Video Games: Favorites

I decided to make up a list of my favorite and least-favorite video games. I'll start off with my favorites. They are in order, but it's kind of a "soft" order based on a number of factors (nostalgia, personal impact, and overall liking of the game) rather than a strict scale. The least-favorites will be in a subsequent post. Disclaimer: there may be some spoilers in here. I'm just writing my thoughts as they come out.

Favorites:

1. Tomb Raider (Eidos Interactive/Core Design 1996)
   
   I place this game at number one primarily because it was the first "real" game I played (but mostly watched Billy play) in addition to  it being a great game. Tomb Raider is cool. It has guns and puzzles and nifty ancient locations inexplicably filled with hostile wildlife and complex traps. The most common complaint is the clunky control scheme, but it was a perfect fit for the game. Combined with the square grid construction, it makes the action and the puzzles simple (if not always easy) to solve and execute, relieving a lot of tension and frustration that results from game puzzles that are less strictly built. For example, there's never any need to question "can I make that jump?" and follow up with repeated save-scum attempts. You count the number of squares and go from there. Often I miss this feature in games today. Leaps of faith just aren't fun gameplay mechanics. As for story, Tomb Raider has one of those plots that mostly serves to simply tie all the levels together, but still has one of the craziest twists leading to the visceral (literally) and creepy final set of levels in Atlantis. It's a solid game to kick off a solid franchise that lives on today (though I rue the multiple unnecessary reboots).
2. StarCraft (Blizzard Entertainment 1998)
   
   StarCraft is so epic in scope, in a couple of ways. I'll talk about the multiplayer first, because that's where many, many hours of my early teenage years were spent. StarCraft is incredibly versatile. The standard matches were fun enough, but the custom maps were what really made it shine. The blending of customization and standard gameplay (specifically on the "infinite money" maps) is something that  greatly appeals to me. I like to make huge armies and have giant battles without having to worry about meticulous resource management (the latter is something I leave to the pros). But even that falls in the shadow of some of the truly ingenious "use map settings" games that people devised. There are maps for basically everything imaginable: Star Wars, Aeon of Strife, StarCraft Expanded Universe scenarios, Risk, Diplomancy, Roleplaying, Crash RPG (one of my favorites), Tower Defense (the original), Resident Evil, Lord of the Rings...you name it, there was almost certainly a map for it. And most of them were cool, well-designed and well-executed maps. But that's not the only thing that made StarCraft great. It has an incredible campaign mode with a riveting story; it's weird to say that about an RTS, but it's true. The campaigns themselves are fairly easy to complete, but there's a wealth of neat scripted events and dialogue that move things along. The manual contains a very in-depth back story leading up to the events of the game, and there's a real sense of a massive war going on in which the stakes are the future of life in the galaxy.
3. Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios/BioWare 2007)
   
   Mass Effect loses the top spot only because Tomb Raider and StarCraft are such a huge part of my childhood/teens. Mass Effect likewise defines a significant portion of my young-adulthood and my beginnings in what people call "gaming" (i.e. playing video games as a specific hobby, rather than just casually). Of all the games on this list, I would consider Mass Effect to be the greatest. It has its flaws: a little too much menu-jockeying, an abundance of mostly useless loot, a cover-fire system that doesn't serve any real purpose, recycled sidequest locations, and the infamous Mako driving sections. But the flaws are far outshined by the overwhelming successes. Mass Effect creates a deep and believable world in which every planet has a dossier, every piece of technology is described in depth, and every race has a complex background that sets the stage for the events and conflicts of the game. It puts you in the shoes of a character that you can shape according to your personality and by your actions. It gives you the ability to use awesome futuristic powers and weapons. It has a cast of interesting characters with unique experiences and tales to tell. Best of all, it mixes bright-eyed science fiction of days gone by with Lovecraftian cosmic horror, while promoting themes of unity, hope, and perseverance in the face of the longest odds. Meanwhile it explores applicable issues (Tolkien would be proud) of racial prejudice, technological impact, and governmental/bureaucratic hindrance. Mass Effect is huge, cool, and rich. And it has Garrus Vakarian. What more could you ask for?
   
   
4. Mass Effect 2 (EA/BioWare 2010)
   
   I generally don't believe in putting two games from a series on a "best of" list, but I have to make an exception. Mass Effect 2 is distinct and good enough to warrant a place alongside Mass Effect. It continues the epic tale set up in the first game, kicking off with one of the most dramatic and immersive opening sequences I've personally laid eyes upon. It improves on just about every flaw from the original by fixing the cover-fire system, simplifying the interface and menus, doing away with recycled locations, and giving the already cool powers more kick and versatility. The cast of characters is increased (some old faces return, and even more new ones are introduced), and the game really focuses in on developing those characters. It sheds light on some of the seedier parts of the Mass Effect world, such as the ruined Krogan home world and the "wretched hive of scum and villainy" that is Omega Station. One of the most impressive and interesting parts of the entire game lies in uncovering some of the truth behind the Geth, the primary antagonists of Mass Effect. It's darker than the first, but continues to explore the same themes and issues. It's more compact and personal, and in so being effectively fills the role of Trilogy Act II. The follow-up may have been lackluster, but Mass Effect 2 remains one of the best games out there.
5. BioShock (2K Games 2007)
   
   BioShock, the spiritual successor to System Shock, is one of the more engrossing games I've played. It has a unique art deco setting laced with steampunk technology, crafting a sort of high-minded yet slightly unsettling atmosphere. It's like the uncanny valley of game worlds. Add to that the fact that almost everyone in the city of Rapture has gone crazy from genetic manipulation (and those who haven't aren't exactly all there themselves), and the vigilant patrols by the Big Daddies and the eerie harvesting Little Sisters, and it makes for a tense, creepy, and emotionally impacting game experience. It's truly harrowing, and kind of tiring in a sense; when I completed BioShock, I felt mixed senses of relief at escaping and disgust and horror at the place I'd left behind. It was a kind of closure that felt so much like I'd actually been there, and never ever wanted to go back (which is not at all to say I wouldn't play it again, but I didn't really feel to keen about playing the sequel). As for gameplay, the genetic modifications and powers made it fully customizable and extremely fun; never before have I been able to choose between setting an enemy on fire with a snap of a finger, unleashing on them a horde of angry bees from out of my hand, or hacking a security terminal so that automated drones hunt them down; and that's just some of the abilities BioShock offers. The multitude of weapons and upgrades adds even more variety and strategy. The divergent ending shows two possible outcomes depending on how you chose to deal with the eerie Little Sisters. And I would be remiss not to mention one of the coolest plot twists ever, one that throws everything you do in the game into question while neatly hanging a lampshade on the nature of linear gameplay. BioShock is so well done in every way.
6. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (LucasArts/Activision/Raven Software 2002)
   
   There are tons of Star Wars games out there. Of the several that I have played, a couple of them make this list very easily. Jedi Outcast follows Kyle Katarn, an ex-Jedi, as he investigates some shenanigans that the Imperial remnant are up to in the outer reaches of a galaxy far, far away. It turns out to be more than he bargained for, and long story short Kyle decides to pick up the lightsaber and become a Jedi again. The game is a huge improvement over its predecessor, Dark Forces 2. The comical live-action FMV sequences are gone and the controls are improved greatly, especially the third-person lightsaber combat. The story is a little bit contrived, centering around Force-infused crystals that grant Jedi powers to soldiers so that they can be more powerful soldiers that can overthrow the new Jedi Order, but the gameplay shines. It's smooth and powerful, and really gives the feel of playing as a nigh-unstoppable Jedi against an army of well-equipped bad guys. There's no ability to choose which Force powers to level up, which some might consider to be a negative feature, but it allows the game to flow smoothly and scale properly by granting powers at the appropriate time and giving the player scenarios they can handle with those powers. Other games (notably the sequel, Jedi Academy) that allow power customization suffer from a sort of stagnation, where each level features roughly the same enemies and puzzles, just in case you didn't level up this or that power. In short, I mark this as a positive feature of the game. It's suitable and effective. The locations in the game are also very neat, ranging from Imperial outposts to Nar Shaddaa alleyways to a huge Imperial flagship that Kyle must help to disable from within. Interestingly, there's no light/dark side scale/choice in this game. Again, this is suitable, because it allows the game to do its thing without being overly complicated while still giving you access to a range of powers including Force choke and Force lightning. The game is what some might refer to derisively as "linear," but in this case it's a hugely positive thing.
7. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (LucasArts/BioWare 2003)
   
   Knights of the Old Republic is the other obvious Star Wars game to make this list. Quite the opposite of Jedi Outcast, this game offers complete customization and role play, focusing less on the sheer brute combat power of the Jedi and more on the diplomatic side. That's not to say that combat is scant, but the pen-and-paper-RPG style of this game feels quite different. Knights goes back thousands of years before the Star Wars movies, into the true Old Republic during a period of war. The Republic has a full army and are locked in a struggle with the Sith army for galactic dominance. The player character is on a mission to find the legendary Star Forge and attempt to stop the steadily advancing, apparently limitless Sith armada. This game does a lot to expand the Star Wars universe, visiting familiar and new worlds alike (at the time of the game's release, Kashyyyk and the greater Wookiee race had not been shown on-screen yet). It also takes a close look at the dynamics of the Jedi Order, their teachings, and the nature of the omnipresent light vs. dark struggle. Each character has their own alignment and insights to offer on the struggle, and the ultimate takeaway is that the Jedi Order, despite their best intentions, have to be ever vigilant lest they become corrupted by their own strictures (this theme was displayed again in Revenge of the Sith, but didn't come across quite as well as it could have). It's a game that's deeply about choices and self-determination; the big reveal gives a unique opportunity for players to define themselves by their actions rather than their reputation. It's also about compassion, and how the Jedi exemplify it and the Sith refuse it (even though the light/dark side choices are very heavy handed). It's a very deep game, and it's not for everyone, but it has a ton to offer anyone who picks it up.
8. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Softworks 2011)
   
   Skyrim is one of a tiny few games where the greater story and setting are practically irrelevant to me, and that speaks volumes about the quality of the game. Don't get me wrong: that's not to say there is no story or setting worth writing about, or that the environment isn't completely amazing. It's just something that I didn't focus on. The Elder Scrolls series is absolutely laden with story and flavor elements that are intricately tied to the setting, but I was a newcomer with Skyrim (though I tried my hand at Oblivion and found it too complex for my liking). I don't have the background knowledge to get really immersed in that aspect. As for Skyrim itself, it has no real overarching plot, but rather several story lines running concurrently that have more-or-less equal relevance and importance. The two most obvious are the civil war and the dragons' return (the latter is the "main quest line"), but some other big ones are the Winterhold Mage College, the Thieves Guild, and the Dark Brotherhood. And this single aspect is primarily what makes Skyrim so tremendously great. It's not just a game, it's an entire playable world. There are dozens of characters working for countless different ends, and as the player you are free to involve yourself in any of them. You can build yourself from the ground up. You can construct your own custom weapons and armor with the ability to add various enchantments; craft potions and poisons; become a master thief, a silent assassin, an armored juggernaut of destruction, a powerful mage of several varieties, a werewolf, a vampire; the possibilities are too numerous to write down. And as you wander the world, you will see that it's alive (especially when you wander into a fight to the death between a dragon, a wolly mammoth, and a pair of giants). The scenery is no less epic, with huge mountains, waterfalls, giant frozen oceans, shipwrecks, cities, mining camps, and fortresses of all sorts across the continent. It's so easy to get lost inside the world for hours upon hours, just being a part of all of the things going on. It's a lot more streamlined and simplified from Oblivion (and I'm told the enemy level scaling is fixed as well), which allowed me to get right into it without feeling like I was overwhelmed by the number of skill trees to level up. Skyrim is a near-perfect virtual world experience, quite unlike most games I've played.
9. God of War (Sony Computer Entertainment 2005)
   
   God of War is a spectacle. The concept is extremely simple: kills many, many things, solve some puzzles, fight a boss, dust off your hands and repeat. The execution is much more. From the very beginning, God of War has some of the coolest set pieces in all of video gaming. The first level involves clambering around some ruined ships and confronting the Hydra, and it only gets cooler from there, traversing the city of Athens, the Desert of Lost Souls, the massive Temple of Pandora located on the back of the Titan Cronos, and even the underworld of Hades. The game is challenging, even on the lowest difficulty setting (as none of the puzzles offer any reprieve for playing on Easy mode), but immensely satisfying. A few segments of the game are truly frustrating, but not enough that it sours the whole experience. The controls and combat are excellently designed, allowing simple yet effective combo attacks, dodges, and parries with a very manageable learning curve. The fixed camera is a gem, focusing on the excellent scenery while at the same time making combat simple to handle (though certainly not always easy). The story is nothing to write home about (find Pandora's Box, overthrow Ares), but it's competent and serves to drive the game from point A to point B. Kratos is no one's hero, but strapping on the Blades of Chaos and blasting off towards good old Spartan vengeance is about as worthwhile as it gets in beat-em-up games. It's not a particularly long game, but the several hours of gameplay provided (and more, should you attempt the extremely hard God Mode) are a great experience.
10. Halo: Combat Evolved (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie 2001)
    
    Halo is so iconic in video gaming that it's hard to imagine it wouldn't land on my best-of list, but I don't include it because of its influence on gaming or the absurdly huge franchise it spawned. On its own merits, in a vacuum, Halo is a great game. I never owned an Xbox, so it wasn't until the PC release that I got to play Halo's campaign in its entirety. Somehow I avoided spoilers (though I speculate it's probably because the internet wasn't quite as huge yet in those days), so when I played it from beginning to end it was a brand new experience. And boy, was it good. Discovering that the eponymous Halo was a weapon of mass destruction designed to wipe out sentient life in the galaxy was a chilling plot twist. It's one of the big reveals that I keep filed away in my mental file of awesome reveals (alongside Revan, Sovereign, and Andrew Ryan). The appearance of the Flood was similarly impacting, and it was nothing short of terrifying to battle them through the rest of the campaign. The graphics look pretty good to this day. The gameplay, more-or-less standard FPS, is spot on and the weapons are nifty and varied enough to promote tactical forethought. I have to give specific praise to the driving mechanics, which are very well done and intuitive. The driving sections are remarkably not a chore, which is something a lot of games fail to pull off. Oh, and it also brought console shooters and competitive multiplayer into the mainstream, accomplishing what Goldeneye foreshadowed years before.

Honorable Mentions: There are a few games that I love that just don't quite have all the things these ten games have, but qualify as great games that I have to include somewhere. Just missing this list by a hair is Saints Row the Third (I had to decide between that and God of War for the 9th spot, and I chose the one with the greater nostalgia factor). The other games I feel worth mentioning are Aliens vs. Predator 2, Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Dragon Age: Origins, Portal, and The Sims. All of these are excellent, and if you're reading this and haven't played any of those games, they come highly recommended.