This is going to be a work-in-progress for quite some time, but having turned 30 (I am officially old), I want to compile a list of the 100 hundred games that I have enjoyed the most in my lifetime of video-gaming (probably about 25 years). Obviously, there are classics from the past that haven't held up that well over time, but the criteria I will be using to judge will be impact on me at the time in which they appeared. So if they were graphically much better than other games of the time, or if they were significantly advanced over previous games, or if they just really appealed to me at the time, then I will probably rank them pretty highly.
I'll probably be building this over the next week or two, but feel free to comment as I go.
Showing 1-10 of 104 items
I probably put more hours into this game than any other, ever. In high school, all I wanted to do was come home and play Tie Fighter. The combination of excellent mission structure, a really cool story (you fought for the Empire at a time when very few games allowed you to be the bad guy), and terrific gameplay had this game dominating my life. Secret missions and the general structure of the game allowed for a ton of replayability.
I beat this game 3 or 4 times. The last time through, I think I literally did everything you could do in the game (maxed out materia/character leveling, beat all the Weapons, etc., etc.). The combination of a terrific story and the depth of the materia system really hooked me. Plus that huge sword and gigantic hair gets me every time.
I got an SNES in 8th grade. I was obsessed with video games, and read the Nintendo Power issue previewing Street Fighter II probably a dozen times. And this game was everything I imagined. My brothers and I played this game religiously, and took losing to each other personally.
Civilization meets Heroes of Might & Magic. I loved this game at the time, even though it had some game crashing bugs. Really a shame they haven't updated this or put out a sequel.
Amazing for the size of the playing area and the scope of the story. One of the best plots in a game I've ever played. I've also become a big fan of the way the Elder Scrolls levels up abilities and skills.
One of the first two games I got on the SNES (my all-time favorite console). I did pretty much nothing else until I had beaten it. Just a great, great game.
Not sure who introduced me to this game, but it was amazing for its scope at the time. Hundreds of different worlds, many different races to interact with, and a shocking amount of nonlinearity for its time. Phenomenal original story that Mass Effect (intentionally or not) pays homage to.
I didn't play this until 2005, well after its release. But even then, I was amazed at how good a game this is. I have a soft spot for games featuring Lovecraftian storylines, and the story is terrific. Plus, the game screws with you by making images appear blurry, have movie-style "jump" moments, and sometimes even convincing you that something is wrong with your television set. Probably my favorite horror game.
The plot sort of falls apart a little by the end, but up until you meet Andrew Ryan it's absolutely mesmerizing. The visuals are terrific, and the action is well done.
This is another game that I poured hours and hours into. A step above the original, classic Civilization in almost every department.