Author Topic: Top 25 Video Games Lists! v. CableX's "Worse Than My Top25 VG Music" (pg. 62)  (Read 231642 times)

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Offline Sacul

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #770 on: November 12, 2014, 04:39:46 PM »
Isn't a new game of this series out? I remember it being diesel-punk during the first trailers, and was disappointed it ended up as a strategy game.

Offline The King in Crimson

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #771 on: November 12, 2014, 10:06:29 PM »
Isn't a new game of this series out? I remember it being diesel-punk during the first trailers, and was disappointed it ended up as a strategy game.
Yes. Enemy Unknown. It's awesome. I don't know what 'diesel punk' is, but X-Com is probably not it. Yes, it is a strategy game and it's a great one.

6. The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past (SNES: 1992)
Surprise! Surprise! Another Zelda game on this list! An astute reader must surely be thinking that I must really like me some Zelda. You bet your sweet Triforce I do!

And this is my favorite of them all. Why? Well, take all the other gushing things I said about The Legend of Zelda and Ocarina of Time and amplify them by a number greater than 7 but probably less than 23. Yep, A Link To The Past is that badass. As far as I can recall, LttP features probably the most involved story and world of a Zelda game to that date while significantly expanding upon both the histories of Hyrule and Ganon but also the lore of the Triforce. A lot of this would be fleshed out to greater degrees in subsequent games.

Like in the original, LttP is another top-down, isometric entry in the series, but it also features some 3D-esque architecture. I'm not really going to go into too much detail here, I've already fellated myself to two other Zelda games on this list, but LttP is like the original Zelda but... better in every single way. The enemies are more varied and interesting, the dungeons are more involved with some actual puzzles, the bosses are all fucking awesome and they all feel like bosses, the overworld is large and expansive with tons of things to do and find, and the items are all very useful, to the point that you'll be using many of them over and over again.

This is a fantastic game and it still plays like a champ. It's not stupidly difficult like some other games from the NES and SNES era (*coughAdventureofLinkcough*) but it's hard enough that you feel a sense of accomplishment when you kill a boss or finish a palace. The shiny, cartoony SNES graphics means that it has aged a lot better than the blocky polygons and muddy textures of Ocarina (IMO). The music is awesome with the Dark World Palace music of bringing just the right amount of dread and the Light World Theme being the type of epic music Legolas probably chills out to in between killing orcs and shield-surfing on the weekends (or maybe he just listens to Rhapsody of Fire...).

I love this game and you should to. If you don't well... then... go get a... taste... reevaluation. Or... something. Your mom's a Triforce. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past gets a Triforce of Recommendation for anyone hoping that their Dark World form is something other than a rubber ball or a sickly mushroom, those triforce wondering triforce just triforce how triforce many triforce more times I can triforce fit the word 'Triforce' into this entry triforcetriforcetriforce, and any hookshot fanatics triforce.


Offline Bolsters

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #772 on: November 12, 2014, 10:09:20 PM »
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Offline ThatOneGuy2112

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #773 on: November 12, 2014, 10:41:20 PM »
ALTP is amazing. My favorite 2D Zelda by far. :tup

Offline ariich

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #774 on: November 13, 2014, 12:06:19 AM »
Yay! :D The only Zelda game I've played, but I loved it.

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #775 on: November 13, 2014, 04:05:35 AM »
Have you played A Link Between Worlds, my lord?
« Last Edit: November 14, 2014, 10:48:50 AM by Outcrier »
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Offline The King in Crimson

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #776 on: November 16, 2014, 01:46:01 PM »
Have you played A Link Between Worlds, my lord?
Alas, no I have not. Not out of any desire not to but mostly because I don't own a 3DS. If I did, I would totally get that game as what little I've read about it looks pretty awesome. Every once in a while I kinda think about getting a 3DS, just to play A Link Between Worlds, but then I look at how my DS just sits around and gathers a lot of dust these days and I rethink that idea.

5. Half-Life (PC: 1998)
I can remember when Half-Life first came out. I don't recall any of the hype leading up its release but I remember when it was finally released, it made an almost immediate impact upon the gaming landscape for its graphics, gameplay, atmosphere, story, and mise-en-scène (which is, essentially, the visual act of telling a story for all of you who are not snobby film fans or people too lazy to not google snobby film-fan terms)1. It was a landmark, loved by critics and fans alike and for good reason. The things it was lauded for at the time seem so commonplace now, the lack of cinematics, the silent protagonist, and the way the scripted events helped to make the setting of Black Mesa feel more alive even as everything around you was dying horribly. Even the AI was impressive. Not just for its time as it has, IMO, very rarely been equaled since (only F.E.A.R. really comes to mind).

I'll just get this out of the way but Half-Life is one of the best straight up First Person Shooters of all time. It combines a good story, an excellent setting (Black Mesa is up there with Rapture for me), great gameplay, a wide variety of weapons, a wide variety of enemies to shoot with the aforementioned weapons, some of the best boss battles ever to grace an FPS (the boss battles in HL2 are all, IMO, a fucking joke by comparison), and probably some other stuff that I forgot to mention.

Half-Life tells the story of the worst day ever of Scientist Gordon Freeman, who, after a botched experiment at the Black Mesa Research Facility, must escape the ruined compound as countless hordes of extradimensional beings begin to overrun it. Eventually the military is called in not help the trapped scientists but to clean up the mess before it gets out of control. It's a great story and it's conveyed with nary a cut scene in sight. Throughout the game, from the opening tram ride through Black Mesa to the alien biospheres of Xen at the very climax, you stay within the confines of Gordon Freeman so everything you see an experience it's as if you are seeing and experiencing it.

Despite a majority of the action being limited to the Black Mesa Research facility, there are a wide variety of levels that you'll explore from the offices and testing labs, to the underground railways, the rocket testing pits, the industrial waste disposal area... section, whatever, to the final moments of the game when you are transported to the gravity-deficient levels of Xen. Some people don't like the Xen levels and, while I'm not their biggest fan, they don't last too long and there are some really fun moments, including a boss that looks distressingly like a wrinkled ball-sack and spits white... stuff at you.

By today's standards, Half-Life might not seem like much but back in the day, it sure was something else. Despite not making an appearance on this list, the expansion pack Opposing Force is also a lot of fun in how it presents certain sections of the game from a different character and perspective while expanding upon the story in some interesting ways. To this day, I'm still saddened that Valve hasn't done anything else with Corporal Adrian Shepherd despite apparently really liking the character. That said, Half-Life is a beast of a game, the best in the business and one that any fan of the FPS genre should play. It gets my recommendation for anyone who hopes the HEV suit will finally become a fashion statement, daydreaming theoretically physicists who think that they will also be a crowbar-wielding badass when the aliens finally invade, and anyone who really, truly hates wooden crates.

1 Note: To any snobby film fans2, please tell me that I used that term correctly.
2 Note: To any snobby film fans, I use the term 'snobby film fan' with the utmost respect and cordiality3 to any snobby film fans. Please do not send me hate mail. Actually... please do
34 When I wrote this word and subsequently googled it just to see if it was in fact a real world, I was very much surprised that it was, delighted that I had found a new world, and saddened when I could not claim it as a new word.
4 Apparently I have become too addicted to the use of footnotes. I promise to never, ever use them again5.
5 Okay, sorry, I lied, but it was for a good reason! Maybe not, but hey I just wanted to give a brief and perfunctory 'Fuck you!' to Valve for both creating an excellent and enduring franchise and then giving us gamers the biggest middle finger for leaving it hanging for so long. Seriously... WTF Valve-bros?!


Offline cramx3

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #777 on: November 16, 2014, 02:05:36 PM »
Great game. I didn't play it when it first came out but a couple years after and really enjoyed it. Half Life 2 when it was released on the Orange Box for xbox360 had more of a memory for me because of how much I played it.

Offline Outcrier

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #778 on: November 16, 2014, 02:27:22 PM »
I prefer 2 but 1 is great as well. In fact, it was one of the very first PC games that i've played.
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Offline Phoenix87x

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #779 on: November 16, 2014, 02:40:35 PM »
Lots of respect for Half-life 1. Very groundbreaking work.

and Part 2 is one of my very favorite games of all time.

Offline Nick

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #780 on: November 16, 2014, 02:59:39 PM »
I want to have sex with this list, and have little baby lists with it.
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Offline Sacul

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #781 on: November 16, 2014, 06:10:01 PM »
Sadly, I could never get pass the first level, when the aliens attack the lab. And the worst thing is that I played it just a few months ago :lol .

Offline ReaperKK

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #782 on: November 16, 2014, 06:39:55 PM »
This list is fucking awesome, I want to go back and play hl1

Offline Phoenix87x

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #783 on: November 16, 2014, 07:36:12 PM »
Agreed, the list is incredible

Offline Lynxo

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #784 on: November 17, 2014, 12:22:50 AM »
I want to have sex with this list, and have little baby lists with it.
Agreed. I want to take this list behind the barn and make it pregnant.
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Offline SystematicThought

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #785 on: November 17, 2014, 01:10:32 AM »
I will surely disappoint in the coming days when my list rolls around. I can't top the classics here since my list will all be 2000-2014, since I don't play too many games before then.  :lol
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Offline Lynxo

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #786 on: November 17, 2014, 01:14:39 AM »
I will surely disappoint in the coming days when my list rolls around. I can't top the classics here since my list will all be 2000-2014, since I don't play too many games before then.  :lol
Oh, at least not for me. I love both retro games and newer games. :biggrin:
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Offline Randaran

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #787 on: November 17, 2014, 02:35:19 PM »
I will surely disappoint in the coming days when my list rolls around. I can't top the classics here since my list will all be 2000-2014, since I don't play too many games before then.  :lol

Same here
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Offline The King in Crimson

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #788 on: November 17, 2014, 09:42:06 PM »
Sadly, I could never get pass the first level, when the aliens attack the lab. And the worst thing is that I played it just a few months ago :lol .
You should definitely should give it another shot. Half-Life gets incredible on the third level and beyond.

I will surely disappoint in the coming days when my list rolls around. I can't top the classics here since my list will all be 2000-2014, since I don't play too many games before then.  :lol
That only means I just happened to grow up at the right time. The mid 90's to the early 00's was an incredible time for video games. I enjoy quite a few newer games but there's no doubt that I vacillate to that golden era more often than not when I need a fix.

Agreed. I want to take this list behind the barn and make it pregnant.

Agreed, the list is incredible

This list is fucking awesome, I want to go back and play hl1

I want to have sex with this list, and have little baby lists with it.
Thanks. :lol
You guys can fight over the sloppy seconds once I'm done with it.

On that note... with Half-Life we've entered into the glorious top five of this list. These are games that I've replayed so many times over the years for many various reasons and, for some reason, never manage to get old. That may describe many of the games on this, but the top five are a whole, 'nother category. I don't even want to know how many hours I've sunken into these games, only my time played on WoW back when I was really into that may put that to shame and, to be honest, a lot of the time I was hate-playing WoW, for want of a better term. So, let's continue onward with number 4...

4. Planescape: Torment (PC: 1999)
What can change the nature of a man? Such is the question that sits at the heart of Planescape: Torment. Released in late 1999 to critical acclaim but incredibly flaccid sales, Planescape: Torment has become a veritable cult classic over the years. Frequently included on numerous best of lists, Planescape: Torment is a very interesting and unique game, one that will sit with you long after you've finished it.

You are the Nameless One, stricken with amnesia, you awaken on a slab in a mortuary. Scars cover your body, more scars than seem possible to live from, but the reason for your 'living' becomes readily apparent. You are immortal.  You cannot die.  And thus begins your quest to discover who you are, where you come from, and why you are what you are.

Planescape: Torment is an isometric real-time role-playing game in the vein of the very successful Baldur's Gate series. It takes place in the Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting of Planescape, primarily the city of Sigil which sits at the very center of the planes and serves as hub where all its disparate denizens can come to trade, work, and live in relative peace. It is a place where angels will barter with demons, where the very alleys and buildings can gain life, where shadows stalk and not all is as it seems. In Sigil, belief can become reality and oftentimes, what you believe is more important than what is.

Planescape: Torment is notable for being highly dialogue driven. If you do not like reading giant blocks of well-written text, then this game might not be for you but man will you be missing out. The writing is absolutely engrossing, but much of that comes down to the evocative, weird flair of the Planescape setting, a place seemingly limited only to the restrictions of the imagination. This is no swords and sorcery, elves, orcs and dwarves shit here. In fact, no elves or dwarves or orcs even appear in the game. Swords are very limited as well. The Nameless One mostly ends up using a ragtag assortment of bludgeoning instruments, like prybars, zombified arms, and clubs, to mete out his punishment.

In fact, one of the very interesting things about Planescape: Torment is the role that combat plays in the game, namely that it's completely and utterly boring. There's often a sense that if you get dragged into combat, it's because you did something wrong. Oftentimes, if your Wisdom, Intelligence or Charisma is high enough, you can get through many encounters just by talking or thinking your way out of it. And it is much more personally rewarding when you successfully do so. The bucketload of experience points you usually get for finding a nonviolent solution tends to help as well.

There are other unique aspects to the game that help it stand out. For one, your immortality plays a critical role in progressing through the game. There are puzzles and sequences that depend and play off of your inability to die. For example, you encounter a certain heavily trapped tomb and the only way to reach the end is to die. Repeatedly. There is also a sequence of dialogue where you can have a half-demon root around in your intestines and find a magical ring that's been hidden there by... someone. Maybe even yourself.

The game is filled to the brim with many similar unique ideas: magical spellcasting hivemind swarms of rats (remember when other RPG's start you off killing rats?), a talking skull (one of your companions!), a necropolis filled with largely peaceful undead, and even a reformed succubus that runs a brothel catering to intellectual rather than physical stimulation (another NPC companion).

That brings me to another aspect of the game that warrants a mention: the characters. Never has an RPG had such a varied and motley selection of NPC characters, many of which can join you on your quest. The conversations and storylines that you can unlock with these characters are extremely well-written with an incredible sense of depth. Special mention goes out to the character of Dak'kon, who has one of the best written storylines in any game ever. Slowly peeling back the layers of his past and personality is incredibly rewarding.

This is a great game and, unfortunately, despite the massive acclaim it gets, it's still a bit of a cult star. It's a long game with a lot of text to read and some tepid combat but it's so evocative and so well-written that it doesn't matter. The game conjures up a world like no other and plops you right in the middle of it. It's one of the few games where I'd suggest gimping your physical stats and maxing out your Intelligence, Wisdom and especially Charisma, as they open up so many more doors in the gameplay than those physical, combat-focused stats. This game deserves to be played by anyone who calls themselves a fan of RPG's.

Planescape: Torment comes highly recommended for fans of text boxes, planar philosophy majors, and people who've always wanted to play the badass high Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma character.



Offline Lynxo

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #789 on: November 18, 2014, 02:55:41 AM »
I've heard so many great things about this game but I've never played this myself. I did a little research now and found out that it's avaliable from Gog really cheap and that there even is a Mac version:

https://www.gog.com/game/planescape_torment

I think I'm gonna buy it and try it out.  :)
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Offline Sacul

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #790 on: November 18, 2014, 07:32:59 AM »
I've been wanting so hard to play this game, but it won't happen until I renew my PC. Great writeups and cool list dude :tup .

Offline The King in Crimson

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #791 on: November 18, 2014, 08:41:29 PM »
I've heard so many great things about this game but I've never played this myself. I did a little research now and found out that it's avaliable from Gog really cheap and that there even is a Mac version:

https://www.gog.com/game/planescape_torment

I think I'm gonna buy it and try it out.  :)
Do it. It's an amazing game. It might require some fiddling to run properly on a newer system but there are mods and fan patches out there that fix some of the more egregious issues and make the game more presentable to modern sensibilities.

I've been wanting so hard to play this game, but it won't happen until I renew my PC. Great writeups and cool list dude :tup .
Thanks :)

3. StarCraft / StarCraft: Broodwar (PC: 1998)
For anyone who claims that strategy games cannot tell a good story, make them play StarCraft. If they still disagree, kill them because who wants people like that walking around free... and alive.

StarCraft is an isometric real-time strategy game in the vein of WarCraft. In fact, before it came out, some folks joked that it looked just like WarCraft in space. Oh how wrong they were. See, WarCraft had two playable races, the orcs and the humans, and despite having different units, the two largely played the same. An ogre was the same as a knight, a catapult was the same as a ballista, etc. StarCraft, on the other hand, boasted three playable races, the terran humans, the psychic and spiritual protoss, and the hivemind zerg, and, unlike WarCraft, the races were different. Each played differently with different units, different strengths, and different weaknesses. Strategies that worked for the zerg would not work with, say, the terrans. Now, having three different races isn't that big of a deal, but having them be largely balanced against each other is where the cream really.... um creamifies. No one race overpowered the others and Blizzard, the game's creator, spent years after its release tweaking and retweaking aspects of the races until they were nigh perfect.

The story of StarCraft unfolds across three separate campaigns, each one focusing on one of the primary races and telling a chunk of the overall story. While I do love it, the story of StarCraft isn't really all that innovative and it doesn't really start to pick up until the very end of the terran campaign (which is the first part of the story). From that point, betrayals and plot-twists unfold naturally and expand the scope of the story. Characters are portrayed surprisingly well since you only get an overhead view of their 2D sprite characters and maybe a bit of some talking-head dialoguing.

Broodwar, the expansion to StarCraft, (remember when games had expansions?) on the other hand, ups the game and features some really well-done storytelling. And no, I do not mean it's well done for an RTS, the story is actually really good. There are some great twists and reveals and the characters all have a surprising amount of pathos to them. Everything is incorporated masterfully into the RTS style such that the storytelling never feels out of place and you find yourself looking forward to the next mission briefing just to find out what happens next. The ending to Broodwar is so excellent that StarCraft II, no matter how good it is, never really had a chance to live up to that legacy.

But, enough about the story, you're playing an RTS so obviously, the most important aspects are the gameplay and the multiplayer.  The gameplay in StarCraft is like most other real-time strategy games of the day. You build a base, train troops and try to defeat your opponent. Battles are fast and furious and how you manage your troops is often the key to victory. Just sending swarms of troops at your opponent is not a guarantee that you'll win, for your opponent might have the perfect counter to your force. Games can last hours or be over in minutes.

The real reason for StarCraft's longevity and success is mostly for its excellent multiplayer and the fact that you could connect online (for free!) with other players on battle.net. I sunk so many hours online and at LAN parties playing StarCraft whether it was straight up team matches against the computer, free-for-alls, or maybe even a custom scenario designed by some other player using the robust map-making software.

Really, StarCraft had it all. Great gameplay, great multiplayer, a damn good story, and an editor to make your own missions and scenarios for when you were tired of all of the above. To this day, I will happily and eagerly play StarCraft because no other RTS compares to its scope and brilliance in execution. This is a game that every fan of RTS's should play. It is a game that others still try to live up to, including its own sequels.

StarCraft is highly recommended for those who love Warhammer clones, for those whom tactical combat is akin to pornography, and for folks who love to click, click, click, and click some more.



Offline LieLowTheWantedMan

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. Japan: The List (pg 9)
« Reply #792 on: November 18, 2014, 10:56:34 PM »
Damn. I remember my grandpa always played Planescape: Torment when I was really young.

Offline Onno

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #793 on: November 19, 2014, 03:11:38 AM »
I've never played Starcraft/Broodwar, but I've played lots of SCII which is also an amazing game.

Offline Phoenix87x

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #794 on: November 19, 2014, 03:42:11 AM »
Hours upon hours upon hours spent playing Starcraft.

Unfortunately I sucked at it, but it was still fun as hell.

Offline Outcrier

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #795 on: November 19, 2014, 09:52:05 AM »
I guess one of these two games will appear: Baldur's Gate II or Diablo II
« Last Edit: November 19, 2014, 06:08:01 PM by Outcrier »
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Offline Evermind

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #796 on: November 19, 2014, 10:23:46 AM »
StarCraft: Broodwar is a hell of a game. The multiplayer was really addictive and challenging. This is the game when you think you're playing quite good when you're doing the campaigns, but then people just own you so hard online that you're either considering to quit or to spend hundreds of hours playing and improving.
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Offline Randaran

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #797 on: November 19, 2014, 01:34:45 PM »
One of the few RTSs I have ever played. I loved it, even though I suck.
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Offline sneakyblueberry

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #798 on: November 19, 2014, 02:49:23 PM »
I have never heard of Planescape: Torment before, but it sounds like something I'd gobble up nice and good.

Offline The King in Crimson

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #799 on: November 19, 2014, 10:38:00 PM »
Damn. I remember my grandpa always played Planescape: Torment when I was really young.
Your grandpa sounds awesome.

I guess one of these two games will appear: Baldur's Gate II or Diablo II
:neverusethis:

StarCraft: Broodwar is a hell of a game. The multiplayer was really addictive and challenging. This is the game when you think you're playing quite good when you're doing the campaigns, but then people just own you so hard online that you're either considering to quit or to spend hundreds of hours playing and improving.

One of the few RTSs I have ever played. I loved it, even though I suck.
Yeah, I was never very good at StarCraft. I think the best I ever got was decidedly mediocre, but I enjoyed all the time I spent with it nonetheless.

2. Deus Ex (PC: 2000)

Ah, yes, Deus Ex. You know I couldn't leave you off of a list like this?

Deus Ex is a RPG with FPS elements. These days, it's usually the other way around, with FPS games incorporating small amounts of RPG-like elements (such as in Bioshock) to add a bit of variety to the pabulum of pure running-n-gunning (not that there's anything wrong with that... see Doom and Half-Life). Deus Ex, however, presents itself as an FPS on the surface but the mechanics running in the background are dictated by some very deep RPG elements. Your proficiency in the game's many skills dictates how well you perform in certain areas of the game. Not proficient in rifles? Well, your aim when using a rifle will be wild and inaccurate. Lockpicking noob? Those pesky locks will eat more of your lockpicks. Not a 1337 h4XX0r? Well, certain options will be unavailable to you when you hack computers and security systems. Your choices as to which skills to focus on will inform your play style. When approaching a compound full of enemies, a stealthy hacker would probably best find an alternative route as opposed to the straightforward, guns-akimbo, John Woo carnage-fest. That approach would likely lead to a hasty and messy death.

The skills in the game are a varied bunch, covering such disciplines as computers, lockpicking, electronics, environmental training, medicine, swimming, demolitions, heavy weapons, low-tech weapons, pistols, and rifles. Each one is useful and you can max out only a few by the end of the game so it's important to have an idea of what kind of play style you want to engage in at least somewhat early in the game. Okay sorry, that was a bit of a lie, you can cross Swimming off that list. Swimming sucks. Don't pick Swimming. Just... don't.

If you haven't gotten the memo by now, choice is the primary factor that guides this game and it extends beyond mere character creation and skill selection. Like in many RPG's nowadays, the choices you make in how to approach situations, how you solve dilemmas, and which avenue you take can have consequences later on. Characters can die if you choose one approach or another and you can even supposedly make it through the entire game without killing anyone. I've never done it because, well, I suck, but hey, the option is there for those who don't suck. As you progress through the game, you'll be awarded with augmentation canisters which will grant the choice of a power, depending upon the canister. You'll have options ranging from a cloaking system, a remote drone, an anti-missile defense field, exceptional strength, and a whole ton of other choices. You only have a limited amount of augmentation slots, so you won't be able to have access to every power. The choice, as they say, is yours Mr. Denton.

Deus Ex's story is a positive wet dream for the budding conspiracy theorist packing in references to the Illuminati, Majestic 12, Area 51, black helicopters, Men In Black (the non-Will Smith versions), government engineered viruses, vaccines, Triads, terrorists, and a whole host of other stuff, all wrapped in a grimy, nano-augmented cyberpunk wrapping. You play as JC Denton a nano-augmented special agent for the UNATCO organization. Your elder brother Paul is also a member of the organization, though his esteem is in doubt due to his preference for nonviolent tactics. A terrorist group called the NSF is stirring some shit on Liberty Island in New York and you're sent in to clean up the mess. The setting and plot balloons out from there, sending you to Hell's Kitchen, Paris, Hong Kong and other distant locales over the course of the game, though not necessarily in that order.

Deus Ex is an absolutely fantastic game, but I think more than any other game on this list, I think it might be one of the more difficult ones to get into for those more tuned to the more modern gaming sensibilities. The graphics were not very pleasant even back when the game was released and now they have that  very late 90's look that makes most early 3D games look like absolute rubbish. The dialogue is often laughably bad and the voice acting is hilariously awful at times. BUT, if you can overlook these issues, this game is a treasure trove of fantastic design and gameplay. Deus Ex gets a hearty recommendation for fans of amateur voice acting, people who have always wanted to play a pacifist in an FPS (uhhh... why?), and anyone who has always wanted to meet Mr. JC Denton in da fresh. I know that's two jokes about the voice acting, shut up...

For those craving the Deus Ex experience but are unwilling to travel back to the ancient, pre-bump mapping days of 2000, Deus Ex: Human Revolution more than delivers. It's not as good as the original but it's still a very enjoyable game, with much better combat, graphics, writing in general, and voice acting that is mostly acceptable. Avoid Deus Ex: Invisible War though, which is the sequel to the original. Many people make it out to be a colossal piece of shit but it's really not. It's a huge step down from the first game and a big disappointment, but it's still fun and enjoyable for what it is; a watered-down and hugely consolified simplified Deus Ex experience. Still, you're better off playing the original or Human Revolution. Only play Invisible War if you're deeply curious and you can get it cheap.



Offline Bolsters

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #800 on: November 19, 2014, 10:42:43 PM »
This is one of two older RPG/FPS games I've been meaning to get around to playing for what seems like an eternity. Yet, I still haven't because I'm really fucking lazy. :lol

The other is System Shock 2.

Offline cramx3

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #801 on: November 20, 2014, 06:34:55 AM »
Never played the first one, but Human Revolution was an awesome game.  :tup

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #802 on: November 20, 2014, 08:41:26 AM »
Never played the first one, but Human Revolution was an awesome game.  :tup

This.  Took me a while to get the concepts of a game that is both RPG and FPS, but once I dedicated a little time to it, it rocked my world.  Excellent game.
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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #803 on: November 20, 2014, 08:50:44 AM »
This is one of two older RPG/FPS games I've been meaning to get around to playing for what seems like an eternity. Yet, I still haven't because I'm really fucking lazy. :lol

The other is System Shock 2.
Absolutely this. I really hope to renew my pc soon - I want so hard to play them. And what you said about Deus Ex being an RPG with FPS elements got me highly interested.

Offline The King in Crimson

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Re: The Top 25 Video Games Thread! v. The King in Crimson's time to rule (pg. 19)
« Reply #804 on: November 20, 2014, 10:01:40 PM »
1. Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn (PC: 2000)
And here it is. Number one. Numero uno. The best of the best. The favorite of the favorite. Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn has held the status for years with me for many various reasons, all of which I will expound upon in excruciating detail. I'll try to keep this as entertaining as possible.

First off, Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn is the sequel to the first Baldur's Gate game, which was my first foray into the world of Dungeons and Dragons. The first game... well, let's just say that I really like the first game, but it's really not perfect. It's kind of a diamond in the rough. Actually, not really a diamond even, more like a quartzite really at times. Still, I loved it enough that it made it's way onto my list... Ahh, number 11. Remember that? I was so young, so full of idealism then. Now? Just piss and hate... and cheetoes.

Now, Baldur's Gate 2 takes near everything wrong with the first game, improves upon it, then it takes everything good about the first game and improves upon that too. And then it does even more. The side-quests are all epic by themselves and there are a ton of them. Each one is expansive, with different approaches available. These are not the simple and straightforward "Go fetch my Slippers of Warmth +5" style quests that made up a majority of the first game.

The combat is much improved. Now there is a lot more strategic depth to the combat, especially when fighting against mages as you have to use your own spells to strip away the layers of protections before you can eventually take the mages out. Even without mages, the combat can be especially brutal as you get to take on some truly classic D&D monsters that were ignored in the first game. Mind flayers, demons, elementals, drow, golems, beholders, giants, and even a few screen-filling dragons will thwart your loot and experience-filled dreams. Using your spells and abilities and items to their fullest potential will be required to best many of these threats.

Like the first, BG2 is an isometric RPG. It plays out in real-time, however you can pause the action to queue up orders to your party so it proceeds as fast or as slow as you wish. You pick your race, class, gender, and your outlook on life (alignment - from hippy, goody two-shoes all the way to baby-punching, puppy-kicking, evil douchebag). There're a lot more races and classes to pick from than in BG1 (many of which I have not tried and will, undoubtedly never, ever try...). You can have a party of up to six adventurers, your main character plus five other characters that you can recruit along the way, each with their own quests, personalities, and back stories to further enhance your experience. There are fewer characters in BG2 than in BG1, but there is much more depth to them this time around. You'll come to like and prefer certain characters over others and all of them have their own niches and uses in the game.

The story of BG2 is easy to follow, even if you haven't played the first. The game drops enough hints and references to keep even the noobiest noob up to date. At the beginning of BG2, you get nabbed by some mysterious figures, sealed away in a dungeon, and experimented upon by some evil mage. During the experiments, some other group attacks the mage and you manage to free yourself. Once you escape from his dungeon, the game opens up in true Bioware fashion and you are given a relatively straightforward goal and multiple means to achieve it. Really, once you get topside, there is so much stuff to do. Quests involving slaver cartels, thief guilds, mysterious cults, castles under siege all literally jump right into your lap. Some of the quests sit out in the open, just waiting for you to nab them and others are more hidden and you will need to search around to find them. From there, the game will take you on an epic journey from the grimy streets of Athkatla (think typical high-fantasy medieval city) to blood-soaked vampire dens, demi-plane prisons, ancient elven cities, the depths of the Underdark, and even to the very demon-infested heart of the Abyss as well.

Most of the dialogue is presented as text, however, the little voice acting that is in the game is excellent. British B-Lister (C-Lister?) David Warner (of Time Bandits, Star Trek V and VI and numerous other films) voices the main villain and he is awesome. He is the true standout here as he takes what few lines he has and makes them shine. Only Tony Jay, who played the 'villain' in Planescape: Torment, has managed to deliver a better performance than Warner.

Special mention must be made of the games graphics. BG2 uses the Infinity Engine which, in its heyday, was goddamn beautiful. It utilized hand drawn 2D backgrounds but BG2 spruces them up with some 3D effects to jazz up the spells, backgrounds, and character models and almost everything looked like a work of art. There is a reason that Project Eternity is using the same approach of overlaying 2D artwork over 3D backgrounds.

So that's it. My favorite game ever.  I love it because there is so much to do in the game, so many quests, so many different approaches to take (some of which I still haven't done), the combat is a lot of fun, the story is great, the graphics hold up incredibly well despite the game being almost fifteen years old, and it's got that nostalgia factor going for it too. Will some other game ever come along to dethrone this? I don't know, but considering my gradually lessening gameplaying time, I seriously doubt it. I'll likely still pull this one out every so often when I want to 'relive' the classic, but I don't know if I'll ever have the time or will to put another game through the same ringer. This game might be here in the number one spot for the foreseeable future, but you know what? I can live with that.

Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn comes with the highest recommendations I can offer. Anyone and everyone should play this game but especially those for whom a d20 is an intense aphrodisiac, David Warner fanboys, and any who find the 2e Monstrous Manual to be their preferred bathroom reading material.

Special Mention should go out to Throne of Bhaal, the expansion pack for the game. Unlike with StarCraft and Broodwar, which I usually bundle together as one, singular whole, Throne of Bhaal and Baldur's Gate 2 I tend to hold separate. This is mainly because the 'story' of Baldur's Gate 2 is finished by the end of the game and Throne of Bhaal starts up a new storyline. I think Throne of Bhaal is an essential part of the Baldur's Gate series, anyone who is a fan of the first two should definitely play Throne of Bhaal as it finishes off the overarching storyline of the series and it's pretty damn epic as well. However, it is not perfect. It is significantly more difficult than BG2 and BG2 is not an easy game. Every fight becomes a drawn out, life-or-death struggle where victory is grasped by the barest of threads. That does lead to some truly epic encounters but it can be a bit tiring after a while and it means the more epic battles stand out less.

Also, by the end of BG2 your characters become so absurdly powerful that if defies belief that once Throne of Bhaal starts up, you continually encounter other creatures, organizations, and individuals on the same power level as yourself. It makes your accomplishments in the previous game seem so... hollow and meager by comparison.

So, in conclusion, I think Throne of Bhaal is a very good finale for the series and a good game in its own right, but BG2 is better on it's own, in my opinion at least.




So that's it. That's my favorite 25 games. It was an interesting trip down memory lane and pretty much every one of these entries that, when I was writing them out, made me want to go back and replay the game. I actually started up quite a few and played for a couple of days after writing out their respective entries. Bioshock, The Legend of Zelda, Doom (well Brutal Doom actually), Deus Ex, X-Com, Super Mario World, UT, and Skyrim all saw a not insignificant amount of play time. As for BG2? Well, I'm pretty much always in the process of replaying that game.

Hope you all enjoyed my longwinded ramblings. If any of you happen to pick up any of these games and enjoy them because of this list, then I've done my job. :)