What game is your gold standard?

[A random person]

Ron Paul's Banking Adventures.

Seriously though, Phoenix Wright for adventure games (and aspects of all games, like characterization and, in some ways, storytelling), Half Life 2 for FPS's, Metal Gear Solid 3 for Cold War/spy fiction games, and probably Fire Emblem for SRPG's (there are certain things even great SRPG's that aren't Fire Emblem have that annoy me).

Deus Ex would be an overall silver standard, as while it has awesome ideas and greatly merges RPG's and FPS's, it also has rather a few flaws (robo spiders, some skills are useless, I really wish you could expand your inventory size, etc.).

 

[No_Remainders]

Painkiller.

Just Painkiller.

I mean, it's endless dude-killing, how can ANYTHING compare to that?

 

[MattyDienhoff]

So WHERE is this alien infantry? Did they all leave? Are they all on R&R at City 15: Disneyland? And if they left, WHY? Maybe their main invasion force has moved on to other worlds, but I find it hard to believe that EVERY SINGLE alien soldier has departed leaving a bunch of human marines in their place.

They didn't. You fight plenty of Combine-commanded aliens in Half-Life 2 and the episodes -- synths. Striders, Hunters, Gunships and Dropships. It's evident that they're all living creatures. Synths were the invading force, and those that remain some 20 years later act as support units for the trans-human "Overwatch" occupation force formed by the Combine after the war. You say: "Where are the alien infantry?" as if the invasion force needed humanoid units to be able to fight effectively on Earth, which isn't necessarily true. Assuming they even needed to send units into tight spaces and buildings, Hunters are extremely capable in that role and small enough to fit inside most human structures.

I realize the background details are always pretty sparse in this series, but the strong implication I've always gotten is that Synths are creatures from previous planets the Combine has conquered, which they have enslaved and assimilated into their armed forces (hence the name, Combine...). And the types that we're familiar with are just the ones that happen to be stationed in Sector 17 in large numbers, there are no doubt other types which may have been deployed elsewhere on Earth or redeployed off-world after the invasion. Don't forget those two unfought types you can catch a glimpse of in the Citadel near the end of HL2.

Anyway, 20 years on, does it surprise you that the majority of the Combine's occupation force on Earth is trans-human rather than alien? What else would they do with all the human soldiers they captured during the war? Enslave and assimilate them just like they have many other species. Overwatch soldiers are basically human synths, and it makes logistical sense for the Combine to use them as the basis of the occupation force since as humanoids they can easily make use of left-over Earth technology (such as the APC, Hunter-Chopper, and all of the Combine's issued small arms).

 

[Alex Berry]

]Wow...after reading through this thread it made me feel very old. Of all the games mentioned (well, most of them anyways) they all seem to have been made in the last 5-10 years.

What about a classic like TIE Fighter? It was one of the BEST uses of the Star Wars franchise, had a terrific story with intrigue, political backstabbing, crushing the Rebel scum under the boot of Imperial might combined with outstanding gameplay and excellent production values.

How about Transport Tycoon? One of the best "tycoon" type games out there which has yet to be matched, even by it's own creator, Chris Sawyer (his laughable Locomotion sequel was...well, laughable). And now with a dedicated community creating an open source version, it's even more awesome than it was.

And have we all forgotten Fallout 1 and 2? Games that redesigned the CRPG genre for the better. Black Isle was way ahead of it's time with the writing and game designs on these ones. Sure, I hated the turn-based combat, but I put up with it because they were just awesome games.

Just my $.02

You're making me feel bad for never playing Fallout 1 and 2.
'Bioshock and Shadow of the Colossus,' I say with tears rolling down my cheeks.

 

[Aiden_the-Joker1]

Depends on the genre. modern RPG s(ones with guns): Fallout : 3/NV, medieval RPG s : Dragon age origins, shooter: HL2, Steal : Hit man series, horror I haven't played many) Condemned criminal origins. That is about it, My favourite all time game though is a mix up between Fallout 3 and New Vegas.

 

[Goldeneye103X2]

Well.....

Storytelling: The Another Code/Trace Memory series, Heavy Rain, Skies of Arcadia and Call of Duty Black Ops

Racing: Blur, Motorstorm Pacific Rift, Need for speed: Most wanted and Hot pursuit (the new one)

Open World Sandbox: Fallout 3, Red Dead Redemption, GTA: Episodes from Liberty City, Prototype

Shooter: Call of Duty (any game in the series, bar the first three), Timesplitters 2, The Club

Action Adventure: Half Life 2, Batman Arkham Asylum, Viewtiful Joe

I'm sorry, but I just can't thin down the list. I'm sure you'll all agree that every single game on that list is PURE FANTASTIC!

 

[M4A1Sopmod]

Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. Nothing was more satisfying than seeing those horrified terrorists face right before u rearranged their kidneys with your knife. Sure the shooting mechanic sucks, and Sam Fisher had the accuracy of an 80 year old in the throes of a seizure, but the rest of the game meshed together to make a stealth action adventure that has stuck in my mind for years.

 

[BelmontClan]

Solitaire, keeping you occupied for hours without your knowledge since it's inception.

If a game can hit that Solitaire sweet spot, it will never disappear.

The only thing better? Playing solitaire with multiple people and playing off each others decks.

 

[BelmontClan]

It really depends on Genre, but I suppose I could say... out of all the RPG's I've played, the best of the best has been Persona 4.

I agree. First RPG in years that got me emotionally invested.

Ooooh. That's on my backlog to play. If it's anything like my experience with Persona 3, I'm prepared to laugh, scream and get teary at a surprised appearance by a deceased character.

 

[Disturbed-Hell]

depends on the genre...

RTS: Supreme Commander

sandbox RPG: Fallout 3/New Vegas

non-sandbox RPG: Dragon Age: Origins

FPS: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

online FPS: Unreal Tournament 3

action/shooter: Total Overdose/Just Cause 2

first-person hack & slasher: Dark Messiah

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Actually, I DON'T have a game like that. For one thing, the games I play don't have to be as good as the best game ever in order for me to enjoy them. For another, there's obviously a genre gap. I LIKE Bioshock, but I don't expect Assassin's Creed to be anything like it. I judge games on their own merits, nothing else.

OK, reading that back, it sounded a bit more arrogant then I intended. Still, the point stands.

 

[Austin Howe]

Terranigma
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Final Fantasy VII and/or VIII, and/or IX.

Those three games represent perfection in game design, writing, and overall experience.

 

[nekoaitsu]

Cave Story. Great gameplay, great story, great challenge, and good replayability.

 

[cannot_aim]

Tie between Orange Box, Mass Effect 2 and Minecraft.

Medieval 2 total war and Civ 4 are tied in 2nd.

 

[Railgun88]

Any game from the Need For Speed series. I will keep playing those games till I die.

 

[badgersprite]

Probably the Oddworld games. Despite being platformers with practically no cutscenes and very basic mechanics, they have a great deal of narrative, atmosphere and humor built into them. The world building and creativity in them is great, and Abe's Exoddus is easily my favourite game of all time. My benchmark for any kind of RPG or Action Adventure game is MediEvil, again because world building and a wacky, smart premise go a long way.

I like uniqueness and oddity. I don't know; it's a thing...