1. Fire Emblem Awakening




Yes, I am starting off my list with a portable game. A portable game that I have no shame in saying that I've had infinitely more fun with than almost any other full release big platform titles.

Fire Emblem Awakening for those who do not know is a turn-based strategy game, and the latest in the Fire Emblem series. there are no generic units, and all the units you get throughout the story are all individual characters.

I really don't know where to start with this game since it's so flat-out amazing, but I guess I'll start from the characters. Each of the characters all have various personalities, and backgrounds. By fighting together, units can build support with one another which in turn unlocks support conversations with one another. These support conversations are filled with things that help flesh out many of the characters backgrounds, likes, inner struggles, and basically anything about them.

ALL of the characters have access to them, and many can support with various different characters. Almost every conversation save for just a minor few are completely unique to each pairing resulting in a staggering amount of conversations to be heard. You can even pair two characters together to be married, AND have children who will join your party. I'm well over 110 hours into the game over three runs, and I don't think I've even unlocked half of them yet.

Perhaps the best thing about them, and something that I think even works in the game's favor is that well most of the character interactions are never meant to be taken 100% seriously. There are plenty of goofy moments, ludicrous lines, and completely exaggerated happenings. I think it just helps strengthen the already extremely colorful characters, and just makes it fun to watch them banter around. It could never be done, at least not as well, if everything was done realistically.

I could go on about the characters forever, but next up I'll talk about the storyline. The story I think is perhaps the weakest aspect of Fire Emblem Awakening. Some parts of the story just aren't very interesting in its core although I still believe it is done very well. This may sound confusing, but I'll sum it up in what I think in a nutshell: Mediocre story which is masterfully executed. The story has it's share of great moments, and succeeds in delivering sadness, happiness, goofiness, epicness, despair, and much much more all in one great package which is only amplified by the amazing characters I mentioned earlier.

Gameplay is rock solid. A wide array of skills, classes, perks, effectiveness against certain unit types make for an extremely deep gameplay system that I absolutely adore. You'll constantly find yourself deciding how to level your characters, and how to reclass them for different skills, and perks. Some characters can even turn into dragons! There IS luck involved, but at no point did I ever feel that it was luck that completely screwed me over at any point.

The best part is that the gameplay will integrate character interactions in as a factor to combat. Units gain support as they fight together, or pair-up which in turn will improve their relationship unlocking support conversations, AND let them perform better in battle with each other. Children will also gets stat growths, and skills carried over from their parents affecting how they will turn out, and their overall playstyle.

The only thing I think I don't like about the gameplay is that inventory management can be incredibly messy. You cannot re-arrange anything, or sort items according to different factors. You also can't compare items which can be quite frustrating until you get good enough at the game to memorize different weapon stats.

Next up is the graphics. The graphics are gorgeous especially considering that this is a 3DS game. They have pushed everything to the best of their abilities. Art is amazing, and while the battlefield will be observed from with sprites, actual combat is watched from with fully made 3D models...all with unique weapon models for every weapon depending on what the character is using. There is also no shortage of particle effects for magic attacks, and otherwise. Sprites also take nothing away from the game either as they have a very unique charm to them. Occasionally you'll be treated full cinematic which are very pretty that I wish there were more off.

Audio for the game...I'm placing not as a part of soundtrack for a very good reason that you'll soon learn. The voice-acting in the game is good, but suffers from sometimes characters sounding too hammy which can be a bit jarring. Sound effects on the other hand I thought did a very good job with what it did.

Last, I'm saving the best for last...the soundtrack. That. Freaking. Soundtrack. It is literally the best soundtrack I have heard for anything ever. Television shows, movies, other games...NOTHING surpasses this game's soundtrack for me at all. It really is that good. It has a mixture of all different sorts of tracks in its listing, sad, happy, epic, silly, you name it. There really is no other soundtrack in my entire life that I've ever had leave such a strong impression on me with how good it is. I've heard many amazing soundtracks before, but none have stuck with me so long months after I first heard it. It can single-handedly transform what would be a cheesy scene into something magical.

Whew, that's about what I have to say about the game without having gone into too much detail (Completely serious. I haven't.) That was about six times longer than I had expected it to be, but at least it's off my chest now. All in all calling Fire Emblem amazing is a complete understatement, and it is a game that proudly earns a spot in one of my favorite games of all time.

2. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim



Next up is one that I feel more people will be more aware off. Unfortunately I seem to have blown all my steam writing all that about Fire Emblem Awakening, so this might turn out to be a bit shorter, especially since a ton of people already know what it's about. Doesn't mean I enjoy it any less though!

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is an open world game that you get you to explore as a character you've made yourself.

The reason why this is one of my favorite games of all time should be fairly obvious to anyone's who's played it before. There's just so much you can do in the world. You can run around, talk to people, and they'll likely have something for you to do.

You'll constantly be stumbling upon new things in the world to do also. You can sometimes find random caves, and you can head inside to loot it, and defeat the often residing enemies.

What else is so great about the game is that it has a sense of world, and this is likely its strongest aspect. There is a insanely detailed lore, and people you run across all have their own stories to tell...even the dead ones. It just makes so much sense, and makes the game better that you're not the only person in the world with an agenda, and things you care about.

Leveling is also designed around player choice. You can level up your character completely depending on how you want to play the game. You want to be a mage? Level up your mana, and use spells! Skills go up the more you use of a playstyle.

Really that's all I think needs to be said honestly. The game will pretty much speak for itself better than I ever can, and most people I think who've played it know it.

3. Starcraft 2



Here comes the last game in my list: Starcraft 2. It is an real-time strategy game created by Blizzard.

What I love about this game is actually really straight-forward, and simple: Three races, and different strategies on how to use each one in all the match-ups.

Each race employs their own unique playstyle that you have to change, and adapt depending on who you're matched up against. They all play somewhat differently so you can pick whichever one suits your liking. I personally favor Zerg for their reactive, and flexible nature.

Graphics-wise the game is gorgeous. Easiest way to say it is that each race's units, and bulldings fits the theme of each race. Zerg feels icky, and bug like. Protoss are shiny, majestic, and full of psionic power. Terran are straightforward millitary style. Maps, and background objects are also something that wasn't skimped on, and provides more subconcious appreciation of the game's visuals.

The single player campaign while I feel is NOT the main focus of Starcraft at all by a long-shot is still very enjoyable. It adds twists to the units, and playstyles so that you get a completely revamped experience when compared to playing multiplayer.

The plot of the story isn't something particularly interesting, but I feel is executed well enough to keep me invested in the story, and I look forward to how it will be concluded in Legacy of the Void!

Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs
Yeah, this is my new favourite game. Alone the fact, that I think about the story of the game non-stop is a reason to put it on number one of my list. Usually I play a game, enjoy it (or not), and forget it in a day. During my first playthorugh the game evoke fear, disgust and sadness in me. Really strong emotions and hard for a game to bring these to my mind. The more I think about the game the better it gets. At first I would have rated it with a ~8.7, now it's a 10 for me. Thank you FG and TCR.

Journey
Another very emotional game. This game was an around 2 hour long adventure and really felt like an epic 'journey'. At the end I nearly cried, but not because I was sad. The soundtrack paired with these amazing images you will see... arrwwgh.. goosebumps. I recommend it to play it online.

Shadow of the Colossus
Amazing music combined with bossfights of epic proportions. I was stunned when I saw my first enemy.

Same as Droog here. The ending is really emotional and I just loved it overall.

Far cry 3 could have been better, but I loved it anyways; The surroundings are nice because they're so colourful and I was really hyped to get it when it came out.

Played this game all day long. Fucking loving it.

NOTE: I haven't played this. Watched Cry's playthrough.

SO FUCKING SAD MAN

Left 4 Dead 2. Fuck yes.
BTW, the original survivor skins from the Beta L4D1 is released. Check it out on the Workshop.

Bioshock Infinite.

I like the view and all, but some of the mechanisms were a bit hard to handle (that's what she said)

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AAMFP.

Although I haven't finished it yet, the story was a engaging and disturbing but the scares were lacking.

I don't even know why. All I know is that someone gifted me it on Steam for Christmas, and two weeks later I had about 90 hours played. I sure love the invasions though, just as long as you don't get a hacker (which happens too frequently. Thanks GFWL!)

May not count as a game per say, but it's what I've been spending most of my time on recently. Love how it actually teaches you how to play guitar, which I've always wanted to do, and not just on a plastic instrument, which actually leads into my next game...

WHO KNEW THIS WOULD BE ON THE LIST RIGHT

Final Fantasy V.

This game introduced me to JRPGs. It's a bit underrated, but it has the best traditional RPG gameplay system, a memorable story, and a great soundtrack. It's the game I go to if I want to suffocate myself in nostalgia. Also has one of the more challenging bosses in the series.

Amnesia: The Dark descent.

Other than being terrifyingly scary, A:TDD also has excellent gameplay because of its nonlinear 'hub' exploration structure which really adds to the immersion. What really puts this game in my top 5, though, is the story. The last 2/3 of the game, particularly from the nave and onwards, explore some of the darkest things I've seen in a video game. All the torture rooms plus the one scene where Daniel goes 'paint the man, cut the lines' really show an innocent man's complete descent into insanity.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Much like A:TDD, this is a castle exploration game, except with a lot more emphasis on going around and killing everything. Obviously, it's not a horror game. Symphony of the Night is a platformer RPG where the main character, Alucard, explores a twisted castle and slays its monster inhabitants. It has an immense array of equipment and a nonlinear metroid-like progression structure, making it one of the most fun games I've ever played.

Final Fantasy X.

A lot of people have a vocal dislike of this game, most notably Spoony One (though his review is still hilarious). But in my opinion, the game offers one of the most intensely emotional experiences ever, right up there with Amnesia: The Dark Descent. A somber storyline, extraordinary soundtrack by Uematsu, great gameplay, and astounding voice acting sets up perhaps the best story I've seen in a video game.

I Wanna Be The Guy.

This is a masochistic platformer game created by Mike Kayin O'reilly which is famous for its difficulty. It references a plethora of old nintendo games such as Kirby and Metroid and pits them against The Kid, who dies in one hit from everything. Genius traps, innovative level design, and soul-crushing bosses makes beating this game the most rewarding feeling I've ever experienced. And just to laugh at you, the game has a death count. I died 2867 times on my first playthrough.

Go play it, the game's free.

This and its sequel was the game i always wanted.
The feeling of being too powerful and do almost anything at a ridicule scale. Its sequel was great too.

I loved to do as i wanted, fight anyone, use a large variation of abilities at any time. To feel free and unstoppable.

I like to play a game where i feel challenged. So i always play games in hard mode, any game. And the more i like the game, the faster i complete it.

But Prototype gave me free roam after the game and all the stuff i always wanted in a game. So, for me, it's the best game ever. Still.

Far Cry 2: great game with a great antagonist. Also love how the antagonist, The Jackal, could be Jack Carver from the first Far Cry. Loads of evidence about it. Also loved the reference to The Jackal in Far Cry 3. Great character.

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The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and TLOZ: Majora's Mask: The universes of these games (different dimensions for each one, remember haha.) were so interesting and chock full of detail. The gameplay was fun and I remember being amazed by the whole experience. I was even moved to heavy FEELS during MM. Plus these two games have deeply ingrained memories of my childhood which i'll never forget.

Metroid Zero Mission: I'll be honest. I never finished the original metroid. It was too hard for me at that moment in time and never went back to it. Then Zero Mission released and gave me the original's narrative and experience and then some. Again, the scribes responsible of the Metroid games demonstrate how it is better to show than tell in a story. You get a cool little ''after original ending'' part that adds depth to the character and then you finish the game and see one of the most poignant images ever. In a corner of the mural at the last boss in the game, the camera zooms into it and shows a child's carving of two chozo and a little person. That simple little gesture made me feel more emotions than many bloated AAA games that are based around a story. Also when you connected Metroid Fusion with Metroid Zero Mission you'd unlock a gallery that shows Samus throughout her younger days and training, which was cool.

Super Metroid: Ahh, the old days of innocence. Always loved Metroid and this is one of my favorite ones. Just seeing the intro sequence and screens of it starts a chain reaction of nostalgia. Music is haunting too.

Metroid Prime: Probably my favorite Metroid game ever. The first person point of view was a genius choice. From blood, water and steam (amongst other things) drenching your visor and to the slightly claustrophobic feeling of being inside a helmet, this first person pov was done so incredibly well and nobody else has even come close. Being able to see Samus' reflection in the visor when looking at something really bright in front of her was also awesome. I could dedicate a whole city of text to just the pov so let me move on. The story and setting (which you found out through journals and whatnot) is also one of my favorite experiences in my gaming experiences. Having to SEEK out knowledge and information, instead of having it fed to you and narrated, was incredible.

Castlevania: Symphony Of Night: This game is special because it brings back many special memories. And the soundtrack and art were great too.

Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow: I was cautiously excited for this game When announced. It seemed to drop off the face of the earth at one point and I feared that it may have been going through dev hell. And then it released and I played it. Excellent, excellent, excellent game. Just excellent. The characters, the romanticized narrative, the art, the music,the universe, the journey Gabe makes. Just...excellent and incredible.

F.E.A.R 1 and 2: The first one was a pretty good and decently spooky game with really fun gameplay. What made it special was the narrative. Shooting up areas with the slow mo on was an incredible experience. And then the sequel released and blew everything up...literally. The atmosphere, the narrative, the characters, the gameplay, nearly everything was perfect. I had never been so attracted towards a pseudo horror/horror universe in my life (besides Lovecraft's works). Ever. All the detail the game has that it doesn't cram down your throat (a la Metroid Prime) and instead you have to seek it and pay attention. Just awesome. The hallucinations were intense (aural and otherwise) and when you replay the game you can pick out how Alma's behaviors changed and what it meant. Loved these games so much I bought them each twice (ps3 and PC). F.E.A.R 2 was also one of those rare ''Post Metroid Prime'' games that did the first person POV excellently.

The Elder Scrolls Morrowind and Oblivion: These two games have deprived me of hundreds of hours and have made me obsess over the universe and its lore. I still remember waking up early during weekends and such so I could play them really early. Morrowind's the more special of the two cause I was much younger then and thus brings that feeling of nostalgia (plus it was the clear better game from the two).

The Last Of Us: No words. Should have sent a poet.

Valkyria Chronicles: I love strategy rpgs (srpgs) like Final Fantasy Tactics/Advance, Tactics Ogre and such but this one was a great surprise. Instead of moving in squares, like most srpgs, you had a little timer that allowed free movement. The gameplay was well done and the setting and narrative was surprisingly good. What made this game pop, besides its gorgeous art direction, is how well written the characters were and how their strengths, weaknesses and past experiences had an actual effect on the game.

Example, my two favorite snipers, Catherine O'Hara and Marina Wulfstan, were incredibly different from each other. O'hara was a veteran of the first Europan War and thus was experienced but ever since she once ran out of ammo and had to watch through her scopes how her ally was killed she now fears running out of ammo. What does that mean? When you're using her and her ammo is completely used up she has a mini panic attack and her attack power is lowered. She's also a pessimist so when she's lost half her health her defense is lowered.

The other sniper was a loner and hates people. So if you place anyone near her her evasion goes down (because she's worried about being near anybody else) and if she's alone her evasion goes up.

This system was in place for EVERY single character in the game.

And in an odd turn of events, I liked the party members who weren't important to the story (ie didn't appear in the cutscenes). The main ones were really likeable but I just like others like Catherine and Jane (who was a pretty insane shocktrooper). The cast was filled with so much personality that also affected the game and it was such a great touch.

The character development, of both types of party members, was also great. And to sum it up, this game made me feel many emotions. From fear, loss, happiness, faith, hope, etc etc etc. SUCH a great game.

Demon's Souls and Dark Souls: great universes, pretty nice rpg systems, the lore is incredible. Oddly addicting.I'd need a ton more room to rave about the characters.

Star Wars: Republic Commando: Oh boy oh boy, one of the few games after Metroid Prime that did the first person pov well. Such a great game. Actually shows the darker and ''realer'' side of Star Wars, not the sanitized side shown in the movies. Another game i bought twice, shame the pc version doesn't run well and looks like crap. The ''commando'' novels written by Karen Traviss are also *really* good.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2: The first battlefront was the definition of fanservice. Which is why I quite enjoyed it, warts and all. And then SW: Battlefront 2 releases and blows me away. From epic dog fights in space to thrilling (mostly) land based battles, this game basically fulfilled the fantasies of many Star Wars geeks.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic 1 and 2: Two of my favorite rpgs ever with some of my favorite characters of all time.

Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines: A shining example of how good writing and rpg systems can make even a very very very VERY aged game timeless regardless of when it's played. I was new to the whole pen and paper rpg the game's universe comes from dear LORD are vampires, werewolves and all sorts of legendary creatures in this universe incredibly awesome. In an age where the new generation (and part of mine) see vampires as shiny and brooding teens, going back and re-experiencing this game shows you why vampires and werewolves were awesome all those years back. Awesome stuff.

One of the earliest games I can vividly remember playing. I still LOVE to play this game today despite how dated it is. So much fun and always will be. Age will never affect it.

Years later I discovered this game which I loved which is similar to C&C.

The first PS2 game I ever played. My brother had bought it before we could afford the PS2. I must have only been around 8 or 9 at the time when I would play it. This game had everything I loved. AMAZING soundtrack, fun gameplay and missions and TONNES of film references which I would later discover. I completed this game so many times in the past.

I remember buying the full bundle of this game, I was quite late to the franchise. This game was really influential to me as it helped me explore my taste of music, also it was what really pushed me over the line to trying to play a real guitar. In general the game was fun, and my brother enjoyed jamming on the drums too.

I loved the concept of building and running a business/other. Probably why I avoid Minecraft like the plague because I don't want to ruin my life.

I remember buying the full bundle of this game, I was quite late to the franchise. This game was really influential to me as it helped me explore my taste of music, also it was what really pushed me over the line to trying to play a real guitar. In general the game was fun, and my brother enjoyed jamming on the drums too.

Everyone knows Metal Gear is awesome. However up until I played MGS4, or more so dubbed MGO for this current mode, I had never played on an online shooter. I spent so many good times alone in my room blasting CD's from my brothers stereo while tearing shit up on this game. It was a PS3 exclusive, it was a bitch to actually install, so much so that you felt like Morpheus was going to come get you for hacking. None of my IRL friends had it or were interested. I was the lone wolf. The community was small and growing smaller as time passed up until MGO servers were sadly taken down. I will never forget how much fun I had.

I'm reaching into dangerous territory here yet I am not afraid to admit that these games were a lot of fun. MW2 was my first CoD game and probably my last technically. MW2 was the first online game where I had friends to play with since everyone I knew had it. I spent so much time on it, and had a lot of fun.

World at War I was borrowed by a friend. I didn't have the internet at that point in time so I couldn't play online. However I will say that the campaign for WaW was excellent.

You'll all be happy to know that I don't touch any of the CoD titles any more and my interest in them died pretty soon before Black Ops.

My first and favourite AC game. I loved everything about this game. The whole concept, setting and storyline seemed really cool. I played Brotherhood after and found it was good but didn't bring much new aspects to the game. I haven't continued on from there yet. I have also played the original at a later date by the way.

This game... Holy shit this game. I remember an old friend of mine in my first year of secondary school telling me about this game. Like I bet many people have also done, I searched "Room Scape". Nevertheless I found the game. I'd never known what an MMORPG was before now. When I signed up I had no idea what to expect. I thought it was pretty shit in all honesty, but I just couldn't stop playing it. And about 5 and a half years later I am still playing it everyday of my life and have no intentions of quitting until I have maxed out everything.

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The Last Of Us