It's a ritual every games writer must go through at some point; the traditional run down of his or her top ten favourite games.
After scribbling down a shortlist and then using an advanced method of moving bits of paper about on my desk, I decided on an order. I'm still not a hundred percent sure about the order of the bottom five, but the games that matter are all there. So let's begin;
10; Wario Land 3, GBC, 2000
Probably the least known game on the list, but one that has always stuck with me, WL3 is a 2D platformer in a similar vein to the other Wario games. The game features a linear upgrade system where Wario's powers develop over the course of the game. This allowed for an element of the game which probably is the main reason for it sticking in my top ten; after gaining new abilities, you would go back to older levels and unlock new routes through them, resulting in new levels unlocking. A night and day cycle that altered the enemies and layout of certain levels was a clever feature, as well as some fantastically ridiculous boss fights and an ingenious power up system that beautifully exploited Wario's invincibility. Wario Land 3 showed me that small cartridge games didn't have to be small in vision.
9. Team Fortress 2, PC, 2007
Although I have only really just started playing it, I've already sunk 36 hours into it, and in that time it has gone straight into my list of favourite all time games. I've never really considered myself much of a PC gamer or a multiplayer gamer, but TF2 has proven both of these false. I never thought I could have so much fun online, let alone in an FPS. There's something about TF2 that makes it different. Perhaps it's the fantastically well defined classes that each has their own role to play. Perhaps it's the astoundingly unique art style that actually helps you in gameplay. Perhaps it's the surprisingly deep storyline that has been introduced across the slew of updates. However, it's mostly likely a combination of all of these, plus the fact I'm actually quite good at it.
8. Mass Effect 2, Xbox 360, 2010
It was probably the critics' favourite game of last year, and it was a close second favourite of mine. So many of the things that had bugged me about the original had been removed or modified, although I would still argue the Mako sections didn't need to be removed. The plot was strong despite being completely malleable. Some of the dialogue was fantastically written and the side missions were absolutely perfect, mixing gameplay and depth of story in a way never before seen. Also Garrus.
7. Half-Life, PC, 1998
DOOM created the first person shooter, and Half-Life revolutionised it. The story of the bespectacled theoretical physicist's escape from Black Mesa is now a seminal one, and still holds up today. I would argue that the original is better than the sequel but that's not why I'm here. HL is probably the first FPS game I played from start to finish, if you don't include Wolfenstein on the iPod. One of my favourite things about it is the fact that it takes about half an hour for the game to actually get started. That might sound like a criticism, but it really serves to get across the point that Gordon Freeman is no hero. He's not the leader of an elite black ops team, or a specially trained mercenary. He's a guy with an orange hazard suit and a crowbar. Your fight through Black Mesa is a constant struggle, and with your workmates dropping like proverbial flies about you, it constantly reinforces the sense that you won't be surviving the next encounter.
6. Assassin's Creed series, Xbox 360, 2007-10
Yes, the series. This is my list of top ten games, and I get to decide how it works. The Assassin's Creed series is often applauded for the way each new instalment. (at least within the main series) has introduced new and innovative gameplay features. The original introduced the concept of travelling across vast open sandboxes spaces using free-running, adding a new element to gameplay. AC2 features the same great gameplay, but adds new mission types, more varied locations and one of the most compelling character development arcs I've ever seen in all of entertainment in the form of Ezio. AC:B took a winning concept ran with it, to create what was probably my game of 2010. Th innovative multiplayer was one of my favourite features, but I also enjoyed the Brotherhood micromanagement as well as the side missions which were far more fleshed out than either of the predecessors. I would also like to quickly mention my enjoyment of the Facebook game Project Legacy, which provides superfluous, but deep and compelling extra narrative to the AC universe. Hats off to Ubisoft for creating a well rounded game to bring the gap between now and AC3
5. Jak and Daxter series, PS2, 2001-04
Before 2007, I wasn't as serious about games as I am now. It was more of my hobby than my passion. But there was one franchise that I took seriously; Jak and Daxter. The original game often felt like a spiritual sequel to Crash Bandicoot, but with the fantastic cast of characters and the wonderful open world to explore, I was far too busy having fun to notice (I was also ten). The sequel however, was probably my first step on the way to "grown-up gaming". Jak was back, in a gritty, futuristic city, crushed under the boot-heel of a suppressive tyrant and under threat from invasion by hordes of ravenous monsters. Guns were on the menu. Jak could transform into a rage-fuelled dark alter ego. Gone were the power cell collecting missions, to make way for infiltrating hostile enemy bases to subvert their oppressive regime. The third game in the series opened the world out even further, and brought all of the plot lines and characters together for a suitably epic final act. The entire series was a brilliant fusion of platforming and action-adventure, supported by some stellar characters (such as Sig, Krew and of course, Daxter).
4. Monkey Island series, PC, 1990-2009
I can still remember my first experience of Monkey Island. It was Curse of Monkey Island, running on my friend's PC, in a tiny spare room, and at first I was unimpressed with the cartoony world I saw before me. But after playing it, I suddenly realised what this was; a game that taxed my intelligence, not my trigger finger. A range of genius puzzles were lain down in front of me, and they were surround by some of the funniest dialogue and characters in any game ever. Soon after, I went out and purchased the triple pack which contained (unsurprisingly) the first three games. The original was so beautiful in its simplicity. The forest on Melee remains a high point, along with recipe making on-board the ship. The second game, probably my favourite in the series, has some of the best humour in the series as well as the best locations. Guybrush's sense of humour and dry wit are unmatched even today. Curse of Monkey Island has a fantastic art style, and the voice work of Dominic Armato continues to make me laugh. The banjo duel and insult sword fighting also make a welcome return. I'm willing to forgive Escape from Monkey Island due to the quality of the series before it, because it really was not a good game. The latest set of installments, Tales of Monkey Island are fantastic episodic adventures which really fit themselves in well to the universe and introduce some new characters which have some hilarious dialogue. It's been said before, but the Monkey Island games really do ask what is sharper; your sword or your wit?
3. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, GBC, 1998
In 1998, I wanted a Game Boy Colour more than anything. My parents promised me one if I did well in Year 3 of primary school. I did, and along with my shiny new purple GBC, I got a copy of Link's Awakening DX, the remastered version of the similarly titled 1993 game. Prior to this point, I had virtually no knowledge of the Legend of Zelda franchise, so as I first stepped onto Koholint Island, I had no idea what to expect. What I was faced with was a island full of downright bizarre characters, an amazing variety of environments and some of the greatest dungeon puzzles I've ever seen in a LoZ game. The heartbreaking story of Link's quest to free himself from the doomed island is so well structured that it would make a fantastic novel. You battle forwards through the dungeons in a traditional manner, but as you do the mystery surrounding your quest thickens, and you begin to question the very nature of the game. There's so much to LA which on the surface feels like a simple isometric Zelda quest, but when the game starts asking questions about the ethics of your perceived heroics, it suddenly becomes something else entirely. The game is due to be re-released on the 3DS Virtual Console, and for me it will be a Day One purchase.
2. Fallout 3, Xbox 360, 2008
Recently I was trying to remember how I spent the summer between finishing my A-Levels and going to uni. I couldn't think of what I was doing all the time. Then I remember; I spent most of it inside, playing Fallout 3. The summer I got my 360 was the summer I spent roaming the Capital Wasteland, hunting ghouls and playing a stealth-suit wearing shotgun-wielding private detective (because of the hat). I don't actually know why I got so excited about F3. In early 2009 I decided that I was going to get an Xbox, and somehow, I suddenly started watching videos on YouTube about the game. It became the thing I wanted more than anything. When it finally arrived, I played it almost non-stop for the whole day. F3 takes you from humble beginnings all the way through to captain of a spaceship. What I truly love about it is the non-linearity of the world. Often, I would just travel to a random location and walk in a random direction, just to see what I might come across. Sometimes it would be nothing. Other times I would stumble on a gang of raiders. A pack of deathclaws. A house which had very little in the way of items, but told a sad story nonetheless. The main storyline is good, but it pales in comparison to the experience of playing through the Dunwich Building (arguably one of the scariest gaming experience I've ever had). Yes, there are bugs. Yes, the character models aren't perfect. But the world, oh the beautifully realised apocalypse. I can cope with a few glitchy doors if it means I can climb to the top of the Washington Monument and watch the sunrise over a Super Mutant filled Capitol building.
1. Grim Fandango, PC, 1998
It's one of those best games nobody played. It one numerous game of the year awards. It was porbably the last of the great adventure games, and by far the greatest. The genre chose to go out with a bang, and what a bang it was. Grim Fandango's storyline of film noir fantasy set in a land of the dead sounds like the pitch for a Tim Burton film but provides the backdrop for some of the most incredible characters and locations you will ever come across in a game. From the stale offices of the game's opening, to the bright lights and broken dreams of Rubacava, to the hellish torment of the Edge of the World slave colony, each locations makes a greater impression than the last. The cast of characters you interact with is just as unforgettable. Whether it's Glottis and his desperate need for speed, or Domino and his very smug, very punchable face, or Salvador and his fanatic revolutionary spirit, each character is as well though-out and scripted as the last. Never has the death of an incidental character been so moving.
Grim Fandango has made it's mark on my life in many different ways. It's the reason I've got an interest in some strange things (film noir, jazz and blues, Aztec and Art Deco architecture). But mainly, it showed me that video games aren't just toys. With the right people behind them, video games CAN be interactive art. Whole worlds to be explored, wonderful stories to be told and unforgettable experiences to be had.
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