For me: Easily Portal 2.
A deeply rich story, funny dialogue, and great puzzles that will truly make your brain think. The story is very rich and spans across several different eras of Aperture history, going as far back as the 50s. The dialogue is funny and some of the lines are the most memorable in all of gaming (like the Cave Johnson lemon rant). And last but not least, the puzzles are great. They start off pretty simple, but as you progress further in the story, they get more and more complicated, especially when you get the repulsion gel and proposion gel. I feel like Portal 2 is the Gold Standard for puzzle games that every game that comes after it will be judged on.
Also, if you don't own Portal 2 yet, now is a fantastic time to get it - it's on sale for $1 on Steam, same with Portal 1. And if you want both games, the bundle containing both games is $1.50. Do not miss out on this offer, it's so worth it.
If you already have beaten Portal 2 you should check out Portal Revolution. Free mod with voice acting and a lot of new puzzles.
I just bought it two weeks ago for 10$. Excellent game though. Well worth 2 coffees!
Stardew Valley.
Its revolver has continuously released huge updates for free and has commuted to never charging for dlc.
The games mechanics are pretty great and nothing in the game requires too much grinding to get.
Even when you “finish” the game, there are still things to do and starting a new files is always fun.
The characters are all great and have unique personalities. It really makes you feel like you are part of the town.
My wife and I have over 400 hours on a single file. It’s also enjoyable starting a new file. I like to challenge myself to see how quickly I can do certain objectives in the game.
It’s also decently cheap and has a huge community behind it.
To anyone who hasn't played this yet, if you buy it on console or mobile, the huge 1.6 patch is set to release November 4th.
From what I have seen, if you can play it on PC, do it, as you can get all kinds of mods and stuff that aren't available on console. I played it on Switch years ago and then would see youtube videos of people playing the PC version and it looked like a different game altogether.
The game is just perfect. Many farms were made and many hours spent.
My only complaint is that there isn’t more of the game 😂
Luckily mods solve this.
I bought it some time ago but I kind not got into it, and it saddens me because I only hear good things about it.
Any advice?
factorio
the dedication of the dev is perceptible, almost unlimited replay value and the will release a major extension in 9 days that looks wonderful.
What? I thought the space DLC was months away!
It’s happening!
I came here to say this. I’ve been gaming since the early 80s. Factorio is top 5 for me.
Could you explain the appeal to someone who hasnever played anything similar? I played RCT3, but I don't know how comparable that is. It just seems like a really finnicky and tedious game of micromanagement.
I haven't played RCT so not sure how I compares.
But Factorio is first of, a sandbox game. You can build however you want in your own tempo. Not sure what you mean by finicky?
But I don't think it's tedious micromanagement at all. it feels super good when you build something new and it works. And there is so many technologies and it's jus fun exploring how everything works together and coming up with new designs!
There is also enemies, but can be turned off if you just want to focus on building a Factory. I mostly play with them, building up defences and killboxes and making automated train supply that comes with ammo, wall, etc.
It has a demo you can try out. It's scenarios so you try out different base mechanics in the game. But the actual game is a sandbox game.
Outer Wilds.
If you like space games and puzzle games (in the sense that you need to piece together the situation you're in), this is a great choice.
Highly recommend not looking anything up before you play.
Just did the dlc for outer wilds recently. It was refreshing how it added to the story without detracting from the main game but It was pretty damn scary for me, a person who doesn’t play horror games. I still think it’s worth it. Somewhat odd choice for the dlc when the main game was mainly an archaeological space puzzle but they made it work.
The coolest thing when you start the DLC is that you realize that this whole thing has just been out there the entire time you've been playing and you didn't know it. Then you finally get there and you can play the entire DLC while the rest of the game keeps going without you.
I love puzzle games and was so excited to play it, especially after friends that I value the opinion about games claimed it was the best game they've ever played.
I've tried, but it didn't grip me and I gave up after 2 days of trying to get into it.
Maybe one day when the universe thinks it's the right time for me.
Subnautica
Hades
I think everyone should play factorio for at least a few hours. It will be some of the most interesting 17 months of their lives.
Is it a time lapse game? Where you play for like an hour, then suddenly the sun is down?
And you're absolutely starving, yes.
I would personally recommend Satisfactory over Factorio. I think it's a more casual experience while still scratching that factory building itch.
Half life, all of them, in order
There's only 2 right? Exculding That VR version
There are two expansions for the first one, Opposing Force and Blue Shift. These explore the same events, from the points of view of different characters.
After the second one there are also the two shorter, stand alone, stories, Episode One and Episode two. These continue the story from the point of view of the protagonist.
Crosscode, Disco Elysium, Outer Wilds, Celeste, Fallout: New Vegas
+1 for Crosscode! I will admit the terrain puzzles can feel tedious after a while, but goodness, this game has great mechanics, story, and charm. One of my favorite games of all time.
I am so excited for the next game coming out by Radical Fish Games.
S-tier list
I bought crosscode some months ago on GOG and I'm slowly working through it.
I'm constantly amazed at how it feels like a grand AAA mmorpg. The complexity of the maps is astounding (sometimes at a fault) and there is a lot of stuff to do. A tales of grindea on steroids, if you will
Strongly recommended if you enjoy the genre
Kerbal Space Program
OG Kerbal Space Program is the best. The sequel, Kerbal Space Program 2, had a lot of missing features from the original KSP, and it is still in Early Access. The developer, Intercept Games, was also closed by Take-Two Interactive, and this game has not had any major update in months. It is clear that Take-Two has completely abandoned KSP 2, and it is still on sale. But it might not be for much longer, because it is literally on life support at this point, only getting patches and bug fixes.
Wouldn't be surprised if Kerbal Space Program 2 ends up getting delisted at some point in the future.
Am happy to concede that I'm just a dumb dumb, but to say that I was confused by both what to do and how to do it would be a wild understatement.
Cyberpunk 2077. I've been known to simp pretty hard for this game, but I do consider it to be one of the best games ever made. The story, the music, the acting, the gameplay, the visuals... Every single part of the game is just masterfully done. I feel it's one of those games that everybody should play; a sort of "milestone" game like Ocarina of Time or Skyrim. Even if you're not a fan of FPS or RPGs, it's worth turning down the difficulty and playing just to experience the best story ever told through a video game, in my opinion.
It’s a great story, and one of my favorites—I’m still replaying it. But I think the best story ever told through a video game is RDR2. But those are my two favorite games, so you really can’t go wrong either way.
+1 for RDR2. Probably the best game I've ever played, made me cry several times. 10/10
I was very much into the game but then came keanue reeves. I like this guy, but having a famous actor in a video game completely breaks it for me.
I was out and lost all drive but continued. I never fully finished it though.
The City and npcs are very well made though.
Exact same feeling for me
Terraria
I would add Outer Wilds to the list.
You can really only play it once in a lifetime but I think it's the best video game experiences available.
Honorable mention for Tunic and Cocoon for the same reason
I've tried to play it twice and barely make it 30 minutes in. Been meaning to try it again though because I keep hearing it's amazing.
A couple of oldies, that deserve to still be played. Disclaimer: I played both games when they were already ~8 years old, and completely outdated in terms of technology.
Planescape: Torment
One of the best RPG ever created, and that is entirely for the world building and writing, and how much of the gameplay ends up being based on these rather than the combat mechanics (which are just ok)
Deus Ex
Again it was way ahead of its time in terms of world building and depth, and it was still an unashamed PC game, that dared to challenge its users a little and didn't need to have a GUI that could be used with a gamepad, unlike the sequels.
Strongly agree. Deus Ex is still even now my favorite game ever. NPCs sound like real people and actually have meaningful things to say.
It does however have possibly the worst death animations in the history of gaming...
My heart tells me that this is the correct answer
Updated my journal
I haven't seen it mentioned here, so I'll rep for Noita. It's an amazing rogue-like with great atmosphere and a really compelling world to explore.
There's a chemistry/alchemy system in the game that is really detailed and fun to explore. The game's tagline is "every pixel simulated," and it's not an exaggeration. Noita is like those falling sand games that were popular in the early 2000s, where each particle of sand could interact with other particles. Imagine that, but you're a badass witch flying through the world and blasting motherfuckers who try to get in your way. Your wands can set things on fire or freeze them or melt them with acid or blow them up or other crazy shit.
The wand mechanics are incredibly deep. Like, it's not "turing complete" levels of deep, but the rules for spells interact in incredibly interesting and exploitable ways. The feeling you get when you discover a powerful combo of spells is incredible.
The devs also have a cool policy of turning bugs into gameplay mechanics. I really can't say much about this without spoiling things, so this one is hard to talk about. Basically, if someone finds an exploit, they oftentimes won't "fix" it. Instead, they'll take it and tweak it to add consequences for using the exploit, or they'll balance it a bit to make it harder/remove a bit of the benefit. It's a really cool approach and has lead to a great relationship between the devs and the community. They don't take our toys away, they just make them work better in the world.
I played the game completely blind until I got my first win (it took about 80 hours of playtime), and I'd highly recommend that approach for folks who are willing to tolerate failure and who like to experiment. If it's too frustrating then that's okay, there are a lot of guides out there to help out new players without giving up too much. Many people describe your first win as you beating the tutorial, and there's some truth to that.
It can be gruellingly difficult at times, but it's just so damn good, and there's so damn much of it. I have around 600 hours in in that game which is twice as much as any other game I've played.
I'll back this up, and recommend people having a hard time look into Spell Labs on the steam workshop (and elsewhere) to help get further into the game. Once the game really clicks, it's super satisfying. Even before then, the ridiculous wonder of all the things are great. It's just as hard as it is amazing and that can be a turn off. There are other quality of life mods available in the workshop for people wanting to just enjoy the game, but the tutorial in Spell Labs is one of the biggest helps I got in unlocking progression.
Noita Together sessions were the big thing that turned the game into an obsession for me.
Noita is my favorite game that I'm terrible at, lol. I love Metroidvanias & everything Roguelike/Roguelite, so this game ticks the right boxes for me. I die in more spectacular ways Everytime I play, but still have a good time.
Nice try! I looked at the Steam reviews with people who had 600+ hours playing this game and said something like "it's hard and cruel and punishing on a level we as a people have not experienced before" and I knew I would never have the time or patience to play this! 😄
Playing it blind is absolutely like that. In retrospect, I'm surprised that I stuck with it. I usually struggle with hard games! The atmosphere and mechanics were enough to keep me playing tho. Totally understand though, it's not everything for everyone.
Hollowknight my beloved
Not everyone likes every genre of game - so here’s my grouped list:
The “I’m a nerd and like to build things and I like to watch lava lamps flow” Factorio
The “I enjoy tough but fair games that I can totally become OP in once I figure it out” Elden Ring
The “I just want to chill” game Stardew Valley
The “I like to build things” game minecraft Honorable mention-Terraria
The “Metroidvania” game Hollow Knight
The “Arpg” game Diablo 2 Honorable mention - PoE
The “I like action and smashing things in an open world” game Neir Automata Honorable mention - God of war (play one of the originals so you can 1st hate the remake, and then get to THAT point, and then happily eat crow and let Kratos be your baby daddy.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong but Stardew Valley stresses me out way more than many other games. There's so little time
I managed to get into Stardew after some insistence, but I also struggled with this for a long time and I know exactly why in my case after coming back to harvest moon for a bit: the player character is too slow. You spend soooo much time walking and unlike HM/RF you don’t have a sprint button, so everything becomes more stressful to do.
See, after one year everything repeats indefinitely. You literally can’t miss anything. So there’s actually infinite time. If you’re stressing out like “omg spring is gone and I didn’t grow abc”. That’s what’s supposed to happen - you’ll grow it next spring.
I keep getting stuck at the beginning in Nier Automata. Is there really no option to save until after like 30+ mins of gameplay?
Unfortunately yes. Perfect dodging the first boss regularly gets you killed. So... Play worse. But I promise it's the only part of the game like that.
Yup. There’s a story reason for it. It’s actually part of the charm of the game. But that first bit (which should be an intro cake walk, but isn’t) is a bad design choice IMO.
The game doesn't punish you if you knock the difficulty down to easy for that section to get through it.
Hollow Knight is the king of a crowded Genre by far. The charm of the world building is spot on and just leaves you wanting more.
I've been impatiently waiting for Silksong since I accepted defeat on the endgame content of Hollow Knight for my own sanity.
Don't hate me, but I like Cyberpunk 2077. It may have had its problems at launch, and I heard people were promised all kinds of stuff that was not delived, or was delivered only much later, but I never listen to hype anyway. I've played this for many hours. There are great mods for that game that make it even better, and it has such cool characters, such a fascinating world, good music, great design, the combat is fun... I love it.
I agree. It is exactly the aesthetic I wanted when I heard about it and I love it. And also, the story is pretty good, and so are the actors.
I played the game at launch and didn't enjoy it. Got a Steam Deck, learned how to use gyro aiming in a different game and came back to CP2077 a few months ago and... holy shit this game is fantastic. Some of the writing can be a bit jank, and its still a little buggy, but overall, really enjoyable game.
on one side, yeah it's pretty af
on the other, driving in circles is funner than actually playing. Its so smoothing 🥹
for me it was definitely worth the $35 I spent on it.
Interesting! The driving is the worst part of the game for me. I prefer to hoof it or take Jackie's Arch if its too far to run. The driving feels like captaining a boat, it never reacts how I want it to. Maybe using a controller is part of that,I dunno. The whole entire rest of the game is fine though.
I’ll do you one better: completely free.
Check out Ashes: 2063. It started life as a mod for Doom, but is now completely standalone and has more in common with the Metro games than anything else at this point. PC only, but both games and their expansions are 100% free and worth every minute of your time.
Yep, Better than Phantom Fury.
Now THIS is the kinda stuff I was hoping would be pushed to the top! Nice recommend, it looks awesome!
Dishonored!!
This one has been sitting in my steam backlog since the dinosaurs roamed the earth. I should get on that…
Same...
Valheim
Valheim is definitely a must buy. It’s a survival game with crafting and building elements.
And whoever likes Valheim should have a look at 7 Days to Die and The Forest (and probably The Forest 2, but I haven't played that one yet).
I had a lot of fun on Ark: survival evolved. Never really touched multiplayer because that's how I am, but I had a lot of fun in it anyways.
"Anyone who likes survival crafting games will like other survival crafting games."
But yes.
Valheim is one of the better in the genre. Idk why but the building is so satisfying!
There was an outstanding RTS game from 1997 called Total Annihilation. The soundtrack was 11/10, it was made by Jeremy Soule, the guy who did the Skyrim soundtrack. Some might say that Supreme Commander 2 is their most recent successor to TA, but they are wrong. Check out Beyond All Reason (BAR). It's in Alpha and it's free but it's already sooooo good.
I think most people that enjoyed SupCom1 didn't like SupCom2. The first game was leagues better, imo. There was also Planetary Annihilation some years ago, which was much simpler, then an expansion and I dunno how different that one plays.
Mount and Blade Warband for me. Native is fun but the community has made so many total conversion mods for it that can be swapped in and out at the launcher. It can be Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, most points of history between now and ancient Rome, and it can even be Star Wars
I love M&B, it was the first game where I could have a chill sword fight in super slow motion, defeating hordes of enemies with convincing swipes.
What good mods are there for it at the moment?
Awoiaf (GoT)
Last Days of the Third Age (LotR)
Warsword Conquest (Warhammer)
Perisno + Prophecy of Pendor (Fantasy conversions with lots of lore and things to do)
Gekokujo Daimyo Edition (Sengoku period Japan)
Anno Domini 1257 (13th Century Europe)
L'Aigle (Napoleonic Wars)
https://www.moddb.com/games/mount-blade-warband/mods?sort=visitstotal-desc
Theres tons of them on Moddb and they're easy to throw on your game
I agree with the guy that said Outer Wilds, even though I can't finish it because of my thalassophobia.
Personally, the two games that had a really profound effect on me are Disco Elysium and Hi-Fi Rush.
Disco is an incredible political game that really is damn powerful. It's definitely not for people who just want action.
Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm action game so I wouldn't recommend it to people who hate rhythm games or people who hate action. But it's so fun, so charming and really uplifting.
Disco is terrible, lazy writing. It's just endless word vomit.
I like literature, smart word play. but this ain't that. This is just throwing everything including piss, vomit, semen and feces on the wall and see what sticks. And in a lot of early game scenes it's this quite literally.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that Disco is not for everyone. You love it or it makes you nauseous. There is nothing in between. And you only know which one is you when you try it.
Skyrim. I know, it's been re-released a dozen times now, it's buggy as fuck, etc etc, but fuck me if it isn't an enjoyable game, even without mods.
Fallout New Vegas. It doesn't treat you like mr savior of the universe, you're a (un)lucky nobody caught in the middle of a power struggle. No essential NPCs, you can kill everyone you come across.
Age of Empires 2. Old as fuck, still enjoyable. Thank god the remaster lets you play with higher screen resolutions.
I'd recommend Morrowind over Skyrim and FONV. It gives you total freedom.
As opposed to FONV, where you can kill most people, unlike what you said, you can kill anyone in Morrowind. FONV always has the fallback of Yes Man. Morrowind you can nearly lock yourself out of progress in the main quest if you kill the wrong people. There is always a way to finish it, but it requires much more from the player and most people probably would never figure it out.
It also gives you a lot more ways to play. There's no fast travel from the map, but there's tons of travel options. There are several places through the map that take you from one place to another, but there's also two spells (that can also be on scrolls) that teleport you to the nearest of a type of structure. There's mark and recall to mark a place and be able to return there. Then there's magic like fortifying athletics to jump really far, combined with featherfall or something to land safely, or levitation, or so many other options. You can also use these things on followers, so escorts quests can be accelerated by buffing the NPC. There's just so much more freedom they started removing after Morrowind.
The world is also designed as a lived in world first seemingly and a video game second. Skyrim especially is designed like an amusement park. Every dungeon is a roller-coaster with a very designed path and no freedom. Morrowind they feel like places, and there are so many ways you can navigate them usually. This can be frustrating, because you can get lost, but it isn't that bad and feels more interesting than the same thing over and over.
The classic Doom collection, classic Doom has a massive modding scene and you can put the wads into a source port like GZDoom.
I just went through the first five episodes of Doom 1 and had a ton of fun. Sigil II is a brick wall.
I only gotta mention one that everyone should play at least once in their lifetime: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
It might be as close to a perfect game as it gets. I love that you can turn off the HUD and it’s still completely playable. Nintendo is one of the few companies that puts so much care into their open world that you can just explore and talk to people and get all the information you need to complete the game.
For modern games, I also love Nier: Automata and Horizon Zero Dawn for the complex stories and creativity but Breath of the Wild is just so perfectly executed. It’s sort of like classic Pixar movies where it might be rated G but still manages to appeal to adults.
I've heard of both. I didn't know Horizon was an open world sort of game.
Either way, I completely agree. Even at the old age of 16, I was touched so harshly by that game that it became my favorite game I've ever played after just 2 sessions
Great game! (Also happy cake day)
Thanks friend. Hoping to get my footing in a non-consumer antagonistic forum aggregator lol
Satisfactory. It's so fun automatizing stuff for 4 hours that could have been done manually in 30 minutes. I like looking at all of my work in the game and thinking "how, this is impressive".
If you like building I guess Minecraft is an epic choice. I have sunk hundreds of hours into the game, easily
There could be hundreds that I post here, but going to just say the ones I go back to again and again.
Satisfactory, The Planet Crafter, Stardew Valley, Death Stranding, Kerbal Space Program, Cities Skyline, Cyberpunk 2077, Stray, Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2, Duke Nukem 3D, Doom 1 & 2, Decent, and of course Skyeim.
Ahh Skyeim
My fault for posting at 2am.
Celeste. Great fun Mario-level game, but with a deeper story in both game and in development.
I love Celeste so much, the writing was way better than I anticipated a platformer game to have.
I also love some of the easter eggs they put in, like the white block in one of the earlier stages, where you will fall "behind" the block if you crouch on it for a few seconds; a nod to hidden mechanic in Super Mario Bros 3.
- ass effect
- pathfinder wrath of the righteous
- baldur’s gate 3
- warframe
- ass effect
Is there a sequel that focuses higher? I'm more of a boob lover but I'm still interested.
Mamms effect was (unfortunately) never released
Unfortunately not
Can I play that first one when my wife is around?
As long as you look her directly in the eyes and confidently state:
"We'll bang, okay?"
Deus Ex and Balatro
Katana Zero: Just try it. It's a 2D action platformer with good story.
Absolutely fucking amazing game!
Great game... But I have to admit, I liked Hotline: Miami more.
Steel battalion with the full controller setup
I still kick myself for not grabbing that game off a buddy for $100... I did get to play it, though, but never finished.
Command & Conquer, Tie Fighter, Simpsons Doom, Quake, Portal, and DDR.
Simpsons Doom sounds interesting!
Doom had a great mod community, and Simpsons Doom was my favorite mod.
Hello fellow 50ish year old gamer.
You forgot homeworld.
I’m not 50 something, but I got some of these games from a 50 something.
Chrono Trigger is a must for anyone that likes RPG's.
RPGs*
Katamari! It's just such a wild and fun experience. Even the sequels.
Nier Automata: It's a game that uses every aspect of the medium. From the story, the music, game play, even the end credits, it feels like they took such care in crafting a memorable experience and didn't let anything they could use to express themselves go to waste.
What Remains of Edith Finch, specifically Lewis' chapter. I think it's an excellent portrayal of how incedious and overwhelming depression can be.
Telltale's the Walking Dead (first one only): I was not prepared for the story. I wish they took the same care in the sequals, but I feel like the quality of the first one just came out of nowhere.
Any Monster Hunter. I just think it's neat.
I remember playing Katamari, and it having really unique gameplay. I'll have to check out the other ones you mentioned. They seem pretty cool! Thanks for the suggestions!
I hope you enjoy them!
Monster Hunter is a great series. Not terribly stoked about the endgame in Rise though. I think my ideal game would be something like Generations Ultimate but with the overall clunk removal that world/rise did.
+1 for What Remains of Edith Finch.
I was able to convince a cinematography friend that video games are art with that game. He was more the type to just play Skate 3, Halo, and CoD.
Xiii shooter (original on PS2, not the remake)
Metal Gear Solid 1, 3, and 4. 2 is okay but it's the black sheep. 5 is a good game but doesn't fit the series great imo. We don't talk about Survive. Revengence is okay.
Maneater. Basically a remake of the old Jaws game from PS2 era gameplay-wise
FF7 original. If you're bored with it, try the New Threat mod by SegaChief. Absolutely worth a look.
If you're into pokemon rom hacks, Emerald SeaGlass and Crystal Legacy.
Crash Bandicoot 1-4. Ignore any titles from PS2 era.
Spyro 1-3. Also ignore any PS2 era titles.
Castle Crashers
If you have a non-gamer around that does like movies, give Beyond: 2 Souls and Until Dawn a look.
Spec Ops: The Line
Doki Doki Literature Club
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 1 + 2
I'm sure I'll add more.
I don’t feel Spec Ops: The Line aged well at all. I had it on my to-play list for years and finally got around to playing it. I was rather disappointed in what I experienced. The gunplay and cover system is middling at best, and the story wasn’t anything like the hype led me to believe. Graphics are also way behind its contemporaries. It may have been groundbreaking when it came out in a very pro-war, pro-military time, but it wasn’t anything special by the time I played it 2023. I finished the game wondering what people felt was so special about it. The lack of decision making removed impact from what my character was doing, namely the infamous white phosphorus part. You can’t advance the game without performing the worst possible action, which is the only thing to do at that point in the level. Lame.
Music was good but overall I felt it was a 6/10 game. I think watching YouTube commentaries on the game is much more enjoyable than actually playing it.
Right there with you. (Uh oh, accidentally spawned a rant lol)
It's definitely a game that put way more thought into clever artsy storytelling and "subversion" above most else. I didn't enjoy the "forced" element either.
I liked that it tried something different. I like that it tried to be a bit meta, but it did so in a "high on their own farts" kind of way.
All the clever storytelling is really good though! The "You always seem to keep going down no matter how high you start from, past points of no return" aspect, lots of spirals (I think?), the voice lines becoming more unhinged. (He goes from "Target that tango!" to "KILL THAT SUNNOVABITCH!"), their gear gets gradually more destroyed. A lot of really deep thought put into those aspects!!
But yeah, the infamous "Whisky/(Willy?) Pete"
For the WP part, the creators themselves say something like "At that point, you could have just turned off the game, but you had to keep playing."
Which I feel felt SO CLEVER in the writing room, but it is rather insulting. Like, man, how pretentious can you get?? Basically to them, it would have been some kinda moral achievement if their game product had a 95% refund rate and their studio got shut down because players refused to follow a forced narrative to hurt digital people in a video game they bought with very real money.
So, yeah, it felt clever, but also like some really dark prank that kinda just cheats the player and calls them a horrible person for having the good faith to expect a good time out of a videogame. If "There's always a choice" and quitting is an ending, why wasn't there a cutscene-credits ending there? THEN you have slightly more ground to berate your player's choices.
HOWEVER, I also think there's a valuable commentary here on how, unlike players, soldiers can't just walk away. They're oath-bound to be blunt instruments of their handlers, and, like the player, they might be compelled to keep making horrible decisions that help nobody, hoping some heroic good might come out of it.
So uh, the moral is "Don't pay recruiters any mind if you value your personal autonomy, kids."?
BioShock I felt did a much better job with making the player consider the "follow the objectives to progress" assumption, and Metal Gear Solid was a fantastic anti-war game without beating you over the head for it.
I'm as sick of US-Mil funded propaganda games as the next person, but I feel like a game designed to emotionally manipulate players and berate them for giving it a chance is ultimately...cheap.
Doki Doki Literature Club
If you've never heard of this game, I envy you being able to play it blind. Don't do research, just play it and you'll get more from the experience!
Recommending the obvious GOAT titles is getting kinda old now so I'll go with my personal favourite genre right now: roguelikes.
In that genre, my favourite of all time are the Darkest Dungeon franchise, Slay the Spire, Loop Hero, Vampire Survivors and Dead Cells.
A top fun rogue-like:
Best roguelike ever, in my oppinion, is ADOM. Especially using the original ASCII graphics. It has more depth and content than any other game Ive encountered. And the original version is still completely free (paid version adds pixel graphics and some advanced options)
I got one for ya! Check out:
Heat Signature
You dynamically board spaceships, sneak around them, complete objectives, and extract before you're captured. There's a really cool time stopping mechanic so you can do things like "Shoot at this guy but throw this object at that guy" without needing real-life impossible reflexes.
It's got a ton of really cool ideas and I had to force myself to put it down and take care of Real Life Stuff. :p
Metal gear solid 3 is IMO one of the best games ever made
Wait for delta. The whole metal gear franchise is IMO worth buying.
The Talos Principle
Seconded, Ive replayed that game like 3 times already. The first one had an amazing story imo, even though the puzzles could be a little difficult, especially the hidden ones. I've sadly only played a few hours of the second one, due to the game engine change (from Source to Unreal I think?) movement feels too different and the story didnt get me hooked right away like the first one did. Still going to finish it at some point though
Currently playing Fallout New Vegas and it's probably the best "Bethesda" game I've ever played.
Except for Morrowind, of course.
Morrowind is my favorite ever.
@[email protected] Wealth beyond measure, Outlander.
Pong
the binding of isaac and deep rock galactic. best games I've ever played oh and maybe minecraft (I'm 28 and the past 2 weeks got into the mc rabbit hole AGAIN)
DID I HEAR A ROCK AND STONE? ♦️🟨🐛🔫🧍♂️"I JUST POPPED A LOOTBUG!!"
ROCK AND STONE BROTHER!
Vintage Story.
It's indie Minecraft-alike that expand survival element 100 times. With various unique lore and semi-realism gameplay.
Absolute Balderdash. It's the most replayable and funniest board game with a crowd. I've hurt my ribs many times through laughing too much.
Finally, something I understand in this list.
So many tedious recommendations when the answer is obviously heaven's vault.
It's dogshit in almost every way. Even moving around the world feels like pouring salt into your eyes. I hate almost every single thing, the protagonist, the pace, the awful vehicle sections to travel. But it's something you should play, or perhaps experience.
It's an archeological translation game and there are multiple moments of "Ok so maybe that actually means font of life not mother goddess, but that would mean this means artificial god which would mean that the extinction event was actually transcendence and holy shit..."
Pikmin (any instalments of the main series) - though I must admit I'm incredibly biased since this is coming from someone who cried her eyes out when she saw the Pikmin 4 trailer 😭 yes I cried over a game trailer that's about weird bugs. It is my fave franchise ever it's like my baby.
Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild - this is a game that makes me wish memory wiping technology existed. I would love to play this for the very first time again!
Final Fantasy X - the first Final Fantasy game I played and it is still my fave!
Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Sunshine - the most fun I've ever had with 3D platformers by far, Super Mario Galaxy's visuals are still so impressive.
The first game I EVER played gets a honorary mention - Super Mario All Stars for the Super Nintendo! The very first game I played on it was Super Mario Bros 3! 😃
As i sadly have not found them here:
-Gothic (all three). One of the first non-us-centric and it showef
- giants:citizen kabuto. Weird genre-mashup that also was funny.
And a ton more I'm too lazy to list.
I remember having a demo for giants: citizen Kabuto, it was a weird and fun third person shooter. The thing I remember most is the initial quest giver guy and the way he would say "huuungry" something about it stuck in my brain
Ah yes... It's on gog btw and still works fine. Although i still own the retail version. Gonna have to revisit it
I played that demo too! I just remember the quest where the cranky old dude was like "Ahh, I forgot THE WIFE! Go get me wife for me" and I cracked up at how nonsensical it all felt.
This feels like a unique one I should actually put the time into. It just felt so "weird" in a good way! I could never tell exactly what kinda game it was from the marketing.
Ahh Reggie, I hear yer quite the man aboot toon
I only play a certain part of games, I don't care for rpgs or top-down games as much as I like first person shooters, racing games, or simulation games.
With that being said, here's my list.
- Red Dead Redemption 2: The best game I have ever played, hands-down. It's story and gameplay are both perfection.
- Trepang2: A less heard of game, but a really fun first-person shooter which is like a mix of Crysis and Doom.
- Mafia 1 and 2: A great series with solid stories and gameplay, these are very enjoyable to play. Just don't buy Mafia 3. It's like if Ubisoft made a Mafia game.
- Arma III: A classic military simulation game which I spent hours on hours in. I love exploring the maps while engaging in realistic shootouts, especially with mods like ACE which make it even more realistic and immersive.
I will second your recommendation of Red Dead Redemption:2.
After hundreds of hours I know there are many things I have not encountered, it's amazing.
My wife, who does not game, watched me playing for the storyline only(like a movie/soap opera) and only complained about staring at a horses rear end occasionally.
Yeah it's a great game in every aspect...
Civilization III and/or V
Edit: If you have lot's of time available.
To give something that most likely has not been mentioned: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. The character banter is the best I've encountered in any video game thus far.
Doom 1993/doom 2. Decades of gaming since it came out and STILL nothing has beat the tactile sound of the super shotgun paired with the moans of demons collapsing. Absolutely amazing. though I only have 100+ hours in these 2 games combined they are a must play.
Closest I can think of is the engineers plasma gun in Deep Rock Galactic which is my #2 must play game. Its SO fun and a successful grapple + special powder x2 + grapple + skull crusher to get into a nitra vein when the engie isn't around is so incredibly satisfying. 1700 hours shows I love it so much.
Minecraft. Need I say more? rough estimate as a lot hasn't been tracked but 1500 on switch and 153 days on prismlauncher is around 5,000 hours in this silly block game.
EDIT: didn't expect the variety of games in this thread, very interesting
I have been playing a lot of Arma reforger and rimworld lately and I love both but they definitely won't meet everyones taste.
Which kind of games. From an Rpg perspective,
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Alice is missing a silent Rpg, which is played using instant messenging. That one is absolutely crazy, with a lot of potential for bleed
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Blade in the dark, which is basically the latest revolution in Rpg. And led to the FITD games, it kept the yes but partial success from previous generations of PBTA games, use long term actions (aka clock) for everything (same mechanics for opening a lock, seducing the princess or fighting a guard), and has this downtime phase which is more than just spending XP. It also has flashback mechanic letting you jump to the action and plan latter
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Mork Borg, the system is fine but banal. However, the weird aesthetic makes it a must have in a rpg lover collection
Forged in the Dark games are great; I haven't gotten to play Blades, but I've run some Scum & Villainy (which is a space opera setting: think Star Wars meets Firefly), and it's probably my new favorite system
MorkBorg is fun for the aesthetic, but the combat always seems to just drag on, with round after round of damage getting blocked by armor. On the up side, the rounds go really quick.
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Binding of Isaac for me. Endless replay value.
I still play this game when ive got nothing else to play.
- Factorio
- Return to obra dinn
- Skyrim
- Chrono Trigger (must pirate because SNES is best)
- Papers please
- Enter the Gungeon
- Cuphead
- Slay the Spire
- Subroutine
- Medieval 2 Total War (bit aged with mods to fix)
- Warcraft 3 and/or StarCraft 2 (for the campaign)
Warcraft 2 and Starcraft 1!
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Velocity 2x - extremely fun fast paced 2d space shooter & platformer. Is extremely rewarding when you start to get to good at it and learn the levels.
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Muramasa Demon Blade/Rebirth - also really fun and satisfying skill-based combat game but with some light RPG elements. What I really love about it though is the sheer vibes. Set in feudal Japan with gorgeous artwork and sound/music. Great fun and a piece of art.
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You can't buy them anymore. They're all got delisted from every store by the publisher.
So stop crying about it and tell us your must-pirate games already.
Nice victim complex you got going there
Dead Cells. Factorio. Mini Metro. FTL.
Haven't seen it here yet: Metro 2033 (sequels good too)
I'd also say S.T.A.L.K.E.R for the similar elements. But it's pretty well known and if it interests you, you know why you should be playing it. :p
Metro 2033 wowed me, and I still think of it fondly. Y'see, at the time, everyone was loudly clamoring for "open world this" and "RPG progression system that" and "Every choice matters branching storylines!". Everything had to be marketed as some huge pseudo-endless experience with limitless freedom. Sure, sure, there's a place for that. BUT...
Metro 2033 is a fairly linear post apocalypse shooter based off of a novel of the same name that doesn't overstay its welcome. And know what? It feels like playing through a good book.
You experience this twisted, scary, often beautiful world through Artyom's eyes as he explores hostile tunnels and the inhospitable surface, and along the way you meet a cast of very interesting, very "alive" feeling characters. The various mutant creatures, too, have fascinating behaviors and personalities. Even though many parts are scripted, you still feel a sense of awe with seeing the consistency with how these things behave.
Subterranean tunnels and frozen post-nuke wastelands feel ALIVE when you're checking your map with a lighter, or scrounging for a gas mask after yours cracked, and you cling to the numbered, desperate breaths through your last filter. (I'm being dramatic it rarely gets THAT desperate lol.)
The real beauty of the game, like humanity's remnants, are under the surface. It's subtle. There's a hidden morality system keeping track of how Artyom reacts to the world, and the overall themes and sociology go much further than "war is bad mmkay?". Do you meet brutality with brutality, or do you combat the darkness of this world with understanding and mercy?
Sadly, Metro Last Light carries on with 2033's bad ending as canon. Which makes sense, but 2033's good ending is so GOOD.
They're regularly ridiculously cheap now, and I personally loved the experience.
Also: The best difficulty system I've ever seen in a shooter. It feels like playing on "Ranger Hardcore" is the intended experience. It doesn't go the lazy route of making the player weak and the enemies strong. It goes for realism.
Enemies get smarter but will actually go down in a good hit or two...But careful!...So will you.
Celeste absolutely! It's difficult but it's really really fun and has a great story. If you ever get super invested, the community is great and the skill ceiling is so high that you can always get better when playing new maps.
Rain World hands down, such an interesting and challenging game.
For me personally, any game in the Super Smash Bros series.
They've always been a go-to when hanging out with friends, in their time.
Melee still has a following. Nobody likes brawl because of tripping (among other things i'm sure), but I learned how to mod brawl and added so many custom stages and character skins. Sm4sh was ok, and Ultimate is so complete.
Yeah it's Nintendo and "it's always moral to pirate Nintendo games" and there's plenty to complain about their online services but I've played smash so much that every time a new game comes out immediately a must-buy.
What platform? I can think of multiple must buys, but it really depends on the system.
OP did not specify a platform, so let’s hear ‘em.
omori
RoboCop: Rogue City
First off I have to show my lack of taste by mentioning I will play any mainline final fantasy game.
But games I recommend and will likely buy the next ones are Persona 3R/4G/5R and The Witcher 3 with DLC / Cyberpunk 2077.
All great games of high quality, though some do not like the W3 combat mechanics.
@[email protected] after playing Red Dead Redemption 2, playing the Witcher 3 feels so jank and cludgy
Voices of the Void.
Oh, wait. It's free right now??? Go get it!
Into the Radius (preferrably on PC).
Nier Automata
Bioshock series
I have been really, really enjoying the reworked Wayfinder. The story is ass but the visuals, gameplay and music are all awesome. The characters are likable, the build variety is pretty great, and the devs seem to be pretty in touch with the community lately. I never played it in its MMO state, but for $20 it's a real win.
I think the 1.0 release comes out in a few days, too!
- Hollow Knight
- Steamworld Dig 1 & 2
Hollow Knight is just amazing. Reinvigorated my love of Metroidvania-style games. The atmosphere, the environments, the movement, the controls, the music, it all works so well together. Just amazing.
Which leads me on to the second recommendation. Steamworld Dig and its sequel are pretty unique in the genre. They're Metroidvania games, but you're creating most of the tunnels and platforms as you go. Great character designs, and smooth progression all the way to the end.
Only a couple levels in, but so far I'd say if you like collect-a-thon style 3D platformers, Yooka-Laylee is worth checking out. So far my only complaint is how they allow you to go around certain edges of the first level past the tutorial and hub, but don't have hidden any hidden secrets.
Dark souls, bloodborne and sekiro. Must plays in my opinion.
The original (or remasters versions of) Final Fantasy. If you can't appreciate the OG then you need to shut up about all the shitty sequels already.
None. Buying isn't owning and piracy isn't stealing. Pirate all the games!!
Drag really likes Deathloop.
Buying isn't owning
Often true
piracy isn't stealing
Definitely true
Do pirate as needed, but also do try to send a few dollars to the dev's pockets when you like the game.
They also have families to feed (or cats I guess) and if they can't do it by making games, they'll stop making games.
None
Lmao I'm pretty sure you're the only downvoted comment here and rightfully so.
