LogFAQs > #976982005

90. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
This game really seems like it's been abandoned by the hardcore Zelda fanbase. At least that's how it feels using my sample size of Board 8! I've always really liked TP, though. The standout point is definitely the stellar dungeons, as I like-to-love all of them, but it does everything else right for me as well. The writing is solid, Midna is a great side character, and the atmosphere of the twilight zones is very cool. Also a big fan of the art style it might be my favorite in the series. The game doesn't have as expansive of an open world as its predecessors, but that didn't bother me.

89. Alan Wake
Just played this recently. Alan Wakes is an example of how execution of a concept can elevate it to something that's greater than the sum of its parts. The combat is serviceable but repetitive, the characters aren't particularly deep, and the story is intentionally cliche...but the way its narrative is told gives it a stellar atmosphere from start to finish. Which I suppose is fitting for a game about stories influencing reality. There's just a sense of artistry and panache to it that most other games are lacking. Despite the dated early-2010s gameplay, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Alan Wake, and I'm looking forward to trying the sequel soon.

88. Dragon Quest VIII
Dragon Quest XI is probably better, but this one has the nostalgia edge (and a much better soundtrack). Dragon Quest VIII is just a very solid DQ game overall. Charming art style, dialogue, characters, and the traditional gameplay which basically feels like comfort food at this point. It lacks the highs that my absolutely favorite games in the series have, but if you were to pick a random PS2 JRPG to play, you could do far worse.

87. Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Back when everyone was going crazy for all the 3D platformers that Super Mario 64 inspired...I didn't really take to them. Genre just isn't my thing. Rayman 2 was the exception. I still believe it has some of the best platformer level design I've played, with stages feeling like actual linear challenges instead of collectathon playboxes. The core movement and abilities are strong, and there's also tons of unique obstacles and setpieces, so nothing ever gets old. The bizarre atmosphere adds to it as well, as the plot expertly straddles the line between whimsical and dark.

86. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
I adored this game when it came out. It's less special to me now that 14 years have passed (oh god), but my memories of it are still strong. Devil Survivor, more than anything else, has an excellent atmosphere. It really delivers on the title everything is on a timer, characters can die permanently if you don't pay attention to them, and if you screw up badly enough, you're locked out of every reasonably good ending. The strategy-game combat and team building aspects are also fun, but it's the tense situations, combined with a very well-paced narrative, that really sold me. It also kept the anime weirdness to a relative minimum, which made the atmosphere believable.

85. Ever17
Ever17 is the biggest mindfuck in the universe when you first play it. Especially if it gets you at a young age when you haven't seen other similar plotlines. That final twist and the way it's crafted is fantastic, and it clearly went on to inspire other games in the genre, although for my money Ever17 still did it best. Unfortunately, Ever17 goes SO hard on setting up that one single twist that the rest of the game kinda suffers to prop it up. The pacing is poor even by VN standards. It's one of those stories I'm very glad to have experienced, but I'm definitely never playing it again.

84. Suikoden V
I crave a remaster of this game with quality of life fixes. Personally, it has one of my favorite gaming stories of all time. It's not a super unique story, but it's very well-told, and I highly enjoyed it from start to finish. Fantasy family drama is my jam. But as my hint mentioned...this game really hates the player's time. Random encounters are extremely frequent and have long loading times. Even when I played it back in the day, with lower standards, I could barely tolerate this issue until I got an item that literally turns off random encounters. A Suikoden V with snappy gameplay like Suikoden II is probably 40+ spots higher on this list.

83. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
There's no legitimate reason for someone to play this over Skyrim these days, but I actually enjoyed (unmodded, vanilla) Oblivion more. Mostly because it was my introduction into the genre of expansive WRPGs. This game felt alive in a way few have since then. It also had just enough janky silliness to keep things interesting over a long period. I mentioned Acrobatics in my hint, and real talk, it contributed to some core gaming memories. Slowly leveling up your jump height until I was able to circumvent level design in inventive ways felt super freeform and rewarding.

82. Dark Souls 2
Dark Souls 2 has a bunch of issues. Its combat is the worst in the series, with questionable hitboxes and enemies that auto-track you to an absurd degree. The level design doesn't have as many standout areas, with there being too many that feel like filler. The Adaptability stat was a terrible idea. Enemies dying permanently was also a terrible idea. 'Lesser than the sum of its parts' is a good description. It's still got some good ideas, though, and it's still From Software. I'd take black sheep From Software over 99% of gaming.

Although, as a hint, this isn't actually my least-favorite game in the Souls series.

81. Fallout 4
Everything that people gripe about in regards to Fallout 4 is a legitimate complaint. The main story writing is sub-par. It doesn't let you build your main character's personal narrative. Defending settlements is tedious. The world just feels shallow.

I also enjoyed the heck out of it. This is the only Fallout game where combat is actually fun. Running around the wasteland and poking my head into whatever I find is at its best here. The level-up system is also significantly improved, making it easier to customize your gameplay style the way you want.

Yeah, I never finished the main story, but what else is new when it comes to Bethesda? Full disclosure, I did install a decent number of mods to improve the experience, but it probably makes the Top 100 even without mod support...unlike a certain other game that will be appearing later.