Your personal top 3 games you have ever played.

[Lufia Erim]

Noatalgia goggles or not, everyone has games that they hold in high regard. Some old, some new, some borrowed, some blue, the games had a positive effect one you when you played them.

They don't even need to still hold up today for you to hold them in your top games. Just give out the names and a little reason why you hold them so dear to your heart.

Mine:

Lufia
Final fantasy 6
Dark souls.

Now lufia is definitely due to nostalgia. I'll admit it. I remember playing this with my father at a young age. This is really where my love for videogame stories came true. My dad would play it reading out the dialogue and i would sit for hours next to him watching him. When he finished it i started my own playthrough and fell in love.

While final fantasy 6 was not my first FF game, it was the one i resonated the most with. From the vast cast, the non linear second half, and just the rollercoaster which is the story, this game, in my opinion, was the pinnacle of FF games. I replay it every 2 years and i think it still holda up very well.

Now Darksouls is a game that needs no introduction. Brutal difficulty, amazing world, great design, this game feels like it was tailored specifically for me ( and i assume many people feel like that). Dark souls is definitely my favorite game from last gen.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Xenoblade Chronicles are definitely in the top three. As of right now, though, I don't think I have a game I could definitively put into the top three alongside those two.

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.

 

[Bilious Green_v1legacy]

#1: Dragon Age Origins - Its not the best game I've ever played, but its the game I've connected with the most and the one that I love and replay the most. Perhaps its because it was my first Bioware game and its the game that made me love their style of cinematic RPGs, and even though the rest of the series has been increasingly disappointing with each sequel, I still love it, bugs, ugly textures, wooden animations and all.

#2: The Last of Us - Do I even need to explain why? Its one of the best games ever made. Technically, I think its the best game I've ever played when you consider all aspects of its design, and if I were judging solely on quality, TLoU would be my number one, but this is a favourites list, so it comes second to DAO.

#3: I'm going to cheat and say "the Street Fighter series". I've been playing Street Fighter since SF2:WW in 1991, and I've pretty much played them all over the years since, with the only notable exception being Street Fighter 4, which I didn't particularly care for.

Honorable Mentions: Tenchu, Red Dead Redemption, The Witcher 3, Doom (OG), Wolf 3d (and OG Wolfenstein), Eye of the Beholder, Golden Axe, Final Fight, Wings!, Diablo 2, WoW.

 

[Rabish Bini]

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence: I'm a Metal Gear nerd so most of them could qualify, but this is the pinnacle of the series, and in my opinion the best game made. Flawless from top to bottom, especially the 'Subsistence' version which adds that glorious over-the-shoulder camera.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords: MGS3 may be the best game, but this is without doubt my favourite. Not until MGSV came out has there been a more a flawed masterpiece. Goes completely against the standard Star Wars tropes, and completely deconstructs every aspect of the franchise. Just make sure to play with the Restored Content Mod.

Warlords Battlecry II: Ah memories, so many hours spent playing this (and the series as a whole) when I was younger. Still my favourite real-time strategy.


Honourable mentions: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, Mega Man 2, Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!, Super Mario Kart, Burnout 3

#3: I'm going to cheat and say "the Street Fighter series". I've been playing Street Fighter since SF2:WW in 1991, and I've pretty much played them all over the years since, with the only notable exception being Street Fighter 4, which I didn't particularly care for.

Man Street Fighter 2, what a game. Me and my bro used to play that for hours on end against each other on the SNES, along with the PS1 version of X-Men vs Street Fighter.

 

[FalloutJack]

*Head Explodes*

I'm really not good at picking favorite games. Pretty much every game I own is enjoyable, because I research what it is I'm getting so very few duds ever get bought. That said, uhhh...let's just pick these ones. At the very least, these are high-quality.

Persona 3 & 4
Fallout 4

 

[Ironman126]

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.

OT: Mass Effect 2 is not my favorite, but it is very high on the list. So many hours I'll never get back, but that I don't want back. Well worth the time.

For second place, I am conflicted. On the one hand, Fallout: New Vegas. On the other hand, Skyrim. Regardless of which one clinches 2nd place, it's for the same reason. When I play either game, I pretty much just ignore the main questlines. In fact, I have a mod for Skyrim that disables the main quest from starting until I want it to. What captivates me about the games is how I can (and have) spend 300 or 400 hours playing the games and still not run across everything. I mentioned above how Dragon Age 2 felt like a D&D game and it does, but both Fallout: New Vegas and Skyrim feel like a D&D sandbox.

Finally, at number one is Homeworld, especially now that the remastered version is out. In fact, more so because of the remastered version. I honestly credit Homeworld for helping to shape me into the person I am today. I truly do not know that I would hold the same interests that I do without having played Homeworld as a 10-year-old.

 

[Bilious Green_v1legacy]

#3: I'm going to cheat and say "the Street Fighter series". I've been playing Street Fighter since SF2:WW in 1991, and I've pretty much played them all over the years since, with the only notable exception being Street Fighter 4, which I didn't particularly care for.

Man Street Fighter 2, what a game. Me and my bro used to play that for hours on end against each other on the SNES, along with the PS1 version of X-Men vs Street Fighter.

I broke the shoulder buttons on numerous SNES controllers playing SF2. I loved it so much. Its funny when you look back, because its horribly unbalanced and the AI cheats outrageously, but it was so fun back in the day.

 

[SilverLion]

#1 Red Dead Redemption- It's not the most well designed game in the world, nor does it have the strongest story, but what it does have is atmosphere, immersion and some of the strongest characters in any medium I've seen.
#2 Sonic Generations- Fun fact, this was the first Sonic game I ever played. At 15. And it is the most perfect game I have ever played in design, gameplay, music, aesthetics etc. etc. However, I still like Red Dead just a little bit more.
#3 Doom II: Hell on Earth- Infinitely replayable, with fast paced action, tense horror atmosphere and the most satisfying weapons in gaming, this old tortoise is stilling beating the young hares to this day.

 

[Hawki]

Top 3? Bah! I can go as high as top 11 without a second thought.

But since you asked, they're:

3) Golden Sun: The Broken Seal
2) Mass Effect
1) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

 

[Rastrelly]

Without any order: Civilization II, Thief 1+2 (see no reason to look at them as separate games), TESIII: Morrowind.

 

[Elfgore]

The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
Persona 4: Golden
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3

Each one takes it's genre, open-world RPG, JRPG, and button mashers, to the highest levels of perfection a video game can reach.

I'd like to say that Medieval 2: Total War, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, and Mount and Blade: Warband are very close runner ups.

 

[MythicMatt]

Top 3? I guess I can throw a list together...

3 - Halo Reach. The last console game I really enjoyed online play on, as well as the overall awesomeness present in a FPS where you can customize your player character. IMO, this is the only one of the series you need to play if you want to mess about with friends.

2 - 100% Orange Juice. It's a hilarious little gem, with a diverse cast of characters, RNG that hates everyone and the potential for combat cyborgs to be KOed by Seagulls. Go look it up on Steam, and see if you want it.

1 - Fallout: New Vegas. Be the courier, get shot in the head, then do whatever you want for a few hours. There's just this draw to it that Skyrim failed to grab me with. Maybe I'm just in it for the modded-in gun porn, but there's a lot of it to go around.

 

[Kyrian007]

X-Wing - The game that MADE me a lifelong video game enthusiast was the vector graphics Star Wars cabinet at my local arcade back in the 80's. X-Wing took that and put a better, more advanced and deeper version of my childhood favorite right in my dad's home office. Plus I had "The Farlander Papers" with the official guide, which is still one of the better Star Wars stories in the now non-canon Expanded Universe.

Fallout: Uhh... just pick one - I started as a gamer in the arcade in the 80's, then got a Nintendo and became a console gamer. Then became primarily a PC gamer early in the 90's. But my pc became kind of obsolete and I went from Super NES to N64 and PS and Cube and PS2 and again was a console gamer into the 2000's. But I got back into PC gaming with a gaming rig in the late 2000's and the first thing I did was catch up on the PC greats that I missed... like Fallout and Fallout 2. And then Fallout 3 and NV came out. And now 4. And it's my favorite series and every game has its strengths. Somewhere between 2, 3, and NV is one of those "3 favorites."

Perfect Dark - I have to. My favorite shooter. To this day. Hours and hours on the multiplayer with my pals on the couch. Shooters have never been better than Perfect Dark. Multiplayer has never been more fun than Perfect Dark. I can repair and refurbish N64 controller thumbsticks... because of Perfect Dark.

 

[Saelune]

Morrowind. I shouldn't even have to explain.

Mystical Ninja starring Goemon. I am pretty sure my love of traditional Japanese culture comes from this game, plus its really fun, creative, funny, and just all around amazing N64 platformer. Plus awesome music that is unique to almost every area.

My number 3 is a toughie though. I mean, I know my top 10 but beyond 1 and 2 never really ordered them, so its a toss up between Pok?mon Blue, Dark Cloud 2, and Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires. I value freedom, openness, customization, and interesting worlds which basically all these games have.

 

[B-Cell_v1legacy]

Deus Ex 1: Possibly the greatest game ever made and this franchise is best atm.
Half life: both half life games are 2 of best shooters ever. shame we will never see third one
Stalker SoC: The most atmospheric immersive game of all time

I can name alot but these 3 games are example of perfect games that every one should play.

 

[Maximum Bert]

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3

Odd choice. Despite really liking One piece and being partial to a DW type game every now and again I never got this game (think I was put off by the gundam ones) but I have heard good things about it. As a side note really looking forward to Burning Blood later (not importing from Japan this time).

Well this thread is convenient since I have 3 games that I consider superior to everything else I have ever played and those are :-

3) Xenoblade Chronicles - Just an amazing game that impressed me on almost every level. Xenoblade X is very different and not as good imo although it is still a decent game for sure.

2) Valkyria Chronicles - Not a fan of strategy games usually but this one just sucked me in and I could not stop playing. Played it through 3 times getting top rank on all missions before I put it down. This one along with the next is still one I think about regularly my time and experience with it was just that enjoyable. Also Selvaria Bles is amazing, one of the very few pieces of work that has made me feel sad about an event.

1) FFVII - Not the first FF I played (that goes to VI) but its the first one I ever felt compelled to finish in fact it was the game that made me care about stories and characters in games and actually want to read blocks of text. I still replay it every few years I enjoy it that much. Some of the characters have become my favourite characters out of any medium.

Special mention - Steins Gate I dont class this as a game just a visual novel but wow I loved this novel pretty much everything about it was captivating. For purposes of enjoyment from the experience this would probably go at number 2 or 3 in the list (cant decide).

 

[DefunctTheory]

Kind of tough to pick three, you know.

But if I had to...

Chrono Trigger - CT beats outs FF4 and FF6 for the top 'non-active' RPG slot. While they all have something awesome, CT wins out due to it's simple but amusing gameplay, memorable characters, it's good mix between main story and side questing, and because Triple Techs are awesome.

Half-Life 2 - Just a fun shooter, with some puzzles, some interesting characters, and a gravity gun. If forced, I'd probably have to admit part of my love for it is nostalgia driven. I built my first custom PC specifically for this game (And to get an A+ in class).

MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries - Not my first MechWarrior game, and probably not the one I've played the most, but probably the most mechanically satisfying. One would think the addition of an economy would be a minor change to a game, but it makes a massive difference, for the better, and t's a shame that it hasn't really been done since this game.

 

[Rip Van Rabbit]

Just three!? I have a difficult enough time figuring out a Top 10. Well, here goes...

1) Devil May Cry 3

This was my first style-based hack & slash game and has (un)fortunately become my metric of judgement for melee combat systems in other games. Getting an S-Rank for every mission on Dante Must Die difficulty without the use of the infinite devil trigger costume was a greatly satisfying challenge. (Swordmaster Style for life! I don't need no silly Trickster to dodge.)

2) Dark Souls

Coming hot off the heels of Devil May Cry, Dark Souls came along and kicked my ass, forcing me to use my entire arsenal with a little bit more forethought. My brain has a habit of creating an imaginary Style-Meter, so I adapted to the more methodical approach while still using my knack for time-based dodging, parries and openings for heavy attacks or flurries. Beautiful lore, the ability to capture a sense of flexibility with every new build and so much more.

3) Splinter Cell Blacklist

Y'know, I was originally going to put Chaos Theory in this spot, but my tastes have changed. Blacklist succeeded in making direct-combat viable by creating viciously smart enemies that will flank you from all angles while flushing you out with grenades and combined tactics from different enemy-types. More to my taste though, the "Predator" playstyle involved hit-and-run tactics to take out a roomful of enemies without breaking stealth. And stealth works fantastically due to Sam's increased mobility and gadgets at his disposal. So really, this game allows me to say "fuck it!" after 30 minutes of tiring-yet-tense stealth play in survival mode, switch to my shotgun and go nuts.

---​

Runner-ups)

- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
- Fallout 4
- Unreal Tournament '99

 

[4ged]

my top 3 are;
1. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, for obvious reasons
2. Neverwinter Nights, it was Icewind Dale/Baldurs Gate on roids at the time and I had to have spent thousands of hours playing it
3. Diablo 2, again with thousands of hours played
Honorable mentions; Icewind Dale 1-2, Baldurs Gate 1-2, Kingsfield series, Souls series, Armored Core 2-3, Final Fantasy 9. all these games are easily close to number 3 on my list I had to mention them.

 

[FakeSympathy]

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. There is so many ways to kill your targets, and how you approach them,

Knights of the old Republic
This game truly made me feel like I was using the force to meet my goals. I could be a jedi or an asshole sith lord. And the plot twist was pretty damn good as well

Bioshock
One of the most atmospheric games I've ever played. Absolutely loved fighting against splicers and big daddies, and my decision on the fate of the little sisters."Would you kindly?" Plot twist still makes me uneasy. The game gave me a false sense of choice when I was being a slave not a man