Hehehe so I really had to think to decide what my top ten games were, it wasn't easy but it was made easier by the fact that some of the games I wanted to pick weren't there, I've got a fairly extensively explained list here, note that I'm still not sure about the order.
1. Dwarf Fortress
At first this wasn't my #1, but I thought about then I realized that it was really what I think about most when I think about the games I've played. It's and amazing game, but I don't need to tell you that, it let's you decide the stories the directions you want to take, and you will remember for years to come the tale of your fortress, that is entirely your creation.
2. Final Fantasy VII
...Ok so I have to confess. I'm not really sure this belongs on the list, I get the feeling nostalgia has made this game better then it actually is to me. But this game really was one of the best RPGs I've ever played, I'm not sure it's THE best but it's very good. It's an amazing symphony of story, it has it's own world of complex and unique character that it explains in detail, every character they can is explained in amazing detail, they outline to an amazing degree what their goals are, what they intend who they are. Then they rip it all up, they churn and turn and break the story, shaping it into something else. They're not afraid to destroy what they had created, cities filled with immense character are burnt and crushed. Characters die, a main character dies and all this destruction gives you purpose to accomplish your somewhat cliche goal. Then you start to question who the characters are, they have intricate backstories, each and every one of them and it soon becomes apparent how flawed they all are, the only perfect one of our heroes is dead by the end, and you actually find yourself questioning... are they worth saving?
At least that's how it was for me.
3. Portal
If you've played it you'll know why I love it, it's very apparent why. The way in which it allows you to go through unique and unusual but above all fun puzzles is amazing, it does tend to coddle you a little more then I would have liked, but some people had not played narbacular drop and had trouble wrapping their heads around the portals. But still it embodies everything I want to see in games, it's innovative, unique, entertaining, not afraid to laugh at itself. The only issue I had was that sometimes I didn't feel challenged enough, but that was made up for in the other portal maps I played. Loved the one by Bethesda.
4. Thief: Deadly Shadows
So I had to hesitate when I decided whether I liked thief 1 or thief 3 better. I wound up going with 3 though it was a close decision. I love stealth games, in fact I've played just about every stealth game there is and the thief series is my favorite one of them all. It really gets you into the mentality of strategically finding ways to eliminate and work your way around a variety of foes while trying to avoid direct confrontation. Deadly Shadows definitely improved on most of those aspects it took away some of your broad combat capabilities by removing the sword, it made you rely on arrows and daggers to the back instead (which I had always used anyway), it also improved on atmosphere, you really feel like a creature of the shadows, stalking from darkness to darkness, wary of lurking eyes and blinding them as you go. It also brings with it creatures of the dark that stalk the shade, ones which inhabit the very same corners you do, and they make the game far more interesting. One thing that severely bothered me about 3 was the fact they removed rope arrows, after all, how can they remove my oh so handy friends that helped me swap the original eye for the fake one? I sorely missed them.
5. Morrowind
What can I say? It's a game to remember, infinite freedom that doesn't coddle you, it's got edge even if there are too many ways to remove it. Some of my best memories are of this game. I highly recommend it.
6. Aquaria
Now this one surprised me, it did however make an impression, the storyline is good, not great but good. It's also got a memorable enviroment, it's very well polished. I mean VERY well polished and that's a good thing for a game to have. It also has a wide variety of unique terrains that you will always remember. It's got a feel similar to zelda in how it progresses, allowing you to explore and find various things you need to get to the next area. It's really quite amazing, but there's one thing that won me over, but reveal it I have to spoil the plot a bit, so don't read this if you don't want to know.
***spoiler***
So if you've played you'll know what the verse is, you will also learn towards the end that there is a specific set of notes called the verse, the thing that won me over is that when it is said that the verse is everywhere, it means EVERYWHERE. Every song in the game includes those notes in some form, the areas further up will be less inclined to have it, but even the sun temple has the verse in it. This really amazed me, it's something you don't easily forget, I actually discovered it on my own half way through the game, when I realized the similarities in the music while nodding off at night.
***spoiler end***
7. X-com: Apocalypse
Another toughie, I think this one had more flaws then any other X-com game, but I still liked it more then the rest, don't know why, but I've always found it hard to explain what is so good about the X-com series. I think you'd have to have played it to know why it is the crown jewel of all squad based games. Intricate, well made, and challenging. It's repetitiveness tends to get in the way, but you will love it if you play it.
8. Star Control (series)
Ignoring 3 this is one of the best freeform series of games I've ever played, you get to have so much fun going around stars exploring figuring out the plotline and info on all the races in it, it really makes you feel like you're in a galaxy rather then a cluster of star systems, I've never explored all of either games and I'm certain that if I went back I would discover a few things I'd missed, for example I never found out where the probes came from in 2. Also worth a spin is it's predecessor starflight if you can put up with the old technology of the time.
9. Garry's mod
I don't think these last two would be on the list if I could have voted for the games I wanted to vote for. But it is.
It's the sandbox feel I love, the ability to do whatever I want, and I frequently will allows me so much freedom that I can't love games like this enough. Add multiplayer and you have a cult classic.
10. Gish
Triachnid is actually the game I would have picked instead of this, but nevertheless I like gish too, it's a game of fun, blobs and tar. You get to throw your weight around in a unique and fun way. you really feel like a blob too, throwing your weight around sticking to walls sliding and letting yourself go. It's unique and inventive, I like it.
But there are a couple of games I would pick that are not on the list, I don't particularly like to explain why I like these games in depth, play them and find out.
The Way, an rpg of epic proportions, it's characters and amazing branching storyline never cease to amaze.
Triachnid, a game that puts you in the roll of a spider, with a unique control system.
There are of course many other great games that were there and did not make the list too.
Oh and in a few hours I'll be leaving on a trip, I probably won't have internet so I'll see you in ten days.
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Topic: Is Dwarf Fortress in YOUR top ten? (Read 7118 times)