Andy Bartsch, Reporter
Being a complete and total nerd, I like to drown myself in all things comic books, movies, and video games. I LOVE video games! Roughly about a year ago, Mighty Mike Lunsford asked me to write an article listing my ten favorite video games of all time for his site, the Great Geek Refuge. That was no easy chore, my friend! Only ten games? Surely, you jest! It’s an ever changing list! It doesn’t help that there are always some pretty incredible games being released all the time! However, looking back on this article, I still stand by what I said, but I will give a few honorable mentions at the end of the article. So consider this the slightly updated list from an already great article. The HD Remastered version, if you will.
Metal Gear Solid
Like many gamers in North America, I had never heard of the Metal Gear games until my buddy got his hands on a Playstation demo disk (remember those??!?) and played it at my house. I don’t remember the other games on the disk, but the one that really stood out was a game called Metal Gear Solid, where instead of knocking out a ton of random henchmen, you were supposed to remain hidden. But if you WERE discovered, you had all kinds of amazing tools, weapons and skills to get you out a jam. It was mindblowing! The interesting characters, the dynamic story, the inventive gameplay! This game got the player really involved with the action, especially when it came to fighting the master of mind-reading and hypnosis, Psycho Mantis. The voice acting was off the charts, and the actors took the game very seriously and didn’t half-ass it (however, a lot of them used pseudonyms). Solid Snake (yeah, I laughed at the name when I first heard it too) became a gaming icon and was eventually featured as a playable character in Super Smash Bros Brawl.
Resident Evil 2
The first game I ever played on the Sony Playstation. Not knowing much about it’s prequel, I really got into this game and it changed how I viewed games. This was the first game I ever played that didn’t have “levels”, which shocked the hell out of me at the time. The idea of a “horror” video game was completely new to me, and I felt the immense dread throughout the entire game. You never knew when a Licker or Mr. X was going to pop out of a corner or jump through a window and make you jump out of your skin. Eat your heart out Five Nights At Freddy’s.
Spider-Man
Despite the occasional good game in Spidey’s history, he has not had a great resume of games, particularly with their controls. But Spider-man for the Playstation really make you feel like you could do, well to quote the theme song, anything a spider can. It’s still an very fun game that I play every once and a while to this very day.
“Well, something’s tingling…”
Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar Games really hit a home run with this open world western game. The millions of dollars they put into it really shows. From the graphics, to the gameplay, the acting, the scope and scale, RDR is a massive win.
DMC: Devil May Cry
I was a Devil May Cry fan from day one when the first Devil May Cry was released on the PS2 in 2001. Like many fans, I was off put by this skinny emo kid claiming to be Dante. But with a lot of good writing (including a more concrete backstory for Dante), an insanely fun combo system, and the most breath taking level design ever, this reboot won me over. I’m waiting for a followup, Capcom.
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
This is guilty pleasure of mine. It’s not a terrible game by any means but it is very juvenile. The long running series of PC games about a little guy in a squeaky plastic suit trying to get his jive situation on has finally moved to consoles. It is seriously one of the funniest games I’ve ever played, mainly thanks to the “choose the dialog” games. Choose the wrong lines intentionally and you get some hilarious lines of dialog.
Toejam & Earl
Never have I ever played a game that was so frustratingly challenging and fun. The two jammin’ aliens from the planet Funkatron search for pieces of their crashed rocketship while trying to avoid those crazy humans. The sound design is what really does it for me. The soundtrack and sound effects really make this game memorable. And who doesn’t enjoy opening presents?!
Megaman X
Taking everything that was great about Mega Man and taking it to the next level! Mega Man (ahem) excuse me, X now has more of an edge in his search for upgrades in order to defeat the evil Sigma.
The Last of Us
Quite possibly the best opening prologue to a video game ever! This game does what the Walking Dead tries to by making not making the center of the story the monsters but the people trying to survive and the connections they make. The ending will have you in tears.
L.A. Noire
Another hit from Rockstar Games. This time you’re a detective rising through the ranks of the LAPD in the 1940s. The game has a very creative “face reading” mechanic, where actor’s faces are scanned in order to get realistic reactions, and you tell if the character is lying or telling the truth based their facial features. There has never been a gaming experience like it before or since.
Some honorable mentions include: Fallout 4, Telltale Games The Walking Dead: The Game, Life is Strange, Until Dawn, Batman: Arkham City, True Crime: Streets of LA, Grand Theft Auto V, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist, Evil Dead: Hail to the King, Silent Hill.
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