I totally ripped this thread off of K-Man, but I am really wanting to know this myself now that many years have passed, has your favorite games of all time changed at all? So basically the rule to follow is no games can be listed older than 1997. Here goes:
1. Deus Ex
This is what I would define as the pinnacle of my PC gaming experience. Tie Fighter comes as a close second but that game is too old to be on the list so it gets at least a mention. While the sequel seemed to have failed miserably in giving the player a sense of freedom, merely only giving the sense of a delusion that you have a choice, Deus Ex nailed this perception perfectly. Allowing the player to really breath in a world of futuristic conflict and political struggle and creating a character that could change this world as they saw fit as objectives were thrown to the player and were always rewarded for their choices.
2. Freespace 2
Im a pretty big space action sim nut so this one really deserves some kudos. While its one of the most hardest games I have ever played through its simply the best you can experience a real space battle with death beams tearing through giant capital ships right in front of your eyes. Probably its defining moment with me was my first encounter of the Shivan dreadnaught, flying blindly through a nebula and witnessing its sheer size uncover before you, my genitals coward in fear. By the end of the game I had memorized every single hotkey and was forced to use each one as I banked on sheer luck that my wingmen would come out victorious for their objectives as I struggled to blast away freight ship after freight ship in time. I was way too absorbed into that game.
3. Metroid Prime
I don't think I've played a first person shooter on a console that was done as good as this... well save maybe Goldeneye, and it happened to be Metroid. From the glorious boss fights to the gorgeous environments. You could believe that the planet actually exists somewhere in our universe because the atmosphere felt so real. While Zelda OOT was a good translation from a 2d environment to a 3d one, I think Metroid Prime pretty much beats it.
4. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
I don't think I have ever played a game that oozed as much charm as this one. A straight up console RPG with some really nice mario hilarity touches. My favorite chapter and probably one of the greatest times I had in a RPG was the 3rd Chapter: Glitzville, the arena fighting, that was all just a pure gold gaming moment. Plus after you beat the game, you could go back and check out how all your pals made out at the end and even do some more extra stuff.
5. Fallout
Well as far as the whole post apocalyptic universe thing goes, Fallout takes the cake. This type of environment has always been a fav of mine so I think it deserves a high spot. The amount of exploration and story to uncover is ridiculous, but first you had to learn to survive which made you feel like a real man even if you were just a scrawny ass gamer.
6. Metal Gear Solid
Movie cinematics and gaming collide in no better fashion. This one started the twist filled story of Snake and his badass adventures for the next gen consoles. The story was its main grip on the player to move the game along, the stealth action and awesome boss fights were just frosting on the cake.
7. Shadow of the Colossus
I think this is the best looking PS2 game out there. I absolutely loved its visuals. I think it was the third colossus you fight, the tall one with the massive sword. Climbing to its head and watching the world around you sway and turn as the colossus tries to throw you off, I was just in total awe. That one and just so many other moments fighting the various colossi were just pure gold.
8. Final Fantasy VII
I never did play all through FFVI, I'm sure alot of want to smack me for that, but I never really got into the console RPGs until I played this one. I had quite the marathon going when I played through it. Eating became a much lower priority. I just thought to acknowledge this one as it is really the very reason you should own a playstation console.
9. F.E.A.R.
Half Life had some pretty sweet AI in its day, but I think F.E.A.R. just totally blew me away with its AI. Its too human, it actually scares the shit out of me, as if the creepy red dressed little girl appearing at will was bad enough. The atmosphere was amazing and it had a pretty cool story to boot, and the guns felt just right as they shot off great amounts of debris off of walls and shelves with awesome visual effects, but the AI... my god... amazing.
10. World of Warcraft
I have to throw this one in here because no game have held my attention longer than this. Its really the best MMO ever created. My first attempt at this genre scene was with Anarchy Online, it was cool but it didnt do enough to keep me addicted, not like WoW did. Theres really nothing else to mention because I think everyone has played it before. Its created such a ripple in MMO gaming that it would be a crime not to mention it.
