Your personal top 3 games you have ever played.

[Eliam_Dar]

Well, for me they would be these three games:
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis: while other Lucas Arts games were great, this was the first one I owned, on the first PC my family got, so I suppose a bit of nostalgia is also responsible.
Half Life 2: from the moment you wake up in the train this was a great game all around.
The Witcher series: the first one was in many ways a great introduction to this world. First time when choices were in a greay area.

Runne ups:
Demons Souls: That moment in the tower, when YOU are the final boss.... man, I could never forget that.
Valkyria Chronicles: what a great game, solid story, a bit goofy at times, but enjoyable.
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego: before having my own PC, a friend who had one invited me to play this game. We spent hours on it. Really fun game.
Destiny: I would be lying to myself if I dont put this here, considering the amount of hours I have put into this game, and I still do.
Quarantine: again, on my first PC. A taxi, with a chainsaw on the hood... yes please!!!
Mass Effect: the best space RPG ever for me.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

1) Deus Ex Human Revolution

They took everything that I loved about the original and just made it all butter smooth. Yes, there was some slight loss of depth, but considering how finely tuned the final product was, I am totally fine with that. Favourite game of all time.

2) (Ok, this one I'm cheating on a bit) A tie between Crono Trigger and The World Ends With You.

Look, I love RPGs. And both of these games are flawless paragon of their kind.

Crono Trigger is a masterpiece. The gold standard for classic JRPGs. The story is fantastic, the gameplay is a blast, the characters are all memorable and great to behold. It's a near perfect time travel story that hits all the right notes, and has side quests that ACTUALLY matter and reinforce the world, and the characters!

Meanwhile, TWEWY is the flipside of that coin. A mind boggling, totally weird modern JRPG with the most bananas battle system I've played in forever. I was deliberately getting into fights almost exclusively because I just found the system fun. Throw in an awesome cast, some interesting themes and twists, and an overall plot that just rode the perfect line between serious and hilarious and you've got a game that rivals Crono Trigger, but doesn't surpass it.

Both of these games are the epitome of what JRPGs can be and I cannot put either above the other.

Xenoblade Chronicles would be sharing that throne too, but between weird difficulty issues all the way through and a MASSIVE difficulty spike at the end with no level-appropriate sidequests to use to curb it, AND with all the stupid last second roadblocks they throw in your way RIGHT when the game hits it's climax... I can't put it up there with the two Kings of the genre.

(Seriously, after the big reveal on Mechonis, I was like "holy shit, this game might actually surpass Crono Trigger, wow. All they need to do is stick the landing!"...And then it didn't. Between a boring tedious and hardass dungeon right after, then a bunch of pointless delays in the actual final dungeon, THEN making the final boss rediculously hard with no quick way to level up? BAH! Still a great game and I love it, but there's no way it stands up to the Twin Kings.)

3) Vampire the Masquerade bloodlines.

Glitchy, unbalanced, with a lot of issues.

But there's a reason I played this game 7 times in 2 years. The story and characters really draw me in. The ambiance is awesome. The gameplay (when you're playing it right) is a ton of fun. There's so many different classes each with a different twist on the game (Stealthy melee? TONS of magic spells? Ability to stop time and just shoot up a whole room? Sweeet!), and there are so many different sides to take in the story, so many ways to resolve conflicts that it's insane.

Like, at least until the ending, there are a TON of ways to resolve problems with no combat. You can intimidate, charm or mind control your way through so much of the first segment it's incredible. Seriously, if you haven't played it DO IT. Just don't pick a Nosferatu or a Malkavian on your first time, as it either will make the game WAAAAY harder for you (Nosferatu have an enforced stealth mechanic so you might miss out on side quests for fear of getting your monstrous ass spotted in civilian areas) or it'll spoil the plot a little (Since Malkanians are simultaneously able to see the future AND speak in wacko language so it's impossible to take them seriously).

Seriously, the only other games that come even CLOSE to the amount of options this game gives you are Deus Ex and Alpha Protocol. In fact, I describe this game as "Deus Ex with Vampires".

 

[CaitSeith]

Dark Souls - I like how deep the gameplay and the lore are. The more you learn, the more ambiguous the morality of that world seems to become.

Mass Effect 2 - dialog choices, interrupts that may make the next battle easier, the order of mission completion (and quantity) affecting the last one, interesting characters, and different classes with diverse skills. I had the most fun with the boss battles in the Liar of the Shadow Broker DLC by playing as a Vanguard.

Minecraft - I thought hard and long. Which of the near hundred games I have played I would enjoy to go back again and again once I finish the other games in my list of "pending"? And I couldn't decide, so I started to play some Minecraft to clear my mind.

snip

I think Lufia II was better (even if it was a prequel). Although I played Lufia II before the first one, so maybe it's nostalgia too.

 

[DeliveryGodNoah_v1legacy]

(Spot number 3 is subject to change based on what game I'm currently playing and that I really, really enjoy.)

Turok 2: Seeds of Evil- No, it's not the best shooter, and it barely holds up today if at all, but dammit, it was the shooter I played the most growing up. It was so badass, and the difficulty only pushed me to surpass it.

Metal Gear Solid 3- Not only easily the best in the series, but a fantastic game in general with great stealth gameplay, an interesting (even if too eccentric) story, memorable characters, and MOTHAFUCKIN BIG BOSSFIj4iuqghi

Forza Horizon 2- Bought an Xbox One a couple days ago. Haven't played anything else but this game since I got it. It's a fantastic racing game! Great controls, visuals, and a robust car selection.

 

[Dango]

1. Dark Souls
2. Rome: Total War/Medieval 2: Total War (It's too hard to decide, and if I didn't put both they'd be 2 and 3)
3. It's reaaaaalllly close but probably Call of Juarez Gunslinger

All 4 games really left an impression on me, and all felt like they really added up to more than the sum of their parts.

 

[Spider RedNight]

Oh, that's easy. The Silent Hill series, the King's Quest series and The Borderlands series. ...What? Wait, you mean I have to pick three GAMES?? ...How the hell am I supposed to do that? ....Fine.

These are in no particular order as I'm already obviously having trouble picking just three.

1. Dragon Age: Origins - This one's big to me; it was the first game I ever played on my 360 and it ties my parents together in my mind though they aren't together in actuality; my dad bought me the game and my system and I went and got my first tattoo with my mom that day. "Grey Warden" on my right arm. I love that game - I can play through it probably forever and never truly get tired of it.

2. Silent Hill 4 - Yes, yes, everyone goes on about how Silent Hill 2 is the good one and I agree, Silent Hill 2 is my favourite of the series but I didn't get into the series until I saw Silent Hill 4 sitting on the shelf. I actually originally got it hoping my sister would get into it and I could just play it for her if she got bored (which I kind of knew she would) but I picked it up that day and realised that I had stumbled into a pit - I wanted to know more about EVERYTHING in this series. Yeah, it was frustrating because there's so many gameplay elements about that one that are different from it's predecessors but that just made going through the rest of them easy so THANKS Silent Hill 4 for being difficult, wonky and weird and signing my life off to this series.

King's Quest 2015 - I know what you're thinkin'. "But Spidey, where's Borderlands 2? Don't you always have Handsome Jack as your avatar?" to which I answer "well not ALL the time but even then, everyone likes Handsome Jack so". But no, seriously, you have those games that come to you at the right time in your life. I won't go into any details but this is one of those games; once I picked it up I relearned to appreciate beautiful soundtracks, I paid attention to and admired the art and the effort done to make the game, the decisions had weight (-looks over at TTG-), the voice acting was great, the characters were all likable and it was MY first King's Quest game into the series. I guess I like games that make me want to go back and learn about other games, I dunno. But yeah, King's Quest 2k15 probably changed my life. Ew ew ew that sounds mushy and schmaltzy.


Honourable mentions are
- Donkey Kong Country
- Neverwinter Nights
- KotOR
- Last of Us
- Okami
- Tales from the Borderlands

 

[lacktheknack]

Mirror's Edge tops it easily. 80 runthroughs and I'm still not bored.

Second is probably Myst Online for being utterly unique and still invoking a sense of wonder I just never get nowadays.

Third... Oof. Either Darkest Dungeon for being the most flawlessly soul-sucking risk manager in history, or Beyond Atlantis for being the most baffling experience I will ever have.

 

[Captain Marvelous_v1legacy]

I already know my top two games. Picking a third is... difficult.

#1: Kingdom Hearts 2

In my own opinion, KH2 only has 2 problems. Voice acting, which can get pretty god damn terrible at times, and story, which can be a bit odd at times. Aside from those things, this game, and the series, is just absolute fun. The combat is fluid and enjoyable. The enemy designs range from basic but interesting to down right gorgeous and amazing. The soundtrack? Yoko Shimomura is my goddess! Technically the first KH game would be second on my list, but I didn't want Kingdom Hearts to own this list, cuz then Birth By Sleep would be third.

#2: Sly 2

Ah, Platformers, how I've missed thee. The sly games have always been insanely fun, especially when playing as sly and jumping around everywhere. Just dicking around in that game was fun, if only escaping from a fight wasn't so easy, as Sly. The missions are fun. Occasionally frustrating, but otherwise enjoyable. The boss fights are simple enough, but somehow I remember losing. A lot. The soundtrack is pretty damn good and the voice acting is great! I remember dancing with Carmelita very fondly.

#3: Samurai Warriors

I loved this game. Now, I know Koei's warriors games get a lot of flack for being repetitive, but the thing is; These games are fun! Slashing away at hundreds (And later thousands) of enemy units to rock music? Does it get any better? Now, the warriors series has gotten a lot better recently, Samurai Warriors 4 and Dynasty Warriors 8 being the most recent main entries, but for some reason the more recent Samurai Warriors games can't seem to replicate what made the first game great. I couldn't tell you what I like about this game, even I don't know. All I know is, to this day it's still a blast to play.

Spoiler: Possible third placers (Honorable Mentions)

Koei Warriors Games (Various)
Uncharted 2
COD 4
Bulletstorm
Tales of Xillia (My first Tales of game)
Pokemon Emerald
Transformers War For Cybertron/Fall of Cybertron (Screw you Activision and Edge of Reality)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror
Mark of the Ninja
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood/Revelations
Batman Arkham Series
Dishonored

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

Pokemon Red - This was the first game I ever played or owned. It kickstarted a lifelong love of JRPGs for me and I can constantly return to. I appreciate that it is glitchy and looked awful even back in the '90s but it deserves a spot here because it's the sole reason I ever got into games.

Kingdom Hearts II - This one is one of my all-time gaming favourites because it helped me get through a lot of difficult times as a young teenager. I very clearly remember sequestering myself away in my family's attic and playing this non-stop across a whole weekend when I bought it, completely oblivious to everything else happening on the floors below and even now I can go back to it whenever I'm miserable and lose myself in it.

Persona 3 Portable - While I think there are a few better JRPGs out there, few hit me as hard as Persona 3 Portable. In the vast amount of time I sunk into playing it I ended up falling in love with the characters and the final act pulled no punches whatsoever in twisting that attachment to the cast and helped make it one of the best gaming experiences I've ever played.

 

[Silence]

Witcher 3
Planescape Torment
To the Moon

Witcher 3 is new, but it brings the whole RPG genre forward with its sidequests. If others learn from it, that is. It's the new standard. Also, I had high expectations, and CD Project exceeded them - that's something to behold.

Planescape Torment still has the best story in video games. How you learn and unravel your own past is amazing.
And that even though combat is shit and you basically have to read a book.

To the Moon is very personal to me. The story is amazing, but it had real-life consequences for me. And that does not happen often.

Honorable mentions to Dark Souls 1 and 3, Thief 2, Mass Effect 2, Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, Rollercoaster Tycoon, the Monkey Island series, Deus Ex HR, Super Mario Galaxy 2 ... probably more.

 

[Fijiman]

I've got no particular order for which one I like the most, but the first one would have to be Rayman Legends. The gameplay is solid, the art is awesome, and the music is incredible. What's not to love? Next would probably be Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. It's just a game that I've always loved since the first time I played it. The final pick would have to be Oblivion. It was my first introduction to Bethesda games and it still holds up pretty well today. I'd probably pick it to start playing again over Skyrim.

 

[Nazulu]

I have my top 3 personal favourites that scratch that specific itch, and then I have my top 3 experiences I see as the best.

Personal Top 3 Favourites: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Super Smash Brothers Melee - I love the movement and how diverse it is between all the different characters. None of the other SSB games have that unique speed and response that makes Melee so satisfying, or most games for that matter (and the sequels are really lacking without the side-air dodge). It generally feels sharper out of most fighting games. And while it doesn't have as many options as the sequels, it still has a lot to offer (besides online support ).

Super Metroid - This one is definitely because of nostalgia, but not to the extent you may think. It still is one of most atmospheric games I've ever played. I love it's cold but colourful style, the elegant movement (and awesome techniques), the mean looking monsters, lively ambient music, and just how it's structured in general. It hits all the right notes with me.

Lineage II: Age Of Splendor - It was that one unique MMO RPG that suited me... when it was painfully difficult and punishing as hell! It was challenging to get anywhere, so it really encouraged us to work together, and I never got that feeling in any of the other popular MMO's. Including, I reckon it has some of the most stylish looking weapons and armour sets I've seen in any game. And of course, the soundtrack is brilliant. If you like game soundtracks, I strongly recommend the music from the early L2 chronicles.

And now my top 3 best/artsy games: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Undertale - The new heavy hitter that came out of bloody nowhere. While extremely simple with the designs and controls/game play, it certainly makes the most of it because it has a clever colour scheme that's very memorable, and the game play can be really exciting at times. And of course, the characters (monsters) feel more human than most human game characters, and that is helped by all the different dialogue you can get for choosing this or that. Also, all their music themes have a lot character on their own. Seriously, the soundtrack for Undertale is the best I've heard yet. I can't believe this game even exists.

The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask (original) - Another game that came out of bloody nowhere! Completely different to all the other Zelda games, it has a unique dark horror element with some clever symbolism, and it also introduces many different game play types as well. It has a lot of detail and so much to discover, and I really need to play it again because it's been awhile.

Half-Life (original) - Not a fan of FPS games at all, but HL did the impossible and had me glued to it till I got to the end. I haven't had that feeling for a long time, and it's not nostalgia at all since I first played it in early 2015.

The design is really clever, probably the best I've ever seen in a game, since it keeps you going through many different rooms, all with their own special challenges. I also noticed that you come into nearly every new room from a different perspective, avoiding that repetitive vibe you get in 99% of games entirely. And it throws you into deadly shit all the time, so even when you're replaying it for the 5th time, you still need to be very careful. Plus it doesn't over do any of the horror elements to me, not relying on darkness and annoying jump scares, but just being intense all the time! Still need to find a mod to get rid of the bugs though

So while it's lacking a detailed story and good characters, it makes up for it in absolutely amazing level design and atmosphere. It's like the complete opposite to Undertale. Well not completely.

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

With that said, I finally got around to moving on with Dragon Age beyond Origins (yes, I know, I'm really, really late). And, to be honest, Dragon Age 2 is at least coming close with what I've seen so far. I know that that is a really controversial thing to say, but at least the first 30-40 hours of the game have been great. I'll save my final judgement for after I complete it, though. With how badly I've been burned by the ending of a couple games recently, I really don't feel like making a final judgement until after I know there are not shitty end twists and/or sabotaging of everything the game worked towards.

So, I played DA2 like 3 years ago, but got distracted and never quite got to the end. I picked it back up (with a new play through) about two weeks ago. I had completely forgotten how much fun that game is! Looking passed the reuse of environments (which is just plain lazy), everything else is pretty much exactly what I want from a fantasy RPG. It's like a D&D game, but without the extraneous bullshit. Plus, listening the the companion interaction is just priceless.

Whilst I wouldn't force it into an arbitrary and subject-to-change-each-time-it-comes-up trio of faves? Ditto'd on its qualities. 'Best rushjob ever made' is an odd accolade to win, but it's certainly that (the re-use of areas is horrid, but it's unfair to call it lazy, given the schedule they apparently had to work to).

An ambitious and distinct take on fantasy narrative, minus any bland Big Bad's or world savin', I loved the smaller scale narrative which is as much the story of a city over nine years as it is Hawke's.

Actually, y'know what? Yeah, I would put it in the arbitrary three, given I re-read the first post. The three that I'd hold sentimentally dear would/could be:

Dragon Age II - for the aforementioned reasons. Plus, Jo Wyatt's Hawke remains my favourite lead PC in any RPG - she was perfect for every aspect of that role, deftly handling the snark, the drama, and the anger depending on what character path you chose. Smart, humane, and badass in equal measure.

Red Dead Redemption - gorgeous world, great core gameplay, and a moving, intelligent narrative that's a perfect homage to the best aspects of westerns. It was epic, yet intimate. I still think it's one of the best central stories I've seen in gaming, bar some typically nasty missions that Rockstar always seem to force their protagonists into.

Morrowind - an obscenely smart MQ (touching upon the malleability of history, possible redemption of self-made gods, religious doctrine and factionalism, and themes of fate versus happenstance), staggeringly detailed and imaginative lore, and a benchmark world to explore that I still find more beautiful and otherworldly than anything Bethesda have come up with since; Oblivion and Skyrim are painfully conventional compared to Vvardenfell's at times alien landscapes, rundown fishing villages, and imposing volcanic ravines with twisted daedric ruins that you could stumble upon just by cresting a verge.

Its MQ and sidequests organically explored Vvardenfell's culture, and - especially if you read the books along the way - one of the most richly envisioned worlds opened up, and kept unfurling as the hours rolled by.

Mechanically it hasn't aged well (mods can make it look rather gorgeous, though), but there's still a sense of magic and charm to Morrowind that's unique.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Dishonored
This game truly made me felt that I could complete any missions anyway I want. The game didn't deduct points or anything like that if i went wild and killed everyone in my sight.

It does give you a shittier ending though.

 

[MysticSlayer]

With that said, I finally got around to moving on with Dragon Age beyond Origins (yes, I know, I'm really, really late). And, to be honest, Dragon Age 2 is at least coming close with what I've seen so far. I know that that is a really controversial thing to say, but at least the first 30-40 hours of the game have been great. I'll save my final judgement for after I complete it, though. With how badly I've been burned by the ending of a couple games recently, I really don't feel like making a final judgement until after I know there are not shitty end twists and/or sabotaging of everything the game worked towards.

So, I played DA2 like 3 years ago, but got distracted and never quite got to the end. I picked it back up (with a new play through) about two weeks ago. I had completely forgotten how much fun that game is! Looking passed the reuse of environments (which is just plain lazy), everything else is pretty much exactly what I want from a fantasy RPG. It's like a D&D game, but without the extraneous bullshit. Plus, listening the the companion interaction is just priceless.

Yeah, environment reuse has been my biggest complaint, but it hasn't dragged the overall experience down much. That may or may not have something to do with how expected it was, both from hearing beforehand when people are complaining to how often BioWare already did that in both Mass Effect and Origins. I've even sort of turned it into a mini game of trying to remember everything that happened in each area over the years.

But in the overall game, I've just come to love the characters and watching them grow, both as individuals and in relation to each other, over the years. In that regard, it's really reminded me of a lot of what I loved from Xenoblade Chronicles. And it has also brought in a lot of the small-scale, slowly-building conflict that I loved from The Witcher, but without all the self-righteous preaching and self-congratulation that plagued the Witcher games (at least the first two). Overall, it has really helped endear me to the characters, their stories, and the world that they inhabit.

It also helps that it is probably the first game I've played where being a mage is fun for the spellcasting itself, not just the idea that you can set a fire with the wave of a hand.

 

[otakon17]

Fallout, Chrono Trigger and Dragon Age: Origins are mine in no particular .

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

I'm sorry. I just can't pare it down to three without agonizing over my choices. Which I've already done for over 45 minutes.
I could brake it down into top 2 of their genre, in a pinch, which is far too many for a top 3 list.

Or I could just hash it and list three top ones that have yet to be mentioned.

Freelancer
Amazing game that has you flying a spaceship fighting, exploring and trading in a somewhat living galaxy with incredible atmosphere.
First AND Third person camera (Chase cam is a must for me, alas, way too rare). An as yet unseated classic.
Star Citizen, why oh why couldn't you be more like your cousin here??

Startopia
Manage part of a space-station. Can you attract tourist, turn them into workers and produce enough output to open up new parts while still caring for your workers and tourists many needs. Not mentioned are product chains, trading, fighting, research, interior design, geo/bio..molding/sculpting and of course various disasters.
The Humor found in dialogue adds the glue that makes it all shine.
Almost forgot to mention the camera controls. Elegant in their simplicity.

Anachronox
You are a down on the luck detective, with an odd secretary in form of a cursor and a childhood legacy robot assistant.
Simply trying to get enough money to pay off a mobster will have you become involved in an epic journey for the fate of the entire universe. Funny, tearful, amazing, twisting stories intertwine and gives you the ride of your life.
I want part 2 darnit!

I did it, and without cheating. ,)
Now I can start to mull over what games I forgot, or might have deserved a spot or..

 

[Sharia]

Well, I could easily say Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX, but to make it more varied I will say:

Final Fantasy VIII
Shenmue
Silent Hill 2

 

[Pyrian]

Deus Ex (My cheat: I'm including the first and Human Revolution)
FTL: Faster Than Light
Tron 2.0

 

[gorfias]

My top 3 ever? Yikes. I can try:

1) Time Pilot: Arcade game. Pumped a gazillian quarters into this thing

2) Ultima IV on Commodore 64. It came with cloth maps and spell books and took me 3 years to complete. Could I have done so faster? Sure, but I wasn't in a hurry. Just enjoyed the ride.

3) Legend of Zelda 2 NES. I obsessed about beating this game. I am pleased to hear that it is considered quite hard. I almost never have time, skill or patience for hard anymore. But around 1989 I guess I did.