200th Post: My Top Ten Favourite Video Games

I’ve reached 200 posts on the Cainage Critique which calls for another countdown. This time I’m flipping it around and talking about my favourite games that I’ve played for as long as I can remember. Some newer games I’ve been getting into such as Overwatch, XCOM 2 and The Witcher 3 won’t be included here as I haven’t put enough time into those titles to really appreciate them over the following games in my list (Though I will be getting to those later with fully-fledged reviews). This post will also be inherently biased as I’ve mostly been a PlayStation fan over the years, having only recently gotten into full-on PC gaming. Thanks very much again to everyone who reads my blog.

Honourable Mentions

·       Dishonored (PS3)

For developer Arkane’s first main title, Dishonored really does excel. With an absorbing water-colour style world and a sense of morality woven into its gameplay, Dishonored releases the player into environments and allows them to choose the fate of Dunwall from the offset with a variety of awesome powers and weaponry. It misses the main list because its story is predictable and some other niggling things (Which I talked about in another series on this blog) get in the way of player choice at times.

·       Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3)

Marking the return of the franchise after many years, Deus Ex Human Revolution was a title I zeroed in on as soon as I saw the initial trailer. It’s a great RPG with a strong focus multi-layered levels but intrigue is one of its greatest strengths, personified with a tough future where corporations come first, waging literal warfare against each other. The black and gold hue marks it as an incredibly stylised title and the amount of player choice on display is extensive, allowing for tons of customisation and play styles, whether you’re upgrading Jensen’s abilities as an augmented super-soldier or a stealthy covert operative.

·       Assassin’s Creed II (PS3)

Assassin’s Creed has become a highly divisive series; but before it went downhill, it used to be one of the more unique and thoughtful action games out there. II was the first game I played in the series and I was positively blown away by how good the game was and how likeable Ezio Auditore Da Firenze could be as a protagonist. Brilliant writing and characters served the foundation for a superb tale of revenge set across the beautiful environments of the Italian Renaissance. Just about every flaw in the first game had been rectified and fixed as well. Even over six years after its release, ACII is still the most well-rounded of the entire series for me and a reminder of the level of passion Ubisoft once put into its games.

·       Sly 3: Honour Among Thieves (PS2)

The last of best of the Sly trilogy, Honour Among Thieves rounded off the underrated series with a bang, offering the same brilliant platforming action while also bringing in a heap of new characters to play as the adventure went on. The game was also incredibly dynamic with its scenarios for the time, swapping from hacking mini-games to pirate ship combat and back again over its duration. It’s story also had many improvements with a real camaraderie being created between the gang of thieves as they searched for a way into the Cooper family vault. It was a fitting end to the story, though 2013’s Thieves in Time had other ideas further down the line…

·       Ape Escape (PS1)

Ape Escape is extremely underappreciated and it’s a game I played a ton as a child. Outside of Pokemon, there aren’t many games like it nowadays and the series remains dormant to this day. A shame because the first game was a crazily corny, yet fantastic platformer. Running around and catching escaped super-intelligent monkeys across time seems like a recipe for chaotic madness, but the game created a real structure and progression to the formula. Acquiring new gadgets as the levels grew more and more complex was only part of the fun as the game made great use of the PlayStation’s analog sticks for an intuitive control scheme.

10. Half Life 2 (PC)

Starting off the main list is Valve’s legendary shooter sequel, and to some extent its episodic expansions. With one of the most memorable and well-paced campaigns in FPS history, Half Life 2 creates an unparalleled level of immersion right from the get-go as the oppressive nature of the Combine Controlled City 17 bears down on Gordon Freeman and the characters around him. From there the player is taken across a solid variety of locations, enemies and encounter, all without a single dip into cutscenes or instances where control is taken away from the player. Powerful weapons, smart enemy AI, it’s all top-of-the-range when it comes to the shooter genre. The episodic expansions continued to build on this layer with an even greater variety of environments and battles to undertake, inevitably leading up to gaming’s most infamous cliff-hanger that still hasn’t been resolved a decade later…

9. Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon (PS1)

Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage was the very first video game I owned and completed on the PlayStation 1, but despite my nostalgia for it, Year of the Dragon is my favourite of the three because it built on an already solid foundation. Much like Sly 3 it brought in new characters (The flying penguin Sgt Byrd being my most played) and expanded on the base platforming. From a surprisingly fun set of skateboarding levels to full on race-tracks, Spyro: Year of the Dragon boasts the most varied gameplay of the series, something down to its more complex level design which packed even more ventures in every world visited. It’s just too bad that after Insomniac Games left the series, it all went downhill for the purple dragon and his dragonfly sidekick.

8. Batman Arkham City (PS3)

Arkham City is not only the best Batman game but remains the greatest superhero game ever created. Not even its sequel Arkham Knight could top it in 2015. In 2009, Batman: Arkham Aslyum proved that the genre didn’t have to be confined to crappy licensed games. But in 2011, Arkham City blew the lid off the top, improving on its predecessor and upping the ante in every way. A deeper combat system, more twisting narrative and an even bigger world to do it all in; everything is taken to the next level. Whether playing through the engaging main story or the well thought out side-quests, it’s the ultimate Batman simulator, remaining an absolute must buy for any game player, comic book fan or not.

7. Red Dead Redemption (PS3)

Taking a break from Grand Theft Auto in 2010, Rockstar saw fit to develop a spiritual successor to the underrated Red Dead Revolver. Using what they had learned from their main series, the result was one of the most acclaimed open world games on the seventh generation of consoles, nothing less from a master of the genre. Where Red Dead Redemption differs from Grand Theft Auto is through its plot; I like a brilliant story in games and Red Dead Redemption is by far the most thoughtful tale that Rockstar has put out in this regard. As John Marston sets out to capture or kill his old gang, walking the path set out for him by the corrupt government, there’s a sad poignancy to it all, a sense that an age of freedom is turning to a time of order and control. It’s backed up with a solid sub-set of gameplay systems that really pull you in to the dying old west. Some people call RDR Grand Theft Auto with horses; I call it one of Rockstar’s crowning jewels when it comes to plot and narrative, an immensely engaging title that can stand alongside the best spaghetti westerns.

6. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

Uncharted Drake’s Fortune marked Naughty Dog’s debut on the PlayStation 3 but fell somewhat short in terms of quality. For the sequel in 2009, the developer saw fit to improve on the first in every conceivable way and they certainly delivered. Uncharted 2 is a fantastic second entry and a showcase for the system it is exclusive to. From the start of the Nepal level around a third into its runtime, Uncharted 2 becomes a non-stop thrill ride all the way to the finish, turning it into a game that you don’t want to put down. It stands above both Uncharted 3 and 4 in this way, turning it into a game you don’t want to stop playing just because you want to see where the story goes. Polishing itself to a fine sheen, Among Thieves remains one of the most rip-roaring adventures committed to a controller.

5. Team Fortress 2 (PC)

This class based shooter is insanely fun, with my favourite class being the engineer. Originally, I played TF2 on the PlayStation 3 version of The Orange Box back in 2007 before it inevitably fell to hackers and a dwindling player base. On PC however it’s a completely different story and when I got back into the game in 2011, it was still just as wild and enjoyable as it was before. The nine classes and their different play styles are great to experiment with and a constant stream of new content for free ensures the game will never go stale; Team Fortress 2 has lasted so long because it has a personality and wacky charm that few other online shooters can match.

4. Ratchet and Clank 3 (PS2)

Those who have known me for a while will know that I was all over Ratchet and Clank back at primary school and 3 is still the one I go back to the most. I can remember first playing it at a friend’s house soon after it released in 2004; little did we know that we walking into one of the finest exclusives the PlayStation 2 had to offer. It packed the funniest humour and a massive web of weapon systems and awesome looking planets into one comprehensive package. On top of all that, the third game in the series added multiplayer for four players, resulting in all sorts of manic moments round friend’s houses with split-screen. Ratchet and Clank 3 is ultimately a perfection of the platformer-shooter hybrid that Insomniac continues to pride itself on today.

3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)

Released in 2008, Metal Gear Solid 4 was the first “must-have” game for the PlayStation 3 and after reading through the included encyclopaedia to catch up on the story, I dived into the series for the first time. Metal Gear Solid 5 may have the most refined and open-ended gameplay but for me Metal Gear Solid 4 is the most complete and fully-featured game in the entire series. A phenomenal campaign paced with stunning cinematics and countless set-piece moments with a bleak, depressing tone hanging over all of it as Solid Snake’s story comes to a close. It’s still one of the most detailed and tightly produced games out there with a story that wraps up the Metal Gear franchise perfectly while also delivering the tense stealth gameplay and pushing the console hardware to its limits.

2. The Last of Us (PS3)

As a titan of the industry, Naughty Dog has put out some stellar titles ever since they first started working under Sony; I enjoyed the Crash Bandicoot and Uncharted trilogies a fair bit throughout the PlayStation’s 3’s lifespan but it was The Last of Us which really cemented them as the best in the business. From the heart-wrenching opening all the way through to its somewhat ambiguous conclusion, the game boasts some of the best voice acting and presentation facets ever seen strung along with some brutally intense stealth gameplay in which item crafting, survival horror and a ferocious set of encounters had me on edge the whole way through. Even the multiplayer stood out as very innovative, rather than a tacked-on extra. It’s a staggeringly well-realised combination that dwarves many other AAA games. The Last of Us made a very serious run at my number one spot but settled at number two. As an emotional journey, it remains unsurpassed, but when taken as a whole package, there’s only one game that can top it…

1. The Mass Effect trilogy (PS3)

My favourite game by a mile is Mass Effect, not a single game but the entire trilogy. Much like Avatar in my top 10 favourite films, it’s a culmination of everything I enjoy about science fiction taken to the highest level. I first got into it when Mass Effect 2 came to the PlayStation 3 in 2011 and then the third game in 2012. At the end of that same year, the first game also came to the system to complete the set. I couldn’t pick just one entry in the series when all three games form a cohesive, emotional and insanely awesome tale. Blending action-packed gameplay and meaningful choices against the backdrop of a vast and expansive galaxy of lore. You become so attached to the characters and the world they inhabit. Each of the games have their faults; Mass Effect 1’s clunky mechanics and 3’s ending being the most glaring but none of them are enough to sour my overall enjoyment. Even years after their releases, I’m still heading back to the series, mixing and matching character classes and enjoying the ride time and again. Will Mass Effect Andromeda live up the immensely high standard set by the original trilogy? I’m looking forward to finding out when it releases in March.

(Images used for the purposes of review under fair use)