Your most favorite game(s) of all time.

[Overcast]

What is your favorite game (or games if you can't pick just one) of all time? Those special games you find yourself coming back to over and over again, those games that left such a profound impact on you, those games that you cherish the most of all. And how did you first find out about it?

For me, that would probably be Shadow of the Colossus.

Spoiler

Between fighting and climbing all over towering giants, riding across your horse across the vast and lonely Forbidden Lands, the beautiful music, and the simple yet engaging story of a young man willing to do anything to bring back his loved one, I really can't find very much to dislike about this game. (Aside from maybe the camera occasionally getting caught on things)

I remember first finding out about the game via a DVD that came with a Playstation magazine. It showed gameplay footage tof the first three colossi fights. At the time, I was surprised to find how huge these colossi were and you could climb on them no less! The music also reminded me a lot of Castle in the Sky, a movie that I really liked as a kid.

Later on, I read about how great the game supposedly was, so I decided to check it out myself. I rented the game, beat the first four colossi and gave it back. I wanted to keep playing but somehow, I kinda forgotten to do so. A few years later, I decided to buy my own copy of the game and played it all the way through. I fucking loved it. And to this day, I still find myself playing through it over and over again.

At one point, I decided to introduce my nephews to the game. They initially had a difficult time, but they soon got used to the game's controls and had a lot of fun with it. Switching with each other after each colossi, while I sat in the room, helping them out whenever they got stuck. We all got to the end and they told me that they loved it. It was a real bonding experience and it felt great to see these two little kids experiencing this amazing game.

So yeah, TLDR, Shadow of the Colossus is my most favorite game and it holds a special place in my heart.

Your turn.

 

[exball]

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I've played through with at least 15 characters.

 

[c-no]

Fallout 2. This was one of the RPG's I played where I learned that strength isn't the end all be all stat. I played it many times after buying a copy of it from a swapmeet (along with Daggerfall). While my playthrough's of it were the same, I honestly loved playing through certain parts such as meeting Dornan, fighting Frank Horrigan, or even just going through a random encounter that was a joke such as the stone head of the Vault Dweller.

Morrowind. First Elder Scrolls game I played. While the game may not look pretty what with the faces and while the dungeons don't have respawning NPC's, there are mods that could fix that. One thing I like about Morrowind was how you could break the main quest by killing an important main quest NPC. Compare that to Oblivion or Skyrim where that is impossible. One thing I love most about Morrowind was just going around, doing what you wanted, whether it was just joining the Legion, killing some random kwama forager, or even just exploring the land. There are still some things in the game I haven't found so if I'm to play it again, I'd try to find that. (Also love killing members of the Dark Brotherhood in the expansion).

Wizardry 8. Another CRPG I played and one that I love playing with Armored Core music. While I may not get into much of the other games (much to my chagrin), Wizardry 8 was one game I thoroughly enjoyed. While some battles could drag out for too long, the battles really did make you think your move, whether it was deciding on casting fireball on an enemy horde or putting them to sleep so your fighter could hit them hard with a low chance of missing. One of the best parts in the game was going against a tough boss enemy such as the Rapax Prince and the Al Sedexus child on your way to the Cosmic Circle or even having a final battle against the Savant to become the gods of the entire universe. Like Fallout 2, my playthrough's used the same party lay-out but it was nevertheless fun, just beating up bandits on the way and having a robotic monk beat up enemies with it's fist and feet, leading to a possible insta-kill.

 

[The Fair Lady]

• Final Fantasy X. Love the characters, world, gameplay, soundtrack... Pretty much everything.
• Bayonetta. Same as above. The game is so fun and creative with beautiful graphics.
• Haunting Ground. Gives you a different take on the survival horror genre. Very interesting characters and a setting shrouded in mystery.
• Mass Effect 2. Just... Man, what a game. I can't even go into detail, it's damn near perfect. The entire Mass Effect franchise is incredible, but 2 in particular has so much going for it.
• Silent Hill 2. Again, same as above. The world and mythos of Silent Hill is genius. 2's story and characters are so compelling and unforgettable.

 

[TrippinKahlua]

Super Mario RPG.

When I first played through it something became clear to me, it was no ordinary Mario game and that it was hard as fuck. I had to learn and understand RPG elements for the first time in my gaming life and something about the games whole design and story just made me want to keep seeing more and more of the game. And lucky for me, I had gotten a used copy which came with save files up to Nimbus Land, so I could practically see the end chapters of the game already!

 

[Dio Brando]

Metal Gear Solid 3

No game I've ever played left such a lasting impression on me. It was the first MGS game I had ever played and it still remains my favorite. The addition of free camera in the Subsistence rerelease was a fantastic addition that not only helped gameplay-wise, but also allowed you to better see your enivironment and just how amazing the game looks. And of course, the story was fantastic and Big Boss is still my favorite Metal Gear character because of that. The story of Big Boss forced to choose his country or choose his mentor/mother figure was without a doubt the best told in the entire series and I see Big Boss as a much more human character than Solid Snake because of that

Spoiler: Spoilers about the ending

The final scene of the game with Big Boss at the Boss's grave is still one of the greatest and saddest moments in any video game. Throughout the game, you're lead to believe the Boss was a traitor who gave up her country for her own ideals. Then at the end, you're told that she never betrayed her country at all. Her mission was to be killed by you and go down in history as a monstrous war criminal. Suddenly finding out this was so heartbreaking knowing that she was willing to do this, and seeing Big Boss cry at her grave only made it more powerful.

 

[ASoulMan]

Dead Space - I loved the creepy, unsettling atmosphere of the USG Ishimura, how you upgraded weapons, and how you had to systematically dismember the Necromorphs as opposed to just gunning them down with your mining tools. Plus I loved how the Necromorphs were inspired by the Thing, one of my favorite movie monsters. The game also punished you if you shot certain creatures in the wrong place (such as the Pregnants and explosive Necromorphs). The death scenes were also so gruesome that they gave you a reason to stay alive. I only played it once, but I enjoyed the experience.

The God of War series - These games are so fun to play, and they're one of the very few games that i'll accept having QTEs since they were only needed to just kill the enemies in the most brutal fashion possible (bosses notwithstanding). I also loved to watch Krato's rampage unfold throughout the main three games, and how it went from getting revenge on Ares for tricking him into murdering his family, to the total annihilation of Greek mythology itself. All so that he could finally be at peace. The series also has some awesome music, like the giant minotaur fight and the final boss music from II and III. The developers did an awesome job with this series.

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Believe it or not, this was the first Zelda game that I played and actually finished. I remember playing Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask as a kid, but I was so young and stupid that I had no idea what to do. It had a nice story IMO, and Ghirahim is now one of my favorite villains because of this game. The only thing that annoyed me about this game were the motion controls going nuts at times when I needed them.

The Last of Us - I will admit that this game is not perfect (Ellie and the enemy AI), but I enjoyed playing it for the first time. I liked the story and characters even though the post-apocalyptic/zombie genre has been beaten to a pulp already. This game felt more like a survival game than a horror game as people claim it to be. The only time when I actually got tense was fighting Nolan North David in the restaurant. Overall, I enjoyed the stealth, duking it out with other survivors and infected, and the quality of the voice acting from the main characters. Plus like with Dead Space, the death scenes can be intense (THAT BLOATER DEATH HORY SHET!).

I'll also throw in the Ratchet and Clank , Jak and Daxter, and Sly Cooper series as well. Me and my younger brother would play these games over and over again when we had a PS2. We enjoyed these games so much that we had to download them off of PSN when we got a PS3. My favorite games out of these three franchises were Ratchet: Deadlocked, Jak 3, and Sly 2: Honor Among Thieves.

 

[LordDarkrai]

Xenoblade Chronicles

I found out about this game through Nintendo Power. Everything about it got me really interested in preordering it. I got the game when I got a really awful cold that made me miss a whole week of school/work. After I recovered more to be able to play anything, I played it. The moment where I made it to Bionis's Leg, that's where I was hooked. From the surprising good story, the music, and gameplay. This is the most immersive game I ever played. Even now playing it in a third play through, I'm still finding new things. The lessons I learned is to not take things for granted, appreciate the tiny details, and approach the unknown. Pretty much, this game changed my life.

 

[c-no]

Like Dio Brando, I list Metal Gear Solid 3 as one of my favorite of all time games. I liked how Kojima and his team decided to use a more wild enviroment compared to previous games. I liked how using camo could help you avoid detection in some areas such as using flecktarn and splitter while hiding in the bushes to avoid being in the sight of a wandering Soviet soldier. One other thing to like was how conversations were with your allies, whether it was speaking with SIGINT about the box or PARA-MEDIC telling you about the food you captured or even mentioning some films such as Godzilla or 007. One other thing I had to like about the game was how killing indiscriminately can penalize you one boss fight and how said victims responded (Shoot a guy in the groin and his ghost says "I'M USELESS NOW!!!" or "YOU ATE ME!!" if you eat the vulture that feasted on his corpse). Shame the HD version lacks a mini-game that you can play when you sleep in the Groznygrad cell after you save. Still, it doesn't subtract from the game.

 

[John Titor]

Super Mario RPG.

When I first played through it something became clear to me, it was no ordinary Mario game and that it was hard as fuck. I had to learn and understand RPG elements for the first time in my gaming life and something about the games whole design and story just made me want to keep seeing more and more of the game. And lucky for me, I had gotten a used copy which came with save files up to Nimbus Land, so I could practically see the end chapters of the game already!

That was also my first RPG, which I had to brute force my way through because for some reason my (new) copy didn't have a manual.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

• Fallout 3 & NV - I shouldn't even have to tell you why. Everything about these games is practically perfect and the writing is brilliant.
• Legacy of Kain series - With the exception of the first two games, the game play was nothing special. It's the story, characters, and setting that keeps me coming back to this series. At times I feel like this series should have been a gritty, dark graphic novel series rather than a bunch of video games, so I'm always a little conflicted when I mention it on my list of favorites. Still, here it is.
  
• Devil May Cry - Fun and at times hilarious. I just can't take Dante seriously as a badass because he's so far over the top he's in orbit, but that's what I love about him. The later games really screwed up his personality, I feel. The second one where he turns into a boring emo boy is practically unplayable to me.
• Bioshock - Love the setting, love the story, love the game play.
• Okami - This game is fucking gorgeous and so full of content it's amazing. Combat can be a little dull, but I don't think it hurts the game that much.
  
• Psychonauts - Just. Fucking. Brilliant.

 

[John Titor]

I find it difficult to pinpoint my favorite games but one that sticks out the most is a game that doesn't get enough love: Wild Arms 3. The developers decided to collect every well known JRPG stereotypes and cliches, put them in a box and proceed to throw them out the window. I don't think I've seen another RPG as unique as this one, not even from the same franchise.

 

[Dunsparce]

I don't have a single favorite so I'll talk about the series I like the most.

-The Chrono Series (Chrono Trigger, Radical Dreamers, Chrono Cross): My all-time favorite series. All three games are very different from one another, but I think it allows each of them to stand out and not just look like a clone of the previous game. Chrono Trigger is considered one of the greatest RPGs of all time by many people, and has aged quite well looking at the reviews of the Nintendo DS remake of it. Radical Dreamers was replaced in the main continuity by Chrono Cross, but is still a great game in its own right if you like text-based RPGs. Crono Cross is a love-it-or-hate-it game, but I personally love every bit of it. Even the haters of the game admit the music of CC is fantastic.

-The original SaGa Trilogy(aka Final Fantasy Legend): The first three games of the SaGa series were some of the earliest handheld RPGs. I love the trilogy as a whole, but SaGa 2(aka Final Fantasy Legend II) is probably mt favorite. All three games were eventually remade (SaGa 1 for the Wonderswan Color and Mobile Phone, SaGa 2 and SaGa 3 for Nintendo DS) But unfortunately unlike the original versions they never came stateside.

-Dragon Quest Series and Spinoffs: Dragon Quest is one of the longest running RPG series ever, and one thing that makes me love it so much is that even the spinoffs are extremely high quality. Many of the spinoffs spawned their own Subseries like Slime Morimori and Dragon Quest Monsters. Not that long ago the games were being localized like crazy, but unfortunately with the dawn of the new generation of consoles only android/iphone ports of the games have been brought over, which is a huge shame.

-Final Fantasy Series: While I-VI are my personal favorites, the series still had quality games over the years, I even feel XIII wasn't that bad(It's main flaw being that it was marketed as a mainstream FF title when it really should've been an original game or FF spinoff instead). My favorite game in the series is IV, and I also enjoyed it's sequel just as much. If anyone wants to try FFIV at its best, get Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection for PSP. Comes with IV, its sequel, a new short interquel game, an art gallery, and the ability to to toggle between the original SNES soundtrack or its remixed version.

-Pokemon: I've been playing this series since the beginning, and Pokemon Yellow was the first game I ever bought for myself. The titles still have the same formula that was around since 1996, but it also manages to evolve in many areas to remain fresh even 18 years in. While it's no longer my favorite series, it is the one I have the most fond memories of and I still find myself going back to it with each new installment.

 

[niggers]

i swear i can't stop playing skullgirls. its not my favorite game but considering i've sunk nearly 600 hours into the thing despite it being, from a mechanical point of view, fucking insane makes it worth a mention.

it's like fucking pistachios, i can't stop playing painwheel and discovering stupid new assist strategies.

get out of my head

 

[Overcast]

i swear i can't stop playing skullgirls. its not my favorite game but considering i've sunk nearly 600 hours into the thing despite it being, from a mechanical point of view, fucking insane makes it worth a mention.

it's like fucking pistachios, i can't stop playing painwheel and discovering stupid new assist strategies.

get out of my head

Nice to see another Skullgirls player on here.

 

[Coster]

Soul Calibur III. This game's story mode was absolutely perfect for every character because it actually felt like a story was unfolding. It gave you RPGlike options for deciding shit ingame, quicktime events in cutscenes, had awesome mini-encounters that were challenging, and the OST was great. The created characters getting their own story mode in the form of Chronicles of the Sword was the best thing Namco's done for a story mode ever, how it blended RTS and fighting game elements near-seamlessly into one. That, and all of the created characters had weapons and movesets only they could have. That adds so much in my opinion, and made me try out every single weapon style in that whole game just to see what they could offer. I really hope it gets an HD port like SC and SCII did, because if it does I'm buying that shit.

Asura's Wrath. Asura's Wrath was basically QTEs: the game, but it did so in such a stylish way that I can still replay the game over and over, experience the same things over and over, and still be pumped up about the game. The story was also fantastic, along with the visuals and music it made for a thoroughly enjoyable and unforgettable experience. If CC2 starts making a move towards porting more of their games to PC that aren't Naruto games, I seriously hope they port Asura's Wrath because I'd love to have it in my Steam library.

Final Fantasy Dissidia Duodecim 012. Word salad title, but oh my god it's such a fun fighting game. I've sunk 400 hours into the original, and then an additional 300 hours into Duodecim. The fighting mechanics are all really on-point and make for an incredibly fast-paced game, along with the fact that every character has specific strategies of their own and all handle differently. The whole game was basically Final Fantasy crossover fanfiction, but damn I love it to death. Plus the end of the story mode ties directly into the start of FFI, which fucking boggled my mind when I saw what occurred.

The entire .hack series in general. IMOQ, the first four games, had a really interesting story and played genuinely like an MMO did. I grew up playing those four games, and basically mastered every one of them. Then the .hack//G.U. series came out with Rebirth, Reminisce, and Redemption, and I loved G.U. with all my heart. It didn't emulate an MMO quite like the first four did, but it was still a fun action RPG with an interesting and diverse cast, beautiful graphics, and an amazing story from start to finish.

Garry's Mod, because I've played it for so many years and it was a big part of me getting into PC gaming. If you've played it yourself, you should know how much pure fun the game is. I have close to 1,400 hours in it, and that's probably just going to keep growing.

 

[spaps]

-Broforce: I absolutely love this game. You can do all sorts of crazy shit that'll make you laugh your head off throughout the entire game. The game is fairly hard, but it doesn't matter how many times you die, you'll never get angry because you're laughing too hard at everything going on. And also a bunch of 80's and beyond action heroes blowing shit up is my wet dream. I bet it'd be a lot more fun with friends, sadly I don't know anyone that owns it.

-Serious Sam: I haven't actually beaten the original Serious Sam (I'm not even done with First Encounter yet), but it's already become one of my favorite games. There isn't a single other game that gets my adrenaline pounding like Serious Sam. It overwhelms me with enemies then beats the piss out of me, and I love it for that. I love the mind games it plays with you, I love how trying to recover just one HP can make things infinitely worse for you. I love how you have to prioritize which enemies you're going to kill. I love the huge, open environments. Serious Sam is "git gud" game of shooters, and absolutely incredible.

-Deadly Premonition: A lot of people say it's a beautiful trainwreck. I don't agree with that. Sure, the game is unpolished as hell, but it draws you in so well that you forget just how awful the gameplay actually is. The characters are unique and likeable, and I really don't think I've ever been so attached to any characters in a game like I was with Deadly Premonition.

-POSTAL 2: I'll be honest, I got kind of bored of POSTAL 2 lately. I guess it's because I've already explored everything there is to explore, and rampages aren't really my thing. That being said, POSTAL 2 is great fun. The sheer amount of freedom the game gives you is incredible. Paradise is full of places to explore, and you'll find more crazy shit to do every time you play. I've logged 55+ hours into POSTAL 2, and even though I'm bored now, once the Paradise Lost expansion is released, you can bet your ass I'll be playing another 55. Actually, I'd still be playing now if most of the custom content wasn't shit. Like, why are there like 6 objective-based maps? I don't want to play another damned kill-a-thon with infinitely spawning enemies, I want to go through an actual level, god damn it.

-Garry's Mod: THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO OH MY GOD

-Barkley, Shut up and Jam: Gaiden: It's a hilarious parody of JRPGs and the RRGMaker community. It got me wanting to play more JRPGs, and it's a game about a world where basketball is outlawed because Charles Barkley blew up an arena with his dunk. I can't say much about this game, you'll have to experience it for yourself.

 

[LM 697]

-Broforce: I absolutely love this game. You can do all sorts of crazy shit that'll make you laugh your head off throughout the entire game. The game is fairly hard, but it doesn't matter how many times you die, you'll never get angry because you're laughing too hard at everything going on. And also a bunch of 80's and beyond action heroes blowing shit up is my wet dream. I bet it'd be a lot more fun with friends, sadly I don't know anyone that owns it.

I just downloaded the demo the other day!

 

[c-no]

I may as well add in any new favorites:

Postal 2: What I love about the game are two things: just being a nuisance who at best may kick a guy and urinate in his face to committing mass genocide against enemis such as book protestors (who want to kill you for going to the library) and depraved homosexual rednecks (who basically make you into a Pulp Fiction reference. Luckily, the Postal Dude may of not been violated yet) or you could be a technical pacifist whose enemies die by the police or by dogs (if you left dog biscuits around). I love hearing the dialogue spouted by the Postal Dude, whether it's from killing an enemy or just commenting a situation along with how you can play through errands.

Doom: Old gold fps from the nineties. One thing to love is that it's just fighting the forces of hell. To this day, you still have people making WADs, which means new maps to fight demons, new ways to play the game, or even just a way to get a good laugh if it was just some joke WAD. May as well count Doom 2 and Final Doom since they are pretty much same minus any new campaigns, weapons and enemies (Doom 2 got the most out of it. Final Doom was just new campaigns).

 

[Uzumaki]

Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout: New Vegas (the real Fallout 3). These are pretty much the perfect sandbox RPGs: tons of different viable playstyles, different playthroughs are genuinely different, amazingly detailed endings and a fun world full of pathos and humor. Incidentally, it is the lack of all these things that is the reason why I don't consider Fallout 3 to be a proper entry in the series.

Dwarf Fortress: Finally, the power of autism harnessed for good instead of evil. I love how alive the world seems. I remember when I first got into it, back when it wasn't even close to as complex as it is today, a merchant wagon fell down a cliff and spilled it's contents everywhere. My dwarves all took it upon themselves to loot the wreckage (which meant each of them had like one nice possession, usually a decorated sock or something, that they got from the wagon). From that point forward every time they produced a work of art 75% of the time it would be "A Wagon Falling". That is my favorite moment of emergent gameplay. In fact my entire emergent gameplay top ten would be all DF if I was being honest.

Silent Hill 2: The greatest horror game of all time. The opening cinematic is one of the most chillingly wonderful horror premises ever devised and it's told through nothing but the main character narrating over himself looking wistfully at a lake.

Katamari Damacy Series: They're all basically the same, but there's something very zen about that game. Also the music is amazing.

Civilization IV: The best of the civilization games. I feel like they nailed it with 4 and so 5 was basically different just for the sake of being different. I'm pretty sure 4 is always going to be the high watermark for me. The mods are great too. My one beef with it is they took the lazy way out and rather than program a decent AI they just have the computer blatantly cheat. I only really care about multiplayer though, where AIs are just there to be conquered early on or act as buffer states.