#019 – Fallout 3 (PS3) This was one of my most anticipated games from this generation simply because I loved both the first and second Fallout games. While quite a number of people state that their expectations have fallen flat. I sincerely disagree. No matter how much I loved the first two games, the third is undoubtedly superior, more polished and just better overall. Fallout 3 follows the same formula of its predecessors. Character customization is taken one step further with the capabilities of this generation’s console and it is pretty evident throughout the game. Fallout 3 also takes exploration to the next level. Honestly the main game can be completed in about 20 hours but with the depth in exploration and the things you can do, you can easily clock over a 100 hours. The story of Fallout 3 is also my favorite from the series although it’s a pretty simple search for your dad quest. Fallout 3 has the tendency to make you not wanna stop playing the game. Once I started rolling in the game I found it so difficult to put down. I even pulled off an all-nighter once because I just couldn’t stop playing. It is infact one of the few games which made me do so. I usually hate doing all nighters but this game just forced me to with its insane ability to make you have so much fun. It’s pretty inexplicable. Having had so much fun with this game, I’d say Fallout 3 is easily one of the top games of this generation and the best modern RPG I’ve played recently. Haters can hate. Fallout was always a series I loved and the third one is unquestionably my favorite.
#018 – Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1) FFT is my favorite SRPG game just because of the sheer number of times I’ve replayed it. This is one SRPG which I NEVER get sick of no matter how many times I play it. And there’s a good reason to that. There’s always something new I discover in FFT, every time I play it. The depth of the Job Class as well as the battle system made me invest well over a 100 hours on a perfect game play through. The Job system in FFT is an expansion of FF5’s but each and every class has its own set of skills and special moves. The repertoire of skills at the disposal of ‘each’ class is simply astounding. Not to mention there are 20 or more different class (The remake of FFTactics on the PSP has more). FFT is a huge game overall because there’s just so many things to do. I’ll list some of the few highlights: recruiting monsters (YES! You can now have behemoths and wyverns in your team), collecting all the weapons, armors and accessories (one of favorite things to do in FFT), maxing all the job classes for each characters (takes a while) and just so much more. FFT isn’t just an awesome SRPG with great gameplay, it has almost as good a story as its gameplay. The story takes place in Ivalice (yep! FF12’s Ivalice originated from FFT) and basically revolves around war and politics. You wouldn’t know which side is good or bad and it all eventually comes together with many twists and turns. The characters in FFT are just about as good as any of the characters from a mainline FF game. Infact Ramza (the main character), Orlandu and Wiegraf are some of my favorites from the entire series. FFT stays true to its FF tradition and it also manages to provide the ultimate SRPG experience.
It definitely ranks among my favorites and could have been my favorite or 2nd favorite of all time if it had better gameplay and a fleshed out disc 2. But these two flaws are big enough to drop it 20 spots lower here.
#017 – Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1) I was a huge fan of the Castlevania series even before the release of this mega masterpiece. For quite some time SOTN was my favorite game but the PS1 era wasn’t nearly done at that time and then came the reign of the best gaming console ever, the PS2, and of course the current gen consoles. IMO only 16 more games were produced which topped SOTN, my once favorite game. At the time of SOTN’s release I was already well aware of what exactly I can expect from a Castlevania game. Pre-release I’ve only heard good things about it but nothing tops the time when I put in the SOTN disc in my old PSX. I was lost for words at the sheer size and complexity of the 2D world in SOTN. So many secrets, so many new moves, no longer the Belmont-whip only restriction. This game was the dream Castlevania game. Not to mention SOTN was probably the first action game to have some pure RPG elements such as leveling up, equipping weapons and accessories and an RPG-like menu screen. These are only sideshows when you compare it to the game itself. Apart from the rather easy challenge (Because you can have so many strong weapons) this is THE PERFECT 2D game. Unique and cool boss battles, tons of enemy varieties (You’ll see just about every monster from the Castlevania series here), learning new moves and a new system called the relic system adds so much to this already awesome game. As far as story goes, it is very decent and one of the better Castlevania storylines for sure. Alucard the son of Dracula is the protagonist here, hence why you aren’t restricted to only whip as a weapon. Alucard can use all the special items which the Belmont clan uses in the previous Castlevania games such as the cross, axe, holy water, knife and diamond. He can also transform into a bat, a wolf and into a mist in order to advance to the next area or find secret places. You can also play as a Belmont after completing the game and he is the typical hero which you’ve always played as in the previous games. Castlevania: SOTN is the ultimate gaming experience for any 2D side scrolling lovers with its unmatched gameplay. The game has aged very well and it is also the game which started the new Castlevania formula which almost every Castlevania game follows today.
#016 – Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (PS2) The original Persona 3 (not FES mind you) was my first ever SMT game. It basically opened the doorway to one of my favorite RPG series of all time. Initially I expected a generic turn based JRPG with some dating sim aspect to it. I was half right but the amount of fun and depth there is in the small world of Persona 3 is just impressive. By less than quarter of the game, you’ll have seen almost all there is to see in the Persona 3 world (except for the Tartarus Dungeon of course). You become so familiar with the people and places in this game so much so that it almost feels like home after a while. Persona 3 follows a year-long calendar in which the main character can choose to do what he wants with his time to pass the day. There are quite a number of things you can do for spending the day and I’ll get into that. First of all I’ll talk about Personas, dungeons and the battle system. Persona 3’s main story revolves around a group of High-School students who have the ability to summon mythical creatures called Personas (Kinda like Pokemon if you need a comparison) during ‘the dark hour’, a hidden hour between midnight where the shadows (the main enemies in the game) roam. There is only a single dungeon in the game called Tartarus but that dungeon is HUGE and lasts the entire game. Each time you defeat a ‘full moon’ boss (which you fight every month as part of the storyline) the path to upper floors of the dungeon opens up allowing you to explore more. Tartarus is also the place to train your characters and Personas as well as upgrade your Persona compendium. The battle system in Persona 3 is turn-based and follows the traditional SMT style of exploiting enemies’ weaknesses. Even though Persona 3 only allows you to control the main character, it doesn’t hamper the experience all that much. Although I do wish it gave you a choice for controlling the rest of the party manually (That feature is available in Persona 3 Portable for the PSP). Before actually playing the game many people question how a 70+ hours RPG could work with so little areas to explore? Social Links is the answer. Social Links are basically bonds you establish with various characters in the world of Persona 3. You level up the S.Links by responding positively (depending on the situation) to their questions which in turn levels up the class of your Persona. Whew. Explaining the system of Persona 3 in a short paragraph is pretty tough. Anyways anyone who hasn’t experienced the magic of the SMT game should at least start with Persona 3. The characters and their interactions are just out of this world and it is also what makes you fall in love with the game. The quality of the cutscenes, the great great Voice Acting, the humour, the emotion, just about everything you want from an RPG is present in Persona 3. Ever since the early 2000’s, Persona 3 was the only RPG to have made me say this to myself “What a game” as the credits started rolling.
#015 – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) Hideo Kojima trolled me again by not letting me play as Solid Snake. At first I was pissed because I was eagerly anticipating the continuation of MGS2 and Snake’s story after the cliffhanger ending but then as I started to play though MGS3, it gripped me just like every MGS game did. MGS3 takes you back to the events of Big Boss (I know this is spoilers but geez how am I supposed to write about MGS3 without this), way before any of the past MGS and Metal Gear games. This fleshes out the character of who we all generally perceived as an evil villain. The motives of Big Boss, his origin, his real name, his past relationship with his mentor and his comrades are explained in full detail here. Playing through MGS3 you’ll see all the heroic deeds of Big Boss. How he stood for the greater good and how he used to be before forming Fox Hound. The story of MGS3 is fantastic even when it’s compared to MGS standards. The ending in particular is one of the best and most emotional ones I’ve come across. As far as the story and cutscenes are concerned, I see no reason why it shouldn’t be considered among one of the very best. The gameplay in MGS3 has been significantly improved as well. Not only are there MANY more weapons and items, Big Boss has the ability to perform various CQC (Close Quarter Combat) techniques on the enemies. The camo index allows you to customize the clothing of Big Boss in order to improve his camouflage gauge for sneaking up on enemies. MGS3 also has the unique stamina feature where you have to replenish it by eating various animals you can hunt throughout the jungle. The overall variety of animals, food, birds, and fungi are very impressive. They are all unique and each of them can give different boosts in stamina, some can even food poison you. Codec in MGS3 is a little worse than MGS2 I might add. MGS2’s depth in the codec-conversations isn’t matched in this game unfortunately. But that is about the only thing in which MGS2 is better than MGS3. The boss fights in MGS3 are the 2nd best in the series and the overall area is the most unique from the series considering the fact that most of the action in MGS3 takes place outdoors. The MGS games have always been impressive and not one has disappointed me. MGS3 totally lived up to my expectations, but in a different way. I was looking for a great sequel to MGS2 but instead I found a masterpiece prequel to the series.
#014 – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) Let me make this clear, OoT is a great great game so don’t get me wrong when I say this. It is a great game but it is also THE most overrated game of all time. Why? Well for starters, it is called the best game ever or the co-best game ever. And then there’s the insane rating from almost every website. I played through OoT before all its hype and even though it was one of my favorite games at the time, it wasn’t the best. Hell forget the best from all games, OoT isn’t even the best from its series. I’m starting to sound like an OoT hater, but trust me I’m not. I loved this game even before all the hype it got. It was only later that I realized how ridiculously high it was rated in basically every gaming website. Now OoT is the dream 3D Zelda game for any Zelda fans. It has a pretty large world, many unique dungeons each with massive depth, most enemies from the Zelda universe and awesome boss battles some of which can prove to be quite challenging. The dungeons in particular are the highest points of OoT. Not only are they unique, but they provide decent puzzles as well as some platforming. Overall, the game is just a ball of massive fun. There are very few flaws related to the gameplay and for a game released at that time, it is pretty darn impressive. OoT however doesn’t have a very good story but that has been the case with basically every Zelda game. On the other hand the soundtrack is fantastic. I’d go on to say it’s the best from the series. OoT is one of the best games from one of the best series in video game history but I cannot call it the best game ever.
From: Axl_Rose_85 | #204 my absolute favorite game, Xenogears.
It definitely ranks among my favorites and could have been my favorite or 2nd favorite of all time if it had better gameplay and a fleshed out disc 2. But these two flaws are big enough to drop it 20 spots lower here.
I understand that. Man though, if the second disc were as fleshed-out as the first that game would have zero competition for longest JRPG main plotline ever, methinks. As it stands only so many (like DQVII) can really beat it down!
FFT's in my top five for sure. Recruiting monsters is actually done to far greater effect in Tactics Ogre, the precursor to FFT in terms of UI and battle system without a doubt. They really kick some ass in that one! Both games are stellar. I think I like FFT's plot slightly more and TO's gameplay slightly more. But only the PSP version of TO -- the PSX original doesn't do it for me as much!
MGS3's in my top ten! Ace game. So ace. My personal pick for best in the franchise.
Do you know if P3P has everything from the enhanced PS2 port, FES? I might pick that up for my PSP.
^ The only Tactics Ogre game I played was on the GBA. Knights of Lodis or something. It was okay but I never actually got very far to give it a proper rating. I wouldn't say FFT has the best monster recruitment system. It was just fun using the FF monsters in your party for a change.
As for the different versions of Persona 3. My personal favorite is P3FES on the PS2. FES has more Personas (Most notably the ultimate persona known as Orpheus Telos) and an all new Persona class (As well as its Social Link of course) called Aeon. The character in the Aeon S.Link is none other than Aigis (One of the main characters of the game) who never had her own S.Link in the original. Social Links are also so much easier to max in the FES version. Maxing S.Links in the original was a huge pain because the slightest mistake can screw you up from Maxing all of the links. The BIGGEST difference between the original and FES is that FES has an all new epilogue chapter called 'The Answer'. This shows the events after the main game and is basically a 30-hour game of its own (mostly due to the amount of grinding). The Answer also forces hard mode on the gamer and trust me it can get really frustrating at times. I've beaten The Answer and I'd like to say it never happened (kinda like X-2) because the characters you grow to love in the main game can act very uncharacteristic of themselves and personally I'm not a huge fan of it.
If you had a choice between vanilla P3 and P3FES. Get P3FES. The few tweaks and additions are definitely worth it.
As for P3P. I'm one of the 'few' people who HATES that version. I hate the fact that you can't explore freely and also the fact that there is a female main character. It somehow makes Minato Arisato (Manga name for P3 main character) feel less canon to me.
But in all honesty P3P has the best overall system and is more playable for first timers. You can jump to places with the push of a button. There are cards which can make Personas forget abilities you don't want. And most of all, you now have the ability to control the rest of your party members manually.
The GBA Tactics Ogre is commonly looked down-upon and for good reason. The original is far better, although it only truly shines on PSP for me. And I'm just meanin' to inform ya! It's another game by the same development team and it just does that one aspect a bit better. Actually I think it does several aspects a bit better and it's pretty easy to confuse the two games as far as gameplay is concerned. Seriously, they're like identical twins in some ways!
Anyway, thanks for the scoop on Persona 3. So P3P doesn't have those cool FES things though, huh? As in Orpheus Telios and whatnot.
I only did a casual play through of P3P because I already 100%'ed the FES version and I really didn't wanna go for another perfect game.
As far as I can remember, I think there is an Orpheus Telos but since I've never played a New Game+ on P3P, I don't really know.
But P3P has everything else the FES version has and more except for the epilogue story known as 'The Answer'. The female main character has her own Social Links but I was never really interested in that.
I'm almost 90% sure that you'll like P3P more than FES if you've NEVER played the original especially cuz of the battle system which allows you to control the other characters manually. So don't hesitate to buy that version.
#013 – Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) After being disappointed with the first Uncharted game, I was skeptical as to whether I should get into the second game. But I just couldn’t ignore the reviews. Uncharted 2 was among one of the highest rated games of this generation in basically every website. Whether it was overrated like the first I wanted to find out myself. As I put in the shiny UC2 blue-ray disc on my PS3, I was immediately amazed at the breathtaking visuals as I was climbing up the wrecked train as Nathan. Right from the amazing intro, the game’s pace never really dropped. I was sucked right into the adventure and for once I really felt like I was treading mysterious uncharted lands. The game itself is a very cinematic experience and you feel so attached to the characters that are very well developed. The plot, interaction and presentation is in a class of its own and it certainly outclasses its predecessor in almost every way. Gameplay in UC2 is quite possibly the biggest improvement I’ve seen in a series as of yet. The first Uncharted game annoyed the hell out of me but UC2 improved so much that I hardly realized I was playing a game because of the sheer amount of fun. This game has just about everything: platforming, puzzles, shooting, stealth and action. The shooting mechanics was also very well done and overall the game is just totally refined. Honestly UC2 is the very definition of what a video game aspires to be. And for once the reviewers are right.
^ Uncharted 3 would have made the Top 40 if I played it before the list was made. Brilliant series. I'm thinking about giving the first one a chance as well.
#012 – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (N64) This game is the reason why I still plug in my old Nintendo 64 every once in a while. A few posts ago I’ve stated how OoT is a great but overrated game, MM doesn’t have nearly the accolades of OoT but I still found myself have more fun with the OoT’s twin brother on the N64. OoT and MM are twins only in the sense that they use the same engine, the games itself are like rock and water. There is hardly any similarity between OoT and MM other than the gameplay engine and the similar graphics. MM has polished the mechanics since it was released later. Now MM isn’t your typical Zelda game where you have to collect the pieces of Tri-Force, rescue Princess Zelda and stop Ganon from taking over Hyrule. MM has a unique story and a much much better one than OoT from my perspective. After Link gets back his stolen Ocarina from the Skull kid, you’re told the Moon will fall down in three days and in order to stop that you have to retrieve the Majora’s Mask and bring it back to its owner. The overall plot is better than it sounds trust me. This is infact the first Zelda game in which I actually cared about the plot. Before getting into the gameplay, let me just say, this is probably the best looking N64 game and has some of the best soundtracks in the Zelda series, the controls are also as smooth as OoT if not smoother. Those are things you can always count on in a Zelda game. As far as gameplay goes, it has much more variety than OoT, it also has a lot more platforming and the Masks you get throughout the game are very useful. Theres also quite a few mini-games and some of them can prove to be quite a challenge. You’ll probably be disappointed with the number of dungeons in this game because there are only 4 of them. But each dungeon also has a lot of variety and depth to them. As for the time limit, I feel most people are too harsh on it. Even with the time limit you can still do everything there is to in the game. MM is a controversial subject for a lot of Zelda fans mainly because of its time limit system and its minuscule number of dungeons. Even though I wish MM had more dungeons, it is still my favorite N64 game and it has always been my favorite from the moment I started playing it. This is also the Zelda game I replay the most (I still do) and no other game from the series has even come close to it.
#011 – Kingdom Hearts II (PS2) Whenever I think of improved sequels, KH2 is always the first thing that comes to my mind. I don’t care how many people go on saying KH1 is better. Even nostalgia wasn’t enough to cloud my judgment of this amazing amazing sequel. Infact KH2 revived my faith in what is now called Square-Enix before it quickly died down again. The intro of KH2 was fantastic considering I already played the rather crappy Chain of Memories on the GBA and had an idea of what happened to Sora, Donald and Goofy. Playing as Roxas and getting a brief taste of his story plays an important part later on and it was in fact really well done. As a matter of fact KH2 has a great overall story. It can be confusing at times, but if you read all the True Ansem Reports, then you’ll get a good grasp of the plot. The story is a much bigger improvement than the first and it really makes you emotional and care about the characters at certain points. I also prefer the set of Disney and Final Fantasy characters in KH2 more than KH1 as well as the worlds. Pride Lands, Mulan’s world and Agrabah are my personal favorites from the series. I also prefer playing as adult Sora rather than controlling him as a Kid in KH1. Small things like these adds maturity to the game which the first game lacked. KH2 doesn’t only have an improved story, but better gameplay and combat as well. Sora can now go into various drive modes where he has a completely different set of moves. But the improved gameplay also makes KH2 a tad bit easier than its already easy successor. Do yourself a favor and play the game in Proud Mode. The first KH game’s greatness is usually measured by the Disney worlds and its characters. As for KH2 it still has the greatness of the Disney worlds and its characters as well as improved gameplay and a far better storyline. KH2 is the best Action-RPG game I’ve ever played.
Can't say anything about KH2, I couldn't get through KH1 because I'm not a Disney guy at all. (I don't remember if we've had this conversation yet so I'll keep it short.)
I'm sure they're both great games in general though!
#010 – Final Fantasy IX (PS1) FF9 is an underrated FF game anywhere but on this board. It just gets so much love over here for reasons I don’t really know. But all that love is pretty justifiable because FF9 is a darn good game and one of the FF series’ finest. FF9 is most popularly known for its transition to the old school FF formula, after both the previous games had a futuristic approach to it. The old school aspect is done brilliantly despite FF9’s simplistic job class system. FF9’s job class isn’t anything as complex as FF5’s but each class assigned to the character is done brilliantly. Learning abilities by equipping weapons and armor is kinda like FF6’s magic system and each character has their own set of unique abilities. Everything else apart from a few tweaks here and there is just as old school as the game intends to be. Going old school definitely was a step backwards in terms of gameplay depth because of the FF series’ evolution since the 6th entry. But in no way is FF9’s gameplay anything short of greatness. Even though it lacks depth it is polished to perfection. Starting up a battle is the only flaw I could find in FF9’s gameplay because it takes a while (longer than usual) to get a battle started mainly because of the loading. Apart from that it is pretty much flawless besides being simplistic. With gameplay covered, let’s get into the best part of FF9: The characters and the story. FF9 has an outstanding story, the most comical in the series and one which can also make you care. The story is superb because of the excellent writing. FF9 has quite possibly the best script I’ve ever seen in an RPG. It also has some of the best character interactions and overall feel. The story remains pretty simple for the majority of the game (yet so good) but it really takes off towards the end. As for the characters in FF9, they are very distinguishable from each other because each character has his/her own class. They are also one of the best set of characters in the series. The main character, Zidane as well as the female lead, Garnet/Dagger undergoes a lot of character development and both of them are done excellently. All characters serve their purpose in the game and are very likable even the NPCs. You can view optional scenes using the ATE (Active Time Event) during the storyline segments to see what the other characters are up to. This is a new feature in the FF series which for some reason is never used in the future. I thought it was a great idea. FF9 was released when the FF series was still at its prime and yet it doesn’t fall any short of the accolades the series was once known for. The script and writing, the very best. The story and characters, top notch. FF9 will always remain as one of the greatest RPGs of all time.
#009 – The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) Just awesome! The latest Zelda game is without a doubt the best game I’ve played recently. Skyward Sword is the pinnacle of the series IMO and every way I look it even the very best Zelda game falls short when it’s compared to this amazing masterpiece. After playing through multiple handheld Zelda games, I really didn’t expect much from SS. Infact I was willing to settle for half the fun I had with Majora’s Mask or OoT. And what do I get? I get the most amazing experience from the Zelda series. So what is so amazing about the latest entry of the fabled LoZ series? For once, for once I can actually praise a Zelda game for having an excellent storyline. I don’t know if the series hired new writers but it was amazing all-round and a formula I hope the Zelda series grow upon. The villain, Ghirahim is one of the best overall villains and is among my favorites. SS just doesn’t boast a great storyline but has amazing visuals and soundtracks as well. Infact I can’t think of a single flaw in basically any department of SS’s mastery. This game is also reasonably long. I think it took me about the same amount of hours as OoT which is a long game itself. Now let’s get to the gameplay. Usually my take on a Zelda game is always this: Mediocre Storyline, Great Gameplay, Great Music and Visuals. SS not only improved on the storyline but I’d call SS’s gameplay the best in the series as well. After playing SS I have a very different (more positive) opinion about the Wii’s motion control. What I once thought was pretty unresponsive adds so much to the combat system in SS. Now the combat system in SS is also an improvement in the series. Infact SS’s combat expands on the very definition of sword fighting. It is also so much easier to access through the items (some great additions I should say) in this game and overall the gameplay is just outstanding. A Zelda game of this caliber shows the consistency of the series and also proves that even the best can be bested. SS is IMO the perfect Zelda game and it’s hard to see any future Zelda games outdoing it. But there is always a chance because unlike the Final Fantasy Series, The Legend of Zelda seems to be heading the in right direction.
#008 – Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) The conclusion to the best overall series in gaming brought forth my personal favorite game from this generation’s consoles. After MGS2 took the MGS series’ plot in a very complex direction, it was questionable as to whether the series can keep up with the crazy twists the series went through since the 2nd game. The third game took us back to before the events of MGS1 and developed many key characters in this game. Before MGS4 was actually released, I always questioned MGS3’s importance to the series, regardless of how great the game itself was. You’ll see how important MGS3’s story actually was to the series in this game. The scenes in MGS4 spanning over 5 chapters, is humongous and covers everything I had hoped it would cover. MGS4 answers every question you had after the second game and almost all the important characters from the series makes a return here. It’s a very nostalgic feeling. Overall MGS4 does an outstanding job of concluding what is quite possibly the most consistent series in video game history. Gameplay hasn’t been changed significantly but there are a few notable changes. The biggest change is the auto-aiming system which allows Snake to strafe while shooting enemies. This makes the game more shooter-friendly than the others in the series and is also a huge reason why the game is pretty easy. Another change is the octo-camo suit which allows Snake to adapt his camouflage according to the environment. You no longer have to access the menu and change the color of your clothing like MGS3. The psyche meter also replaces the stamina meter but it is actually not all that different. While you don’t have to eat food to replenish stamina, you still have to use certain items or rest in order to fill up your psyche. MGS4 also has a plethora of weapons (way more than MGS3 as far as I can remember) and quite a lot of variety I might add. But one thing in-game which I found pretty disappointing is the lack of codec conversations. MGS4 has barely any codec conversation (a charm of the series) but in all fairness the sheer length and number of scenes more than covers up for it. MGS4 has some of the most emotional scenes in the series. It has the tendency to transport you from reality into the game itself. The story excels in everything, from cinematic visuals to presentation to interaction to the overall plot. Personally, Act 4 (Anyone who’s played MGS4 will know what I mean) is my favorite because of the nostalgia it immediately induced upon me. It almost even brought me to tears. It’s a great thing to see the series evolve to what it is today, and revisiting that particular place made me realize just how many years have passed since then. While I was happy to see ‘that’ place, it was also saddening to see the series come to an end. I couldn’t have asked for a better conclusion to the MGS series. The ending really made me tear up. It was just sad to say farewell to MGS series. It was a series which only brought me joy ever since I first put in my shiny brand new disc of MGS1 in 1998. Little did I expect the 2 disc game would lead to quite possibly the best overall VG series I’d ever come across.
#007 – Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (PS2) Excuse me while I recite the P4 battle theme. It’s been stuck in my head for far too long. ^_^ “I faced out. I hold out. I return to the truth, of my life seeking truth. For the whole moment to now break away. Oh yeah let me out! Can you let me out? Can you set me free from being stuck in the world? Safe in the lies between us all.” After having the time of my life with P3, P4 was MY MOST ANTICIPATED GAME, more than a new FF game, a new Resident Evil game or even the conclusion to the MGS series. It wasn’t because P3 was my favorite game of all time but because how much Atlus takes into consideration, the pleas of their fans. Not only was my expectation fulfilled, P4 ascended beyond the ‘godly tier’ of RPGs. I haven’t played an outstanding RPG of this magnitude since the early 2000’s. Not even its revolutionary predecessor, P3, comes close to it. So how? How is P4 that great a game? Well for starters, it has EVERYTHING I ask for in a video game, let alone an RPG. P4 plays exactly like P3 as far as gaming mechanic goes (Calendar, Day/Night system, Social Links, Dungeon, Weakness exploiting battle system and Personas of course) but expands upon the very idea P3 originally created. Any weakness P3 had, P4 got rid of it. Exploration and areas in P4 isn’t any more vast than P3 but it is far less tedious because you can jump to places with the push of a button. Social Links in P4 are also significantly better than P3’s (Although P3’s Hermit Link with Maya still remains my favorite in the series), it has much more variety, is more entertaining overall and is far easier to max. As for the music, it is pretty much a toss-up between the two but since I like Japanese Pop, I’d give P3 the slight advantage there. Kimi no Kioku from P3 pretty much nails it. Now the dungeons and the battle system is where P4 truly trumps P3. Unlike P3, where it’s just one MASSIVE dungeon, P4 has 8 of them (Not counting the first one which is too small). Each dungeon represents the victim’s innermost secrets and is implemented much better than P3’s Tartarus. P4 has a larger Persona compendium than P3, fusion is much cheaper (Although you get significantly less cash in P4 than P3) and the overall layout and function of the Velvet Room is much smoother. As far as the battle system goes, it is the same as in P3 except that you can now control all your characters manually. This alone makes it a FAR bigger improvement than P3. The knock-down system is also better than P3’s I might add. And if you play it smart and safe, P4 is about the easiest SMT game out there (Still challenging for the average RPG gamer). The things I mentioned above are only secondary when you compare it to P4’s strongest point: The level of character interaction. The characters in P4 are my favorite bunch from any VG. The sheer amount of fun I had in listening to their interaction. It’s just amazing. The story centers around mystery and while the presentation is absolute perfection, the mystery part is just decent. I personally suspected who the killer was about quarter way through the game and I was right in the end. The true end however did SHOCK me because I didn’t really take notice (If you know what I mean) until the very end. The plot overall may just be decent but the way its presented makes it one of the very best. Never has a game made me laugh so hard (Camping scene in particular comes to mind), made me cry my eyes out and care so much about the characters. I really really want to spoil the story and talk about it more but I’ll refrain from doing so and just let you experience it firsthand. The magic of P4 is beyond words.
Whew. I actually had to delete a large amount of text just for the write-up of Persona 4 to fit in one page. How can the next few games possibly keep up with this.
#006 – Final Fantasy X (PS2) There is a reason why the FF series was once the biggest franchise in gaming, more so than Mario or even The Legend of Zelda. At that time, a FF game just couldn’t possibly go wrong. FFX is no exception even though I initially thought it wouldn’t work out as well as its predecessors. What is so good about the FF series is that each new installment is TOTALLY DIFFERENT from each other (at least since FF6) and yet each new installment achieved almost identical amount of success. Squaresoft could have easily milked a lot more FF games (much like Capcom) but each new game is their own game. LITERALLY. FF10 is the series’ highest point and arguably the best RPG on the PS2 (I’m still conflicted between this and SMT: Persona 4). It has my favorite storyline from the FF series and some of my favorite moments as well. Each of the characters in FF10, even the NPCs, are done really well (even Kimahri). Some of them are downright awesome (Jecht and Auron), some of them just charms you with their innocence and kind heartedness (Yuna) and some of them who initially annoys you tends to really really grow on you (Rikku and of course Tidus). The interpretation of the story and the character interaction is among the best in gaming and some scenes in particular can make you really emotional. The near-end game of FF10 has one of if not the most-engrossing storyline segments I’ve ever witnessed. Now the FF series has always been notorious for having great storylines as well as ridiculously good gameplay. FF10 has a ridiculously good storyline but insanely deep and awesome overall gameplay. The structure of the new Sphere Grid system is a genius invention but I frankly wasn’t very surprised. It was fair to expect something extraordinary from an FF game at that point and FF10 did not disappoint in the least. Even though, you can no longer level up, the Sphere grid system more than makes up for it. You can just follow the normal route in the Sphere grid for everyone and in the end they all end up with unique abilities. But the Sphere grid doesn’t end there. Infact you can transport a character to another character’s grid, learn their abilities, gain their stat upgrades and become insanely powerful. It’s hard to explain it here but as an example, My Tidus with a fully mastered Sphere Grid (FFX International Version) has 255 in all stats and 99,999 HP and 999 MP. You can literally destroy anything in the game after grinding to the max but there are enough optional bosses (especially the Dark Aeons and Penance in the FFX International or FFX PAL version) to give you a challenge even when you’ve maxed everything in the game (Something which other FF games lacked). Apart from the brilliant Sphere Grid System, FF10 has a unique turn-based battle system where you can switch members at any given turn. The battle mechanics along with the party member switch makes it one of the best in the FF series and certainly the most unique (bar FF12 and 13 of course). There are also enough mini-games (some which are compulsory for obtaining the ultimate weapons), some fun and some annoying. FF10 is literally the measuring stick for RPGs from the previous generation and quite frankly only few have come close to it. IMO FF10 and Persona 4 stands as the undisputed best in not only the RPG genre but from the whole PS2 library.
#005 – Suikoden II (PS1) During the early days of the PS1 generation, it was rare for a video game to make you care so much about the characters and story. I felt the first Suikoden somehow broke that barrier and was the first video game to really make a groundbreaking impact with the quality and presentation of its plot. After playing through the first game, I didn’t believe the second could possibly live up to the monster expectations the first created. Sure the gameplay could be easily improved considering Suikoden I didn’t excel in it, but it was really hard to believe the epic storyline of Suikoden I can actually be surpassed. But not only does Suikoden II surpass its predecessor, it surpasses it with flying colors on every SINGLE ground. Suikoden II follows the story of two best friends Riou (Manga name for the main character) and Jowy betrayed by their country’s corrupt and sadistically evil Prince, Luca Blight. Luca’s warmongering and his extreme hate for the State fuels his want to control (or rather destroy) the whole nation as his own. So he stages an ambush by the State on his own countrymen just so the peace treaty gets tarnished and war breaks out between Highland (Luca’s country) and the State. As its predecessor, Suikoden II’s main plot also centers around war but with many more twists and turns. This time you’re a huge underdog and is against a massive opposition who you’d think is impossible to overcome especially during the early stages of the game. Suikoden II has the best set of characters from the series and their interaction is just so fun and entertaining. The awesome duo of Flik and Viktor makes a return in the second game, along with many characters from the first. Everything just mixes so well with the game. The scenes can make you laugh, warm you heart and even flat out make you cry. The areas and the world of Suikoden II is breathtakingly beautiful as are the people in it. The 108 Star of Destiny are harder to recruit than the first game but is also much more memorable and charismatic. Suikoden II has so many things to do in the game apart from its epic storyline. It has a ton of mini-games to keep you occupied and all them are fantastic (Cook-off especially is my favorite). There are various sidequests, bonus recruits (namely the Squirrels) and so many collectibles which adds to your Headquarters. The HQ in Suikoden II is also easily the best in the series. Even though the battle system is mostly the same, the fact that you can now equip more than just one Rune on a character adds so much to the game. The strategy battle however has changed a lot compared to the first and is MUCH MUCH MUCH better. The dialogue that follows before and after the strategy battles makes you feel as if you’re in the war yourself. Suikoden II was released at a time when gaming was at its pinnacle (atleast IMO) and even with its massive competition in the RPG department, it is second only to two games. For its epic epic Story, its great set of characters and its memorable music, Suikoden II is one of my favorite games of all time.
#004 – Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube) RE4 was the sole reason why I bought a Gamecube in the first place, only for it to release on the PS2 about a year later >_>. I don’t have any regrets though because I’ve played quite a number of first class games on the GC because of that, including the very special remake of the first RE game. I thought the RE series got stale enough with the release of Code Veronica and hoped Capcom wouldn’t further degrade it by releasing another carbon copy. But for once, for once Capcom actually made a MAJOR change and that change wasn’t revolutionary for just the RE series but it flat out produced one of the best games of all time. My amazement with RE4 isn’t its sheer depth and entertainment value of the gameplay but the number of times this game can actually make you replay it. On estimation, I’ve played this game over 50 times in 3 different consoles (GC, PS2, Wii) and I’m still not sick of it. None of the video games I’ve played over the years (except possibly Super Mario World) comes even close to it. The immense satisfaction you get in kicking a stunned enemy, knifing them to death or simply blowing their heads off with a shotgun gives you a kick like no other. Now RE4 follows Leon Scott Kennedy, the once rookie cop (RE2) and the now veteran government agent. Leon must rescue the President’s daughter in a seemingly deserted village in Europe. The deserted village seems to be occupied by a cult worshipping batch of villagers who are seemingly infected by an unknown virus, making them more aggressive than the usual zombies. Now the story in RE4 as a standalone game is OK, but I have to agree with a lot of people saying that it had little relevance to the series. I certainly don’t think it’s totally irrelevant but it certainly is the least relevant in the whole RE series. But the gameplay and the new take on the Survival/Horror more than makes up for its inferior storyline. The areas in RE4 are my favorite in the series, as are the arsenal of weapons you get and the fact that you can now upgrade them. Boss fights, variety of enemies and the atmosphere in general makes it seem as if RE4 is the perfect game and I really don’t see a reason why it isn’t the perfect game. For once, Capcom steers its series in the right direction and RE4 is certainly their grandest creation.
#003 – Metal Gear Solid (PS1) Tactical Espionage Action is a fitting description for the first MGS game, especially MGS1 I’d say. My first experience with Solid Snake and Metal Gear wasn’t with the first MGS game but with the rather crappy NES version of the first Metal Gear. It was only later that I learned of the original MSX version and realized its superiority to the NES port. I never got really far in my first Metal Gear game so my initial take on the series wasn’t that great. If it weren’t for the splendid demo of MGS1, I would have never have bought the first of the MGS game on its release date. I’m usually a person who buys without thinking (the moment I see a good score of a game on the internet, I buy it if it’s available) and experiments less demos. But the MGS1 demo came with a gaming magazine I bought and I decided to try it out because I vaguely remembered owning a Metal Gear game on my Nintendo. As soon as I popped in the demo of MGS1, the memories of MG on the NES were but a distant memory. My initial reaction to the game’s awesomeness skyrocketed with each and every minute. You must understand, at that time no game has EVER had the quality of cutscenes the MGS series is famously known for. Voice Acting was on par with the best Hollywood movies and Solid Snake was instantly the coolest VG character. And then there’s the codec conversations which immediately grabbed my interest. Not only was it polished with entertaining-to-listen to script, the VA, humour and presentation was unprecedented. No other game even came close to it. The graphics were also outstanding for its time and for PS1 standards, it still is. I’ve never fell in love with the demo of a game before. Hell for most demos, I usually play about 5 minutes max before putting off my console, even if it’s a good one. The MGS1 demo made me instantly wanna purchase the game because even the demo leaves you on a cliffhanger. So after a few weeks, I finally purchased MGS1, a day after its release (shipping and all). I really wanted to know what was going to happen in the game after where the demo left off. Not only did MGS1 surpass the monster expectations its fantastic demo impacted on me, it immediately became one of my favorite games. Overall, MGS1 is inferior to the rest of the series in the gameplay department because you can’t aim in the game and pull off stunts introduced in the later releases but for me it doesn’t hamper the experience. MGS1’s gameplay is perfect for the structure of MGS1, the Twin Snakes remake on the GC made it pretty evident. Introducing the elements implemented from MGS2 onwards made the game too easy and actually hampered the experience. But for me, that’s about where MGS1’s inferiority to the rest of the series ends. Even after all these long years none of the games in the rest of the series can quite match the story telling, the quality of the scenes, the characters, the music and the overall feel of the game. MGS1 has the best boss fights I can remember from not just the MGS series but arguably from all of the games I’ve played. Not only are the boss fights unique, each of them draws you right into it. I can’t possibly think of another MGS game ever passing MGS1 considering the impact it had on me at the time and still has. Frankly, none of the others came remotely close to it. Call it nostalgia or whatever, MGS1 is still the MGS game I replay the most and still my favorite. MGS1 along with Super Mario World and Resident Evil 4 are easily the games I’ve replayed more than any other games combined. MGS1 changed the face of gaming and is still the pinnacle of cinematic experience.
#002 – Final Fantasy VIII (PS1) Released on 9/9/99, the 8th installment of the legendary FF series used to be arguably the most controversial game of the series. Like many, I was expecting something similar to FF7 but I was taken by surprise. That surprise was relief rather than disappointment. As much as I loved FF7, I wished the next game was something different. FF7 was different enough from the rest of the series but FF8 is probably the most unique FF game, even to this day. FF8’s magic captured me the moment I put in the first disc. It simply had the best intro I had ever seen at that time. The dialogue was also a breath of fresh air because not only has the translation improved over FF7 by a landslide, it also had a more mature script. But in all honesty it is not a secret that the story in FF8 is riddled with plot holes and that is probably the game’s biggest flaw. However, if you go beyond the beyond, the game has a fantastic overall plot which also requires you to do a little bit of research within the game itself. In short: Not everything is handed to you on a platter this time. I must admit the plot has some ridiculous segments; some of them may seem downright nonsensical at first but after doing a little bit of research they all actually make sense. Don’t get me wrong, I love the story in FF8, even with its flaws. The character interaction in FF8 is superb. It is always nice to see *I might have to spoil the game a little here* Zell overreact to everything Seifer says, Laguna getting cramps whenever he approaches Julia, Squall calming down the entire team whenever something goes out of hand, Squall’s thought bubbles. The characters in FF8 have a tendency to really grow on you. Now the plot of FF8 centers around Squall and how his character steadily develops after meeting Rinoa. It is no secret that romance is the main theme of FF8 and it is done rather well considering a man who’s supposedly let go of his emotions gradually falls in love with his exact polar opposite. Squall’s character is done superbly. Hats off to Squaresoft (And if you disagree with me, I personally don’t care so don’t even try) for that. The fact that the player can read Squall’s thought makes up for some of the most entertaining sequences and at times downright hilarious moments. It’s really funny reading Squall’s thought whenever the characters enter the dream world. Lol. Squall Leonhart is infact one of my favorite Video Game characters alongside Solid Snake and Leon Scott Kennedy. Overall I thought FF8 did a fantastic job with its plot and characters. Although not nearly among the best in the series, it didn’t fail to entertain me. As for the music and the soundtracks they are simply awesome. It may very well be my favorite in the series. Now let’s get into FF8’s monster attribute, the gameplay. FF8 introduces the unique, one of a kind system known as ‘Junction’. Now I’m not gonna get into detail here explaining about Junction otherwise its gonna take 2 or 3 more pages of write-ups just for that. My review of the Junction System is this: It deserves a freaking award just for its sheer depth and flexibility. This system allows the player to play the game however they want. FF8’s difficulty can be ridiculously easy or brutally hard depending on how familiar you are with the system. The system utilizes the stock of magic you’ve drawn which is also a good reason why FF8 doesn’t follow the MP system like every other FF game does. This ticked off many gamers but I see it as a good thing because it is done so for a reason. Drawing magic from enemy is another complaint from many lazy gamers. Trust me when I say this. It really doesn’t take that long if your ‘Magic’ stat is high and besides there is the ‘refine system’ which allows you to extract certain amount of magic from items anyway.
FF8 is infact the least grind-y FF game. Hell, you can remove Random Encounters by halfway in the 1st disc if you know what you are doing. The abilities you can learn and unlearn from GFs (Summons) and the sheer depth of the gameplay just amazes me. FF8 also has limit breaks just like FF7 but they are very different with execution. Limit breaks are also the biggest source of damage input in the game so do not underestimated their use. FF8 also has the best mini-game I’ve ever played in a game. It a unique game of cards called Triple Triad and you won’t believe how much impact it has on the game itself. I don’t know what to say about FF8 anymore because anything I say leads to a wall of text, the game just has that much depth, so I’ll stop right here. FF8 has a split fan base and I’ve accepted that fact since day one. A game this different is bound to have its fair share of love and hate. I love this game and commend Squaresoft for putting forth such a unique masterpiece. I also believe it is one of the very best of all time.
My best friend was gathering demo discs back in '98 from a big American pizza chain's promotion. It was from those wonderful discs that we were introduced to two colossal games - Xenogears, which went on to become my all-time favorite, and MGS1, which is everything you just listed.
I prefer MGS3 and 4, but not by much. The whole series is great and PW is pretty darn good as well. But yeah, 1's boss fights are stellar and its somewhat simpler script just plain works. Exceptional game.
FFVIII... 9/9/99 was quite a good day. I recall my geography teacher commenting on how unique a date that was and I raised my hand to remark that FFVIIi was out. The whole class stared and I didn't care. I was that hyped.
Game ended up somewhere around the upper middle of my series list but given how much I love FF (mostly from X back though) that's still an achievement. Its atmosphere might just be my favorite in the series and all those comfy character quirks really build charm. Its aesthetiics remain lovely (if not quite so breathtaking) thirteen years later and Squall is rad.