Post by GoldenKitten on Mar 27, 2008 23:44:14 GMT -4
Ok from experience the general rule is that if you RP you watch Anime and if you watch Anime you play games, so just winging it here but thought this would make an ok topic. Now I realize picking your five favorite games (for any system you wish) can be difficult, especially for someone like me who is an addict and can claim to have easily over a thousand games in their home, regardless some of us do know what we like and I would love to hear about other peoples taste. You can just give us the names of the game (as chances are we know them) or you can describe them, I choose the latter just because I like to type .
So moving on, my list, I know five of my favorite games but picking an order for them is hard so these are in no particular order, I will put the system (or systems) that they are on next to the name. If you want you can put more than five games, I know it is likely I will make at least one more list in the future...five is just too few:
WARNING: KEEP IN MIND THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY BE LIKE ME AND GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THESE GAMES! THUS IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE SPOILERS LAY WITHIN, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED![/b]
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC or Xbox)
A lot of people might site Oblivion, the fourth and by far the most mainstream game in the TES series as one of their favorite games but I believe Morrowind took it by storm. Given it did not have the lush landscapes, the extremely lifelike humans or the superb long hours of recorded voice acting but it had charm, a massive world to explore and a deeper story that truly made the world whole. Many long time fans might look at one of the first games out of pure nostalgia but I think Morrowind took what was good of the early games (especially Daggerfalls exploring attributes) and amplified them without being dumbed down for the mainstream like Oblivion was (certainly there were mods to change this and make it play more like the games of old but I am talking about straight out of the box gameplay here).
For starters there were over 5000 NPC’s and though many claimed they were cardboard cutouts due to not having daily routines it did not change the fact that the majority of them all had something unique to say and a quest to go on (which was all in text so those who don’t like to read (I have no idea what your doing on an RP site…but) beware). These quest were broad in scope, could be completed in a variety of ways and took you deep into the wilderness of Morrowind where thousands of ruins, caves and temples could be found, almost all of which had little stories for you to discover…some of which weren’t so little but could indeed be looked into for hours to discover everything about them. Within these places you could find all manner of items and legendary weapons (and unlike Oblivion they were not random so you actually had to search rather than getting to level 60 and having every enemy in the game drop Glass Armor) AND THEY WERN’T EVEN OFFICIAL QUEST! This is not even considering the many cities of which there were over fifteen, each part of one of the main three houses that ruled Morrowind and each sporting there own style different from the rest as well as the true quest from over 10 different factions and the main storyline. So basically even if the characters didn’t act completely human the world was still full of its own story and thousands of smaller ones within it. Lets just put it in blunt terms, I have played at least 2000 hours of Morrowind…easily, and I still doubt I have seen every ruin, every item and every enemy there is to see. ((There are also two Expansions, both of which are decent but the original game was by far the pace setter.))
Genma Onimusha (Xbox or PS2)
Anytime I say this game is one of my favorite all time plays people just look at me funny because either most people have never even played the game or played it but had it quickly overshadowed by Devil May Cry which came out around the same time. Being an Xbox player with no PS2 at the time though I was easily able to appreciate the game for all it was worth and played it till I had filled all the available save spots, unlocked every item and defeated every special enemy. Many people look at the follow up games which were admittedly pretty weak (except perhaps the 3rd, but it still could not compare) and so it turns many who just see bits of these sequels off from ever going back to the start. However after getting ahold of a PS2 and playing Capcoms other Horror/Action titles I can say this was by far their best attempt.
Playing as Samonosuke a samurai in feudal Japan you are tasked with KILLING DEMONS AND SAVING A PRINCESS WOOOOOO!!! Ok joking aside though, they took what sounded like a very cliché story and used the unique setting of being locked in a castle with a grim history and a truly unique demon set and turned it into something else entirely. Unlike some of their other ventures into this genre such as the aforementioned DMC or the later sequels there were a few moments of true dread in this game (especially with the Xbox only freaky little Doll Amy enemy) and much like the other games on this list I loved it for the story it provided. There was plenty of action while still maintaining a good degree of deep story driven task and there were many scrolls and books lying around that broadened the adventure for the astute gamer. I wont describe the action here as it was traditional hack and slash fare, get a big sword, kill demons, upgrade sword, kill demons, get better sword…but the world that this game took you through was sheer genius.
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
I admit I am a PC and Xbox fanboy and when I bought a PS2 I felt as if I had given in to the man and he owned me…I still feel like that but at least I got to play the RPG’s I missed out on and THIS AMAZING GAME, I will be honest of all of the games here this one and Morrowind stand out in my mind as the two best. This is a unique and innovative game, I admit that it is not a well known game but more of a cult classic, however I would urge anyone who has a PS2 to pick it up as it is a epic adventure you will never forget. One thing that should be mentioned is this is a dreamers game, many people who lack imagination have claimed it has no story and what there is, is rushed but instead anyone with decent intelligence, a bit of a detective in them and some imagination can realize that the rudimentary tools of the story have been put there for you and it is up to you to put them together to figure out this amazing back-story.
The concept behind the whole thing is that an ancient land outlawed by the ruling religion of the world houses a long sealed “demon” called the Dormin. This Dormin has rule over just about everything within this realm in which it has been sealed, including power over life and death. However it is not so simple as approaching and fulfilling a basic task, oh no, the Dormin wishes to escape from the seal that has long held it and so enlist your help, in return it will revive one you bring to its altar back to life. Breaking the seal involves destroying 16 massive Colossus that as the back of the game says are quite literally as large as mountains. Beyond that I will say no more as to not give the story away. As said the game takes place in a sealed area called the Forbidden Land, just because it’s a single area doesn’t mean its small though, the Forbidden land is roughly two hundred miles from its entrance to the farthest life sustaining point (known as the great seal, the land just drops off into another several mile high cliff, much like the one leading into the forbidden land in the first place) and more than four hundred miles going East to West. Within this land are countless geographic types from forest to deserts, marshes to massive mountains cut apart by a series of caves, in general if you can imagine it; it is represented within the Forbidden Land. However of all the landmarks only a few are man made and they have all been uninhabited for hundreds if not thousands of years, the largest of which is the Shrine of Worship which stands over a mile high and can be seen from anywhere in the central plane of the Forbidden Land. This Shrine is the connection point for the only bridge to get into the Forbidden Land and houses sixteen massive Idols, all of which represent one of the sixteen Colossi. So again the size of the world and the “feel” to it is the major reason for my feelings towards this game, but then that’s what attracts most people to such adventures as well as the unique artistic style which to me looks better than many new generation games. Other attractions include the unique “grip” style gameplay where you actually scale your massive boss like opponents to strike their weak points and the fun in exploring the world and putting your skills to the test by trying to see and gather all there is.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (Xbox or PS2)
I'll be honest, I am a sucker for a good horror game. Like most I held Silent Hill as my standout game for the longest time but when I happened upon the original Fatal Frame it quickly outclassed it. The reasoning being that it still provides an interesting psychological thriller but doesn't rely on keeping the player in the dark to incite fear, rather it is the gain of knowledge that actually draws the player in. By taking place in traditional Japanese houses based around horrible rituals they performed to keep hell from ever leaking out you set a rather dark tone, even for a horror game that is gripping no matter how much you come to understand what is happening. Crimson Butterfly upped this from the first game being the darkest and most suspenseful of the three current entry's, while the third was good it was more a retread of the second game in a new setting so its Crimson Butterfly that stands out.
As Mio along with your sister Mayu you are wandering the forest one day when Mayu happens to disappear and as you try to trace her steps you pass a ceremonial statue. The world goes dark and after some exploration you find yourself in a long lost village. Soon you are besieged by all manner of dark, horrendous entities and your only weapon is a exorcising camera, like any horror game it is up to you to get out but of course you'll come to understand the villages past first and head toward a very dark ending. Like the rest I'm trying to give as little story as possible. The draw of the game is that your not an elite military unit, a badass demon killer or a demon yourself, your a scared little girl whose not exactly tough and that really helps keep the atmosphere stiff. Gameplay wise we are talking a rather usual horror game though a streamlined one, the one exception is perhaps the camera which is aimed in 1st person to up the tension factor.
Final Fantasy IX (PS1)
I really, really tried not to include this game because I know the intense feelings people have over this series but it just has to be said. Before Morrowind or any current J-RPG this is the game I played into nothingness, countless hours of my youth burned into these 4 little disc. Some people remember VII for its nostalgic sense and move to 3D, others remember X for its stellar visuals and being the first FF voice acted...but not me...oh no...I remember IX. To me it was the pinnacle mix of visuals, music and story. Even better it had by far the best of the battling and leveling systems, not hard to grasp but difficult to master.
Really I don't think I need to say anything about this in detail, its FF, it follows the traditional FF wrap...but until the series proves me wrong (I admit, unlike most I loved XII, it came very close) it shall forever be my favorite.
So there you have it, a list of gaming goodness. Give me yours.
So moving on, my list, I know five of my favorite games but picking an order for them is hard so these are in no particular order, I will put the system (or systems) that they are on next to the name. If you want you can put more than five games, I know it is likely I will make at least one more list in the future...five is just too few:
WARNING: KEEP IN MIND THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY BE LIKE ME AND GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THESE GAMES! THUS IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE SPOILERS LAY WITHIN, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED![/b]
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC or Xbox)
A lot of people might site Oblivion, the fourth and by far the most mainstream game in the TES series as one of their favorite games but I believe Morrowind took it by storm. Given it did not have the lush landscapes, the extremely lifelike humans or the superb long hours of recorded voice acting but it had charm, a massive world to explore and a deeper story that truly made the world whole. Many long time fans might look at one of the first games out of pure nostalgia but I think Morrowind took what was good of the early games (especially Daggerfalls exploring attributes) and amplified them without being dumbed down for the mainstream like Oblivion was (certainly there were mods to change this and make it play more like the games of old but I am talking about straight out of the box gameplay here).
For starters there were over 5000 NPC’s and though many claimed they were cardboard cutouts due to not having daily routines it did not change the fact that the majority of them all had something unique to say and a quest to go on (which was all in text so those who don’t like to read (I have no idea what your doing on an RP site…but) beware). These quest were broad in scope, could be completed in a variety of ways and took you deep into the wilderness of Morrowind where thousands of ruins, caves and temples could be found, almost all of which had little stories for you to discover…some of which weren’t so little but could indeed be looked into for hours to discover everything about them. Within these places you could find all manner of items and legendary weapons (and unlike Oblivion they were not random so you actually had to search rather than getting to level 60 and having every enemy in the game drop Glass Armor) AND THEY WERN’T EVEN OFFICIAL QUEST! This is not even considering the many cities of which there were over fifteen, each part of one of the main three houses that ruled Morrowind and each sporting there own style different from the rest as well as the true quest from over 10 different factions and the main storyline. So basically even if the characters didn’t act completely human the world was still full of its own story and thousands of smaller ones within it. Lets just put it in blunt terms, I have played at least 2000 hours of Morrowind…easily, and I still doubt I have seen every ruin, every item and every enemy there is to see. ((There are also two Expansions, both of which are decent but the original game was by far the pace setter.))
Genma Onimusha (Xbox or PS2)
Anytime I say this game is one of my favorite all time plays people just look at me funny because either most people have never even played the game or played it but had it quickly overshadowed by Devil May Cry which came out around the same time. Being an Xbox player with no PS2 at the time though I was easily able to appreciate the game for all it was worth and played it till I had filled all the available save spots, unlocked every item and defeated every special enemy. Many people look at the follow up games which were admittedly pretty weak (except perhaps the 3rd, but it still could not compare) and so it turns many who just see bits of these sequels off from ever going back to the start. However after getting ahold of a PS2 and playing Capcoms other Horror/Action titles I can say this was by far their best attempt.
Playing as Samonosuke a samurai in feudal Japan you are tasked with KILLING DEMONS AND SAVING A PRINCESS WOOOOOO!!! Ok joking aside though, they took what sounded like a very cliché story and used the unique setting of being locked in a castle with a grim history and a truly unique demon set and turned it into something else entirely. Unlike some of their other ventures into this genre such as the aforementioned DMC or the later sequels there were a few moments of true dread in this game (especially with the Xbox only freaky little Doll Amy enemy) and much like the other games on this list I loved it for the story it provided. There was plenty of action while still maintaining a good degree of deep story driven task and there were many scrolls and books lying around that broadened the adventure for the astute gamer. I wont describe the action here as it was traditional hack and slash fare, get a big sword, kill demons, upgrade sword, kill demons, get better sword…but the world that this game took you through was sheer genius.
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
I admit I am a PC and Xbox fanboy and when I bought a PS2 I felt as if I had given in to the man and he owned me…I still feel like that but at least I got to play the RPG’s I missed out on and THIS AMAZING GAME, I will be honest of all of the games here this one and Morrowind stand out in my mind as the two best. This is a unique and innovative game, I admit that it is not a well known game but more of a cult classic, however I would urge anyone who has a PS2 to pick it up as it is a epic adventure you will never forget. One thing that should be mentioned is this is a dreamers game, many people who lack imagination have claimed it has no story and what there is, is rushed but instead anyone with decent intelligence, a bit of a detective in them and some imagination can realize that the rudimentary tools of the story have been put there for you and it is up to you to put them together to figure out this amazing back-story.
The concept behind the whole thing is that an ancient land outlawed by the ruling religion of the world houses a long sealed “demon” called the Dormin. This Dormin has rule over just about everything within this realm in which it has been sealed, including power over life and death. However it is not so simple as approaching and fulfilling a basic task, oh no, the Dormin wishes to escape from the seal that has long held it and so enlist your help, in return it will revive one you bring to its altar back to life. Breaking the seal involves destroying 16 massive Colossus that as the back of the game says are quite literally as large as mountains. Beyond that I will say no more as to not give the story away. As said the game takes place in a sealed area called the Forbidden Land, just because it’s a single area doesn’t mean its small though, the Forbidden land is roughly two hundred miles from its entrance to the farthest life sustaining point (known as the great seal, the land just drops off into another several mile high cliff, much like the one leading into the forbidden land in the first place) and more than four hundred miles going East to West. Within this land are countless geographic types from forest to deserts, marshes to massive mountains cut apart by a series of caves, in general if you can imagine it; it is represented within the Forbidden Land. However of all the landmarks only a few are man made and they have all been uninhabited for hundreds if not thousands of years, the largest of which is the Shrine of Worship which stands over a mile high and can be seen from anywhere in the central plane of the Forbidden Land. This Shrine is the connection point for the only bridge to get into the Forbidden Land and houses sixteen massive Idols, all of which represent one of the sixteen Colossi. So again the size of the world and the “feel” to it is the major reason for my feelings towards this game, but then that’s what attracts most people to such adventures as well as the unique artistic style which to me looks better than many new generation games. Other attractions include the unique “grip” style gameplay where you actually scale your massive boss like opponents to strike their weak points and the fun in exploring the world and putting your skills to the test by trying to see and gather all there is.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (Xbox or PS2)
I'll be honest, I am a sucker for a good horror game. Like most I held Silent Hill as my standout game for the longest time but when I happened upon the original Fatal Frame it quickly outclassed it. The reasoning being that it still provides an interesting psychological thriller but doesn't rely on keeping the player in the dark to incite fear, rather it is the gain of knowledge that actually draws the player in. By taking place in traditional Japanese houses based around horrible rituals they performed to keep hell from ever leaking out you set a rather dark tone, even for a horror game that is gripping no matter how much you come to understand what is happening. Crimson Butterfly upped this from the first game being the darkest and most suspenseful of the three current entry's, while the third was good it was more a retread of the second game in a new setting so its Crimson Butterfly that stands out.
As Mio along with your sister Mayu you are wandering the forest one day when Mayu happens to disappear and as you try to trace her steps you pass a ceremonial statue. The world goes dark and after some exploration you find yourself in a long lost village. Soon you are besieged by all manner of dark, horrendous entities and your only weapon is a exorcising camera, like any horror game it is up to you to get out but of course you'll come to understand the villages past first and head toward a very dark ending. Like the rest I'm trying to give as little story as possible. The draw of the game is that your not an elite military unit, a badass demon killer or a demon yourself, your a scared little girl whose not exactly tough and that really helps keep the atmosphere stiff. Gameplay wise we are talking a rather usual horror game though a streamlined one, the one exception is perhaps the camera which is aimed in 1st person to up the tension factor.
Final Fantasy IX (PS1)
I really, really tried not to include this game because I know the intense feelings people have over this series but it just has to be said. Before Morrowind or any current J-RPG this is the game I played into nothingness, countless hours of my youth burned into these 4 little disc. Some people remember VII for its nostalgic sense and move to 3D, others remember X for its stellar visuals and being the first FF voice acted...but not me...oh no...I remember IX. To me it was the pinnacle mix of visuals, music and story. Even better it had by far the best of the battling and leveling systems, not hard to grasp but difficult to master.
Really I don't think I need to say anything about this in detail, its FF, it follows the traditional FF wrap...but until the series proves me wrong (I admit, unlike most I loved XII, it came very close) it shall forever be my favorite.
So there you have it, a list of gaming goodness. Give me yours.