Ex.  Two of them got delayed to 2017 (Mass Effect and Persona 5, both of which coming out near each other goddamnit) but what about the other two?

*"Year of Jason"....dude.  I think I've handled 2016 with a fuck ton of grace considering.

Mirrors Edge:Catalyst is still on the back burner and it might be there for a long while.  I got turned off from the constant "combat improvement" talk which I can't see without serious compromises to the parkour controls.  I also hate that it is a prequel since there was so much more to explore in the original game's universe.

Dishonored 2, despite being my Twitter header, is just too similar to Deus Ex (it's steampunk Deus Ex) and I'm not ready to play another stealth game.  Also, the PC launch was super rough so patches are nice.

Finally.

Oxenfree has been sitting on my hard drive for over a month now.  Part of me wants to stream it but my internet will probably make that impossible without constant interruptions.  Also, it's a story driven game so it's questionable how entertaining that would be for people.  I dunno.  I'll likely just play it on my own.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow me on Twitter.

Other best/worsts of 2016 coming soon.

Jason's Top 10 Favorite Games, Part 2

Part 1 is here ya dig?

3.  Final Fantasy IX

RPG's, where you can steal things from plants.

While Final Fantasy VII is the popular choice, and Final Fantasy VI is the "correct" choice, it is Final Fantasy IX that I absolutely love.  It's the last Final Fantasy until re-inventing the series for every installment became a nervous tick for the developers at Square Enix.  It's a throwback to all the old school FF stuff I loved growing up.  And while yes, that did mean a plot that eventually boiled down to a magic rock, it also had charm, subtlety, and a goddamn sense of humor.

I love the characters in this game.  Many have long story arcs with actual character development.  They fucking change during the course of the game.  Granted not every character is great (Eiko is the token JRPG magical child mage, Quina is annoying comic relief, and Amarant, is uh, just sort of there), but the good ones are far better than the dead weight.  Zidane is the last good protagonist Final Fantasy has ever had.  Garnet is a sheltered princess who gradually opens up in a believable way.  Steiner is a noble knight who tries too hard NOT to be a buffoon.  Even Freya has some good parts early on.  But this one guy.....THIS ONE FUCKING GUY......

.....best Final Fantasy character ever. Vivi's story is one of identity issues and as someone playing this game at 17 years old, this guy was me!  He goes from a timid, nervous, friendless mage who learns what he is (yes, what), what he was created for, decides to defy that purpose, fight with his new found accepting friends, aaaaand his late game "Doomsday" spell is the most powerful attack in the game if you ignore the legendary weapons.  Vivi is arguably my favorite video game character of all time.  He even has a tragic ending that I'd rather not talk about because FEEEELS.  

This game held my #1 spot for a long time.  The battle system is classic, top-notch Final Fantasy.  The inventory system is great.  The music!  Shit!  I almost forgot about the music!  So many great themes.  The only reason it's not in my #1 anymore is because; 1. The top 2 are better, 2. The last 1/4th of this story gets stupid (Zidane is a clone from another planet who is also the angel of death or some shit), and 3. I still don't know who the final boss is supposed to be.  God maybe?

2.  Persona 4

Lazy demon fighting teenagers

Who would have thought that a 1/2 dungeon crawling, turn-based RPG and 1/2 life simulation game would be this damn good?  The combat is entertaining and very challenging.  Random encounter monsters can easily one hit kill you if you have the wrong Persona equipped.  Boss fights are a real struggle and even the early ones don't go down easy.  The life sim portion has realistic weight to its story.  Creating friendships effect your stats and improve your personas.  There is also an in canon explanation for WHY they effect your personas stats. They didn't just take the Final Fantasy approach of "not explaining anything ever."  This game is fucking brilliant.  

I wasn't completely blind to this game though because I played Persona 3 first and debated putting that game on this list too.  Persona 3 had some enraging flaws though and all I could think about after completing it was playing Persona 4.  Not only did P4 live up to the hype in my own head, it surpassed it and fixed every major flaw in P3.  I don't think I've ever seen a sequel do that in any entertainment medium.  The only thing that could come close is Robocop in the new Avengers movie.  (Please don't actually do that.  I was joking).

Centered around a murder mystery, the story of this game takes many twists and turns, all of which seem plausible and not completely out of left field (I'm looking at you Metal Gear Solid series).  You eventually have to decide who the murderer is and the game doesn't hold your hand about it.  You have to piece together the clues on your own and it's SO refreshing to see a game do this and do it well.  

The real heart of this game is the characters (noticing a theme here reader?).  Not one single character fits into a typical stereotype, except maybe Yosuke, but even he seems real.  Not only that, but every character has some sort of deep dark secret that you literally fight as a monster in a dungeon. This game is also very progressive in that it has an almost gay character and one of the only Trans characters I can remember in a video game.*  Even the character I thought I would hate going in, Teddie, grew on me and I admit to laughing at a couple of his stupid bear puns.  Oh and Chie is the best.  Just, just the best.

*I think ATLUS chickened out by not having Kanji actually be gay.  He just likes feminine things?  Okay fine, but he ALSO has a thing for Naoto and feels relieved when Naoto is revealed to be a girl.  Naoto is obviously Trans but the game never outright says it.  However, it's really cool that Naoto feels more comfortable acting and dressing like a boy despite being born a girl.  HE is accepted for this and is treated like no big deal after the Persona battle.  Story-wise, I can excuse ATLUS for not making more of a statement since these are both high school teenage characters that might not fully understand who they are. I just thought I should clarify.    

Side note:  This game has the best boss battle theme of all time, especially 20 seconds in.

1.  Mass Effect 2

"Good choice.  Yes.  Would not recommend Mass Effect 3.  Outcome, problematic."

Obviously.  I echo AJ's words but I want to elaborate on two points.

1.  The Characters

YES.  I am aware that almost every loyalty mission boils down to "daddy issues", either figurative (Tali, Grunt and arguably Garrus), metaphorical (Jack and Samara), or literal in THREE cases (Jacob, Miranda and Thane).  I don't care.  Legion and Mordin's don't, so it's moot.

I am also aware that some keyhole into stereotypes, mainly Garrus, Grunt, Jack and "Every Man" Jacob.  Mayyyyyyybe Miranda.   But again I don't care.

These are some of the most actualized characters I've ever seen and a big reason why I LOVE this game.  Even the stereotypes feel real.  Familiar faces from Mass Effect like Garrus and Tali feel like they've grown (Liara too even though she doesn't join the Normandy).  New characters are interesting including Legion, in which I NEVER would have thought a geth would join the crew.  

But nobody is as cool as Mordin.  Granted, his best and worst moment comes in Mass Effect 3 (RIP), but he is really the only character to fight back against Shepard.  During his loyalty mission, if you start questioning him on his work with the genophage, he actually fights back!  This is the first time in a game I've ever been worried about losing a squad mate because we had a philosophical difference.  Out of any character in the series, Mordin is the only one who NEVER shows a sense of awe from being in the presence of Shepard.  

2.  The Suicide Mission

Hands down the best final level in video game history.  Nothing else even comes close.  Video game lives are at stake!  I was soooo worried about losing somebody I obsessively improved everything I could and spent at least 15 minutes deciding what tech expert to send in the vent, who to lead the 2nd team, and who to hold the biotic field.  The mission has perfect fusion between gameplay and cutscenes too.  Oh...and the music is awesome.  

I could write an entire article on why The Suicide Mission is so great...so I'll probably do that sometime.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out PART 1 here.

See AJ's Top 10 Favorite Games here, which are far better than mine.  

Check me on those Tweets.

Jason's Top 10 Favorite Games. Part 1

MY TURN!  I used pretty much the same criteria as AJ did for his. One game per franchise. I must have played the game. These are favorites rather than "best games ever created".  And, also, no arcade cabinets which sadly means no TRON.

(Note: I also don't have any MMO's or MOBA's.  They just aren't my thing.  I haven't played an MMO since Dark Age of Camelot...heh.  And I have played Smite but didn't care for it),

The more I think it over, the more my top 10 list looks kind of dumb.  I'm a huge fan of RPG's yet my top 10 list only has...okay it has 5 RPG's (arguably 6).  I just couldn't bring myself to cutting any of them from the list.  So that meant I had to cut some all time classic games like Super Metroid, Resident Evil 4, Silent Hill 2, and The Last of Us.  Oh and spoiler alert, Sonic is on the list, but not Mario.

10. Shinobi 3: Return of the Ninja Master

What is it with 1990's era ninjas and surfing?

Shinobi was SEGA's answer to Ninja Gaiden.  While it wasn't nearly as infamously difficult, it still had quite a challenge and is arguably the 2nd best side scrolling ninja game at that time.  Then came Shinobi 2....AND IT SUCKED.  It was a port of an arcade game that was nothing like the original.  I just refer to that game as Shinobi: Dog Training Simulator.  

Then in 1993, a true sequel, properly subtitled, and inexplicably called "3".  It had an improved skill set, great looking sprites (especially for the Genesis), a killer soundtrack, and most importantly, fantastic level design.  The only real knock was that it was easier than the original, until you got to that falling rock level, then you were fucked.  

Out of any game on this list, this is the hardest one to defend considering the games I cut to put it on here.  However, this is the only game, to date, that I have ever put a self-imposed handicap on. For my, like, 15th playthrough, I attempted to beat the game using only jump kicks.  I did well, until that falling rock level, then I was fucked.  Plus, I still play this game today, which I can't say about many on this list.

9.  "The Sonic and Knuckles Saga"

This is not a 32X.

I'm making the argument that this isn't cheating because Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles are the same game.  Literally.  Cartridge limits forced it into two "games", hence the lock-on thingy.  I would complain about SEGA charging people full price for 2 half-games but I was like 10 years old so I didn't pay for shit.

Anyway, for this entry only, I recommend watching this video from Satchbags Goods about this game. It's pretty much word for word what I would say.  Also, I like this Youtuber and he doesn't get nearly as many views as he should.  

I should mention that this is the last time I ever give 2 shits about Sonic.  He is dead to me.

8.  Deus Ex:Human Revolution

Fuck this room.

A prequel to the first Deus Ex, which has the distinction of KILLING my PC, this game follows Adam Jensen, his ex-girlfriend that he is totally still in love with but won't admit it, and human augmentation.  That, is basically a fancy term for robot body parts, aka cyborgs.  And for anyone who is reading this that has played this game, it's important to note, that Adam didn't ask for this and this fan film is cool but bullshit.  

It's a stealth game in every sense.  Some games give you the option of stealth or guns a blazin.  This game forces you into stealth buy giving enemy AI absurdly good aim and health that goes to zero in about 4 hits.  But I dig that about this game. It gives you the illusion of freedom then strips it from you in a plausible way.  

The game mechanics are admittedly weird.  Most of the game is in first person, but when you get into cover like in the picture above, it switches to 3rd person without moving the camera.  It takes some getting used to.  Also the boss battles are SHIIIIIIIT.  Word of advice.  Upgrade the Typhoon and take them out in two hits.  Fighting them for real is a nightmare since you're out in the open and this is a goddamn stealth game.  

Some crappy aspects aside, this game is still great.  Outside of two open world hubs, many mission levels are huge with several possible paths through.  Hack the lock on a door.  Find a computer or PDA with the code to that door instead.  Bypass the door completely by crawling through an air vent. So many different choices on how to progress through a level and I've never seen another game do it this well.  Add the several layers of augmentations one can use and this game has more options than I can count.  

Also, this games narrative is fantastic.  Several times in the game, you get these "conversational bosses" where you need to convince them to give up crucial information, change their mind, or flat out talk them out of killing a bunch of people.  The whole game revolves around human augmentation and what it means to be human. If somebody with a robot arm could lift a car, are they still human?  What if they have eyes that can see through walls?  What if they can hack computers with their brain?  This shit is happening NOW.  Real life cyborg researchers have already come under fire for changing what a human...IS.  One day, this debate may happen in my lifetime.  I'm not sure what side to be on.....

7.  Chrono Trigger

Hello, old friends

It's fucking Chrono Trigger.  Do I even need to explain?

6. Uhhh

Okay fine.  

I grew up with the Sega Genesis but I was lucky enough to have a friend across the street that had Super Nintendo.  There were times when we would trade consoles, sometimes for a month straight, and one of those times he also lent me a shitty game called "Krano Trigger".  (He was not a smart kid).

Basically, fuck Final Fantasy VI, THIS is the best old school Final Fantasy game...even though it was pretty different but not entirely, but kinda the same, but not really.  If you haven't played it, do it.  I'm at a loss for words and I'm far too shitty of a writer to explain how awesome this game is.

6.  Ultima IV - Quest of the Avatar

That is clearly an axe.

It was a real struggle between this and Ultima VII - The Black Gate but this is the game that launched my love of RPG's.  It was the first time I actually cared about my party and how I was solely responsible for them.  They had simple AI and I was the only one smart enough to keep them alive.  I'm saying they are like children okay?

Seriously though, this RPG is unique in that it does something almost no other VIDEO GAME has ever done.  There is no villain.  That's right.  This entire game revolves around fighting leaderless demons and monsters while setting up a brand new fucking RELIGION.  "The Quest of the Avatar" is more of a TV reality show of finding who is gonna be the next pope, aka Avatar.  

That said....I don't remember a whole lot from this game and can barely tell you the mechanics.  (They are complicated).  I do remember playing the SHIT out of this game and that it has never really left my top 10.  It's also the first "long" game I ever completed.  Long being 40 hours or so.

(Side note: This game came out in 1985, which means I was 3 if I played it when it came out.  I played it in...1993 or 94.  I was young and mostly remember forgetting how to get to it on MS-DOS.)

5.  Doom 2

Doom Guy on the left has the biggest balls ever.  Like he's gonna win this fight.

I don't think I've played any PC game more than Doom 2.  OH, I played the original Doom as well, but it was Doom 2 that I put in...I dunno, 1,000 hours.  I played this game on and off for at least 3 years.  Maybe longer.

This is almost the same game as the classic Doom, except it's longer, more demons, more weapons, more power-ups, more everything.  Why is this game so forgotten?  It's the same awesomeness just exponentially more awesome.  

I should mention, this is the first PC game I forced my parents into buying more RAM for because our computer couldn't run it.  5 fucking floppy disks?  Holy shit right?  That's like, 1/23,000th of a blu-ray.  

Anyway, IDDQD.

4.  Medieval: Total War

Totally historically accurate!!!!

I loooooooovvvveee the Total War series.....until Rome 2 in which FUCK the Total War series.  WHY?!?!  Why must everything I love turn to shit?

Uhh

Anyway

The first Medieval: Total War is the best in the series because it's the only one that doesn't severely damage you because a certain territories' taxes are too FUCKING HIGH!  OH I'm sorry, am I playing IRS SIMULATOR??  WHY DON'T YOU JUST FAX ME AN I-9 SO WE CAN GET YOUR AUDIT PROCESSED FASTER!!!

Ahem

Medieval: Total War is what this series should be about and it nailed it.  Conquest and personally overseeing large armies on the battlefield was so satisfying I have half a chub just writing this.  Some people will argue the first Rome: Total War is the best but I didn't care for it's troop movements and it's weird navy.  Medieval: Total War only sort of cared about naval combat, which is a flaw, but it did everything else right.  It was the closest thing to "Total War" I've ever seen in a strategy game. Even allies would attack you, usually stupidly and fucking themselves over right before the Mongols invaded.  

Also, the Pope is immortal.  Doesn't matter how many times you conquer Rome, he ALWAYS comes back. 

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2 is live.  

Check out AJ's Top 10 List Here.

Follow me on the Tweets.  

AJ's Top 10 Favorite Games

Honestly, I could've titled this "AJ's Top 10 Favorite Games That Totally Didn't Change 500 Times While Trying To Write This Stupid List" and it would've been an apt description of the agonizing process I went through in trying to nail down this list. The first couple were easy but filling in the gaps at the end...strugglebus.

Speaking of that process, I want to clarify the basic criteria I used to compile this list all very famous games that everyone has heard of. I followed two basic rules to get the list: No multiple games from the same franchise and this list is my favorite games played, not the most well-made games I've played. That's an important distinction for me because if I was doing well-made games, Bioshock would have absolutely made the list because it's a masterpiece. Precursor now out of the way, let's get to the list, in descending order.

10. Plants vs. Zombies

Already an upset! If you've never played Plants vs. Zombies (heretofore known as PvZ, not to be confused with Protoss vs Zerg kekeke), I obviously would recommend you fire it up. It's an extremely simple concept, a basic tower-defense game with loaded with tons of charm. The premise has you defending your house from an onslaught of a multitude of goofy zombies that leave you increasingly humorous notes as you continue to deflect their relentless slow-moving assaults.

Buffering this experience is the goofy neighbor Crazy Dave, who drops in to teach you the basics of the game and leave you shaking your head because no doubt you've had a psycho neighbor before and this game lets you live that reality...only in zombie apocalypse form. Sweet. As you continue to smoke the zombies, the challenge ramps up as every tower defense games does, throwing more and more at you in order to keep you from reaching anything resembling a comfort zone.

Overall, it's an extremely charming experience that sucks you in with its simplicity and wins you over with its personality and sneaky challenge (just try to 100% this bad boy, tough guy). I've put in over 100 hours playing, replaying, and mastering the campaign, subsequent hard mode, and completing all the challenges (which I still haven't done...lol). Anytime I try to introduce people to gaming, this game always gets suggested as it is a wonderful bridge from hardcore gaming into casual gaming.

9. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!

First off, I fucking love this game. That should go without saying because these are my favorite games that I've ever played in my lifetime but I feel the need to re-iterate that I fucking LOVE this game. I use the training theme song (the one that plays during the image above) as my alarm clock. I LOVE this game.

This is my one and only nostalgia-heavy entry on the list. I beat this game as a kid, one of the first I ever truly beat. I had to have my brother show me how to beat Tyson, of course, because I was 5 and had no idea how to handle that shit but once he showed me I took Kid Dynamite to Pound Town. From the early round beatdowns to the trickier fights later on, this game comes at you in waves of pattern recognition that would set me up for a lifetime of being terrible at fighters.

Needless to say, Little Mac's inclusion in Smash Bros. for the Wii U was a day of reckoning for me. Fuckin love you, Little Mac <3

8. Resident Evil 5

 
Now we're getting somewhere. RE5 isn't the best of the series, and it certainly is basically RE in name and obligatory Wesker appearance only. It's a co-op action game, pure and simple. A complete departure from the franchise's roots in horror-survival style games, RE5 is all about kicking a whole lot of ass with a friend and chasing down a story that makes basically no sense whatsoever.

That....basically sums up why I love RE5 so much. I bought it the day it released while on vacation at my best friend's place in Knoxville and we sat down and ran it through over the course of several days. To this day, it's the only Playstation 3 game I've come even remotely close to acquiring a platinum trophy on. The campaign is fun as hell, the boss fights are big and explosive and totally weird and there's even an on-rails shooting sequence or two that warms the cockles of my heart.

Despite the presence of a bunch of QTEs, which no gamer has ever fucking enjoyed but developers keep insisting they're worthwhile, the game just hooks me. The inventory system is cramped, about the only thing that stays true to RE, and is awkward but the weapon upgrades become so dominant that you feel like a two person army by the end of the game. Despite the fact that RE has never been about that feeling, I still dig it. Gimme the big booms all day, yo. ALL DAY.

7. League of Legends

 Cue all the eyerolls! I know it's the game with the most toxic community on the freaking planet. I DEFINITELY know that. I know it's a game with like 2 legitimate modes and there's no real beginning or end to it. It's just sort of a game you keep playing until your soul is crushed and spirit broken beyond repair. So why is it on this list?

I can't leave off a game I've played like 1500 rounds of! I obviously had to like the game to some extent. Between jungling my main man Jarvan IV and ulting some unsuspecting mage scrublords in the mid lane to rolling through with my boy Rammus and telling them everything is going to ok, I just can't get enough of Summoner's Rift. I love the lanes, the ganking, the strategic layers and even the god awful itemization.

This is the only MOBA on this list, I promise. I'm of the opinion that you can't really main multiple MOBAs. You're either a Smite/Dota/League player who is allowed to dabble in Heroes of the Storm, the black sheep of MOBAs that hasn't even dropped yet but when it does it will definitely be a big hit. Anyway, LEAGUE IS AWESOME, OKAY? I LOVE WINNING.

6. Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty/Heart of the Swarm

I'm starting to feel a tinge of pride that my list is so diverse in terms of genres. Checking in at #6, the one and only RTS that I've ever devoted an obscene amount of time to: Starcraft 2. While I've enjoyed the occasional round with a Civilization or Dawn of War game (okay, I played the hell out of DoW2) , none of them compare to what SC2 has given me. I played Brood War only sparingly, mainly enjoying the various UMS mods from time to time but when I got into the SC2 beta, it was fucking on.

I reaper rushed and 3 rax marauder steamrolled to my hearts content from the time I got my beta key until the day I smashed my headset and keyboard against my wall in 2012 in a fit of gaming rage that caused me to take a huge step back from the game. Only in the last month or so have I revisited the wonderful Starcraft 2 universe, finally getting around to enjoying the Heart of the Swarm expansion's campaign. While known for its multiplayer, and specifically its 1v1, SC2 has so far produced 2 absolutely brilliant single player offerings. The cinematics, story telling, voice acting, and gameplay were all as top notch as you could ask for from an RTS, a genre whose replayability is not founded in its single player offerings.

Beyond the campaigns and standard multiplayer modes is the Arcade, which offers an unreal amount of user created content. I've played full blown 25 hour RPGs that somebody created using the map editor in SC2. Brilliant. Some of the most intriguing games I've played over the last several years have been simple user-created content from the SC2 Arcade. As a spectator esport, this also offers fascinating potential because few things grip me quite like watching a high level game of SC2 being played. Unless someone is massing mutas. Then you can just fuck them with a rake.

5. X-COM: Enemy Unknown/Within

When I originally sat down to make this list, I knew I had to include this iteration of the X-COM franchise in there somewhere. I'd simply spent too much time playing it over and over again not to include a game that caught me completely off guard upon its 2012 release. This is also the last game outside of my top impenetrable top 4 games so consider this my favorite game that never completely consumed and forever altered the course of my life.

With it's brilliant design and legitimately difficult gameplay, this game drew me in immediately. From the upgrade system to the itemization and the difficult choices between which missions to accept and whether or not to level a handful of characters in case of death (which will happen so prepare yourself) or to try to beef up a select few as quickly as possible, the replayability of this game feels nearly endless. Your personal style plays a huge role in how you develop your roster of characters so when you beat it once, turning around and beating it again playing entirely differently presents a unique challenge, especially for an entirely solo campaign.

These days, expansion packs typically consist of weapon and armor heavy offerings with miniscule updates to the game itself but when Enemy Within released in the fall of 2013, the game became an even tougher challenge as you battled not only the alien incursion but another human faction seeking to undermine you at every turn. Couple that with the new upgrade systems introduced that made your characters even bigger bad asses and everything that was great before got turned up into exceptional. I adore this game. It's music, combat, and atmosphere always reel me back in for another playthrough just a few short months after I last beat it. The consequences to playing poorly are harsh but force you to hone your skill level to a razor thin margin. Excellent. I love everything about it. Except when you're about to kill someone with a 98% chance to hit and you miss 2 shots in a row and that character ends up dying the next turn. I don't love that part >:(

4. Halo 2

I'll admit it. I didn't grow up on PC gaming. This means when I missed out on early offerings like Half Life, Doom, Quake, Unreal Tournament and even to an extent Counterstrike, I missed the early boat on multiplayer-heavy FPS experiences. Naturally, when Halo came to the XBOX, it was a huge hit within my group of friends. I remember the days of lugging xboxes and TVs to each others houses so we could play 2v2 LANs and smoke each other. Almost all of us have those stories. This means that when Halo 2 dropped, it was basically revolutionary for my friends and me. We hit the internet with reckless abandon, leveling up as a group and taking to the amazing matchmaking system implemented by Bungie.

As my friends soon started to drop off, I made other friends on the game and developed life long relationships that would forever change my life. Halo 2 became more than a game to me. It was my first true gaming obsession. I would eventually turn my 14 hours-a-day habit into a very brief professional career, appearing in a couple of MLGs in Texas and made enough cash to enjoy myself as a teenager. The campaign, while an interesting story that remains infamous for its unbelievable cliff hanger ending, was only beaten by me one whole time. The rest of the thousands of hours I poured into Halo 2 were in the multiplayer fields, laying waste to scrubs who dare enter the ring with me and my battle rifle. Ahhh memories.

I slotted Halo 2 in the 4th spot because of the 4 games that impacted me the most in my life, Halo 2 was the most poorly designed imo. Those things count when you're looking for a tiebreaker. That's not to say I think H2 was a poorly designed game, it just had enough obvious flaws that it fell behind the other offerings on my list. I was going to finish writing this list but writing this up is causing me to hop on the X1 and play a little Master Chief Collection for a bit. pewpew, mother fuckers.

3. Guild Wars 1

Hailed as one of many potential "WoW Killers", Guild Wars hit the scene back in 2005 and proved to be what WoW was not in many, many ways. A predominantly PvP game built with a PvE element so people would actually play the damn thing, Guild Wars was a black sheep in the world of MMORPGs in the biggest way imaginable. With an easily reached level cap of 20, the grind to max a character was found in acquiring gear upgrades that focused on boosting a specific build for whichever class you chose to play. That said, the gear grind bestowed upon the players was almost entire aesthetic. You could easily acquire/craft max stats gear in a reasonable amount of time (relative to other MMOs, I mean). The real gear grind didn't begin until you saw somebody else walking around wearing gear you just HAD to have.

The real depth of the game was found in its 1500+ skills between its 10 different playable classes/professions. All with distinct playstyles, it paid to play all the different classes as each offered something unique to the player. While the PvE's lackluster late game certainly never lived up to traditional MMO standards, the PvP portion of the game is where the real brilliance of this game's design was found. One of the most skill and knowledge intensive PvP games I've ever played, the learning curve was extremely steep and unforgiving. While a turn off to many, that only fueled my personal competitive fire (as you can see as this list goes on, my favorite games are largely ones that pit me against other people).

Throughout the 3500 hours I poured into GW1, I met several people who I remain close friends with to this day. I was able to plow through a staggering amount of content, beating every single mission, dungeon, and challenge the MMO and its 3 expansions would offer me as well as running and coaching a PvP guild from the ground up. While we never achieved any sustained success, mostly because I was a baddie, the experiences I had in GW1 were unlike those I've had with any other game. I found a sense of community that would be unmatched before and since in my gaming life. While my real life struggled to find its footing. this game and its amazing community gave me just enough ground to stand on to keep me going. It will never be surpassed as a multiplayer experience for me.

2. Mass Effect 2

I remember the day I bought Mass Effect on ebay for like $7 and popped it into my xbox. I was sitting in the house my family moved into when we moved to Texas when I was 11 and by this point it was largely abandoned, featuring only a couch, a TV, and my Xbox as the only items inside the soon-to-be-sold house. I fired it up having read no reviews, had no conversations with gaming friends, and delved into the game headfirst. 14 hours later, I emerged wide-eyed and unsure of what I had just experienced. Was this the greatest game I had ever played? Would the first game on this list finally be challenged? 45 more game hours played over the next 5 days would reveal that no, Mass Effect 1 would not approach those lofty heights but would absolutely have me waiting anxiously until the second installment was released.

So what kind of fucking chance did I stand when ME2 was released and it turned out to be an improvement on ME1 in virtually every single way imaginable. Gone was the clunky and oftentimes cumbersome inventory system that left you with more crap than you knew what to do with. Gone was the leveling system that left you occasionally wondering how impactful your skill point choices actually were. Also missing was the unbelievably boring exploration of random planets that yielded more frustrations with the Mako than rewards. Gone were the many hours you could put into the game before ever doing anything interesting or even useful. Suddenly, the entire experience was streamlined into a brilliant storyline that led you chasing the entire explorable galaxy with reckless abandon, meeting and ultimately teaming up with a wide array of personalities among many different races. The Normandy transformed into a hodge podge melting pot of every imaginable combination of classes at your disposal. As if Commander Shephard's sleek new ship, shiny new implants after being brought back from the dead and significantly improved combat system wasn't enough, you also had an endless supply of fun toys to play with in the form of your NPC teammates.

The game, in my eyes, was basically perfect. Every single character encountered in Mass Effect 2 held value in some regard. Every decision you made impacted the universe as a whole in some way. Every step you took mattered. As you read with my love of X-COM, games giving me consequences is something that appeals a great deal to me. Naturally, ME2 resonated about as deeply as a game possibly can with me. I fought as much for my teammates as I did with them. I bled with them, cried with them, and in the case of the a couple of them, banged the living bajeezus out of them. Nothing says epic space odyssey quite like throwing down and bumpin uglies with a race so sensitive to the toxins present in the air that they couldn't  remove their mask for fear of death. And yet, the most memorable moments found in the game come in the form of the conversations you have with your shipmates on your race against time and the tallest of odds. . Constant balls to the wall action and top-notch production value across the board made Mass Effect 2 an S Tier title that's very unlikely to ever be dethroned. So deeply did this franchise resonate with me, I chose to have major surgery on N7 Day in 2014 just to honor the gaming gods

1. Super Mario 64

This is, in my opinion, the greatest game ever made. From it's historical influence to the nuts and bolts of the game itself, nothing else compares. It's perfect. Not even the brilliant Super Mario Galaxy offerings have been able to approach the greatness of Super Mario 64. Without this game, I wouldn't be the gamer I am today. Plain and simple. The best game and most fun game I've ever experienced. While other titles on this list might someday fall off in favor of brilliant upcoming titles, this title can rest easy as it will never move from its lofty perch.