Oblivion: This game was absolutely amazing for its time. It took me one year to get a computer that could run it. I will never forget exiting the sewers to that huge, beautiful open world. I hunted mud crabs for hours. I wouldn't go to the priory for days so I could explore the world without the gates showing up. I wasn't there for Morrowind, and Skyrim was truly awesome, but Oblivion will always be my game. Just mind blowing, amazing journey. The towns, the characters, the Oblivion gates! A game that was way ahead of it's time. <3

KOTOR 1:I played this game 1 million times. I knew every dialog, every nuance. Taris and the undercity to Dantooine and the crystal cave. Korriban and how to turn Yuthura to the lightside. Amazing stories. The final twist was mind blowing. Kashyyyk? Hello developers.....Kashyyyk?

Phantasy Star Sega 1987: Some say it was the birth of role playing games: maybe. It was awesome. The dungeons; the characters; the story! I must have played this game 50 times from start to finish. I knew every weapon, every enemy, and every dungeon trap (except those that I fell through).

Vampires Masquerade Bloodlines:What a fantastic world Troika built. I wanted to live here. Few games could be so atmospherically scary, haunting and mesmerizing. The haunted hotel? Hello? The story was phenomenally engaging. It was horrifying, yet you couldn't look away. WESP mod? hehe.....

Half Life 2:What a roller coaster of a game. The Gavity gun?!?!! Amazingly freaky journey and story line. Voice acting top notch!

SWTOR: What can I say? You know why. Great VA, stories and huge Star Wars world. FFS, it's Bioware! I'm still playing this game. My review is still out, but thinking strong finish!

LOTRO:I love this story. Great writing. The game was fun. I'd still be here if not for other games that took me away. Great community. They did great by Tollkien.

Guild Wars 1: Actually played this game with my nephews and father. We had our own little private guild. Great gameplay and story. Waaaaaaaaay better than GW2.

Skyrim: The graphics and the world are amazing. The dungeons are beautiful and scary. Serana is one the best companions and her DLC. This game broke molds! It's not quite Oblivion but I'm probably biased.

Witcher 1/Dragon Age: Both of these games are A+ games for dialog, VA, story and graphics. I haven't played W3 yet. I played DA so many times through. It would be higher in my list if not for such amazing competition! Bethesda and Bioware are my top gaming companies!

Edited November 14, 2018 by Zerileth

Fallout 3: Forgot this one. Somewhere in the middle of my list. I never experienced a game like this. Better than Nevada and FO4. This game was brutally immersive and engaging. The open world took you places that were creepy, yet you couldn't stop coming back. This was on MY Oblvion engine too! dang.

OMG! TIE Fighter!: How did I forget this? Probably 4 or 5th place. I played this game a ton. I'd race home from work every night. Hours would turn into minutes and next thing I'd know it was 2am! God I loved fighting for Darth Vader in my TIE fighter!

Edited November 14, 2018 by Zerileth

1. Witcher 3 (+ all DLC): Literally the best (fantasy) RPG ever made. But don't take my word for it. The game won more GotY awards than any other game in the history of the video game industry. CDPR took everything good about Witcher 2 and made it better. All of the DLC was amazing. The series is so well done and so popular that Netflix is making a live action version featuring Geralt of Rivia (to be played by

) from the short stories the game was based on (and prior to the events of the Wild Hunt, which is when the video game series takes place). Whether you moonlighted with Triss in the Novigrad lighthouse or rode the unicorn with Yennefer, every character in this series mattered. Witcher 3 was so masterful at building on the events of Witcher 2, that there are indelible moments so powerful, you'll be thinking about them 20 years later. I will say that it was bitter sweet saying goodbye to Geralt at the end of the "Blood and Wine" DLC, but CDPR has hinted that we may not be seeing the last of the White Wolf after all.

 

2. ES (Skyrim): Absolutely loved the story, and that it was in a sandbox which allowed me to explore every nook and cranny only made it more epic. The crafting system was a vast improvement on its predecessor, and Daedric armor will remain one of THE coolest and badest looking armor sets ever to be conceived.

 

3. FO4 (+ Far Harbor): The main plot was quite good, I really enjoyed being able to build my own settlements (I was even hosting Twitch streams for a bit while doing that), and it broke new ground by allowing mods to be imported via console (Xbox) into the game, which added incredible re-playability to the game. The Far Harbor DLC was also especially good. At 600+ hours, I've invested more hours into this RPG than any other I've played. I still fire it up from time to time on my Xbox to try out new mods to this day.

 

4. FO3 (+ Broken Steel): Not only did it polish everything good about the Fallout series, but it also added one of the best story arcs ever done for the franchise with the showdown between the Brotherhood of Steel and the Enclave with Washington, D.C., as the backdrop for where the fate of post-apocalyptic America would be decided. Poetic.

 

5. Witcher 2: Having read the short stories by Andrzej Sapkowski, I had high expectations for this game, and boy I sure was not disappointed. One of the opening

(NSFW) is with Geralt and Triss in a tent at a war encampment getting on with their morning. I loved the concept, the characters, the surreal post-Conjunction of Spheres world they lived in, and the myriad of details that connected it all. A masterpiece of immersive storytelling, and a benchmark for fantasy RPG series.

 

6. DA3 (Inquisition + all DLC): Despite my misgivings about this franchise after the abysmal failure that was DA2, I really enjoyed this story arc and how it tied so well into the prior installments of Dragon Age. It was also the first sandbox approach for the series, which made it that much better. In many ways, Bioware redeemed the series with this incredibly well done RPG. They even brought back nudity for the romance scenes.

 

7. DA1 (Origins + all DLC): One of the best and richest fantasy RPG stories ever told. The Grey Wardens are perhaps the coolest concept since either Little Debbie's Starcrunch snacks or television remote control, take your pick. Not to mention the game pioneered the consequence/decision system that many games have mimicked since then, including the Witcher series.

 

8. ES (Oblivion): A classic. Any game that literally sends you to Hell and back, deserves your attention, and a spot in the top 10. The DLC also marked the first substantial (and successful) attempt at providing player housing in an RPG. It continues to be a popular concept in present day games, notably including FO3 - FO4, DA1 - DA3, and Witcher 3 (Blood and Wine DLC).

 

9. Mass Effect 1-3 (except for the ending): Yep, the entire series was incredible, but I was one of the countless players who absolutely hated the ending. In fact, I would have rated this game series much higher on my top 10 list if not for that horrifically hollow and completely ungratifying lack of closure for the series. That aside, the series in many ways broke the mold for best science fiction RPGs ever done. The plot twists literally made my jaw drop (.e.g. Protheans, Mass Effect relays, the Citadel, Reapers, etc.). If Peter Jackson ever gets bored, I'd love to see him do a three movie series based on the game's three installments. With the right actors/actresses, I think it could easily rival Star Wars as a worldwide phenomenon. I thought the story was that good. But those last ten minutes at the end of ME3 have got to go.

 

10. FO3.5 (New Vegas): Amazing game, and the battle between the NCR and the Legion at the end replicated the success of FA3's showdown between the BoS and Enclave. Really well done, though the bugs seemed way more widespread in this installment than other Bathesda versions prior or since, perhaps owing to the fact that it was done by a different studio (Obsidian).

 

 

 

P.S. And while it's always a good idea to reserve judgement until a game is actually released, I am fairly confident that Cyberpunk 2077 by CDPR is going push Fallout: New Vegas off my top 10 list.

Edited November 14, 2018 by Mournblood

Not sure I could choose a top 10, but high up on my list are:

* Tales of the Unknown, Volume 1 (1) And its first sequel.(2)

* Wasteland (3)

* DOOM

* Descent

* ET (4)

* Adventure (5)

 

(1) Better known by its subtitle.

 

(2) The second sequel was let down by it being essential in the very last encounter to have at least one character of a particular class, and no overt way of knowing that until you got there. No prizes for guessing how I found that out.

 

(3) Even 30 years later, one of the combat log messages remains graven in my head: "{character} exploded {target} like a blood sausage." Oh, and the three-legged female of purchaseable affection, if you get my drift. ("You feel ... unclean.")

 

(4) Yes, *that* ET. I beat it. Like everyone else who ever played it, I fell in holes, but unlike, it seems, just about everyone else, I fell in holes because *I* wanted to.

 

(5) Not the Colossal Cave, but the Atari 2600 Adventure. I found the dot myself, no Internet guides back then.

In terms just of hours spent over 30+ years of computer gaming...

 

1. Sims 1-2-3-4

3. Everquest

4. Everquest II

5. Sim City 4-5

6. Might & Magic V-VI-VII-VIII-IX

7. Skyrim-Skyrim SE

8. SWTOR

9. Gemstone III

10. Portal 1-2

Current top 10 (within the last few months):

1. Motorsport Manager - Can't help it, motorsport has been in my veins since i was small, started in 2000 watching the Australian GP, watching the yellow Minardi of Gaston Mazzacane on the tv as a child, it fascinated me. i've played a lot of motorsport games, mostly open wheelers.

2. Mass Effect 1-3 and Andromeda - Always liked this series, even if i didn't much like Casey Hudson's ME3 ending he wanted rushed into it. I also like Andromeda as well, especially going after that arrogant Kett Archon. Also nothing wrong with trolling Harbinger as well!

3. SWTOR - Storyline galore, fully voiced. You can play for several different points of view and there is enough there to enjoy.

4. Middle Earth SoM & SoW - Aside from the grinding elements and the loot boxes in SoW? the game has more comedy gold in it, especially the blackness of the humor, that was great. Then you get into the fighting and you could spend hours going through that. got to catch'em all

5. Dead Space 1, 2, 3 and Awakened DLC - Get to kick *** and chew bubblegum, except the gum never stops coming . A one man army on board a lunatic asylum's dream, be it a ship, a station or more ships and a planet. I like the limited resources mechanic, i enjoy making something from nothing and using that something to kill nercomorphs with.

6. Freespace 2 SCP; Ancient-Shivan war, Inferno, Upgrade port, Blue Planet complete - More or less as complete a storyline that follows from the distant past all the way to the current and future about a war with the cosmic destroyers and their prey. Wars a plenty, lots of dog fighting (and not actual dogs fighting ), more than enough to keep you busy.

7. Widelands - A settlers 2 clone, based on a mythical land with multiple factions fighting each other, a long term RTS game. lots of fighting to get into with this one and long term tactical play is my type of speed on games like this.

8. Starcraft, Brood war, 2 and Nova - A Telling of a storyline between three factions vying for control of a sector of space. there is a lot of lore and history around the whole and the storyline itself.

9. Warzone 2100 - An older overlooked game that had it's source code uploaded and since then the game has been maintained. A nice storyline from the side of "the Project", based in a post-apocalypse setting. you got to build your band of survivors up in the US into a powerful force to take on other factions. a lot missions and quite a few tactical missions as well.

10. The Talos Principle - A nice game about the mental challenge one faces within puzzles and themselves and how to understand and or solve these dilemmas. Nothing better than thinking about things and get you away from that happy place and into something like this.

Phantasy Star Sega 1987: Some say it was the birth of role playing games: maybe. It was awesome. The dungeons; the characters; the story! I must have played this game 50 times from start to finish. I knew every weapon, every enemy, and every dungeon trap (except those that I fell through).

 

^^this!

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who values this gem. I was so scared of those ghouls on Dezoris. I almost always ran away (and usually right into a trap). That noise they made when that acid drooled out of their mouth... disgusting. I still sometimes notice that I'm humming one of the dungeon songs.

 

That feeling when I finally beat that last boss after so many attempts. With only Odin (I think) standing who couldn't have taken one more hit. Oh, what a joyful moment that was.

 

(Granted, replaying it nowadays is quite a pain. Random encounters every few meters. No auto-map. No auto-regen of HP. No quick travel.)

Edited November 14, 2018 by JattaGin

1) Everquest - hands down the greatest of all time (still playing after 18+ years!)

This was the hardcore game, I use to book holidays off work to raid SSRA for a week.

2) Everquest 2 - amazing just amazing, sadly now runs crap on a decent set up.

3) WOW - yes I said WOW, on release this game was amazing, remember the old battles at the Crossroads?

4) Warhammer Dawn Of War - all of them especially 3 - love GW stuff

5) Wolfenburg - the original text based MUD from the late 90s, met so many friends who all transferred to EQ on release.

6) SWTOR - yes its going down hill, yes I may be off if the threatened changes happen but just cant bring myself to unsub just yet.

7) ESO - even though they lied (you cant play as you wont if you need to do end game stuff) love the look and feel of the game and the endless way you can change your toon (if you have the cash)

8) Empyrion - build it, fly it, kill stuff

9) GW2, loved the old zones hate the new stuff, but still good memories

10) Red Storm Rising - back when we used tape cassettes, now redone as Cold Waters (I love you Killerfish Games!)

 

Be safe

1. Silkroad - because it was my first MMO ever

2. Shaiya - team work, dungeons, bosses,beautiful female characters

3. Lineage II - awesome medley of mythologies,dungeons,quests,PvP

4. Perfect World - God-like archers, beautiful characters,mounts,wings,challenging quests

5. Guild Wars - because of the pet bear

6. LOTRO - Beorning class!

7. SWTOR - really, who doesn't want a red lightsaber??

8. Runes of Magic - elf village quests

9. WoW

10. maybe,just maybe Defiance

3. Lineage II - awesome medley of mythologies,dungeons,quests,PvP

I was "amused" to discover a number of unpleasant behaviours of the Lineage II client:

* Somehow communicates its download status to a web page.

* Once it's launched, trivially blue-screens my Win10/64 machine.

* The above is explained because the client doesn't support anything after Win7, and doesn't support 64-bit Windows *at*all*.

 

Needless to say, I uninstalled it.

(5) Not the Colossal Cave, but the Atari 2600 Adventure. I found the dot myself, no Internet guides back then.

 

I remember playing a text based game on DOS called Adventure. It was an interesting puzzle to solve with enough written elements to try figure out what the right choice is.

 

2. Shaiya - team work, dungeons, bosses,beautiful female characters

 

Once a while ago i was a game guru for Aeria Games, only lasted a month but it was shortly before Project Torque was canned and Shaiya was in closed beta. I was one of those who got selected for the closed beta. i gave some good feedback and played for as long as i could back then, it seemed like any other fantasy based game, but i've always been a bit tone deaf with that type of setting.

 

from what i remember of it? there was the basic ground, a few trees and an open settings with some npc mobs, but it was rather basic graphically.

 

Nice to know it is still going strong.

from what i remember of it? there was the basic ground, a few trees and an open settings with some npc mobs, but it was rather basic graphically.

Nice to know it is still going strong.

 

 

For me, it was more than a few trees.. i loved the PvP maps, the taking of Altars, the collecting of lapis in dungeons.. the fight against the Cloron Dragon.. that was a happy gaming time of my life and i will never forget it, not now not ever.

There is this one piece of soundtrack i kept in my phone to remind me of it :

For me, it was more than a few trees.. i loved the PvP maps, the taking of Altars, the collecting of lapis in dungeons.. the fight against the Cloron Dragon.. that was a happy gaming time of my life and i will never forget it, not now not ever.

There is this one piece of soundtrack i kept in my phone to remind me of it :

 

I never played it beyond the closed beta because once Project Torque was canned, i had no reason to stick around on AG.