[ALL] SethMode's Top 50 Favorite Games of All Time

[SethMode]

most ps3 exclusives get that typically fanboy overrated hype. most ps3 guys want so badly to think their console didnt lose the war with MS so they blow their load over any game that makes the console look good. its really pathetic and i am not saying anything you or most people dont already know.

forgetting all that nonsense, UC2, imo, has got to right up there in the top 10 of goat.....if its not in the top 50 then thats trouble

The fact that there are people that would put UC2 in the top 10 of all time is exactly why I feel it's overrated. That game has plenty of issues. It's a super linear corridor shooter, and the poster child for narrative dissonence and bullet sponge enemies. Also, I personally think everything after you enter Shangra La dips into completely unfun territory (the blue dudes are the worst), and the final boss battle is dumb (this isn't as big of a negative, because it seems like every modern game fucks up their final boss battle).

It does wonders counter balancing it with great graphics and characters, and some really fun set pieces. But those negatives for me keep it out of my top 50 (I'll say again though, I don't see how it's a negative that the game is still in my top 100 games...there's a lot of great video games in the world).

 

[SethMode]

#38

Quake III Arena​

Some consider Quake III Arena to be height of id software and, sadly, the last great game made by the developer. id has churned out some decent to great games since (Doom 3, depending on who you ask and Rage, depending on who you ask, are two examples), but for the most part, they never reached those 80’s and 90’s heights post 2000. While I don’t agree that Quake III Arena is the height of id (that game is a little further up on this list), I do believe one thing: Quake III Arena is the greatest, most frenetic, and above all most fun, competitive multiplayer shooter that I have ever played. The genre is one that doesn’t really interest me anymore, mostly because I’m just not good enough anymore, and also because I find the military style shooter to be a little dull (I loved CoD4 for its new take, but now that that has been done to death by literally everyone, I’m a little tired of it again). Quake III didn’t have the bells and whistles that most competitive multiplayer games have today, but it did have the following: a gun that shoots lightening, absolutely blazing speed (to the point where going back to it always takes me a couple of hours to reacclimatize myself), motherfucking rocket jumps, and just beyond crazy character skins. Like this dude: Orbb(pic is a little too big to put in the post). This game dominated a lot of my time in high school, and then still in college. My college roommate and I will still get together for a few matches here and there, and it’s just as break neck as ever. There is no story to speak of (it sets up similarly to Unreal Tournament – which is also a great game), and while it can be played with bots, obviously the best experience is with other humans. It’s on sale for a song on Steam, still runs amazingly, and has a dedicated fan base, so if you like online multiplayer and haven’t tried it, I wholeheartedly recommend that you do.

Just Missed the Cut:
Spelunky

 

[Maynard]

The fact that there are people that would put UC2 in the top 10 of all time is exactly why I feel it's overrated. That game has plenty of issues. It's a super linear corridor shooter, and the poster child for narrative dissonence and bullet sponge enemies. Also, I personally think everything after you enter Shangra La dips into completely unfun territory (the blue dudes are the worst), and the final boss battle is dumb (this isn't as big of a negative, because it seems like every modern game fucks up their final boss battle).

It does wonders counter balancing it with great graphics and characters, and some really fun set pieces. But those negatives for me keep it out of my top 50 (I'll say again though, I don't see how it's a negative that the game is still in my top 100 games...there's a lot of great video games in the world).

I guess I don't see those as issues. Sure it's linear and the game play is as u described, but those things didn't bother me. I felt like it was a stunning looking game with a phenomenal story with fun game play and awesome character's.

U do make valid points though

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[SethMode]

#37

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater​

First, let me say, that when I initially completed this game, it was the original version. That means, it was the one that, while great, had some serious control issues, as we realized that the semi top-down style of previous Metal Gear games was not going to cut it anymore. The release of Subsistence fixed these issues, making the camera a more traditional 3rd person one, that could be spun 360 degrees around Snake (er…Big Boss). I still think that the game is great either way, so this entry includes both versions. That out of the way, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is without a doubt, my favorite Metal Gear game. The survival aspect, while somewhat tedious menu-wise by today’s standards, was an interesting twist on the series (something Kojima is great at doing), and while changing camo could be frustrating, it was an awesome addition, along with the jungle atmosphere. The voice acting was as top notch as ever, the music was stirring and matched each sequence, and the little touches (like pushing L1 when prompted to see things from the first person – a wonderful way to “get to know” Eva a little better) have all the character and charm that the series is known for. Oh, and it’s also bathshit fucking insane. The bosses are my favorite of any of the games, and the final fight with The Boss might have been the greatest boss fight in the history of gaming…if it weren’t for the awesome sniper battle boss fight with The End that came before it. This game pushed the limits of the PS2, and the molding of cutscene and playable scenario is blended very well at times, particularly near the end with the motorcycle sequence. It’s a great game that stands on its own very well (it’s just a shame it was retconned into oblivion by Metal Gear Solid 4), and with its unique twist on the stealth aspects of the series, it’s one that is still fun to pick up and play today.

Just Missed the Cut:
Metal Gear Solid

:baby:

*Disclaimer* I expect some degree of groan bomb here, but I’m sorry, this game is borderline unplayable now. I have extremely fond memories of it growing up (my cousin and I wanted it so badly we split the cost and “shared custody” of it, as it were), but every time I’ve tried to go back to it, the blurry graphics, clunky as hell controls, and sub par shooting mechanics just make it more of a struggle than an enjoyment. Nostalgia keeps it in my top 100, but not in my top 50. At least, not until they do a remake.

 

[Misogi]

not even the Remake on Gamecube? anywho, 3 is just as good as 1 imo.

 

[SethMode]

not even the Remake on Gamecube? anywho, 3 is just as good as 1 imo.

I never had a Gamecube, so I actually never played it. I would like to, but I'm not wild about MGS2 control wise either and doesn't it basically play like that?

 

[Misogi]

Kind of.

IMO 3=1>2>4.

 

[SethMode]

Kind of.

IMO 3=1>2>4.

Storywise, I'd say that that's accurate.

I am of the minority opinion that MGS4 is a decent game at best, maybe even a bad game, and that Kojima lost what little sanity he had left with the story of that game. And the Beauties were the shittiest bosses ever.

 

[Swarley]

Speaking of MGS1, Kojima is currently trying to find a studio to do a remake of it on his Fox Engine.

 

[SethMode]

Speaking of MGS1, Kojima is currently trying to find a studio to do a remake of it on his Fox Engine.

I remember seeing that. It'll happen at some point. It's definitely a game that could use it. It will be really interesting how they would implement the third person camera, because most of what made the original game remotely challenging, I'd wager, is that the camera is practically another enemy. You give the player the freedom of movement found in 3 or 4, and I'm guessing you really have to up the enemy count, AI, something.

A lot of PS1 titles don't hold up super well, most graphically, some just in general.

 

[SethMode]

#36

Demon’s Souls​

One of the few remaining current generation titles on my list, Demon’s Souls is a game that came out of nowhere for me. Originally, I hated it. I hated that you couldn’t pause. I hated how deliberate the controls were. I hated how I had virtually no direction or idea of where to go next. I hated how some of the enemies would just pop out and 1 or 2 hit kill me. The game looked nice, and the online system was very interesting (invading games, summoning assistance, the difference between human and soul form, all very unique), but the barrier to entry was seemingly insurmountable. And then…it happened. First, I took out the first boss, which wasn’t too bad. A little fire here and there and some careful awareness of your surroundings? No problem. After getting burned to death by bridge dragon about 4 times, I finally managed to make it halfway across the bridge. It was here that I realized: this fucker can’t hit me, and I can hit him with a well timed arrow. I came back with something like 8 bazillion arrows, and took that fucker out. Had I just cheated the game? Or had they designed me to exploit it in this way? For whatever reason, this was the moment when it “clicked” for me, and every boss fight and moment following that, just felt amazing. Every situation was filled with this wonderful sense of apprehension and dread, as I balanced carefully between cautious and aggressive, managing my attacks and working on my timing. Before I knew it, I was taking out previously daunting boss enemies with relative ease (well, not ease, but I wasn’t going into the fight and immediately having my shit pushed in anymore). The sense of accomplishment that comes from beating these bosses is only outweighed by the sense of accomplishment that comes from figuring out the games many secrets, and learning how different decisions with different characters, who you save, who you don’t, who you kill, who you spare, intricately effects items you receive, spells and abilities you have access to, and how you play the game entirely. It’s a fucking brilliant game , and I suspect as I continue to play it, it would find itself climbing further up the list. It’s not a game for the impatient, and it’s not a game for someone who doesn’t learn from their mistakes, but it’s wonderful at what it does and the end product is something that is both totally unique, and totally scratches an old school itch. Fucking just go play it, give yourself into it, and I promise, if you give it a chance, and I mean really give it a chance, you’ll love it. Or you'll hate it. Or you'll love it and hate it.

Just Missed the Cut:
Super Mario Bros. 2

 

[SethMode]

Finally got this work PC to stop derping around, so I'm going to post a few in a row.

 

[SethMode]

#35

The Legend of Zelda​

This one, perhaps controversially, is really only as high as it is for nostalgia’s sake. I don’t love the game anymore, and it’s no where NEAR close to my favorite Zelda game. It’s aged fine and all that, and still plays very well…it’s just, I literally remember everything about it to this day, so playing it just isn’t quite the same as it was when my brother and I were fashioning hand drawn maps and wandering fucking aimlessly through the Lost Woods. The game was YEARS ahead of its time, and it personified a genre that people STILL have trouble getting right. It was also insanely huge for what we considered an NES game at the time, sprawling off in every direction, and including islands to raft over to, and areas not accessible without a ladder or bombs (by the way, why the fuck do you need a ladder to cross pits and water? That seems like the least useful means to do such things). The bosses had endless creativity to them (partially because I’m pretty sure Miyamoto’s mother did hard drugs while he was in the womb), and, similar to the previous entry, you were dropped in this world with no direction, just a blurb of story in a manual and your determination. Remember when Zelda games didn’t have 18,000 lines of dialogue and annoying chirping fairies? Me too. Those were good times. Anyway, stack on that an abundance of weapons and items, and unique and sometimes surprising uses for them, and for a kid of seven or eight, my mind was sufficiently blown at the time. Again, I hope that this doesn’t sound too negative, it really isn’t meant to. I love this game. I just think Zelda got better, later.

Just Missed the Cut:
Paper Mario

 

[SethMode]

#34

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

Welcome to our first PC Western RPG of the list. This game is about as Millhouse as it can get. Even the name just oozes poindexter. Developed by dudes that helped develop some other, higher games on this list, Arcanum, at the time, was a brilliant, borderline impenetrable Character RPG, with a quasi-turn based combat style, an interesting, well told story, and a difficulty curve that starts at “Okay, guess I’ll just reload that save again, as this dude killed me in 0.5 seconds” and graduates to “WHAT THE FUCK THIS THING HURTS ME AND DAMAGES MY WEAPON EVERY TIME I HIT IT. AND IT WON’T DIE!” This game is fucking great. It features one of the more unique character development systems I’ve ever seen, where choosing your race or sex can actually effect your character in meaningful ways. Sure, elves are kind of viewed as pricks, but they can be charming as fuck. That mechanical spider there though? Yeah, I wouldn’t try to take him on by yourself. You might want to create a Half-Ogre, the strongest race in the game, but good luck getting through many of the more passive quests when “Dur…” is literally a response that you often have available to you. Like many RPGs of this type, character building and world exploring are just as important as the actual narrative. The weird shit that you will encounter off of the beaten path provides some genuinely memorable moments and bits of dialogue, that, even for a game made in 2001, puts anything that Bethesda tries to do to shame. The companions available are great and come with their own personalities and opinions, so be careful not to piss that badass morally ambivalent Dwarf with the shotgun off too much by being a goodie goodie, or the barrel might get pointed at you. I could write about this game for way longer…too long, honestly. It’s so deep, and so rewarding, with a rich world that blends technology and magic, as well as gritty and high fantasy, and does so seamlessly and engagingly. Even upon release, when it was an absolute buggy MESS, I still played from start to finish, and loved every minute of it. Like many classic PC isometric RPGs, it has also benefited from a devoted fan base, still patching and cultivating it to this day. If you’re a fan of the genre, please, give it a shot.

Just Missed the Cut:
Maniac Mansion

 

[SethMode]

#33

Sam & Max: Hit the Road​

Irreverent. Ingenious. Mind-bending. Hilarious. These are all apt descriptions of Sam & Max: Hit the Road, the old point and click adventure game from, you guessed it, LucasArts. Like all LucasArts games of that era, this game is legitimately funny, and because of how zany it is, it actually finds somewhat of an out for the insane combinations required to solve some of its item based puzzles. I pulled this from Wikipedia, which will give you idea of some of the puzzles you have to “solve”:

“Chief Vanuatu, leader of the bigfoots, in recognition of the pair's actions, makes the Freelance Police members of the bigfoot tribe and tells them of a spell that will make the world safe for bigfoots again, preventing their capture by humans. However, the chief requires help deciphering the spell's four ingredients, and asks for Sam and Max's help. Eventually, they discover that the ingredients are a vegetable resembling John Muir, hair restoration tonic, the tooth of a dinosaur, and a vortex contained within a snow globe.”

Um…yeah. Did I mention that the game is irreverent? Anyway, you play as Sam, one part of a Freelance Police duo. The more reserved one, Sam is all that manages (and often fails) to keep the other half of the Freelance Police, Max, in check. It runs like a typical SCUMM-based game, albeit slightly more intuitive at this point, using simply the curser to change between Use, Look, Open, etc…rather than a menu stretched across the bottom of the screen. The game features amazing writing, and some of the best dialogue in a video game, all of it completely insane. Another game hidden behind some invisible LucasArts wall, if you get the chance to get it at a reasonable price, and you like adventure games, give it a shot. I wish I could recommend the new Telltale games, but despite being very funny, I find their control scheme to be clunky and annoying. This gem will have to do.

Just Missed the Cut:
WarCraft 3

 

[SethMode]

32

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings​

Choices are all the rage right now in current generation video games. Or, at least, the idea of choices. The Witcher is no exception to this. The difference with a game like the Witcher 2, is that CD Projekt Red is not fucking around when they say your choices matter. Entire sections of the story, even PARTS OF THE GAME, are not available to you, based on the decisions you make. This is beyond ballsy, but also encourages multiple playthroughs if only to see how things might have gone had you spared this dude, or killed that one, or trusted that shady woman, what have you. Thankfully, Gerralt, the lead of the Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, is an awesome leading character backed up by equally awesome supporting characters and some truly brilliant writing. This gritty adventure jumps off pretty quickly, and tosses you into its world with a few tutorials and some advice as to what difficulty level you should choose, and that’s it. From there, it blossoms beautifully into a narrative that twists and turns and builds to an extremely varied series of concluding events, all shaped by your actions and choices. The narrative can stutter at times under this weight, but overall, it wraps up in a very satisfying, personal way, that leads to the impending sequel, but does so without feeling cheap. Perhaps its weakest aspect, its combat, is actually very rewarding once you’ve had some time to really grasp it and utilize what is offered to you…just don’t expect to be blown away by it directly out of the gate. If this write up is a bit on the vague side, I apologize, but given that this game is still relatively new, and I’d hate to spoil some of the more interesting mechanics that the game has to offer. It got glowing reviews for a reason. It looks good, it plays well, and it makes choices matter. What more can you ask for? Oh…it also is the first game to my knowledge that has shown full frontal bush. Now what more can you ask for?

Just Missed the Cut:
Mega Man 3

 

[SethMode]

#31

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4​

Well gents, get your “…”’s, your weird anime teardrop/sweat things, and your turn-based, menu-based combat selves ready, because it’s our first Japanese RPG of the list. I’m just going to say this: Persona 4 isn’t just one of my favorite games ever, but it’s also one of the greatest RPGs ever made. Truth. Period. By all accounts, like the rest of the Persona series, it should be the weirdest, most Japanese shit you’ll ever play, with constantly gasping characters, a fucking school and dating sim built in, all the fucking ramen that you can eat and, of course, giant crazy demon monsters with faces where arms should be and arms where legs should be, etc…etc…And you know what? It fucking is. And it’s amazing for it. It teeters on this line between self-serious and self-aware, with writing that is so pitch perfect that it must be intentional. Whoever localized this game deserves some kind of lifetime achievement award, because there are few Japanese games that have made me laugh out loud intentionally. Anyway, Persona 4 is set up like any typical JRPG…you fight with the attack button, escape with the escape button and all of that. The wrinkle here is, in battle you summon Persona’s, or, one’s true self. You do this by putting on a pair of glasses, even if you don’t wear glasses because, why not (admittedly, while I think this is superior to Persona 3, in that game where you fucking fire a gun into your head to invoke your Persona? Yeah, that wins)? Different Persona’s feature different abilities, and can be combined in order to create new or more powerful Persona’s. It seems a little confusing, but the game sets up its systems very well, and does an equally excellent job of progressing you slowly, so as to not leave you high and dry (for the most part). Anyway, this could go on all day if I let it but, basically, your relationship with friends/people at school determines how strong of a connection you have to certain Persona’s, which makes the “day” aspect of the game worthwhile and important (outside of the aforementioned writing and story bits). You find yourself getting closer to characters on a narrative level, but in addition to that, you find a real benefit in battle as well. It’s a very well developed system that has pretty much been perfected with 4. I’m not giving away any story bits here, because it really is better being experienced than just off-handedly mentioning, but be ready for a 80 to 100 hour crazy fest of great combat, great story, great music, great fucking everything. I love this game. Long live Funky Student!

Just Missed the Cut:
Pac-Man: Championship Edition

 

[Buzzman]

I got to say that I love this list and your write-up for every game so far has made me want to play them. The ones that are within my reach to play have been added to my list of games to play.

 

[SethMode]

Alright, those were the ones I finished editing up and getting photos added for (this work computer is seriously the worst for any of that...I'm not even sure the Austen Powers .gif used is working because it won't appear on here). Going to probably post some random shit from the 2nd 10 like before, but not until I get home and decompress some.

I'm trying to get this done before I go to the beach for 10 days (which I totally forgot about being the 4th)!

 

[Swarley]

I actually like that your list has so many games that I haven't played or have been interested in playing (although there have also been quite a few that I absolutely love as well). I like reading about the games I have no idea about.