Okay, I'm gonna try and narrow this down to a proper Top Ten, at least as of this moment. Looking back on the shortlist of twenty-five I wrote up before, there's no denying how much change is possible in such a short space of time. Gaming really has been tremendous of late!
I'm also gonna try and avoid franchise duplication. That's where the real struggle will be!
Here goes...
1)Mass Effect 3 (PS3 / PS4)
It's tempting to be cheeky and list the complete Legendary Edition here, but Mass Effect 2 drags the trilogy down so severely, the whole thing would drop out of this ranking. Although it carries the weight of its predecessors, Mass Effect 3 is still perfect enough to stand by itself.
2)Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
This game is a masterclass on how to end a beloved, long-running franchise, to the point where I'd even take issue with calling it a "game" because such a description scarcely does it justice. Sure, it's a self-indulgent soap opera, but it's one that features walking tanks, so 'nuff said.
3)Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS4)
Again, I struggled to pick just one of Lara Croft's escapades to include but, the more I compared my favourite examples, the more I realised that this game has the best balance of the bunch. Chuck in all of its Season Pass content and it truly becomes her finest adventure.
4)Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)
This was almost alongside Batman: Arkham Origins, but I didn't wanna overload the list with superheroes. Miles' shorter story, better technical performance and Photo Mode fun gives him the edge but honestly, either of them are worthy of representing their sub-genre.
5)The Last Guardian (PS4)
Taken as a videogame, this entry is demonstrably far from perfect (in fact, I'd go as far as to call its technical competence scrappy at best) but, as a piece of art, this simply can't be beat. Full disclosure, this had to wrestle with RiME for the "one with heart" position.
6)Hitman III (PS5)
This one comes with the caveat that you have access to the entire World of Assassination trilogy, so it's a bit of a cheat but blimey, so much game. So intricate, so clever and inventive, with an almost endless supply of approaches, discoveries and secrets. The most "gamey" game on my list.
7)Katamari Forever (PS3)
Because fun is fun, wacky is wacky and not everything has to reinvent the wheel. No other series has championed such a simple gameplay loop in such an effective way, and this PS3 greatest-hits-but-with-new-stuff-as-well entry still remains its high water mark, at least for my money.
8)LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (PC / PS3)
Included less to represent that galaxy far, far away and more to represent the general LEGO formula, I'll always make time to champion the oft-overlooked efforts of Traveller's Tales, especially when they make an effort and innovate gaming technology in the way they did with this particular entry.
9)Sonic Generations (PC)
Undoubtedly one of the Blue Blur's shortest games, but also one of his sweetest, particularly when it's freed from the shackles of the seventh console generation and allowed to run free on modern PC hardware. There are other Sonic games that I personally prefer, but this is objectively the greatest.
10)James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing (PS2)
One of the greatest licenced games ever made, if the objective of a licenced game is to faithfully replicate the atmosphere of its source material. An original, interactive Bond movie in every conceivable way, with great variety of gameplay representing all facets of the character.
***
There are far, far too many honourable mentions that didn't quite make the cut, most of them duplicates of represented franchises or genres (so stuff like Batman: Arkham Origins and MGS2: Sons of Liberty should be up there, and I also wanted to include Dragon Age II but that would've meant another BioWare RPG taking up space). Despite my best efforts, it's a list dominated by third-person walking, running or climbing, which is a shame. It's also ended up a bit more predictable than I initially wanted it to; honestly, if it wasn't for LEGO, there wouldn't be a Star Wars game up there.
Oh well, it's done now. Ask me again in ten minutes and I'd end up ranking ten different games!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@Th3solution Good work finding those community lists! I remember participating in the creation of that first one, for sure (probably because, looking at it now, I disagree with so much of it... that being said, I'd argue that Horizon: Zero Dawn is still a close contender for Top Ten status, if not the No.1 spot).
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger I’d agree about HZD being a contender for a Top 10 Best of. I ummed and ahh’d over it when I put my list together… it’d definitely be in my top 20 though. I loved pretty much everything about it… but I would add that it hasn’t held as high a ranking with me as time has passed for some reason. That’s probably just me though.
@RogerRoger nice list there, I have quite a few of them but am yet to play… so it has definitely given me even more motivation for numbers 2 through 6. Also I have played your number 1 but it was back when it released on xbox360 so my memories of it are a little hazy… i recently bought the Legendary Edition though, so I can’t wait on that front neither.
@colonelkilgore Yeah, if I had more gameplay variety in my list, then Horizon might've snuck in somewhere towards the bottom. Would absolutely feature if this were a Top Twenty. It's bound to fade over time, though, because I'd argue that it isn't a revolutionary game in the same way some other choices have been, so there'll be others coming along who'll do what Horizon did, only slightly better, or in a slightly different way which holds more personal appeal.
And thanks! Those last four are definitely "me being me" to a degree, but I'd be proud to stand by my first six choices anywhere on the internet, no matter how samey they might be. I hope you enjoy the Legendary Edition when you get around to it, and that it ends up being a pleasant reminder!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger nah those last four are absolutely fine, it’s just I have all of the others already… and have been planning on playing them anyway… at some point. Their inclusion on your list, just makes me all the more keen to get to them.
@colonelkilgore Given your reaction to MGS2, I'm super-keen to see what you make of MGS4. When I last played through the whole series, in release order, I ended MGS2 thinking "Wow, nothing's gonna be able to top that!" and then... well, boom. Really hope you enjoy!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@colonelkilgore Yeah, it’s interesting how the passage of time alters perceptions and memories of a game.
In some cases, nostalgia kicks in and clouds over all the games weaker points as you look back through rose-tinted glasses. In some cases like with HZD it feels like the greatest thing ever while you’re playing it, but time dulls the excitement a bit.
I think it has some to do with the narrative. Some of my top 10 is going to be lofted to their position by virtue of a hard piercing story that rocked my world, even if the gameplay is dated or dull by today’s standards (but we’ve had this discussion before so you know I’m a little more of a narrative driven gamer as opposed to gameplay driven)
And secondly, I think if a game has been bettered or copied a lot in recent years then it minimizes the impact of the game later, if that makes sense. So I think one of the reasons I rate Shadow of the Colossus so highly (spoiler alert) is because even all these years later there’s not really another game that has come around that does what it does, either gameplay-wise or conceptually. As opposed to Batman Arkham City, where I look at Marvel’s Spider-Man and try to rack my brain which is better since one was innovative but the other fine-tuned the ideas and arguably did them better.
———
Edit: I wrote this and then forgot to hit the “post reply” button and see that @RogerRoger already said some of the same things I’ve proposed, but I figured I’d throw it into the discussion all the same.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution I have to give Shadow of the Colossus another go. I tried it a couple of years ago and it really didn't click for me. It has niggles at me ever since though. I saw a trailer not long ago for a game that looked very influenced by SotC. It was supposed to have released earlier this year but im guessing the pandemic put paid to those best laid plans. I'm out and about at the mo... bit if I remember I'll try and find it and post it when I get back 👍
@Th3solution I'm glad you didn't edit your thoughts on my account. I think it's a growing trend with a lot of modern games, and I reckon many of 'em will get lost in the crowd far quicker as a result, but I always worry if I'm being overly critical so I'm pleased to see some accidental agreement. Cheers!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@colonelkilgore You might be thinking of Praey for the Gods. I’ve heard much about it, but it just never has amounted to anything, the release has stumbled and I think it’s available on PC and I’m not even sure if it’s a full version or a beta or what. The PS4 and PS5 versions have been AWOL as far as I know.
But yeah, there might be others. And in fact I think there is a hint of SotC inspiration in Breath of the Wild, but I can’t be sure since I didn’t play the Nintendo juggernaut.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
My favourite game of all time and the one that not only made my time at uni that much more bearable but also made me a fan of JRPGs. I don't think there will ever come a game that's going to top this one for me.
2) The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III
While the Persona series will always be my number one favourite, Trails of Cold Steel is a close second and the third game is the best one. It takes everything that was good about the first and second games and cranks it up to 100.
3) Danganronpa V3
One of the best visual novels I've ever played and an amazing ending to a phenomenal series.
4) Steins;Gate
Another one of my favourite visual novels of all time. I played through it a couple of months ago and it's the first game in such a long time that has made an impact on me.
5) Mass Effect 3
A series I started very late but I'm grateful to have finally experienced it and the third game was the best one of the three games. The trilogy as a whole is the closest western RPG that I'll ever like almost as much as the aforementioned JRPGs.
6) Metal Gear Solid 4
It was the perfect conclusion (chronologically that is) for one of gaming's most beloved franchises and I think they wrapped it up nicely.
7) NieR: Automata
Definitely didn't expect to like this game as much as I did. Loved the characters, the combat, the story, the music, the philosophical topics, it delivered on pretty much every front.
8) Death Stranding
One of the most unique and refreshing experiences I've had in a long time. So welcoming to see in a day and age where we're drowning in the same types of games.
9) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
I've always thought the Zelda series has been great, but Breath of the Wild just blew everything else out of the water. A fully open world Zelda game with excellent exploration, none of the previous games can hold a candle to this one. Only Zelda title that will top it is the upcoming sequel.
10) Assassin's Creed Odyssey
The only other title that can rival BotW in terms of a fully open world game where you can go anywhere. It also helps that it has a very appealing setting to me and a great story as well as memorable characters.
11) Yakuza 6
Yakuza 0 is the better game, but 6 was the most memorable one for me. It was the ending of a long-running series and the end for one of the greatest protagonists ever made.
12) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice
Went in with moderate expectations and came out absolutely blown away by how phenomenal it was. The previous AA games were good but this is pure greatness.
13) Ys VIII
I've honestly always thought the Ys series to be simply good, consistently so. It wasn't until Ys VIII that the developer managed to change my mind. The game was so much more ambitious than anything I've previously played and it became my favourite game in the series.
14) Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
While everyone else love the original team of Sora, Kairi and Riku, my love has instead gone to the BBS team of Terra, Aqua and Ventus. This game had the best gameplay system, most satisfying combat and more likeable characters. I just prefer it to everything else in the series (except for KH3 since I haven't played it yet).
15) Hollow Knight
The best Metroidvania game I've ever played.
16) Dead Space
My favourite horror game of all time and one of the first ones I played that got me into the genre.
So that's my top 15 (+1) list of the best games I've ever played. There are plenty of others that I really like but I have to draw the line somewhere, otherwise the list would just keep going! I also would've liked to put a Resident Evil game here considering how much I'm loving the franchise but I've yet to play any of the truly "great" ones like RE4, so that will have to wait for another day.
@Th3solution yeah Praey for the Gods that was it. Looked pretty cool from what I remember.
So I suppose BotW had a little sum'n-sum'n of SotC in terms of the 4 world beasts but there was quite a lot of other things going on too. It's a great game to be fair, one I did connect with... but not quite the insurmountable summit of gaming many would have you believe (atleast not in my opinion). My vote went to HZD at that years GotY's.
Also I thought this thread was called 69th video game awards because 69 is a rude number 🤭. It seems to be the first number people think of when you ask them for a random number and it suffixes tons of e mail addresses. Can't be that many people born in 1969!
Also I thought this thread was called 69th video game awards because 69 is a rude number 🤭. It seems to be the first number people think of when you ask them for a random number and it suffixes tons of e mail addresses. Can't be that many people born in 1969!
@ralphdibny I've been interested in checking out Super Mario 64 DS since I never played that version. However, I have played the entirety of the original SM64 and gotten all 120 stars there. Do you think it's worth it then to buy the DS version? I definitely want to check out the extra 30 stars as well as play as the different characters. The only problem is that SM64 is a very challenging game, mostly due to the poor controls the N64 version had. Have the controls been improved in the DS remake? I'm guessing since I'd be playing the game on the 3DS that the addition of a circle pad will make the experience much better.
What’s so weird about trying to make these lists for me is that I draw a blank on what games I played through almost the entire PS2 era. I have no idea why though.
Admittedly it’s easier to remind myself of games from the PS3 onwards but I can hardly recall any games from the PS2.
@Thrillho Maybe it's because the PS2 era was much longer ago than the PS3. That's the thing with making these lists, they consist more often than not by more recent games you've played rather than older ones because you either remember the newer games more (i.e. recency bias) or because your taste in video games has changed. For example, my list consists entirely of games I've played during the past five years. It's definitely partly because of recency bias, but also due to my taste having changed and games I used to love, such as Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario Kart Wii, Halo 3, Banjo-Kazooie, Pokémon Sapphire etc., simply don't measure up to the "level of greatness" that I uphold as the standard today with the games from my current list.
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Topic: The 69th Annual Best Game of All-time World Series of Gaming at its bestest ever Gaminess
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